Instant Pot

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.     Ezekiel 38:1-4  NKJV

Have you ever heard of the “Instant Pot”?  I think by now most people have but if not, I think it can best be described as a pressure cooker you can use to make dinner in a hurry.  My daughter gave me one for Christmas and I have to tell you I really enjoy using it not only for the speed in which it cooks, but the convenience as well.  In essence, what you do is simply add all of the ingredients, push a button, and twenty minutes later dinner is ready.  Now, while how I choose to cook my dinner might seem odd to be talking about, I think some of you might have already figured out where I am going with all of this.

“Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; “Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you. “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. “After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. “You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”  Ezekiel 38:5-9  NKJV

Pressure is one of those things that you don’t really think about until the point comes when it has to be released.  Of course, when that inevitably happens, the effect is commensurate with the amount of pressure that has been restrained.  (rapture hint)  Old fashioned pressure cookers had a gauge on top of the lid which let you know how fast and how much pressure was inside the pot so it wouldn’t reach the point of exploding.   Unfortunately, it is difficult to apply this analogy to geopolitical realities because the amount of pressure and the resulting point of explosion are subject only to observation and speculation until it actually occurs.

“ ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: “You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’—“to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.”  Ezekiel 38:10-12  NKJV

  

Many who choose to study biblical prophecy and apply it to current events in the Middle East are quick to point out that it is evident that not only are we living in the end times as described in the scriptures, the pressure needed to produce the explosion of end- time conflicts described in these verses from Ezekiel is occurring right before our eyes.  Especially intriguing is the fact that all of the countries mentioned in this passage, who in the past have not been on good terms with each other, are now aligned as allies and consider the nation of Israel as a target of opportunity waiting only for a plausible excuse to attack.  For instance, something like the announcement this past week of the discovery of another large natural gas deposit off the coast of Israel.

“Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’ ” ’ “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? “Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. “You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?  Ezekiel 38:13-17  NKJV

When this conflict occurs, however, it might be wise to consider the possibility that it is not the pressure of these nations’ desires and the resulting actions that the world needs to be concerned about, but rather the pressure of God’s wrath exploding upon the attacking nations which will be a demonstration of His power which has not been seen in a very long time.  I want to suggest that for thousands of years God has watched the world persecute His people, the nation of Israel, as His Holy Wrath has grown to the point that it is today.  How much you ask?  Look closely as it is described in the following verses to get an idea of just how much pressure is going to be released.

“And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord GOD, “that My fury will show in My face. “For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, ‘so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ “I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord GOD. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. “And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. “Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ’    Ezekiel 38:18-23  NKJV

I have listed a few of the articles I read this past week below so you could see what prompted my thoughts for today, however, if the thought of what is to come makes you uneasy, understand that God has provided a way of escape for those who choose to believe that He sent His Son to die for our sins.  If you have never accepted that gift, I encourage you to do that today.  Simply confess to Jesus you are a sinner in need of salvation, and ask Him to forgive you of your sins.  Tell Him you believe that He died for your sins and that He has the power to give you eternal life because you believe.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.         1 John 1:9  NKJV

Keep watching.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/apocalypse-now-why-israel-start-075200219.html

https://www.debka.com/us-severs-irans-oil-export-lifeline-a-hawkish-new-revolutionary-guards-chief-prepares-payback/

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/report-israel-just-used-combat-its-new-rampage-missile-here-what-it-can-do-53602

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Editors-Notes-Taking-the-fight-to-the-Iranians-587846

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/russia-launches-doomsday-supersub

https://www.debka.com/uss-abraham-lincoln-deploys-opposite-syria-us-envoy-to-russia-aboard/

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Is-there-an-unprecedented-build-up-of-US-naval-power-in-the-Middle-East-587765

It Was His Choice

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.       Matthew 27:50  NKJV

This week as I read once again the story of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, my thoughts were drawn to the word “yielded”.  When I looked it up in the Greek, I was surprised to find the definition of its meaning and usage was a little longer than most.  As I read the many different ways it has been used in scripture, I was struck with the thought that in all of the cases, implied but not stated was the fact that it was a “choice” which could have, or not have been made.  As I thought about that, I could not help but think about the fact that even on the cross, Jesus knew me and all of my faults and sins and still made the choice to die for me.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Matthew 28:1-9 NKJV

Rejoice indeed. The Greek word for rejoice also means “be glad”.  I wonder if, at that moment in time, the disciples understood exactly all that they had to be glad about?  Of course they were glad that Jesus was alive, but did they understand that exactly what it meant to them as well as the rest of us?  Because of the resurrection, we all have the opportunity to share in His power over death. It is the gift of grace, freely given to anyone who chooses to believe. Have you ever considered the fact that as a believer in Christ, you are immortal? Death has no hold over us for we have the promise of eternal life, and to prove it, Jesus rose from the dead to show us He alone has the power.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26 NKJV

Do you believe?  This is the most important question that anyone will ever be asked.  If you can answer yes, your place in eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior is guaranteed.   We can know this because God has promised us that all who believe will have eternal life.  It’s been said that grace is getting what we do not deserve, and mercy is not getting what we do deserve.  That truly defines what Jesus did for us on the cross by dying in our place (what we deserve) and rising from the grave so we might live (what we don’t deserve).  Nothing we do in this life could be enough to earn that salvation but God offers it to us free of charge because He loved us enough to choose to send His Son to die in our place.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NKJV

And it shall come to pass [That] whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.' Acts 2:21 NKJV

And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Acts 16:30-31 NKJV

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9 NKJV

God made the choice to save us, but it is up to us to make the choice to accept it. My prayer for you today is that if you have never made the decision to believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again for you, you would choose to do it right now. Invite Jesus to come into your life and forgive your sins, and begin to experience the joy that comes from having a relationship with a living God, and the knowledge that He has promised us eternal life with Him in Heaven if we only believe.  Pray this prayer and accept the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen.

He lives!

Why Did Jesus Weep?

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things [that make] for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Luke 19: 41-42 NKJV

One of my favorite memories of when I was an intern at a church in Southern California in the 70's was getting together with friends who were attending seminary and come up with a list of questions we would use in a game we called bible trivia. One of the questions we came up with was "how often does the bible say Jesus wept?". Of course, though most wanted to say once, it was obvious that by asking the question there must be a different answer.

Sunday was the day Christians around the world celebrate what is known as Palm Sunday. It is the day that Jesus of Nazareth rode a donkey into Jerusalem to present Himself as the coming Messiah promised by the prophets of the Old Testament. But although virtually every Christian knows that, many don't know the circumstances surrounding it, and the fact that those circumstances caused our Savior to weep.

If you look at the passage in Luke you will find that as Jesus approached the city from the direction of the Mount of Olives, "He saw the city and wept over it". Why would Jesus weep at the sight of the city of Jerusalem on the very day He came to proclaim Himself as the Messiah? That question is answered in the following verses where we see Jesus say that the people did not know the "time of your visitation". In other words, Jesus was holding the people accountable for not knowing the day that He was to appear.

"For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Luke 19: 43-44 NKJV

Now this obviously leads one to ask how they were supposed to know the exact day the Messiah was to appear in their presence if God had never told them? The trouble with that is what I have come to call "The Forgotten Prophecy". You see, God had told them when the Messiah would come but the religious leaders of the day, the Sadducees and Pharasees, and the people themselves had totally forgotten it.

You may already know that there is a passage in the book of Daniel that reveals the seventy week scope of Israel’s' future. What many fail to realize from this prophecy, however, is the reason it is broken up into two parts, sixty nine weeks and the seventieth week. You see what Daniel and the nation of Israel discover is that this prophecy predicts the exact day that the Messiah would appear.

"Know therefore and understand, [That] from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, [There shall be] seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

Daniel 9:25 NKJV

In these verses Daniel is told that there will be 69 weeks from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah would appear. The word here for "weeks" is "shabua" which is what is called a "heptad", meaning it stands for a group of seven. In this particular case, it stands for a period of seven years, so what Daniel is being told is that there would be a period of 69 "weeks of years" or exactly 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the day the Messiah appeared. (69 x 7 x 360 days/year)

The decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 b.c. You can find that referred to in Nehemiah 2. If you add the period of time Daniel was given, 173,880 days, you arrive at Sunday, April 6, 32 a.d. which we now call Palm Sunday, the week before Easter and the very day Jesus wept when He saw the city. Why did He cry? Because even though God had gone to such great lengths to predict the exact day His Son would arrive as the Messiah, everyone had forgotten it. We know from history that the nation of Israel paid a terrible price for this forgetfulness as in 70 AD Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and the period of wandering known as the diaspora began. This was also prophesied in the passage from Daniel;

"And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it [shall be] with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel 9:26 NKJV

So today we begin the same week that saw the passion of our Lord so many years ago. Every year many watch to see if God has something planned for us on the anniversary of the first appearing, especially as we have plenty of evidence from history that God does in fact choose to use the same dates on the Jewish calendar to allow events to occur that have biblical significance. I personally find it interesting to note that a tradition in Israel is to pour a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah at the end of the Passover meal and to open the door to let him in. Since many believe that Elijah is one of the two witnesses that return at the beginning of the tribulation period, or the seventieth week of Daniel, I can't help but wonder if this is a clue to the timing God has in mind?

So what does this all mean for us? Speaking only for myself, I can't forget the fact that Israel paid a terrible price for not “watching” for the appearance of their Messiah. The truth as well is that the diaspora was only the beginning of their troubles because the seventieth week of Daniel, which we know as the tribulation, is still in their future. That being the case, how can I not ask myself if God has something planned for those who are not watching for Jesus' return for His church as He commanded us to do in the New Testament? Just as the people were unaware of the time of Jesus' first appearing, how many believers today ignore the signs which Jesus' told us to watch for and are even now happening all around us?

The first three of the seven feasts of Israel occur in the next week, and the one most of the world will celebrate is the Feast of First fruits which we know as Easter. It's the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb where He was laid after His crucifixion. Jesus has told us, His followers, to watch for His return. He went to even greater lengths to tell us what to watch for so we would recognize the time of His appearing. My question to you is this: "Are you watching?" At this most holy of weeks when we celebrate the Resurrection, let us not forget the promise of Jesus' return, and the responsibility that goes along with the command to actively "watch" for it. It's coming soon.

Keep watching.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

“Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”     Matthew 14:22-31  NKJV

I’m sure many of us first heard this story of Jesus walking on the water when we were quite young and attending Sunday school, sitting in our chairs and listening in fascination as our teacher related this miracle of our Lord.  I know I was, and I remember thinking Peter wasn’t too bright because he turned his eyes away from Jesus and suffered the consequences.  Of course, as I grew older, I began to see just how often I had followed in Peter’s footsteps by making the same mistake that he did by choosing to look away and focus on my circumstances rather than on the promises of God.

If you look closely at this story, it becomes apparent that everything which occurred was actually a setup by Jesus for the purpose of teaching the disciples, and us as well, the importance of looking to Him for our deliverance in times of trouble.  Jesus intentionally told the disciples to leave ahead of Him knowing the storm was coming, and rather than looking for another boat to follow them with, He decided to walk across the sea to where they were in trouble.  Today I want to share with you just four of many points I believe are found in this passage, which I believe we as believers need to remember in the times of trouble that so many of us find ourselves in today.

Obedience can bring a storm.

The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions to proceed without Him, having no idea that by doing so they would encounter a storm so great that they would fear for their very lives. Jesus, on the other hand, knew exactly what was about to happen and sent them on their way knowing full well that they would suffer no harm.  Have you ever followed the path you feel Jesus wants you to take and encountered troubles that make you question your choice to do so?  God knows exactly what will happen when we follow His Son and will never send us someplace where His power cannot save.

“For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”       1 Peter 2:20-21  NKJV

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”      Philippians 2:8  NKJV

Jesus knows what we are going through.

As big as that sea was, have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus knew exactly where the disciples were?  In that entire expanse, in the middle of a great storm, Jesus walked directly to where they were in trouble.  Jesus not only knows what we are going through, but He also knows exactly where we are.  Even though we might feel we cannot see Jesus when we are in distress, He can see us.  His assistance, comfort, and deliverance are available to us if we simply call on Him and ask for His help.  God’s omniscience and omnipresence guarantee we are never alone.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”     Hebrews 4:15-16  NKJV

“then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,”     2Peter 2:9  NKJV

Jesus has perfect timing.

The disciples, some being fishermen, were well acquainted with being on the sea in storms and at first were probably unconcerned with what they were encountering.  Yet since Jesus had sent them off in the evening, and now we see it was the fourth watch or almost morning, they had spent a good twelve hours battling to cross a sea that was only five miles wide.  I have no doubt that it was at this point that even these men were beginning to fear for their lives.  Why did Jesus wait so long to appear?  I think quite possibly Jesus waits until we acknowledge we cannot do it on our own before He appears to deliver us from our troubles.

“The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”                         Nahum 1:7  NKJV

“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”       2 Timothy 4:18  NKJV

Success of our walk depends on the focus of our eyes.

It is almost comical to think back to that Sunday school class and remember when the teacher asked the question “why did Peter begin to sink”?  I can still hear ten little voices crying out “he took his eyes off of Jesus”!  Even little children understand the point of this story and yet as adults, how often do we forget?  How often do we begin to focus on our surroundings, our circumstances, or our relationships and forget to keep our eyes on Jesus?  Never doubt that Satan’s goal is to use this world to change our focus and cause us to stumble.  I can never forget the words of a hymn we sung so often when I was young;

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”                                               2 Corinthians 4:17-18  NKJV

“the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”  Ephesians 1:18  NKJV

As we see this world approaching its day of judgment and we as believers find ourselves experiencing troubles and difficulties, never forget to turn your eyes upon Jesus.  If you are reading this today and have never made a decision to accept the sacrifice Jesus made for you by dying on the cross for your sin, you can do it right now wherever you might be by simply praying a prayer like this;

Jesus I know that I am a sinner, and have sinned against you.  I believe you loved me enough to send your Son Jesus to die for my sins, and that He rose from the dead so that I can live.  Forgive me of my sins and come into my life and help me to live for you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Keep watching.