IN THE SHADOW

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.

Psalm 57: 1-2

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

Psalm 91

I woke up this morning (30 June) with a heavy sense of sadness for all that is happening in the world. I made the mistake of turning on the TV news which only heightened my sorrow. The pandemic is strengthening its hold in many parts of the world and we here in Israel are once more facing an alarming resurgence of cases, and restrictions are being reimposed. Riots here and there around the world threaten anarchy and the break down of civilization as we know it. Wars rage and refugees starve. It is a bleak picture.

Also on the news was a report of the celebration of the summer solstice here in Israel and the opening of a Yoga center at the Indian Cultural Center in Tel Aviv. My heart was torn by the widespread embrace of pagan and satanic religions and practices here in Israel. I then started watching something online and was confronted by the state of the church worldwide and the false and distorted teachings that are gaining ground. My heart was very grieved and I felt like the flood gates of evil have been opened and wickedness was flooding the earth. I asked God “How long?” I turned to the Holy Scriptures and was much comforted when I read Psalm 92, which says,

O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.

Psalm 92: 5-7

I see that this is a time when we who love God must take shelter in His wings, keep in close to Him, for evil is being unleashed on the earth for a period, but the time will come soon when all iniquity will be judged and the enemies of God destroyed. It is a time when we who follow Yeshua (Jesus) must exercise discernment and hold tightly to the Truth as revealed in the Bible, lest we are led astray into error by the false teachers among us.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 7:15-20

THE SUMMER SOLSTICE

Today (22 June) is the summer/winter solstice, the longest day in the northern hemisphere and the shortest in the southern. This year it has coincided with a solar eclipse being seen in many parts of the world, from West Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, India and southern China. Here in Israel we just experienced a slight dimming of the light as only 40% of the sun was covered by the moon.

Pagan and new age religions, and Satan worshippers celebrate the solstices and many others read much into the signs in the skies. Someone forwarded this invitation to me today from the Jerusalem Branch of the Disciples of Lucifer calling for a march at the Western Wall today. Here is a copy of their invitation:

Public · Hosted by Disciples of Lucifer Jerusalem, Disciples of Lucifer Palestine, Disciples of Lucifer Israel, Disciples of Lucifer HQ and Jeff Shalit Satanic Commander of Lucifer’s ArmyGreetings citizens of Jerusalem,We are the Disciples of Lucifer. And we are here to fulfill the Prophecies of Revelations and start the foundation of forming a One World Government. We are calling on every citizen of Earth to stand in support of the formation of The One World Government. So on June 21st, 2020 we’re calling on every citizen of the Earth to start marches all over the place in support of forming a one world government. Where does it start it starts with you how can you help create your own chapter in your town plan marches and spread the word of forming a one world government tell your friends your family your co-workers and random people on the streets the time to form a One World Government is now the time to fulfill the prophecy is now. Help do your part to support the formation of a One World Government make events for June 21st, pass out flyers and tell everyone you know to support the formation of the One World Government.
We are calling on every Palestinian and Israelite to come to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem on June 21st at 2 P.M. we will fulfill the prophecy and build the new Temple of Solomon and this new Temple of Solomon will be for everyone Palestinian Israelite and any outsider the only way for the Palestinian Israelite conflict to end is for a one world government to be initiated all Palestinians and Israelites are invited to the luciferian March for a one world government do your part to help out with the One World Government.
Lucifer is Love. Lucifer is Life

Identical invitations have been published on Facebook in many cities all over the world. As far as I can see these ‘Disciples of Lucifer’ are not a well organized, sophisticated cabal of Satanism actively plotting to take over the world and I do not expect that these called-for marches will draw huge numbers of people today. However behind them is a darker entity, whom we call Satan, who is actively preparing the world, and human minds and hearts for the prophesied One World Government of the Book of Revelation. His methodology is not new. He will by various means such as wars and pandemics create such chaos and suffering that the world will cry out for ‘a strong leader’ (heard that before?) who will unite us in a one world government and bring peace. The video below explains this better than I can.

(30 June) I wrote the above on the eve of the summer solstice, before the event. Many Christian and Messianic believers had been praying against this demonstration and some had gone to the Wall to share the gospel with these Satan worshippers. I am very glad to report that only about 10 of Lucifer’s disciples turned up at the Western Wall in response to this call to establish this one world government. Nevertheless I see this as a sign of the times, that groups like this are now bold enough to come out in the open and preach their blatant satanic lies. That even 10 people would come to the most Holy Place of YHWH in the name of Satan is an abomination indicative of the spiritual lostness in Israel.

Of course this should not surprise us. Satanism is deeply entwined in some streams of modern Judaism, especially in the teachings of the Kabala, which is also becoming very popular in Israel and elsewhere. OneforIsrael, a Messianic organization devoted to spreading the gospel in Hebrew online, has published an expose of certain rabbinical teachings which are clearly satanic and pagan in nature. It is no wonder that John the writer of the Book of Revelation made reference to the “synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 3:9).

THE SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19

The month of June has seen a steady increase in the number of new Covid-19 infections. The graph below shows the cumulative number of those with a positive diagnosis of covid-19 infections in Israel, from 28 February until yesterday, 29 June. As you can see the graph leveled off for a while but as soon as restrictions began to be lifted, the number of cases began to rise again, and growth is now approaching exponential levels.

Update 2 July – in last 24 hours another 980 new confirmed cases, the highest daily increase in Israel since the beginning of the pandemic. There have now been 26,021 cases since the initial outbreak, 8,271 of them currently active. The death toll is now 321 (3). The Health ministry is pushing for strict lockdowns in dozens of cities but the government is resisting this as it could result in economic disaster. As of tomorrow the Palestinian Authority is enforcing a strict lockdown throughout their region with all businesses closed for 5 days except for grocery stores and pharmacies (4).

This alarming trend has caused the so-called ‘Coronavirus cabinet’, the group of government ministers tasked with making decisions regarding the pandemic, to rule the reimposition of some of the restrictions that were earlier lifted. Under the latest ruling,

“ imminent events scheduled to take place by July 9 will be limited to 250 participants.

For the rest of July, from July 10 to 31, outdoor weddings and bar mitzvahs will be limited to 250 participants while indoor ones will face stricter limits: a maximum of 100 participants or 50 percent of the space’s fire-safety capacity, whichever is lower.

Other family gatherings, such as circumcisions and funerals, are limited to 50 attendees.

All houses of worship are limited to gatherings of 50 people.

Universities and colleges were ordered to switch to online exams wherever possible.

Government agencies have been instructed to send 30 percent of their employees to work from home“(1).

It seems to me unlikely that these new restrictions will be sufficient to reverse the trend, but the government is trying to balance this need with the economic necessity of keeping businesses functioning and enabling people to cope financially. It is a delicate balancing act and one that could fail on both counts. Israel still has an official count of around 21% unemployment, which does not take into account the self-employed who have lost their livelihoods and others who do not qualify for the unemployment benefit. This means that at least 1 in 4 Israeli workers are out of a job at present. The government has announced a large aid package to try and keep the economy afloat but it is not yet clear if it will be sufficient. I suspect there will be many people going hungry and homeless this winter.

ANNEXATION OF THE JORDAN VALLEY

The other headline today (30 June) is the question of the annexation of territory in the Jordan Valley by Israel. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has repeatedly claimed that the annexation will begin tomorrow, the 1st of July. Will this happen? It seems doubtful. According to the Times of Israel,

“Netanyahu has repeatedly promised to declare annexation over all of Israel’s West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley from the July 1 date permitted by his coalition deal with Alternate PM and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, subject to American approval. But earlier this week, he told settler leaders the non-settlement areas might have to wait. Well-placed sources told The Times of Israel last week that the joint mapping committee tasked with delineating the contours of the annexation move still had weeks if not months of work, and the IDF has not been told precisely what Netanyahu has in mind” (2).

Although the annexation, slated for the 1st of July, was part of the coalition agreement with the Blue and White Party headed by Benny Gantz and the first step of the so-called Peace Plan touted by the USA, both Gantz and the US seem to have cooled in their support. Another spanner in the works is that yesterday, after refusing to come to talks regarding the Peace Plan, the Palestinian Authority, in conjunction with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, suddenly announced that they are now willing to enter into negotiations regarding a limited land swap. This well-timed ploy makes it almost impossible for Israel to go ahead with a unilateral annexation. The Kingdom of Jordan is threatening to annul the Peace Treaty with Israel and the Palestinians are threatening a third intifada should the annexation proceed, though a mass rally in Ramallah this week failed to draw many people, indicating a degree of battle-fatigue and a loss of faith in their leaders amongst the Palestinian population. So we will wait with baited breath to see what will happen tomorrow. “May God’s will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

(Update: 2 July. As expected no annexation occurred and now Netanyahu is fudging it saying that it was never intended to occur of 1 July, only that the process of deciding would begin then)

SHELANU TV STATION

The Messianic TV station, Shelanu, which was broadcasting in Hebrew has now been silenced as its license to broadcast was withdrawn by the Israel Broadcasting Authority as a result of pressure from the religious authorities. It was claimed that Shelanu had violated their agreement not to proselytize. It seems to me that in broadcasting Christian/Messianic content it is impossible not to be seen to be proselytizing, and therefore it was perhaps unwise of the organization to make such an undertaking in the first place, if indeed they did. Having said that, it is not illegal to proselytize in Israel, except to children under the age of 18. However the rabbis are very afraid of the growing Messianic movement here and there is a widespread belief in the general population that Christianity is responsible for all the persecution of the Jews in Europe, including the Holocaust. The Israel Broadcasting Authority and the religious authorities have no problem with the broadcast of a channel devoted to the teachings of Kabala, the several pornographic channels that are available, nor the promotion new age and pagan practices on our TV channels. This issue highlights the situation here in Israel that it is OK to worship Satan, practice witchcraft and sorcery, worship pagan gods and promote new age practices, but if you want to be a disciple of the Messiah Yeshua and a follower of YHWH you are outcast and considered a traitor to the Jewish people. How sad that is. How I long for the day when this veil is lifted.

But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

2 Corinthians 3: 14-16

SCIENCE AND GOD

When I was a small child I believed in God with that childish faith that all children have. Then I went to high school and began studying science and somehow I came to believe that God did not exist and I believed in only what I could see and touch. Fortunately my heart still hungered after Truth and God found me, drew me to Himself and eventually, when I was in my final year at school, revealed Himself to me. As I went on to study Science at university a number of people have since asked me how I can call myself a born-again Christian and study science. This question has always puzzled me as I see no contradiction between my faith and science. How can you love the Creator and not love his creation? God put in us the capacity to understand, learn and discover, and a curiosity and drive to do so. Why would He not want us to use this God given ability? Yet to this day I find many believers who have a fear of Science because of the perception that at least some of the findings of science contradict the Bible. I can honestly say that in the nearly 50 years I have studied both the Bible and science I have found no contradiction and the things I have learned about God’s creation have only served to strengthen my faith. Louis Pasteur, the founder of microbiology and immunology, best known for his discovery of penicillin, said this:

“A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him”.

The problem is that most of us only have a little science. But those who study in depth find the fingerprint of God. Science is all about finding cause and effect relationships and if you trace these relationships far enough back you will find the primal cause, God. For this reason many of the worlds greatest scientists have had to admit that the best explanation for the universe is the existence of a transcendent God.

If this topic interests you please join my 3 part online seminar, which starts on the 17 July, and explores the relationship between God, the Bible and Science in some depth:

YOU ARE INVITED TO A THREE-PART ONLINE SEMINAR

GOD AND THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

HOSTED BY TALIA VOICE

BSc(Hons) Zoology, MSc(Hons) Natural Resource Management

Shemen Sasson Congregation, Jerusalem, Israel

Friday 17^th July, 2020 : The Revelation of God in Nature

The Bible and Science, God’s revelation in Nature, Fact vs Faith, and the Nature of Science

Friday 24^th July, 2020: The Big Bang, Space-Time and Creation

The size of the universe, the timeless dimension and the theory of everything

Friday 31^st July, 2020: The Age of the Earth, Life and Evolution

The age of the Earth, the creation of mankind, life and evolution

All sessions 9:00 – 11:30 AM (Israel time)

In English only

To attend please contact Talia at tgood37@gmail.com for the Zoom link and password

If you cannot attend at those times, you can request the link and password for the web-based recording, which will be sent to you after the seminar.

Participation is free of charge, but donations will be gratefully received via PayPal to the above email address.

FINAL WORDS

There is so much I could write about but in the interests of actually getting this published I will stop for now. I want to close by sharing with you two more videos produced by OneForIsrael, which expose some of the lies preached by some streams of rabbinic Judaism.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

References:

IN THE SHADOW

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