Swirling Thoughts

I am feeling anticipatory. Not sure why. A feeling of foreboding. I am grieved about some things....latest being another Deity denial, apostasy, and conversion to Judaism....someone whose articles I used to read. I am also feeling intimidated from speaking out about important issues. So for now....I am silenced. For how long, I don't know. I identify with the prophet as I read through the Book of Jeremiah. He could not hold in the words the LORD gave him, though he tried to. Yet speaking out only got him in more trouble. I can relate.

I am grieved about the political situation in this country also. I am grieved about the Southern Decadence festival planned for this weekend, with the threat of Hurricane Gustav bearing down on the Gulf coast. This nation is ripe for Judgement, yet we party on rather than repent. The Days of Awe are coming....yet Judaism fails to fix its calendar so few will keep them at the proper season. May there be fasting and prayer. Enough said for now...before I get myself in more trouble.

Ziggurat: Dubai Pyramid Will House 1 Million

Excerpt:

It's actually called “Ziggurat”! Just like the ancient Tower of Babel. Its hard to describe how big this thing is. Ginormous is barely appropriate. The measurements translate over to around 1.5 square miles at the base and over a half mile high. Nearly twice as high as the Sears Tower in Chicago.

....: The Mayans and Egyptians constructed incredible feats of architecture able to weather the test of time, but they had no idea their pyramids would inspire the shape of the latest carbon-neutral super-structure to hit Dubai. Dubai-based environmental design firm Timelinks recently released some eye-catching renderings of the gigantic eco pyramid - aptly named Ziggurat - with plans for its official unveiling scheduled for the Cityscape Dubai event which runs October 6-9 of this year.

The ginormous pyramid will cover 2.3 square kilometers and will be able to sustain a “community” of up to 1 million. Timelinks claims that their Ziggurat will be capable of running completely off the grid by utilizing steam, wind, and other natural resources. The tightly knit city will also feature a super efficient public transportation system that runs both horizontally and vertically, and plans are being drawn up to utilize both public and private green spaces for agricultural opportunities.....

More with pictures and commentary at joelstrumpet.com

The End of August/Teslin

The End of August/Teslin
Lyrics by Renah; Music by Yanni (In My Time)
(See Featured Links at Sidebar for Youtube rendition of this song by another pianist. Does not include violin ending coinciding with final lyrics but otherwise matches.)

These song lyrics came to mind in August/September 1998 in my wilderness journey through North Dakota, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Alaska. Some of them came as I pondered and edited a bit on a cemetery hilltop in Bedford, Pennsylvania, less than 30 miles from Shanksville oddly enough (911 Flight 93 crash three years later)............

[Commentary in brackets]

It’s the end of the summer
The prairie’s in bloom
I wonder how long till
This world meets its doom

[Late August driving from Indiana to Alaska. North Dakota sunflowers, black-eyed susans. For behold, the LORD cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. Isaiah 26:21]

Suddenly, without a warning
The darkness
Will come upon man
Oh please understand
The time draws near
But do not fear
The LORD is with thee
He’ll keep you in safety
He’ll lead you
He’ll guide you

[Destruction is cried suddenly. Jeremiah 4:20. The day of the LORD so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them. 1 Thess. 5:2-3. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. Proverbs 3:25. For I am with thee to deliver thee. Jeremiah 1:8; 1:19. Thou art my hiding place. Psalm 32:7. Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. Jeremiah 21:8. I will guide thee. Psalm 32:8]

When the Autumn arrives
With blustery skies
Know that it’s near
But be of good cheer
I’ll come again
To rescue you
So stand your ground
Don’t frown
I will comfort you

[The sky is overcast; the wind picks up near Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory. It is well into Autumn here. Ominous? Prophetic? Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid. Matthew 14:27. I will come again. John 14:3. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Proverbs 24:10. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:18]

It’s the end of the summer
The leaves turn to gold
Wilderness wonders
A sight to behold

[The harvest is past, the summer is ended. Jeremiah 8:20. Peak foliage, trembling Aspen, near Teslin, Yukon. Massive moose, other wildlife, awesome scenic beauty. All His wondrous works. Jeremiah 21:2]

Suddenly, all this will fade like a flower
The night will descend
But you’ve got a Friend
[YESHUA] will be your every, every thing
He loves you
He’ll send clouds from above you
To lead you, to guide you

[The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever. Isaiah 40:8. See Jeremiah 4:23-28; 13:16. There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24. The LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome one; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they shall not prevail. Jeremiah 20:11. “Clouds”.....literally? figuratively? In the daytime He led them with a cloud. Psalm 78:14. I will also command the clouds. Isaiah 5:6. See also Luke 9:34-35; Psalm 99:7]

When the Autumn arrives
With blustery skies
Know that it’s near
But...don’t fear
I’ll come again
To rescue you
So stand your ground
Don’t frown
I will comfort you.

[So likewise, ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Matthew 24:33. Fear not, for I am with thee; I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee. Isaiah 41:10. He that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22. Blessed is the man that endureth. James 1:12]

It’s the end of the summer
The snowcaps I see
Soon there’ll be no one
In this land that’s free

[Near Tok, Alaska. There is snow on the mountain peaks. So shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours. Jeremiah 5:19.]

Suddenly, destruction will come from the North
The old world will end
A new order begin
[YESHUA] must be your every, every thing
He loves you
He’ll send signs from above you
To lead you, to guide you

[Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. Jeremiah 1:14; 4:6; 6:1; 10:22. The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. Jeremiah 4:27. See also Revelation 13:7. Let us watch and be sober. 1 Thess. 5:6. And again I say, “Watch.” See Mark 13. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6. And the LORD shall guide thee continually. Isaiah 58:11]

Why, why won’t you understand
What I say to you
Why won’t you get away
From other voices
Clamoring to you
I’ll come again
To rescue you
So stand your ground
Don’t frown
I will comfort you.

Amen

[Follow violin here.... Who is the wise man that may understand this? Jeremiah 9:12. My people have forgotten Me days without number. Jeremiah 2:32. Get alone, away from the clamor that muffles the voice of the LORD. The piano distinctly says, Amen.]


Epilogue:

911 happened three years later. The planes came from the North. I stood in front of my television set that morning in shock. I remember thinking, “This is the end of the world as we know it.” Yet, mercifully, the LORD allowed America to partially recover from that tragedy. Life went on after this “wake-up call” with no national repentance.

This coming September 11 will mark seven years since the watershed event. This September 11 also happens to be the correct date of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), yet multitudes will ignore this date in conformity with Judaism’s October 9 reckoning.

September 11, 3 BCE was the date of the Feast of Trumpets when Yeshua was born in Bethlehem. This seems all very significant. Will disregard for a high holy day trigger a response from on High? When God’s people choose tradition over truth, chastisement often results. At least, that is the pattern in Scripture.

Perilous Times Will Come

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come (2 Tim. 3:1)

Moss Patch Newsletter, Volume 9, No. 1
September, 1998

As I gaze upon a peaceful, pastoral scene from my upstairs window, I wonder how long until this peace is broken and “all hell breaks loose.” Actually I’ve been expecting “all hell to break loose” for several years now, as have others of you. And some have become discouraged and disillusioned with the “gloom and doom” preaching and taken a step or two back into the mainstream world of apathetic indifference to Bible prophecy. Although the LORD’s patience with a wicked society seems infinite, we must remember that He would much prefer repentance to the perishing of souls (see 2 Peter 3:9). It seems we are to live our lives in a constant tension between living responsibly, peacefully, and joyfully in this present world and “expecting the other shoe to drop” at any moment. We should hope for the best and prepare for the worst, treasuring the calm before the storm. It is just a good thing that none of us is God. We would have lost our patience a long time ago and unleashed outrage. Although Almighty God would be justified to strike at any time, the cup of His indignation and wrath is apparently not quite full, and in His mercy we have a little more time to prepare for the storm and get things right in our relationships, become more intimate with Him, and enjoy the blessings of the peace and prosperity of the present moment.

Pat and I recently delivered a couple of RV’s to Anchorage, Alaska. What an amazing trip, traveling through Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon, and finally Alaska – 3800 miles from home. The journey inspired a prophetic (?) song as I listened to some beautiful music on cassette. The piano and violin seemed to speak words in my head, which I wrote down. Curiously, the name of the instrumental is “The End of August” (Yanni) and the lyrics came at the end of August as we journeyed through the unbelievable beauty of the Yukon on the Alaskan Highway. Some highway—mostly dirt and gravel. I re-named the song, “Teslin” after Teslin, Yukon where the song began to come together. Towns are few and far between in an area where bear, moose, and caribou outnumber humans. It is God’s country—a wilderness of unspoiled forests, mountains, lakes, streams, and waterfalls—the last frontier.

We started out from Indiana through North Dakota, where I was impressed with the vast fields of sunflowers and roadside black-eyed susans in bloom, on through the provinces of Canada, where the people are not happy about their sagging dollar and economy. It felt a bit strange being in a foreign land of kilometers, liters, and washboard roads. The people we spoke with seemed depressed and gloomy about their country’s politics and economy. Somehow, with all our scandals and problems I was very glad to get back on American soil. It just felt too strange in Canada. I can imagine the culture shock visitors from another country would experience here in the USA. It would pale in comparison.

When I wrote down the song lyrics, I did not fully appreciate or understand the significance of the words and how closely they tie in with Bible prophecy. When I got home, continuing in my daily Bible reading, I got to Jeremiah where the song was written many centuries ago. As far as the time being near “when the Autumn arrives with blustery skies” only time will tell. This line was inspired as we traveled near Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory. The trees were in peak foliage, like our October, and a blustery wind had picked up in the gathering dusk causing strong waves on the lake. It seemed ominous, prophetic. When we crossed over the border to Alaska, the thought came to me, “Soon there’ll be no one in this land that’s free. Suddenly destruction will come from the North.” Why did I think, “North?” Just because I was closer to the North Pole than I had ever been before? America has more enemies in the world that are in a more southerly latitude than “North.” When I got home I looked on a globe and discovered that the only potential enemy we have that would come from the North would be Russia. But Russia is friendly towards us, right? Time will tell. With political scandals, a weakened Presidency, global financial crisis, etc., anything could happen. We are very vulnerable right now. When the Spirit of the LORD restrains no longer, “destruction” will come, suddenly. It is time to get away from the clamoring voices of entertainment, friends, family, etc. and get alone with God for an hour a day and listen to what He is saying to His people. Get ready, in whatever way He leads you, especially emotionally and spiritually, so you can “stand your ground.” Jesus/Yeshua must be your “every, every thing,” for soon He will be, for we will have nothing else to hold on to.


Song lyrics in next installment.

From the Moss Patch.....

The Moss Patch Newsletter was a publication my husband and I put out in the 1990’s in which we attempted to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.” This was before we had ever heard the term, “Messianic Judaism,” although I enjoyed the music of Marty Goetz and Paul Wilbur (Israel’s Hope) in those days. I thought they were the only “Messianic Jews” on the planet. With the advent of the Internet, the world became a smaller place and I became aware of the Messianic movement....but missed the entire heyday and the best music, like early Kol Simcha, Cohen and Rose, Helen Shapiro....I had to find this music in the bargain bins in cassette version only.

Anyway...although our Newsletter used Christian terminology, we were somewhat Hebraic in thought. We actually believed the commandments of God were for today, that they were not done away with....and this led to our being ostracized in the churches. We stopped attending church altogether in 1991 and became lone rangers.

One advantage of this, however, was an increasingly intimate relationship with the LORD. He became virtually my only real Friend., a Friend that stuck closer than a brother. I met Him each day in His Word as I read through the Bible chapter by chapter each year. Sometimes He would inspire thoughts that led to Scripture-based articles for the Newsletter. The little home-made Newsletter had a circulation of about 100 and ended up in the hands of strangers far and wide. Some of them wrote to us with appreciation. It was a satisfying endeavor. MOSS PATCH was an acronym for MO and PAT in Service to the Saints with CHrist at the helm. It also referred to the moss patch clearing in the woods that I used to frequent as a prayer closet to commune with the LORD.

I have been wanting to post some of the articles from those days....maybe update them, so I am in “Moss Patch mode” as I bring the past up to date with this present blog. The first article I want to post is actually the last one we wrote....in 1998...wow, that is a full ten years ago! Its message is especially relevant for today.

To be continued.....

A New World Order?

Days after Russia scored a stunning geopolitical victory in the Caucasus, President Abdullah Gül of Turkey said he saw a new multipolar world emerging from the wreckage of war.

The conflict in Georgia, Gül asserted, showed that the United States could no longer shape global politics on its own, and should begin sharing power with other countries.

"I don't think you can control all the world from one centre," Gül told the Guardian. "There are big nations. There are huge populations. There is unbelievable economic development in some parts of the world. So what we have to do is, instead of unilateral actions, act all together, make common decisions and have consultations with the world. A new world order, if I can say it, should emerge."...........

Is GeOrGia Gog? Are we at the brink of Gog and Magog?

Excerpted from The Guardian (click on title of post for link....or at sidebar)

Discussion/opinion on this topic at Joel's Trumpet (see sidebar)

The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture

[Here is an excerpt of an essay by a European Messianic believer. Sometimes I think there is a greater spiritual awakening in foreign lands than in Apostate America these days. The entire article is well worth the read.]

Divine revelation has many aspects, and doesn’t only consist in the Bible. It consists of actions of G’d in the history of mankind, in the calling of the Patriarchs, in the constitution of the nation of Israel, in all the institutions and laws of the Torah, including the very important institution of the Sanctuary and everything belonging to it. Finally and ultimately this revelation centers in the person of Messiah, the perfect Man and the complete embodiment of the Torah and the prophets, the one and only Mediator with G’d. All this belongs to the divine revelation. This revelation thus includes much more than only Scripture.

Why then is Scripture so important that many of us would adhere to the formula of the Reformation: Scriptura sola? It may be asked: Is it really of fundamental importance if there are so many ways G’d by which has revealed himself to mankind?

I think Scripture is of fundamental importance, and that is necessary for us even to confess its full inspiration, and — as a consequence — to affirm its inerrancy. I think it also possible to understand and affirm the rallying cry of the Reformation “Scriptura sola ” in a way that is relevant and applicable to our situation today as Messianics.

The necessity to confess the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture stems from the fact that it is only by Scripture that the other means of divine revelation just mentioned were guarded and kept secure and intact in the course of salvation history. All these relevatory facts, instructions, institutions and doctrines are known to us nowadays by no other means than Scripture. Scripture alone is the safe ark that leads us through the storms of time to the coast-land of eternity.....

More at http://messianic613.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/the-inspiration-and-inerrancy-of-scripture/ or click at title of article. Messianic613 blog is also listed on my sidebar.