About The Author

Rabbi Felix Halpern was born in Holland and immigrated to the United States as a young boy where he came to the knowledge of his Messiah in his twenties.  The Bible reveals that it was not until Moses was in his mid-forties that he saw the affliction of his fellow Israelites (Exodus 2:11); it was also not until his mid-forties that Rabbi Halpern encountered the spiritual state of his own people in a life altering way.

Prior to full- time ministry, Rabbi Halpern established a successful career in the precious metals and diamond industry located in the heart of the International Diamond Center of New York City. Having spent more than two decades in this industry, working with the Orthodox and Hassidic Jewish communities, he knows well the heart of the Jewish people.  In obedience to the Lord, he left a very lucrative and successful career in the diamond and gold business and put into liquidation their savings and retirement monies to follow the direction of the Lord, and to live by faith.

God’s testimony of sufficiency and provision has become a powerful testimony to many today.  Rabbi Halpern now ministers throughout the body of Yeshua on the Jewish roots of New Covenant Faith, teaching with a strong emphasis on the election of Israel and theunique role of the church in the end-times.  Currently, he serves as President of the National Jewish Fellowship, as well as on the International Board of Ethnicity for the Assemblies of God.  He also serves on advisory board for the Joseph Project an international aid organization, and served on the board of Lost Lamb Evangelistic Association.

Rabbi Halpern’s Descendents and The Holocaust

The USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, established by Steven Spielberg, taped a story for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum library, which included the testimony of Rabbi Halpern’s father Burt Halpern and grandfather Rabbi Felix Halpern, who was an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi of a synagogue in Germany.

The film also shares his father’s story—one of survival as an Orthodox Jewish boy escaping Nazi-occupied Germany through the heroic efforts of the Dutch underground to save him. The film is a poignant picture and testimony to the millions of Jews whose lives were forever altered, and subsequent generations that were blighted from history.  Rabbi Halpern’s maternal side claims a heritage of resistance against the Nazis. This was chronicled in a book authored by his mother, Susan Stroomenbergh-Halpern, entitled Memoirs of the War Years: The Netherlands, 1940– 1945: A Christian Perspective. It is the story of a Dutch family’s valiant efforts in launching a resistance movement against the Nazis on behalf of the Jewish people.

Those efforts were recognized on December 22, 1997 at the Righteous Among the Nations Ceremony held at the Israeli Embassy in New York by Consul General Colette Avital. Medals and documents were given to memorialize the sacrifices of Rabbi Halpern’s mother and maternal grandparents.

A MESSIANIC PERSPECTIVE:  “JOHN, ELIJAH & THE KINGDOM”

In this study, we cast light on John the Baptist (Yochanan) and his relationship to Elijah and the Kingdom that was breaking onto the earth upon his coming.  Hellenistic thinking has long obscured John, as well as the Messianic day that was dawning on the nation of Israel, the hour of Judaism’s fulfillment.

Over 35 years of knowing my Messiah, Bible College and years of hearing sermons and sitting under many teachers. John is rarely given increased attention or becomes the topic of preaching. Certainly, it can be due to the deserved attention of his cousin Yeshua.  But more likely, it comes from the systematic sanitizing of Jewish-ness from the New Testament.

We will take John out of the Roman citadel if you will, also the traditional Christian view, in order to find a deeply Jewish man who knew the hour that had dawned on his people Israel.  John did not come merely to baptize gentiles into Christianity, nor was he the innovator of baptism, or the herald of Christianity; and he was not Catholic as some presume. John was with the L-rd in Glory long before the start of the New Testament Church, the Church as we know it and see it, was not even conceptualized in John’s mind.

John’s baptism through immersion was a Jewish practice called mikvah (Hebrew for Baptism). Where John was influenced in its particular administration, scholars are unsure.  He may have been a member of the Essenes in the Qumran community at some point.  The Essenes practiced immersion individually and daily, these were “Mikvah Practitioners” called tovelei shaharit or “dawn bathers”.  Other Jewish groups also observed immersion to ensure their readiness for the coming of the Messiah.  Even today, Mikvah is administered in the Jewish faith to anyone undergoing ritual bath, women following menstruation, childbirth, men seeking to achieve ritual purity, gentiles converting to Judaism.

The point is, baptism through immersion was a common practice, and for this reason John is not questioned about the practice; only in “whose name are you baptizing.”  One can see this in Paul’s writings to the Corinthians:   “Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized
anyone else”.  I Corinthians 1:13–16 (NIV).

His Birth and Coming

When John began his public life, no prophet had been heard from for four hundred years, Malachi being the last.  He came forth at the end of the Old Covenant period when the new Covenant period was about to be begin.  His father Zechariah, was from the priestly line of Abia or Abijah (1 Chronicles 24:10), his mother Elizabeth, one of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5). Luke reveals, that John’s father when filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied not only of their long awaited Messiah, but also his son John (1:67-59).

To view John correctly, one must see him through 2000 years of Jewish history that was reaching its climactic point.  As a woman in labor; the time was bursting with Messianic expectation.  Rav Shaul says; “But when the time had fully come, G-d sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the laws, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-50).

In John’s day, the Jewish people had slipped into a state of hopelessness and turning against G-d; Malachi writes; “you have said harsh things against me, “says the L-rd.” And during this time of silence there were false Messiah’s as Judah Macabee who left the people vanquished of all hope. But silence does not indicate inactivity; Alexander the Great came into power and reigned from 356-323 BC. From him, the Greek culture gave rise to an international language, Greek, for the Gospel to be proclaimed to the nations.  Greek culture permeated the arts, architecture, literature, and the sciences. Torah scrolls were translated into Greek.

This article is excerpted from the forthcoming book Rebuilding the Ancient Ruins Jew & Gentile: “Two Destinies that are Forever Linked” by Rabbi Felix Halpern Due out in Spring 2010.  To continue reading click here to see the entire article in pdf format.

]]> http://bluethreadministriesintl.org/2010/03/guest-author-felix-halpern/feed/ 0 http://bluethreadministriesintl.org/2009/10/guest-author-rev-randall-rogers/ http://bluethreadministriesintl.org/2009/10/guest-author-rev-randall-rogers/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:37:08 +0000 Rabbi Cliff A. Maynard http://bluethreadministriesintl.org/?p=287 I am so very pleased and honored to introduce you to our Guest Author for this month!

Reverend Randall Rogers is the Secretary Treasurer of the North Carolina District of the Assemblies of G-d.  Brother Rogers has served as Pastor, Mentor, Counselor and friend to the ministers and body of the North Carolina District of the Assemblies of G-d for many years.

I personally have been the recipient of his kindness, wisdom and counsel on many occasions.  His demeanor and service to the Kingdom of G-d is a reflection of a life filled with the Holy Spirit and Christ like character.

It is my prayer that Adonai bless brother Rogers for his commitment to the ministry and reward him for the kindness he has shown me through the years.  I know you will be blessed as you read his article and apply the principles it contains to your everyday walk with Yeshua.

Baruch Hashem!

Rabbi Cliff A. Maynard

For a PDF Download of this article CLICK HERE

The Spirit’s Consuming Fire

By Reverend Randall Rogers

Leviticus 6 describes what G-d requires regarding the burnt offering.  The passage is symbolic concerning the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and our priestly responsibilities to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning within us.  The New Testament parallel application is the importance of living a Spirit filled life.  The command to continuously keep the fire burning was repeated often in this short passage.  The New Testament verbiage is “be filled with the Spirit.”  The fire must never go out!

Fire is one of the most powerful symbols of the Holy Spirit.  It is powerful because of the awesome consuming power of fire and the tremendous energy a fire generates.  The recent fires in California remind us that fire is a power to be reckoned with when fueled by dry wood and wind.  Fire has power to consume almost anything in its path as it engulfs acre by acre.  Fire is also symbolic of energy and excitement.  And, fire draws a crowd.

The Spirit’s fire will consume sin in our lives and, in turn, usher in the freshness of new life as we surrender to Him.  It is the Spirit of G-d who brings life and enthusiasm, and when that fire is not burning in us, we are marked by spiritual death.  When John the Baptist prophesied of the coming Messiah, he declared,   Luke 3:16 (New International Version) I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This prophesy was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:1-4 (New International Version):   1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

How sad to see a life once ablaze with the glory of G-d becoming depleted of the luster of the Spirit!  To live a victorious Christian life, we must take heed to the command of Leviticus, “The fire must remain burning on the altar, it must never go out!”  The question is, “How do we keep that fire burning?”  There are demands of the fire if it remains ablaze.

1.    The Fire Must Remain Burning all Night

Leviticus 6:8 The L-RD said to Moses: 9 Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.’ This meant some of the priests were assigned third shift work.  While in college I worked third shift at a Post Office and came to understand quickly why it was called the graveyard shift.  Some of the priests were assigned the arduous responsibility to stay up all night and make sure the fire did not go out.  That was surely a grueling work assignment that demanded alertness and commitment.

What are the experiences in our life that would represent this nighttime requirement?  There are periods of time we all face that can easily fall under this symbolism.  These times may include unemployment, loss of 401K’s, illness, accidents, divorce, or a myriad of other things that make us feel the light has gone out of our lives and darkness has settled in to stay.  The nighttime experiences are the most challenging times for keeping the fire of the Holy Spirit burning brightly in our lives.  The fire always demands attention, but it demands special attention during the night.  As priests of G-d in the New Testament sense, we have the responsibility to make sure the fire never smothers.  Keeping our vessels full of oil during the night is a challenge common to all.  Morning will come.  Psalm 30:5 (New International Version) For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

2.  The Burden of the Ashes

Leviticus 6 continues; 10 The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11 Then he is to take off these clothes and put on others, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean. 12 The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out.

A wood burning fireplace is really enjoyable, especially this time of year when the fall air is chilly.  On a cool autumn day, sitting in a recliner beside a fireplace enjoying a great football game is a super way to relax.  However, one problem with a fireplace is the ashes—the dirty, smelly, musty, filthy, dusty ashes.  If one could only find wood that would burn up completely without leaving ashes!  The ashes are the “stuff” the fire does not consume.  There would be no ashes if the fire could only burn it all away and leave nothing behind.

The one thing that the fire of the Spirit does not consume when we bring our sins to the altar is our memories.  The fire of G-d’s Holy Spirit consumes the wood, hay, and stubble, but our minds remember the past.  The problem with the ashes of our memory is that we have a difficult time forgiving others who have wronged us, forgiving ourselves for foolish mistakes, and we end up carrying around accumulated ashes of sorrow and bitterness.

For a fire to continue to burn, one must deal with the ashes.  A way to put out the flames is to cover the fire with ashes.  In a similar way, roots of bitterness can grow in our lives until the fire of the Spirit no longer burns.  In order to keep the fire burning, one of our priestly functions is to carry out the ashes.  We must learn the freedom that comes when we learn to forgive ourselves and to forgive others.  It is important to regularly make sure the ashes have been cleaned from the fire box of our mind.  Isaiah 61:3 (New International Version)  3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called mighty oaks, a planting of the L-RD for the display of his splendor.

3.    The Requirements of the Fire

Leviticus 6:12 continues; Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. 13 The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
Fire demands fuel; therefore, the priests had to supply the wood every morning.  Chopping wood was hard work, but it was required to keep the fire burning.  The sacrifices had to be prepared and laid on the altar.  Preparation was a necessary part of the burnt offering.

The fire of the Spirit in our lives does not burn without fuel.  The fuel of the Spirit is a surrendered life in the form of a living sacrifice.  It is demanding to keep a regular time of Bible reading and prayer.  It is effort to keep our attitudes in check and our bodies surrendered to G-d.  But that is the fuel needed to keep the fire burning.  We offer him the dry wood of our surrendered life fanned by the wind of the Spirit, and the fire rages on.

Remember the admonition of Peter:  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for G-d’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.  1 Peter 2:9

By Randall S. Rogers, D.Min.

Secretary-Treasurer
North Carolina District Council
of the Assemblies of G-d

Dear Friends of Blue Thread Ministries International, we are excited to present to all of you, our first Guest Author, Pastor William Shuffler!  Pastor Shuffler is a great man of G-d, with over 50 years as a minister of the Gospel.

He has served the body of Christ as Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. He is a spiritual father to me and many others. Without his love, encouragement, kindness and life example, I would not be a minister of the Gospel today.  He is a friend and  blessing to Blue Thread Ministries International, we are honored to host his article on our website.

Baruch Hashem!

Rabbi Cliff A. Maynard

For a PDF Download of this article CLICK HERE

NO PEACE?

BY REV. WILLIAM SHUFFLER

THE SOURCE OF OUR DILEMMA

To get an understanding of the reasons we have no peace I feel we must go back to the very beginning.

The Bible tells us in the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth.  After He created the Heavens and the earth, He made a beautiful garden and called it Eden.  In this garden He created Man and Woman and placed them in charge of all his creation.

After having ended all His work, G-d looked upon it, “And G-d saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was VERY GOOD, And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”  (Gen. 1:31)

Nowhere in the Bible can I find a place here G-d did not literally mean just that; that everything that He made was “VERY GOOD”.  I cannot find anywhere that Adam was created with any physical defect, nor suffered from any sicknesses as a resident of the garden.  I cannot read that Eve had a sick day in her life in the garden.

What I am coming to is this; there were no wars going on in the garden, there were no sickness, no disease until Sin entered the garden. There was peace, freedom from strife and complete harmony.  All was Quiet, Calm, and Secure.

So the source of our dilemma did come from G-d!  For we are reminded in James 1:17, “Every good and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

G-d then, created man and woman in His own image and placed them in the beautiful garden to live in peace and happiness, and in fellowship with Him.   There was one thing, however that G-d required of them if they were to maintain this status in PARADISE.  He had a law and if they sinned by transgressing this law they would have to pay a penalty for their sin.  “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4b)  “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a)

The enemy of G-d and Man, Satan that was cast out of heaven is very angry and the Bible says this of him: “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!  For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth he hath but a short time.”  Revelations 12:12b) So G-d’s law to man was that he should be obedient to his Creator and walk in fellowship with Him always.  But this enemy of G-d and man’s soul knew the law of G-d and prevailed upon his creation to disobey G-d’s law and by doing so incurred the penalty of that la of sin.  “The soul that sinneth shall surly die.”

As we well know Adam and Eve did not die physically immediately as a result of this sin, but at that moment their fellowship with G-d and their pure innocence with Him was broken and in the end they would face physical death.

The entrance then of sin in the garden brought the penalty of sin upon the occupants there and they were punished by removal from the paradise garden and condemned to die. Along with this expulsion from the garden came all the problems we face today:  war, strife, murder, sickness and disease of all kinds, disobedience to G-d’s laws, rejection of law and order and of respect of man. This then are some of the many causes of the dilemma that we are faced with today.

Where do we turn to find solutions to these problems?  In G-d’s Word!  Keep reading!

The Bible tells us that “as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.”  (Romans 5:12)

From the preceding chapter you see where sin, fear and disease come from and why they are in the world today.  But “G-d is love,” the Bible  in First John 4:8.  He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)  His Word says, “I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth.”  (Ezek. 18:32).  No of course not.

Has He not created man in  “His own image?”  (Gen. 1:26).  Did not G-d come down in the cool of the day and walk with man in the garden in fellowship?  Did He not create man for this purpose?  (Gen. 3:8)  Had He not made everything on the face of the earth and saw that it was ,”VERY GOOD” AND THAT MAN WAS ONE OF HIS CREATURES?

No.  There was no  pleasure in His creation falling prey to our arch enemy, Satan,  G-d’s heart was pierced.  But G-d was not  taken by surprise, for He had a plan from the beginning.   He let us know that back in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed;  it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his  heel.”  His plan was to send the only sin free individual; that being His only Son, Jesus Christ, who in Ephesians one verse five, the Living Bible, ” His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. AND HE DID THIS BECAUSE HE WANTED TO.” How great is our G-d!

Long  before the L-rd Jesus Christ lived on the earth,  He was set apart as the Lamb of G-d.   In John 1:36 we read, “and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he (John) said,  “Behold the Lamb of G-d.”   Jesus was predestined to be the Lamb, slain for our sins before the creation of the heavens and the earth.  (See I Peter 1: 19-20)   Gd decided on the regeneration of man before He made man.  G-d laid the foundation for our Spiritual Birth before you were Naturally born.  This is the facts of the Bible.  The Apostle Peter wrote, “REDEEMED ….WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, AS OF A LAMB WITHOUT BLEMISH AND WITHOUT SPOT:  WHO VERILY WAS FORORDAINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD.”

That the L-rd  Jesus should be the Lamb of G-d was NO AFTER THOUGHT with G-d,  our Father.  He was and is the Lamb by predestination.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1: 4 & 5, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the pleasure of HIS will.

The Living Bible records it this way,  “Long ago, before He made the world,  G-d chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us;  He decided then to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault-we who stand before Him covered with His love.”

Isn’t it wonderful to know that our salvation was not just and emergency act by G-d, Our Father;  but that He  had already  made a plan to redeem us from our enemy, the devil, even before He made the heavens and the earth; even before He made man!  I’ll tell you, I am so very thankful to our Heavenly Father, who thought enough of us, you and me……to provide for us before an crises came.  AMEN!

There was  an event in my life, as a backslider, out on the Sea of Japan, about to make and amphibious landing on the shore of Korea. A storm had been raging, moving tables and chair around the deck. In spite of the physical storm raging, there was something going on in my spirit.  LOOK AT THIS, I am on the other side of the world from my home,  but G-d knew where I was, not only physically but spiritually as well. He was reaching out to this old country boy, maybe for the last time.  We were expecting to fight our way on to the beach. No one could tell me what the next few hours , days or months would bring into my life.  War was out there!  Death lurked behind every ditch, every building, around every bend of the road, or beneath every bridge.  I had an urgent need that day in July 1950. And G-d had an answer.  He spoke to my heart and let me know that without Him. I might not have a future.  But, thanks be to G-d, He let me know who held my future.  My future was in His hands. PRAISE BE TO HIM! MY FUTURE WAS NOT IN THE HANDS OF THE COMMANDERS OF THE ARMY I WAS A MEMBER OF.  In fact, it was not in the hands of the enemy I would face. But again it was in His (G-d’s ) hands.  And my friends, let me remind you, When Jesus went to the cross for man’s sins, He had you on His mind.  That July day in 1950 could have been my last act on this earth, but instead He was calling me to return to Him.  That day I took advantage of his Saving Grace and returned to His loving arms to stay, and there I stand to this day and don’t intend to ever change.

It is a tremendous statement, but it is BIBLE TRUTH, that the L-rd Jesus Christ was the Lamb of G-d from all eternity; that G-d foresaw the need of atonement and that He planned the whole scheme of human redemption  before He even created man. and again, my friend, before you were born, He had you on His mind.

No! G-d did not plan a life of sin, sickness or disease for you.  His law was broken when our Forefather and Mother, Adam and Eve disobeyed G-d’s command to them and brought sin upon each of us at our birth. BUT G-D had a plan, a plan to redeem you and I from “THE CURSE OF THE LAW.”  “ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. ” (Galatians 3:13)

Now that we know the source of our dilemma and the sin that doth so easily besets us, and G-d’s provision for our dilemma, where shall we go from here?  We turn to the one and only true source of Peace, Jesus!

Jesus Christ is the only true source of lasting Peace!  He says in John 14:27,  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Real peace only comes after you have taken Christ into your heart as personal savior.  The Bible teaches us that man or woman in sin cannot ever have real peace.  The Word tells us,  “There is no peace, saith G-d, to the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:21)   But Jesus said,  “I have spoken unto you that in ME ye might have peace.” (John 16:33)

You were created in G-d’s likeness, to be in fellowship with Him.  But disobedience, which brought sin into the world, separated us from that relationship.  The thought of facing Him with sin in our life is a frightening thing.  This guilt or lack of understanding of the Grace of G-d brings fear, frustration, defeat and condemnation.

I repeat; you were made in the likeness of G-d; created to be a companion to him.  In the heart of man, be he a aristocrat or savage, is a desire to worship.   Man will worship something.   Not knowing the true and living G-d he turns to many efforts; such as sacrificing to wooden, golden statutes, or anything he thinks will appease his many gods. As you know, in our modern world there are numerous gods in the lives of modern man i.e., Jobs, houses, habits, money, to name a few.

Only Jesus Christ can deliver you from the sin that separates’ man from G-d our Father. The offering up of Himself (Christ)  has blotted out the sin of those who come to Him in faith accepting  His atonement   for their sin.  Sins record has not only been erased, but has been BLOTTED OUT COMPLETELY, TO BE REMEMBERED NO MORE!  (Acts 3:19) It’s as if you had never sinned.  Romans 8:1 puts it this way,  “There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS.” Then you can say with John,  “Truly our fellowship is with the father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (I John 1:3)

Today we are plagued with the questions:  Will our economy continue to crumble, where are our jobs coming from, what is my future regarding retirement, will inflation eat up what salary I am making?   Will the youth of our generation bring complete chaos to our homes, schools and cities?  Will some death dealing sickness or disease strike me this year?  Will smog, pollution, of air and water destroy us in the next few years?

Surly we are faced with many perplexing questions and naturally they give us much concern.  However, as a child of G-d these things need not be of dire concern for us.  A song says, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I KNOW WHO HOLDS THE FUTURE.” This is the source of our hope in the future.  It is not is what the president of The United States or the rulers around the world can do to bring peace into the world.  Many years they have tried  but they haven’t yet been able to stop “wars and rumors of war.”

Luke writes in Luke 21:10,  “Nation shall rise against nations, and kingdom against kingdom.” Also in verse 17, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” And in verse 18, “But there shall not be an hair of your head perish.” Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:28,  “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:  but rather fear him (G-d) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

These are outstanding truths from G-d’s Word. G-d is letting us know that He has provided salvation for our souls as well as health for our bodies.  THINK ABOUT IT,  “not a hair” shall perish.  The redeemed of G-d are a privileged people.  We have the promises in the Word that G-d “will never leave us, nor forsake us.”

PRAISE BE TO HIS NAME!  We need only to hear G-d, ACCEPT CHRIST AS SAVOR to live for Him and have a victorious Christian life.

Do you think G-d will let Satan destroy us after we have been redeemed by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, the L-rd of our souls?  Do you think we have to fear and cringe every time the devil says, “boo?” NO, a thousand times NO!  Jesus Christ has paid the ransom for us, and He will see that His prize, you and I (In His sight we are His prize possession) whom He will not allow to fall again into the hands of His defeated enemy.  Why?  We are His and he is ours.  We are hid with Christ in G-d.  “Surly He hath borne our grief’s, and carried our sorrows :  yet we did esteem  Him stricken, smitten of G-d and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for iniquities:  the chastisement of our PEACE was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53: 4 & 5) Peace, a reality?  Yes, dear friend.  “Not as the world.”  No, there will be no peace as far as the world is concerned until Jesus comes to rule and reign upon the earth.  But for these “born from above,” we have “His peace.”

Peace… Happiness …Love … Satisfaction ……… YES, these are ours as the children of G-d, having been born from above and living for Him through His love and Grace bestowed upon the children of his redemption.

Be of good cheer! There is more — there is also healing for our bodies.  “Bless the L-rd, O my soul, and FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS:  Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases.” (Palm 103: 1 & 2)

Check back soon for more by Pastor Shuffler or you can email him  directly with any questions or prayer requests you might have at: b.shuffler@live.com