June 18, 2007

• Know the day in which you live by Jackie and Eddie Santoro

  When we were in Israel, we had a wonderful visit with two missionaries who moved from our area and are now citizens of Israel, Eddie and Jackie Santoro. June 10 they came to visit us in West Hurley and they preached two incredible sermons.

                                   

  You can subscribe to a newsletter that they put out by emailing esant@netvision.net.il. And you can also volunteer to help support their ministry which reaches many Israelites for Yeshua. They were sharing how their group is growing, and how many come to their church who are Jewish because they learn the Jewish traditions better there than they do in the synagogues. While learning these traditions, many hearts are being touched by Yeshua.

  Pastor Eddie talked about the move of the Spirit in Israel. I wish you could have been at the service to see the intensity with which this message was given, they have a love of Yeshua that is remarkable. Right now, Jerusalem in the Spirit is incredible, but Jerusalem in the natural is hard. God TV has been given permission to broadcast from Jerusalem, so Yeshua is being preached all over Jerusalem on the airwaves. This is exciting. Eddie encouraged us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And talked about the global day of prayer. He pointed out that we need to, as Pastor Don said, stay the course regarding supporting Israel.

  While we were in Israel there was a celebration called “Jerusalem Day” which commemorates the re-unification of Jerusalem in 1967. (Heather’s note: Below is a picture of little children getting ready to sing a song about peace. You can see the doves, and they also had flowers to wave. They were so cute. We were being hurried to the next stop on our trip, but I stopped to get a picture of them practicing.)

  

  This year was the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War. Arabs from surrounding areas joined together to try and wipe Israel off the face of the earth. It was a war of annihilation. Israel went for help to the United States who argued caution, but Israel took the offensive. They destroyed the airforces of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. And recaptured the City of Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God, and for one day it was in the control of Israel. Bowing to public pressure they returned some of the land. They now realize that they should have held onto the land that God had given them so long ago.

  Pastor Eddie told us that it is important for us to have a clarity about who we are, whose Jerusalem is, and the day we live in. God is sounding a clarion call. People are getting filled with the Holy Spirit, functioning in the anointing and the power of God.

  We all have life and power and the anointing of God within us. Yeshua gave us a clear Word. He told us to go into the Kingdom of God and preach about the Kingdom of God. He did not say go and save souls (although that is part of retaking the kingdom of God). God wants to establish His Kingdom on earth. And God needs people to do it. We need to be a people who hear and know what God is doing.

  The 12 disciples walked with Yeshua, heard Yeshua speak the Word of God, had quality time with Him, were counseled by Him, saw signs and wonders and still did not get it. People are not getting it today because no one is talking about God. Yeshua is God.

  Matthew 16:13 Jesus asked his disciples, “…Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” His disciples answered John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked them, Matthew 16:15 …”But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Matthew 16:16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

  We need to realize that an awareness of God and Jesus is bigger than our human mind can conceive. It takes a revelation from the Holy Spirit to reveal this truth to us.

  The Jews expected a Messiah, but not what they saw in Jesus. They did not realize that Jesus was Divine, the Son of God, the Fullness of the Divine, the Glory of God, the Life of God.

  In the Old Testament, Jesus appeared as the Angel of God sixty times, a pre-incarnate form of Jesus. Jacob wrestled with Him, Abraham served Him, debated with Him. The Jews, even more than the gentiles, want to make Jesus a little less than God. To do this takes the guts out of the gospel, and makes a weak gospel.

  Matthew 17 – the transfiguration where Peter, James and John saw Jesus transfigured like the sun with brilliant white clothes talking with Moses and Elijah. Peter saw this, and said, Matthew 17:4 “…Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make three tabernacles; one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  Moses and Elijah are heavy hitters that the Israelites were taught about. Elijah was THE PROPHET, Moses led the people to freedom. Peter wanted to serve all three. Matthew 17:5-8 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

  God made it clear to them 1. Yeshua was God’s Son and 2. In Yeshua God was well pleased. We need to serve Jesus with our whole heart. Every time you say His name, we get a revelation of how much God loves Jesus. God is not jealous of us saying His Son’s name. You get God’s attention when you say the name of Jesus. God says, “Somebody’s saying my Son’s name.” This brings joy to the Father.

  Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

  Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

  Philippians 2:10-11 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue confess that jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

  If you can only say one word, say, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

  Also, 3. Everybody (Elijah and Moses) is gone. Only Yeshua remained. It is all about Yeshua. All about Him. We are not to run after crazy doctrines, traditions, cults. The gospel is simple. The Gospel IS YESHUA.

  Jesus said, John 12:32-33 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

  Yeshua brought salvation to the Kingdom by being lifted up on the cross. We bring the salvation message to the Kingdom of God by lifting up Jesus. We are here to lift up Jesus. We are not here to seek prosperity theology, or chase a doctrine. Our task is to lift up the name of Jesus and share the Gospel with others.

  The first commandment is Mark 12:29-30 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.”

  When we love Yeshua with all our heart, soul, and mind the rest takes care of itself – we have prosperity, victory, anointing. We have to get that straight. The world has to get it, that IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM. I am NOTHING without HIM. If that is the goal, when people see Yeshua, they change. Seeing Him does the work of salvation – it is not what we do, it is what HE does.

  Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

  That is the cry of Yeshua – Come up here! There is an open door! He wants us to have intimacy with Him, to come into His presence.

  The Gospel is a repeat of the creation in Genesis.

  1. Something lifeless (dust) was formed into a body.
  2. God breathed life into man – breath and spirit and wind are the same word.
  3. God spoke life.

  It is the same with salvation – we are lifeless in our sin, dead in our sin, Jesus died for us and the when we accept His gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit breathes life (born again) into us, and God speaks life into us through His Word.

  Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

  Pastor Eddie pointed out that he was saved in 1976. He said that before He was saved he was dead, the object of wrath, without hope, without God, foreign to the covenant and promises. I had zero. Then SUDDENLY God breathed the Word of God into his life. God found him, sent people to touch him and show him about Yeshua. Then he became alive again.

  Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

  God recreated Pastor Eddie into His image, the same way He recreates us when we are saved. Why?

  Ephesians 1:9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His great pleasure which He purposed in Himself.

  We need to remember what day we are in. All it takes is a look at what is going on around us, sexual immorality (gay rights, divorce), wars, violence, lawlessness. Darkness is increasing in the land, and the glory of God will shine in the darkness. He will let His glory shine forth through people who are doing His will on the earth.

  When Israel went into the Six Day War, they went in knowing that the Arab nations wanted to kill them, knowing that it was a fight to the death, and that there would be little peace.

  We too have to know that the day we are living in is also a battle. We are born again, have the power of God within us, are a new creation, and a new itinerary, a new commission. We are filled with the Spirit. We need to be prophetic people who know what day we are in. We need to be armed with the weapons of the Spirit, for it is dangerous out there.

  What is happening today, to Israel is much worse than what happened during the time of Hitler. Hitler tried to wipe out the Jews and did kill many, but today Fundamentalist Islam is seeking even greater destruction of the Jews. The Battle of Normandy cost a lot of lives, sacrifice and suffering. We are still in a battle to preserve God’s people. The Gospel is good news, but it is also a Gospel of sacrifice, of pouring out, of giving yourself. Jesus died on the cross for our sins (the ultimate pouring out). In the Garden of Gethesemene he prayed that the cup would be taken from Him. Jesus was beaten, rejected, tortured, mocked, died for our sins.

  Jesus did not walk away for the suffering to come. He realized the greatness of the moment and told God that He would do it. He knew what was at stake, and went on, knowing that the path would not be easy. The battle was fought and won in the garden. When Jesus accepted what God asked of Him, satan lost. God sent angels to strengthen Jesus. Jesus went forward from the garden and never looked back.

  Paul had a vision, saw the third heaven, and changed. He went where God told Him to go, said that he ran the race and did not look back.

  We need to run our races to the end, not looking back. Jesus never looked back. Paul never looked back. We must never look back. We need to know who we are, whose we are, and where we are going. We cannot get caught up in the natural, in circumstances, in the flesh. We need to focus on God.

  Galatians 1:11-12 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Eddie talked about Elijah and Elisha (whose names he told us are much easier to tell apart if spoken in Hebrew). Elisha served Elijah in humility. The best way to advance spiritually is to serve humbly. The prophets of the time informed Elisha that Elijah was to be taken up to heaven. Elisha chose to stay with Elijah, to not leave his side.

  Jesus is coming back and will take us with Him. The prophets know the heart of God. The Spirit of God is prophesy. Elisha was filled with the Spirit of God, he knew what God was doing. We need to know the power of God, the anointing of God. and the reality of the battle. God has something to do with us. We will get a vision from God of who we are and what we are to be doing.

  Elisha’s vision was so big he needed a double anointing to attain it. We too want to have our vision so big that we need God’s anointing to obtain it.

  Remember the widow with the debt. The widow had a little oil. Elisha had the woman find jars, borrowing from her neighbors, then pour the oil out. The oil kept flowing until the last jar was filled than the oil stopped. We want to come to God with deep vessels that He can fill. God give me more. I want to be with You, doing what You want me to do, accomplishing what You want me to accomplish. Pouring out so that You can keep filling me.

  Daniel was like that too. He kept seeking God, seeking His Word and obeying God, and God used him mightily.

  How do we get to know where God is going, what He wants us to do? By reading the Word of God and by listening to the Holy Spirit.

  A little bit of faith and the Word of God mixed together in the heart and you get a giant.

  Caleb, Joshua, Elisha, Abraham, Paul were giants of faith.

  Who are you? When you add the Word of God + the Spirit of God + faith = explosion.

  We sometime think this happens instantaneously, not always. Look at Moses. He spent 40 years as a shepherd – humbly living in the desert land. Moses was the humblest man on earth. We cannot think we are too old, God used Moses.

  When we are desperate for God, He shows up.

  Moses had a vision in the burning bush that caused Him to leave his comfort zone. He was retirement age, had his sheep, a wife, a comfortable place to live, children, no demands, and God showed up – and put Moses into a place that wasn’t comfortable for him. Moses stuttered, told God that he wasn’t the man for the job. But Moses obeyed God and left his comfort zone.

  There was a dying for Moses, a price to pay. When the gospel was brought forth, there was also a dying and a price to pay (Jesus’ sacrifice).

  When we let God use us, there is a cost. Often we are put out in the middle of darkness to be a light. But when things are tough, when we are in the thick of it, God says, “I am with you.”

  God was with Moses, with Giddeon, with Joshua, with Paul, with Deborah. Jesus told us that He would be with us.

  Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt for 40 years in the desert, following a pillar of fire or a cloud. God provided for three million Israelites, and Moses dealt with the people complaining.

  The vision of God is not popular, and it will bring us out into the mess. Most people would rather be in the camp, and don’t understand. But the Vision is a wake up call.

  Moses viewed the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo, but was not permitted to enter the land because he broke faith with God by striking the stone to bring water when God told him to speak to the stone.  When we are used by God, He wants us to obey Him exactly, not to go to the left or to the right. He wants us to stay the course.

  Pastor Eddie then told us,

  1. Know your foundation – Jesus is the Son of God, and we are IN HIM.
  2. Know the day we are in, it is a time to repent, a time of great darkness, and lawlessness.
  3. Know who you are – you are not weak in God. God is stronger than we are. We need to believe it, and Know that God is stronger than the power of darkness. We are mighty men in God.

  I hope this blesses you. The more I listen to the news and see what is going on in the world and in my community, I know that this is true. We are truly living out Matthew 24 and 25. Pray and obey.

  You do not have to be a member of Xanga to comment. Please feel free to leave your comments and questions. I look forward to hearing from you!

  Heather

  • 8:05 pm
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