One New Man

 Eph. 4:15 "Instead, being sincere in love, we are to grow into a mature union in all respects

 with  the head, the Messiah, 16 from whom the whole body, being joined and held

 together by

 every supporting ligament, brings about for its own good, as each part does what it is

 supposed to do, the body’s growth, so that it builds itself up in love."

Israel received their calling to be a priestly people who would be a blessing to the nations

 by displaying His sacrificial love and compassion.  It was too costly, they became inward

 focused and ultimately lost all focus.

Messiah's community continued Israel's story as a gathering that would follow the Lamb

 wherever He went, proclaiming the coming Kingdom and being a sacrificially loving

 community that would make God known BY THEIR LOVE.  Over time it became

 organized and verbal and creed-oriented, and the life slowly leaked out.  It became

 inward focused and ultimately lost all focus.

God preserves a remnant, "one new man".  They are marked by humility and a love of the

 truth.  They are sacrificially loving.  They confess their faults to one another.  They stay

 on the wheel of God's sanctifying Holy influence.  They fall and rise again knowing that

 only by relying on the exchanged life, the Messiah in me can this good news go forth in

 this evil age.

"If we don't all come, we don't come at all."  Art Katz Part 1 "Speaking the Truth" message

Never Again

 AMOS 9:11 “In that day I will raise up David’s fallen sukkah.

I will restore its breaches,

    raise up its ruins,
and rebuild it as in days of old
12 12—so they may possess the remnant of Edom
    and all the nations called by My Name.”
It is a declaration of Adonai, the One who will do this.
13 13 “Behold, days are soon coming”
—it is a declaration of Adonai—
“when the plowman will overtake the reaper
    and the one treading grapes, the one sowing seed.
The mountains will drip sweet wine
    and all the hills will melt over.
14 14 Yes, I will restore the captivity of My people Israel.
They will rebuild desolated cities and dwell in them.
They will plant vineyards and drink their wine.
They will also make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 15 Yes, I will plant them on their land,

and they will never again be plucked up

    out of their land that I have given to them.”
Adonai, your God, has said it."

Amos 9 | Art Katz Ministries   artkatzministries.org/MP3s/K-261_Amos_9.mp3

Context is key for the phrase 'never again".  This is the time after the Day of the Lord.

Yeshua has taken the throne of ruler ship of the earth in Jerusalem.

Satan is locked up in chains, the millennial reign has begun.  All Israel, the physical

chosen people, are in or are returning to the promised land, the spirit of grace and 

supplication has been poured out on them and they are all saved.

It is the answer to the cry, Maranatha!  It is the answer to the prayer for the peace

of Jerusalem.

Context is key, it is not fulfilled at any time in this evil age.

It is not fulfilled at any time before the day of the Lord.

It is not fulfilled at any time before Jesus is on a physical throne in Jerusalem.

Many will come saying "peace, peace", where there is no ultimate peace.  Reject them.

Wait, watch, pray.

Love's Highest Height

 Love that chooses to allow suffering to flood into their own life, IN ORDER THAT, others will be spared, with absolutely nothing to gain in the transaction.  

Pure love.

Powerful love.

Love that never fails.

We are called and empowered by the Life of the Lamb, to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

He goes down, He goes lower, He goes to the place of no reputation.

Isaiah 35:3 

Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”

Oh to be one who is given the opportunity to speak to the Jew in the last days and whisper in their ear, "YOUR God will come..."

The News and a Day That Will Live in Infamy

 It is a sad thing to see how many people are being misled by the news.  Followers of the Messiah have access to discernment and the Truth, but more and more they are ignoring that and putting all their trust in the talking heads.  Why?  It is easier, it is a broad way, whereas, discernment and Truth are a narrow way.  The Love of Truth is the protection from a powerful delusion sent from God on the people of the Last Days.  Burden us with prayer for each other to be saved from this delusion.

and

I have not been able to shake off the events of this day from years ago.  I try, believe me I try, but this remains the day my brother took his own life.  That fact hangs over this day, like a cloud blocking the sun.  I cannot recall the day of death of any one else in my life, but suicide hits differently.  It is a gut punch that does not stop.  I haven't found a way to soften or lessen the feeling, so there it is, and here I am.  His death by his own hand, is a before and after event in my life.  

Onward.

The Ten Women Waiting for the Bridegroom

 If it is true that the parables are similar to a joke, in that, they are being told with one "punch line" in mind, one teaching point that the Messiah of Israel was trying to get across, for generations to come to a people who would be willing to humble themselves and seek Him for the meaning (because no one else truly gets the meaning).  Then the simple point of the parable that is usually called the "parable of the ten virgins" is five of them had made preparations for a long wait and they were ready when He came.

Over and over the Bible speaks of a three and one half year period of tribulation.  

The refugee crisis that resulted from the war in Syria and currently from the war in Ukraine demonstrates how quickly a situation can change, but the speed of the change, does not lead to a short-term problem, it actually leads to very long term problem, because bombs have been dropped and there is no "home" to return to. 

There is a very real sense where one could look at the Bible and say, "God knows how to provide for His people in the wilderness."

There is a very real sense where one could look at the Bible and say, "God is very clearly warning us ahead of time so that we can be taking some steps to prepare for a three and one half year period of tribulation."

May the Lord our God faithfully lead us to find a balance, to hear clearly, to never take any action out of fear or frustration, but to listen, obey, trust and be a people who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.  May we be a people focused on community survival.  The Jewish people have a promise that God will preserve a remnant and He will never let them be totally blotted out, despite the fact that that will be the 100% goal of the anti-christ and his army.  The gentile peoples have no promise like that.  We are told that there will be some from every nation, tribe, people and tongue (Revelation 7:9) but they are pictured before the throne of the Lamb, so they very well could have been martyred and are therefore, by no means, a guaranteed remnant.  

I don't know it just struck me the other day, that there is no promise for the gentile nations, so we are a people crying out for mercy for our family, friends and towns.  Crying out to the Messiah of Israel, for grace to help in this temporary evil age.  Crying out for grace to proclaim the truth of the Day of the Lord and the coming Kingdom.  Crying out for the "powers of the age to come" to be a demonstration that the words we are sharing in this evil age are true and will be fulfilled.  

We NEED wisdom.