A new song!

About this time, last year, with the possibility that my wife and I would be asked to provide some music ministry at Christmas, I wrote the following words. They are sung to the well-known melody "Hallelujah" composed by the late Leonard Cohen. 

One autumn night near Bethlehem

Some shepherds heard an angel say:

“For you I have good news, Hallelujah!

In David’s town a Child is born

The Son of God, the Son of Man

The Saviour of the world; Hallelujah!”

                Hallelujah! x 4

Some thirty years have come and gone

The Child is now a grown Man

Acknowledged by HaShem, Hallelujah!

He ministers in deed and word

His followers know, He is the Lord

The Holy One of Israel, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! x 4

But some cannot accept the Truth

They hound Yeshua to His death

With nails and spear they pierce Him. Hallelujah!

His body’s laid within a tomb

But death could never conquer Him;

He rose again, in power, Hallelujah!

                Hallelujah! x 4

And one day soon the clouds will part

And in our heads, or in our hearts,

We’ll hear Him call our names, Hallelujah!

The shofar sounds, the dead will rise,

We’ll go to meet Him in the skies;

With Him forevermore, Hallelujah!

                Hallelujah! x 4

The marriage-supper of the Lamb

To see, at last, the great I AM;

What wonder that will be, Hallelujah!

A heaven new, an earth as well

Where we shall in His presence dwell

In perfect harmony. Hallelujah!

                Hallelujah! x 4

With no more sin, and no more night,

We’ll live in His eternal light;

His praise shall be our song, Hallelujah!

The King of kings; the Lord of lords;

The great I AM; the living Word;

Yeshua Mashiach, Hallelujah!

                Hallelujah! x 8 

Abraham - the father of the faithful. (2)

So, there was Avram, setting off on the greatest 'mystery tour' in history! He set off, not knowing his destination, but in obedience to the command of El Shaddai, and with His promise ringing in his ears: "... I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves." (Gen.12:2-3).

The promise was not only to Avram's descendants, but to all of mankind - "... all the families of the earth ..."! Almighty God, the Creator of all that exists, chose to reach out to the entire world, by choosing Israel to represent Him - and He started with Avram.

On Sunday, I was preaching on Paul's description of disciples of Jesus, as given in II Cor.5:20, where he writes: "So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us." One of the points that I made was that an earthly ambassador is important, not on his own merit, but because of the monarch, president, or emperor who has chosen the ambassador to represent him. With such "chosenness" comes the great responsibility of correctly expressing the ideas, and carrying out the plans, of the one represented. However, this is not done solely for the benefit of the ruler. The ruler and his many ambassasdors work together to serve all of the peopleof the country.

Likewise, El Shaddai choosing Israel was not God favouring one nation (as yet not even in existence!) oveer another. It was about the Creator manifesting His love to the entire world - and He chose Averam as His first ambassador to carry out His plan.

God longs to have a relationship with each and every person individually. That is why we were created. El Shaddai longs for each of us to have a personal knowledge of Him. His plan for communicating His identity to the world, and how to repair the relationship that was broken in the Garden of Eden, would be through the nation of Israel - the descendants of Avram, Yitzak, and Yacob. Within that larger scope, His plan has been working out through many people and events: Moses; the Torah; the prophets; and, in the fulness of time, through Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Messiah, or "Anointed One").

Israel became a conduit of God's blessing to the world, and the path for the world to reach Him. A Son of Israel, Yeshua, would manifest this blessing further as "... a light that will bring revelation to the Goyim (Gentiles) and glory to Your people Isra’el." (Luke 2:32; CJB). Israel reveals both the heart of God, and the ways and depth of His love. This unique relationship with Israel draws mankind to Him. "Adonai-Tzva’ot (the LORD of Hosts) says, ‘When that time comes, ten men will take hold — speaking all the languages of the nations — will grab hold of the cloak of a Jew and say, “We want to go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”" (Zech.8:32; CJB). With His identity forever linked to Israel (the nation!), God's reputation is wrapped up in Israel's destiny!

Biblically-aligned believers, defined by their personal relationship with Yeshua, understand that "... salvation comes from the Jews."(John 4:22; CJB). That salvation would come through the One Who spoke those words - haMashiach, for Whom the Jewish people have been wating for millennia. Jewish people pray, on a daily basis, for the coming of Messiah as foretold in the Tanakh (the 'Old Testament'). Israel has already had the privilege of her Messiah's coming - to Bethlehem, as prophesied by Micah: "But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y’hudah, out of you will come forth to Me the future ruler of Isra’el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times." (5:1).

Yeshuah made apublic declaraion that He was the Anointed One when He read, in the synagogue in Nazareth, this prophecy from Isaiah; "The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is upon me, because Adonai has anointed me to announce good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom to the captives, to let out into light those bound in the dark;" (Isaiah 61:1; CJB).

God's message of salvation and redemption, which Yeshua (Jesus) taught during His three years of public ministry, was directed specifically, to the Chosen People. He was fully conscious that He "... was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Isra’el." (Matt.15:24; CJB). Yet, He ministered to all who put their faith in Him, as Messiah, and instructed His Jewish followers to reach out to all mankind: " Then He said to them, “As you go throughout the world, proclaim the Good News to all creation. Whoever trusts and is immersed will be saved; whoever does not trust will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16; CJB).

God's plan of spiritual redemption through Yeshua HaMashiach, is available to all who repent and believe that Yeshua paid the penalty for our sin. He paid a debt He did not owe, because we owe a debt we cannot pay! His followers now await His second coming, when He comes to defend the Children of Israel, and reign from the Holy City - Jerusalem. Are you ready?!

Noah and the Flood, Part 3

I would love to be able to say, honestly, that I am a very calm person, who never gets annoyed! Of course, as anyone who knows me well enough is aware, that is an impossibility! One of the things that annoy me is the way in which that which was (and is) good, has been 'hijacked' by those opposed to the Gospel and, indeed, to the whole idea of a Creator God to Whom we will, each one of us, answer.

As we continue to look at the record of the righteous man, Noach, we reach the point at which he and his immediate family - now the only human beings on planet earth - emerge from the ark in which they have sheltered during the world-wide flood. The first thing that they do is an act of worship and thanksgiving, as they offer to YHWH a sacrifice of the 'clean' animals that had been carried in the ark for that very purpose.

YHWH then makes a promise: "Adonai smelled the sweet aroma, and Adonai said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, since the imaginings of a person’s heart are evil from his youth; nor will I ever again destroy all living things, as I have done. So long as the earth exists, sowing time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” "(Gen.8:21-22; CJB - emphasis added).

As a sign of this promise/covenant, YHWH then sets a rainbow in the sky: "I am putting My rainbow in the cloud — it will be there as a sign of the covenant between Myself and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow is seen in the cloud; I will remember My covenant which is between Myself and you and every living creature of any kind; and the water will never again become a flood to destroy all living beings. The rainbow will be in the cloud; so that when I look at it, I will remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of any kind on the earth." (9:13-16; CJB).

That is the true significance of that particular phenomenon! It has nothig to do with sexual deviancy, any more than has the use of the lovely old word 'gay'! Actually, I take the latter personally. I was taught, at an early age, the old poem concerning the day of the week on which a person was born. I'll not print it all here, but it ends: "But the child who's born on the Sabbath Day is bonny, and blithe, and good, and gay"! You've guessed it - I was born on a Sunday!

Anyway, back to Noach. A righteous man he was; perfect, he was not! After leaving the ark, he plants a vineyard. In time, sadly, that results in him becoming drunk, and he is found by his second son, Ham, passed out naked in his tent. You know, that is one of the amazing things about the Word of God - it is transparently honest about even its finest characters! That's just one reason why it may be trusted! Ham, it should be noted, was the father of Kena‘an (Canaan - ring any bells?!).

Noach blesses his other two sons, Shem and Yefet (Japheth) because they walk in backwards, carrying a cloak, and cover their father without looking at him. There is an important lesson here! Although Noah's entire family is saved physically, each one still has to choose the way of spiritual salvation — a transformation of the heart.  Shem and Yafet show a right heart and right spirit, while their brother Ham, shows that his heart needs to be regenerated.

This curse over Ham did not end with him, but carried on down the generations: "When Noach awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. He said, “Cursed be Kena‘an; he will be a servant of servants to his brothers.” Then he said, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Shem; Kena‘an will be their servant. May God enlarge Yefet; he will live in the tents of Shem, but Kena‘an will be their servant.”" (9:24-27; CJB).  There are many who would claim that any of us, today, may unknowingly carry curses upon our lives from a previous generation. Certainly, the Second of the Ten Words (commandments) indicates that children suffer because of the sins of their parents and grandparents, and even earlier generations. We may be truly thankful, therefore that the atoning blood of Yeshua HaMashiach paid the price for all our sins. The aged apostle John wrote: "... if we are walking in the light, as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of His Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin." (I John 1:7; C.J.B.). Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union with the Messiah Yeshua." wrote rabbi Paul to the Roman disciples of Jesus (8:1; C.J.B.). If there are, indeed, such "generational curses", then He has the power to break them. However, we must receive, proclaim, and walk in the freedom that He offers to each and all.

We must also realise that we are not the masters of our own time. Speaking through His prophet, Isaiah, YHWH declares to His chosen people, Isreal: " 'For Me this is like Noach’s flood. Just as I swore that no flood like Noach’s would ever again cover the earth, so now I swear that never again will I be angry with you or rebuke you. For the mountains may leave and the hills be removed, but My grace will never leave you, and My covenant of peace will not be removed,' says Adonai, Who has compassion on you." (54:9-10).

Almghty God so loved Israel that He sent them a righteous, yet suffering, Servant so that a right relationship with Him could be restored, and eternal salvation be guaranteed to all, Jew and Gentile, who submit their lives to Yeshua, Who, Himself, is God. While Noach was used to save himeslf and his family physically; Yeshua HaMashiach is the Saviour of all who place their trust, unreservedly, in Him.

Just like the floood in the days of Noach, in the end times - and many, myself included, are convinced that that is when we are now living - judgment will come suddenly and swiftly (see Matt.24:36-41). But those who know the Lord Jesus need not fear, for He is, Himself, our safe shelter from the raging storm of tribulation, just as the ark sheltered Noach and his family. Isaiah wrote: "Come, My people, enter your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves for a little while until the wrath is past." (26:20; C.J. B.).

May we emerge from the Ark of God's shelter, in the unity of faith, to establish the new heavens and the new earth of peace and righteousness and justice, under the perfect rule of the Messish - Yeshua,

Noah, and the Flood.

Okay - as stated last month, I am planning (DV) to look at one well-known passage from the Tanakh (the Hebrew/Jewish Scriptures; the 'Old Testament/Covenant') each month. Each passage will take 3-4 posts but, if enough people show an interest, I plan to follow this through for a number of months.

This month we move from the Creation record, to the Flood, and look at the Biblical character of Noah (Noach in Hebrew) - the only man in his generation who was considered, by God, to be righteous. So we read that: "In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God." (Gen.6:9; Complete Jewish Bible).  In the Hebrew language, Noach is described as "tzadik" (righteous = right in the sight of God), and "tamim" (pure; innocent; complete, faultless). This is in complete contrast to the time in which he lived: "The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence. God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth." (vs.11-12, CJB). Only six chapters into the Bible, and the world is already filled with violence and corruption. Of course, this is what happens when mankind turns its back upon its Creator, and seeks to live its own way, rather than follow His way!

The result of all of this was that Almighty God vowed to destroy every living person - with the exception of righteous Noach and his family. These eight people would be miraculously saved in an "ark" - the English language word comes from the Latin 'arca', meaning a chest or box in which items were kept safe. The Hebrew word, "tebah" means simply "box" so, in spite of the fact that it's described/depicted as a boat in a lot of children's books, it was simply a large wooden box! This also answers the criticism that Noach and his sons would not have had any boat-building skills as they did not live close to water (some unwarranted assumptions in that claim, but we'll let them go!). Almost anyone can build a box! Of course the point of the ark was not that it would be seaworthy, but rather that it would preserve the lives of the people in it!

Noach may not have understood what he was doing; he may have been subjected to mockery; he may have been totally ignored. But Noach obeyed God, even although he saw no evidence of the coming deluge, and had never experienced anything like it before. Indeed, that is the reason why he is included in the the letter to Hebrew disciples of Yeshua, in the Brit Hadashah (New Testament/Covenant): "By trusting, Noach, after receiving divine warning about things as yet unseen, was filled with holy fear and built an ark to save his household. Through this trusting, he put the world under condemnation and received the righteousness that comes from trusting." (Heb.11:7; CJB). His absolute faith on God, that resulted in such an uncompromising obedience, was the reason that he was able to truly enter a place of total rest, when the flood eventually came. In fact, the meaning of his Hebrew name is "rest"! He was not a man who leaned on his own understanding of a situation, but one who trusted in the Word of the Lord - and was obedient to it!

Too often we try to reason everything out - the Greek influence! - and make sure that something makes sense, or agrees with our theology, before complying with Father God's commands. The Letter to the Hebrew disciples of Yeshua, again: "For the one who has entered God’s rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from His. Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest (noach - the rest of obedience); so that no one will fall short because of the same kind of disobedience." (4:10-11; CJB).

If there is just one lesson to be learned from the record of Noach, it is surely one of unquestioned obedience - regardless of the cost. May all of us who claim to follow Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus, the Messiah) be found also to be obedient - for our own good, and for the greater glory of Father God.

In death, is life!

In the previous post, I suggested that the Cross is all around us.  This picture is exactly the kind of thing to which I was referring!  The sign, of course, gives it added value!

The Cross of Jesus was not something that began in the minds of men, but was conceived and enacted in the very heart of Almighty God in eternity.  When God laid down the broad beams on which He built the very structure of the universe, those beams were stained red with the blood of the atoning sacrifice of the only-begotten of the Father - for He was, as we noted, "the Lamb, slain from before the foundation of the world."

This means that the Cross is not only written into the text of the written Word of God - the Bible - but is also ploughed into the very texture of the universe itself!  We may discern this everywhere - no life without death.  As Spring approaches, gardeners will be sowing their seeds.  Jesus said: "... unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24).  The seed must die to produce the life that produces the fruit!

The Cross is not some bizarre absurdity that occurred on the first "Good Friday" - it has been in the whole of life from the very beginning!  The sublime act of the death of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus, the Messiah) on that hilltop outside the wall of the city of Jerusalem, some 2,000 years ago, focuses in a ,moment of time something that is actually timeless!  It is a mystery - but a wonderful mystery. Over the next few posts, we will try to understand it better - approaching it with reverence, and awe.

Come with me on this journey of discovery - it could change your life, not only for time, but also for eternity!

The cosmic significance of the cross!

This is the first part of a series that I should probably have started at the beginning of Lent! However, better late than never so it is my intention (DV) to publish a number of posts, between now and Resurrection Day, that focus on the Lord Jesus, the Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach).

In John's great vision, recorded for us as "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to His servants ..." (Rev 1:1), the apostle refers to "... the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev 13:8; NKJV).  This is, of course, a reference to Jesus, the sinless, spotless, Lamb of God; the perfect, all-sufficient, atoning sacrifice.

But hold on a minute!  Was not Jesus crucified a mere 2,000 (app) years ago, on the first "Good Friday"?  So what is the Bible, the inerrant Word of the Living God, talking about when it says that He was "... slain from the foundation of the world"?

The cross is, in fact, an event of cosmic significance.  It is not merely an event that took place on a specific day in time.  The cross stands in time in order that we might see something that is eternal - i.e.timeless.  From His eternal perspective, outwith time, Father God saw the cross long before, in time, it was raised on Calvary.  It was in His heart (if I may use an anthropomorphism) in eternity, before, in time, it stood outside Jerusalem.  The cross transcends time.

Had the crucifixion of Jesus merely taken place in time, it would have been just another event in the history of mankind.  But because it was planned in eternity, it shows me that what was 'captured' in a moment of time, is held eternally in the heart of God.

The story is told of a young boy who was visiting a large cathedral.  As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he looked up at what is known as the "rood screen" and said, "There's a cross up there."  The adult who was accompanying him pointed to the floor of the cathedral, and said, "There's a cross down here as well!"  Indeed, the whole building was a cross.  It was a cruciform building - the chancel and the nave symbolising the upright; the two transepts symbolising the cross-beam.

Take time to look for the cross in your everyday life - the letter 't'; a telegraph pole; the sword on a War Memorial.  It is everywhere.

Of course, if you have never come to the foot of that cross in repentance and faith, then for you it was, and is, a cosmic waste!  It is through the sacrificial blood of the Christ, and by no other way, that we may receive forgiveness, and know God's wonderful peace in our lives.

"Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood;
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless; are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"       (Elisha Albright Hoffman).