Prophecy Update - JD Farag - October 4, 2015 - Christian martyrs

Here is the link to today's Prophecy Update from JD Farag - JD Farag - Prophecy Update - October 4, 2015



Pastor J.D. talks about the prophetic significance of the Christian martyrs at Umpqua Community College, Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin’s address to the UN General Assembly, and Russia’s airstrikes with Iran in Syria.

JD Farag
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Missed Opportunities....Sunday Sermon Review

”Being deeply loved gives you strength; loving deeply gives you courage.
( author unknown )




My home church is studying through the Bible in a year. There are reading plans available and our pastors are choosing topics of discussion as we go. We are in the book of Numbers.

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Numbers 21:4-9 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Pastor Ben was preaching this Sunday. I usually take notes as I listen to the sermon. I like to share my notes here with you, perhaps you will be blessed as you read.

Sermon Review

The book of Numbers is about missed opportunities - how the Israelites missed out on God's blessing. They rejected God and missed out.

We too have missed opportunities. We too have missed out on God's blessings.

The Israelite people were slaves in Egypt. God has set them free. God brought them into the wilderness in order to bring them into relationship with Him and to bring them into the Promised Land. The land is excellent - "a land flowing with milk and honey".

But there are problems - The Israelite people rebel, they refuse to enter the Promised Land. They refuse God's rest. We need to take note of this and not follow their example.

We can be saved and yet resist God and as a result end up living a life of tragedy.

How is it possible that they resist God after seeing how God set them free?

They whine and complain constantly. This is their mode of operation. This is how they are living.

Their complaining hardens them to disobedience to God.

They look to their past, to what they gave up and not at what God has saved them from.

They remember the food they ate but seem to have forgotten that their babies were killed ( Moses was spared by his mother - you remember the story).

Numbers 11: 5-6 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

Are we any better than the Israelite people? - no

We complain about the present, we keep looking back to what once was, and we also refuse to be thankful as we should.

Look to what God will do in the future.

This life here is a temporary stop.

We are on our way to the Promised Land ( heaven ).

God is leading us into our future!

Complaining people are filled with jealousy

- they/ we are poisoned by jealousy

- jealous because someone else has what we want

- you cannot be thankful for what you have when you are jealous of other people and their stuff

The Israelites now believe God is out to kill them

They think God has played a joke on them!

Numbers 14: 2-3 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

 And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

The Israelites believe God has brought them into the wilderness to kill them.

They cannot imagine or remember that God actually cares for them and loves them.

God is on their side, and His goal is to bring good into their lives.

Are we convinced that God wants what is best for us, that He is on our side and wants to bring us to a place of rest?

How to change - so that we do not harden our hearts.

1) Worship -  our worship is tied to our understanding of God and who He is.

Worship personally during the week.

Remind yourself that God cares for you.

2) Be Thankful - Give thanks in all circumstances.

Make thankfulness your natural attitude.

Look for things to be thankful for.

Using prayers written by others can help to bring us into a spirit and state of thankfulness.

3) Encourage others - Encourage others daily

Be thankful to others.

Bless others every day in big and in small ways.

Hebrews 3: 12-13 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Mary Mother of Jesus - Hero of the Bible

Mary the mother of Jesus
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This summer my home church is doing  a series on Heroes of the Bible and so this Sunday we studied Mary the Mother of Jesus as another hero of the Bible. The basic point of the sermon was that Mary was available to God to use her however He would see fit. We see this clearly in the gospel of Luke where the angel's announcement came to Mary.
Luke 1:38  And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.


So here are the notes I took from Sunday's sermon:

Why would God choose Mary?
There was nothing super special about Mary - She is poor, she is a peasant, she has no power or influence. She is not already well established to be able to give a child the best of everything.

Just as we sometimes ask why would God want to use me she may also have asked why me? Why would God pick me? Why would He choose to use me when there are so many other people who seem to have it all together?
God chooses to work through me, I am not that smart nor am I worthy of such an honor.

Then we may also look for excuses and ask "why should I do this?" or "what is special about me, who am I that I could think even for a moment that I could do this?"

Mary is available for God to use her.

We see this at the wedding in Cana where they run out of wine. Mary sees the need and goes to Jesus for help. We find the story in John 2 - And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

When Jesus responds in verse 4 by saying Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.,  he is really asking her to slow down. She knows Jesus is come as the Messiah but His time to reveal Himself as Messiah is not yet come. Then Mary says these important words " 
Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. she says this because that is exactly how she lives her day to day life - in obedience to God the Father. 
I will do whatever God tells me to do. She is available to God.
Are we available to God to use us?
When God calls - do you respond " I'm here" ?

God works with our weaknesses. We must be open to doing what God calls us to do.

Regarding the recent tragedies in our community -  ( the deaths of two teenagers in separate tragic accidents ) we do not understand why things happen but we can see how God responds in tragedy.  We are called to be available to extend love and mercy to those around us.
 Every morning start your day by praying to God making yourself available to Him. Be open to God's Hand and leading.

Last Sunday we saw how God was working behind the scenes in the life of Esther. God is working on our character to make us more like Jesus. God is setting up work for us to do.

Are we available??

Dealing with Grief and Depression

This year for the season of Lent our church is doing a teaching series that will reach out to people who are in a down time in their life and will also help us to know how to help people who are mourning a loss of some sort. So what I am about to write is a summary of what was taught in my home church this past Sunday, February 24, 2013. We learned about do's and don'ts when reaching out to a grieving person.

Psalm 23: 4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

What is meant by a valley? It is a depression that lasts an extended period of time. It takes on different shapes and forms. It is when something ceases to exist as we once knew it.

Matthew 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
We all hurt sometimes. We all have seasons of pain. Where do we go when we mourn - when we have entered the "mourning booth"? We all must spend time in the "mourning booth".
 We need comfort during our stay in the "mourning booth". No one should need to be there alone.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Pastor Frank brought the message and here is some of what he said:
We are learning how to walk with people who are hurting. Pastor Frank asked the congregation to submit any questions about this topic and they will answer them in our March 24th service.
( *Note from me - if anyone reading this has a question - please leave it in the comment section here. )

How to walk with people who have experienced tragedy

Why should we be involved?
* Scripture commands it
*God is a God of love - as Christians we should be known for our love
* Christians love one another
* Love is an action and will motivate us to act in love that will benefit others
* People everywhere are hurting - in the church as well as outside the church

Excuses we give to not get involved -
* What could I say?
* It is going to be awkward
* I don't really know them that well.

Love is the opposite of selfishness
Love is an action - a sacrifice

The goal of our lives is to become more like Jesus

Do's and Don'ts
Pulling back for fear of not getting it right is not an option


Do
* - Go there - when you hear that tragedy has struck leave what you are doing and go there especially in the case of a family member or a close friend.
* - Ask God to guide your response and to speak love through you
* -  Make that visit, phone call, send a card or offer child care

What do I say?
* - Less is often more - People who are dealing with tragedy do not need a lot of words
Words are okay, just say " I'm sorry"
* - Do not avoid or ignore people who are mourning - they will notice that you are avoiding them
* - Your presence shows you care
*  - Guys often do not talk much, just show up, give a hug if appropriate

What not to say
Avoid saying
* he's in a better place
* God won't give us more than we can handle
*  it was God's will
* don't use humor to try to make the situation lighter as it seems to dismiss the pain that the one who is mourning is feeling
* Only the one who is mourning can use the above phrases and/or use humor

Do not try to correct the one who is mourning-
* even if they are angry with God
* or have doubts
- Only acknowledge that you hear their pain and show you are understanding

Stifle your curiosity
Be careful to not be judgmental saying such things as:
* was she wearing a seatbelt?
or
* were they living together?


Written words 
A personal note is better than a card
Assure your thoughts and prayers are with them

Share Jesus and use words if you must.

Take your cue from the one who is hurting:
Match your words with the sorrow the one mourning is displaying
Remember - this is not about me - its about caring for the hurting one.

Grief and mourning is a process that takes time.
There is no limit to the time that will be required to heal from the grief
It is inappropriate to say "it's time to move on".

Sincere love will be noticed
Don't be afraid of messing up - your absence will be noticed more than your slip up .

Go do the right thing!!

Tragedy in Newtown - sharing in the grief in death of many innocent...

Matthew 19: 13-15 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.   But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Today we are grieving the death of twenty seven human lives lost in that senseless shooting in Newtown. We ask how could anyone commit such a horrific crime? What is this world coming to with all these kinds of things happening almost on a regular basis? What can or should be done? These are the questions everyone is asking and I can tell you I do not have the answers. But I can tell you that my heart is grieved and broken for these precious children and adults who died completely in innocence and I have shed many tears as I have watched the news on television. The tears and the grief of this tragedy ripple around the globe. It may surprise you to know that this morning even in my children's school here in Manitoba Canada, right after the singing of our national anthem, we held a time of silence and remembrance for the victims in Newtown. Our thoughts and prayers are with our all American friends as we are all stricken with grief.
Jesus loves children and he took special time for them during his ministry here on earth. When the disciples rebuked those who would bring their children to Him, Jesus said " “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 
So we can be sure the everyone of these precious little children are now in heaven with Jesus in perfect happiness in the presence of God Himself.  So while our hearts are broken here on earth, the children are safe in the arms of Jesus. That is a real comfort.
There is one other thought that keeps coming to my mind and that is the fact that these deaths in Newtown are getting much publicity and public grief and it is absolutely 100% the right thing - no question about it at all.  BUT- is there anyone out there who will mourn and grieve the lost lives of the babies killed by abortion. Each one of the babies who have been killed through abortion all have experienced death. - They also will never be able to celebrate a birthday with their friends, have Christmas or birthday parties, graduate, find love and get married, experience the joys of having a baby etc. Who will grieve for these children? Who will mourn for these children? Who will stand up and say - "enough is enough" the abortions must stop NOW!
As we pray for comfort for those grieving in Newtown, please lets also not forget the unborn babies murdered everyday. May God have mercy on us and help us.
Genesis 4: 9-11  Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.   So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
 

Hurricane Sandy - A Prayer for you...

Psalm 22:24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

Hurricane Sandy has brought great destruction and tragedy to the United States - many deaths, flooding, homes destroyed, power outages. People are cold and there are food and water shortages. It breaks my heart and my eyes are filled with tears as I watch the news on TV everyday. It is so very very sad to see the pain and heartache of these people. The thought comes to my mind - "it could be me, my family" - what would I do and how would I cope, or - " where will a tragic event hit next?" That is something none of us knows.
So, to anyone reading this - if you are suffering in the midst of this tragic event or if you have family or friends affected by it, I want you to know that my heart aches for you and your family. You are in my thoughts and prayers. The only hope is to look to the Lord Jesus in difficult times - He knows your situation and He loves you. Turn to Him and trust in Him to get you through. I extend my deepest symathy to everyone who has suffered the loss of loved ones and homes due to Hurricane Sandy. May the Lord be very near to each of you.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bring relief and comfort to the people suffering from Hurricane Sandy. I ask that you would heal the broken hearts and help the people across the United States to turn to you for salvation and for help in these days. Oh Father, may they receive Your mercy and grace to help in this time of need. May Your Name be honored and glorified as You answer the prayers of the people. In Jesus name I ask. Amen
Psalm 22: 27-28 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s  And He rules over the nations.

Faith after the Fire...

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Yesterday a community in southern Manitoba experienced tragedy when a horrific fire passed through the small town of Vita. With strong south winds blowing, a grass fire quickly moved into the town forcing the entire town to be evacuated on very short notice. Four houses burned down as well as a bridge on the highway leading into the town of Vita. What caught my attention has been the faith of one particular family who lost everything and escaped with just the clothes on their backs. Their names are Jacob and Margaretha Marten. Mrs Marten was interviewed by both CBC radio and also by the Winnipeg Free Press.


This is what's left of the Marten's home ( picture from Winnipeg Free Press)

 Through this tragedy, Margaretha Marten is sharing her faith and being a shining witness for the Lord. Here is what the Winnipeg Free Press reported :

"We don’t turn from the Lord now," said Margaretha Marten. "We are safe and we don’t question His ways."

She and her husband, Jacob, returned to Vita this morning to see the charred aftermath of a wild fire that swept thourgh the edge of town on Tuesday afternoon.

While they have their faith, they no longer have material possessions.
When firefighters pounded on their door at 12:50 p.m. Tuesday, and warned that a raging fire was only minutes away, they fled with only the clothes on their backs.
This morning, Jacob peered into the smoldering ruins, trying to see a metal strongbox that held the couple's personal papers, including insurance policy on the house that had an estimated value of $125,000.
The couple said it's too early to say if they will continue to live in Vita. For now, they are being surrounded by the loving support of their seven grown children, several of whom inspected the rubble with their parents, and their church family at Sommerfeld Mennonite Church in New Bothwell.

This reminds me of the importance of becoming grounded solidly in faith in the Lord Jesus before hard times come into our livess. Then if and when tragedy strikes in our lives, we can stand strong like the Martens are doing, trusting in the Lord regardless of our circumstances.  We do not need to wonder if God is good or if He has forgotten us or how we will carry on. Through faith in the Lord Jesus, we can be confident and have assurance that  - Yes, God is good, and He will never forget about us and He never leaves those who trust in Him.
Hebrews 3:5-6 for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Matthew 28:20   lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Declaration of Faith!!

Don't you just long for the time when President Obama or Prime Minister Stephen Harper would make a declaration that said this - It would be the top story on CBC, ABC and CBS for sure:

I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
The above decree of course comes from the Book of Daniel in chapter 6. Daniel 6 was a part of my morning devotions this morning and I just began to long for the day when my Canadian Prime Minister Harper or the USA President Obama would get a real glimpse of who God is and they would be willing to take this kind of a stand for the One and Only true living God. So many times we see our leaders embracing all religions. You see this being played out when a national tragedy happens, an interfaith ( all religions included) service is held. It is sad because people are trusting empty religions that can never help them at all. If only the LORD God had His rightful place and the true gospel of Christ - that is salvation through Jesus Christ alone, were proclaimed, then real comfort and hope could be seen in trying and difficult times.
In Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus says Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
and in Luke 4:18 Jesus says The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
So we see that the One who truly cares and can comfort and heal broken hearts is Jesus. None of the other religions that are out there are of any help at all ( not Islam, not Hinduism, not Mormonism, not Budhism, or paganism etc) . Come to Jesus today - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you 1Peter 5:7
Prayer: Heavenly Father I pray that You would give special insight into the hearts of Prime Minister Harper and President Obama that both of them would come to know that You alone are Only One true God, the LORD God Almightly, creator of Heaven and Earth. I ask that You would arrange circumstances and provide a national opportunity for them to stand boldly for You and declare to all the peoples and nations of the world that You alone are God - in You alone is salvation.To You Father God be all glory and power now and forever, In Jesus precious Name, Amen

Tragedy in Colorado Theater..

Today horrible things happened at a theater in Colorado. We ask why such evil things must take place and when will such violence end? We need to be in prayer for those who are hurt and suffering and have lost loved ones.
But we wonder where such violence has its roots. One answer would be that we have all been born with a fallen sin nature and without the love of Christ we can only act on that sinful nature. But I think there is more to the answer than that. It is plain to see that as nations in general, God is being pushed out of our lives, out of schools and government. People want to live their lives separate from God and the principles taught in the Bible. Many people would rather live the way of the world. I believe that when we saturate our minds or the minds of our children with the garbage that is on television, in the movies and magazines etc, this garbage grows within a person and becomes the natural way for a person to behave. It is the sowing and reaping principle on which I posted an article on this blog. You can find it on my blog titled " My Vegetable Garden - Sowing and Reaping".

What ever a person puts in his or her mind is a tool that has been given to satan that he will then use against us. It might involve entertainment - watching a violent or sexual arousing movie, pornography, unwholesome language, lust, listening to secular music that stirs up the flesh, living beyond one's financial means, desires for things that are not ours. Whatever evil we put in our minds will work its way into action eventually. You plant the seed and it will grow.


We can see that the seed the entertainment business has been sowing now for the last twenty - thirty years now with our culture has produced its fruit. The fruit is ripe now. We see it in the violence, the homosexual movement, the way women are dressing very immodestly even in the Christian community - showing their breasts, skin, etc with no shame at all. These are grievous evils in the sight of our Father in Heaven and people and nations will face the consequences of their actions. God will not be mocked in this way. He has given us his Word , the Bible where it teaches us to live in a pure and undefiled way.

Galatians 6:7-8
⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.