An Open Letter to Penn Jillette

Dear Mr. Jillette,

This is in response to your interview with Peirs Morgan seen on CNN and on YouTube.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSJV8mC8GYk)

IMHumble(?)O ~ If you are an atheist, the (or any) concept, the word and/or the reality you disbelieve should not matter a rat's behind to you. Atheists who are concerned with others faith in God ought to ask themselves why the faith of others is of any importance to them at all, and why they as atheists are compelled to protect others from something that does not exist. Atheists presume an awful lot to believe themselves to be the sole and true authorities regarding what is and what isn’t and to then and therefore arbitrate the rightness and wrongness of others faith in what is and is not. But they do so anyway because in my humble opinion, faith offends them. 

Atheists should not be offended by the concept, the word or even the reality they deny. If God the concept, word or reality you deny offends you, your atheism is not something you really truly believe. Why? Because what one really truly believes can not be threatened or assailed in any way by those who believe some other thing. 

Atheism ought to be very easy, and atheists should be so very untroubled by everything they experience in life, for there is no God to blame, and since there is no God to blame, believers in God can only be deceived. We cannot blame the deceived for what they believe, but they may sometimes be blamed for being deceived.  

To blame the faithful is to say your way is better than theirs. To believe yours is better is to see your self as superior to them. By whose standard can you be deemed superior? Your own? Are you that certain of yourself? Do you see yourself as right and the God believer as wrong? Who made you the arbiter of what is right?

If you think/believe yourself right, you have decided that you are able to discern right from wrong. If there is right and wrong who informed you of the difference? When you came into this world, you knew NOTHING except that you were cold and hungry. But by the time you were two you were saying “no.” To say no is to say “that is wrong.” If no one had communicated a word to you, you would still object to those things you found unpleasing. But people did communicate with you. If not you could not even read these words. And from the society of their communications you began the process of learning. We learn by example, by instruction and by trial and error. What do we learn?

Essentially we learn right from wrong. We may not do what is right, but we know the difference. if we do not know what is right and what is wrong, we form from what we have learned and from our own will a code of right and wrong that suits us. From our own will we are still only the interpreters of what really exists. And right and wrong really exist. If not then bitterness will arise in the man or woman. That is often followed by callousness and remorselessness. Bitterness, callousness and remorselessness do also spring from believing what is wrong to be what is right and what is right to be wrong. 

Life has meaning. A man may live at the lowest level of meaning where a full belly and warm body is the only right they know, and hunger and cold the only wrong, but that still means what it means to the man. 

Now you have asked the question: “If god (however you perceive him/her/it) told you to kill your child- would you do it?” This question fails before an answer is given for the following reasons. It may not be God speaking to you. It may be your own voice, audible or in your mind that you are hearing. Or it may be the voice of a fallen angel, or the voice of a demon. 

You may not believe that such voices are heard or heeded. Many did not believe the Titanic could sink. The church did not believe the world was round. Yet your belief about the source of a voice speaking such a demand is of no consequence at all. It will not be of consequence until you yourself hear a voice speaking such a demand. because you have not heard such a voice does not prove others do not, and it doesn’t prove the reality or the source of voices heard by others. When you hear such a voice speaking such a demand then you will know something about what it will mean to make a decision to kill or not kill your child. Until you hear a voice you must remain agnostic about those voices, their sources and what to do abut what they say. 

So it is with God. Because you do not believe in God makes His reality or unreality the last thing you are qualified to instruct others about. We who believe Him and KNOW Him personally have something authoritative to declare about Him. If I do not believe in pink unicorns I am the last person to be consulted on what they are. And what they are is simply stuffed animals and plastic or ceramic figurines. If you believe in nothing, then tell us about nothing. As an atheist one should be an authority on nothing.

Now Abraham heard God say: “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Abraham knew God’s voice as well as his wifes, and so He took Isaac and went. When Isaac was bound and placed on the altar, and Abraham had his knife in hand, God spoke yet again. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

If there ever were such a thing as an atheist I think he/she would not believe anything at all. They would not believe that the sun will rise tomorrow, or that the moon will wax and wane monthly. They could not believe it. They would have to wait for it to happen again to be exist again. Then they could believe it to exist. Atheists could never believe or expect anything to happen tomorrow. They would be even unable to doubt. They would exist more on the level of an earth worm who eats, defecates and dies.

I am speaking rather rawly, but God's word calls them fools.

Atheists as we know them are a most narcissistic bunch. They have believed and trusted in many things, and accomplished many things on the foundation of their beliefs. College degrees, careers, families, friends... all these things laid on the foundations they believe and built on those foundations. Humankind stands on the shoulders of those, including God, who brought them into the world and cared for them and taught them... except it seems for atheists who stand on their own shoulders having no trust in anyone  at all.

Atheism is simply one more herd which has decided to rename the object of their affections "the one who is nothing." The believe nothing and follow nothing. Many are brilliant and successful, but essentially they are as mortal as any believer in Jesus and simply unconcerned with things not seen or heard by the flesh, blood and bone of humanity.

Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. Atheist, what thing does not exist? Can you name it? Things which do not exist cannot be named let alone known. God is known. He has been known for around 6000 years. If he were not, the 6000 years of human history would never have mentioned Him once. Not even once!

Moses had a very significant encounter and conversation with God. At one point Moses asked God for His Name. God told him His Name. He told Moses "I AM THAT I AM" was (is) His Name. As we say today about the truth: "it is what it is." Jesus is who He is, and calls Himself the Truth.

Jesus has been known for almost 2000 years to have lived and died and to have risen from the dead. That He rose from the dead is why we remember Him. What other reason would we remember Him for? What other man ever rose from the dead? What other man predicted His own death and the manner of it? What other man had 40 different men write His biography, and the first 39 chapters of it before He was born?

Perhaps you might think me brainwashed Mr. Jillette. I am happy to be so, for I have not met anyone yet who has not suffered from a dirty mind.

Sincerely, David Severy

PS: I don't condemn you Mr. Jillette. I don't need to. That is God's job. In fact I love you. I pray that God, who reaches out to all with love, would find you reaching back someday in faith! I pray that He would not allow any harm come to you at all. As God does, so I do, I forgive you for all God forgives you of. I agree with God's blessing of forgiveness. God is simply waiting for you to trust Him enough to receive from Him that which He offers freely with His love. His gifts are not a few but many. We receive them by faith. You may also receive them by faith, unless God forbid that. It is between you and Him. I can pray, and I can encourage you to seek Him until you find Him. But I cannot have faith for you, you must embrace your own faith.

PPS I think heaven would be greatly blessed and happier for you to receive the Messiah Jesus and join us there. You are quite a character as you are. What you could be with God's blessings would be awesome.

Works and Greater

Works and Greater

by David B Severy (Notes) on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 7:45am

PublicFriendsFriends except AcquaintancesOnly MeCustomClose FriendsinvitedSee all lists...sara hosegoodrockport massalexis jenningsSarah Ann Reimer Lancaster University of MarylandBaltimore, Maryland AreaFamilyAcquaintancesGo Back

The scribes and Pharisees did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of Man. So they tempted Him, asking Him to show them signs and wonders. And when He did they scorned the signs saying He did them by the power of beelzebub! 

Luke 11:29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

Yet to a certain nobleman:

John 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

As one who believes in Jesus, I say He IS the Messiah, the Son of Man, and I ask Jesus to do signs and wonders, greater works today by the hands of those who believe! Not to tempt Him, but to show that He was speaking the truth saying “these signs shall follow them that believe;” because I believe many will not believe unless they see them! 

John 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

Jesus was not just showing off. From John 14:12 and 10:25,32, 37 and 38, it is clear Jesus was simply being obedient to Father. Yet frighteningly some said that the devil was His Father.

The works, the signs and wonders of Jesus were the will of His Father. The greater works we are commissioned to do TODAY are also the will of the Father. These works will result and reveal the unbelief or belief of those who see them. They may cause men to blaspheme God as the Pharisees did. It is simply a frightening reality, and causes the fear of God to rise in this writer. There are many people who believe themselves to be God’s people who deny God to do any signs or wonders in their own day and congregation. I do not judge them, but the word of God judges every man. 

John 14:10-12

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

John 10

10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

30 I and my Father are one.

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,

40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.

41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.

42 And many believed on him there.

unwishful thinking

unwishful thinking

by David B Severy (Notes) on Monday, March 25, 2013 at 12:55pm

PublicFriendsFriends except AcquaintancesOnly MeCustomClose FriendsinvitedSee all lists...sara hosegoodrockport massalexis jenningsSarah Ann Reimer Lancaster University of MarylandBaltimore, Maryland AreaFamilyAcquaintancesGo Back

http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?abbr=tv_&page=NewsArticle&id=12821&news_iv_ctrl=1141

I watched Sod Roth with Ricardo Sanchez last night and something very interesting was said about hope. Sid asked Ricardo to tell about the difference between worldly hope and Kingdom hope. Ricardo said that worldly hope is from worldly desire for worldly things, but Biblical hope is the sure expectation of what will be in Christ's Kingdom. I saw that this touched on something my friend John H. taught us around 36 years ago. “The hope of the world is to wish it be so.” It is said “Wishing never made it so.” Worldly desires can arise our of desire for what God does not give, and we should know the difference between what God won’t give and what He longs that we receive! It will be perilous to wish to long and to passionately for what the world offers, for I fear one may will suppress the truth in the unrighteousness of desires and leave the Lord to obtain those unworthy things. Romans 1:18-32 ought to bring us to our knees often in HOPE OF, that is in prayerful faithful EXPECTATION OF our God’s true mercy and grace!

Romans 1:21

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

They became vain in their imaginations? their wishes? In their desires? They had forgotten God, and lost the knowledge and relationship with God by which their hopes and desires could be pure, and for pure things. In their hope of what they might have apart from God in this world, they became vain, empty, and lost in the futility and frustration of that which is passing away.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

The hope of the believer is to expect the Kingdom, and anticipate it’s arrival, it’s becoming so, because IT IS coming !!!

Is it not this: in the unbelieving mind the imagination remains unconnected to the reality of the King and His Kingdom? Unbelievers imagine, wish for and get passionate about very dangerous and evil things! And they often obtain such things, everything from illicit sex, to dangerous drugs, to dangerous weapons, and even to dangerous occult powers. Is it that the devil responds to their wishes, their desires?

So perhaps we need to see hope in it's God approved context of righteous desire and expectation and everything else as lust for evil, corrupt and temporary things.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Are hope and faith not very close “cousins?” I think they are. 

Another friend, John M. told me that a definition of the word “king” is “can do.” Jesus can do almost anything, except sin and deny Abba, Holy Spirit and Himself. In the Messiah our God can do... and often does more that we ask or imagine! Nonetheless, let us ask! Or will we rather “have not because we ask not”? (James 4) And when we ask we should expect, we should HOPE without doubt that our prayers are heard and answered! Otherwise why pray at all! 

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

1 John 5:14-15

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Essentially the crisis is always one of faith. And the attack is always on our faith in the form of a question : “Hath God said...” An "amplified" version of satans question to Eve might read: “Do you really believe God said don’t eat from that tree. Look at the fruit, look Eve. You won’t die, that fruit will open your eyes, you will become like God and you will know everything!”

Now we need to be on our toes in the Holy Ghost , but think with me. satan gave Eve a hope, he gave her an expectation. And she bought it. And Adam bought it. And he literally “bought the farm.”

“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Genesis 3:17-19

So there is a false hope offered by the god of this world, we call it the lie. 

Expect an answer to your prayers, but be in Biblically grounded truth and the God ordained hope, not the false hope of satan and his propagandist lie spreaders!

John 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Expect a gift, and expect many gifts. God wants us rich in Spiritual gifts and generous with Spiritual Gifts, and He is not opposed to richness in material wealth, if we will not horde it! If we will be wise stewards, five talents will become 10 here and in this life and we should expect (hope for) this to happen. 

I have expected that God would teach me, that the Holy Spirit would guide me into all truth, and He is doing this! I hoped for this when I had lost the expectation of receiving from man what only God can do (the King “can do” !!!) I came to see that if I did not get validation from God what men were teaching and preaching, I had no real relationship to the Master Teacher Jesus! I was not able to be made new in my mind solely by the words of men. Man cannot substitute for God for any of us. I hope He will teach you and renew your mind too. That is: I expect without any doubt at all that He will, all you must do is expect it. Do what ever He leads and commands to receive the holy substance of faith, and renewal in the mind of Christ.  Not to wish for it and blow out a candle, but we must expect, we must hope for the substance, the real appearance of the substance of faith, your faith.Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

All our “christianese” “words” and “terms” are connected, though we tend to study them as isolated ideas. They are in fact like the 12 different fruits growing on ONE tree. Faith and Hope and power (by which God can do!), Love and holiness, salvation and sanctification, even covenant and dispensation, I believe others will occur to me later... grace, mercy, humility, meekness, goodness... 

God is not schizophrenic. His mind is one mind (in three agreed Persons). We are made in the image of God and were created that we would be forever in His likeness. We were constructed architecturally to look like God looks. We were made that way to be vessels of His Spirit and as one body of the Messiah for every one of us to "house" His likeness. We should Hope for this, it is our sure expectation! I do and Jesus does! We should, we must HOPE for we are called for restoration, to the 100% flawless perfection Jesus planned and prophesied for us as believers from long before we appeared in life! His Faith and Hope and Power, Love and Holiness, Salvation and Sanctification, Covenants and Dispensations, Grace, Mercy, Humility, Meekness, Goodness... EXPECT THEM ALL! Count on it to be yours! They are your inheritance as children of God grafted into the great Assembly!

Expect them, if you are born again from above, for they were downloaded from heaven, and installed in your operating system. When God made all things new in you, in me, he deleted all the old things, we are scrubbed cleaner that any computer hard drive ever has been or ever will be! In the new creation, all the data, all the programs all the memory are in God’s perfect order and are available for use according to our need AND the needs of others, without limitation, expect that it IS SO!
What ever deceit trips us up, however hard we fall, our HOPE, NOT OUR WISH, OUR EXPECTATION IN FAITH is that the Lord will old us up! 

Psalm 37:23-25
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

We are made good men and women by faith in Jesus, we KNOW Jesus the TRUTH and He is making us free from the law of sin and death and sustaining us in the law of the Spirit of Life in the Messiah. !!!!!!!!!!!!

The Lord has led me to Ephesians Ch. 4 in this moment and I find is so amazingly to the point! We need to EXPECT the truth of this chapter make us free, for the truth of it is Jesus and when we know the truth He makes us free! Free to live in the Spirit of God, in the Holy Perfect Spirit of God walking as holy perfect sons and daughters of God!

The chapter (as does the book and the whole Bible!) stands as an undivided work of Truth, which we must eat, for man shall not live by bread alone.

Verse 4 is the only mention of hope in the chapter, yet is is completely, fully, perfectly wedded and embedded into the whole of the message. Not only do we have a sure expectation, but we are called to life in the arrival of all the fulness of that hope, which is one hope, the hope of God from God, from the King of His Kingdom. If we will latch onto this hope, this unbreakable Promise of God in the faith of God, there is any reason to think  that anything is this life will be more worthy than this Kingdom hope, this which is the sure expectation of unending and uninterrupted Glory in the Presence of God?  “Thy Kingdom COME in earth as it IS in heaven” ought to, yes? no?-  it ought to move from being our prayer to being our HOPE to being our reality as we live in Christ the truth. 

Ephesians 4

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?abbr=tv_&page=NewsArticle&id=12821&news_iv_ctrl=1141

It's NOT FAIR!

As a christian, as a Gentile or a Jewish believer in the Messiah Jesus do you think “life is fair?” Or that it ought to be fair?

In light of the following scriptures what sort of fairness do you believe to be due you?

Matthew 5
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Acts 5
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

John 15
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

The problem from where I sit and see things, and it has taken me 63 years to get here, is this: Humans without exception tend toward self absorbed narcissism, that is also called pride. It is the crowning UNvirtue of the prince and power of the air: satan. Adam sinned and gave the title deed to his soul into the hands of satan. But God had a better plan for humans.

Is it not true that the Messiah is God from before the worlds were made? Colossians is testimony to that as is Genesis 1 and John 1. So we see that before Yeshua was Jewish He was God.

And before Abram was called by God he was a Chaldean, and a member of a society devoted to idols (false gods). When God chose Abram and began the 2nd major stage of human redemption (Noah being the 1st stage) He began to shine His Divine Light into the world through a people we eventually have come to call Jews.

Because all are sinners, and to a greater or lesser degree blinded by satan and led about by his will, the work of God amongst men, which was moving inexorably to the first visit of Yeshua in human flesh was greatly opposed. Hence we see the emergence of Ishmael, Esau, Dathan, 10 cowardly spies, the tribes of Canaan, Sanballat and Tobiah, Assyria, Edom, Hophni and Phineas, Ahab, and some very evil Kings of Judah and Israel. Gentiles and Jews both, for even among the Jews themselves were those Jews who killed the prophets GOD SENT TO THEM!

It is not enough to be born of the bloodline of Isaac. THAT alone is no guarantee of salvation. Being born again from above by grace believing Yeshua, TRUSTING THE SON OF GOD, that is a guarantee of salvation.

John 1)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ~(but born again of God!!!)~

We see our existence as humans, as Jews, or as christians from the POV of “what can I do to save, feed, clothe, and comfort my own carcass before I die.” Yes even the religious are overly concerned with what has been called “being treated fairly.” I want to be treated fairly too.

But the pathology of all humanity resulted in the purposeful for ordained crucifixion of God with us Emmanuel!!!

That is why I quoted the words of Emmanuel, He who was treated cruelly by many of His own and at the end of His life rejected by almost all of them! At one point they all fled, ALL! Te shepherd had been stricken and they all scattered.

So what you say? Friends, if you follow Jesus, the world’s humans will hate you, they will mock and laugh at you they will spit at you, they will even crucify, stone or behead you, or drown you or burn you at a stake. The more righteous you are in this life the more you expose yourself to the enemies of God!

We want people to love us and to listen to the mesage of the gospel Jesus brings from His heart to ours and to our lips. But we can expect still that we will be as evilly treated as Jesus was. That is what Jesus warned us of in John 15, and it was a prophetic word, not a conjecture! The apostles had heard the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:10-12) and therefore were able to rejoice for the beating the received from the Jewish religious elites who has so recently beaten and crucified our Lord!

It was suggested to a pastor friend of mine that if he were not experiencing some form of persecution he ought to check to see if he was in the Messiah. As has been asked popularly: “If you were arrested for being a christian, (for being Messianic), WOULD THERE BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT YOU?”

Thoughts anyone? Do we want to be unopposed by the world? Do we want to be able to fit comfortably without controversy into the world? Into the land of Israel even? Or do we want to be like Paul and cause a riot or two for Jesus Name and sake before we leave this earth?

1 Peter 4

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

she asked, "ARE YOU A ZIONIST?"

ARE YOU A ZIONIST?

by David B Severy (Notes) on Friday, March 22, 2013 at 7:15pm

PublicFriendsFriends except AcquaintancesOnly MeCustomClose FriendsinvitedSee all lists...sara hosegoodrockport massalexis jenningsSarah Ann Reimer Lancaster University of MarylandBaltimore, Maryland AreaFamilyAcquaintancesGo Back

I'm not Pro Zion as much as I am Pro Jesus! The question is, "Is Jesus a Zionist?" 

There are zionists and then there are zionists. God has chosen Zion as His Dwelling place! And we know from revelation this amazing truth:

Revelation 21:3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

We are the inhabitants of Zion! 

Isaiah 12:6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Yet as gentiles, you are a gentile believer, yes? we need to be careful to understand how much God still loves not only unsaved gentiles but unsaved Jews, Jews who are the posterity of Abraham and Isaac and the near kin of Jesus Himself!

There is a false teaching in the gentile churches which goes way back to the 2nd century, that God is done with the Jews. Not so! He has blinded them in part until the fullness of the gentile has come into the Kingdom. And He has never ever forbidden any Jew who came to Him. 

John 6:37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Anti-semitism, and anti-Judaism are as old as Abraham, they are satan's hatred for man, and for God, and for God's Messianic plan to save men. After Jesus anti-semitism was brought in by anti-Christs (anti-Messiahs). 

Islam is certainly in truth the doctrine of the devil which hates and wants to purge all Jews and Christians from the earth! 

Satan and Islam are helped unwittingly by those in the churches who believe and promote the false idea that God is finished with Jews and more specifically that He has rejected them, and that the covenants He made with Abraham., Isaac, Jacob, David and with all who receive Jesus as Lord and Messiah are now invalid. They are not, and all that the Lord requires of the Jew is faith in the Messiah. When a Jew receives and believes Jesus all the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David are his. or her everlasting possession, including the Land of Israel as long as the earth exists! 

We gentiles need to get it straight, God does not ever break His Word of Promise. 

We gentiles are taught this truth most specifically by Paul in his letter to Rome. The believing Roman churches were dividing Jew from gentile because of the presence of demonic influence in that seat of the worldly empire! No one wants to power share naturally and the sin nature and anti-Christs pried at Messianic/Christian unity between Jew and gentile until it finally split the church, a split that lasted for more than 1600 years! 

One teacher I respect as well studied and truly sincere (David Pawson) says Paul wrote the letter of Romans for the EXPRESS PURPOSE of preventing that split! I believe Pawson is right! This is clearly seen in Ch.'s 9 - 11. 

Remember Jesus said to the woman at the well: "...salvation is of the Jews."

We have an enemy yes? and that devil will lie as long as he exists, and we will be tempted to believe the lie as long as we are in the flesh. How well we resist will be determined by our will to KNOW the truth which will MAKE us FREE. The truth is Jesus never stops loving anyone and he and Abba have made promises to Israel, promises which INCLUDE the raw and painful prophetic facts of her three exiles, to Egypt, to Babylon and finally in 70 CE to the uttermost ends of the earth! 

And now since 1948 we see the hand of God gathering the dry bones  (unbelieving children ) of Jacob (Israel) from the four corners of the earth back to the Land He gave them via Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And we ought not be surprised that the devils army in the spirit world has recruited the children of Ishmael and Esau (and many other gentiles) to destroy the dry bones. Why? Because God is getting ready to breathe on those dry bones again! HalleluYah! When He does it will usher in the Millennial reign of Jesus the Messiah who will rule from Jerusalem over the entire globe for 1000 years~!

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. [John 4]

I've been framed!

 ... I've been FRAMED! 

(text below pictures)

satan by the power of the deceit of sin (satan=sin=deceit=the lie) put a wedge between Eve and Adam. Adam chose the fruit Eve offered him! Eve was deceived, Adam did CHOOSE. Adam's CHOICE caused them and ALL their children to be taken captive by satan into sin. 

The consequences are many, but God "framed" all the consequences of this catastrophe in Genesis 3:

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

With all my heart I believe we need to meditate on this section of God's Holy Message. We need to chew on it like a cow does the cud, and let it sink deeply into our hearts.

"I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes."
Psalm 119:8-12