The Coming War

John has been meditating on Psalm 118 for well over a year now.  We spent the better part of this Shabbat morning in the latter verses of this psalm of David, and the LORD has blessed us with some crucial understanding for our time. 
 Psalm 118:10-12:
 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
 They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off. 

This appears to be repetitive - three times the psalmist says "they surrounded me and in the name of the Lord I cut them off."  Is this simply for emphasis, or is it three separate events, which result in the same supernatural victory?  Some believe that there are three prophetic fulfillments of these verses throughout the Bible, i.e., David is surrounded by his enemies but saved by God, then Yeshua is surrounded by his enemies at the time of his trial and crucifixion, but God cut them off and brought victory, and lastly, Israel is surrounded by her enemies like bees encircling her, but they are destroyed and cut off by the Lord.  

Then there is the commentary of Jewish Rabbis, who claim that this is a three-fold process of the end-time war (Gog/Magog of Ezekiel 38-39).  They state that (1) the close neighbors of Israel surround her first, then (2) the nations from a distance also surround her, and (3) the whole great swarm of Israel's enemies encircle and attack her, but are cut off by God.

No matter which of these interpretations are correct, it led us to read the Scriptures again in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 and ponder the wars and rumors of wars we see and hear forming against Israel. Are we to pray against these wars? Are we even to pray against the great judgments of Almighty God that are surely soon to be poured out against His enemies?

I am careful to counsel people NOT to pray against God's Word.  The things that are written in the prophecies of Ezekiel, Obadiah, Hosea, Daniel, the psalms and Revelation MUST happen, because God has already written it.  The third temple must be built, in order to fulfill these prophecies. The enemies of Israel must form this Islamic Caliphate that we see coming together right now, in order to bring forth God's glory as He destroys them and supernaturally saves Israel.  The fall of America must surely have to happen in order for America to seek God and His righteousness and His saving grace in Yeshua.

So, all of this led us this morning to an email posted on the internet, dated Sept 2, 2012, but with no author.  It is the most powerful piece I have ever yet read to the Body of Messiah in our day, and I am compelled to share it with you.  I assume that the author intended the glory to go to God and not himself or herself.  Please read and understand these MOST IMPORTANT WORDS from this anonymous author in Israel, whom I believe must have been anointed by the Holy Spirit to write it! He(or she) reminds us that the awesome coming judgments are actually "the cry of those who so love God that they are willing to suffer any loss and go through any hardship in order that His glory and righteous judgments would be known over all the earth."
Shabbat Shalom,
Kelly


The Coming War
September 2, 2012   Email from Israel

Since Israel's 6 day victory in 1967, our subsequent military engagements have not gone so well.  The Yom Kippur war in 1973 was a hair's breath from disaster. The fruit of our actions in Gaza and Lebanon has been less than decisive, and rockets continue to land in our southern cities.
The days of untouchable military supremacy seem to be behind us.  The certainty of unequivocal US support has also vanished. Our confidence in the survival of the nation is rapidly coming down to God and God alone, and so it must be.

Iran's build-up and support of Hezbollah goes on unabated, while Hamas and the PA sit across the street watching and waiting for an opportunity to bring us one inch closer to destruction.  

We cannot ignore these conditions any more than we would say that black clouds have nothing to do with rain. The longer it waits, the stronger and more determined they all become.  However, it remains a foundational error to think the unfolding and outcome of this moment will be determined by the will and desires of men, as plausible as it might appear.  More than anywhere else in the world, what concerns Israel will unfold according to the sovereign will and plans of God.  Our perspective on war has never been if.  And though the matter of when looms large on our list of questions, we sense the greater need is to understand what He is doing why He is doing it and what He wants us to do.

Beloved, let us fervently pray for the body of Messiah in Israel and the nations to be made ready.  If our mind and heart are not rightly aligned with the thoughts and purposes of God, we will be of little use in the hour of testing.  It’s like when a plane is getting ready for takeoff and the cabin crew gives the emergency instructions.  Parents are directed to first put on their oxygen masks, and then their childrens.  Though the nations be shaken to their foundations, they are not at the epicentre of the coming quake.  We are...and we are going to need your help.  Beyond what we may or may not understand, we believe that the single most determining factor in how we walk through the coming days will be the depth of our passion for the revelation of His glory.  The manifestation of His glory is in the revelation of His nature.  The revelation of His nature is in the knowledge of His ways.  A living knowledge of His ways is only truly actualized in and through God’s righteous judgments.  So why do we cry out for God to withhold His judgments as if they were a bad thing?  They alone reveal things for what they are.  They are the measure of truth.  They are the foundation for sowing and reaping.  They are the foundation of eternity.  God’s doesn’t just say things.  He doesn’t just show things.  He gives us to experience the essence of what things are by allowing us to eat the fruit of the seeds we’ve given our lives to nurture.  King David understood this, praised God for His judgments, and was helped by them.  Psalm 119:164,175

Often we pray according to our own understanding...how things affect our loved ones, our nation, and us.  Is it right to ask or even expect God to bring forth good fruit from good seed and hold back bad fruit from bad seed?  Are we more concerned with how things affect us or how they affect Him?  Who are we really living for?  Adam and Eve experienced the fruit of their actions immediately.  Why should it be any different for us?  God has not changed. Every action having an equal and opposite reaction is a law applying to all of life, not just the visible realm.  Yet God has chosen, for a time, to suspend the laws of nature and hold back the forthcoming judgments, which are indelibly inscribed into every atom of creation.  When we cry out for the Holy Spirit to come, what we are asking for?  What do we envision? In that day the world will know sin, righteousness, and judgment.  As long as God holds back that which is rightfully due, the wicked think they are fine and the righteousness of God is held in derision.  This grace to us costs Him dearly.

Generally speaking, when disaster comes we grieve for a time, maybe go to a few special meetings, and then it’s back to life as usual.  But for some, as in southern Israel and areas of grave natural disaster, life does not snap back to normal.  However, for most of the Western world the arena of battle, conflict, and judgment is still “out there somewhere.”  This dynamic is about to change...it needs to change.  Whether by war, natural disaster, economic collapse, or obama-nation, everyone will know if his house is founded on the Rock or built on sand.  For a long time we thought Maranatha meant “Come, Lord Jesus. “ Well, it does, with one small addition.  It is an exclamation as the Lord draws near for judgment (Strong’s #3134).  It is the cry of those who so love God that they are willing to suffer any loss and go through any hardship in order that His glory and righteous judgments would be known over all the earth.  It is the cry of those who are ready to stand in the gap, knowing that the enemy is quite accustomed to going through that hole in the fence.  It is the cry of the Spirit and the Bride.

In closing, we want to be very clear and specific about our personal perceptions and expectations.  Only a small percentage of the Body is ready for what is about to happen in the world.  Most are asleep dreaming they are awake. The condition of Israel naturally is a reflection of the condition of the Body spiritually.  On all levels…personally, corporately and nationally…we tend to be issue-oriented and not get to the root problems and dysfunctions.  Israel, as a nation, is far from God and not getting closer.  The politically motivated, unprincipled ways of our leaders exhibit no signs of meaningful change in the foreseeable future.  The religious system continues as an instrument of darkness to bind the minds and blind the hearts of many true seekers.  In the past two weeks, due to a dire frustration with our social system, three people attempted to set themselves on fire.  Two succeeded and one has died.  Prior to this, such actions were unimaginable in our society.  We take this as an indicator of a spirit of hopelessness and desperation prevalent in the nation, yet not fully acknowledged by those in positions of influence and power.  Maintaining the status quo works to the advantage of our enemies and will increase our casualties in the coming war.

Contrary to how it might appear, God is the one moving the pieces on the game board.  The voices claiming prophetic unction are quite diverse in their predictions.  We expect things to soon change dramatically and forever.  We have no specific word concerning when, but expect it could be anytime from a few months to a few years.  The Spirit of the Lord may say nothing specific about dates until just before it happens.  We are to be ready starting now.  We expect that the cost of America’s compromise of truth for life style may run as high as their freedom.  We expect the losses to be suffered by Israel in the coming conflict will be of a dimension never before experienced.  We expect Tel Aviv to be the enemy’s primary target.  We expect the fear of the Lord to be released in our midst.  We expect lovers of truth everywhere to awaken and seek the Lord.  We expect God’s judgments to bring comfort to all those that long for His Glory.

Psalm 118:10-19 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
12 They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.

We Are in Trouble

I miss Kenya. I miss being in a nation where the President is a true believer in Yeshua/Jesus, and the God of Israel.  I miss being around people who do not have their faces glued to small screens all day long, but are still enjoying real-life, animated conversations with one another, sharing their lives in person instead of on Facebook. They still call their friends and family on the telephone so they can hear one another's voices.  Their children still run down the street to play with other children instead of sitting at home and texting them. Their worship is simple and pure, a true sacrifice of praise.  This picture shows one of the churches where Rev. Maina gathers the local tribes together to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The church is a tree!  They built a few wooden pews out of logs and there they gather under the big, leafy branches and joyfully sing praises to God, without any of the trappings of modern religion.

We came home to the news of more IRS scandals, lies and deceit, and the outrage of the release of five extremely dangerous Taliban prisoners, in exchange for one American deserter, whose father gave public thanks to allah.  Our nation is in trouble.  I stood before the Open Blessing Ministry congregation in Nairobi and asked them to pray for America.  John prayed the prayer of repentance from Daniel 9 and asked the Kenyans to pray it with us over America. "We have not obeyed the Voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets ..." (Daniel 9:10)

In today's "Daily Jot," journalist Bill Wilson writes:  

"Americans appear like as Jesus said in Matthew 24:38-39, "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away..." Our people, our nation, our leaders seem so self indulged with life, the games of life, the symptoms rather than the cause, that we are unable to begin to understand what is befalling us. Perhaps we have to suspend our disbelief or step outside the powers of persuasion surrounding us to see the truth that is fallen in the streets. People, we have entered a captivity that seems like freedom, but it is so far from God it cannot be free. We are in trouble.

In the wisdom of Christ in Matthew 15:14, we have leaders as the Pharisees of old who are "blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Our courts, our congress, our presidency is blind to the principles of God; to the natural consequences of abandoning God's word; to the flood of judgment that may be gathering like a storm cloud over the nation. We have depended too much on hirelings who do not care about you and me and they are deceiving and being deceived. We are in trouble and it will take the full measure of prayer, repentance, and bold action to lift this nation up from the pit of destruction and set it back on the rock of salvation."

 

Two days ago it was reported that a very rare "double tornado" struck the small town of Pilger, Nebraska.  It caused me to wonder, "What does this name 'Pilger' mean? What are you saying, Father, when you send a double tornado, a double warning?" When looking up the word pilger, this is the startling information I got:
"This unusual and interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is either an occupational name for a maker or seller of pilches, or a nickname for a habitual wearer of one of these. A pilch was a kind of coarse leather garment with the hair or fur still on it."

Does this sound familiar to you? One wearing a coarse, hairy garment with leather?
Matthew 3:14:
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” ³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”

⁴ Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; 

If we are awake, my friends, the God of Israel is sending MANY amazing and critical signs of the time we are in.  He is crying in the wilderness through the mighty wind of double tornadoes, "PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!"

He is speaking also through the incredible, last-days sign of the birth of a perfect red heifer. This was the one missing piece for the rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem. The ashes of the red heifer provide purification for the temple (Numbers 19) - but in the course of known history, there has not been found a heifer without defect that meets the qualifications of the Torah.  That's because it was not yet time!  Hear the voice of Rabbi Chaim Richman, of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, and see why this is yet another sign for us that our Lord's return is near:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byAoFbA6cr8

Keep watch! 

 

Memoirs of our Blessed Journey to Kenya

I am going to have a very difficult time composing this blog. Normally I am never at a loss for words! However, this trip was so profoundly life-changing for all of us, that to try to recount what we experienced seems a daunting task indeed. I will do my best!

John and I are pictured above showing off our very special Pokot tribal gifts.  The area of Kenya where we spent most of our time is mostly inhabited by the Pokot tribe; a people of great joy and love, a people who are hard-working, continually moving in dance and rhythm, and always offering generous hospitality.  They gave John the little wooden seat on which he's perched, and a beautifully carved walking stick.  They dressed me in this hand-embroidered cape and skirt, with a beaded band around my head, and woven basket around my neck!  Pictured with us is Jesca, the Principal of Nasokol Girls School.

We ministered all weekend at this school after first arriving in Kenya.  There are approximately 1,100 female students from grades 9 to 12, and they gathered on Saturday and Sunday for what our host, Rev. Maina, called the "Weekend Challenge."  As we entered the huge auditorium Saturday morning for the first day of worship and teaching, we were completely blown away by the deafening shouting and applause of 1100 young girls! Who are we that we should receive such a greeting? But soon we realized that most of these young people had never personally seen a white person or an American before - and they were greatly excited that we had come from halfway across the world just to visit them and share God's love with them.

I taught them on the meaning of "Sh'ma" - to hear and obey. My lesson was from James 1:19-25, and the Lord gave me much for them about the importance of not just reading God's Word, but DOING it!  Grandson Jackson followed this with his wonderful teaching on the 10 commandments, in which he applied each commandment to today's world, and we could see that he was getting through to all these precious African girls, most of whom could recite the commandments, but certainly didn't understand that they are all still relevant today!  My granddaughter Jayde taught them in the afternoon about Purity, and she challenged 1100 young girls to keep abstinence until marriage, exhorting them to value their virginity and their own personal beauty and worth as daughters of the Most High God.  I could see from their faces that this was an entirely new perspective for them, and I was deeply moved.  How often, if ever, had they been told they are beautiful and worthy of waiting for God's chosen husbands?

The Spirit had given me an urgency about taking these two grandchildren on this trip, but I really didn't realize the importance of this until after we got over there and found ourselves ministering to Kenyan youth day after day.  It was all about the next generation, and it was SO much more impactful to them to hear all this from two kids their own age than it would have been for them to listen to some more people even older than their teachers!  :)  In fact, as I watched Jayde and Jackson interact with and minister to all these young African kids, I had a very unexpected, profound sense that the Spirit was telling me I am "passing on the mantle" of all my evangelistic work to these two young grandchildren.  That was a bittersweet thought!

On Sunday all the students of the Nasokol Girls School, plus teaching staff, plus church members from all the various local churches, attended an all-day service. I had two messages planned; the first was to be on the" Restoration of All Israel," and the second on Isaiah 60:1-2, "The Glory of the Lord Has Risen Upon You." I delivered the message on Israel's Restoration, with the help of a very passionate, Spirit-filled interpreter, who met with me beforehand and told me how he and his congregation are all beginning to keep the feasts of Israel. This message was delivered in power, and I could tell by the expressions on the faces of the 2,000+ people in attendance that they were hearing something totally and utterly new.  Joy erupted in the auditorium as many began to embrace the idea that they are a part of Israel; grafted-in heirs of the Covenant! Interestingly, we never had time for me to teach the second message, and so I felt very certain I had delivered exactly what Father wanted these people to hear. We sang some Hebrew songs as well as celebrating the Lord with so many of their own pulsating, exuberant African songs. We danced with them, laughed with them, hugged them till our arms about fell off!

How is it possible to find such unbridled joy in the midst of such poverty? None of us has ever experienced such joy in worship in our own nation, where our lives are easy and comfortable.  The head of the teaching staff and his wife gave up their home for us to have a place to stay all week, and so we experienced life as they know it, although we had probably the nicest dwelling place in the entire area.  The power blacked out frequently during the day; every faucet we had leaked continually. Often the toilet did not work, but we were so grateful for a toilet since most of the time in our travels around Kenya we were squatting over holes in the ground.  There were no refrigerators or stoves in any of the dwellings, but each morning at about 7:00 a.m. our helper, Ben, arrived with a 5-gallon bucket of boiling hot water so we could take warm sponge baths. Then he would boil the milk for us to have Kenyan tea each morning, and oh, what a treat that was!  He boiled both the milk and later some water to hard-cook our eggs over a single-burner propane stove.  Our helper Theresa came mid-week to wash our linens and all our dirty clothing and we saw her washing one garment at a time in a sudsy bucket in our front yard.  Oh, how they blessed us with what they had! And they did it all with huge smiles, loving hearts, willing hands, and that ever-present joy spilling over onto us!

We ministered, taught and sang Monday in the Primary School for boys and girls from first to eighth grade. The power went in and out, but even without keyboard or rhythms, the songs were lifted up and those dancing little bodies never ceased to move! We had brought Rev. Maina the gift of a projector, donated by a generous couple from our fellowship, and he had SO much fun being able to project pictures for the young children, words to songs for the worship, and even some very fun African videos with Biblical songs and messages.  He was moved to tears by the joy of having this new tool for his ministry at the schools.

In mid-week came the highlight of our trip.  We had collected donations for the Orphange and Day Care Center high up in the mountains in the little village of Akeru. We were told the trek up there on foot would be challenging, but had no idea what we were really in for! No vehicles can go up into this steep, difficult terrain, and so we walked the approximately four-mile distance up treacherous, rocky donkey trails. John's walking stick came in very handy, and I had the ever-present Ben to help me negotiate difficult passes over rivers and 45-degree angle rocks! John made this trip with supernatural strength, just 4 months after his heart attack! All your prayers covered us and gave us the endurance for this remarkable journey.

We had no idea what awaited us when we got to the primitive little village of Akeru.  I pray that you are able to open the video below, so that you can marvel - as we did - at the greeting we received by all these precious little children!  Not sure if the video is working or the file is too large, but I hope you can see it.

We gave their school headmaster the donation of money, contributed by several of you -- and there were many tears of gratitude.  He told us the amount we contributed would feed all sixty children for three months, as well as purchasing shoes and little uniforms for those who do not have any.

After a time of singing songs with the children and sharing a hot lunch of rice and some goat meat (a very rare treat for them), we started to leave the village, but a woman came running after me and tapped me on the shoulder, pleading, "Would you pray for my child?"  Her little girl, probably about six years old, looked up at me with dim eyes, and then collapsed onto the ground, vomit spilling from her mouth.  She could not stand up.  I was told she has malaria, and since no vehicle could get up there, she would receive no medical treatment.  I have been around malaria victims in Africa before, and I knew she probably had about six hours before she would succumb to the disease and die.  So we gathered around this precious child and I anointed her head and feet with frankincense oil as we prayed earnestly to the Father to heal her.  The very next night the headmaster reached Rev. Samuel by phone with the thrilling news that the little girl had recovered completely and was healed!  All glory to YHVH Rapha, the Healer! And continued prayers and great blessings for Rev. Maina, who teaches at the school, oversees 7 local churches, and makes this trek up the mountain as often as he can to meet the needs of these children.  He is a mighty man of God and he took us in as his own.

At the end of the week we took the long, grueling bus ride back to Nairobi, where we were hosted all weekend by my friend, Pastor Leah, whom I had met in 2004 in Jerusalem.  She pastors a wonderful, Spirit-filled Pentecostal church called Open Blessings Ministry.  She had written to tell me that she and her congregation were just learning about the feasts of the LORD and wanted me to teach them all I could about keeping the feasts according to the Word.  They were eager students, constantly taking notes and scripture references and soaking up all I taught them like sponges! By no coincidence we were there to teach on Shavu'ot, and I spent the whole morning leading them in a service of waving the two loaves, reading all the Scriptures in fulfillment of this powerful feast day, worshiping the LORD, and offering up prayers of repentance on behalf of the nations of Kenya and America.

Once again warm, loving hospitality was extended to us as we spent those last three days in Pastor Leah's home. It was our desire to stay with these people, embracing their lives, their families and their culture, but I had not realized how much that would mean to them.  Leah told her congregation, "These people have slept where we sleep, eaten what we eat, and walked where we walk. They did not come in demanding a hotel room and a car.  They became one with us and honored us."  Praise God that this touched them so much; but actually the honor was ours.  None of us complained all throughout the mission; we realized that the Spirit was teaching us what it really means to walk in the words of Paul when he said, "...having nothing, yet possessing everything."  Just before we left, the Spirit impressed upon me that 2 Cor 6:4-10 would be the words we must live by as we went. We regard ourselves blessed beyond words to have brought vital, timely understandings of the Word and the Hebraic roots of our faith, plus music, fellowship, financial assistance, and the deep love of Messiah; however, we received life-changing perspectives on what is important in this life and what is not!  I pray that none of us will ever be the same.  And John and I both extend our deepest gratitude to all who helped to make this marvelous journey to Kenya a reality.

I close with one prayer request: please pray that my camera will be found and returned to me. I apparently left it in Nairobi, and am believing with all my heart that it will be found by Leah's congregation and sent back to me. Then I can send out many more pictures to share with you!