The Lion Roars

By Bruce Raymond Calandro

The book explains how and why God forms the twelve tribes of Israel and what their significance is in the world today. They were sent home in 1948, only to discover that they barely had 50 percent of their promised land that was taken as a spoil by Moses and Joshua. Why do the Jews have to allow their enemies to occupy lands that rightfully belong to Israel?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642140842

Book preview

Israel is a curiosity and a wonderment to a new and modern world. The question is, Where did they come from and what is the source of their power? How could they be the Jews of old and have a leadership position in the Middle East today? Their rise into prominence began 1948, which is hardly time enough to reach the heights of glory that they enjoy today. It is fair to say, their enemies have grossly underestimated the stubborn tenacity of the modern Jew. They will never allow another nation to have control over their lives again. One thing they have learned is that their existence is in a do-or-die situation; mentally and emotionally, they are the strongest people on the earth.

Young people all around the world, and especially college students, are studying the way of Judaism, in hopes of having a greater understanding. Many non-Jews have adapted to the religion of Judaism. The Jewish influence in the world today has grown expeditiously. We no longer are able to consider the land of Israel to be the backward nation who needs our help. I believe, in some cases, Israel would be better off, if we would stay out of their business.

I agreed with President George W. Bush, to back away from Israel and let them take out key buildings in Gaza, where it was reported by Jewish intelligence that their enemies were in hiding. Fair warning was given to the people in that area, with the hopes of minimizing collateral damage. However, many chose to stay, perhaps to be martyrs for the greater glory of Allah. President George W. Bush declared to the world that Israel has the right to defend herself and was in favor of their proposed action. Many died, but some of their enemies were captured to be taken back to Israel to stand trial. Their endeavors proved to be fruitful.

Just as the tectonic plates of the earth vie for positioning, so man does likewise, grinding away on one another. There is a man coming, who will challenge all men of the earth. He will bow to the man, who is able to raise himself up, to be greater than he. The man coming will ride the white horse, which symbolizes peace, and declare to the world that he is the true Christ of the true God. He will sorely tempt the land of Israel because he will come with promises and convince the Jewish people that he is able to give them their hearts’ desires.

He is coming; from the fortified cities and from the fortress, even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. Not withstanding, the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell in it, for the fruit of their doing. Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, who dwell solitarily in the forest, in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bash-an and Gilead, as in the days of old. Accord to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous things. The nations shall see, and be confounded at all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth; their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent; they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth; they shall be afraid of the Lord, our God, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again; He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea, thou will perform the truth of Jacob, and the mercy of Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Be ready, and be prepared, you mighty nations, for the Lion roars. Empty your pockets, and cast your sins upon the waters of life. The God of your fathers has begun to open his arms once again. He is ready to show the nations his might and power. The Lion roars, and the handwriting is on the wall for all to see. God is ready to reveal himself through his people.

God has always showed mercy toward his people by sending prophets into their midst, warning them of things to come if they do not repent of their evil ways. Just as the rest of us, they too fall into the traps set by their enemies. It was never meant for the nation of Israel to be ruled over by any other God, except by the God of Abraham. The Temple of Solomon was and is the house of prayer for the world. A place where the weary can go and feel the presence of the true God, who created all living things. So one might ask Israel, "Why do you kill the messengers that God sends into your midst? Rather than display remorse, an unjustified quiescent is the attitude of the land.

God has always been able to instill his ways into the world, no matter how hard his enemies try to stop him. The evidence of God’s presence is overwhelming for those who look. It is not difficult to see the God of Abraham standing before the gate with an outstretched hand, repelling the enemies of Israel.

The lion stands on his hind legs and uses his tail as a rudder, swiping at the air, drooling with anger. It was never God’s intention to stand at the gateway of the glorious nation of Israel and block the way in. God has always wanted to express himself to the world, by way of the nation of Israel. He wants the world to see his justice and long-suffering, his mercy and his kindness that only he is capable of expressing in fullness. But what is God to do when all they have done is to provoke his anger? His anger shall run its true course until a full end. That, obviously, has been decided by the enemies of Israel. God has posted his holy angels of war, with swords drawn, to protect the rear. No one will be allowed to destroy God’s bride, who dwells on the earth.

The greatest power that has been given to mankind is the power of faith. Properly executed, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. There is a relatively small group of Jews—whom God calls his remnant and Satan has been trying to kill without success—who possess the quality of true faith. These are those who are linked directly to the bloodline of Abraham the faithful. It is in their DNA, to be strong people of faith. They are born with the faith of Abraham, and are not easily shaken. Alive, and well are they, in the land of Israel; teaching others how to use this great faith, that has been passed on by Father Abraham.

We, along with the Jewish people, serve a God of absoluteness. He never leaves anything to chance or loose ends. In the days of Jeremiah, he was the prophet between God and his people; King Nebuchadnezzar listened intently, with a great respect, to the words of the prophet concerning the fate of Israel. The king believed in the God of Daniel and the God of Jeremiah.

In that time period, God had three main complaints against his people. They not only disobeyed God at every turn but tainted God’s work in the land of milk and honey. These three complaints were made known unto Jeremiah so he would understand why God would prophesy against his own beloved people. God had walked the land, from corner to corner, from boundary to boundary, spreading his goodwill as he went. He wanted his people to enjoy the aura of a perfect peace, and the contentment of brotherly love throughout the land. Instead of giving praise unto God for the wonderful things that he has done; they took advantage of that aura of well-being and were lying, in the pristine atmosphere, of the grassy knolls, sinning with each other’s wives. The gentle breezes carried the stench of their sins to the nostrils of God.

The people were treating each other so treacherously that God could not find a place in the land to dwell. In order for God to live among his people, they would have to be on common ground with him, which they were not. Jeremiah was diligently walking the land, pleading with the people to repent of their sins and draw closer to God, for he knew that God would ultimately punish his people. They were openly worshipping the god Baal by burning incense on the rooftops of Jerusalem in his honor. As a result, they built altars up the sides of the valley of Jezreel, to sacrifice the children of God unto Baal with fire. Why would they defy God in such a manner? Which brings us to the main complaint: my people do not fear me. Without the healthy spirit of godly fear, the flesh tends to go awry. God was so upset that he commanded Jeremiah to cease praying for the people and to prophesy against them. You shall die by the sword, by the pestilence, and by the famine. This was an active curse that God had placed into the land, and it was meant for those who had sinned greatly against God. Now it was time for King Nebuchadnezzar to do his part for God.

The hand of God brought the king to the Holy Land not to destroy but rather to take the precious remnant who did not sin against God to a place of safety. Over a period of eleven years, the king took a total of 4,600 Jews to the safety of Babylon. This was not a punishment. The punishment was to stay in the land under the curse of God.

Jeremiah was confused as to what God was doing, so he questioned him, and God gave him an answer. I suggest that you read it for yourself and see the truth. Read chapter 24. The seventy-year captivity was designed by God to rid the land of Israel of the evilness before sending back the remnant, under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra the priest. It was under their leadership that the remnant was able to rebuild the city of Zion, the Temple of Solomon, along with the gates and the roads. Once again, the righteous needed to be unified in the true God of Israel. Unity is their true source of strength, which gives them a power that no other nation possesses.

Israel has not reached her true power as of yet but has been on the increase since 1948. In 1967, Egypt and Syria, along with their affiliates, attacked the Holy Land, with the intention of destroying Israel completely. Much to everyone’s surprise, Israel defeated her enemies in a relatively short time. They showed the world that they are not just sitting there ready to be preyed upon.

In September 1978, President Jimmy Carter invited both Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt to come to Camp David to hold a series of talks in the effort to bring peace to the two nations. Jimmy Carter knew eventually that the Jews would tire of the back-and-forth scrimmage, only to rise up and take them out of the way. The true fear would be that it could start a war in the Middle East. Mr. Carter worked very hard for several days before finally convincing both men to sign the peace treaty between their nations. As a result, things were going quite well until Anwar Sadat was assassinated. Attempts on the life of PM Begin also occurred. Because of the numerous factions that could have been involved, it is hard to say who might have staged this assassination.

Speaking of starting a war, the Temple of Solomon and the city of David must be restored to its former glory. There is no way that this can be avoided. The question is, by whom and when? Paul speaks of a man coming who might just be the one. The church refers to him as the antichrist. Anyone who is opposed to Christ is an antichrist; this man of whom Paul speaks of is much more than just one of antichrists of the world today. Paul calls him that man of sin, the son of perdition. Perdition, meaning eternal damnation, makes this man the son of Satan in the flesh and the house of his father. He will be unlike any leader that ever came before him.

This man will rule over all nations of the earth. This is where men of intelligence falter. They cannot fathom that statement, but no one has ever come up against the son of Satan. This man will have powers beyond all powers of men and be the offspring of the master illusionist of the universe. Jesus warned his people in his day when he said, I come in my father’s name, and you reject me, but there is one coming in his own name, and him you will receive. Jesus also warns his people that when they see this man standing in the holy of holies (the sacred chamber of the Temple of Solomon), take flight and run for your lives.

An interesting fact needs to be explained concerning the origin of the twelve tribes of Israel. Not only do the twelve sons of Jacob carry the blood of Abraham but also Syrian blood from the women’s side. The false messiah, whom Jesus says is coming, could be from Syria, and here is why: Isaac was sent to a far place by Abraham to acquire a wife from the house of Bethuel, a Syrian. The daughter of Bethuel, the Syrian, was Rebekah, who became the wife of Isaac. Together, a child was born unto them named Jacob. When Jacob was of age, his mother, Rebekah, sent him to find her brother, Laban, who had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. We all know the story of how Jacob was taken advantage of by Laban and ended up with the two sisters as his wives, plus their two handmaidens. It was these four women who gave twelve sons to Jacob—hence, the twelve tribes of Israel: (1) Reuben, (2) Simeon, (3) Levi, (4) Judah, (5) Issachar, (6) Zebulun, (7) Benjamin, (8) Dan, (9) Naphtali, (10) Gad, (11) Asher, and (12) Joseph. These men were the heads of the twelve tribes, which are alive and well in Israel today.

But because Israel would not receive the love of the truth, God has placed the nation in a sphere of spiritual blindness. When God says that it is time, the blindness, which is in part, shall be lifted.

Everything that happens on the world front, unfortunately, affects the nation of Israel, sometimes in a positive way but mostly in a negative way. This fairly new militant group that has risen up and call themselves ISIS is just but one more threat on the horizon that Israel might have to engage in warfare. And of course, we must not leave out Iran, who is a constant threat day after day. Somewhere around the eighth or the ninth of March 2016, Iran conducted some unauthorized missile testing, and the missiles were pointed at Israel, and on the sides of the missiles were the words written: All Jews must die! They have made perfectly clear what their intentions are. This is but another threat that may or may not cause Israel to respond in an aggressive manner. Iran has never gotten over Israel destroying their nuclear facilities for fear that the they might develop nuclear weaponry. The Jews were justified in their actions, but that is not the way Iran sees it.

Not all prophecy spoken in times past were meant for that time. For example, Jeremiah prophesied against Babylon in his time, which were not against the king, Nebuchadnezzar. Prophecy is progressive. The bottom line is simple: it is not wise to go against the nation of Israel and face their God. Saddam Hussein gave it no thought when he decided to send Scud missiles into Tel-Aviv and the holy city of Jerusalem. He activated the anger of the God of the Jews, and look what happened. George Bush Jr. (a servant of God) went after the sons of Saddam and a total of fifty-five of his family and killed them all, leaving Saddam alive and on the run. He was later found in a rat hole, full of lice, and taken to prison. It was not long after that he was murdered by one of his own. The king of Babylon in our time was killed and put in a grave.

As we look intently upon the horizons, we are able to see that great unifications are in the making, with the major religions of the world. For instance, the Roman Catholic Church would love nothing better if the Greek Orthodox would reunite with Rome, as in the days of old. That could happen since the heads of both sides have been talking; we just do not know what about. Somehow, the Islamic denominations appear to have a hand in these matters and also appeared to be on the verge of major changes. The answers to the many questions at hand have not made themselves clear as of yet. One thing we do know is that the main world religions must be one in order for that man of sin, the son of perdition, to rule effectively over the affairs of the earth. He must also have control over the political structures and the economy. What does all of this mean to the Jewish people? The Jews will never give up their goals or their religion of Judaism, for it is the core of their nation.

There is much to say about that tiny nation of Israel. Many have tried to destroy Israel but without success. It would not be right to continue on TK, with this introduction, without including some mention concerning God’s basement. Most people would say that they did not know that God had a basement. The basement of God is directly under the city of Jerusalem and spreads out to the city limits. There are literally hundreds of miles of chambers and catacombs that give a richness of life unto the basement. One can only wonder what might be there, no doubt; centuries of history. In AD 70, when the Jews knew that the Romans were amassing to destroy the temple and the city of David, the Levites went to work and did what they do best. They hid their entire culture under the city of Jerusalem. The young lions of Israel are ready to bring their culture out of hiding to flaunt it before the faces of their enemies. They want the splendor of the Temple of Solomon and the city of David to be restored as it once was in days past.

Several years ago, Arafat, the then leader of the Palestinians of Gaza, made a proposal to Shoron, the PM of Israel. He promised that the suicide bombings would disappear forever if the Jews would give him half of the holy city. I am sure that you know what came next. I quote, No way, no how, never. To take that deal would have given Arafat access to everything under the city. Not long after, Arafat died of natural causes. The Jews decided to wait and see if the bombings would cease or at least slow down, but they did not. They waited for a total of eighteen months; some of that time was before the death of Arafat. Israel decided that enough is enough and brought a portion of their army together to advance unto Gaza and blow up the buildings which housed the terrorists. Pres. George Bush Jr. did a good thing, by backing off the Jews, and declares to the world, that Israel bas the right to defend herself. He did not involve the United States. I am sure that the God of Israel appreciated the actions of George Bush Jr.

In 1972, President Nixon sent Henry Kissinger, secretary of state, to the lane of Israel, with orders to give the Jewish people whatever they need to win the war over their enemies of Egypt and Syria. The question is, what did Mr. Kissinger furnish? Tom Clancy, a writer and a producer of movies, believes the Jews were given a low-grade nuclear bomb that could be mounted beneath a wing of one of their jet fighters. It could be used as a deterrent against enemy ground troops, if necessary. Tom Clancy wrote a book on this subject entitled The Sum of All Fears. Later, it became a movie, produced by Tom Clancy. What if Mr. Kissinger gave to the Israelis more than a bomb? What secrets are hidden in God’s basement?

There is much speculation as to what power force might be out there in the world, which would be able to bring Israel down to her knees. The devil knows that, militarily speaking, Israel cannot be defeated. But there might be other ways of toppling the great nation of Israel. For instance, what would become of Israel if they decided to abandon the ways of their forefathers and incorporate a different religion within the confines of their nation?

I am in no way advocating that such a thing take place. For the strength of the Jews can be found in their unification of the belief of the God of their fathers. Some say that the God, the father of Jesus, cannot be in their land because of their unbelief of Jesus. That is not true! They believe that Jesus was born and walked among them as a true man of God, and they believe that he was a prophet, and many believe that he was able to heal the sick. So what is the problem? It is quite simple: Israel does not believe that the Jesus, who was hung on the cross, is their Messiah; they are waiting for him to come. That puts the devil’s foot in the door. No one will ever be able to take God’s wayward, unfaithful wife from his hands. Let us not forget that we serve a jealous God; the Jews more so than us.

As the world knows, the Catholic religion has been calling home those who have left the church; some have been gone for as long as thirty years. Many have answered the call and what I find to be of great interest is that many of the Jews of Judaism are answering the call, and becoming members of the Catholic Church. I have no judgmental thoughts whatsoever. But I am interested in the possibility of a future merger, which causes me to wonder what types of concessions would have to be made.

Jerusalem Online was the name of a late Saturday night program that was aired once a week from New York City. I loved that program because of the interesting guests and information disclosed. For instance, three young Jewish men claimed to be part of the committee to rebuild the Temple of Solomon, in all her exactness, and also raise the level of awareness among the Jewish people of the importance of the Temple of Solomon to live in the land of the Jews once again.

The information disclosed was astounding by these three men. They said they had everything needed to build the temple, including the plans to put the temple together, in the same manner as Solomon did. The only thing missing, they said, is where to put it. Of course, we all know where they want to build it, which would cause a war of untold proportions. The program was taken off the air soon after and was never brought back that I know of. It is no wonder that so many are after the control of the holy city of God, for the true treasures of Israel are not to be found in plain sight for all to see. What draws the other nations are the things that we do not see. To understand the Jews of today, we need to go back into their past and see how they began and how their relationship took root with the Creator.

The Weakness

The lion roars and appears to be strong, but there is a weakness that will be exploited. The evil one never misses an opportunity to further his cause. In fact, he will help to perpetuate that weakness that hangs around the necks of the Jewish people, like a noose ready to be tightened. Fear within the nation, if gone unchecked, would literally destroy the nation of Israel. Like a decay that slowly rots the fangs of the lion to weaken his abilities. The people know that if they show any signs of weakness, it could be detrimental to their position on the world scene.

For some unknown reason, no one really knows why, the Jews have in times past adapted to the religion of others and have incorporated said religion into their society. That could very well happen again within our own time frame of today. The question is, who would the enemy send to attempt such a thing? Would it be the Muslims? I think not. The Jewish people want nothing to do with them, and besides, many are converting over to Christianity. What we do not know is what form of Christianity the Muslims are adhering to. Are they twisting the Lord’s words to mean what suits them, or are they taking the word verbatim? One way brings the false Christ to light, and the other way brings the true Christ to light.

The young lions of Israel know well what must be accomplished in their land in order to safeguard their future. They must be well-knitted within their religion of Judaism. They cannot afford to forget their heritage, and the richness thereof. And of course, their military must show obvious signs of increasing might.

God has issued many warnings today and throughout history that he will deal with his wayward wife as he sees fit, and he does not need any help. Any nation that attempts to change the structure of Israel will be destroyed by the hand of God. There are many entities in the world today who would love to take a spoil and dominate the land of Israel. All I can say to those who carry that ambition within their hearts. Beware!

In the days ahead, we will see major changes in the structures of the religions of the world. They will bump and grind on one another, vying for position. The Catholic religion seems to be doing the most as far as promoting Christianity in Arab regions. As a result of the numerous cathedrals and dioceses being established with bishops intact; many Muslims who once favored the Islamic religion have converted over to Catholicism, claiming to be Christians.

There are many issues that need to be corrected before true evangelism of the Jews would be allowed to take root. The true Christ of God died for the sake of the church to become the chief cornerstone of the foundation. Christ is the head of the church, not Peter. To imagine that Christ would build the foundation of his church on the laurels of sinful man would be ludicrous at best. God is sending a strong and clear message to the Cathodes regarding his wife and the future supreme race of people who will be ruling over the affairs of the world. It is not wise to assume that the rulership of the world is going to be in the hands of common man. God will rule through his people, and it will not be the Catholics. Christ died for the sins of the world and not for any particular groups.

It may not appear so, but all things are right on schedule according to God’s plan. God plans to build a new Jerusalem, a spiritual Jerusalem, which will be structured in heaven by God and lowered down to the earth. But before he is able to dwell among men, sin must be totally gone from the earth; he is depending upon his son to accomplish this feat, during his one-thousand-year reign on earth.

All the believers in Christ around the world are eternally grateful that Mary obeyed God, concerning the virgin birth of Jesus, the Son of God. The true Son of God could not come into this world by way of sinful man; he had to come in clean and free of sin, untouched by man. On his mother’s side, he acquired his physical body, which was made to be a little lower than the angels, the same as the rest of us. On his Father’s side, he gained spirituality, which mankind had lost through sin. This is what gave Jesus the ability to be the peacemaker between God and man. The birth of Christ was and still is the peace offering given to man from God. God has declared the war between man and himself over. Jesus has the power to reconcile men unto God, and that is what the Lord is busy doing. We know that God is not our enemy, as we previously believed, due to the mighty works that are being done in the name of our Lord Jesus.

Mary, the flesh-and-blood mother to the flesh-and-bone son (Jesus), is not seated in heaven, as some would like to believe. If she lived a sinless life and was taken up into heaven, in our behalf, then why did Jesus, the Son of God, come and die for our sins? There is no amount of works that a man can do to earn a position in heaven, nor was there any amount of works that Mary could have done to earn a place in heaven, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus, not his mother of the flesh, is seated on the right hand of his Father, making intercession for all of mankind, including Mary. There is nothing she can do to help us. No person is able to come unto the Father except by way of Jesus.

He is our only hope and no one else. He is alive forever more and never will die again. His constant presence before his Father is a constant reminder of the bond of peace that Jesus has created between God the Father and all mankind. As far as Mary is concerned, when her work was finished, God returned her to her husband, Joseph, md she was richly blessed with her own family. As the days and the years went on, her love for her Savior grew and grew. We thank God for Mary, but she is not making personal appearances to the earth. We need to remember that we are dealing with an evil master of illusion. If we are weak in the knowledge of the word, he will put his foot in our door and try to trick us into believing lies. Entire religions have been built upon the concepts of the father of all lies. If he can cause us to believe in one lie, he can cause us to build upon that lie, which in essence sends us down the wrong track. This is the root of traditional teaching; unfortunately, it is prevalent in most of our churches of today not just in the USA but abroad as well. God declared war on traditional teaching during the ministry of Christ Jesus. This has been an ongoing problem throughout the years of the church.

God in three persons seems to confuse some churches. The mistake that they make is they try to change the meaning of the Trinity to fit their lack of understanding. Why do some churches try to make God one when he purposely became three persons for specific reasons? Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—he will become one when it is time. Now here is an example of how we get carried away with ourselves and travel down the wrong track. Attempting to make the Holy Trinity one person tends to cause us to say that Jesus is God, which is a falsehood. He never said that he was God. However, he did say on many occasions that he and his Father were one in agreement. In other words, he recognized that God the Father was and is greater than that of himself. His main interest is performing his Father’s will. By claiming Jesus to be God, we are giving him a body of flesh and blood, which he does not have, and then we take it a step further and say that Mary is the mother of God. God does not have a mother—he is above all and is all. But Jesus, the Son, did have an earthly mother, and she followed the will of God and was rewarded while still on the earth. Jesus slipped through the fingers of the enemy and managed to get himself put on the cross to die for the sins of mankind.

It seems that all the religions of the world have their peculiarities, and men of good conscience have decided to follow them. The peculiarities that I am speaking of are not founded in truth but rather have become a network of traditional teaching, which God hates.

This dangerous but seemingly harmless man whom Paul speaks of as being that man of sin, the son of perdition will come as predicted, who will be the son of Satan (the master illusionist). When he is released onto the world scene, the first thing he does is to wear the crown of kingship and ride his white horse across the horizons, claiming to be the Christ of the true God. He is going to accomplish that which many say cannot be done. He will unite the world in three major ways: one money system (economy), one military, and one religion. He will be referred to as Christ, the miracle man. It is the father of this man who created traditional teaching in the churches of God designed to prick the ears of men, who would rather believe in lies than to believe in the truth. For instance, the Baptists say Once saved always saved and also All things in moderation. I would like to know how a person can sin a little bit and not get caught up in it. There is no way control sin in one’s life. Either you live with sin or you do not. As far as traditional teaching goes, I believe that it is the enemy’s greatest weapon formed against the churches of today. Let us not forget what Jesus had to say of the power of the evil one: When you hear the word, Satan comes immediately to take the word from your heart, and replace it with lies.

The last supper was a very special time for Jesus. It was to be the last time that he would be with his closes friends, and he wanted them to remember this one night above all nights. He poured all a glass of wine, except for Judas, who had already left to perpetrate his dastardly act of betrayal, and he took bread, to break off equal portions, and gave them to his friends. He told them that the bread was symbolic of his flesh and for them to eat. Likewise, he said that the wine was symbolic of his blood and for them to drink. They did eat, and they did drink. It was then that they realized how serious their situation had become. Because of the rashness of that act, his disciples had never forgotten that night, thereby never forgetting him.

This is the night that Jesus came to fulfill to make that bond with mankind. Unfortunately, men have made an abomination of the true meaning of the ritual. Men compete with one another to see who is worthy to take the Communion. All believers should take Communion, except those who have the heart and mind of Judas. That is why you should examine yourself and be sure that you are for Christ and not an advocate of the ways of the world.

The Pentecostal people, on the other hand, believe in aggressive worship of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus left behind for us to use in the churches. They missed the boat on that one. The Holy Spirit was given as a gift unto the churches of Christ—that is, to those who truly believe in him. We are to be shaped and be formed into the image of the only perfect man who ever lived on the earth. Jesus left his spirit behind to do a work in us. That spirit is to find rest in the bodies of the church members, not confusion and craziness. Jesus was a man of peace and tranquility. His spirit will gently work in us, if we allow it. Men and women being reared up in the aura of his luminous radiation is what the churches are to evolve into. It was never meant for the churches to worship or pray to the Holy Spirit, and yet many have structured entire religions around a false conception of the true spirit of Christ. We are not to take the Holy Spirit out of his contiguous setting, making a mockery of his true purpose. He does not rain on people, nor does he fall like a mist. He is on the inside, in the minds and heart of believers. He does not cause craziness in the flesh that they seem to enjoy as they are jumping from branch to branch, like a pack of monkeys in a tree, nor does he cause people to flop around on the floor, like fish out of water, spouting unintelligent noises and calling it speaking in tongues. That is not the gift that was given at Pentecost. I suggest that you reread the events that occurred on that great day (Acts 2:1–21).

It turned out to be a tremendous witness unto the unsaved. The Holy Spirit is designed to enhance the life and times of the ministry of Jesus Christ for promotional reasons. We must be ever so mindful to praise, and give honor to God as the gift giver, rather than to worship the gift.

Way back in my teenage years, I knew of an elderly chap and his wife who retired from their jobs at the same time. But their love for the things of Christ was stronger than ever, and they knew that the Lord was about to call them to service, even though they had been acting servants in the First Baptist Church of El Monte, California. When in the service of the Lord, there is no such thing as retirement. Now that they had more time, they prayed unto the Lord to lead them into a greater ministry than they have ever known before. It was now time to talk to the deacons and the pastor, Dr. Smith. The Lord had convicted their hearts to take into the back alleys tracts to hand out and to preach the gospel to the poor and the downtrodden. Much to their amazement, they discovered that most of the people living in the back alleys were people of their age who never quite made it. The church liked the idea and agreed to help in any way they could in order to cause the program to be a success. The groundwork had begun. City maps had to be obtained, and the places where they would go had to be determined. So they visited other workers in the field, in order to receive a greater understanding of what they would have to do to have an impact on this grave situation.

The chap’s wife could see that once they begin this ministry, they will be doing nothing else, so she proposed to her husband that before they step into their called ministry, they should take the long-awaited vacation of their dreams. She always wanted to visit old Mexico and see their art.

Once they were off the plane and deep into the culture of Mexico, the two of them acquired a modest rental car and decided to browse throughout the local shops to get a feel for the country. It was a warm day but breezy. The excitement level was high with the wife, and she knew that the two of them would have a great time.

As they were parking the car, she noticed a man of age was hailing them from the other side of the street. Now, her friends had told her of the locals who try to make a few dollars from the tourists by offering to watch their car while they go shopping. For the most part, you can trust them, if you go to the tourist sections of Mexico. The man suddenly appeared in front of the husband before he could let his wife out of the car; sure enough, he wanted a watcher’s fee to tend to the car while they shopped. So she rolled the window down, knowing that this would take a few minutes, for her husband never missed an opportunity to witness the saving grace of the Son of God. She knew to stay quiet and to stay back and let her husband do his work. So she just listened. After about twenty minutes, the gentleman began to weep and took some tracts to hurry home and tell his family what had happened on the streets of Mexico.

The wife was slightly indignant and greatly amazed. She asked him how long they had been married. And he told her, Fifty-three years.

You mean, after all this time, you never once told me that you could speak fluent Spanish?

At first he believed, that she was kidding, but soon saw that she was not. They just looked at each other, holding their mouths open, as they soaked in what had happened. The Holy Spirit of God had given the gift of tongues, the cloven tongue of fire, just as he did at Pentecost. The women’s husband spoke the gospel in his understanding, and the hearer received it in his understanding, and none was the wiser. I find it ironic that their first saved soul came by way of the gift of tongues in a foreign land. This gift has been so abused over the decades that I do not believe that anyone really knows the true meaning of the gift. It is all about understanding the gospel, no matter what tongue speaks it. Did Jesus speak by way of the gift when he traveled to areas that spoke in different tongues? If he had, who would have known?

I have many friends, in the section of northern New Mexico, where I reside. They respect me as I do them, even though our religious beliefs differ greatly. I am speaking of my dear friends, the Jehovah Witnesses. They are people of great courage, and I give them credit for going to the homes of those who criticize and make fun of them. They truly believe that there is a need among the people to discuss the word of God and to find that place of agreement. It is a wonderful thing that they do, but they need to drop that which is not true. Sharing the word with others is what our Lord Jesus has commanded of all who believe in him. But taking special occurrences that have not yet taken place is not for us to claim. I am speaking of the 144,000 elite Jews whom God will use to give the world that is under his wrath, one last chance to accept the love of the truth and to believe in his Son. These special people will go into the world, with the gospel of Christ, defying the earthly rule of that man of sin, the son of perdition. He will wage war against the fruit of the 144,000 elite—twelve thousand Jews from each of the twelve tribes of Jacob.

Whatever is to take place in the future has nothing to do with the church (the body of Christ) of today. It is never a good idea to rearrange God’s word to suit ourselves, and yet man continues to do so. If it were not for his long-term patience, the world would most diffidently be under his unquenchable anger. We need to get a good solid foothold in the truth and dispense it into itchy ears.

The Shiites, a member of the Shia sect, one of the two branches of Islam, seem to have a natural acquired hatred for the Jewish people, and of course, their beliefs are far apart. The Shiites (shee-ites) and the Sunnites (soon-ites) broke free of the main Muslim body of the Islamic religion. The members of the sects adhere to the leadership of the caliphs (kay-lifs), who are the chief civil and religious rulers in some Muslim countries.

One of the rituals that they perform is to designate the right time to enter in the ritual of self-punishment, in the hopes that it will please their God, whom they call Allah. The participants gather together with short pieces of chain and begin to beat on their own backs with tremendous fervor. The younger ones seem to survive the ordeal, but many die trying to please Allah for their failures in this life. Once the time is up for self-punishment, and the areas are cleaned, the onlookers of the Muslim faith go into the arenas and search for rocks and stones that are bloodstained. These stones are considered to be holy and are taken into their homes, in the hopes that Allah will bless their households.

I thank my God that he sent his Son into the world to take my punishment upon his back. He took the anger of his Father that was once directed at us and took it to the pit of hell to put it to death once and for all.

We have the religion of Judaism, which is the heart and soul of the Jewish people. In the wilderness, while fleeing from Egyptian rule, they paid tribute to the gods of Egypt and danced around the golden calf, and that was because they were restless and tired of waiting for Moses to return from meeting with God on the sacred mountain. It was this act of disobedience that gave birth to Judaism, the core and fiber of the Jewish nation of today. The law was designed by God and given to the people by way of Moses. The law is so tightly woven that no man is able to keep it in its entirety. The Jews believe that the only way to draw close to God is to honor him with keeping his laws. However, there has been only one man in all of history that has managed to keep the law of God to the letter, and he agreed to represent those who cannot, but he has been rejected and is not part of their religion.

A nation of their own, they became. Moving from place to place for forty years took its toll on the people and did stress them. They were fearful for their children but believed that God would honor his promise and give to the children the land of milk and honey, which they were hasty to throw away by disobedience unto God. We need to take the journey and see for ourselves how God formed the nation of Israel throughout countless years of interaction between the God of Moses and the people of Abraham. I believe that it begins with the tent in the wilderness.

In the scope of things, the movement of the Jews to become an independent nation or religious community in Palestine is called Zionism. Zion is the name given to the Jewish homeland as a symbol of Judaism, or of Jewish national aspiration, believed to be heaven or utopia. Mount Zion is held in the deepest regard by the Jewish people and is most holy. This movement was founded in 1897, with the sole purpose of establishing their territorial boundaries, which is the nation of Israel today. It seems apparent that as long as the Jewish people maintain their strong belief in the God of Moses and stand on the promises that were given to King David, there is no nation on the face of the earth that will be able to uproot the Jewish people of the state of Israel. What God has established shall remain. Amen!

THE TENT

For forty years, the tent instilled fear into people of the lands. Spies were sent into the nest to watch the Jewish people and to report back whatever information they had, concerning where the tent was heading. The people of the other lands, did not know that the Jewish people were not allowed to enter into the promised land until the next generation because of their sins against God. They were not to go into the land for forty years. Contrary to popular belief, they did not wander aimlessly throughout the wilderness They had a guide, and his name was Moses. He directed the people as God directed him. Many things had to be put into place to prepare the next generation for God. Many were being born while they traveled from area to area. God was not going to take an entire nation of disobedient sinners into a new land, where God would not be able to dwell among them. The forty years was not so much a punishment but rather a time period that God would use to raise up a people who would obey and believe in him.

It is in the sands of time that men have tried to bury the truth of God. When are we going to learn that the truth cannot be hidden? God always sends someone to dig up the past and expose the past for everyone to see and learn that God will not go quietly into the sunset. The sands of time will forever hang around our necks, slowly bringing us down to an acceptable level of humbleness. There is not one iota of truth buried in the sands of time that will not be exposed. We have sped up our lives in an attempt to leave our shame in the wake of the dust of time. The whole body, in the great shame of our nakedness, lives on wearing blinders. We invent other ideas of how life should be and then hide behind them, as if God cannot see us. The truth has a life of its own. Ever seeking, searching the minds and hearts of men. We think we can hide behind the fig leaf and not be seen. But God sees us as we are and bids us to come as we are through the outstretched arms of his Son. He is appealing to the people of the scared sands of today, just as he did in the days of Moses. The cold reality of the truth must be explored by all.

God had many things that had to be established among his people before the entering in the promised land. God called for Moses to come up and bring Aaron, with two of his sons and also seventy elders of Israel, to worship from afar. Moses was to come near unto the Lord, but no one else. The masses were told they could surround the base of the mount and no further. God wanted them there to hear his voice as he spoke with Moses. This was real, and he wanted the people to understand that. Moses had not yet ascended the mount. He returned to the people and told them all the ordinances, that God expected them to follow, and all the people answered with one voice, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. Moses wrote all the words of the Lord and rose up early in the morning and built an altar under the hill, as well as twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Moses gathered young men of Israel, to sacrifice oxen for a peace offering. Moses took half of the blood and put it into basins, sprinkled the other half onto the altar, and took the written word of the covenant and read it to the people, and they said, All that the Lord had said will we do, and be obedient. Moses took the blood from the basins and sprinkled the people, sealing the bond between God and the people of Israel. Then Moses went up the Mount with Aaron, two of his sons, and the seventy elders to see God.

As they went up, they saw, under the feet of God, a paved work of a sapphire stone, which represented the body of heaven in its clearness. So the people who were with Moses, as they looked up to the top of the mount, saw God, who was in the cloud. They stopped to rest and eat, and as they did, God spoke from the cloud and told Moses to come from that point, and he would give him the laws and the commandments for him to teach the people. Moses rose up with his servant (Joshua) to finish the climb to the cloud at the very top. He told the rest to stay where they were on the mount and to make sure that none of the people went past that point. If any of the people of Israel had a matter to deal with, they were to send someone or some people to the elders, Aaron, or his sons on the mount but go no further. It does not say, but they were probably about halfway up: And Moses went up into the Mount, and a cloud covered the Mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered six days; and in the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the Mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and got up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

It’s a wonderment why the affairs of the newly formed Israel would take a span of time of forty days. There was much to be done.

The foundation and relationship between God and his people had to be established with this generation, in order for next generation to be prepared and spiritually fit to enter in to the promised land. It will take great faith on the people’s part to go in and face the other races and trust that God will remove them out of their path. The children will have to learn to walk by faith and not by sight. It will take a mighty people believing in a mighty God. The training begins with the ones under the care of Moses and will continue throughout the centuries, generation after generation, until they reach their final destiny, as the leaders of the nations of the earth, the lamps unto the worlds.

Moses being on the mount, was much more than just receiving the law. God would have rather gone a different way since it is in man’s nature to break the written law as soon as he knows what it is. God wanted then, as he does now, for man to follow the law that is written in his heart: for all people to love one another, do no harm to one another, and worship the same God. He never wanted to issue a written law throughout the land, just to show the people that they cannot keep it. The law is designed for the follower of it to fail. God wants to dwell in their hearts in the form kindness and mercy and love toward one another and for us to be happy in the Lord God and to be a true family based in love. How was God going to instill a spirit into the people that would cause them to want to be rooted into their God? God spent most of those forty days and forty nights imprinting images, ideas, and pictures into the mind and heart of Moses so he would have a blueprint of what God wanted to accomplish among his children. When God meets alone with a man, with whom he speaks truths, it’s usually for the purpose of holding a classroom. If God is able to just educate one man to his truth, to his will, to his ways of righteousness, he is able to fill that man with his Holy Spirit and send him to other men to bring them in to that same realm of understanding and knowledge and to uphold that spirit, causing the spirit to spread throughout the people. God always works through a single man whom he puts his trust in to reach others. If that were not so, he would have not sent his Son into the world, to reach so many.

God gave to Moses a mental image of offerings that he wanted from the people, of a giving heart only, and these offerings were to be the building blocks that would be used for the construction of the tabernacle for the focal point of the Jews—a place where God and man would be able to come together in peace, to enjoy one and another, and to have neutral ground for a meaningful relationship. It had to be done from the heart, not in a mechanical way.

And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, silver, and bronze. And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair. And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and acacia wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. If the people build this sanctuary from their heart, according to the image that God etched in to the mind of Moses, God will show up and occupy to be with his beloved people. Sometimes we, as people, forget that God is not a man of flesh. He is love, light, and spirit. In his Son, Jesus, he was love, light, and spirit. God is not flesh. We must worship him in truth and not as a man. He is not limited as we are. We are bound by the ways of the body of flesh. As sinners, we sin. One came and paid the price for all who are willing to accept that. Our pride gets in the way. God knew that at the time while he was setting a standard. The innocent will pay for the guilty. God set in motion, with his people, that innocent blood shall be shed for the remission of sin, thus the shedding of the blood of a lamb of purity. When Jesus was yet far off, on his way to be baptized by John the Baptist, he said with a loud voice, Behold, the lamb of God. As a lamb of purity, he shed his blood