THE GREAT COMMISSION

Matthew 28:16-20: Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him, they paid homage to him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them {in my name} in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We have translated the text, according to the Greek manuscripts, to include “the Father, and the Son, and the holy spirit.” However, this rendering is a very early interpolation, and the original reading was “in my name,” although it must be admitted there is no Greek text which shows this to be the case.

Nevertheless, the following points are worth consideration:

1). It is strange that there is not a single occurrence of the disciples baptizing anyone according to this formula. All the records in the New Testament show that people were baptized in the name of the lord Jesus. In other words, the “name of Jesus the Messiah,” i.e., all that he represents, is the element, or substance, into which people were figuratively “baptized.” “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins.'" (Acts 2:38). “They had simply been baptized into the name of the lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16). “So, he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah” (Acts 10:48). “On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5).

We cannot imagine any reason for the Apostles and others in Acts to disobey the command of the risen lord Messiah Jesus. To us, it seems clear that the lord Messiah Jesus said to baptize people in his name, which was what the early church [called-out assembly] did. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible states (in its entry on “Baptism,” Vol.1, p.465):

It appears from Biblical records that the earliest followers of the lord Messiah Jesus baptized with the formula ‘in the name of Jesus the Messiah’ (Acts 2: 38). The Trinitarian formula ascribed to Jesus in his final commission (Matthew 28:19) is generally regarded to have been shaped at a later date through the liturgical usage of the community of Christians.

2). Eusebius (c. 260--c. 340) was the Bishop of Caesarea and is known as “the Father of Church History.” Although he wrote prolifically, his most celebrated work is his Ecclesiastical History, a history of the Church from the Apostolic period until his own time. Today it is still the principal work on the history of the church at that time.

Eusebius quotes many verses in his writings, and Matthew 28:19 is one of them. He never quotes it as it appears today in modern Bibles but always finishes the verse with the words “in my name.”

For example, in Book 3 of his History, Chapter 5, Section 2, which is about the Jewish persecution of early followers of the lord Messiah Jesus, we read, “But the rest of the apostles, who had been incessantly plotted against with a view to their destruction, and had been driven out of the land of Judea, went unto all nations to preach the Gospel, relying upon the power of the Messiah, who had said to them, ‘Go you and make disciples of all the nations in my name.’”

Again, in his Oration in Praise of Emperor Constantine, Chapter 16, Section 8, we read:

It seems very clear that “in my name” was changed to “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” in Matthew 28:19 (M. Graeser, J. Lynn, J. Schoenheit, One God & One Lord (Christian Educational Services, Indianapolis, IN, 1999) p. 448).

Eusebius was present at the council of Nicaea and involved in the debates about Arian teaching and whether Christ was God or a creation of God. We feel confident that if the manuscripts he had in front of him read “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” he would never have quoted it as “in my name.” Thus, we believe that the earliest manuscripts read “in my name,” and that the phrase was enlarged to reflect the orthodox position as Trinitarian influence spread.

3). We need to be clear that there is no “proof” of the Trinity in this verse. If the Father, Son, and holy spirit are mentioned in the original text of this verse, it would only affirm that those three exist, something we do not contest. The doctrine of the Trinity states that the Father, Son, and “Holy Spirit” together make “one God.” This verse refers to three, but never says they are “one.” The three things this verse refers to are: God the Father, the lord Jesus, and the power of the holy spirit. (We say “holy spirit” instead of “Holy Spirit” because we believe that this verse is referring to God’s gift of holy spirit that is born inside each believer. It is lowercase because it refers to the gift of God and not God. For more on this, see Graeser, Lynn, Schoenheit, The Gift of Holy Spirit: The Power to be like Christ.

4). It is sometimes stated that to be baptized into something, something has to be God, but that reasoning is false because Scripture states that the Israelites were “baptized into Moses” (1 Corinthians 10 2).

5). “name” A study of the culture and language shows that the word “name” stands for “authority.”

Examples are very numerous, but space allows only a small selection. Deuteronomy 18:5 and 7 speak of serving in the “name” (authority) of the Lord - Yehovah. Deuteronomy 18:22 speaks of prophesying in the “name” (authority) of the Lord - Yehovah. In 1 Samuel 17:45, David attacked Goliath in the “name” (authority) of the Lord - Yehovah, and he blessed the people in the “name” (authority) of the Lord - Yehovah. In 2 Kings 2: 24, Elisha cursed troublemakers in the “name” (authority) of the Lord - Yehovah. These scriptures are only a small sample, but they are very clear.

6). In reading the book of Matthew, we note that there is no presentation of the doctrine of the Trinity. Some prominent Trinitarians doubt that the apostles were even introduced to the doctrine until they received the holy spirit. It would be strange for the lord Messiah Jesus to introduce the doctrine of baptism with the formula of the name of the Father, Son, and holy spirit without some presentation to the apostles as to why that should be.

For more information on why this verse does not support a Trinitarian position, see Graeser, Lynn, Schoenheit, One God and One Lord, Appendix A, note on Matthew 28:19.

I have baptized “in the name of Jesus the Messiah”, as the disciples of the lord Messiah Jesus did.

GOD’S – YEHOVAH’S EMPOWERING PRESENCE

A true story about a man named Ira Yates, who owned a sheep ranch in Texas during the 1930s. During this decade, the United States and much of the world were going through a great financial depression. Even though Mr. Yates owned a sheep ranch, he found it very difficult to make a living. With little money for food and clothing for his family, like a lot of other people at the time, Yates and his family survived on a government subsidy.

Day after day as Yates grazed his sheep, he worried about how to pay his bills and care for his family. But then one day, a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and convinced Yates that there might be oil on his land. They asked for permission to do a test drill and Ira Yates agreed. As they began to drill, at 1,115 feet they hit a huge oil reserve. That first well came in at over 80,000 barrels a day! Translated into today’s market value, that’s about three million dollars a day from that single well. That was only the beginning! More wells were found, and some were more than twice as productive as the first one.

To top it all off, after the oil had been pumped for more than forty years, a government test of just one of the wells showed it still had the potential to put out 125,000 barrels a day, and the once poor sheep rancher, Ira Yates, owned it all. Once Yates worried how to pay for food and clothing, all the while he was sitting on a treasure he never knew was there.

Now, this story is an apt illustration of how many followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are sitting on a spiritual treasure infinitely richer than a thousand oil fields. That treasure is the gift of God’s - Yehovah’s Spirit. This gift dwells deep within the heart and soul of every child of God - Yehovah. Too many followers of the lord Messiah Jesus live frustrated and fruitless lives, simply because they do not know the vast power and resources that belong to them in the gift of God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit. Psalm 62:11 boldly declares: God - Yehovah has spoken once; twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God - Yehovah (Psalm 62:11).

The dictionary tells us that power is the ability or capacity to perform effectively to gain specific results. Psalm 62 tells us that God - Yehovah has all the power and resources necessary to carry out His will to gain specific results. Power belongs to God - Yehovah! In light of this truth, it is amazing to read what the lord Messiah Jesus said to his disciples shortly before his ascension into heaven.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

The lord Messiah Jesus promised his disciples that they would receive power, godly, divine power, through the holy Spirit. And this promise was not just for that select group of people. This promise is for everyone who believes in the lord Messiah Jesus. This is what the apostle Peter proclaimed at the feast of Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection of Christ.

Then Peter said to them: “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God - Yehovah will call. (Acts 2:38, 39)

Has the Lord God - Yehovah Almighty called you? Do you believe in the lord Messiah Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Then the promised gift of God’s – Yehovah’s holy Spirit is yours, and so are all the rich resources of God - Yehovah that are in this gift!

The Bible tells us that those who are led by the Spirit, are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). We are told that we are regenerated or born from above by the Spirit of God - Yehovah and made heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7). The Word of God - Yehovah tells us that every follower of the lord Messiah Jesus can manifest the Spirit for the common good of the whole church (1 Corinthians 12: 7). We are also told that this promised holy Spirit seals us for the day of redemption. It is the guarantee of our future inheritance of glory (Ephesians 1:13). And it is the Spirit that provides us with godly strength in our inner man (Ephesians 3:16).

Within every follower of the lord Messiah Jesus, there is a power that will enable us to make a grand moral transformation (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18). Deep within every believer, there is a rich resource from which we can produce the godly qualities of love joy and peace (Galatians 5:22, 23). And deep within every child of God - Yehovah, there is in the gift of God’s Spirit, a unique blending of spiritual abilities making us all capable ministers of the gospel and effective witnesses for the lord Messiah Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:4- 11). If we are ever going to live lives of godly power and wisdom, we need to have a solid biblical understanding of the gift of the holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, there is almost no aspect of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus' life that is so misunderstood! The truth about the holy Spirit has been muddied by misleading Bible translations, faulty interpretations, and by man-made religious traditions. In addition, the evidence and power of the Spirit in the lives of many believers has been stunted by emotional fears, and by extremely bizarre ungodly activities wrongly attributed to God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit. In this writing, my goal is to give you as much clear truth concerning the Spirit as I can. My purpose is not to fill your head with theological knowledge but to set your heart on fire, and give you the confidence needed to experience this gift in your life. For as we experience the Spirit of God – Yehoah and of His Son Jesus, we can appropriate the salvation gained by the lord Messiah Jesus into our lives.

What is the holy Spirit?

The holy Spirit is the life force and power of God - Yehovah in action. In the book of Genesis, we have the first occurrence of the word “Spirit” and this will give us an indication of its usage and meaning. In Genesis, we read:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Genesis 1:1-3).

In verse 2, we read that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” In other words, God’s Spirit was in action, moving intensely, and with purpose over the cosmos. God was about to begin the great work of bringing life order and form to His creation. The Hebrew word for “Spirit” in the Old Testament is the word ‘ruach’. In the New Testament Greek, it is ‘pneuma’. The root idea running through both of these words is the idea of an invisible but highly effective force. It is a power of force that can be exerted in varying forms and manifested in many ways. We get our English word “pneumatics” from the Greek word pneuma. Pneumatics has to do with operating something mechanically by the force and power of air. Air is invisible, but it can be a force with incredible power! The manager of a granite quarry in North Carolina was quoted as saying, “We supplied all the granite for the municipal building in New York City. We can lift an acre of solid granite, 10 feet thick, to almost any height we desire for the purpose of moving it… We can do it as easily as I can lift this piece of paper.

How did they do it? Pneumatically, with air! If you contain air in hoses and put enough pressure behind it, it will drive a hammer through concrete, stop a train pulling over one hundred cars, or move an acre of solid granite, 10 feet thick, anywhere you want! In Genesis 1:2 the Spirit of God - Yehovah moved over the cosmos, and when God - Yehovah said, “Let there be light”, there was light. That’s powerful!

The Spirit of God - Yehovah is the very essence of God - Yehovah. It is His very life, His character and power. It is His life force in manifestation and action. Thus, from the first use of Spirit the testimony of the Scriptures is that it is God’s invisible, divine power manifesting itself. In Genesis it brought order and life to creation. Let’s look at two other similar sections of Scripture, one from Job and the other from the book of Psalms.

By His Spirit, He adorned the heavens… (Job 26:3)

By the word of YEHOVAH the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. (Psalm 33:6)

The word “breath” in Psalm 33, and the word “Spirit” in Job 26, are both translated from the Hebrew word ‘ruach’. By the Spirit of God - Yehovah, by His invisible divine power, all the galaxies in the universe were set in their place! And what God - Yehovah has done in the universe, He desires to do by His Spirit for every man and woman today. God - Yehovah, by His mighty Spirit desires to bring order and life and fruitfulness to our lives.

The Spirit of God - Yehovah is the very life force of God - Yehovah. It is all that He is. And though we cannot see this Spirit, we can see its power and influence. We can see its manifestation. For example, in Genesis, we read that the Spirit of God - Yehovah made Joseph wise to discern Pharaoh’s dream.

And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God - Yehovah?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God - Yehovah has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. (Genesis 41:38, 39).

In Exodus 31, God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit gave a craftsman by the name of Bezaleel great artistic skills for the building of the Tabernacle.

Then Yehovah spoke to Moses saying: “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And filled him with the Spirit of God - Yehovah, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” (Exodus 31:1-3)

In the book of Judges, God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit gave the leaders of God’s people power and strength, and wisdom.

When the children of Israel cried out to Yehovah, Yehovah raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel …the Spirit of Yehovah came upon him, and he judged Israel. (Judges 3:9, 10)

And the Spirit of Yehovah came mightily upon him [Samson], and he tore the lion apart… (Judges 14:6)

God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit also inspired His prophets to speak for Him.

But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of Yehovah, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgressions and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8)

These are just a few examples of how God’s – Yehovah’s holy Spirit was understood and how it was manifested in the Old Testament. But it is when we come to the New Testament, that we gain a clearer understanding of what the holy Spirit is. Let’s begin in Luke with a record concerning the conception of Jesus Christ.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God - Yehovah. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus - Yeshua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest, and Yehovah God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom, there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel: “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born, will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-35)

In this account, the angel tells Mary that she will bear the Son of God - Yehovah. And then he tells her the means of conception: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.” We have here a vital piece of information about the nature of the holy Spirit. The two terms “Holy Spirit” and “power of the Highest” do not refer to two different things, but to one and the same thing: God’s – Yehovah’s power in action. The phrase “power of the Highest” defines the term “Holy Spirit. Simply stated, the lord Messiah Jesus was conceived by the power of God - Yehovah and, as the Gospels show, all that he did in his ministry he also did by the power of God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit (Acts 10:38).

The truth is that in the gift of the holy Spirit, believers have power from on high. In the gift of the Spirit, God’s – Yehovah’s empowering presence is in us giving us vast resources to live all of life with godliness and spiritual victory. The holy Spirit is not simply a nice little sidelight to the followers of the lord Messiah faith. It is at the heart and soul of what it means to be born from above. This gift is what marks us off as God’s – Yehovah’s special people, distinct from the rest of humanity (Romans 8:8, 9, 15, 16).

It is through the Spirit of God - Yehovah that the love of God - Yehovah floods our hearts (Romans 5:5). The Spirit of God - Yehovah gives us new abilities (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and a new sense of security as to our salvation (Ephesians 1:13, 14). The gift of the Spirit is our “Helper” enabling us to be all that God - Yehovah has called us to be and to do all that he has called us to do. The holy Spirit is God – Yehovah indwelling in His people, in fulfillment of His promise:

“And I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (1 Corinthians 6:16 quoted from Leviticus 26:12; Ezekiel 37:27)

Written by Chuck LaMattina and edited and added on to by Bruce Lyon

GOD’S – YEHOVAH’S EMPOWERING PRESENCE

 There is a true story told about a man named Ira Yates, who owned a sheep ranch in Texas during the 1930s. It was during this decade that the United States and much of the world, was going through a great financial depression. Even though Mr. Yates owned a sheep ranch, he found it very difficult to make a living. With little money for food and clothing for his family, like a lot of other people at the time, Yates and his family survived on a government subsidy.

Day after day as Yates grazed his sheep, he worried about how to pay his bills and care for his family. But then one day, a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and convinced Yates that there might be oil on his land. They asked for permission to do a test drill and Ira Yates agreed. As they began to drill, at 1,115 feet they hit a huge oil reserve. That first well came in at over 80,000 barrels a day! Translated into today’s market value, that’s about three million dollars a day from that single well. That was only the beginning! More wells were found, and some were more than twice as productive as the first one.

To top it all off, after the oil had been pumped for more than forty years, a government test of just one of the wells showed it still had the potential to put out 125,000 barrels a day, and the once poor sheep rancher, Ira Yates, owned it all. Once Yates worried about how to pay for food and clothing, all the while he was sitting on a treasure he never knew was there.

Now, this story is an apt illustration of how many followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are sitting on a spiritual treasure infinitely richer than a thousand oil fields. That treasure is the gift of God’s - Yehovah’s Spirit. This gift dwells deep within the heart and soul of every child of God - Yehovah. Too many followers of the lord Messiah Jesus live frustrated and fruitless lives, simply because they do not know the vast power and resources that belong to them in the gift of God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit. Psalm 62:11 boldly declares: God - Yehovah has spoken once; twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God - Yehovah (Psalm 62:11).

The dictionary tells us that power is the ability or capacity to perform effectively to gain specific results. Psalm 62 tells us that God - Yehovah has all the power and resources necessary to carry out His will to gain specific results. Power belongs to God - Yehovah! In light of this truth, it is amazing to read what the lord Messiah Jesus said to his disciples shortly before his ascension into heaven.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

The lord Messiah Jesus promised his disciples that they would receive power, godly, divine power, through the holy Spirit. And this promise was not just for that select group of people. This promise is for everyone who believes in the lord Messiah Jesus. This is what the apostle Peter proclaimed at the feast of Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection of Christ.

Then Peter said to them: “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God - Yehovah will call. (Acts 2:38, 39)

Has the Lord God - Yehovah Almighty called you? Do you believe in the lord Messiah Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Then the promised gift of God’s – Yehovah’s holy Spirit is yours, and so are all the rich resources of God - Yehovah that are in this gift!

The Bible tells us that those who are led by the Spirit, are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). We are told that we are regenerated or born from above by the Spirit of God - Yehovah and made heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7). The Word of God - Yehovah tells us that every follower of the lord Messiah Jesus can manifest the Spirit for the common good of the whole church (1 Corinthians 12: 7). We are also told that this promised holy Spirit seals us for the day of redemption. It is the guarantee of our future inheritance of glory (Ephesians 1:13). And it is the Spirit that provides us with godly strength in our inner man (Ephesians 3:16).

Within every follower of the lord Messiah Jesus, there is a power that will enable us to make a grand moral transformation (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18). Deep within every believer, there is a rich resource from which we can produce the godly qualities of love joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22, 23). And deep within every child of God - Yehovah, there is in the gift of God’s Spirit, a unique blending of spiritual abilities making us all capable ministers of the gospel and effective witnesses for the lord Messiah Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:4- 11). If we are ever going to live lives of godly power and wisdom, we need to have a solid biblical understanding of the gift of the holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, there is almost no aspect of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus' life that is so misunderstood! The truth about the holy Spirit has been muddied by misleading Bible translations, faulty interpretations, and man-made religious traditions. In addition, the evidence and power of the Spirit in the lives of many believers has been stunted by emotional fears, and by extremely bizarre ungodly activities wrongly attributed to God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit. In this writing, my goal is to give you as much clear truth concerning the Spirit as I can. My purpose is not to simply fill your head with theological knowledge but to set your heart on fire, and give you the confidence needed to experience this gift in your life. For as we experience the Spirit, we can appropriate the salvation gained by the lord Messiah Jesus into our lives.

What is the holy Spirit?

The holy Spirit is the very life force and power of God - Yehovah in action. In the book of Genesis, we have the first occurrence of the word “Spirit” and this will give us an indication of its usage and meaning. In Genesis, we read:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Genesis 1:1-3).

In verse 2, we read that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” In other words, God’s Spirit was in action, moving intensely, and with purpose over the cosmos. God was about to begin the great work of bringing life order and form to His creation. The Hebrew word for “Spirit” in the Old Testament is the word ‘ruach’. In the New Testament Greek, it is ‘pneuma’. The root idea running through both of these words is the idea of an invisible but highly effective force. It is a power of force that can be exerted in varying forms and manifested in many ways. We get our English word “pneumatics” from the Greek word pneuma. Pneumatics has to do with operating something mechanically by the force and power of air. Air is invisible, but it can be a force with incredible power! The manager of a granite quarry in North Carolina was quoted as saying, “We supplied all the granite for the municipal building in New York City. We can lift an acre of solid granite, 10 feet thick, to almost any height we desire for the purpose of moving it… We can do it as easily as I can lift this piece of paper.

How did they do it? Pneumatically, with air! If you contain air in hoses and put enough pressure behind it, it will drive a hammer through concrete, stop a train pulling over one hundred cars, or move an acre of solid granite, 10 feet thick, anywhere you want! In Genesis 1:2 the Spirit of God - Yehovah moved over the cosmos, and when God - Yehovah said, “Let there be light”, there was light. That’s powerful!

The Spirit of God - Yehovah is the very essence of God - Yehovah. It is His very life, His character and power. It is His life force in manifestation and action. Thus, from the first use of Spirit, the testimony of the Scriptures is that it is God’s invisible, divine power manifesting itself. In Genesis, it brought order and life to creation. Let’s look at two other similar sections of Scripture, one from Job and the other from the book of Psalms.

By His Spirit, He adorned the heavens… (Job 26:3)

By the word of YEHOVAH the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. (Psalm 33:6)

The word “breath” in Psalm 33, and the word “Spirit” in Job 26, are both translated from the Hebrew word ‘Ruach’. By the Spirit of God - Yehovah, by His invisible divine power, all the galaxies in the universe were set in their place! And what God - Yehovah has done in the universe, He desires to do by His Spirit for every man and woman today. God - Yehovah, by His mighty Spirit desires to bring order and life and fruitfulness to our lives.

The Spirit of God - Yehovah is the very life force of God - Yehovah. It is all that He is. And though we cannot see this Spirit, we can see its power and influence. We can see its manifestation. For example, in Genesis, we read that the Spirit of God - Yehovah made Joseph wise to discern Pharaoh’s dream.

And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God - Yehovah?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God - Yehovah has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. (Genesis 41:38, 39).

In Exodus 31, God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit gave a craftsman by the name of Bezaleel great artistic skills for the building of the Tabernacle.

Then Yehovah spoke to Moses saying: “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And filled him with the Spirit of God - Yehovah, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” (Exodus 31:1-3)

In the book of Judges, God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit gave the leaders of God’s people power, strength, and wisdom.

When the children of Israel cried out to Yehovah, Yehovah raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel …the Spirit of Yehovah came upon him and he judged Israel. (Judges 3:9, 10)

And the Spirit of Yehovah came mightily upon him [Samson], and he tore the lion apart… (Judges 14:6)

God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit also inspired His prophets to speak for Him.

But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of Yehovah, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgressions and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8)

These are just a few examples of how God’s – Yehovah’s holy Spirit was understood and how it was manifested in the Old Testament. But it is when we come to the New Testament, that we gain a clearer understanding of what the holy Spirit is. Let’s begin in Luke with a record concerning the conception of Jesus Christ.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God - Yehovah. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus - Yeshua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest, and Yehovah God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom, there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel: “How can this be since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born, will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-35)

In this account the angel tells Mary that she will bear the Son of God - Yehovah. And then he tells her the means of conception: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.” We have here a vital piece of information about the nature of the holy Spirit. The two terms “Holy Spirit” and “power of the Highest” do not refer to two different things but to one and the same thing: God’s – Yehovah’s power in action. The phrase “power of the Highest” defines the term “Holy Spirit. Simply stated, the lord Messiah Jesus was conceived by the power of God - Yehovah and, as the Gospels show, all that he did in his ministry he also did by the power of God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit (Acts 10:38).

The truth is that in the gift of the holy Spirit, believers have power from on high. In the gift of the Spirit, God’s – Yehovah’s empowering presence is in us giving us vast resources to live all of life with godliness and spiritual victory. The holy Spirit is not simply a nice little sidelight to the followers of the lord Messiah faith. It is at the heart and soul of what it means to be born from above. This gift is what marks us off as God’s – Yehovah’s special people, distinct from the rest of humanity (Romans 8:8, 9, 15, 16).

It is through the Spirit of God - Yehovah that the love of God - Yehovah floods our hearts (Romans 5:5). The Spirit of God - Yehovah gives us new abilities (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and a new sense of security as to our salvation (Ephesians 1:13, 14). The gift of the Spirit is our “Helper” enabling us to be all that God - Yehovah has called us to be, and to do all that he has called us to do. The holy Spirit is God – Yehovah indwelling in His people, in fulfillment of His promise:

“And I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (1 Corinthians 6:16 quoted from Leviticus 26:12; Ezekiel 37:27)

Written by Chuck LaMattina and edited and added on to by Bruce Lyon

BOLDNESS TO ENTER GOD’S – YEHOVAH’S PRESENCE

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil …let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19–20, 22).

There are two sides to the Messiah Jesus' work at Calvary. One side is to the benefit of man, and the other side is to the benefit of God. One benefits the sinner, while the other benefits the Father - Yehovah.

We are well acquainted with the benefits on the human side. The cross - stake of the lord Messiah Jesus has provided us with forgiveness of our sins. We are given the power of victory over all bondages and dominion over sin. We are supplied with mercy and grace. And, of course, we are given the promise of eternal life. The cross has given us the means of escape from the terrors of sin. I thank God for this benefit of the cross to humankind, and for the wonderful relief it brings.

Yet there is another benefit of the cross, one that we know very little about. And this one is to the benefit of the Father - Yehovah. You see, we understand very little about the delight of the Father that was made possible by the cross. It’s a delight that comes to Him whenever he receives a prodigal child into His house.

If all we focus on about the cross is forgiveness and if that is the end-all of our preaching, then we miss an important truth that God - Yehovah has meant for us about the cross. There is a fuller understanding to be had, and it has to do with His delight. This truth provides God’s – Yehovah’s people with much more than just relief. It brings liberty, rest, peace, and joy.

Most followers of the lord Messiah Jesus have learned to come boldly before God’s – Yehovah’s throne for forgiveness, for supply of needs, for answers to prayer. But they lack boldness in this aspect of faith, an aspect that is crucial in their walk with the lord Messiah Jesus.

God’s - Yehovah delight comes in His enjoyment of our company.

Yehovah has great joy that the cross has provided us with open access to Himself. Indeed, the most glorious moment in history was when the Temple veil was rent in two, on the day that the Messiah Jesus died. At that moment, the earth trembled, the rocks rent, and graves were opened.

It was at this very moment that the benefit of God - Yehovah burst forth. In the instant that the Temple veil, separating man from God’s – Yehovah’s holy presence, was torn from top to bottom, something incredible happened. From that point on, not only was man able to enter into the Lord’s – Yehovah’s presence, but God - Yehovah could come out to man.

He who once dwelt in “thick darkness” didn’t wait for us to come to Him, but he came out to us. God himself took the initiative, and the Messiah Jesus shed blood to clear away all hindrances. It was a unilateral move on the Lord’s – Yehovah’s part, the kind when one party declares, “Enough, I’m going to make peace. I’m going to tear down this wall of partition. And I’ll do it out of my own initiative.”

Before the cross, there was no access to God - Yehovah for the general public - Israel; only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies. Now the Messiah Jesus shed blood on the stake - the cross made a path for us into the Father’s – Yehovah’s presence. By His grace alone, God tore down the wall that blocked us from his presence. Now He could come out to man, to embrace his prodigals and sinners of all sorts, through His son acting as His agent. According to the Jewish law of agency, whatever the sent agent does or says is as if the one who sent him/her did it.

We see an illustration of this when God - Yehovah delivered Israel through the Red Sea.

Consider Israel’s miraculous deliverance. As God’s – Yehovah’s people crossed over on dry land, they saw the waves crash down on their enemy the Egyptian army behind them. It was a glorious moment, and they held a mighty praise meeting, with dancing, singing, and thanksgiving: “We’re free! God - Yehovah has delivered us from the hand of oppression.”

Israel’s story represents our own deliverance from the bondage and guilt of sin. We know that Satan was defeated at the stake - cross, and we were immediately set free from his iron grip. Yet there is more to God’s – Yehovah’s purpose in saving and delivering us. You see, God - Yehovah never meant for Israel to camp there on the victory side of the Red Sea. His greater purpose in bringing them out of Egypt was to take them into Canaan, his land of fullness. In short, he brought them out to bring them in, into His heart, into His love. He wanted people who were totally dependent on his mercy, grace, and love. And the same is still true for His people today.

Israel’s first test came just a few days later, and they ended up murmuring and complaining, totally dissatisfied. Why? They had known God’s – Yehovah’s deliverance, but they hadn’t learned His great love for them.

Here is the key to my message: you cannot come into joy and peace; indeed, you cannot know how to serve the Lord – Yehovah, until you see His delight in your deliverance …until you see the joy of His heart over His communion with you …until you see that every wall has been removed at the cross – stake …until you know that everything of your past has been judged and wiped away. God - Yehovah says, “I want you to move on, into the fullness that awaits you in my presence!”

Multitudes today rejoice in the wonderful benefits of the cross-stake. They have moved out of Egypt, and they’re standing on the “victory side” of their Red Sea trial. They enjoy freedom, and they thank God - Yehovah continually for casting their oppressor into the sea. But many of these same believers miss God’s greater purpose and benefit to them. They miss why the Lord - Yehovah has brought them out, which is to bring them into Himself.

The parable of the prodigal son illustrates the double benefits of the cross.

Jesus told this parable, using it as a teaching tool to get across a great truth. In the parable, we see the benefit to man clearly, and yet we also see the benefit to God - Yehovah. You see, the parable of the prodigal son is not only about the forgiveness of a lost man. Even more so, it is about the delight of the father who runs towards him.

You know the story. A young man took his portion of his father’s inheritance and squandered it on riotous living. He ended up broken, ruined in health and spirit, and at his lowest point he decided to return to his father. Scripture tells us, “He arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

Note that nothing hindered this father’s forgiveness of the young man. There was nothing this boy had to do, not even to confess his sins because the father had already made provision for reconciliation. Indeed, it happened all by the father’s initiative: he ran to his son and embraced him as soon as he saw the boy coming up the road. The truth is forgiveness is never a problem for any loving father. Likewise, it’s never a problem with our heavenly Father when he sees a repentant child.

So, forgiveness simply is not the issue in this parable. In fact, the lord Messiah Jesus makes it clear that it wasn’t enough for this prodigal merely to be forgiven. The father didn’t embrace his son just to forgive him and let him go his way. No, that father yearned for more than just his son’s restoration. He wanted his child’s company, his presence, communion.

Even though the prodigal was forgiven and in favor once more, he still wasn’t settled in his father’s house. Only then would the father be satisfied, his joy fulfilled when his son was brought into his company. That is the issue in this parable.

Here the story gets very interesting. The son clearly was not at ease with his father’s forgiveness. That’s why he hesitated to enter his father’s house. He told him, in essence, “If you only knew what I’ve done, all the filthy, ungodly things. I’ve sinned against God - Yehovah and against your love and grace. I just don’t deserve your love. You have every right to cut me off.”

That was the prodigal’s old nature talking. It was saying, “I can’t just waltz in like this. My father hugs and kisses me, yet he doesn’t ask questions? He just accepts me with open arms. That can’t be right. I need a payment schedule. I may owe more than I can pay, but I’ve got to try.”

Dear saint, what about you? Do you object to your Father’s – Yehovah’s urgings to have you come into His presence? You may know that your sins are forgiven, yet are you willing to let Him enjoy your company? Perhaps you’re like the prodigal, standing on the road, weeping and repenting, full of godly sorrow. Like him, you cry out to the Father - Yehovah, “I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, I am not worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21).

This is indeed true repentance. But such repentance is not complete if you are reluctant to enter into your Father’s – Yehovah’s house. Why the hesitation? Like the prodigal, you may still be focused on your past sins.

Yet note how this father responds to his son. He utters not a single word of reproof. There is no reference to what the prodigal did, no mention of his rebellion, his foolishness, his profligate living, his spiritual bankruptcy. In fact, the father didn’t even acknowledge his son’s attempts to stay outside, unworthy. He ignored them! Why?

In the father’s eyes, the old boy was dead. That son was out of his thoughts completely. Now, in the father’s eyes, this son who had returned home was a new man. And his past would never be brought up again. The father was saying, in essence: “As far as I’m concerned, the old you is dead. Now, walk with me as a new man. That is my estimation of you. There is no need for you to live under guilt. Don’t keep talking about your sin, your unworthiness. The sin problem is settled. Now, come boldly into my presence and partake of my mercy and grace. I delight in you!”

But the prodigal wasn’t happy in his father’s presence. He must have thought, “Shouldn’t I be severely disciplined? What can I do to make this up? I need to feel consequences, to feel your rod on my back. I have to prove I’ve changed.”

He had a mindset of condemnation, and it was put on him by Satan. Today, the same thing happens with many of God’s – Yehovah’s children. Our Father - Yehovah rejoices over us, embracing us with loving arms. Yet we think humility means telling God - Yehovah how bad we’ve been, digging up our past sins rather than trusting His expressions of love. And all the while we think guiltily, “He has to be angry with me. I’ve sinned worse than others.”

Like the prodigal, we need more than reconciliation, we need to be renewed.

The prodigal needed what Paul calls the “renewing of the mind.” I love reading these words from the parable: “But the father said, bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet …bring out the fatted calf, and kill it; let us eat and be merry” (Luke 15:22–23).

At that point, the father’s servants brought forth the best robe in the house. As they put it on the son, this represents his being clothed in the righteousness of the lord Messiah Jesus. Then the father put a ring on the boy’s finger, signifying his union with the lord Messiah Jesus. Finally, he put shoes on the boy’s feet, representing being shod with the gospel of the peace of the lord Messiah Jesus. This loving father was showing his child:

“Away with those rags of flesh, those shreds of self-effort to please me. Let me show you how I see you, what my estimation of you is. You are coming into my house and into my presence as a new, kingly, royal child. You’re coming not as a beggar, but as my son, who delights me! Now, enter in with boldness and assurance.”

The same is true for us today. We have to be renewed in our thinking about how God - Yehovah receives us into His presence. I return to the verse at the opening of this message: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness - confidence to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil …let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19–20, 22).

The word for “boldness” here is derived from a root meaning “an emancipated slave.” It means no longer being under the law of sin and death, but under the rule of grace. In short, it is by the love of the Father - Yehovah by his mercy alone that we are qualified to go into His presence. And here is the qualification: “Giving thanks unto the Father - Yehovah, who has made us meet [qualified] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints – holy ones in light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:12–13).

We simply cannot qualify ourselves to be fit for God’s – Yehovah’s indwelling presence. We can pray and read the Bible till we faint; we can promise God - Yehovah that we’ll do better. But no works of flesh will ever qualify us for His indwelling presence. We bring absolutely nothing to God - Yehovah that is worthy of His delight. It comes by His grace alone.

The son is now reconciled, renewed and qualified.

Now the feast was being prepared to celebrate the prodigal’s return to his father’s house. And the father announced, “We must go into the house and make merry.” Beloved, the same applies to us today: we must go into the Father’s – Yehovah’s presence, without guilt and condemnation, and be joyful!

The father’s statement here reveals his sheer delight that his child was “at home” once more, in a house of love, peace, and joy. The father states, in essence, “It was necessary to me that my child came into my home, my presence, my place. That is my delight.”

Now picture the son entering the threshold of that house. What is his posture as he goes in? He cannot please his father if he sits in a corner dejected, replaying his sins and regretting all the wasted years. He can’t sit in the presence of such amazing grace and still be ruled by fears of condemnation, of exposure, of being judged if he slips up and sins again. Such an attitude would wound his father’s heart.

Scripture tells us what happened next: “Let us be merry …and they began to be merry” (Luke 15:23–24). I tell you, unrestrained joy broke out in that house, with singing, dancing and celebrating. And it was all because the delight of the Father was there. That boy was able to march right in without guilt or condemnation because he knew the father was at peace with him.

I ask you: what can make me rejoice and be glad in the Father’s Yehovah presence? What can set my heart free in His fellowship? What can free me to be merry with my Father? It is not just the knowledge that I am safe …not just that the cross - stake has given me access to the Father – Yehovah …not just that there is relief for my soul. Rather, it is to see, by faith, the Lord’s – Yehovah’s delight in me! It is to behold His rejoicing over me, to see that He is pleased with me. It is to know that, in His eyes, there is no stain of sin on me, and that He sees me as worthy and a delight to Him.

Beloved, this is the real issue at the heart of this parable. It has less to do with the coming home of the son, and more so with the delight of the Father! That dad was fully focused on the company of his child, his fellowship, and his oneness with him. And so, it is with us: our presence in the Father’s – Yehovah’s house is His joy and delight. I remind you of the Father’s – Yehovah’s words at Jesus’ baptism: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I delight, in whom I have great pleasure.” Just as God - Yehovah delights in His Son, He delights in you because you are in His Son as a new creation!

I often wonder why so many believers today including those in ministry are so downcast and discouraged. Why do so many lack true joy and rest? I’m convinced that for many it is because they have a hard time seeing themselves as God - Yehovah sees them. Lasting peace and joy come only when we believe, deep down, we are who God - Yehovah says we are. And His Word says, “For you are dead, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God - Yehovah” (Colossians 3:3).

Imagine how tragic it would have been, how demeaning to the father’s love  if the prodigal had entered his father’s house joyfully, only to be overcome with old fears: “This is too good to be true. What if my dad changes his mind? What if I fall tomorrow?” No! He had to resist those thoughts. And he had to place his eyes instead on the visible delight his father had in him at that very moment.

I know a pastor who recently took a fall back into an old drug addiction from his past. This man was immediately surrounded by a group of “Job’s comforters,” ministers, and elders who insisted that he relive the details of his sin so that they might “restore” him. I tell you, that kind of thing never accomplishes God’s – Yehovah’s work of restoration. Guilt, condemnation, works of flesh, none of these things can ever bring anybody back to the Father’s – Yehovah’s love.

The fact is this pastor has already repented. He had cried in anguish, “I have sinned against God - Yehovah, against my family, against my congregation.” There have been consequences already. Right now, what this man needs to know is that the Father - Yehovah is right there to embrace him, to kiss him, welcome him home, and say, “I delight in you. You have come to the victory of the cross - stake. You are my beloved son, and you are learning the lord Messiah Jesus.”

None of this will make any sense to us until we surrender our lives to the power of God’s Word.

As followers of the lord Messiah Jesus, we are to take God - Yehovah at His Word and accept as true what He says we are. This means our “old man” represents a man who still seeks to please God in the flesh. Such a man hates sin, he doesn’t want to offend God - Yehovah, and yet his conscience continually brings him under guilt. So, he pledges to overcome his sin problem: “I’m going to change! I’ll start today to fight my besetting sin, no matter what the cost. I want God - Yehovah to see how hard I’m trying.”

Such a man brings to the Lord - Yehovah much sweat and many tears. He prays and fasts to prove to God - Yehovah that he has a good heart. He’s able to resist sin for days at a time, and so he tells himself: “If I can do this for one day, why not two? And if I can go for two days, then why not four, why not a week?” By the end of a month, he feels good about himself, convinced he’s working himself free.

But then his old sin surfaces, and down he goes, deep into despair. And that starts the cycle all over again. Such a man is on a treadmill that will never end, one he can’t get off.

May it never be! His man-in-flesh was crucified along with the lord Messiah Jesus, killed in the eyes of God - Yehovah. Indeed, Paul tells us that the old man was pronounced dead at the cross - stake. Jesus took that old man into the grave with him, where he was left for dead and forgotten. Just as the prodigal’s father ignored the “old man” in his son, the Lord - Yehovah says of our old man: “I won’t recognize or deal with such a one. There is only one man I recognize now, one with whom I’ll deal. That is my Son, Jesus, and all who are in him as new creations by faith.”

So, who is the “new man”?

The new man is the one who has given up all hope of pleasing God - Yehovah by any effort of the flesh. He has died to the old ways of flesh. And by faith, he has come to know there is only one way to please God - Yehovah, one way to delight Him: The lord Messiah Jesus must become his/her all. He/she knows that there is but One whom the Father - Yehovah recognizes: the lord Messiah Jesus and all who are in him.

This new man lives by faith alone: “The just shall live by faith.” He believes God’s – Yehovah’s Word so completely he leans on nothing else. He has found his source of everything in the lord Messiah Jesus, who is all-sufficient. And he believes what God - Yehovah says of him: “Your old man is dead, and your life is hidden with the lord Messiah Jesus in God - Yehovah.” He may not feel it, or comprehend it fully, but he won’t argue with His loving Father’s – Yehovah’s Word. He accepts it on faith, believing the Lord - Yehovah is faithful to His Word, just as Abraham believed God – Yehovah and acted on His word.

Now the Father - Yehovah is in full delight! And He declares, “This is my beloved Son in whom I delight. You are his body, and he is your headship. So, I delight in you also. All that I have given my Son, I give to you. His fullness is yours.”

This is a picture of having boldness - confidence to enter His presence!

Written by David Wilkerson and edited and added on to by Bruce Lyon

 THE ONLY HOPE IN THE COMING STORM!

God promised the prophet Zechariah that he would be a protective wall of fire around his people in the last days: "For I, say Yehovah, will be unto her a wall of fire round about..." (Zechariah 2:5).

Likewise, Isaiah testifies: "For you has been a... shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall" (Isaiah 25:4). "There shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain" (Isaiah 4:6).

These promises are meant to comfort us beforehand; all the prophets warn of a great storm coming in the final days, which will beat against God's wall of protection with ferocity!

Indeed, Jesus says this coming storm will be so frightful and overwhelming, that people's hearts will fail them as they see it developing (see Luke 21:26).

Now, if Jesus says this storm is going to be ferocious, we know it will be an awesome moment in history. Yet, the Bible assures us God - Yehovah never sends judgment on any society without first revealing to his prophets what he plans to do: "Surely Yehovah will do nothing, but He reveals His secret unto His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

This is a marvelous expression of Yehovah’s great love for His people. And if you study the biblical prophets' writings carefully, you'll see that God - Yehovah acts this way consistently. Just before an impending storm of judgment, he always commands his prophets to warn the people to return to him: "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and ...by the ministry of the prophets" (Hosea 12:10).

Moreover, God - Yehovah is faithful to speak in times of prosperity, just before the fury of his judgment strikes. While the storm clouds are still gathering, he raises up prophetic voices all over the land. And, according to scripture, whenever a sinful nation was prosperous and at peace, God - Yehovah told his prophets to warn that the good times soon would end: "...Yehovah has cried by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity..." (Zechariah 7:7).

At times God - Yehovah made his message so strong, that He instructed his spokesmen to issue cutting, searing warnings: "Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth..." (Hosea 6:5). In other words: "The word I bring will be so clear, it will smite you if your heart is open at all. It will cause you to fall on your face and repent!"

We always have to keep in mind, that God's – Yehovah’s only purpose in lovingly calling us back to Himself is to protect us in such times of storm. Yet often in the biblical record, when He gave these warnings, the people refused to listen: "He sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto Yehovah; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear" (2 Chronicles 24:19).

Almost always, God's – Yehovah’s people grew weary of these warnings. This was especially true if a prophet cried out about a coming storm over the years, but the society only continued to be prosperous and at peace. Over time, the people simply switched off the prophet's voice. They simply didn't want to hear it anymore.

We see this in the Israelites' response to the prophet Isaiah. They told him: "...Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits" (Isaiah 30:10).

Can you imagine ever falling into such a condition? These people knew Isaiah was telling the truth - that a great storm was coming- but they got tired of hearing about it! They preferred to hear "smooth things." And the Hebrew word for "smooth" here means "pleasant, unperturbed." They were telling Isaiah, in other words: "Don't preach anything to us that will upset the status quo or make us nervous!"

This very condition is creeping into the called-out Assembly of the lord Messiah Jesus today. Believers who have been devoted to the lord Messiah Jesus for years now turn on their television sets only to see more horrible reports of violence, disasters, hunger, crime, and immorality. After a while, their minds become satiated with all the bad news, and their hearts become hardened to it. To them, even the worst news reports are "just another news story."

I often wonder: Can anything move us anymore? We've already heard every type of bad news we could possibly hear. What disaster or calamity is left that could shock us?

Beloved, God - Yehovah is appalled by this kind of response among His people! We see this in the warnings of the prophet Ezekiel. At the time Ezekiel prophesied, Israel was prosperous and at peace with the surrounding nations. Yet Yehovah told Ezekiel to give the people this message: "I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountain of Israel shall be desolate ...because of all their abominations which they have committed" (Ezekiel 33:28-29).

The prophet went up and down the land, preaching God's – Yehovah’s warnings over several years. But the people grew weary of listening to him. After all, over the years not one of Ezekiel's words had come to pass. On the contrary, the nation only grew more prosperous!

Over time, Ezekiel's prophecies became a source of entertainment for the people. They began calling him names behind his back names that were probably similar to the ones I've been called over the years: "Doomsday preacher," "The man who never smiles," "Mr. Bad News." Finally, Ezekiel got fed up and said, "Yehovah, you have deceived me. Nothing you told me has come to pass. And now everyone's mocking me!"

"... (Israel is) saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what the word is that cometh forth from Yehovah. And they come unto you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth, they show much love, but their heart goes after covetousness ...they hear your words, but they do them not. And when this comes to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet has been among them" (Ezekiel 33:30-33).

Let me ask you: Have you come to the place where you have said in your heart, "I've already heard it all! I don't want to hear anymore!" If so, beware!

As It Was With All Past Societies and Church Bodies, The Churches Today are in No Mood to Receive Bad News!

The majority of churchgoers today soundly reject all prophetic warnings of a coming storm. Indeed, the American church today is the most blatant "feel-good" church in all of history. But, like Israel, we're only experiencing the calm before the storm!

While Moses spent forty days on the mountaintop, Israel indulged in a spirit of lawlessness. The people wanted to play and relax, so they abandoned all godliness. You remember the result: It ended in a drunken, naked orgy around a golden calf.

Likewise, today, Christians by the multiple thousands are casting off the yoke of the lord Messiah Jesus, tossing aside all limits and restrictions. This attitude is prevalent in many of the books and magazines you find in Christian bookstores. It's almost as if our leaders are saying, "Relax! God - Yehovah isn't hard. He's our Daddy, we're all his kids, and we're meant to have a good time. Don't let anyone disturb your fun!"

A few years ago, three pastors of large charismatic churches publicly stated they believed God - Yehovah would use rock-and-roll and rap music to bring in the next great revival. One of these ministers even declared that God - Yehovah used the Beatles to open people's hearts to the Holy Spirit. No - never! Those young men glorified sex and drugs. How could that ever be the work of the Holy Spirit?

One Christian magazine predicted that the next big movement in the church would be a "nightclub" approach - including services that feature dancing, "near-beer" alcohol, and comedians. One pastor told me this is already happening in churches throughout England and Europe. The churches can't hold the people's interest, so they turn their churches into nightclubs!

In addition, many "sinner-friendly" churches in America now serve coffee during their morning services. The people sit with their feet propped up on chairs, never standing up for worship. At one such church, a visiting gospel singer was advised not to sing anything that mentioned sin or the Messiah's blood, because it might offend the visitors. That church's leaders were trying to create a "comfort zone" for sinners!

You may find it hard to imagine the Israelites dancing naked around a golden calf. But don't for a second think the same thing could not happen in the churches today. Soon we're going to witness lewd, sensuous, blasphemous forms of religion, straight out of the pits of hell. Indeed, the Bible says a time is coming when God's people will no longer blush. And right now, the church's blush is gone because we've seen and heard so much already. yet this is just the beginning!

You may ask why are so many ministers and believers being deceived? Why is there so little discernment in God's – Yehovah’s house? Why do the most bizarre, worldly movements attract so many followers? I believe the answer lies in a prophecy from Amos:

"Behold, the days come, saith Yehovah Elohim - God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Yehovah" (Amos 8:11).

Notice, this verse doesn't say there will be a famine of preaching. The fact is, God - Yehovah would never hold back his warnings from His church because only his truth can set us free. That's why he sends His prophets, teachers and evangelists to speak truth to us.

No, Amos' prophecy is not about all the shallow, light preaching we hear today; it isn't saying there will be a shortage of truth. Rather, what the church today is experiencing is a famine of hearing! There is an unwillingness to hear the true word of God - Yehovah. Instead, people are closing their eyes and ears, hardening their hearts, and saying, "I don't want to hear anymore!"

I Believe Right Now We Are Experiencing the Calm before The Greatest Storm America and the World Has Ever Suffered!

Now we see in 2024: "America is enjoying its greatest prosperity ever. Unemployment has fallen below 5 percent, and there is very little labor strife. Profits are at an all-time high, and people's purchasing power is moving up with higher wages. At the same time, interest rates are being lowered, and home sales are increasing."

It all sounds like good news, doesn't it? Yet the Bible says whenever people are crying, "Peace and prosperity!", sudden destruction is about to fall.

Over the years, I have received letters from people saying, "You've been prophesying for years about 'gathering storm clouds' and a 'coming crash.' Yet all you have done is scare a lot of Christians who trust your word. The truth is the opposite has happened. Instead of experiencing a storm, we've seen a boom, with record-breaking prosperity. There isn't one sign on the horizon to suggest a coming crisis."

The fact is, the apostle Peter warned that many believers would react this way: "...there shall come in the last day's scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:3). In other words: "People will say, 'Where's the so-called storm? Everything is continuing today as it always has!"

Beloved, God - Yehovah has judged every past society for lesser sins than America's. Consider:

• No other nation has killed more babies than the United States has through abortion. Our soil cries out with the blood of these children! We would rather save the life of a whale than one of our own babies.
• America has the world's highest rate of illegitimate pregnancies.
• Teenage crime in this country is the highest in the free world.
• Americans now spend more money on dog food than on foreign missions.
• We have begun to glorify homosexuality and lesbianism. Our media applauds the "bravery" of gays who declare their sexual orientation, but we ought to weep over it! TV's "Ellen" was hailed as a heroine when she came out of the closet on national television. Yet at one time, Christians across the country would have been on their faces crying out to God - Yehovah for mercy over such immorality.
• Network newscasts showed images of half-naked gay women in Florida celebrating "Lesbian Pride Week." An estimated 30,000 women gathered to indulge in drunken orgies all night long for a whole week. And local officials applauded it, saying, "It's wonderful that they're all together here." But it must have been breaking God's – Yehovah’s heart! Radical homosexuals cry out to society, "In your face!" Yet what they're really saying is, "In your face, God - Yehovah!"
• America has brazenly kicked God - Yehovah out of its schools and courts. Now there's even a movement to remove His name from the Pledge of Allegiance and from all U.S. coins. People no longer want to hear even the mention of His name!
• Fifty million Americans now smoke pot, and millions more are hooked on heroin, crack, and other hard drugs.
• Our schools have become bastions of blasphemy and agnosticism. Our children have been robbed of all moral standards, and denied all access to God - Yehovah and they're reacting by becoming more violent and rebellious.

Beloved, God - Yehovah destroyed Noah's generation, as well as Sodom, all for lesser sins than ours. What arrogance to think that while these societies were judged severely, we will be spared!

Very Soon, America Is Going To Wake Up to a Sudden News Report of Calamity and the Storm Will Be Upon Us Suddenly!

The psalmist describes how God's rod of judgment will fall overnight: "In the hand of Yehovah there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he pours out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them ..all the horns of the wicked also will I cut off..." (Psalm 75:8,10).

In Revelation, this cup is called " ...the cup of his indignation..." (Revelation 14:10). In other words, it's full of God's – Yehovah’s wrath. Simply put, America's cup of iniquity is overflowing, and all of our sins are going to come under His holy wrath suddenly!

You may be saying, "Why do you have to put such a scare into people? Why shouldn't we just enjoy this prosperity while it's here? You should be glad about all the good things that are happening, especially in New York City. Walt Disney has moved in and taken over the once seedy 42nd Street. Now all the smut and porn shops are gone, and everything in Times Square is family oriented. There won't be any riots here, as you predict, with over a thousand fires burning. Relax, pastor, and enjoy it!"

No, Mickey Mouse can't stop the coming storm! The fact is, Disney has become one of the world's most corrupt media systems. Its movies are rife with homosexuality, violence, and the occult. Indeed, such businesses are the very reason God will send the storm, and it will come quickly!

I remember as a young boy hearing a sudden news report that instantly changed America's peaceful slumber. Our family was riding along on a beautiful, peaceful Sunday afternoon to a country church where my father was going to preach. We had just stopped for ice cream when a sudden news flash came over the car radio: "We interrupt this program to bring you this news report: Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor!" I still remember the look on Dad's face; he was in utter disbelief.

That night at church, everyone was baffled. "What's happening?" they wondered aloud. "How could we suddenly be bombed? In the days that followed, we had "blackouts" in which we all had to cover the windows in our homes and schools. Everyone feared a sudden bomber attack!

And, beloved, so it will be suddenly when the storm hits. It will come like a thief in the night, bringing sudden panic and disbelief. Right now, you may be thinking, "Let it come! If calamity strikes, I will deal with it then. After all, I'm in God's – Yehovah’s hands. I'll be ready so I'm not going to worry about it. Jesus will see me through."

Yet, let me ask you: Why does God - Yehovah tell His prophets to shout their warnings from the housetops? He wants to warn His people, to stir us up to seek Him! He wants to convict us of all our attempts to cast off the yoke of the lord Messiah Jesus and cozy up to the world. He wants us to keep our eyes on the lord Messiah Jesus to seek heavenly things because those are the only things that will stand in the coming storm!

Now Let Me Give You the Only Hope in the Coming Storm!

Just before his death and resurrection, Jesus stared into the face of a horrible coming storm. He saw what was just ahead: Jerusalem would be surrounded by powerful armies, the temple would be destroyed, the city would be burned to the ground, and thousands of people would die on crosses erected by the invading enemy. Their entire society was about to collapse!

Now, Jesus was the very embodiment of God's – Yehovah’s love. And yet he warned, prophesied, and wept over his society because he saw what was coming in the end times: "Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved..." (Matthew 24:21-22).

If you think about it, Jesus' day was very similar to ours: Peace, calm, and prosperity ruled. Children played in the streets. There were no signs of judgment anywhere. Yet Jesus described the leaders of his society as a generation of vipers: priests who robbed widows, scoffers, blasphemers, adulterers, child offenders, a corrupt Temple full of moneychangers, a ministry filled with wolves in sheep's clothing, false accusers, liars, cheats, hypocrites, lovers of pleasure, fornicators, corrupt children. He warned, "You're about to be surrounded by enemy armies. Now, prepare your hearts because there's a storm coming!"

When I first prepared this message, I was overwhelmed by a spirit of foreboding. All I could think of was the terrible condition of the churches and how the devil was using subtle evils to deceive God's – Yehovah’s elect. Christians seemed focused mostly on their own needs — "my needs, my problems, my past, my future — how my parents hurt me, how the church has wounded me, how my friends have failed me..." God's – Yehovah’s people were no longer weeping over a dying world!

For a while, this truly overwhelmed me. Then God’s – Yehovah’s Spirit showed me how our lord reacted in the face of the coming storm. The apostle John writes, "...as he [Jesus] is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). The simple fact is, if we have to have the lord Messiah Jesus mindset in all things our hearts will not fail us! If we don’t have the mindset of the lord Messiah Jesus in us, failure will be the result.

The Bible gives no evidence of the lord Messiah Jesus being downcast, fearful, or hopeless. He didn't panic or despair. Despite all he saw coming, the lord Messiah Jesus knew the final outcome. He knew the gates of hell wouldn't prevail against God's – Yehovah’s people!

David gives us a clear picture of the lord Messiah Jesus' attitude in the face of the coming storm. He speaks prophetically of the Messiah, saying, "...I foresaw the lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved" (Acts 2:25). The literal meaning here is, "I was always in his presence, beholding his face." David quoted the lord Messiah Jesus as saying, "Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover, also my flesh shall rest in hope" (verse 26). Here is the secret: the lord Messiah Jesus kept the Father - Yehovah always before his face!

The lord Messiah Jesus continually sought out secret places to be shut in with his Father. And it was only after being in God's – Yehovah’s presence that the Messiah Jesus came forth to minister, fully persuaded that his Father was always with him: "He's at my right hand - and nothing on this earth can move me!" The Greek word for "moved" here means "agitated or shaken, disturbed." The Messiah Jesus was saying, "None of these problems, evils or coming events can cast me down or shake my confidence. My Father - Yehovah is in complete control!"

Beloved, if we're going to face the coming storm, then we need to be prepared so nothing disturbs our spirit. And the only way to do that is to spend time in the Father's – Yehovah’s presence, before His throne. We have to be shut in with him - on our knees — until we are thoroughly persuaded, He is indwelling us by His Spirit!

God - Yehovah is clearly telling us, "Don't be moved or agitated by anything you see. Keep your eyes focused on me and you'll retain your joy!" And according to David, the Messiah Jesus testified, " ...you shall make me full of joy with your countenance" (Acts 2:28).

It's as if the Messiah Jesus is telling us, "I faced everything you're going to face in the closing days. I had the same foreboding feelings because I saw the coming storm. But I ran into the presence of my Father - Yehovah, and He lifted all my concerns! He showed me the outcome of it all. And in His presence, I found all the joy, hope, and rest I would ever need, to the very end. I have peace and joy because I've been with him!" "...my flesh shall rest in hope" (verse 26).

Written by David Wilkerson and edited and added on to by Bruce Lyon

Note: The true followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are those who enter into baptism having died to self and entered into the water and were completely immersed signifying their dying with the lord Messiah Jesus and rising up out of the water in newness of life as new creations [member of the New Humanity with Jesus as the federal head of that New Humanity] in the lord Messiah Jesus.

As new creations in the lord Messiah Jesus God – Yehovah has placed us as sons and daughters in His household. We are also slaves of the lord Messiah Jesus purchased by the blood he shed when he offered himself up to his God and Father Yehovah as a sin-offering sacrifice allowing God – Yehovah to reconcile humanity to Himself.

As Jesus was acting as an agent of his God and Father - Yehovah we are His slaves also. Now as a slave of God – Yehovah and His Son Jesus, we own nothing. Whatever we have has come from the hand of God – Yehovah and we are expected to exercise stewardship over all he has given to us.

A true follower of the lord Messiah Jesus will keep his creed found in Mark 12:28-32. They will love God – Yehovah with all their heart, mind, being, and strength and love their neighbors as themselves realizing that they cannot do this on their own but must have the enabling Spirit of God – Yehovah and the Spirit of the lord Messiah Jesus indwelling them to obey Jesus’ creed. It is only those who are totally committed to obeying the words God – Yehovah gave to the lord Messiah Jesus to give to us that will open the doors of the Kingdom – Kingship of God – Yehovah for us.

We have to hold fast to the revelation that our God and Father has given to us through His Son Jesus and his faithful disciples that will enable us to walk on the difficult narrow path that leads to entrance to the Kingdom of God – Yehovah. We know that our God and Father Yehovah will enable us by His Spirit to be totally committed to obeying His will. He never asks us to do anything that He is not willing to provide us with all the means to accomplish what he asks us to do!

Read Eric Chan’s book: Totally Committed – available through Amazon Books or Kindle Store.