ECCE

     We celebrate the birth of Jesus, or Christmas, on December 25th, but this date was chosen because the pagan feast of Saturnalia, which unfortunately began many of the traditions that we associate with Christmas now. We still mix pagan ideas and foreign fables into our observances of the birth of Christ, rather than the Jewish scriptures and fulfilled prophecies. Christianity is a Jewish faith based upon a Jewish Messiah and a Jewish church of believers. The first few chapters of the Book of Acts record thousands, multitudes, of Jewish people, including priests, coming to faith in Jesus Christ ( Acts 2:39-41 , Acts 4:4 , Acts 5:14-16 , Acts 6:7 ). They came by the thousands because of the Word of God  preached that spoke in detail of the Messiah in prophecy, and because of the eyewitness testimony of the disciples/apostles who had seen the empty tomb and the resurrected Christ, and the confirming miracles done at the hands of the apostles (see also Luke 1:1-2 )...

      We have just completed Hanukkah, which is also called the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication. We have discussed the terrible events occurring around the world, including the war in the Middle East. We see the signs of the end times and Christ's return around us, such as the lining up of the nations against Israel prophesied in Ezek. 38. However, in this dark time, we are called to be the light by Jesus: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Mt. 5:14-16). This is how Jesus described the delicacy of the light in us: "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single (meaning fulfilling its purpose), thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine e...

       "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." (Josh. 1:8).      The Word of God, as we see above, is to be the basis of our daily life - in meditation, observing and doing. However, scripture is not one dimensional. It is not set in cement, but it can have several applications. Many have tried to apply the Book of Revelation into set portions of "past, present, and future", but if we look closely, we will see that the Lord is clear as to the timing of events. Revelation is not a difficult Book to understand, and it is not one dimensional, but a living Book. Many have a preconceived idea as to the meaning of the word "apocalypse", but the meaning from a secular English dictionary may surprise you. Here ar...

     The Bible says that God has magnified His Word above all His name ( Ps. 138:2 ). His Word tells His people to have an ear to hear the LORD's voice, and to obey it.       The prophet Zechariah received this Word from the LORD in the month of Chisleu, which is our current month of December: "Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets...? And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prop...