The mark of which I’m speaking is one a growing number of scripture enthusiasts are looking beyond in their attempts to go directly to the end goal of becoming one of the 144,000 servants of God. A prideful sense of entitlement has gripped some in the church who openly discuss their anticipation of serving as […]
I remember the head rabbi at the rabbinic school where I studied in Israel many years ago saying that the reason certain persons have power with God so that he answers their requests is that they have “merit” (Hebrew zehut) with God. It acts like a bank account in which the more “merit” you have,
For a long time I didn’t make the connection between Monday migraines and Sundays’ partaking of the gluten- and commercial yeast-rich sacrament bread, not to mention inhaling potent levels of fragrances some ward members feel compelled to wear that inevitably subject sensitive other ward members to often lingering allergic reactions. Being averse to taking medications
While the phenomenon of the heavens “opening” to persons who receive visions of God and angels is well known from the scriptures, it is not so commonplace that every believer in Jesus experiences it. And yet, as the scripture says, “The gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on
It seems to me that being ordained a king or a priest has little meaning if the person so ordained merely bears those titles and doesn’t actually function as a king or priest—by God’s definition, that is, not man’s. Isaiah prophesies endtime persons being so ordained; but he also gives criteria for what it means
Isaiah predicts that before Jehovah’s coming to reign on the earth, kings and queens of the Gentiles will restore the house of Israel to God’s covenant and to lands of inheritance. We know from this prophecy and from other scriptures that these persons will serve as spiritual kings and queens not political ones. On the
When situations in life greet you in which persons and institutions whom you would expect should most stand by you instead oppose you, it indeed presents a paradoxical challenge difficult to reconcile. You might say that such situations would likely rarely happen because most people and proven institutions are good. True, but there are also
Time and again, I have proven to myself that the relationship between “doing” and “believing” works like a mathematical equation. As the Israelites said at the foot of the mount at the time they covenanted with God, “We will do and we will hear” (na’a’seh wenismâ’; Exodus 24:7), meaning that with the doing comes the
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It remains appalling to me that, after four decades since the major breakthroughs I had in analyzing and decoding the Book of Isaiah’s literary features, how little interest has been shown in these discoveries by the general membership of the Church. The many thousands who today understand the depth and magnitude of Isaiah’s message as
Many who are versed in the scriptures who keep up with world events and take note of “signs in the heavens” are aware of a radical shift occurring away from past norms that held the nation together. As troubling as that trend may be—as in no time under those conditions society could go into freefall—I
“Being me” has meant learning to discern what is of God and what is of man, then choosing what is of God. That is the only way I feel true to myself. Choosing the opposite has caused me inner conflict, whether I was aware of the source of the conflict or not. A part of
Isaiah uses the allegory of a “vineyard”—which starts off as a national locale but ends up as the entire earth—to show God’s loving care for his people (Isaiah 5:1–7; 27:2–6). God cultivates the vineyard, clears it of stones, plants it with choice vines, builds a watchtower in its midst, and hews a winepress for it.
Wild Fruit—A Setting for Divine Intervention Read More »
