You Are of God, Little Children, and Have Overcome Them, Because
He Who is in You is Greater Than He Who is in the World
Sometimes Christine and I wonder what we are really doing in this place. We moved to this Island with high expectations, with the hope of linking up with other Christians who want to see the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in this part of the World. So far however it has been one big slog, we have recently been training to Minister in healing rooms as part of the healing Ministry and yet it seems like hardly anyone one in this area is interested.
I am helping people over the internet who are getting out of the Watchtower religion and that is rewarding as well as frustrating at times. However we want to see breakout in the town we live in and see the Holy Spirit convict people and see them glorify the Lord.
Today I was doing a search for comments on 1 John 4:4 as I was answering a JW online and I found this message by Sam Sweg Ministries. This is amazing, as it this is just how we were feeling yesterday. As some of you know we have a number of 'Giants' in our lives, so this information has come at a very good time for us.
This is Sam's message:
When The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me He told me that if I would paint a picture of Him bigger in your heart, bigger than the circumstance, bigger than the cancer, bigger than the disease, bigger than the poverty, bigger than whatever is facing you, you'll always receive your miracle.
Everything we receive in the kingdom of heaven is based on you stepping out to receive. You can't be born again unless you receive Jesus Christ, isn't that true? You could sit there and say, "If it's God's will I'd be saved," but you know that wouldn't be true, because His will is for you to be saved. Two thousand years ago He went and paid the price on the cross, and He said, "It is finished. "And the truth of the matter is, it's just started right then. The old Testament was finished and the New Testament began, It never ends and it is based on better promises it gets greater everyday. We go from glory, to glory, to glory. Every time we think we see Jesus perform His Word, you find out He's has more. He's come to give you life more abundantly.
Years ago an entire town came against me because someone told a lie about me. I was in my prayer closet complaining to The Lord how bad it was. I could hear Jesus laugh, and laugh and laugh, and I was so angry. I admit it, I was angry at God. I said, "It's easy for you to laugh, you're up there and I'm down here right in the midst of this. And He laughed even louder. Well, Jesus knows what He's doing, and He finally said, "My son, I see the beginning and the end, I know what the end is going to be, and that's why I'm laughing." He said, "Because there will be a great victory in the midst of this." Then He gave me the scripture, "The Lord laughs at your enemies" (Psalm 37:12-13). You have to realize, He's laughing at your enemies because He knows what the end is. He said, "You're only in the midst of it, but if you could see what I see, you'd laugh too."
Well a week later victory came and I was laughing, and laughing and then I was reminded of what He told me a week before. Keep the picture in your heart.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
(1 John 4:4)
This message has come at a very good time for us and we have found it very encouraging.
May you all have a good Christmas and remember what this Holy-day is all about
Be blessed and may the dear Lord be with you
Pastor David & Christine
We are followers of Yeshua/Jesus Christ...who is the WAY, the TRUTH & the LIFE. Therefore we are very committed to Gods Word and preach Salvation through Jesus Christ. We are also Natural Health Practitioners and also want to share our knowledge about Alternative Health
Monday, 21 December 2009
Saturday, 10 October 2009
NEW AGE LABYRINTH TAUGHT IN CHURCHES
THE NEW AGE LABYRINTH BEING TAUGHT IN CHURCHES
A few years ago, we started to look outside the box of the Watchtower and started to be drawn to the New Age concepts of the Universal Consciousness and their version of love and peace. During that time we were introduced to Colour Therapy and peering into candles amongst many other things that purported to draw us closer to god.
Strangely enough, its was whilst reading a New Age book called ‘Nothing in this book is true, but it is exactly how it is’ that it explained the concept of the trinity and also went into the importance of having ‘christ consciousness’. It was at that moment that the Lord spoke to me and said, its ME that you are looking for, Jesus Christ your saviour.
That was the defining moment when it suddenly hit me; that it was all about the Lord Jesus Christ and him alone. So that weekend I decided to go to a Church that I had heard about that showed love and a non judgmental attitude. Within the next 2 weeks I had given my life to my lovely Lord and Saviour and soon after Chris also gave her life to the one she knew was there for her.
Two weeks ago we were rather shocked; when we went to a Church we enjoy going too for a ‘retreat day’ and the first thing we saw was a candle in the Middle of the floor and a lot of ropes twisting around it. We heard about ‘colours’ and how they have special affects on us (which we knew only too well) and then we were asked to colour a bit of paper with the names of god on it. The problem we could see right away was that none of the names were Gods name at all, as they were attributes and not his names.
Already we were not very happy about the situation, but then we were given another piece of paper that had an image of a labyrinth on it and that is when we knew we had to leave, which we did.
The ladies who presented this stuff were from the CofE Diocese and obviously were unaware of the roots of this symbol and the practice of walking though it.
So when we came home we did some research and found out about the Occult history of the labyrinth.
THIS IS WHAT WE DISCOVERED
Is it no coincidence that within the last 20 years an ancient practice that had been abandoned by the “Church” has once again been introduced within its very walls that is impacting thousands? Why now is it being welcomed with open arms with such great enthusiasm by an unsuspecting church populace? This is another of many deceptions that have risen up within the body of Christ to bring delusion upon those who do not love the truth of God's word. What affect will this ancient practice have upon the believers of our Lord Jesus Christ? Across the country and throughout the nations a practice is being revived within the church, which has been dormant for centuries.
Is it no coincidence that within the last 20 years an ancient practice that had been abandoned by the “Church” has once again been introduced within its very walls that is impacting thousands? Why now is it being welcomed with open arms with such great enthusiasm by an unsuspecting church populace? This is another of many deceptions that have risen up within the body of Christ to bring delusion upon those who do not love the truth of God's word. What affect will this ancient practice have upon the believers of our Lord Jesus Christ? Across the country and throughout the nations a practice is being revived within the church, which has been dormant for centuries.
In effect, an ancient tool has been “unearthed” or re-discovered and people have begun to experiment in the practice of walking the labyrinth. This is a practice that seems to bring a sense of spiritual well being for those participating in it but in reality it has trapped and is snaring many in darkness because of the labyrinth’s Occult origins.According to Peter Corbett, in his article ‘Pathfinders, Walking Medieval Labyrinths in a Modern World,’ “labyrinths predate Christianity by over a millennium. The most famous labyrinth from ancient times was the Cretan one, the supposed lair of the mythological Minotaur, which Theseus slew with the aid of Ariadne and her spool of thread.
Turf labyrinths still exist in England, Germany and Scandinavia, and are thought to be linked with local feminine deities and fertility rituals. The adoption of labyrinths into the Christian Church is not very well documented, but they were used traditionally as a site of pilgrimage. Early Christians took a vow to visit the Holy City of Jerusalem at some point in their lives. During the Middle Ages, as the Crusades made travel to Palestine unsafe, other means were needed to honor that sacred commitment. Labyrinths were adopted by the Roman Church to offer the congregation a way of fulfilling their sacred vows. Christians made their pilgrimages to the cathedral cities of Chartres, Rheims or Amiens, completing their physical and spiritual journeys in the cathedral labyrinths.
Even though the labyrinth is a Western concept, it shares some similarities with Asian monastic and spiritual practices. The patterns of the labyrinth are similar in design and conception to the mandalas of South Asian Buddhism, which are physical representations of the spiritual realm designed to aid in meditation. Labyrinths blend their visual symbolism with the process of walking, which is similar to the Japanese Zen practice of kinhin, literally "walking meditation," where all of the attention is focused on the process of each step, one foot in front of the other, and the breath is controlled and regulated.
Both of these techniques are used in Buddhist meditation, which combines the elements of calming and insight into the single goal of samadhi, or "awareness."”It was recently, in the early 90’s, when Jean Houston, one of the leading New Age teachers (www.jeanhouston.org), introduced the Christian world again to the use of this practice for seeking spiritual enlightenment through walking the labyrinth. Jean Houston has been able to gain access within the “church” because of her doctorate in the Philosophy of Religion even with her apparent New Age Occultic teachings.
In one of her seminars in January, 1991, Jean Houston introduced the experience to the Reverend Lauren Artress. In 1992, the Reverend Lauren Artress brought the labyrinth to Grace Cathedral in an effort to bring people back to their center and allow them to experience “Spirit” for themselves. (www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/ and www.Veriditas.net)Most of the practicing New Age occult world has known and still does, that the introduction of the labyrinth prayer walk is a victory for their cause, bringing the unsuspecting Christians into agreement with the overall plan of the Aquarian Age, where those participating in this practice could be captured or ensnared into the ways of Satan.
(‘The Labyrinth: The Occult Has Truly Gone Mainstream’ can be found at http://www.cephas-library.com/na/new_age_labyrinth.html )After researching the many websites on today’s use of the labyrinth, most agree that the labyrinth is a tool or device created to bring one into a higher spiritual realm through the use of meditation whether your are a practicing Zen Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim, a New Age Occultist, a Satanist, an atheist or even a “Christian.” My question now as it was at the beginning of this article is what is this labyrinth all about and how will it affect the believer in Christ?If someone were to hand you an Ouija Board telling you that it had been thoroughly redeemed and that other Christians were successfully using this board to bring them to a greater experience of God, would you also begin to entertain the thought of using this well known Occult method to seek God? Would you then use this Occult device, knowing full well that this is a tool or rather a gateway and portal to bring you into communication with “higher” spiritual entities (demons and familiar spirits). The labyrinth is much the same as the Ouija Board in its intent and purpose, to open one up to the influences of the demons of darkness, to supposedly gain wisdom and knowledge of the mysteries of life.
Then why even begin to experiment or experience the sacred walk of the labyrinth?In Deuteronomy 12:1-14 and again in Exodus 34:10-17, God commands us clearly not to participate in anything that has ever been used in pagan ritual for worship or for any other use, for that matter. The labyrinth has been from the very beginning a demonic temple, a Kundalini energy source, a tool of divination, a gateway and a portal to communicating with other spirits and was incorporated into the Roman Catholic experience at a time when there was little understanding of the Bible and little or no discernment. Throughout the ancient history of the labyrinth divination was used to find the proper location based on many Occultic spiritual factors. Dowsers (those who use divining rods) and geomancers (diviners) were used then (and are still used today) to locate the earth energy center point for many of these labyrinths and then the cathedrals were constructed around the labyrinth.
If one will study the use of these spiritual gateways (the same function as the Ouija Board) throughout history, very little emphasis was given to its use within the church. As the church gained a better understanding of the word of God, the practice was discontinued. (Research in Geomancy, White Paper, 1990-1994, Jeremy Harte)People are drawn to the labyrinth by the subtle seductions of the spirit world trying to convince us that anyone can get to know “God” through some kind of spiritual experience. If this were the case then we have all been duped as Christians. If I knew that I could have a “God” experience just by walking the labyrinth then all that God did through the sacrifice that Jesus gave on the cross is really unnecessary to bring us into relationship with the Father, I just have to have an “experience” and all will be well.
Many believe that the labyrinth is the beginning of a “spiritual journey” opening up relationships with the ancient masters who will in turn offer the knowledge and wisdom of the ages to all who will take the first step or “the initiation” to enlightenment. Most Christians know or should know that the ancient masters are really "familiar spirits" or seducing demons and the initiation is a bonding with the powers of hell itself. Is this really a walk to life or a deception that will lure us onto a path to death?
Carl Teichrib describes "the initiation" in his article 'Lucifer Rising: Occult Initiation,' "Within the world of the New Age and the occult, initiation is the principle key used in advancing the student of mysticism along the path of occult learning. Practically all esoteric societies employ initiation. Freemasonry, Rosicrucian orders, hermetic societies, spin-off Masonic bodies such as the Shriners, Eastern Star, and the Order of DeMolay, all use initiation as a means of bringing candidates into their organization. Once inside the group, the society uses initiation as a way of advancing members into higher degrees of "illumination." Within each of these rites, mystical concepts are passed down by means of symbol, myth, and legend woven throughout the initiation experience.
The candidate, for the most part, does not understand its significance or meaning. Only as one climbs the ladder of ritual and esoteric work does the member comprehend what the initiations really entail."Mike Oppenheimer of Let Us Reason Ministries, gives us additional insight from his article 'The Initiation': "For one to be part of the world servers in the New Age, they must first have an initiation. This does not come necessarily from joining a specific group, but by ones own spiritual experience. The common denominator for those who are enlightened is the experience of light. It does not matter how one receives it.
Whether it comes by meditation, or a spirit guide or from their Astral traveling, as long as they have experienced it."As we walk the labyrinth we are in some cases knowingly or as with most people we are unknowingly entering into a covenant agreement with the demonic being initiated just by using the labyrinth as one innocently uses an Ouija Board thinking they are just playing a game. We become joined with the powers of darkness and we put ourselves at the mercy of the spirits who will lead us to destruction.In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 and 7:1 we read:
"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?
"For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.' Therefore, 'COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,' says the Lord."AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,' says the Lord Almighty. "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
We as Christians have become like moths attracted to the flame, continually seduced to ever so slowly draw nearer and nearer until we finally are burned up in a flash. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 to “prove all things” or “examine everything carefully” and to hold onto those things which are good. We are also told in 1 John 4 “believe not every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”
Why would you even take the chance that you might be taking a walk leading to death?
This is the web site address for a new age group, promoting the labyrinth
http://www.veriditas.org/
Always be careful and always check that the things that slip into the Church do not conflict with true Bible teaching.
Blessings Pastor Dave Hall
Always be careful and always check that the things that slip into the Church do not conflict with true Bible teaching.
Blessings Pastor Dave Hall
Friday, 11 September 2009
BACK TO THE ALTAR
Thursday morning I attended the Mens breakfast in Larnaca and was asked to talk on the 8th Chapter of Joshua where the Israelites finally defeat the City of Ai and then Joshua builds an Altar to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. The verses tell us that the Altar was to be built along the same design as the one Moses had contructed previously. I noticed that the Stones were not to be cut by hand and that there had to be 12 of them.
This type of Altar was also used by Elijah on Mount Carmel to show up the Baal practising Priests of his day and to show who the TRUE God really is.
The rough stones reminded me of the condition of fallen mankind who needs the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ poured over them.
Revelation 21 talks about the Temple being laid on 12 stones and Peter mentions Living Stones as well.
This shows how we all need to get back to the Altar and the blood of Jesus Christ who cleanses us from all Sin.
So it was amazing to open my email box and recieve the following email from Revival School
THE LOST MESSAGE of CONSECRATION
-by Lee Grady.
From reading some old books I've discovered a missing spiritual
dimension. The Lord is inviting us to reclaim it.
A few months ago I went on a special diet. I put aside all newly
published books and limited my reading to a small collection of
Christian classics, mostly devotional works by Andrew Murray,
Watchman Nee, E.M. Bounds, Charles Spurgeon, A.B. Simpson
and Corrie Ten Boom. I knew God had a message for me in those
musty pages.
I had noticed a similar theme in all these books, but it took me a
while to crack the code. These writers from the 19th and 20th
centuries wrote from a spiritual depth that I rarely see in the
church today, and I wanted to know their secret. I slowly began
to figure things out while reading A.B. Simpson's book, A Larger
Christian Life, which he wrote in 1890 when the Holiness
Movement was at its zenith in the United States.
Simpson often preached about Abraham's offering of his son Isaac
on the altar at Mount Moriah, and he called Christians to the place
of self-sacrifice. Mount Moriah, Simpson wrote, "signifies the deeper
spiritual experience into which the fully consecrated person must
come. In this act of obedience, the sanctified self is laid on the
altar just as Isaac was."
I read similar comments about consecration, or full surrender, in
Watchman Nee's The Release of the Spirit, which was first
published in China in 1955. Nee taught us that the path to
spiritual fruitfulness—and to true, intimate knowledge of the
Lord —is the brokenness of the outward man. He explained that
God uses tests and trials in our lives to break our selfish nature
so that Christ's nature can flow through us.
Nee wrote: "No life manifests more beauty than the one who is
broken! Stubbornness and self-love have given way to beauty in
the one who is broken by God."
Perhaps the reason I find so much nourishment in these old words
is that I don't hear much today about the crucified life, suffering,
brokenness or surrender. We rarely talk of altars and we avoid
altar calls. We don't invite people to a deeper spiritual realm
because few even know about such a place; often even our leaders
are too busy using God to boost their egos or to amass personal
wealth.
Today's shallow, "evangelical lite" culture focuses on self, self and
more self. Christian books today are mostly about self-improvement,
not self- sacrifice. We teach people to claim their "best life now"—
and to claim it on their terms. Our message is one of self-
empowerment: God wants to make you happy, so just add a
little bit of God to your life (on your terms of course) and He will
bless you, prosper you and make all your dreams come true.
How strange that message seems when contrasted with the old
hymns Christians used to sing back in the days of holiness
revivals. This song written by Adelaide Pollard in 1907 seems
eerily foreign today:
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
The woman who penned those words was an itinerant Bible teacher
who was discouraged because she didn't have the funds to make
a missionary journey to Africa. She found great comfort when she
put all her plans and desires on the altar and freshly surrendered
to God's will for her life. The song that sprung from her anguish
blessed millions, but today it has lost its popularity because we
simply don't relate.
I believe we must reclaim the forgotten message of consecration.
It is not enough to know Christian doctrines or to paint a nice
Christian veneer on the surface of our lives. God wants our hearts.
We must embrace the cross daily. It is not enough to simply avoid
the sins that our Christian culture says are the "worst"; we must
also allow God's knife to slay the pride, the self-will, the self-
confidence and the self-glorification that our backslidden Christian
culture encourages.
I invite you to reclaim this lost message by praying a "dangerous
prayer" of consecration. Let God assume the throne of your life
while you abdicate. You can pray something like this:
"Lord, You are the potter and I am the clay. Forgive me for my
selfishness. I consecrate my life to You afresh today. I give You
permission to break me, mold me, bend me and make me
according to Your perfect will. This is all the work of Your grace.
I choose to embrace whatever circumstances You must send into
my life in order to rid me of pride and self-will. I choose to live
on Your altar. As I empty myself, I ask You to fill me with Your
Holy Spirit. Amen"
May you all have peace and be blessed
Pastor Dave & Chris
This type of Altar was also used by Elijah on Mount Carmel to show up the Baal practising Priests of his day and to show who the TRUE God really is.
The rough stones reminded me of the condition of fallen mankind who needs the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ poured over them.
Revelation 21 talks about the Temple being laid on 12 stones and Peter mentions Living Stones as well.
This shows how we all need to get back to the Altar and the blood of Jesus Christ who cleanses us from all Sin.
So it was amazing to open my email box and recieve the following email from Revival School
THE LOST MESSAGE of CONSECRATION
-by Lee Grady.
From reading some old books I've discovered a missing spiritual
dimension. The Lord is inviting us to reclaim it.
A few months ago I went on a special diet. I put aside all newly
published books and limited my reading to a small collection of
Christian classics, mostly devotional works by Andrew Murray,
Watchman Nee, E.M. Bounds, Charles Spurgeon, A.B. Simpson
and Corrie Ten Boom. I knew God had a message for me in those
musty pages.
I had noticed a similar theme in all these books, but it took me a
while to crack the code. These writers from the 19th and 20th
centuries wrote from a spiritual depth that I rarely see in the
church today, and I wanted to know their secret. I slowly began
to figure things out while reading A.B. Simpson's book, A Larger
Christian Life, which he wrote in 1890 when the Holiness
Movement was at its zenith in the United States.
Simpson often preached about Abraham's offering of his son Isaac
on the altar at Mount Moriah, and he called Christians to the place
of self-sacrifice. Mount Moriah, Simpson wrote, "signifies the deeper
spiritual experience into which the fully consecrated person must
come. In this act of obedience, the sanctified self is laid on the
altar just as Isaac was."
I read similar comments about consecration, or full surrender, in
Watchman Nee's The Release of the Spirit, which was first
published in China in 1955. Nee taught us that the path to
spiritual fruitfulness—and to true, intimate knowledge of the
Lord —is the brokenness of the outward man. He explained that
God uses tests and trials in our lives to break our selfish nature
so that Christ's nature can flow through us.
Nee wrote: "No life manifests more beauty than the one who is
broken! Stubbornness and self-love have given way to beauty in
the one who is broken by God."
Perhaps the reason I find so much nourishment in these old words
is that I don't hear much today about the crucified life, suffering,
brokenness or surrender. We rarely talk of altars and we avoid
altar calls. We don't invite people to a deeper spiritual realm
because few even know about such a place; often even our leaders
are too busy using God to boost their egos or to amass personal
wealth.
Today's shallow, "evangelical lite" culture focuses on self, self and
more self. Christian books today are mostly about self-improvement,
not self- sacrifice. We teach people to claim their "best life now"—
and to claim it on their terms. Our message is one of self-
empowerment: God wants to make you happy, so just add a
little bit of God to your life (on your terms of course) and He will
bless you, prosper you and make all your dreams come true.
How strange that message seems when contrasted with the old
hymns Christians used to sing back in the days of holiness
revivals. This song written by Adelaide Pollard in 1907 seems
eerily foreign today:
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
The woman who penned those words was an itinerant Bible teacher
who was discouraged because she didn't have the funds to make
a missionary journey to Africa. She found great comfort when she
put all her plans and desires on the altar and freshly surrendered
to God's will for her life. The song that sprung from her anguish
blessed millions, but today it has lost its popularity because we
simply don't relate.
I believe we must reclaim the forgotten message of consecration.
It is not enough to know Christian doctrines or to paint a nice
Christian veneer on the surface of our lives. God wants our hearts.
We must embrace the cross daily. It is not enough to simply avoid
the sins that our Christian culture says are the "worst"; we must
also allow God's knife to slay the pride, the self-will, the self-
confidence and the self-glorification that our backslidden Christian
culture encourages.
I invite you to reclaim this lost message by praying a "dangerous
prayer" of consecration. Let God assume the throne of your life
while you abdicate. You can pray something like this:
"Lord, You are the potter and I am the clay. Forgive me for my
selfishness. I consecrate my life to You afresh today. I give You
permission to break me, mold me, bend me and make me
according to Your perfect will. This is all the work of Your grace.
I choose to embrace whatever circumstances You must send into
my life in order to rid me of pride and self-will. I choose to live
on Your altar. As I empty myself, I ask You to fill me with Your
Holy Spirit. Amen"
May you all have peace and be blessed
Pastor Dave & Chris
Monday, 25 May 2009
MORE ON SALT COVENANTS
I always thought the account of Jael and Sisera was a ‘double cross’ and it always seemed like she tricked him to his death so that she could deliver Sisera into the hands of Barak. However when we look into the ‘Covenant of Salt’ yet again we see quite a different picture.
Here is an alternative way of looking at the account:
The verses read in Judges 4:17-22
17 However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear.” And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket. 19 Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’” 21 Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22 And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple.
Jael and her people were not Israelites, so they did not have any allegiance to that Nation, so why did she kill Sisera as she did not have to?
The answer is to do with ‘The Salt Covenant’ yet again. Sisera asked Jael to protect him, which she agreed to do. So when he asked Jael for water, she gave him MILK instead, so what is odd about that?
Milk was not what we know as milk in the Modern world, but it would be like a curd or buttermilk that would have been SALTED. So by offering him the MILK he agreed to a covenant of Salt that she would protect him. So she entered into a covenant with him and would have even lied to protect him.
So what happened to make her pierce him through the temples?
He obviously did not trust her, as he slipped into HER tent where he definitely should not have been. No one would be allowed in a Married woman’s tent without her permission and definitely NOT another man.
So he thought he would sort out his own salvation and totally ignored the salt covenant of her protection and tried to do it himself and that is what cost him his life. She could not allow him to live after he invaded her private quarters and broke the salt covenant.
The lesson for us is; how often do we try to sort things out ourselves, without totally relying on our Lord?
Every Blessing in Yeshua’s Holy Name
Pastor Dave
Here is an alternative way of looking at the account:
The verses read in Judges 4:17-22
17 However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear.” And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket. 19 Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’” 21 Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22 And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple.
Jael and her people were not Israelites, so they did not have any allegiance to that Nation, so why did she kill Sisera as she did not have to?
The answer is to do with ‘The Salt Covenant’ yet again. Sisera asked Jael to protect him, which she agreed to do. So when he asked Jael for water, she gave him MILK instead, so what is odd about that?
Milk was not what we know as milk in the Modern world, but it would be like a curd or buttermilk that would have been SALTED. So by offering him the MILK he agreed to a covenant of Salt that she would protect him. So she entered into a covenant with him and would have even lied to protect him.
So what happened to make her pierce him through the temples?
He obviously did not trust her, as he slipped into HER tent where he definitely should not have been. No one would be allowed in a Married woman’s tent without her permission and definitely NOT another man.
So he thought he would sort out his own salvation and totally ignored the salt covenant of her protection and tried to do it himself and that is what cost him his life. She could not allow him to live after he invaded her private quarters and broke the salt covenant.
The lesson for us is; how often do we try to sort things out ourselves, without totally relying on our Lord?
Every Blessing in Yeshua’s Holy Name
Pastor Dave
Thursday, 21 May 2009
GATEWAYS BEYOND - GENEVA
It was not long after we came to Cyprus that we heard about a Messianic group that had a training and worship centre up in the Mountains in a village called Moniatis.
The Centre was set up by an American Jewish family called the Rudolphs and were also joined by Brother Norman and his family.
The name Gateways beyond was chosen because Cyprus is the gateway to 3 continents and is very strategic for Israel and the Middle East in general.
We got to know Bedros Nassanian when he visited a Church in Larnaca with a lovely Jewish Brother from Israel. Bedros is married to Rebekah, who is the daughter of the Rudolph's and they have 3 young daughters.
They have had a heart for Europe and especially the French speaking Nations. So on Tuesday evening we were again in Limassol to give Bedros, Rebekah and their team a send off for their move to Geneva this coming Monday.
They have aquired a large house in the outskirts of the City and intend training young people to be missionaries for our Lord Yeshua. Both Bedros & Rebekah are very accomplished worship people and are very gifted in that area.
My boyhood friend David Morice who I have known since we were both 9 years old and was also raised a JW, lives in Basel Switzerland and is now a Born Again believer as well. So I am praying that somehow these lovely people will meet up. My friend and Brother is also a very good singer and guitarist and has been earning his living for a number of years in that area.
These people live by total faith in the provisions of the Lord Yeshua by means of Ha Kadesh. If you want to read more about them, please go to www.gatewaysbeyond.ch
Their Geneva address will be Route de l'Etraz 138, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
I still have not forgotten about the Salt Covenant that I will post later.
Love & Blessings
Pastor Dave & Chris
The Centre was set up by an American Jewish family called the Rudolphs and were also joined by Brother Norman and his family.
The name Gateways beyond was chosen because Cyprus is the gateway to 3 continents and is very strategic for Israel and the Middle East in general.
We got to know Bedros Nassanian when he visited a Church in Larnaca with a lovely Jewish Brother from Israel. Bedros is married to Rebekah, who is the daughter of the Rudolph's and they have 3 young daughters.
They have had a heart for Europe and especially the French speaking Nations. So on Tuesday evening we were again in Limassol to give Bedros, Rebekah and their team a send off for their move to Geneva this coming Monday.
They have aquired a large house in the outskirts of the City and intend training young people to be missionaries for our Lord Yeshua. Both Bedros & Rebekah are very accomplished worship people and are very gifted in that area.
My boyhood friend David Morice who I have known since we were both 9 years old and was also raised a JW, lives in Basel Switzerland and is now a Born Again believer as well. So I am praying that somehow these lovely people will meet up. My friend and Brother is also a very good singer and guitarist and has been earning his living for a number of years in that area.
These people live by total faith in the provisions of the Lord Yeshua by means of Ha Kadesh. If you want to read more about them, please go to www.gatewaysbeyond.ch
Their Geneva address will be Route de l'Etraz 138, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
I still have not forgotten about the Salt Covenant that I will post later.
Love & Blessings
Pastor Dave & Chris
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
BLESSINGS INSTEAD OF CURSINGS
Most people are totally unaware of the negative and damaging effects that cursing can cause.
James 3: 9-10 recorded that with the mouth we bless God and yet out of the same mouth we curse men, he then went on to say that salt water and fresh water cannot come out of the same spring. The Bible tells us that if we confess with our MOUTHS that Jesus is Lord and Saviour, then we will be saved. So if we curse with our Mouths, it will also be powerful in the damage it will cause.
The Jewish people bless their children every Friday and at special times of their lives they also have very important blessings bestowed upon them. Blessings have positive effects on a child and can help with the progress of that child through life.
In the beginning God created Adam and Eve and he then bestowed a blessing upon them. Much later Abraham was also given a blessing that involves everyone who has ever lived since that time. The blessing included Abrahams Sons and the offspring that would eventually proceed from them. The Lord commanded a blessing upon Abraham and made a covenant with him which included the powerful blessing over him and his decendants.
As most of us know, Abraham had Ishmael as his first Son by the Egyptian Woman Hagar and later his rightful heir Isaac by his beloved wife Sarah. However when the Lord God made the covenant with Abraham, he said that he would bless those who blessed his offspring, but would curse those who cursed them.
I got to thinking about this and the Bible is teaching that we should bless Israel and also Ishmael or the Arab peoples. Sometimes we tend to forget that the Arabs are also children of Abraham.
This subject of blessing and cursing is so powerful that it is weaved right throughout the written word of God.
Passing down judgments or cursings on people is so negative and I realise that I have been so guilty of this myself. However the Lord in his mercy refines us all the time. I am learning that it is so refreshing to bless rather than curse people.
So here goes:
I bless everyone who visits this site and may the Lord be with you. May peace reside over Gods Holy City even as the enemy plots against her.
David
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
BLESSINGS OR CURSINGS?
I was asked to give the WORD to a Church in Limassol...so I set about praying to the Lord asking him to guide me on what Word to give.
I have been doing a lot of research on Blessings and Curses in the Bible. I felt the Lord telling me to speak on that very subject. I argued in my head whether I should preach on that subject and I said to the Lord, should I take the easier route and talk about Peter or Abraham?
I woke up in the middle of Saturday night and the Lord said 'I am not interested in the Sin, just the REPENTANCE' and that hit me like a bolt. I then realised that I needed to give that Word, so I printed off some of the pages and used them as my notes on Sunday.
The whole time, I knew in my Spirit that the Word was for someone in particular. We got to the Church and was listening to the Worship and then a very Elderly brother came in, way over 90 years old and with him was a middle aged sister.
When I was talking about repenting of sins of the Fathers and not holding onto bitterness etc, I asked if this was making sense with anyone? The sister who came in with elderly Philipo started nodding her head and turned around to Christine and said this is exactly what I needed to hear.
At the end of the Word I could see it had moved quite a number, so I asked George if we could Minister to the ones who wanted Minsitry and he willingly said yes. It turned out that the sister was from Australia and had never been to that Church before and in fact had a high leadership position in her own Church back in Australia. She said that everything I spoke about applied to her and that God told her to come to that Church that morning. She had come to the Lord because Philipo had giveen her a tract over 20 years ago, when he visited Australia. She had been trying to find him for years.
We felt so humbled by this experience and it has made us realise what an awasome God we have, that he even sorts out seemingly small things like this.
Later we went to Pastor George & Loula's house and had a nice lunch and later in the afternoon, the Lord told me that George was now going to be my Spiritual Father. He is younger than me, but he is the calm waters that I need, plus he is an expert in the Biblical Greek language and helps me with a number of Greek meanings of words.
May the Lord bless you and may we all keep praying for Israel.
David
I have been doing a lot of research on Blessings and Curses in the Bible. I felt the Lord telling me to speak on that very subject. I argued in my head whether I should preach on that subject and I said to the Lord, should I take the easier route and talk about Peter or Abraham?
I woke up in the middle of Saturday night and the Lord said 'I am not interested in the Sin, just the REPENTANCE' and that hit me like a bolt. I then realised that I needed to give that Word, so I printed off some of the pages and used them as my notes on Sunday.
The whole time, I knew in my Spirit that the Word was for someone in particular. We got to the Church and was listening to the Worship and then a very Elderly brother came in, way over 90 years old and with him was a middle aged sister.
When I was talking about repenting of sins of the Fathers and not holding onto bitterness etc, I asked if this was making sense with anyone? The sister who came in with elderly Philipo started nodding her head and turned around to Christine and said this is exactly what I needed to hear.
At the end of the Word I could see it had moved quite a number, so I asked George if we could Minister to the ones who wanted Minsitry and he willingly said yes. It turned out that the sister was from Australia and had never been to that Church before and in fact had a high leadership position in her own Church back in Australia. She said that everything I spoke about applied to her and that God told her to come to that Church that morning. She had come to the Lord because Philipo had giveen her a tract over 20 years ago, when he visited Australia. She had been trying to find him for years.
We felt so humbled by this experience and it has made us realise what an awasome God we have, that he even sorts out seemingly small things like this.
Later we went to Pastor George & Loula's house and had a nice lunch and later in the afternoon, the Lord told me that George was now going to be my Spiritual Father. He is younger than me, but he is the calm waters that I need, plus he is an expert in the Biblical Greek language and helps me with a number of Greek meanings of words.
May the Lord bless you and may we all keep praying for Israel.
David
Monday, 13 April 2009
JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
MANY CLAIM THEY HAVE THE ONLY TRUTH
Many religions claim that they alone have the truth and are the only way to God. Unfortunately for 50 years we were involved in a religion that claimed these very things. The Watchtower movement are a group of people who have claimed to be the only true religion on the face of this earth since 1919.
They teach that they alone are the only appointed faithful and discreet slave class who can dispense the truth from the Holy written word of God. Because of this teaching the Society have totally broken away from any other Christian denomination.
All of its members are brainwashed into believing that the only way to salvation is through their organisation. They teach that if any one questions their teachings, they are apostates against the truth.
Any one who dares to leave the organisation is doomed to destruction and are likened to vermin. That is why many who belong to this group and others like them, are terrified of leaving them, because they will be cut off from family and friends for good.
However we managed to escape in June 2001 and 18 months later were drawn by the Holy Spirit to accept the ONLY TRUTH JESUS CHRIST our ONLY LORD and SAVIOUR.
Since that time we have studied and studied Gods word and are still studying, so that we can get closer to the Lord. We are in the process of setting up the 'Word & Spirit Bible College' with courses supplied by an Australian Bible College. We want to teach as many people Gods word as possible before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We moved from England to Cyprus in August 2007, so that we can serve the Lord over here. We have set up Living Waters Ministries Cyprus, because that is the name we felt the Lord gave us through our good friend Keith Sinclair, based in Wolverhampton, England.
God Bless Pastor David & Christine Hall
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