Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

 “The tectonic plates beneath the world financial system are shifting, and there is going to be a new financial world order that will be born of this,” said Peter Kenny, managing director at Knight Capital Group Inc., the Jersey City, New Jersey-based brokerage that handles about $1 trillion worth of stock transactions a quarter.

 `Tectonic’ Shift on Wall Street as Lehman Fails, Merrill Sold

 The move towards one world political, economic and religious system continues!

A quick post to share a couple of links.  On the way here, I re-read my previous post.  Something struck me…maybe it is obvious that our Lord prefers to be called “Jesus” right now and caused the curiosities I detect in the translation so that it would be so.   Sometimes there isn’t a conspiracy at work!  But I have my guard up just in case

I have been very busy lately and have not visited or updated blogs much at all for some time.  The last couple of evenings, I’ve stopped by a couple of blogs by folks I consider friends and brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  They do such wonderful work through their blogs, and it struck me that I should point them out real quick:

Imrah Ministries - this is a collaborative teaching ministry with studious and anointed posts that are insightful, informative, and inspirational.  I am often deeply moved by their articles.

This I Do - is a thoughtful and inspirational site authored by a brother in England, Mike.  His writing is always inspirational and supplemented by beautiful photography.  I always “just plain ol’ feel better” after visiting!  check out his CD, too!

UCB - is a site Mike refers to often.  I have stopped by it a couple of times, but just visited and as a result I plan to spend some more time there.  Passing along this link is what inspired this post…

Well just thought I’d share new link and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to highlight the work of Mike and Sidharth & the Imrah crew.

Peace!
~Michael

I continue to wonder exactly what name our Lord prefers, and what exactly the apostles used Him in direct conversation.

I continue to receive the answer as “Yeshua” … as best I can pronounce roughly indicated as yeShoo(w)ah … which is the Aramaic name that was most likely used in day-to-day conversation amongst that blessed group.  The classical Hebrew name, I believe, is essentially “Joshua.”

It would be illogical to translate the same name from the same language largely in its same era as two different names, Joshua and Jesus.  I have also been very curious about how our Lord’s name got translated into Greek and then Latin in the manner that it did…something about the translation from Hebrew and Aramaic to Greek and Latin has not added up for me once I began paying attention and researching His name.

I am also curious about how the Hebrew word for Messiah got translated to Christ.  I still have research to do there, so I’ll leave that as a topic for another day.  But today, I ran across this article:

Wikipedia article: Yeshua (name)

I found the article well written and wanted to pass it along real quick.  This also makes me think of the Hebrew for Christians site article (it has nice sound files!)  I’ve referenced before on the topic that can be found under the “Yeshua” category here, I believe.  But for now, I will leave it at that; again, I just thought I’d pass along the wikipedia article linked above real quick.

Until next time, I bid you peace…
~Michael

The Future page on the main menu has been updated!

Not a lot of original material, but very important material regarding the future.

Have a look here!

It is that simple.  Friends, if you pray for the guidance of the Spirit, you will receive it.  If you pray for the gifts of the Spirit, the Lord will give them to you according to His will.

It is that simple.  Ask for guidance, then listen.  Be guided.  Stay in the Word and avoid anything that resembles ritual, magic arts, and idolatry.  The Lord will provide what you need.  Just listen to the still small voice and His spirit in your heart.

It is that simple.  Pray for the Lord God to fill you with His Spirit.  Then pray for guidance and listen.  If this post does not seem that simple, pray for the Holy Spirit to enter your life as it did the believers on the day of Pentecost and all believers since who ask Lord in His name.

1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:1-4  (NIV)

It really is that simple. But it has taken me a lifetime thus far to really realize it.

If none of this made any sense to you, please start with “The Gospel” link on the menu above.  Jesus is Lord!

I bid you peace…
~Michael

When I was a child in the 60’s we’d have civil defense drills in case of nuclear attack. Mainstream media, the cold war, space race, arms race and the media have conditioned us over the years to watch for World War III (WWIII) to start in a blazing nuclear exchange.

Wrong again! It is just creeping along, starting right before our eyes. The US invasion of Iraq does not need any illustration. The Russia/Georgia conflict might, however.

Here is a link to a map of Georgia

Here is a link to a news story on Russian columns invading that country.

Note the close proximity of US and Russian forces in the map. Note the cold-war tone of the article.

It makes me think of the maps in this book. And the explanation of the bear from the north therein.

WWIII is underway. I was also conditioned in the 60’s to understand what that means: there won’t be a WWIV.

“Armageddon” is a popular term for it.

So is “the Second Coming.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

If you’re not in agreement, please check out the Gospel link at the top of the page.

Peace!

~Michael

I just read this commentary regarding the recent US Supreme Court 2nd Amendment gun control decision:

Guns For Safety? Dream on, Scalia.

Before I get to my point, I must say that the statistics in the article certainly should make everyone think twice. Actually, here is my original point that prompted me to write this post: there is a better answer. Prayer. I recommend that everyone pray to the Lord for protection and safety for themselves and their loved ones. The Lord will dispatch angels at our request and I have faith in the security of my family without needing a revolver in my bedside table.

As is often the case, though, one thought leads to another and hence another point that comes to mind in writing. The gun-control debate…both the public policy debate and the matter of conscious personally…always reminds me of the following words of our Lord:

36Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

37For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

38And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Luke 22:36-38 (KJV)

In searching for the cite above, I found this article outlining the polar positions regarding the message the Lord was communicating to us and found it very interesting:

Self-defense?

The question is always why would we have a sword if we are to turn the other cheek? The article above provides great insight…if smiting the cheek is an insult then we have clear guidance to rise above and not retaliate. That does not extend to failing your responsibility to defend your loved ones from physical harm. In the end, I absolutely agree with the conclusion of the article. I do, however, stand by my first point: faith and prayer are the best defense! And I also stand by my caution to think twice before buying a gun and keeping it in the bedside table for self-defense…unless you know what you’re doing, you are adding risk, not reducing it.

Finally, two other things come to mind. First, the “Self-defense?” article includes reference to military service. That is a whole other debate regarding appropriate paths on the Way. I was just looking for an article to link here regarding Brother Colin’s position on that at Born-Again-Christian-Info.com when I found this Q&A page on that site:

Love Your Enemy

It reeled me back a notch or two from the impression I’m afraid I’ve left here. I am not saying we should all take up arms. Colin is right on with his points, although I notice that he does not offer an explanation of the Lord’s message regarding the purchase of a sword. He does, however, state basically the same thing as my bottom line conclusion: we are only safe through faith in the Lord. Nevertheless, I do agree with the earlier article in that a completely pacifist approach to life ignores our moral responsibility to physically protect our loved ones.

Finally, this also leads to a couple of threads regarding end-times persecution and survival during tribulation. I do not envision that we will end up avoiding persecution as if we were in the Terminator movies. I don’t think we need guns to defend ourselves through Armageddon. In fact, I think that it will all come down to a simple question of faith and by refusing the voluntary acceptance of the mark, we will be beheaded. I see end-times martyrdom shaping up like a long series of capital cases held in small local justice-of-the-peace courts…”so you won’t take the mark, eh, Michael…well that’s too bad we enjoyed your music”, whack! Not like the post-apocalyptic action movies at all. Similarly, there is no point stockpiling provisions for the end-times, either. You can’t save a lifetime of supplies and the logistics are impossible while fleeing. (I do believe we are to head to the hills when the final scenes are playing out.) The example there is the Israelites being led by Moses…the manna appeared freely and supernaturally. We do not need to worry about building bunkers in Montana to survive. The Lord will take care of us…again, it is faith that will protect us.

But that doesn’t mean a sharp blade won’t come in handy in the wilderness, either.

As is so often the case, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to us so plainly, so logically, and so completely that we miss the point trying to explain it to ourselves. We just need to listen.

Peace!