Mia Ton Sabbaton

There has been quite a bit of discussion on Passion Chronology this past week, with various views shared on forums and in the blogosphere. Some believe Yeshua died on Wednesday, some Thursday, some Friday. Most believe He rose on Sunday morning. Some believe He rose on Saturday evening. A few of us believe He rose just before dawn on Sabbath. The correct translation and interpretation of “mia ton sabbaton” is key. (Click on title of post for language forum discussion on this topic.) Regardless of your view, I hope we can all agree that indeed He is risen, and because He is risen, we can know, experientially, pardon for our sins and relationship with God. The lyrics to this Marty Goetz song are very meaningful to me. I wanted to share them with others. I highly recommend this music. See link below for song samples.

Risen Again (I Call You Friend, Marty Goetz)

I come here to proclaim He’s risen again, risen again
And there’s no other Name that’s given to men, given to men
By which they might enter Heaven.

I ask you to believe we’re nearing the end, nearing the end
I ask you to receive Him and the help that He’ll lend
In these Last Days
The blessings He’ll send
Will surely amaze you

I know it’s hard to suspend all your reasons
But try to pretend He’s in all that you do
And you may find it’s true
Though you never knew

Anything I know that’s in any way good
Surely He put in my head
No matter where I go
If it’s the way that I should
It’s purely His foot that lead
I am nothing apart from Him
He’s my heart
He’s why I live
He’s all I’ll ever have to give

And I rejoice to tell you
He’s coming again, coming again
Oh hear His voice He’ll tell you
Be born again
I stand at the door
I want to enter
Know that I’m for you

He wants you just to surrender your will
And to trust He’s a friend
He’ll do all He can do
And He won’t be through
Till all is new

Anything I am that’s in any way right
Was wrought by His skillful hand
No matter who I am
When I stand in His light
I know I will understand
I am something when I’m with Him
In my heart, now I can see
He’s all I ever dreamed would be

And if I can’t admit
He’s risen again, risen again
Then I am to be pitied
More than all men, more than all men
For my hope has all been in vain.

But I know that He’s risen
Yes I know that He’s risen
I know that He’s risen again
I know that He’s risen again.

martygoetz.com

Forum Fellowship

Notice: There is a very active forum at CARM with something for everyone, even my atheist friends. The Messianic Judaism section is ablaze with discussion, and there seems to be freedom to post within reasonable moderated guidelines. Some of the hot topics under discussion right now are these:

Daniel 9
"Holy Week"
Gentile Circumcision
Early Church Fathers
Celebrating Messiah's Resurrection

There are also discussions on Atheism and just about every other religious persuasion, as well as secular topics of discussion.

Dan and Marc are here, and at least one other that I recognize from TR Forum days.

I just joined. Hope others will join also. I greatly miss forum fellowship and in-depth discussions.

CARM Discussion Forum

Passover Flower

On March 8, I had a strange dream, which I posted on one of the blogs I frequent, as we were talking about dreams at the time. I was able to retrieve the post:

"I saw a pretty, potted, cheerful looking flower on display....with wings! The flower was flapping its wings. I wondered if it could fly. I thought it was really neat so decided to come back later and buy it. When I returned, the flower was wilted and dying. I asked, "What happened? Where are the wings?" I was told that the wings had flown away."

I wondered what the interpretation of the dream could be. It seemed meaningful in some way.

Now what are the odds that a month later while shopping for my Passover supplies at a grocery store in Valparaiso the song, "I Believe I Can Fly" would waft in over the speaker system just as I was looking for a plant for my Passover table. Most of them had "Happy Easter" signs in them. No thanks. Then I noticed a wonder.......a cheerful yellow flower in a pot, slightly wilted. I looked closer. The tag said it was a Gerbera Daisy. I looked even closer. There were TWO flowers integrated together on one stem, like siamese twins! How odd and beautiful. Of course, I brought it home. I've got it next to me. It is not doing well. Very wilted now. It looks like it is bowing in humble prayer and supplication. It is reminding me of the gourd in the Book of Jonah. Is it only going to live for a day?

I thought it was just an ordinary type of daisy, but found out this is an exotic, sensitive plant from Africa and does poorly adapting to change. It probably did not like the breezy air and sunshine at 50 degrees today, or the overwatering, and it may have a powdery mildew problem. I know nothing about plants. I usually buy jonquils or other varieties I can plant outdoors.

I'm kind of attached to this unusual flower. Is it okay to talk to flowers? When I lift up its head, it looks like a face with two eyes. I will save the bloom as a dry flower if it does not make it. I don't know what to do to keep it alive and help it prosper. I don't think it liked the Matisyahu music I was playing today while I looked for leaven in the kitchen cabinets. Maybe it prefers Bruce Cohen and Kol Simcha.

My husband called and asked for his paperwork for his trip. I gave him the phone number and contact person. You won't believe the name of the contact person:

Dee Wieduwilt

Why'd you wilt, O African Daisy? And what is the meaning of all this?

Unbelievable coincidences. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Have a blessed Passover season everyone.

Shipwrecked Faith

I have been dialoguing with the disillusioned on Atheist blogs lately and find their faith has been shipwrecked by learning of parallels between pagan mythology and similar Christian doctrines and practices. Yet the Word of God tells us that we are NOT following “cunningly devised fables” (2 Peter 1:16). There is a difference between what the Bible says and what the Churches do and teach as they present "another jesus." Unlike pagan counterfeits, the True Messiah, Yeshua/Jesus, fulfilled myriad Bible prophecies written centuries before His Incarnation. Here is one resource delineating some of them:

Prophecies Fulfilled

This should be convincing to those willing to be convinced. How could a mere man, a fraud, manage to pull this off? Fulfilled Bible prophecy, along with riddles-solved Bible Chronology, is very strong evidence that demands a verdict!

One book cited as troublesome concerning pagan parallels to Christianity is The Ancient Mysteries: A Sourcebook of Ancient Texts. In this book, Marvin W. Meyer explores the sacrifices and prayers, the public celebrations and secret ceremonies, the theatrical performances and literary works, the gods and goddesses that were a part of the mystery religions of Greece in the seventh century B.C. to the Judaism and Christianity of the Roman world of the seventh century A.D. (emphasis mine).

One blogger’s comments are probably representative of many others in the Atheist blogosphere:

Personally, the similarities between Christianity and the Mystery Religions were disturbing to my former faith. Learning about them has forced me to consider that Christianity is a product of the Hellenistic period rather than a divine revelation from God.

Should anyone find a solid way to reverse my outlook on this topic, they could potentially cause me to rethink my deconversion process.

That won't be easy, though. But if you've "got the goods", I'd like to see 'em.

The Ancient Mysteries pre-date Christianity by a few hundred years. That bothers me, too. Were these Mysteries counterfeit versions of Christianity? Was Christianity the true Mystery Religion and the others were only shadows of the truth?

Or was Christianity just one more variant of a string of pagan beliefs?

It is true that Christianity became corrupted over the centuries, amalgamated with paganism, heresies, Gnosticism, etc. The Apostle Paul and others were already refuting erroneous doctrines and syncretism in the first century. Judaism also became corrupted over the centuries. There is "nothing new under the sun,” as Solomon said. Since the first prophecy concerning a coming Redeemer (Genesis 3:15), spiritual counterfeits and false messiahs have abounded. Yet God has preserved His truth in His Word. He has also preserved a remnant of true believers all along. He called it a “little flock,” so it is not surprising that faithful disciples of Yeshua are hidden, persecuted, and isolated, not mainstream. The gates of hell have harassed but not prevailed. The battle for souls continues. Satan beguiles and tempts today just as he tempted in the Garden. “Yea, hath God said...?” the seducing serpent whispers, casting doubt on the Word of God. He masquerades as an angel of light under various “mystery” forms. Gnosticism/Paganism/Mystery Religion is alive and well in the 21st century. It will culminate in the short-lived reign of the ultimate Antichrist, who will deceive many. One-world Government and One-world Religion are on the horizon. In these perilous times, Yeshua exhorts His people to “come out” from Mystery Babylon and “be separate” because this religious system is destined for desolation (Rev. 17 & 18).

Here are a couple of reviews of a book that provides a good overview of how Mystery Babylon infiltrated the Church, with many references for further research. Click here for more information and to see the table of contents. Recommended reading for those who value balancing the writings of skeptics and infidels with the writings of those attempting to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Also recommended for Christians who need this information for themselves and to share with others.

See also my Sidebar (Interesting Webpages) for selected articles and audio sermons for cogent consideration. I also list links to various Apologetics resources that may be helpful. Please keep in mind that much of Christianity is still contaminated with the remnants of Rome’s paganism, that Protestant churches are no longer protesting and are “daughters of Babylon” for the most part, and that secular publishers have bought up Zondervan and other Christian publishers and thus control what is published. There is a dearth of strong apologetic resources available as a result. Perhaps the disillusioned, if they should return to faith, will write the scathing and/or erudite apologetics that are desperately needed to effectively answer the neo-atheists, skeptics, and Gnostics who are leading many to Apostasy.

Babylon Religion, David W. Daniels (Chick Publications)

Reviewer: Daryl Coats, Ph. D.

As I see it, the book's assets are as follows:

(1) For most 21st century readers, it IS easier to read, grasp, and understand than Hislop's The Two Babylons. Nothing against that wonderful book, but Hislop did not have to worry about nearly illiterate readers who spend most of their time watching TVs, computer monitors, movies, and videos and DVDs. We could lament the deplorable state of the American mind---or we could try to reach contemporary readers much as we would try to reach those who do not understand English. To that end, the text is easy to read and well constructed visually, and the cartoons not only serve to illustrate and supplement the text, but they even work if someone doesn't read the strictly textual portions. The art is another great feature. This is some of the best work that Bro. Jack has ever produced, and I hope that you will pass along my congratulations and appreciation for a job well done.

(2) It serves as a capable "defense" of Hislop's work, incorporating recent discoveries to further demonstrate the validity of Hislop's original thesis.

(3) It does a great job of addressing the world's myths and legends and showing their TRUE significance. For most of the past 150 years, mythology has been used to suggest that the Bible is unreliable and that Christianity is merely an amalgamation of elements taken and adapted from various myths. (The Golden Bough and The Hero of Many Faces are good examples of this approach.) More than once in my graduate studies I heard the Lord Jesus dismissed as nothing more than another "fertility myth." I have no idea how many believers have been shipwrecked as a result of such falsehoods, but your book works to show that many (most?) of the world's myths are merely distortions and perversions of truth preserved (and only found) in the Bible. (Hey, if modern Hollywood can't get a Bible story straight, why would we think that ancient pagans would do a better job?)

(4) The amount of research is incredible! Footnotes at the bottom of many pages provide a quick reference for anyone who might wish to (a) investigate further, or (b) make sure that you're telling the truth. And the more detailed endnotes are clearly pointed out in the main text and do not slow down a reader who does not wish to consult the notes as he reads. As I mentioned on the phone, with a Ph. D. in English, I've done a fair amount of research and study on my own, and I can appreciate the amount of work that you put into this book. (And since the Bible says, "Let no man deceive you by any means," I'm one of those people who DO check out footnotes and put them to the test when they concern matters with which I am not already acquainted. I am thankful to say that from the time I started doing this---roughly the time when the Angel of Light? comic first came out---I have never found a faulty or phony reference citation in a Chick publication. Whether it was a person about whom I was told that I could write for additional information, or a reference to a book that I could purchase for myself, or a book that I had to obtain through inter-library loan, I've put those comics and tracts and books to the test. Granted, some people may dismiss the original source material in some instances, but they CAN'T honestly dismiss the citation of it.

(5) The picture format allows the reader to SEE a lot of the things you talk about (especially when the pictures reproduce idols from other cultures, or pages from Codex Vaticanus). Somewhere in my files is a photo I found from an early 20th-century precursor to Frazier and Campbell, a photo of a clay figure found more than 20 feet underground in Idaho during the digging of a well. The figure in question was a woman holding a young infant. Jung would call it "a universal archetype," but Bible-believers know better. The pictures in this book often work to lend additional support to your thesis.

(6) There is a lot of humor in the book---humor used to mock false doctrine and false deceivers. This only serves to make the book more readable.....

..............

Reviewer: Kurt Kuersteiner

"Babylon Religion" blends the exhaustive research of David Daniels with the detailed cartoons of Jack Chick. The result is a book that is both fun and informative, serious but amusing, and complicated yet simple to understand. The content is controversial, something any sincere discussion of religion should be. The fact that most publishers will not confront such issues raises the obvious question if they are sincere about anything other than making money. But Chick Publications has strong religious beliefs and has never been afraid to promote them in full view of the public.

"Babylon Religion" is a rare reminder that diversity of thought is the most important diversity a free society has, and we should do everything we can to protect our free market place of ideas, rather than the feelings of various special interest groups. Whether you agree or disagree with the conclusions of "Babylon Religion", you will be impressed with the skill and artistic efforts Daniels and Chick made to present their case. I found myself marveling over the work and detail that went into crafting over 180 pages with information and stunning illustrations. This is one book that will not gather dust on my bookcase!

Chick.com

This Is What Vacations Are All About!

A couple of summers ago, our grandchildren were visiting from Texas. We were returning from a shopping trip, and as we traveled a seldom used rural road we went over a slight rise on the mostly flat surface at a pretty good clip. It caused the car to create a flutter in the tummy, somewhat like a roller coaster ride. Austin and Lexi giggled and said it was fun. Aiming to please, Grampa turned the Durango around and repeated the entertainment, this time going a little faster so as to “jump” the hill (not really, but it felt that way). More laughter from the kids. Grampa was enjoying it too, so turned around for a third squeal of delight. I was thinking this was a dumb idea and possibly dangerous (spoil sport as I am) and requested the foolishness to stop. But six year old Lexi had the last word........”Do it again, Grampa......

THIS IS WHAT VACATIONS ARE ALL ABOUT!!”

Thus, the origins of the inside joke our daughter referred to in the previous post.

In the spirit of Lexi’s adverturous adage, I post this update to their recent family vacation. Pat responded to Denise’s email with the same quip. Knowing Denise’s fear of spiders, we could not help but laugh. Spiders seem to seek her out in a most uncanny way. I hope readers enjoy the story as much as I did. : )

My Horrifying Encounter

Hello everyone. We made it home safe and sound yesterday afternoon. Our flight was delayed an hour in Maui but we still made our connecting flight in L.A. so all was well.

I have some “details” I wanted to tell you about our horseback ride but I was too tired to tell you before.

We arrived at the stable and after awhile we were told to pick out a helmet to wear for our ride (for safety) There were several all laid out on a picnic table to choose from. I took my sunglasses off the top of my head and laid them on the bench of the picnic table. So, as I looked for one that was in good shape and seemed comfortable, I picked one up and saw a GIANT spider inside. It was brown with a HUGE fat body, probably about the size of a large red grape and then add legs. Since I am NOT a fan of spiders at all...as most of you know, I freaked out and dropped the helmet back down on the table. To make matters worse, the spider then fell out of the helmet onto the bench and then the helmet rolled off the top of the table onto the bench right where the spider was. SPLAT!! A LOT of SPLAT! And guess where all that splat landed? It shot out sideways from the spider and landed right on my sunglasses! There was a LARGE amount of spider guts oozing off the side of my glasses. As gross as I am trying to make this sound, it doesn’t compare to how completely grossed out I actually was. I had tears in my eyes and I didn’t know what to do. I was trying to maintain my composure since there were several other people around, but I’m not sure I did a real good job. Our guide took my sunglasses and washed them off with a hose and a wet wipe. I then had to continue picking out my helmet. I didn’t pick that one.

I was going to take a picture of the dead spider but a bird came by and scooped it up and flew away with it before I could get my picture.

Denise

Hawaiian Adventure

My daughter and her family are enjoying a vacation in Hawaii this week. Coming from an impoverished childhood, she is feeling abundantly blessed and appreciative to be able to do this. Other than day trips or visiting relatives, we were never able to take a “real" vacation in her growing up years. Our struggles in life can all work out to the good, though, if they result in character-building, humbleness of mind, diligence, initiative, a work ethic, and a grateful heart. Denise wrote me this email describing recent adventures and gave me permission to post. I enjoy her narratives.

Hello Everyone!

Well, today we had A LOT of fun! We took a snorkeling tour today on a motorized raft boat. It was quite an adventure! Within 2 minutes of leaving the dock, we were jumping big waves and Austin was getting drenched. He was sitting on the side raft part and seemed to be in the hot seat for getting wet.....or should I say the cold seat. This was 7 am this morning and it was a bit chilly to be wet. Alexia started crying immediately...she was scared of the ride with all the bouncing and high speed. I changed seats so I could sit next to her and make her feel more secure and she calmed down and enjoyed it more. She and I were in a good seat where we didn’t get very wet at all....until our BIG MOMENT when we had a bit of a catastrophe!

Part of our tour included checking out some lava caves along the edge of the Maui Island. It was neat and the captain of the boat was telling us all kinds of history about the area and lava formations. Well, this one cave (appropriately named The Tunnel of Doom) was big enough to back the raft into so the captain did that and then he was talking about the various layers of the lava rock and things so we were sitting in the cave for awhile. It was a windy day so the sea was pretty choppy. We were getting splashed a little bit in the cave while we sat there as the water hit the walls of the cave. We pulled out of the cave at one point because it was too choppy. Then the waves settled a bit so he backed into the cave again to finish his talk about it. It was eerily calm compared to the first time he had backed in. He had his back to the rest of the sea as he talked to us and then all of a sudden (too late) he saw a big wave coming and there wasn’t time to get out of the cave before it hit us. So, he warned us really quick to take cover (we had rain jackets on the whole time....but we needed to brace ourselves and make sure we were covered with our jackets). My back was to the wave also, so I turned my head to see what he was talking about and it was HUGE! The cave got dark as the wave entered (it nearly filled the whole cave opening) and I leaned over Lexi to protect her and we had the experience of a lifetime! At just the right moment, the captain floored the gas on the boat to try and keep the boat from slamming into the walls of the cave as the wave came crashing in. He was successful at doing that, but when the wave hit the wall, the entire boat basically went under the wave.....which meant we all got SOAKED! We had about 6 inches of water in the bottom of the boat and every bag, towel and clothing that people brought were completely soaked. Even though we had rain jackets on, we were drenched all the way through because most of us didn’t have time to put our hoods on and the water went right down our backs as we ducked for cover. Alexia was crying again (gee, I don’t know why) and I told her it was ok and “this is what vacations are all about!” (that quote is a little inside joke between our family and my parents). Alexia didn’t think it was funny. LOL! It all ended well...no one got hurt and we all thought it was funny and exciting. The captain apologized for it but we thought he did a great job of handling it when it happened. He seemed to be a very skilled captain. The waves were really big all day and he knew just when to accelerate and when to lay off. We were amazed this little boat could handle the rough waters. The waves were much bigger than our boat yet our ride was pretty smooth considering...other than the first 5 minutes or so.

We also snorkeled in a couple different spots. The first spot was somewhat boring for me but Austin and Chris saw a HUGE sea turtle about a foot below them so that was cool for them. Austin really enjoyed snorkeling. Alexia attempted to snorkel but the water was too cold for her and so she never did it. She just got back in the boat and waited for us. We were disappointed that she didn’t get to see anything but we couldn’t do anything about it. She got in the water twice...trying to get used to the cold but just couldn’t do it. The second snorkel spot was much better and more colorful. That one was Molokini which is famous for it’s snorkeling. I got some pictures with my underwater camera until it ran out of battery. : (

I will try to upload them and attach a couple to this email.

Along the way, we also saw a large pod of spinner dolphins...one of them even showed off it’s spinning action by jumping clear out of the water vertically and spinning. There were probably more than 20 dolphins all following our boat and jumping out of the water. Pretty cool. We saw several humpback whales today, a couple of them breached out of the water, which was really neat. They were a little distance away from us though. We never saw any real close to the boat. There were a few turtles swimming around our boat at one point also. It was a very successful trip for seeing marine animals! Oh yeah...and we also saw a wild rooster and 2 chickens in the parking lot of the boat dock. Hawaii’s land wildlife seems to consist of farm animals. Last time we were here, we saw a cow wandering the streets. They have some strange wildlife, don’t they?

Well, that was pretty much our day today. It was a 5 hour boat ride so it really wiped us out. We went out to eat tonight and did a small amount of shopping and called it a night.

Tomorrow, Austin and I are going on a zipline and then we are going to watch the sunset from on top of Haleakala mountain. We get to sleep in tomorrow morning though. Our zipline is not until 2pm. Chris and Lexi will come but they will just wait for us at the zipline place.

The pictures were taken with my new Olympus underwater snap shot camera. I am still trying to learn how to use it so it may take even better pictures than what I have here, but I thought it did pretty good on these. I did not use the official fish names because I don’t know them...except for the trumpet fish. I also included a sunset photo from last night on our hotel beach.

Denise

CD Baby!

Yesterday, I ordered my favorite music of all time from a website called CD Baby. What a pleasant shopping experience! Not only did they carry this obscure Messianic music by my favorite composer/artist, Bruce Cohen, but they offered a 50% discount on my order of 2 CD’s!

This music comes from an era in the early days of Messianic Judaism when there was an outpouring of the Spirit. I had not even heard of Messianic music in the 80’s, other than Marty Goetz and Paul Wilbur. In 2002, I found this music on cassette in the bargain bin at Messianic Jewish Resources. It had been released as Kol Simcha (Dawning of a New Day) and Cohen and Rose (Holy). Now, the 20 songs have been re-mastered in digital quality. I am ecstatic. This will be my Spring cleaning music as I prepare for Passover this year.

If you click on the title of this post you will get to the page describing the music and you can listen to samples.

What made me laugh and prompted this post was the confirmation email that just came from the independent music website that processed my order:

Thanks for your order with CD Baby!

Your CDs have been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.


A team of 50 employees inspected your CDs and polished them to make sure they were in the best possible condition before mailing.


Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CDs into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy.


We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved "Bon Voyage!" to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, Monday, March 16th.


I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. We sure did. Your picture is on our wall as "Customer of the Year." We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!


Thank you, thank you, thank you!


Sigh...
--
CD Baby
the little store with the best new independent music

I had to give them a plug here for being so clever and friendly and brightening my day.