I Belong to Jesus.

I am His.  I do not belong to myself anymore.  In the Song of Solomon, the bride says of the bridegroom, "Ani Lo." or "I am His."  We are the bride of Christ and our relationship with Him should be summed up with, "I am His."

We, who belong to Jesus, are living in the most wonderful relationship possible.  He bought us with his blood.  We no longer have the right to our lives because our lives are now totally in the hands of God.  Sin and temptation have no right to us. We do not even have the right to give ourselves over to sin.

God also has taken the responsibility for our lives.  We no longer should worry because our lives no longer belong to us but to God.  He commands us in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all our worries and anxieties on Him.  Our Burdens now belong to Jesus and not to us.  Everyone who will simply trust in Jesus Christ is now free.

Do you get offended?  Do people ever persecute you?  Are you made fun of?  God created you and knows you intimately.  When you belong to Jesus, those who come against you are now coming against God instead.  Do not be offended by people, because you belong to Jesus Christ, your bridegroom.  He will stand with you in all the trials the enemy throws at you.  In the end, God says "Revenge is mine"  Can you think of a greater punishment for those poor people who harass you than the wrath of God?"

I am His because I love Him.  I gave myself to Jesus because I wanted too. I wanted to give the love of my soul everything.  I do not want to hold anything back from him.  It is a joy to give of myself to my Lord Jesus.  What I receive in return is worth more than a thousand lifetimes.

"For in Him we live and move and exist,..." Acts 17:28a

Photo Credit: "The LORD is to be Praised!" by Art4The GlryOfGod by Sharon

The Flesh vs The Spirit

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

We live in a world of the flesh.  It is understandable why we see material victories as good.  Anytime we can defeat disease, pain, suffering, hunger, homelessness, poverty, and hundreds of other trials people are going through, it is seen as a victory.

This is normal but is it a victory spiritually?  I have seen many times when a person goes through a trial in their life, that they seek God because they have nowhere else to go.  The trial might be a result of their own foolishness, the selfish work of others or a natural disaster, but in all these trials God uses it for a spiritual victory in the person's life.

Our struggle in the world for comfort, safety, and survival, is good.  God created us that way, but there is also a spiritual side to our struggles.  Satan wants to destroy you and so does the world.  In the world, it is the strong who survive.  God, however, wants you to have an eternal victory which will help you to know and grow in your relationship with God.

Always pray for people who are going through a trial, but remember that God might be allowing that trial to occur so that they might learn a spiritual lesson and come to depend on Him.  It is in the trials that the spirit of man grows.  Perhaps God wants you to pray for them to learn from the trial so that it will end quickly.

A weightlifter works with heavy weights to build up his body.  It is the resistance of those weights which strain his muscles and cause them to grow stronger.  In our lives, it is the trials which cause our spiritual muscles to strain and grow stronger.  It is not always easy but spiritual growth comes through spiritual sweat.

Photo Credit: 50 Years old! by Andrew Blight

Is the True Site of Solomon's Temple to the South of the Temple Mount?

In 135 AD the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem and plowed over the city to completely wipe it out.  The Romans plowed the city!  Micah 3:12a prophesied "Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field..."

The picture above is an aerial shot of the City of Jerusalem in 1910.  Where I placed a red circle is where archeologist have found that Zion, the city of David, was located.  I made the picture large so you can better see that the area inside the circle is plowed fields. Even until the early 20th century, the Jerusalem of David's time was plowed over like a field.

If the Temple was down in the circled area it is easy to see why Josephus mentions Fort Antonia as being a guard of the temple and on a higher hill so as to hinder the temple's view to the North.  The traditional, small Tower of Antonia to the North West of the Temple Mount would have been almost no hindrance at all.

In the Scriptures when talking about the Fortress of Antonia it talks about coming down from the fortress.  Acts 21:32  talks about the commander of the garrison hearing an uproar of the Jews at the Temple where Paul was being beaten and it says, "He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them...."

Archeology is finding new evidence about the City of David everyday.  They have found David's Palace and another area where sacrifices were done around the time of the first temple.  It has blood channels, holes in rock for rings to be placed to hold animals, and within 10 yards of this area is the Gihon Spring.  

The priest needed living water, flowing water, to cleanse themselves.  Water from a cistern was never used.  The Gihon Spring was an inexhaustible source for the Temple to use.  Also when the kings were crowned they would go to the Gihon Springs and oil would be poured over their heads.  There is an olive press in this worship area just for such purposes.  See 1 Kings 1:38-39 for the crowning of King Solomon.

Was this worship and sacrifice area, in the city of David, from the time of Solomon's Temple?  It is located in the right area and the evidence is there to point to it being the correct spot.  The problem with people declaring this to be the site of the Temple is that so many are following the traditional belief of the Temple Mount, instead of the scriptural, historical and archaeological evidence.  

If this is the location of the Temple than the 3rd temple can be built right now.  The biggest thing stopping this from happening is tradition.

"Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men."  Mark 7:8 

Even in our own lives. we have traditions we hold onto.  Traditionally Christmas is December 25th and many people believe that to be the actual date of the birth of Christ.  Traditionally there were three wise men, but the Bible never said that.  Follow only what God says and do not follow the traditions of man.  The Catholic Church has deceived the world with traditions they have created.  Even protestants agree with many of those traditions.

Where the Temple is located is important, but what is of greater importance is that we be willing to put aside our own traditions for what is the truth of God. 

To read Part 1 of this series CLICK HERE
To read Part 2 of this series CLICK HERE

The Temple Mount is not the Temple Site.

We will show first that the temple mount cannot be where Solomon's and Herod's Temple were built.  Tomorrow we will give evidence for the City of David as the site for the Temple.

If the Temple Mount is not where the Temple was, what was on that site?  Rome housed the 10th legion in Jerusalem at the Tower of Antonia.  The traditional Tower of Antonia is a small 490 ft by 260ft area or 3 acres of land on the north-west corner of the Temple Mount.  A legion is about 6000 soldiers and 4000 supply personnel and followers.  If they all lived in the fortress of Antonia that would be about 1 square foot per person.

Josephus, the first-century historian wrote, "Now as to the tower of Antonia, it might seem to be composed of several cities.  For if we go up to the tower of Antonia, we gain the city, since we shall then be upon the top of the hill."

Do you think the Romans would take a small 3 acres plot of land for their 10,000 man legion and not commandeer a larger area that is on high ground over the city?  The Romans took what they wanted.

The Commander of Masada, Eleazer Ben Jair said after the fall of Jerusalem to Titus, "It (Jerusalem) is now demolished to the very foundations and hath nothing left but the monument of it preserved, I mean the camp of those (Romans) that hath destroyed it, which still dwells upon its ruins."

So if the only thing that is left of Jerusalem is the Roman camp, and everything else is demolished to the very foundations,  what does that say about the Temple?  It fulfills what Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24: 1-2 "Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

I always thought that this prophecy referred to the building housing the Holy of Holies and the Holy place, but if you read what the verses say the disciples were showing Jesus the buildings of the temple.  Plural. How can this be?  The Temple where the people worshipped included the Court of the Priest, Court of Israel (for the men), Court of women and the Court of Gentiles.  The whole area was holy including where the Gentiles were permitted to worship.  This whole area would have had to of been demolished and not one stone left on another.  If the Western Wall is part of the walls of the Temple site, it also would have had to of been destroyed.  If it is part of the Temple, Jesus lied.  If it is part of the area that the Roman legion held, then Jesus was correct.  The Western Wall was part of the Fortress of Antonia where the Roman soldiers were housed.

Why is the Temple Mount the traditional site of the Temple?  In 1099 AD the Crusaders came into Jerusalem and took it from the Muslims.  Included in that conquest, they took the Dome of the Rock and they placed a cross on top of it and renamed it the "Temple of God."

70 years later a Spanish Jew named Benjamin of Tudela visited Jerusalem and wrote that the Temple Mount was the location of Solomon's Temple.  That statement caught fire in the hearts of the people and from then on that tradition has held.

In 135 AD the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem and plowed over the city to completely wipe it out.   Rome declared that no Jew was to enter that area under penalty of death.  Over time they forgot where the temple was.  The land was all fields.

Tomorrow, in Part 3 of this series,  we will talk about the evidence for where the Temple of Solomon and Herod's Temple was.  To read Part 3 CLICK HERE

To read Part 1 of this series CLICK HERE

Photo Credit: So this is the Temple Mount by Yuno F Gasai

Can the Temple of Jerusalem be Built Now??

There are plans for a third temple to be built and it is possible for Israel to start building today.  What is stopping this from happening?  The problem is that we do not know where the location of Solomon's Temple was.

There are three possible locations that we will talk about here.  All three have their advocates and all three locations have evidence to back them up.

The Dome of the Rock.  Many believe that the rock, which the Dome of the Rock Mosque covers was the location where the Ark of the Covenant sat within the Holy of Holies.  The mosque sits on the Temple Mount, dominating all of Jerusalem.  When you see a picture of Jerusalem the golden dome of the mosque stands out.  This is the third most holy place to the Muslims and they are very aggressive in protecting it. If the Jews were to destroy this mosque all of the surrounding Arab countries would go to war.  One answer to this problem is for God himself to sweep His hand across the Temple Mount and destroy the Dome of the Rock.  If God wants the temple to be built in this location, He will somehow have to destroy it by natural means, by an Arab missile or bomb, or some means not connected to the Jews.  However, if God wants the temple built here, no one will stand in His way.

The Dome of the Spirits. 330 feet north of the Dome of the Rock is a small dome called the Dome of the Spirits, or the Dome of the Tablets.  This northern site on the Temple Mount is in the hands of the Arabs who aggressively guard the Temple Mount, but it might be possible for the Muslims to keep the Dome of the Rock while the Jews built a temple next to it.  How likely is this?  It would take an act of God to accomplish this, but with God all things are possible.

The Southern Location.  The Southern location would put the Temple south of the Temple Mount in the old city of David.  There are problems with the first two sites that if the temple was located there, those problems would be answered.  For example: The Temple needed living water, which is running water and could not be water from a cistern.  Solomon's Aqueducts would have been 20 meters too low to service the Temple Mount.  So where did the water come from?

Let's look at this location tomorrow and see what Biblical reasons and historical documents say about the actual location of Solomon's Temple.  If this is the actual location, there is nothing at all stopping Israel from building the temple at this very hour.

CLICK HERE for part 2 on the location of the Temple.
To read Part 3 in this series, CLICK HERE.

Photo Credits: The Temple Mount by J. Griffin Steward and Dome of the Spirits (facing north_1889 by James Emery

The Netanyahu Prophecy

Robert Mawire and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Arabs are coming to Christ because of dreams they are having.  God is bringing them to the knowledge of Christ, so is it that hard to believe that God might speak to the Jewish Prime Minister?  I believe it is not only possible but very likely that God would speak to the man who leads His Chosen People.

Benjamin Netanyahu became the youngest person to achieve the post of Prime Minister in June of 1996.  During his first term, he visited the United States.  While in Dallas a Christian African minister named Robert Mawire met a man who introduced him to Netanyahu.  The Prime Minister agreed to give Robert a minute for the prophetic word that Robert said he had for him.  Netanyahu joked to Robert, "Have you not read in the Bible that we stone our prophets?"

Robert was undeterred and told the Prime Minister, "I have placed you in this position, says the LORD.  Do not give up my land.  If you do give up my land, I will remove you from this position."

Netanyahu laughed and didn't take it seriously.  Later President Bill Clinton pressured Netanyahu to give up some land to PLO leader, Yasser Arafat.  It was soon after that when Benjamin Netanyahu's government collapsed and he lost his seat as Prime Minister.

Years later ex-Prime Minister Netanyahu was at a Florida gathering of supporters for Israel.  The same African minister tried to meet him saying, "I have another word.  I have to speak to him again."  Netanyahu meets with Robert and remembers him.  This time Netanyahu takes Robert seriously.

"You will once again become Prime Minister of Israel.  If you honor His covenant that He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding Israel, he will honor you and exalt you.  But if you disregard His covenant and give away His land, he will dishonor you.  Be strong and of good courage, for unto this people you shall divide an inheritance, the land that I swore to their fathers that I would give them.  Do not ever negotiate land for peace...God is not done with you.  You will be Prime Minister again in a critical time of history."

It was at about this time that Barak Obama became president of the United States and Benjamin Netanyahu became Prime Minister.  Obama pressured Netanyahu to give up land, but he refused.  Netanyahu would not give up any land because God had told him not to.   Obama despised Netanyahu and even tried to get him removed from power.  It looked like Benjamin Netanyahu was going to lose the re-election but miraculously he won and retained office.

When Robert had given the prophecy at the second meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he said, "This is what it is all about." and pulled out a picture of the temple of Jerusalem and held it up.

"You will be the Prime Minister for the restoration of the tabernacle of David."

Is this story true?  From my research (I am a skeptic at heart) I have found it to be very true.  Is this a word from God?  I believe so.  He also gave a similar prophecy to Ariel Sharon telling him he would become Prime Minister in 6 months.   Ariel Sharon was also told that if he gave land away God would strike him. At the time it looked like Sharon would be on trial for war crimes and his political career was over.  Six months later he was Prime Minister but he gave away land for peace. A few short months after removing Jews from settlements in the Gaza, Ariel Sharon had a minor stroke.  He was scheduled for an operation but the day before it he had a major stroke and went into a coma.  Eight years later he died, never having come out of his coma.

So what does this all mean?  If Benjamin Netanyahu is to be Prime Minister of Israel for the restoration of the tabernacle of David, it must not be far in the future.  The Tabernacle of David was where the Ark of the Covenant was kept in Jerusalem while the Temple was built.  Could it be long before the sacrifices start up?  Can the Temple be built soon?  What about the Temple Mount and the mosque on it?  Let's talk about that tomorrow.

What is ahead for 2018

Happy New Years everyone.  I hope your past year has been a good one and that God blesses you with an even more wonderful 2018.  God promises to be with those who follow Him. There are many, many verses about how God is with us.  In Isaiah, Jesus is named Immanuel which means "God with us."

2017 has been called "A year of disasters" for good reason.  The Red Cross said it was a record year for disaster response. We had hurricane after hurricane almost right on top of each other this year.  We have the largest forest fire in California history.  Worldwide the story is the same. Natural disaster after natural disaster.

Wars and rumors of wars are increasing.  Today Russia, Iran, Turkey and others are within a few miles of Israel's borders and their armies are growing larger.  President Trump declared that the United States is moving the embassy from Tele Viv to Jerusalem and the Arab countries are having a fit.  The UN is up in arms about it, but President Trump is standing firm.  This could be the spark to set off the Ezekial 38 war. (click here for more on that)

Will 2018 be better?  That depends on you.  According to the Bible, all these events are like birth pains.  The closer to the birth (In this case the return of Jesus Christ) the greater and more frequent come the pains.  These signs will keep increasing in number, strength, and frequency.  Just like when a woman gives birth, it will not end until the end.

If you are a Christian, you need only trust God with your life and well being.  He will care for you and be with you.  Also, I believe the rapture will occur before the seven-year time which begins when the Anti-Christ comes forth with an agreement with Israel and ends when Jesus returns.  This will be a time of God's wrath upon the earth.

Personally, when I look at where the world sits prophetically, I don't think Christians will see 2019 while still on this earth.  I firmly believe the rapture will occur any day now.  This is not from God but from me, but looking at the signs of the times, your next breath might be of Heavenly air.

This means that the time is short.  Satan knows this and his demons are working overtime.  We also should be working to tell others that the time is short and they must come to Christ.  This is not the time to relax, sell everything and sit on a mountain to pray.

"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look to the fields, that they are white for harvest." John 4:35

Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash