WHY should God bless our nation?

I recently received an email that just made me shake my head. It was the cartoon character Charlie Brown saying: "Hi God, It’s me....things are getting bad here, gas prices are too high, no jobs, food and heating cost too high. I know some have taken you out of our schools, government & even Christmas. But God I'm asking you to come back and re-bless America. We really need you. Thanks God, I love you! God says when 2 or more are gathered in My Name, there I will be also!!! Let's see how far this goes. Please pass this on. Please God…please Bless America again."

MY RESPONSE:  Nice sentiment, but I think God is fed up with our foolishness. Why should He return to America to fix the stupid things WE have done to ourselves when we, as a collective whole don’t bother keeping His Commandments, and continuously vote in godless leaders who refuse to adhere to biblical standards? Why should he bless a nation that has made sin “legal”???

As an example, just the last two Presidents we’ve had, have glorified and taught others to glorify sin!  Clinton, with his adulterous affairs committed under his desk in the Oval Office with a then-young intern who is now going around pretending she was totally “lily-white” and innocent and was duped into doing his bidding (I guess when you’re 22, you don’t know “right” from “wrong”?); and Obama who is responsible for making “gay marriage” and abortion the norm.  Not to mention, Obama has done more to divide this country into “Black and White” than any other President in my lifetime….

And people gobbled, and KEEP gobbling it all up like starving, rabid dogs!  And now – thanks to the overwhelming majority whose votes resulted in the nomination of two totally … let’s say, “unusual” and “class-less” candidates, one of whom will end up as President, this nation is not only completely hosed, but it will end up rivaling “the days of Noah” when YHWH got so fed up, He destroyed the whole world by flood!

WHY should God bless our nation? 

Our nation as a whole doesn’t even bother to keep His commanded Seventh Day Sabbath or Holy Feasts!  Businesses are open 7 days a week, and people “shop” and work and commit commerce on whatever day they wish, thus negating the SIGN between ADONAI and His people!

Exodus 31:16 The people of Isra'el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the people of Isra'el forever; for in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.'" (CJB)

Ezekiel 20: 11 I gave them my laws and showed them my rulings; if a person obeys them, he will have life through them. 12 I gave them my shabbats as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I, ADONAI, am the one who makes them holy. (CJB)

Our human societies have replaced HIS “sign” and all the commanded Holy Days with our own, man-made “holy days” – all the while, shoving “unclean” foods down our throats because we erroneously believe “the death of Jesus abolished” NOT just our “certificate of debt”; but everything His Father ever commanded (except, of course, those things that aren’t too “inconvenient” to bother with).  Are those really reasons to be blessed?

Colossians 2:14 - He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution-stake 15 stripping the rulers and authorities of their power he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by means of the stake. (CJB)

(For those who never realized it, the Torah is holy, righteous and good. To suddenly have it "nailed to the cross" would mean that the things of God were originally evil, something to be done away with….)

Folks – we are IN the end times outlined in the Books of Daniel and Revelation! There’s no turning back now, and there’s nothing we can do about it except get our own selves and our own houses in order.  We need to concentrate on getting ourselves “right” with God by coming out of our religiosity and “religions” and getting into Scripture and learning all over again who He is, what He expects of us, how to behave in this world according to HIS rules.

It's time to come out of our slumber and realize we’ve got some VERY tough times ahead – and NOBODY is going to escape them!

Matthew 24: 3. And while Y'shua was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples drew near and were saying among themselves and to him, "Tell us when these things will be and what is the sign of your coming and the end of the world." 4. Y'shua answered and said to them, Beware, let no man deceive you. 5. For many will come in my name and will say that "I am the Mashiyach." And many they will deceive. 6. For you are bound to hear of revolutions and rumor of wars. Watch out and do not be disturbed, for it is necessary that all these things happen, but it is not yet the end.

7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and plagues and earthquakes in different places. 8. But all these things are only the beginning of sorrows. 9. Then they will deliver to afflictions and they will kill you and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10. Then many will stumble and will hate one another and will betray one another. 11. And many false prophets will arise and deceive many. 12. And because of the growth of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold. 13. But whoever has patience until the end, he will have life. 14. And this Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.... (AENT)

Like most, I hope and pray that, like Noah’s family, those of us who truly belong to Him will be spared.  The thing is, none of us are guaranteed the next day.  The ONLY thing we can be sure of is that true believers will end up in Eternity with ELOHIM.  As scripture says:  Those who endure to the end will be saved (see Acts 2:21; Mark 13:13, also please read all of Mark 13 and Matthew 24).  And “being saved” doesn’t necessarily mean physically saved from harm; it refers to our souls/natures/the “being” that is left when we die lives on in Eternity with ELOHIM.  THAT is what truly matters.

It's NOT "pagan" to "worship on Sunday!"

I keep seeing memes and posts on FaceBook about how it's "pagan" to "worship on Sunday." The thing is, we can and are supposed to "worship" EVERY and ANY day. But the Seventh Day is YHWH's Day of REST. We are to REST on Shabbat and to keep it holy. So Sunday worship is not "pagan"; it's just that Christianity has turned it into THE day to "go to church" and worship. They don't bother with the "resting" part - and one has to wonder why, because ADONAI kept reiterating it throughout the entire "Old Testament, and we saw Y'shua and the disciples and apostles keeping it.

Christians don't seem to realize that the death of Jesus didn't negate the command to keep the Seventh Day holy/set apart, nor did it abolish or replace the rest of YHWH's Divine Instructions in Righteousness (Torah).. Nor did his death suddenly usher in "grace" because "grace" has always been around!

It was grace that allowed Adam and Eve to continue living after they sinned. It was grace that kept Cain alive after he killed Abel. It was grace that allowed Noah and his family to begin the human race from scratch after the Flood. It was grace that saved Lot and his family from destruction. And it was grace that caused our divine Messiah to be born to a human woman and to die as our final SIN Sacrifice/Offering. (For my Jewish brethren reading this, it's true that God never expected human sacrifice, but it's also true that Y'shua wasn't "sacrificed" ... he martyred himself, against which there is no law....)

It's true that the Church today is following in the idolatrous footsteps of ancient and modern Israel according to Ezekiel 8:14 and Jeremiah 10 and 17. The vast majority of Christians twist these verses to teach that Shabbat and the Feasts of YHWH “were fulfilled by Christ and are no longer necessary” which completely contradicts what Paul taught – that ADONAI’s Feasts are a shadow of things to come; not to mention, they are rehearsals for the Bride of Mashiyach! What Mashiyach and Paul call “good,” Christianity calls evil; even suggesting their pagan based rituals are sanctified through a “Christian” label (see Isaiah 5:14-23).

Galatians 4:8. Then, for when you did not know Elohim, you served those things who, by their very nature, are not Elohim. 9. Now that you have knowledge of Elohim, and especially have knowledge from Elohim[1], that you have returned to those weak and poor principles, wishing to come under their bondage. 10. You have observed days and months and times and years[2]. 11. I am afraid that perhaps my being among you has been in vain. (AENT)

Having said that, let's take a look at some of the pertinent scriptures:

Exodus 31:16 The people of Isra'el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the people of Isra'el forever; for in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.'"

Ezekiel 20: 11 I gave them my laws and showed them my rulings; if a person obeys them, he will have life through them. 12 I gave them my shabbats as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I, ADONAI, am the one who makes them holy.

Exodus 20:8 "Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for ADONAI your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work -not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, ADONAI made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why ADONAI blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.

Isaiah 56: 2 Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil. 3 A foreigner joining ADONAI should not say, "ADONAI will separate me from his people"; likewise the eunuch should not say, "I am only a dried-up tree." 4 For here is what ADONAI says: "As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant: 5 in my house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve him, to love the name of ADONAI, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples."

Isaiah 58: 13 If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, ADONAI'S holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. 14 If you do, you will find delight in ADONAI - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov, for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken."

Isaiah 66: 23 And it shall be that from one New Moon to another New Moon and from one Sabbath to another Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord.
Jeremiah 17: 21 Here is what ADONAI says: "If you value your lives, don't carry anything on Shabbat or bring it in through the gates of Yerushalayim; 22 don't carry anything out of your houses on Shabbat; and don't do any work. Instead, make Shabbat a holy day. I ordered your ancestors to do this, 23 but they neither listened nor paid attention; rather, they stiffened their necks, so that they wouldn't have to hear or receive instruction. 24 However, if you will pay careful heed to me," says ADONAI "and carry nothing through the gates of this city on Shabbat, but instead make Shabbat a day which is holy and not for doing work;

Romans 14:5. One man discriminates between days; and another judges all days alike. But let every one be sure in regard to his knowledge. 6. He that esteems a day, esteems (it) for his Master: and he that esteems not a day for his Master, he does not esteem (it). And he that eats, eats to his Master and gives thanks to Elohim: and he that eats not to his Master he eats not and gives thanks to Elohim. (AENT)

Does the above suggest that Paul said it is up to each of us to decide what we should eat and what day we should keep?

Absolutely not! The context of this passage was a dispute over whether one can eat food that may or may not have been offered to idols. In those days food that may or may not have been offered to idols was usually put out for sale to people on a certain day of the week – and some believers refused to purchase or eat food on those days, just to be on the safe side. On the other hand, some did because they figured, since they didn’t know for sure whether or not it had been offered, it wouldn’t be wrong to eat it.

In Romans 14:5-6, Paul was not addressing kosher foods or Sabbath day observance at all; he was referring to the disagreement over whether market place food, because of idolatry, should be bought and eaten on a certain day of the week.

Please check out David H. Stern’s explanation in the preface of his Complete Jewish Bible, wherein he demonstrates the difference between “kosher” and “ceremonially clean.” Stern says YAHWEH never said pork, shellfish, etc. were food. People called these animals food in rebellion against God….

The passages in Romans are dealing with the animals God gave us to eat and whether they are ceremonially clean and can be eaten at that time.

Even in Peter’s vision (Acts 11), Peter would never have eaten the kosher animals that had been in contact with treif (non-kosher) animals. The vision was to show that, as Peter knew which animals were clean and which were not because as God had shown him, Peter was to accept the Gentiles as God had now shown him they were “clean”. The rest of the passage in Acts 11 shows that this is the correct interpretation and what the vision was all about (see Acts 11:18).

People truly need to stop trying to force Scripture to say something it doesn't say (just so it will line up with their opinions and ideas of what they WANT Scripture to say)! Instead, they need to start asking the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit) to guide them as they remove "themselves" and begin to methodically read their way through the Bible with clear spiritual eyes.

What does it mean that ADONAI "cares for the Land?"

In this week’s Torah portion (http://www.therefinersfire.org/parashah_46.htm)  we see that ADONAI “cares for the Land” (Deut. 11:12).  What does that mean, exactly?  Liam, explains:

Psalm 132:13 "For Adonai has chosen Tziyon, he has wanted it as his home." YHWH chose the Land to be the holy place He could dwell with His chosen people. The sages say that YHWH identified the Land to be Israel at the beginning of the creation. In Genesis 12:1, YHWH tells Avram to "go to the land I will show you." At that time, it was the land of Canaan. (Even today, Israel is known by other names including "Canaan", "Eretz Yisrael", "Zion", or even "Ha-aretz" which simply means "The Land".) And Genesis 17:8 "And I will give to you [Avram] and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God".  

Of course, the indented geographical area of the Land today is but a small portion of the area YHWH declared. But note that the part that modern-day Hebrews (Jews) live in today, that we call "Israel", is blessed with everything YHWH said the land would have. Israel flourishes while the surrounding land (occupied by Arabs and Muslims) is a vast desert. YHWH Himself said this would happen to the land if His chosen people did not occupy it! Isaiah 51:3 implies this. It says "For Adonai will comfort Tziyon, will comfort all her ruined places, will make her desert like `Eden, her `Aravah like the garden of Adonai".  

Look at what happened when, in 1948, the land of Israel was returned to the Jews. Israel (the land) began to flourish while, still today, all the muslim lands surrounding Israel remain desert wasteland even though much of that land belongs to Israel. The message of Isaiah 51:3 is that if the Hebrews (Jews) do not occupy that land, it lies desolate.  

So we have visible evidence today of Deut 11:12 that YHWH does care for the land!

"Why aren't my prayers being answered?"

Every once in a while I get someone asking me why “bad things” keep happening to them – i.e., health, financial or marital problems, etc. The only thing I can tell these people is: I don’t know what’s going on in your particular situation because I don’t know how you conduct your life. The only thing I can tell you is that we are in a fallen world where often bad things happen to good people.

Just because we are Believers, it doesn't mean that nothing "bad" will ever happen to us. We are not immune from diseases or accidents or fires, floods or anything else. We don't know when our last day on earth will be, and that is why it is so important to "get and keep ourselves right" with God. He never promised any of us a "rose garden"….

Whenever things “go wrong” in our life, the first thing many of us tend to do is to blame ADONAI. "God, why aren't YOU doing this to me? I've been praying and asking and even begging for relief of ____. Where are you?"

Well, what really needs to happen FIRST, is - we need to ask ourselves, “Where are WE? What are WE doing for HIM? Do WE spend time with Him daily? Or do we just put Him on a shelf and pull Him out when something goes wrong? Do WE study His Word and do our best to be holy/set apart from the world? Are WE a good witness for Him wherever we go? Do WE LIVE a Torah lifestyle?” If the answer to any of these questions is “No”, then how could we possibly expect HIM to do anything for us? Why should He?

"If one turns away his ear from hearing the law (Torah), even his prayer is an abomination." - Proverbs 28.9.

Can He heal us? Certainly! Can He protect us from disease or natural disasters? YES! But the question is, WILL He? He doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we would like, and that is His prerogative. He is God and He has His reasons. Can He fix our financial situation? Well, sure – by leading us to the “right” job somewhere…but the key is RECOGNIZING when and where He is working to get us to that “right place at the right time.”

Perhaps He’s been trying to get you into a new career or to move to a new city, and you haven’t complied. Perhaps you haven't been seeking employment hard enough, or been willing to take whatever you can get until you're "back on your feet.". Perhaps you aren't seeking the "right" employment. Or perhaps your life is full of sin and He's trying to get your attention by forcing you to "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, newspaper columnist, social commentator, and stage and motion picture actor Will Rogers once said, “"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Well, this definitely holds true when it comes to our dealings with YHWH. He can’t use you if you just sit there and refuse to obey! Sometimes we need to MOVE in order to see change in our life.

"When we were at Mount Sinai, Master YHWH said to us, 'You have stayed at this mountain long enough.” (Deuteronomy 1:6 )

Truth is, the answer usually lies within us! What are WE doing wrong or right in His eyes? Are WE guilty of some sin in our life that is preventing us from prospering or accomplishing our goals? We cannot force our ELOHIM to do anything. He has His reasons for answering or not answering our prayers. He KNOWS those who are truly His and those who are just playing around and using Him for their own convenience. He is not with those who aren't 100 percent committed to Him....

Where are YOU?  

WHATEVER happens, we must never turn our back to Him! He made us and loves us, and He KNOWS our pain. Please read my article about bad things happening to good people: http://www.therefinersfire.org/storm.htm