We talked again about the tremendous miracles that were experienced by the other two men that had nearly been beaten and stoned to death with him.  For those of you that have followed this story, you will likely remember that both men took the chance to go back to their families.  When confronted with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus, their families and friends who had gathered insisted that if Jesus was Who He said He was, then He could heal them right in front of the gathered crowd.  Both men had an aversion to putting God on a spot like that but after praying together for a few minutes, God urged them to do just that.  As they prayed, they were both hit with something they could only describe as electricity.   Once they realized that this “shock” had not hurt them, they tried to get up and found that they had been healed.  Before the prayer, neither of them could walk due to the severity of their injuries.

As a result, these eighty people became Jesus followers, including the father of one of the men, who was a sheik.

Now here is where the story gets even better.  As R* described things to me, this healing not only touched the eighty people present, but caused them to begin to reach out to others as well.  One sheik reached by this miracle then became five more sheiks.  The five reached however opened the door to a meetings with somewhere around 50 more sheiks.

R* again emphasized that he felt God was using his own situation as a means to reach out to the constant flow of people coming through his tent.  He said that he was able to share with people and teach them for many hours a day.  Even after nearly being killed, hundreds and hundreds every week are finding Jesus Christ as their LORD and Master.

This Jerusalem update actually now covers two conversations I had with R* while still in Syria.  He called again Friday, the 17^th (May) to give me an update on how things are.   I asked him how he is doing physically with his own injuries and I found him kind of reluctant to say very much because he does not want any pity for anything that has happened.  I specifically asked if he is able to walk yet and he said he could stand if he was holding onto something.  He has no feeling in his legs and so does not dare attempt any walking.  His infections are gradually healing due to antibiotics given him by Christian friends helping him.

R* again emphasized that he knew God was in complete control of his life, his situation, his health, his future, and God’s ultimate plan for his direction in life—or death.  This reminded me of what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1: 18b-28a (NIV):

“…Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, I what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.  I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way  be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.  Yet what shall I choose?  I do not know! I am torn between the two:  I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.  Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.  Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.  Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel of Christ.  Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you…”

R* did say he was very grateful for all those that are praying for him.  Those in America are likely only going to know about him through what is found on this blog.  He is grateful for both prayers and also all financial support because it is reaching the masses at a time when everything is on the edge of erupting in cataclysmic war.  He has asked prayer for continued strength so that he can continue preaching and teaching with his mouth, even if he can’t move around with his body.  He has said that he has complete confidence in the fact that when it is time for him to move from the area, God will enable him to do so.  As it is, people continue to stream through his tent and he is able to teach, encourage, instruct, and lead the people as God helps him.

I did find out that this sheik who was reached as a result of seeing God completely heal his son, has taken 50 of the Bibles and is now taking other sheiks, one at a time, and hopes to reach as many of them as possible because of the influence they have over the people.  This man also has an extended family which he hopes to reach before time has totally run out.

I am going to close this Jerusalem update with this:  I have found this man to be one of the strongest, most dedicated man of God I have ever had the privilege of knowing.  His heart is good, He is committed to the death if necessary, he has nothing left in this world—especially since he has now sold his own residence to purchase more Bibles, and he longs only for one thing.  He wants to reach one more…then one more…then one more, etc.  If his time comes to go home to his LORD and God, he is happy; if God keeps him here longer, that is good for the people he has brought into the Kingdom of God.  How can we not pray for such a person?  How can we not help someone like this financially?  Because he does not belong to some organization?  There are more preachers like this in this world than those that happen to belong to organizations—by a long shot.  I am not against organization—as long as it does not get in the way of what God is really doing.  Very few true believers in most parts of our world do not belong to an official organization.  With R*, we either know in our spirit that this is the real deal, or we don’t.  Some of us may need to trust those that are able to know.  I leave it with all of you just like this, and rest my case.

God is calling the very last ones into His Kingdom as I write this update.  Let’s be a part of what God is doing in a part of the world that only a rare few have any idea of what is really happening.  God not only loves you and me, and Jewish people, but also Muslims.  It takes someone that can reach into the Muslim areas to reach those people.  This is what R* and H.O.B. are doing.

For those that want to help:

H.O.B. CITY OF JESUS MINISTRY;                                                                                                 3206 SW 45^th St.;                                                                                                                           Redmond, OR.  97756

Gifts are tax deductible

Thank you and KEEP LOOKING UP!

Jake

My Bible reading the last couple nights before going to sleep I was directed to Hebrews 11. Most of us know this passage as the Bible’s “hall of fame”. This chapter has a long list of people who accomplished many great things by faith in honor of the LORD, but there were also a great many listed who endured unspeakable atrocities due to their faith in their Messiah Jesus, who they would not deny, no matter the cost.

I don’t even know how many times I have read this chapter but I was sent there once again. I determined this time to read it really slow so that I would not miss the depth of what was being said. It is amazing the difference it makes. One thing that I hoped to possibly see more than ever before is what it was that set these people aside from most who claim to be followers of Jesus. I was amazed at the things I found, in spite of the fact that I had read this chapter so many times before.

I will not be able to get into everything God laid on me for this article because it would get too long—and likely too heavy for this time around. What I would like to mention may seem pretty simple; maybe even elementary to some, but hopefully you can give these thoughts a chance to sink in anyway and see what God does with them. Nothing in God’s Word is all that “simple” anyway, and should not be ignored. Our world is becoming more turbulent every day; in fact more and more chaotic. People around us need to see something different than what is now accepted as the “norm”—unfortunately even in the Church.

We are not only seeing the decay in society, but also in our homes. This is a result of the hedonistic lifestyle glorified by Hollywood, and even the Church doesn’t see how much it has been sucked in by what we are fed as “acceptable” entertainment. We have become overcome with materialism; nice houses, nice cars, technology like nowhere else in the world. The abundance of entertainment has managed not only to steal most of our time, but also change what we see as accepted standards and morals for this new generation. We are addicted to sports, God’s great outdoors, soap operas, and anything that entertains; for many it is incessant work-out regiments—so that we can live long, successful lives, for others it is any of a non-ending list of things to keep us from what life is really all about. We have made a god out of living “the good life”– so much so that we have forgotten Jesus’ warning against falling in love with the world and all of its trappings. What has happened to the people of God who had at one time lived to please the Master? Have we forgotten that this life is only temporary and a test of our commitment to the One that died for us? We have forgotten—or are conveniently ignoring the warning against what the fallen one puts before us—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life! All three are evident—even in the Church, but the one that strikes me as especially deceptive, is the “pride of life”. This aptly describes most churches in America today.

One of our problems is, we have a definition of “success” that does not match the one that Jesus Himself lived. Our “preacher factories” or, in being a bit more civilized in my commentary, teach us how to build a great ministry machine; one that meets all needs, and doesn’t take a chance on losing people of influence, or maybe even more important—people that provide substantial finance! People might think I’m just taking pot-shots at churches and the leadership needed to run them, but that’s in error. I’ve BEEN THERE!

Look at the ministry of Jesus after 3 ½ years. When He was going through the process of being convicted for His “crimes”, almost everyone left Him! What is noteworthy is the fact that there were more women there to stand by Him than men! Where were the men? Yes, John the future Apostle was there, but the rest of them??? Of course they were disillusioned! Of course they couldn’t figure out what happened! Of course they were afraid for their own lives! But, did the women not have even more reason to fear—especially with the reputation the Roman Empire had? They apparently had at least some remembrance of what Jesus had promised. He said that He would be killed—but He would rise from the dead!!! Had He not told them this ahead of time—numerous times? Yet, as we see in John 21, Jesus was more than willing to forgive them, ALL of them, especially Peter who had beaten himself up a lot in the three days and nights after the crucifixion. Jesus would have forgiven Judas as well! Judas and Peter committed sins that were nearly identical. Peter however humbled himself before His LORD—and was not only forgiven, but commissioned to complete a task God had laid out for Him from before the foundations of the earth had been laid. We serve such an amazing GOD, folks!! HE REALLY LOVES US!

I read the book “Iscariot” written by Tosca Lee. I found it to bring out many things that don’t cross many minds. I recommend the book, not only as a good read, but because it is quite moving and really grabs you. I don’t recommend it because everyone will agree with all her thoughts presented in the novel, but because I know she really did her homework, covering all of the historical and cultural issues of the time, as well as giving a good grasp—not only of what thought patterns ruled the Roman Empire two millennia ago, but the Jewish religious system at the time as well. I found her to have the power structure of the Sanhedrin well pegged in how they ruled the Jewish people of the time, and how they protected their enviable positions as well. I find it not a whole lot different than much in evidence today.

“Iscariot” also showed the intensity of the attack on this unusual and popular Prophet from Nazareth. The novel did a good job showing how Jesus had no fear of alienating—not only the Jewish religious leaders of the day, but also His own followers—which were at least in the tens of thousands, at the height of His following, if not hundreds of thousands, scattered all over the land. Not only did Jesus set off His following by His seeming bizarre statements, but also His own future apostles. In John 6, Jesus was left with a handful of followers, and they were disillusioned and confused at best! This historical novel showed it for what it was, with the added information of the culture of the day that most of us don’t understand unless we are students of history.

Here we are today! We are afraid to offend anyone. We cringe when anyone crosses us! What has happened to the true Church? We have been given specific instructions on how a New Testament Church operates and yet so few follow the instructions laid out by the very God who had the New Testament written! Do we think He made mistakes when He had His inspired writers pen the words? We are either so fearful for our own careers, status amongst our peers, or we are just not sure that our faith in God will really carry us through the minefield we have to traverse. I guess Hebrews 11:6 is in question when it says,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He is and that He rewards those that seek Him.”

How can anyone understand this scripture any other way than what it so clearly says? Not many of us argue against His existence, but I’m not sure we really believe that He will answer our faith when we put our trust in Him! How can that be? Reading the rest of this chapter in Hebrews is pretty straight forward. From that point on in the chapter, it continues to preface the comments about each hero of the faith in saying: By faith… they did this and that—whatever it was that God had put in their path to accomplish in His Name. How about you? I have to ask myself the same every day, “How about me??” We are at the last of the last days and if we are going to do anything of consequence in honor of the KING of Kings, and His Kingdom, which we claim that we want to have part in, WE HAD BETTER GET WITH THE PROGRAM! This means to quit listening to people and listen to the Spirit of God. NO ONE ELSE!! God’s Word leaves no question about us being judged by this very thing!

There are many who claim that God has called them to one ministry or another. Where is the proof of what God has called us to? I know that it takes time for ministry to build; so does our ability to hear God, but have we made a vow to God and not fulfilled it? Isn’t this what Ananias and Sapphira did and then were judged for? They made a fine sounding proclamation to the Body of Christ, yet did not fulfill what they claimed before God and man that they were going to do. In the days we now live in, the judgments of people like Ananias and Sapphira will happen once again. The reason for this is SOULS! Are we afraid to do what we know we should because we are more afraid of what people will do and say than how God is going to judge our actions? BIG MISTAKE!

We are living in a time of great harvest and we are either going to participate in it, ignore it, or damage what God intends to do through the sin of “omission”. Most people know what sins of commission are because they are pretty obvious. Sins of “omission” however are those we can easily be guilty of because they are often done in self-preservation. What is even more deceptive is when we don’t follow God’s lead because we think we are protecting God’s reputation—or maybe even the reputation of His Church. REALLY!? Where are the heroes of the faith today?? The REAL heroes are too often hidden from the eyes of the modern day church by leaders so that people are not upset over things that are happening in another part of the world which we have little or no connection to. We live in a violent world, and beyond this, we live in a world that hates true believers in Jesus Christ! We will be held accountable for not lifting up those that live or minister in violent areas, if our reason is so as to protect the tender ears of our listeners or to protect our own status. God COMMANDS us to pray for those “in chains”! If it were us in those same “chains”, we would want the prayers of people all over the world, would we not? We especially owe them our prayers if they are only wanting to get back out onto the harvest field again—even if it brings about their death!

Time has run out and those who are not reached in time will face the horrors of the “Day of the Lord” (the Great Tribulation)! How many of us will face Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ and have to answer for our fear of man instead of our fear of GOD, because we were too concerned about our own “success”, or status with our peers?? God help us if we are guilty of this! Our fear of man costs SOULS! Our fear of God brings souls into the Kingdom of our God!

Let me briefly go back to earlier comments in this article to make this clear: Most of the things we enjoy are not wrong in themselves. The warning however, given in God’s Word for moderation in all things, has lost its potency with most of us. It has become one of the passages in Scripture we easily breeze by when we are reading God’s Word. We have become so in love with the world that we have lost sight of what we are really here for. Our priorities are way out of whack. We are now so entertained by dance shows, reality shows, comedy, even comedy which insults the holiness of Almighty God; many of them urging us to a place of accepting homosexuality, the murder of babies in the womb, and immorality beyond what we would never have accepted not all that long ago. Our world has changed, but so have we, and not in an honorable way.

When I point these things out, I naturally have to point an index finger at myself because I have found myself guilty of things that I need to correct in my own life as well. If we ever get to the place where we have lost the progression guided by the Holy Spirit of God which continually draws us closer to God and His ways, we are in trouble. This is the time to do so. Tomorrow may be too late. God said: “Be Holy, because I am holy!” He has also most emphatically said, “Walk worthy of the life you’ve been called to live!” This means we need to represent our Master well!

Today too many of us go to church to be entertained. We don’t want to be upset, nor do we want to be made uncomfortable. There are an abundance of sermons provided on line, and it’s become way too easy to pick a sermon that takes little study—if any. How do I know? I’ve been there and done that– when I was too lazy or not motivated enough to dig into God’s Word for myself. I’m ashamed that I ever did this, and I’ve determined never to do it again. It is time for the true Church to stand up for who it is meant to be. That can only come through an intimate walk with God.

Religious organizations are careful to make sure “church” is not going to scare people away, and please understand that I am speaking in generalities with this blog. I am describing a trend that is leading people down the wide road to destruction. Records of attendance are way too important. Church income often rules how a church operates. Sermons are too often prepared ahead of time with three nifty points that all start with the same letters, and are crafted so that they are not too long. Homiletics is more important than what the Spirit of God has to say!

What has happened to us? Are we still true representatives of the God that gave His all to provide us freedom? The majority of those who call themselves “Christ-followers” have forgotten what it means. It was not always that way. Today’s message would be offensive to people like William Booth, the Wesley Brothers, A. A. Allen, D. L. Moody, Billy Sunday, Charles H. Spurgeon, Charles Kingsley, Jonathan Edwards, and so many more. These men cared little if they angered people or if they preached too long. When it comes to the souls of men, the opinions of those who didn’t want their comfortable lifestyle disturbed was of little concern. Eternity is a very long time.

What I found in Hebrews 11 really lays the wood to our backsides! Chapter 11 speaks of “holy fear”! How many of us even know what “holy fear” is? What does it mean to have a “fear of God?” Does it really mean that we should be afraid of Him? That is not what it means at all. It does mean that we need to have a holy fear of Him that goes way beyond respect. We need to realize WHO He is, and who we are—or are not, in relation to Him! How does one have an acceptable “fear” of God and still have an intimate, loving relationship with Him? We need to figure that out according to God’s Word! We really have a problem if we don’t.

In conclusion, I hope to challenge you all to dig in deeper with God than you ever had. I realize that many are walking with God and you are doing it with intimacy. This really is the time for us—not only to make a noble promise to the God we take too lightly, but to actually do so, so that we can finish well as He is giving us the opportunity to do so. We are at the time when man’s definition of success means very little; we need to be seen as successful in the eyes of God. Nothing more really matters.

I want to thank you all for reading. These thoughts come from a deep place within my heart and are driven by a passion given by the God that strategically put us in this generation. There will be a tendency to say that it is a harsh message in some paragraphs, but none of it is intended so. I happen to believe we live at the most crucial time in history and if that is so, and if it truly is the case that God put us into this generation, then He had a purpose that is beyond our wildest imagination. We either will finish well, or we won’t. It’s entirely up to whatever decision we make. Let’s make the best one!

God Bless You All and KEEP LOOKING UP!
Jake

This is a very quick update as of a phone call I just received this morning directly from Syria.  I am out of town for the weekend to welcome another grandchild into the world but brought my laptop with me.

Those of you who are on my e-mail list know of the continuing work done by House Of Blessing, based in Jerusalem.  This e-mail is exciting for me to send and I hope you will take the time to read the good things God has done within the last three weeks.  There are also serious needs for prayer which I hope to enlist you all to.  Thank You!

As a result, 80 people on site accepted Jesus of Nazareth as their LORD and Savior!  These 80 are now already spreading the news of what they witnessed.  This is how quickly God is reaching any Muslims that will give God half a chance!  This is why Bibles are so very important for them to have available to give out.

All donations are tax deductible and are put into a Stateside account for HOB within a couple or three days of receipt.

Jake

Just a quick update on H.O.B. and R* who is literally sacrificing his life for the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

R* has serious injuries from the beating and stoning recently.  He appears to have received substantial injuries to his nervous system, as well as other injuries that are not being relieved yet.  He is still in Syria staying in Miriam’s tent; still confined to a wheelchair because he can’t walk.  He is using the time though to continue training many more leaders so that they can continue the work.  I am reluctant to share more that God has given me to know.

Please pray.  He has only asked for prayer so that he can get back out to where he can reach more of the very people who hate him and what he has to share.  Would to God that we all had that kind of commitment and faith!  As it is, hundreds are being reached every week.  This is no exaggeration folks.  All he asks for is prayer and more Bibles that these people treasure more than their own lives.

It seems very few have the drive to pray for this man who is half dead; yet God commands us to do so.  I’m afraid most of us are more committed to sports play-offs, golf, Hollywood’s discusting productions, and so on.  I could say more, but won’t because I don’t want to hurt those that are diligent with what God is asking of them.  Please folks, realize what “time” it is.  Syria is collapsing and WMD’s are being used in greater and greater amounts.  People are dying with white foam coming out of their mouths.  Those in the inner circles say major war is imminent with Israel, it’s border nations, and Iran–likely now within six weeks!

What have we done for the Kingdom of God?  What are we going to do in the next 6 weeks???  Let’s make the most of it!!  It affects our eternity, and the eternity of tens of thousands of people who are lost…

Please deny the demands of this dying world and fix your eyes on Jesus!!

Jake

I just got a call this morning from our friend R*, pastor and founder of House Of Blessing, Jerusalem, Israel.  The first thing he had to tell me was thank you for the funds that were provided within the last couple weeks.  I want to add a special thank you to my own church home, Desert Song Community Church which announced on Palm Sunday that a special offering would be taken for House Of Blessing on Easter.  I was amazed at the generosity people showed to a ministry so far from here.

I also want to give a great big thank you to “Amazing Grace Christian Fellowship” which had taken a special offering without my knowledge until afterwards.  I was also given the privilege of telling a little of what this ministry does and a handful of the stories I’ve now heard throughout this last year.  I am very grateful to both churches for taking the chance on supporting a ministry that does not fall under standard western style corporate organization.  “House Of Blessing” is operating totally underground, but is known for what they do and who they really are by many in Jerusalem, as well as many other cities and towns.

I will have to admit right up front this evening as I write this update that I’m not quite sure how to do the story of the last two weeks justice.  I was on the freeway when I got the call and due to my extreme concern this past week pulled over right away to take the call rather than asking R* to call me back when I get home.

The first thing he told me was that he was very grateful for the funds made available as they were able to pay for and pick up 750 Bibles and then get them to the border of Syria and get them distributed to as many as possible.  There are such a huge amount of people wanting Bibles that it seems impossible to meet the need.

I found out that R* was calling me from the tent that Miriam had lived in before being killed, due to severe injuries he just received.  I also found that Miriam had not been killed in her tent as I had thought, but rather while she was ministering to a group of people.  She was attacked while sharing the love of God with some people and badly slashed up with knives by five Muslim men and left to bleed to death.  This explains how she was found by one of the pastors of H.O.B. before she had expired.  As it turns out, Miriam’s death was a result of an ambush that had been planned to catch R* and kill him.  Miriam was killed instead.  As it turns out, R* and two other men brutally beaten were staying in the tent that Miriam bought when she sold her little house in order to purchase more Bibles for the many refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria.

There are many volunteer missionaries that R* has trained and raised up to be evangelists to the Muslim people, now in at least three of the surrounding nations from Israel.  Five more of these were brutally murdered for sharing the Gospel of the love of God, and the Messiah, Jesus Christ.   The forces of hell have not been able to get rid of them as fast as they multiply.

Different ones were ministering in different areas, including R* and two other men.  As R* and his two companions were preaching and teaching, they were attacked by a group of ten Muslim extremists who proceeded to beat them with clubs and stone them to death—slowly, for greatest effect.  From what I learned, not one inch of these men’s bodies were not beaten or stoned.  The only thing that saved their lives was the fact that a larger group of extremists came into the area and shot some people to death right in front of where they were and the ten that had intended to kill them ran for their own lives.  They then either managed to crawl away or were carried or drug out of the fray by friends.  I susect they looked like they were nearly dead by that time.

I could not help but be thankful once more that the God that Anne and I love so much and have served for many years gave us the opportunity to become a small part of this great underground movement which has now reached many tens of thousands of the lost in at least three predominately Muslim nations, as well as some orthodox Jewish people at the very beginning of this last year’s story.

One thing I have begun praying is that the ten who had intended to kill R* and his companions will not be able to sleep a single full night until they decide to find out what this message was all about that these men were teaching when they attacked them.  We have seen this happen before within this last year already.  God is right in the middle of all that is happening.  His power is obvious and I believe that He will raise all three of these men back on their feet so that they can get back out there where they want to be—more than life itself!  I was honored to be able to pray for all three men today, even though the other two couldn’t understand my language.  I’m sure that R* interpreted after we got off the phone.

My prayer for us here in the western world is that we gain such a heart for what is happening in a part of the world that is 180 degrees from where we are at–politically, socially, and religiously, that we can have some affect in what is happening there.  I am asking anyone at all who knows how to pray, that God will continue to intervene in this underground ministry.  God has done amazing things in the last year and He’s not finished!  Tens of thousands are being reached.  Many tens of thousands are also dying, and there are many, many more that will die in the months ahead.

I pray that those of us who have had our socks blessed off will realize that this world we live in is nearly finished.  Time HAS RUN OUT!  Syria is going to fall, and I believe it will fall this year, 2013.  There is much more that is happening in the Mideast that will show us that those of us in the free world are not blessed as we are, just to consume everything upon ourselves.  I really don’t want to overwhelm anyone with the drive I have to help this ministry, but if God speaks to you about this, you really don’t want to put God off.  God’s heart is for the people—even the killers!!  Isn’t that the type of people Jesus ministered to Himself while on earth?  Why do we think that God has blessed us here in the western world as much as He has—because we are better than everyone else?  Hardly!!

When I was talking with R*, he said that he could not have bad feelings toward these men that had intended to kill him because they had not seen the Light yet!  That reminds me of what Jesus said while on the cross.  He said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing!!”  Could you and I love like that??  I pray so because we don’t have any guarantee that the free world will not be taken down and Christians will have to stand up for their beliefs here as well, maybe at the cost of death!  Our freedoms have actually been eroding more than most want to recognize!  America is not the same America as a few years ago…

Just before going to bed last night, I could not help but think of the story of the Apostle Paul when he was stoned and left for dead.  He crawled out from under the rocks the next day and went back into the very city in order to preach to the same people that stoned him the day before!  This is little different from what is happening with R* right now.

There are a couple Scriptures that come to mind when I think of the Christian life we’ve been called to live.  Here is one found in 1 Peter 4:12-19:

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.  If you are insulted because of the Name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.  However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that Name.  For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  And, ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’  So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

I also thought of another passage found in 1 John 2:13-17:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and the desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

I don’t want to go into this very far in this update I just received from Jerusalem—or rather straight out of Syria, but I know that I couldn’t sleep well last night (Friday).  When I did, I kept finding myself in strong dreams, actually standing in the room with this man who has become such a friend to Anne and I.   I have had to come to the conclusion that I would be a fool to actually go into Syria with him, as he has offered to me; not because of any fear—and I can say that honestly, but because as an obvious white man, an American at that, I would only put everyone around me in greater jeopardy than they are already in.  They would naturally try and protect me, but I would be too obvious of a target.  So how can I stand with him and those wonderful people that work with him?  By listening carefully when the Spirit of God says I should pray for him fervently.  If God wakes me up to pray, it’s likely for a very good reason—and I have done this.  God also makes the needs known to the Body of Christ on this side of the world that has been blessed with a life of freedom and comfort—even the poorest of us in comparison to the rest of the world.  We all have so much!

God is not a socialist, but He does give to many—not so that we consume it all on ourselves, but that we help in areas that help is needed.  And…as uncomfortable as it is for many, MOST of the work of reaching the lost in the worst places in the world is by people just like R* and through “House of Blessing” that he founded–which is not part of a particular denomination or organizational mechanism.  God pulled him out of a life of unbelief and has now been ministering to people since 1985 and has come close to death many times.  I want to help him, and will continue to do so.  What anyone else does is not any of my business; it’s God’s business, but if God speaks to you, don’t ignore Him.  These are living souls which are at stake and the Bibles or even just one Bible will reach someone that would lose their soul for eternity without the blessing you can provide them.

So, this is the extent of my plea.  Like I’ve said so many times, time has run out and we are running between third base and home plate now.  I used to play baseball and I was fast.  I loved that scramble when I stole home from third base!  That is where we are now at in this age.  Whatever we are going to do that will bring true honor to the KING of Kings, it needs to be quickly.  For that matter, even if we were not at the very end of the age, how many of us has a guarantee of tomorrow?  NONE.  When it is our time, we will be called to give account.  It’s easy to think through in a way, because we just need to ask ourselves the question, “What would Jesus do?”  It becomes quite simple when re-reading the Gospels.

Thank you once again—everyone!  Please join me in prayer for the complete healing of this man and the two who were with him.  Giving their names on a blog like this would be foolish as it would greatly endanger them, and I won’t do it.

Address for donations:

H.O.B. CITY OF JESUS MINISTRY ;   3206 SW 45^th Street;   Redmond, OR 97756

KEEP LOOKING UP!

Jake

I was doing some reading in Hebrews however and was struck by a few things that I hope will have an impact.  As often as I have read the Book of Hebrews, I’ll have to admit that the scriptures I read this time had quite the effect—especially in this day of great trouble we happen to be living in.

The first verse of chapter two makes a strong statement that we too often skim by because we are trying to make sure we get our “quota” of Scripture read for the day.  This is what it says,

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (NIV)

This reminds me of numerous other Biblical passages—one in particular where Jesus said that many have left their first love.   Most professing Christians today are not people who see themselves in any danger of “drifting away” as is said in Hebrews 2:1.  I wonder however if there are ways of drifting away from the walk we see ourselves participating in.

I want to make one thing clear right at the outset of this article.  I have no intention of “bashing” anyone.  I do however want to be faithful to what God brought to mind when I was doing my reading.  It really made me think, and I pray it will have the same effect on others.

Verse three really puts things into perspective because it gives us a healthy balance between the unfathomable grace of God and yet the requirements of His Holiness, which we have been asked to participate in because we have become part of His family.  In verse 11 and 12 of chapter two it says:

“Both the One that makes men holy and those that are made holy are of the same family.  So, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.  He says, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers, in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.”

That gives just that much more depth and responsibility to what it says earlier in verse 3 when it says:

“…how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation.”

Obviously the human race will be held accountable for the gift of forgiveness, freedom, and eternal inheritance we have been offered.  We have the opportunity to be totally free from the curse of sin and everything that comes with it, but we should also take a real close good look at how this verse along with many others like it, might have to do with those of us who are of the house of faith!

I refer to the laxness of commitment to God that is so evident in the western world, and I do it often.  For some, this is offensive.  I feel bad, but so be it.  When God’s Word says things like it does in Hebrews 2:3, I don’t dare water it down.  I’m afraid that most of us who call ourselves “Christ-followers” take unacceptable advantage of His grace.  I realize that none of us stand a chance of being free before this Holy God without His provision, but there is a real danger in making our commitment to Him and then not following through.  We can’t afford to make that mistake.  This has nothing to do with following a whole litany of religious legalism and all the ridiculous rules we “write” for each other to follow—as the Scribes and Pharisees did 2,000 years ago.  This has to do with living the life of a true believer in Jesus the Messiah!  It should matter to us how we live and I’m afraid for way too many of us, it does not matter because we have allowed ourselves to become immersed in the sophisticated, immoral, hedonistic society around us.  Things that we wouldn’t have even considered participating in a few years ago have become accepted by us as “normal”.  God has not changed, why have we?

Bottom line is this:  God’s grace is a wonderful gift but it does not remove the severity for ignoring the high price paid for our freedom.  We dare not forget this—especially now that we are on the threshold of the Bridegroom stealing His Bride away.  The Bride and Bridegroom need to be of the same mind and heart!  We know where the Bridegroom stands because it is spelled out in the Scriptures.  That only leaves the question of where we stand.  We cannot let the world around us affect “who” we are.

At least twice in these two chapters there is a reference made to our “claim” of being followers of Jesus.  Chapter 3 verse 1 says this:

“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess…”

In Hebrews 3:6 it goes on to say this:

“…Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house.  And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.”

The emphasis is pretty obvious in both passages.  Basically, it says that it’s great that we make the confession of being a Christ-follower, but there is a condition put on that claim.   In fact, in that last passage, the little word “if” really crosses much of what is taught today.  I really don’t want to try and handle the whole controversy of “faith vs. works” in this short little article, but we would be wise to realize that the Christian life is meant to be lived and not just a claim made of being a Christian.  Too often so-called “Christian” lives can’t be recognized as anything apart from the society around us.  Are we different?  What sets us apart?

After reading through chapter two, verse five makes a point of saying that Moses was faithful as a servant “in all of God’s house”.  That seems like kind of an odd statement, but the easy meaning of it is just that Moses was obedient to everything God asked of him.  This can sometimes be pretty costly, and proved to be so in Moses’ life.

After the statement is made of Moses being faithful in “all of God’s house”, there is a strong warning against unbelief.  Most of us would quickly say that this Scripture has nothing to do with us, yet I’m afraid we are often more affected by the world around us than we realize.

Here’s a question:  How would it affect you if your life was all of a sudden turned upside down?  We have all grown accustomed to certain things being a constant.  Most of us—at least in western society are pretty dependent on everything that modern life has to offer.  We get up in the morning and expect the lights to come on when we turn the switch on.  If it’s cold, we turn up the heat.  When we are hungry, we go to the refrigerator and get something to eat.  I could go on, but don’t really need to.

What would we do if we lost all these things that we are so used to having?  For most people, they would either become bitter, or they would become better.  Which would it be for you?  It is easy to act “Christ-like” when all is well in our lives.  When things go wrong, we can often be challenged to our very core.

We sometimes are guilty of making fun of the Israelites which the writer in Hebrews is referring to because they had seen God do such amazing things and then couldn’t seem to hang onto their faith for the future challenges.  Are we really any different?  Will we be different when greater challenges come our way?  Can you trust God in a situation that is the worst of the worst??

Most of us have read great stories of the faith people have shown in the face of severe challenges, and these stories always move us.  How would it be however if it were our own name being the main character in one of these stories?  Chapter 11 of Hebrews is a well known passage because of its long list of those that had lived lives beyond what most of us could imagine having to endure.  The thing that many of us don’t realize is that this list is still being compiled.  That list was not completed with the early church.  Millions have been added to that very list, and still are today.

In conclusion, I just want to encourage everyone that reads this simple writing, to allow the Spirit of God to make you the best you can be.  Don’t look for recognition, because it rarely comes—at least not in this life.  Very accurate records are kept by the God who chose for you to be on this earth at this very time.  One of the things that I am hearing more and more from people all over the world today is God’s personal encouragement to “finish well”.  I have said it again and again; time has run out—whether that is a day, week, month, or maybe even a handful of years, those of us living today are the runner on the baseball field running between third base and home.  We need to give it all we have—no matter how costly it may become.

I used Scriptures that pointed out the faithfulness of Moses.  There was only one Moses, but there is also only one of YOU, and there is only one of ME.  Moses, as great as he was, was nearly murdered by the very people he was sent to deliver.  It happened before they ever left Egypt, and then while on their long trek through the desert.  Don’t be surprised if you don’t hit it off well with everyone due to the stand that God asks you to take.  Not everyone is asked to do the same job in preparation for the Kingdom of God.  We all have our tasks, and the thing that God honors more than anything I can think of is faithfulness. It is a faithfulness that requires us to die to everything the flesh has to offer.  If that is too much of God to ask of you, then you need to ask why He would pay such an extreme price for your salvation.  Take the time to watch the “Passion” again.  It brings a bit of perspective back into our cushy, entertainment filled lives!

God Bless You All, and…

KEEP LOOKING UP!

Jake

Thank You All!

jake

Over the last few articles I have written quite a number of things that would likely be in the “gloom and doom” category–at least for some readers.  I will continue with more subjects that deal with what we are facing this year, and the years coming–if the LORD doesn’t call us home first; many things happening within this present year of 2013.

I feel the need to slip in some articles having to do with normal Christian living that has been outlined for us in the Bible—especially considering the difficulties that are going to unfold in the immediate future.

During some of my daily Bible reading I was reading in 1 Peter 4 and 5.  I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve read these same chapters but, as is so common with the Living Word, I saw some things I felt a need to at least touch on with this article.  Here is some of what I found.  Please note the things underlined and put in bold print as they are meant to be emphasized.  You may find yourself reading them two or three times, but that’s a good thing!

“…Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.  Above all, love each others deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of GOD. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength GOD provides, so that in all things GOD may be praised through Jesus Christ…” (chapter 4: 7b-10a)

Have you ever wondered why your prayers are not going anywhere?  The answer might be in that first verse.  This is not always the case, but it needs to be considered.  Another question to ask ourselves:  Do we really love others deeply? Do we consider our lives a service to them because we are serving our GOD?  Here’s a real heavy question!  When we deal with others, can we honestly say that our words to them are the very words of God??…especially when we are miffed with them?  One more:  Is GOD praised by others when we are through with them?  Hmmm…

Later in chapter 4, more is said, and it not only pertains to the relationships we have with one another as humans, but it adds a spiritual dimension which is often missed in our society that rebels (even subtly) against any authority—even as GOD has laid it out for the New Testament church.  It says this:

“…rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.  If you are insulted because of the Name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of GOD rests on you…if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise GOD that you bear that Name.  For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of GOD; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those that do not obey the gospel of GOD?…So then, those who suffer according to GOD’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (ch. 4: 13-19)

Most of us don’t like the thought of “judgment”; in fact, many don’t think it even applies to this generation of “grace”, but that is contrary to GOD’s Word.  In fact, judgment is in process today within the church because the Messiah is at the door and multitudes are not in the least ready. Many that had had the kind of relationship with their LORD that is described of the Church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3 have walked away from their close walk with God, letting their crowns be stolen as Jesus described in the same passage, and have joined the Church of Laodicea.  What a tragedy.  Yet, we still have time to correct this…but very little time!

More depth is added to the – you– “I appeal to you as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed; Be shepherds of GOD’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as GOD wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.  Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older.  All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘GOD opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

“Humble yourselves therefore, under GOD’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  (ch. 5:1-9)

Being humble is something that is a struggle for many.  We see how smart we are, how much influence we have, how we can turn the heads of those in authority we hob-nob with, the money we donate, etc. etc.  This is why it is so rare to see a politician who is truly humble.  Unfortunately, there are the same power struggles and undue influence wielded within the inner circles of churches and church organizations.  I can remember how much I detested sitting in on religious organizational business meetings because of the power struggles I saw.  Large wealthy churches always felt it their right to exercise their power because of the money they contributed to the organizational machinery.  Jesus would have turned the money changer’s tables over just as much in our day as He did in the Temple 2,000 years ago.  In fact, Jesus would be crucified today by the Gentile Church just like He was by the Jews and Romans.  Amazing isn’t it?

I typed out more Scripture than I usually do but it is because so very much is said about our relationships, not only with each other as individuals, but also in our church relationships.  It is well known that churches have some of the ugliest conflicts between people.  Church remodeling projects are a prime example because churches have literally split down the middle over the color of carpet picked!  How the world around us has laughed at us and then ridiculed us—and for good  reason!  Then there are all the power struggles between people who feel they have status and feel the need to use it.  I remember a lady custodian who was doing a terrible job (although getting quite well paid), and when politely asked to take care of some of the worst of the grime and disease causing messes both in the kitchen and bathrooms, such a hissy fit was thrown that the poor board of elders could have used a week enjoying the quiet of a high altitude lake cottage to recoup!

I am only going to cover one part of these passages having to do with love and you, the reader, can do some personal studying of your own to apply the rest.  The New Testament Church is still here and functioning, but has lost much of what GOD had in mind when He instructed the Apostles in their teachings.  Take a good look at what was originally said.

I want to touch on another part of our love relationship that is really crucial due to the direction our society is going.  The love that Jesus showed for the human race is something that most feel is unreasonable for GOD to expect of us.

Most of us as humans are reactionary.  In other words, if someone treats us right, we will probably do the same for them.  If they insult us, we will find a way to let them know it was a mistake to do so.  Most of us know the Scripture that says “Vengeance is mine, says the LORD”.  Most of our verbal conflicts with people are not what we would classify as vengeance; so we don’t feel that we have crossed into GOD’s territory.  Is there any possibility that we might be wrong?  Do we sometimes think that we have the right to lash out at someone because they have it coming?  If we don’t set them straight, who else is going to do it?  We doubt that GOD will!  Do you think that we are often guilty of thinking that GOD does not see everything going on?  Does He maybe not see all the ways that people around us do us wrong?  Does He miss the perfect opportunity to “educate” someone else on how things really ought to be?

Do you think that we sometimes are a bit arrogant in our thinking that we have a better handle on things than those around us?  Are we guilty of thinking that we really have it over those around us—maybe even our own mate?  We may feel that we are more learned, more logical in our thinking, better equipped in expressing ourselves, even on a higher spiritual level!  We often are so fooled that we find it easy to put our own mates down in front of others.  I sad GOD must be with our often stupidity!  We may be foolish enough to believe a lot of things—because we have a powerful and very capable enemy who hates us with such a passion that we have no way to comprehend it.

This enemy, Satan / the devil / the evil one / the fallen one / or any of the other titles or names he has been given over the millennia, is quite happy to put us at odds with each other.  He has some of us so ham-strung that we are hardly able to be around others of the family of Jesus without us being able to control our tendency to unload our snide remarks or put-downs on them.

Having been in many positions of “ministry” over the last 40+ years has given me the privilege of meeting some of the most unusual people.  I have lived a very full and unusual life in many ways.  Many of these folks God sent my way were people whom I met when they were at the very bottom of the barrel, as the saying goes.  Some of them were drug addicts, others were gambling addicts, other thieves, others yet some of the most evil and brutal individuals I had ever met.  I shared coffee with murderers, rip-off artists, biker gang members, demon possessed people, Satanists, former altar boys who had been sexually abused, even a biker gang queen who I had the honor of baptizing in a river when she committed herself to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

I was honored to have had the experience of speaking in city rescue missions, one of them for about five years.  I met people who looked like they had nothing whatsoever to offer “normal” society—whatever that really is!  I found many of them to be more in touch with what life was really all about than I was, and I was the pastor doing the teaching!  The LORD took me through a process over the many years of humbling me—and today, I am so very grateful.  I found people at city rescue missions when I joined them for their provided dinner who turned out to be former doctors, attorneys, judges, politicians, and representatives of many other professions including pastors, who had lost it all for one reason or another.  I found that GOD required me to love them as brothers and sisters!  GOD saw them valuable—no matter what condition they happened to be in when I met them.  JESUS LOVED THEM!  He really LOVED them.  I have to love them JUST as He did.  I have to be willing to pay the ultimate price for them as well—as He did!

For those that have followed my posts titled the “JERUSALEM UPDATES”, you will have read how R*, the founder, whom I cannot name on line, has poured his very life out for people like this since 1985.  He has spent a fortune he inherited in order to fund the ministry.  Now he has finally sold his own house because it was all he had left.  In his case he has ministered mostly to Muslim people; some of whom are likely to brutally murder him one of these days.   They certainly have tried.  He has been caught numerous times and suffered unspeakable things for the sake of Christ, but every time, there were those that were reached!

Here in America, about all we have been asked to do is pray for them and help them with finances to provide Bibles and then in the process of distributing them, they are the ones that are shot at, hacked at with machetes, or severely beaten—if they are lucky.

Getting back to this heavenly love the Bible teaches us about, I have learned—and am still learning—that I am required to be a mirror image of the love of Jesus to the people I come in contact with whether it is to my benefit or not.  It means that much of the time GOD expects us to swim upstream against common religious wisdom.   Jesus certainly did!  They accused Him of being out of His mind!  They said He was demon-possessed!  They accused Him of blasphemy and everything else they could think of—even after they saw Him raise the dead!!  Do we really expect that we are going to have it all that much easier?

In America we have been blessed beyond measure, but for the most part most have abused GOD’s grace and His abundant blessings.  We not only spend all of GOD’s given abundance on every whim and want we can think of, but also hardly give Him the time of day.  Most of us hardly recognize His voice.  It’s because we don’t spend quality time with Him.  We spend more time playing video games or watching football, or any number of other things we can use our time up on, rather than communing with the ONE that paid the ultimate price to set us free.  And…He wants to set people on the other side of the world free as well.  Jesus is already on the threshold, preparing to call His faithful ones.  What are we going to do with the moments we may have left??

Our concept of love is lacking.  I just finished a book by Tosca Lee titled “Iscariot”.  It was an in depth novel written about Judas, but it gave a very good picture of what Jesus was like.  A picture I cannot shake is how he loved the leper—a total outcast from society.  The leper was deformed, rotting as he walked the streets, and totally without hope—a total “untouchable”.  Jesus came and took his badly deformed face into his hands, looked into his eyes with a love that is beyond description, and healed him—on the Sabbath no less.

How is your love life?  Do you love with the love that Jesus demonstrated?  Do you see yourself as above the average?  If you do…why?  Did GOD bless you more than others?  Do you judge others because they don’t happen to meet your expectations?  Do you castigate them because they may not agree with how you see things—even the things of GOD?

The example Jesus lived for 3.5 years is well worth examining, and in great detail.  He was all GOD.  He was the Creator and yet thought nothing of butchering sacred cows—nearly every chance He got.  He was so criticized that nearly everyone left Him in John 6.  Maybe we should take a good look at why everyone left Him.  Maybe He was asking more of His followers than they were willing to give.  Maybe He still is!

We live at the most crucial time in history and for those of us that claim to be Christ followers, we need to take stock of where we really stand with Him—not where we may think we stand in our religious arrogance, but where we stand according to His standards.  His standards and requirements are the only ones that matter.

Can we make it a point to walk in the love that God demonstrated for us to mimic.  1 Corinthians says that I can walk in all kinds of special Gifts given by the Spirit of God, but if I don’t have His love being demonstrated in my life, it is all a whole bunch of noise.  No harmony with the ways of His Spirit and totally worthless.  The world around us needs us to be the “real deal”!  I’d probably better stop here!

God Bless You All, and Keep Looking Up!  The KING is coming!

Jake

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.” (Psalms 116:15)

R* was more broken sounding than I think I have heard him to be over the phone during this entire last year in which he has called me nearly every single week with an update on the good things God is doing–as well as the tragedies—which there were a great many of.  The first thing I noticed of course was his voice, which was unusually thick as he talked. It was obvious he was devastated about something. He then told me he had good news and also bad news.  This I’ve heard him say numerous times before, but it had a deep grief imbedded in his words like I’d never heard before with tough news he needed to share.  He first told me that the ministry itself was growing in leaps and bounds, with hundreds coming to a saving knowledge of Christ every day.  This is a great miracle, as most of you know, considering the fact that he has been in the middle of Muslim areas that have no shortage of radical men looking for any excuse to murder.  If no infidel is found, then they will kill a fellow Muslim for one reason or another—even if it is trumped up.

R* was over the border in Syria where he has spent a great deal of time in the last few months, ministering in one of the areas where there are huge numbers of refugees trying to stay alive, most having left their homes and living in the worst of conditions, just hoping to survive.  As you may know, the news service has offered a number somewhere between 70,000-90,000 people now estimated to be dead as a result of the civil war in Syria.  R*, having spent so much time there says it is three times that number.  There are so many dead that they are lying rotting everywhere.  The dead can’t be buried as quickly as people are being killed.   This is the news that broke R* so badly, and affected me more than anything I have heard in a very long time.

Some of you may remember that there was a widow woman who had had the desire to sell her humble little house in order to pay for as many Bibles as possible.  She said that there was nothing in this world that had any importance to her anymore and she would just as soon live in a tent as so many of the other people were having to do that she was sharing Jesus with.  R* managed to talk her out of it for several months, but finally when the money just was not coming in to pay for the newly printed Bibles ready to be picked up, and by this time R* having already sold his own home for a previous batch of Bibles, he relented and she went ahead and made a quick sale—not for what it was worth, but for the cash she could get immediately.

The Bibles were paid for, picked up, and distributed to the thousands who so badly wanted them.  These people, by the way, are sharing each Bible with 20-100 others.  Can you imagine that? To make a long story short, this woman who was only in her 40’s, had given up every creature comfort in this life to further the Kingdom of her LORD.  She had reached many with the Gospel of Christ since she found the Messiah for herself.  Well, just before the weekend, she was found by one of the other pastors of House Of Blessing, mortally injured and just barely alive.  She was only able to tell this pastor that five Muslim men had caught up to her (a traitor to Islam), and ripped her open with their knives.  She then only had the strength to say, “Please tell Pastor R* to be very careful”, and she died right in front of the man!

I’m likely to be a bit more than a little candid, but rather blunt.  I hope not to sound too harsh, but please forgive me if it comes out that way.  I really don’t think I am going to edit anything I say because I’m afraid that some of the seriousness of it all might be lost. This incident really got to me.  If some are offended, so be it, but please don’t be.

When this wonderful pastor friend of ours called and told me this story and asked me to pray for him, because he really needed a touch of God, I broke as well.  I am a stoic old German but I couldn’t form any words with my mouth for a few minutes because I had to cry into my beard; in fact, I cried out to God most of the day because it has hurt so badly.

I know the murder of a man is just as tragic and sinful as the murder of a woman, but I am a man and there are some things that are normally hard-wired into a man by God that maybe women don’t totally understand because it looks like ego.  It’s not ego.  The few details I received with this call were enough for my own mind to present a picture of what happened to this woman.   I have read a lot of history and it’s always been the same.  The innocent or weaker so often bear the brunt of the cruel.

It is built into a man to protect women and children from the evil this world has to offer, and I know that R* would gladly have taken her place, if he had only had the chance. Over the years I’ve read many accounts of how God shows up on the scene when his saints are facing the very worst, and they become nearly oblivious to the physical circumstance—not that they don’t feel it.  It seems that the LORD gives them a peace that goes way beyond the norm, and they are able to leave this world—not defiantly, but triumphantly through the power of the Spirit of God.  Many have sung their way out as they were being burned at the stake.  I’m sure this widow experienced God’s peace as well, no matter the extreme brutality and pain.

Here’s some of what hit me today.  When Anne and I were in Jerusalem in March 2012, we got our first taste of the deep commitment of these people who are involved with House of Blessing.  The cab driver who we became friends with told how he took trips into the West Bank in order to take food and supplies to some of the destitute widows, most of them Palestinian women.  On one of these trips he had been caught helping these widows and would have been killed if he had not managed to excape the thugs that caught him.  His expensive taxi was stolen, leaving a hefty balance owing which insurance would not cover due to the fact that no insurance company will cover vehicles driven out of the Israeli areas and into the West Bank.  He wrote it off to the cost of being in ministry to the Jesus the Messiah.

A question:  Why would this widow woman who owns a humble little house sell it just to make sure that 2,000 or so Bibles are purchased to give away to people belonging to the very religion that spawned these men who brutally murdered her?  She had no Social Security available to her as most do here in America when she got old, nor food stamps, or any of the plethora of government relief programs people here in the US depend on. She was content to live in a tent as most of the others in her area had to try and survive in.  She herself said that this world had nothing to offer her that mattered to her.

More questions:  Why would a man who had at one time inherited great wealth, take the next  two and a half decades and spend it all for the sake of the poor—Israeli or Arab, and then to fund House Of Blessing?  Why would he, after having spent it all, take the last thing he owns, which is his own humble house in Jerusalem and do a below market sale in order to buy another batch of 2,000 Bibles or more?   What is it about the things that the world offers us here in our affluent society that robs us of our commitment to a God who we readily admit is Holy and calls for us not to love the world nor all the trappings it has to offer?  Am I saying that we should give our all and live in tents???  Not at all!!  Yet, most of us can’t spare God a handful of minutes each day just to commune with Him, either by reading His Word or prayer.  Most of us are also so self-serving with our money and material goods that we readily ignore the needs of those who are so desperate in this dying world!   We say, “Well I didn’t hear God speak to me!”  Problem is, God would probably need to drop an asteroid in our back yard before we would notice that He had said anything because we are not intimate with Him to hear Him.  Doesn’t the Word say that God speaks in a still small voice??

We are hooked on so many TV programs, sports to no end, the outdoor life, fishing and hunting, our “rights” to have time for our Sunday drives exploring God’s wonderfully created earth, and everything else imaginable, that God barely gets the crumbs of our left-overs.

Even when we do consider something God may ask of us, we are so worried about giving to a ministry that doesn’t meet our scrutiny or qualifications—often because it is not a religiously recognized entity, that we end up turning God down on something that He has laid on our heart to do!  We are worried that we are going to get shafted over some money!  That sounds absurd to me because I know that every time I go to a bank to borrow money to buy a house I am going to get shafted for so much money over the term of the loan that I must be crazy to even agree to the terms!!  It is the same way when we buy our fancy vehicles, or any of the other things we purchase as we max out our credit cards.  Do we really think that we aren’t getting cheated by dealerships, manufacturers, more banks, etc. in order to get our vehicle??  How many of us think we are getting a good deal with the tax money we blindly make available to our governments?? And we are afraid to take a chance on an underground ministry that is reaching people in an area where infidels are beheaded, or if lucky, mowed down with machine guns?  How shallow of us.

Forgive me because I can’t expect other people to feel the same about this particular ministry as I do because I was the one that went to Jerusalem with my wife and had the connection made that God promised my Anne and I.  Yet He has asked me to help this man and the ministry God has tasked him with.  Many of God’s people are spread over a number of very good ministries with their support–as we ourselves are, and we all need to follow God’s leading on where we should spend our money, but let’s make sure that we don’t make the mistake of fearing to take a chance on something that God is mightily using.  H.O.B. is desperate for funds because the ones that have been blessed the most on this globe most often give the least!  The support money is not even for food, nor a dime of overhead; it’s not for anything but BIBLES!!  Everyone that is part of the House of Blessing lives totally by faith—with their substance, and their very LIVES!

As I have said numerous times, I have spoken with this man of God and found God’s Spirit confirming to me again and again and again that he is the real deal—just as God promised in His Word to do.  He even answered my prayer to confirm his legitimacy by several other people from different parts of the world.  God’s Word also says we would recognize those who have the Spirit of God in them.

Today, I can’t even describe the deep pain I am feeling for what I heard.  It was gut-wrenching and I was sick and am still struggling with the reality of it all.  I knew I couldn’t possiblity know the half of what really happened even though my imagination pretty much presented me an accurate picture.

I am an American who has NO CONCEPT of what it is like living in a culture of pure religious hatred like what these people live in. I have been greatly humbled just to have the privilege presented by the God of all creation, to be able to partner with this man and his courageous crew of volunteers.  They considered themselves to have died already when they accepted the Lordship of their Master.  Have I?  Have you??  Time is over folks.  Whatever we’re going to do, we’d better do now because the books recording not only our actions, but our motives and attitudes as we “serve” our LORD, are about to be closed because this age is closing. I know I sound harsh and accusatory; please forgive me.  I have become desperate to find a way to help reach these people.  Please try and put yourselves in their place!  How did it happen that you and I live here in America instead of Syria?  Only God knows, but I know that our blessings have a heavy responsibility attached to them.

I know my wife and I have obeyed what the LORD has asked of us to this point, but we am asking Him once again what we should do next.  I only ask you to pray and make sure you do what it is that the LORD of all lays on your heart.  Another 2,000 Bibles are ready to be picked up and there are probably 100,000 people that are anxiously waiting for this most valuable possession so they can learn about this God that does not require murdering infidels to please Him; in fact, loves humanity so much that He submitted to being murdered Himself so that mankind can be presented with forgiveness free of charge—just for the asking.

Once again, I will remind those of you who have read earlier reports about H.O.B., that God promised me that every single Bible would not only bear fruit, but would bear MUCH fruit!  This is exactly what has happened to this point since last early April since the first amount of money came from here toward these Bibles.  Many tens of thousands have not only found hope; not only walked away from a demonic religion, but became blessed believers in the Almighty God and Messiah who walked on this earth 2,000 years ago and is now about to return.

As said already, TIME HAS RUN OUT! Our often aloofness to what is happening in another place on earth beyond our limited circles is evident in many more ways than just money.  It shows in how little influence God has in our lives.  I really don’t want to be legalistic with any of my comments, but is Jesus really LORD in our lives and in our home or not??  I happen to love sports, TV, going to a movie on occasion; I love the outdoor life, fishing, and many other things, but can’t we limit our “worship” of the god of entertainment and materialism enough so that God can get a word in edgewise with us?

It is inconvenient for many of us to spend more than a couple hours every two to four weeks with other believers!  We don’t want to have more than one church service a week anymore because we feel it has become a ritual of religious habit or program–and maybe it has,  but what have we put in its place, “Survivor”?  Or maybe several hours of video games, or who knows what?

It is the last chance we have to get real, as well as honest with our God.  He knows it all anyway!  In a time when the return of the LORD is so very imminent, wouldn’t it be the prime time to take stock of our lives and our commitment to the One that gave His all for us?

God has put so very many warnings in His Word that tell us His ways are higher than our ways.  He has also put so very many scriptures in the Bible telling us that we MUST be ready for His call home–in fact, looking for it!  The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25: 1-13 is pointing out some very heavy things!  In short, how many of those who claim to be Christ-followers have settled into a commitment of mostly show—if that.  We are represented well by the five virgins who had let their oil run dry and so missed the call of the Bridegroom when He came to steal the Bride away!  Don’t let that be YOU!

In conclusion, one thing that was said by R* when I was talking with him today is that he now sees my prediction of Syria falling this year—2013 was likely accurate.  He said that he can see it happening.  This will only be a part of a much greater series of events.  It also means that our opportunity to make a difference there is running out, and very quickly!

I have hundreds of news articles stored on my computer that show just that. Is it worth sacrificing a latte off and on or even an expensive dinner?  Can we spare the price of a $15.00 Bible some other way?  Most of us are so used to the benefits of our materialistic society that we can’t even see how selfish we have become.  We pleasure ourselves in every way possible.  God will hold us accountable because we are not alone on this planet.

If God does not speak to you about the House of Blessing, Jerusalem, please ask Him where you can make a difference.  It’s our last chance to do so.  God did not bless us as much as He has so that we consume it all on ourselves.   I know I likely sound like I’m begging people to get involved, not only in prayer—and believe me, they need a whole lot of it—but ask ourselves to “fast” a bit of our tendency to spend on every conceivable comfort or gadget we can think of.  I guess I really am begging this time.  I am overcome! Think of our brothers and sisters over there who are praying that God would lay it on the hearts of someone with the means to help them provide Bibles, LOTS of Bibles.  How can we go wrong?  It is even tax deductible. Soon there will be a provision on this blog-site to donate directly on site, but I have not been able to accomplish this yet.  So, for the time being, this is how to donate to H.O.B., and it will be deposited into a Stateside account which then is immediately available in Jerusalem to H.O.B.  Send to:

H.O.B. CITY OF JESUS MINISTRY;                                                                                             3206 SW 45^th St.;                                                                                                                           Redmond, OR 97756

Thank You from myself, as well as R* and his entire volunteer missionary team!

KEEP LOOKING UP!  THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS IS AT THE DOOR! Jake

In Part 3A, I addressed many of the cosmic threats our planet is facing today, and showed how these things were predicted in the Bible thousands of years ago.

In Part 3B, I began to stick my neck out on a subject that often brings ridicule.  Below is the continuation of what was begun in the last segment.

As I already mentioned, astronomers have looked for this large planet, which reportedly has come through our Solar System on a regular basis, but had never really been able to find it.  They could only find the effects it has had on the planets, years before ever actually entering the inner ring of our Solar System.  There was an event however in 1981 when scientists announced their success at finally locating what looked to be this elusive tenth planet.   They soon announced their find in the “New York Times” and the “Washington Post”.  In no time at all, the story was picked up by newspapers all around the world.  This elusive planet attracted a whole lot of attention between 1981-1984.  I have watched innumerable videos about this object, many of them I was not impressed with whatsoever, but below is one that at least puts the question of its existence and how its discovery was handled into an easy to watch format.

Once the find was made, scientists made it a priority to find out everything possible about this weird planetary type body.  I describe it as “weird” because of the properties found having to do with this object.  It acts like a comet in the way comets have a long elliptical orbit, spending most of the time way out in the darkest regions at the edge of the Solar System.  Comets then turn around and head back toward our sun, which is the largest and most powerful magnetic force in our system.  The problem with this object is that it is way too large to be classified a comet, and nothing else about it fits the mold.

Most scientists have taught for decades that comets are made mostly of ice—which I personally have always had a difficult time accepting.  Comets fly at an incredible speed and end up making the sharp turn right around the sun—through intense and extreme temperatures—yet they burn up?  There have been scientific papers written clear back in the ‘80’s which contradict this theory by saying that comets consist much more of rock and other solids than ice.  One physicist named James McCanney, whose papers I’ve read a few of has been ridiculed for daring to bring a contrary theory to the table than the established scientific thoughts on the subject, but many of these same scientists are now sheepishly beginning to admit that there may be something to the results of his extensive research.  I happen to agree with him, although my opinion obviously has no bearing on the studies of physicists.  I am not a scientist.

The reason I bring this up though is because this 10^th planet, which was introduced to the world back in 1981 was later written off as a “mistake”.   In 1983 a special meeting was called to find out what the scientists which had researched this new planet had learned.  The representation at this important meeting included “Illumanists”, representations of the highest of country officials, top military brass, CEO’s of leading corporations and banks, ultra-rich globalists, and a select few heads of world media outlets.

As a result of this meeting, suddenly this great discovery was thrown onto the scientific trash heap.  Well, this wouldn’t be such a problem if it really was a mistaken finding.  Much came about as a result of this confirmation of this strange elliptically orbiting heavy mass object.  There had already been numerous underground facilities built before 1981, in fact some were started in the 1940’s.  This discovery, which was subsequently written off as a colossal “mistake”, started an enormous effort to construct underground facilities all over the world.  These are now located on every continent, and all because there was this scientific confirmation which was billed as an error!?!  Fascinating…

Now I am really going to put my foot in it and say some things that will inevitably bring some criticism–mostly from the church world—not much from the general public.  It seems the secular world wants to know what is going on while the church wants to keep its head in the sand!

When the globalists, who formulate the “shadow government” behind most every Head of State in the world, could not shut the story of this incoming object down, they decided to go another route; discredit the whole subject to the point that it becomes a laughing matter.  That is exactly what was done.  One of the most effective things done was to advertise all over the world a prediction that Planet X would arrive in the spring of 2003.  It of course was a no-show and so the whole subject was made a subject of conspiracy and ridicule.  And yet this object didn’t stop its journey to the inner Solar System, just because its story was put to ridicule.

Since 2003, trillions more were siphoned from tax revenues to complete the supply of these underground bunkers.  Vast amounts of food have been stored, fine wines and liquors, medicines, massive amounts of gold and silver bars, priceless works of art, huge amounts of fuels, and every conceivable form of luxury and the latest of technology have already been put in place.  Isn’t it amazing that all this has been done, and all for something that is not suppose to even exist?

Let’s go a little farther into this mystery.  It is not a mystery that there are telescopes all over the world and as technology has become more sophisticated, more and more facilities designed to study the heavens have been installed all over the world.  There are a few of the more recent installations that are more than just a little suspicious; especially in light of the discovery of “Planet X” which had been broadcasted all over the known world; then the subsequent denial, explaining it away as a big mistake; then the massive amount of dis-information put out predicting this same “Planet X” to make a close pass to the earth in 2003.  Of course, the close pass did not happen.  The big question of course is this:  Was the discovery in 1981 really a mistake as the whole world was told, or was it the real deal and the power-brokers of the world needed to find a way of making the story go away in order to finish with their own agenda? The underground facilities may have originally started being built as a protection from nuclear war, and as a means to keep governments functional no matter what has happened at ground level. That reasoning has been overshadowed by the confirmation that the earth is in for a very bumpy ride due to numerous cosmic objects that are expected to collide with the earth as well as a polar shift.

There are several installations on our planet that are designed to search the cosmos, but there are some that raise suspicion; in this article, for the sake of time will only touch on two observatories.  Probably the most technologically advanced observatory in the world is located in Arizona at the Mt. Graham observatory, about eighty miles from Tucson.  This facility was financed, is owned and run exclusively by the Vatican.  It is officially called, “L.U.C.I.F.E.R.”, which stands for “Large Binocular Telescope Near-infrared Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research”.  Wow, what a name!  And the moniker, “LUCIFER” is really an eye-catcher—especially since it was built by the Vatican.  The Mount Graham observatory actually houses the “Lucifer Project”. Dr. Tom Horn and theologian researcher Chris Putnam were granted a tour of the facility; the account of being well worth the reading. A book has also been written on the whole subject of what the Catholic Church has been searching for at Mt. Graham and what is expected within the imminent future. I was able to find an interview with Tom Horn on “Red Ice” radio which most will find rather interesting–even the most skeptical. As hard as some of the information is to accept for many, there are huge questions presented that do deserve an answer that does not just skirt the issue or sugar coat it. There are things going on behind the scenes that most have no idea of. It is well worth setting aside an hour for the interview. It will make you think, I promise!

The gigantic twin mirrors (either of which would be the largest optical telescope in continental North America) have what is called the “Lucifer Device” right in between the two lenses.  Another instrument is due to arrive and be installed anytime now, which is called the “Lucifer II.”  It will reportedly complete the two multi-object and longslit infrared spectrograph imagers needed for studying the heavens in search of, among other things, exo-planets that may host intelligent life.  At this observatory there is also the “Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope, which sets between the LBT and, what may be the most important of all, the “Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope”, which is run by none other than a special group of Jesuits. There are a number of videos available that show this observatory and I picked a short one that shows a bit of what LUCIFER is capable of; in fact there is even a bit of a hint of the search for brown dwarfs, which is what many have called “Planet X” to be in reality.

There is a theological reason for this most technologically advanced observatory, which I will need to address in another article, but suffice it to say that not only is this observatory on Mt. Graham looking to track (as it probably already is) “Planet X”, but it is fully expected by the Vatican that there is an imminent grand disclosure about to be made.  The Vatican fully expects aliens to make themselves fully known to the human race.  In the upper echelons of the Vatican, there have been discussions for some time now on whether these beings should be baptized into the Roman Catholic faith, and how to go about approaching them about it.

There has also been much discussion about what their own beliefs might happen to be!  I have a quote that comes straight from one of the powerful cardinals.  It says this:

• “Christians will not immediately need to renounce their faith in God simply on the basis of the reception of this new, unexpected information of a religious character from extraterrestrial civilizations.  However, once the ‘religious content ‘ originating from outside the earth ‘has been verified’, they will have to conduct “a re-reading (of the Gospel) inclusive of the new data.”

I feel like it will be necessary to take a good look at what the human race is going to face, but will have to do it in another article.  There is a great heretical issue going to come up.  These “aliens”, which are not really aliens but rather fallen angels and demons, will come to say they have been observing the earth for a long time and now feel it is time to come and help the human race through the difficulties ahead so that it survives.  They will also easily convince people who have had no interest in hearing what God has said, to believing that they, the “star-people”, were the ones that originally seeded the earth and were the true “creators” of the human race.

There will be much more said that will be part of the “Great Delusion”, but will need to be covered at another time.

For the time being, we need to realize that we are on the precipice of enormous events that are about to transpire.  This heavy-mass object that is on the way in, is only one of the objects heading our way.  There are more.  We have just seen the beginning with the meteors, fireballs, and many close-passing asteroids.  We will also be inundated with spectacular comets as well as many other “signs in the heavens” as the Bible speaks about.

Just a comment in passing; this heavy-mass object has already been affecting the Solar System for several years.  The whole Solar System is experiencing “global warming”!  I don’t think any of the other planets have had people on them who drive SUV’s though!

This particular object, whether it is Nibiru, Planet X, Wormwood, A Brown Dwarf star, or Black Dwarf star, is a very large iron wrecking ball, and it comes with an entourage.  Not only does it have its own moons or planets orbiting it, but because of its heavy mass and tremendous magnetic field, is pushing all kinds of space debris.  It also has a trail of debris following it which is at least a million miles long and hundreds of thousands of miles wide.  At least, this is what scientists that aren’t afraid to speak up are saying. Just as a reminder, or maybe a disclaimer on my part, the jury is still out on what all is really coming our direction because those that have access to the most information are not letting it out of their tight-knit circle. Does this sound like a conspiracy? Yes, of course it does, yet there is more an more proof leaking out and we as people need to be aware of the facts as best as is available to us.

I have another video that I would like to include that gives the opinion of another researcher, who happens to call this object a “black star”. I don’t happen to subscribe to the theology of this man in many areas, but his scientific research is proving itself to be accurate in many areas. He has written much about the 188 day cycle. This happens to be a cycle that the earth has gone through now at least six times in a row when the earth apparently is positioned between the sun and this incoming heavy mass object as it orbits the sun. The last six cycles have proven with major earthquakes somewhere on the planet, including some very large ones including Chile and Japan. Since it has been accurate within a day or two of the cycle, the seventh cycle is one to watch. This happens to be on April 2, 2013. The Cascadia plate is one of the most expected locations for a mega-quake. It has a history of 9+ quakes and is well overdue. This plate happens to be about the size of the nation of Ireland and extends from Vancouver Island to Northern California. There is a great concern that it could set the San Andreas and other faults off in California. I have read that the State of California is warning Californians to be prepared to be on their own for at least two weeks if something does happen. I have also been told that the Red Cross in Central Oregon has been warned within the last two months to be prepared for an influx of at least 100,000 people flooding in from Western Oregon in the case of a major event. It does sound like a major event is at least being prepared for. Whether it happens or not remains to be seen. Below is the video.

So, what does that have to do with you and I?  We certainly can’t change the fact that it is coming.  We also can’t change the damage it’s going to cause.  We can only do one thing.  We can make sure that all is right between us and our Creator—who happens to have control over absolutely everything.  This fallen world is facing judgment from a Holy God—not because He wants to destroy humanity, but because humanity rejects the great sacrifice paid to set us free and put us in right standing with Him, just for the asking.  Evil must be destroyed, and that it will.

I was going to include another video done by Perry Stone about the signs in the heavens. He has done one that includes the Old Testament feasts and much, much more but is long and I will use it in another article. I do want to take a quick diversion here though and include a video that I have watched a couple times now and appreciate a lot. It is well done and the graphics are really well done. This has to do with the rapture. I know many of you don’t believe in the “Pre-Tribulation” rapture, and I rarely argue the point with anyone although I believe it wholeheartedly and believe I can easily back it to the max with the Scriptures. The video below does have to do with this view of the Rapture, but my real reason for showing it is to help us see how very close the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah is. We are out of time and my reason for this blog is to help as many as possible see this point, as well as showing how to make sure that our relationship is in tact with the One that created us. It is what determines our eternity.

I don’t totally agree on some of the more minor points in this video, but that’s okay. It is well done, and I have a great appreciation for the message and all the research behind it. He is right in his premise. WE ARE THERE! We need to be ready today–not tomorrow. Enjoy the video and I’ll discuss it another time when I get into the subject of the Rapture much deeper.

Where do you stand today?  If you don’t know, are you willing to humble yourself to see to it the way God requires?  It’s pretty simple really.  If you don’t know how to go about it, please contact me and I’ll gladly converse by private e-mail.  Now is the time…Not tomorrow!  Tomorrow may be too late.

There is a whole lot more to come on the subject of what to expect in 2013.  I’ll share the things that I expect to see happen, and in a very short time…

Keep Looking Up!

Jake