THANK GOD FOR UNANSWERED PRAYERS!

You’ve surely all noticed that YHWH doesn’t answer our every prayer as we would like, and that sometimes, the answer is a resounding “NO!”

Truth is, we need to thank God for that, because He knows what is best for His children – whether we like it, or not. More often than not, we NEVER discover the reason for His “NO!” answer; but when we do, it can literally send us reeling….

Matter of fact, I’m still, to this day, awe-stricken over the discovery in the year 2000, exactly WHY Abba had refused my years-long prayers to return the “love of my youth” to me! I mean, after every breakup (and there were lots), I had literally, off and on, begged for the return of my high-school sweetheart, David, for approximately 20 years!

I was madly in love with David when I was 17. David was my everything. I would have walked off a cliff for David. He was my best friend on earth, so kind, loving and understanding - and he knew all my deepest, darkest secrets. I had even confided to him that my adoptive father had been sexually abusing me since the age of 9 (something that angered David to the point of wanting to murder my father).

I remember freaking out, because I had a hard time convincing David to keep my secret...and there was NO doubt in my mind that “Dad” would have killed both of us! My adoptive father was evil personified. He was a psycho with a violent temper who had absolutely no reservation about physically hurting humans or animals. (Matter of fact, just before I turned 14, he had sent me to the hospital with internal injuries when I worked up the courage one night to threaten to tell the cops on him when he came creeping into my bedroom...)

David ultimately relented and promised to take me far away from it all after high school. But when he joined the Air Force, he was immediately sent to Korea, where he fell in love with, and married a Korean woman, and we never saw each other again.

Heartbroken beyond belief, I decided to “snap out of it,” and forge my own destiny. So, after high school, I joined the Army and started my own career, while at the same time, attending night classes at local colleges wherever I was stationed for the next 22 years….

I did my fair share of “dating” and even marrying (my first husband was a major Heroin addict who ultimately killed a friend of his while high on Heroin). When I divorced him, I contacted David’s mother, only to discover that David was still happily married and had two little daughters. I had secretly hoped that his marriage would have failed by now, and that he would find me, and we could ride off into the sunset together. Matter of fact, I PRAYED that would happen!

But, back then I didn’t know that YHWH hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), and so I prayed off and on over the years (after every break-up with all the “broken” guys I used to attract) for God to bring my David back to me. He had been a rock for me, and I didn’t understand why he had been able to simply find another woman to marry!

Anyway, my prayers all seemed to have fallen on deaf ears and sometimes I wondered if there really was “a God” because if there was, He surely KNEW that David was the love of my life!

But He never answered that prayer.

And then in the year 2000, I finally found out why: Turns out the “love of my life” was – like my adoptive father – a raving pedophile, who was serving a 20-year prison sentence for getting his 12-year-old daughter pregnant. (By then, I had had access to the Internet and had found David’s parents (with whom I had kept in contact off and on throughout the years) to let them know I had FINALLY found happiness with a man named Bill Welker…)

Well, to coin a hackneyed phrase, ya coulda knocked me over with a feather! I NEVER, in my wildest dreams, expected my David to be able to do something like that! How COULD he have done that, when he used to date me - someone whose life had been ruined because of sexual abuse? It was absolutely inconceivable and incomprehensible!

After the phone call ended, all I could think was, “Oh, THANK GOD! Thank GOD! Thank YOU, Father, for NOT answering my prayers!” Had David married me, it would have been MY daughter he would have sexually abused - and I know I WOULD have killed him and ended up in prison for murder…

I can’t recall any other “unanswered prayers,” but today, as a mature believer, I am wise enough to understand and accept whatever God’s Will is in my life. Our Heavenly Father KNOWS what we need and don’t need, and that’s ALL that really matters. Halleluyah!

James 4: 3. You ask, and do not receive because you ask wickedly, that you may feed your lusts. 4. You adulterers, don’t you know that the love of the world is hatred towards Elohim? He therefore who chooses to be a lover of this world is the enemy of Elohim. 5. Or do you think that the Scripture has vainly said: The spirit dwelling in us lusts with envy? 6. But our Master (Y’shua) has given us more grace. Therefore he said: Master YHWH brings low the arrogant, and gives grace to the humble.

7. Subject yourselves therefore to Elohim; and stand firm against the Accuser and he will flee from you. 8. Draw near to Elohim and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners: sanctify your hearts, you who are divided in mind. 9. Humble yourselves and mourn: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into grief. 10. Humble yourselves before Master YHWH and He will exalt you. (AENT)

“EASTER” IS NOT PASSOVER, which is one of God’s commanded Feasts/Appointed Times….

As hard as it will be for some to read this, the truth is, "Easter" (like Christmas) is a fabricated, man-made holiday that has little to do with YHWH (Yahweh), Yeshua, or Scripture in general. God commanded His people to celebrate seven annual feasts/festivals – all of which honor God without the insertion of paganism; all of which have specific meanings that directly relate to Scripture and prophecy: all of which are to be celebrated on specific days on the Hebrew calendar; AND all of which foreshadow Yeshua….

The only Bible version in which you'll find the word "Easter" is in the King James - which basically renders useless the entire chapter of Acts 12 because NOBODY went into Jerusalem to celebrate any man-made holiday! (There was no “Easter” BEFORE Jesus was put to death, right? So, why would anybody have come to Jerusalem to celebrate “Easter” or even bother mentioning that particular invented word in the New Testament? People were there for “Passover.)

So, here is what the King James says:

Acts 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. (KJV)

After EASTER? Let’s examine this:

The setting in Acts is recounting the events which led to the crucifixion of the Messiah. However, Acts was written in about 60 CE, while the term "Easter" was not solidified until the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE; so, there is no way for the original book of Acts to have used the word "Easter"!

Indeed, in the oldest manuscript of Acts, in Aramaic, the word used was "Paskha", or "Passover" in English. Even if the Catholic Church had begun to use the term "Easter" as early as 200 years before the Council of Nicaea, that's still more than 60 years after the Book of Acts was written! What we see in the KJV version of Acts 12 is a clear intent to subvert the Jewish "Passover" in favor of the Christian "Easter".

(Truth is, the KJV has MANY OTHER mistranslations….)

Shown below is the same passage in a few different Bible versions:

Acts 12:3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Judeans, he went on to arrest Kefa as well. It was during the Days of Matzah, ⁴ so when Herod seized him, he threw him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each, with the intention of bringing him to public trial after Pesach. (CJB)

Acts 12: ³ When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. (NIV)

Acts 12:³ When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now ^[b]it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four ^[c]squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. (NASB)

Acts 12:4 4. And he seized him and placed him in prison, and delivered him (to) sixteen soldiers to watch him so that after the Passover[*] he might deliver him to the people of the Yehudeans. (AENT)

(NOTE: Passover, Aramaic Paskha or Hebrew Pesach was originally observed by Jewish and Elohim fearing Gentiles who followed Y’shua as one body. According to letters by Jerome, Polycarp a disciple of Shaliach Yochanan (Apostle John) went to Rome in 147 AD to plead with “the church” to NOT bring Ishtar (Easter) into Christianity. Polycarp was burned at the stake for his efforts. Christians inserted the word “Easter” (KJV) here and the vast majority of Christians celebrate Easter rather than Pesach. Most Christians also paint “Easter eggs” which contributes to the advancement of Paganism within the church, not to mention that most folks already know that bunnies don’t lay eggs!)

BOTTOM LINE: Easter has nothing to do with the commanded High Holy Day of Passover…

A word of advice in these perilous times….

WE ARE LIVING IN SOME SERIOUS PERILOUS TIMES! Putin's war is wreaking havoc in Ukraine. People are fleeing, and those who chose to remain behind are screaming in pain and terror from the bombs and missile attacks. Putin's not holding back. He clearly seeks world domination.

So, here's a word of advice: The most important thing you can do is to get yourself "right with God" while you still can, because nobody is guaranteed another day. Let go of the notion that just "believing in Jesus" is enough! Satan and his demons "believe in Yeshua" (they KNOW his real, given Hebrew Name!) and they will ALL end up in the Lake of Fire! (Revelation 20:6-10) This means there is clearly a little more to "being a believer"...

HERE IS THE HARD TRUTH: Messiah Yeshua is the Word of YHWH, and we are told he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all things were created by the Word of YHWH from the beginning of time (Hebrews 13:8). Yet, there various flavors of Judaism (which are Torah observant yet do NOT believe that Yeshua is the Messiah); and well over 40,000 different Christian denominations that IGNORE ADONAI’s “forever commands” as outlined in Torah/Divine Instructions in Righteousness.

BOTH views are death knells!

Revelation 12: 17 "The dragon was infuriated over the woman and went off to fight the rest of her children, those who obey God's commands AND bear witness to Yeshua." (Note: I capitalized the word “AND”.)

Revelation 14: 12 "This is when perseverance is needed on the part of God's people, those who observe his commands AND exercise Yeshua's faithfulness." (Note: I capitalized the word “AND”.)

You can argue the above from now until Doomsday, but unless you believe with all your heart that Yeshua IS the Divine Messiah who shed his blood on your behalf as the Final SIN Offering, AND obey His Divine Instructions, you're going to be considered "lukewarm" and vomited from his mouth when he returns to rule and reign for a thousand years. (Revelation 3:16.) These are the truths that set YHWH’s people apart from "the world" and make them "holy"....

Scripture commands us to be "wholehearted" - meaning you MUST do His Will through obedience to Torah (which, by the way, was NOT "just for the Jews!) The "one in Messiah" passages amply reveal that there is NO difference between YHWH's "natural children" and the "adopted/grafted in." Same God, same rules! (See Deuteronomy 30:14; Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13.).

The world is rapidly changing, folks! THE ENEMY HAS BEEN SET LOOSE! Whom will YOU choose to follow? The TRUTH is, only those who endure to the end will be saved. The Bible says so! (And since more than 300 prophecies have already come true, what would make one think that the few remaining ones won't be?)

Matthew 24:10 At that time many will be trapped into betraying and hating each other, 11 many false prophets will appear and fool many people; 12 and many people's love will grow cold because of increased distance from Torah. 13 But whoever holds out till the end will be delivered. (CJB)

2 Thessalonians 2:9 When this man who avoids Torah comes, the Adversary will give him the power to work all kinds of false miracles, signs and wonders. 10 He will enable him to deceive, in all kinds of wicked ways, those who are headed for destruction because they would not receive the love of the truth that could have saved them. 11 This is why God is causing them to go astray, so that they will believe the Lie. 12 The result will be that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken their pleasure in wickedness, will be condemned. (CJB

THE TIME HAS COME TO STOP SUGAR-COATING THE GRIM REALITY OF THIS WORLD....

I cried like a baby the first time I saw the news about the plight of the Ukrainian refugees. Can you imagine how you would feel if suddenly, your entire world was being turned upside-down by some madman who declares war and threatens to bomb your country to smithereens unless everyone agrees to allow him to take over and expand his kingdom?

Can you imagine how it would feel to be told you and your family have just a few hours to pack a suitcase and flee to a bordering country? Can you imagine having left everything you know and love behind, and suddenly becoming homeless, in a strange land?

This is so reminiscent of Iraq and other Middle Eastern Countries where people have been evacuating to Europe for several decades now - all because of some power-hungry, wild-eyed lunatics! (It's nothing new; mankind, the world over, has been doing this since the beginning of time!)

Here's the thing, folks: If you know the Bible, then you understand all this is a direct result of the Original Sin by Adam and Eve who "had it made" in the Garden of Eden; but incurred YHWH's wrath by choosing to ignore His Divine Instructions. Consequently, WE inherited a dangerous world fraught with natural disasters, illness, diseases, pain, death, tears, the rising of false messiahs, and an endless onslaught of wars and rumors of wars. (See Matthew 24)

We live in an EVIL world because it is run by haSatan, the former angel, Lucifer, who went up against YHWH and lost; whose end IS COMING (see Isaiah 14:3-20, 2 Peter 1:19 and Revelation 12 and 20). His only goal, in the little time he has left, is to take as many to Sheol with him, as he possibly can. (And judging from the looks of things, he WILL be taking most of humanity....)

The only GOOD news in this, is that YHWH's grace and mercy allowed us a way to reconcile with Him through His Divine Messiah whose precious shed blood atoned for our past sins, thus allowing us a "second chance" to "get right with ELOHIM" by choosing to live a holy/set apart life designed to prepare us for Eternity. I highly urge you to choose THAT life, instead of the alternative, which is eternal separation from YHWH/Yeshua (2 Thess 1:9).

Those who know the Bible, KNOW that YHWH is allowing all these "bad" things to happen, because He knew from the very beginning that humans - to whom He gave FREE WILL - were going to stray. And so now, we're experiencing the beginning of the end. HOW you react to it, and what you choose to do, reveals WHOM you serve, and how you really feel about ADONAI....

Deuteronomy 30:5 “Look! I am presenting you today with, on the one hand, life and good; and on the other, death and evil — 16 in that I am ordering you today to love Adonai your God, to follow his ways, and to obey his mitzvot, regulations and rulings; for if you do, you will live and increase your numbers; and Adonai your God will bless you in the land you are entering in order to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, if you refuse to listen, if you are drawn away to prostrate yourselves before other gods and serve them; 18 I am announcing to you today that you will certainly perish; you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Yarden to enter and possess.

19 “I call on heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have presented you with life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life, so that you will live, you and your descendants, 20 loving Adonai your God, paying attention to what he says and clinging to him — for that is the purpose of your life!.... (CJB)