Tag Archives: Matthew

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“What will be the Sign of Your Coming?”

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Pull up a chair, friends!  We’ve entered into “Signs of the Times: Storm Clouds Rising,” week 3 of a our study, Why Israel Matters.  Yesterday, we discovered Jesus’ rebuke of Pharisees, Sadducees and the crowds who followed Him because, while they were so adept at discerning the weather, they failed to discern the signs of the times in which they lived.

Jesus’ disciples had relevant questions regarding the signs of the end.

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
~Matthew 24:3

Jesus told them the specific signs!  No guess work here.

  • The Temple would be destroyed (which it was, in 70 AD)
  • False messiahs
  • Wars and rumors of wars
  • Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom
  • Famines and earthquakes

Wow!  Sounds like what we see today…right?  False messiahs have existed since that time, there has hardly been a day in world history void of war, saber-rattling between nations happens constantly, and the frequency and severity of natural disasters (including famine and earthquakes) are at all time highs.

Those are the signs Jesus said we would see!  We are living in the time and season Jesus described as the end times.

But…before we get too carried away, remember NO ONE knows the day and hour the rapture will occur.  (Matthew 24:36, 50, Matthew 25:13, Mark 13:32, Luke 12:46)  Yet, false prophets have incorrectly predicted the day for years:

 

Before we end the day, let me very briefly address the latest craze that turned out to be false prophecy: blood moons.

There are several big name “prophecy experts” who proliferated the false idea that the four blood moons (“tetrad”) of 2014-2015 were to result in the rapture.  Yet here we are in 2018…still on this earth!  The false theology was based on the mention of blood moons in Joel 2:31.  The problems are many-fold, not the least of which:

  • It is a single verse taken out of context, and
  • The verse also references the sun going dark (yet that part of the verse was conveniently disregarded)

Dear Christian friends, be diligent to discern the truth of God’s Word.  Be a Berean!  Study to discover what things are true.  (Acts 17:11)  Do not be deceived by false doctrine.

We’re back for more signs of the times tomorrow, so see you then!

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Why Israel Matters – Week 3 (Signs of the Times)

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Welcome back study friends!  If you just stumbled upon this site, we are moving into week 3 of a study entitled Why Israel Matters.  It is being taught live at CalvaryPHX, but I’m posting summaries online for those outside the Phoenix area who wish to follow along.  You are welcome here!

Over the first two weeks, we have established that God has ordained a season, for a reason, and that we are living in the calm before the storm.  In fact, the title of this week’s lesson is “Signs of the Times: Storm Clouds Rising.”  We know, despite the present calm, that a storm is coming.  How do we know?  We see the signs!  So, let’s dig in to discover those signs and what God’s Word has to say about them.

In Matthew 16, Jesus is addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees…the “smart people” of the day.  He was telling them about signs.  Let’s pick it up in verses 1-3:

The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”

As usual (it seems), the Pharisees and Sadducees were testing Jesus, asking for signs from heaven.  But Jesus rebuked them by stressing that, despite how knowledgeable they were about weather signs, they did not know how to discern the signs of the times.

A similar thing happened when Jesus addressed the crowds that followed Him.  These were not necessarily the most learned people, but simply those who followed His teaching.  Check out Luke 12:54-56:

And He was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way.  You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?”

Indeed, they too missed the signs of the present day.  But what signs had they missed, and what signs were they about to miss?

The Old Testament prophets made a living telling about signs!  Among many other things, they prophesied of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection.  Here are examples of OT prophecies Jesus fulfilled, though the crowds and others “missed the signs!”

Prophecies 1

Prophecies 2

So, I’m wondering…are we “missing the signs?”  As children of God, our Father is not into keeping secrets from us.  In fact, I believe He desires to share the “secret things,” even as He did His people, in order that we may discern His guidance.  (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Do we see His signs, or are we too busy looking at the things around us to notice?  I don’t want to be caught discerning the weather when there is so much more He wants us to know!  How about you?

Check back in tomorrow when we peak into a conversation Jesus had with His disciples!

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Why is Yeshua Called “Jesus” in English?

Why Jesus?

Matthew’s gospel tells us that an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said:

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
~Matthew 1:21

We often forget that people of that day and locale did not speak English!  (Surprise, surprise!)  Instead, in Hebrew, the Son’s name would be Yeshua.

So, how did we get from “Yeshua” to “Jesus,” and should we as Christians conform to the Jewish name?  I’ll leave that to your own discretion, but One for Israel has produced an excellent article explaining how the name “Jesus” came to be.  I highly recommend it!

Jesus vs Yeshua?

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Why Israel Matters – The Bible Study

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Never in the history of the world has Israel been more relevant than today.  Never in the history of the world has it been more crucial for Christians to understand our place in relation to the Jewish people.  Never in the history of the world has it been more important for the Bride of Christ to make herself ready for the return of the Bridegroom.

What we see in our world today confirms the Lord’s mercy and grace upon His people, but also represents the birth pangs Jesus taught about in Mathew 24:8 when referring to the last days.  We are living in an incredibly exciting time in history, yet much of the Christian world is uninformed or spiritually asleep at the wheel!

My passion is to know and understand what God is doing in these last days, and to share it with others who yearn to live as though Jesus will return at any moment!  To that end, I’m happy to announce I will be teaching Why Israel Matters, beginning Sunday, June 3 at CalvaryPHX in Phoenix AZ.

Why Israel Matters focuses on what God’s Word has to say about the past, present and future of His chosen land and His chosen people.  We’ll consider current events, such as the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the move of embassies to Jerusalem, the situation in Syria and the rest of the Middle East, and the US withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, in light of Scripture.

If you are in the Phoenix area, please take a 12-week journey with me, where we will focus not only on current events, but also on what the Bible says about:

  • God’s purpose and His 3-fold call upon Israel and the Jewish people
  • Jewish roots of the Christian faith
  • Principles regarding the land of Israel
  • God’s covenants with Israel and the ramifications for us
  • The return of the Lord

Here is all you need to know about the study, Why Israel Matters:

When:  11:00 am Sunday mornings, beginning June 3
Where: Room 209, CalvaryPHX Central Campus
Duration: 12 weeks
Cost: None
Nursery and Children’s Ministry are available for kids.
More info and Directions

Will you please do me a favor?  Come and bring a friend, or forward this information to those interested in this study.  It is my desire to see Christians excited about the Lord’s return, and preparing themselves for it.