There Is a Refuge in Praise and Worship

The word refuge, among many other definitions, has a spiritual meaning in which we submerge in faith seeking God In our troubled days. It is also a physical place where we can hide from enemies in times of wars, coming our way. Psalm 46:1-3 says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present and well proved help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, through the earth should change and though the mountain be shaken into the midst of the seas, though its waters roar and foam, through the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. God, as our refuge, is impenetrable. Nothing is stronger and greater than He is. A lighthouse from a distance assures us of a refuge, well built, with a light that illuminates the areas of danger. As a matter of fact, YAHSHUA is our lighthouse. Praise and worship were the way that God instructed the Israelites to fight their battle against three countries, as in the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites while Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. Battling fear and uncertainty, he determined to seek God by proclaiming a fast in Judah. He prayed, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. Did not You, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before You people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?” (II Chron. 20:1-7).

As the nation of Judah sought the Lord for deliverance, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he said, “Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down to them, Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight this battle; take you positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord, [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you…” After consulting with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy garments as they went out before the army, saying, GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS MERCY AND LOVING-KINDNESS ENDURE FOREVER. As soon as they started singing, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Amon, Moab and Mount Seir (II Chro. 20:1-22). As King David, so Jehoshaphat, followed His steps and found refuge in the presence of the Lord; praise and worship offered to the Lord saved them from a multitude of enemies, who had come to destroy them. “God inhabits the praise of His saints.” In no way will He forsake them in their destresses as they seed Him with worship and adoration. The army of the Lord is powerful when God goes before them. The weapons of praise and worship to Him will take over the enemy, be it anything that disturbs our peace and health.

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The Past Remembered Through Twelve Stones

When Israel left Egypt under the leadership of Moses and his brother, Aaron, they were a multitude of people of which God created a nation for Himself. The first challenge they faced was the Red Sea in front of them, the Egyptian’s army behind and mountain. They all constituted challenges of great proportion, impeding the journey planed by God. Moses, however calmed them saying, “Fear Not; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest”. (Exodus 14:13-14).  All through their journey to the Promised Land, Israel experienced the supernatural, for God’s plan was going to be completed amidst all their troubles. From the parting of the Red Sea for them to go through on dry land, to water provided through the rocks to satisfy their thirsty, to food falling from heaven, called mana; for forty years their clothes and shoes did not wear out; they experienced the presence of God on Mount Sinai, when He Himself came down and touched the mountain, to covenant with them, leaving the mountain wrapped in smoke; Israel heard His audible voice and feared Him greatly (Exo. 19). Those were forty years God used to make a nation out of them, a nation like no other nation, whose God was their King.

Psalm 78 gives a report of Israel’s journey through the desert, God’s provision and their rebellion against Him. Psalm 107, the psalmist calls to attention the need for us to give thanks to the Lord, as He reminds Israel of God’s goodness in all Israel’s pilgrimage through the desert to the Promised Land. Verse 20 we read, “He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction; OH, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men” (20-21). At the end of his life, Moses predicted Israel’s faithlessness. He said, “For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands (Idolatry)” (Deut. 31:29). Israel provoked Moses at the water of Meribah and quarreled with the Lord. Moses struck the rock twice instead of one time he was commanded to do. For that, he was not allowed to lead the people into the promised Land. (Deut. 20:10-13; 3:23-28).

Twelve stones of remembrance served as a testimony “that the hand of the Lord is mighty and that you may reverence and fear the Lord your God forever.” (Josh. 4:21b). Stones are silent witnesses of the present and the past. Israel’s pilgrimage left enough behind to be remembered. These stones would remind them of all the Lord had done for the nation for their children to know. They had arrived at the end of the road that would take them to the place promised many years ago. Their lives will now change; for they arrived home. Now they were given land to own and establish their lives with their families. A nation now they were considered. With these twelve stones reminding them, for sure that they would not forget their God. These stones remained pointing to them all the blessings of the past. However, they followed after other gods, as Moses prophesized. They were without excuses to forget forty years of experiencing miracles after miracles, and supernatural miracles.

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I, the Lord, Have Spoken

The emphasis in this phrase, “I. the Lord, have spoken” is strong enough for us to consider the veracity of the Bible. In the beginning of all things, while creating the world, It was His spoken word that brought existence to what He commanded be created. And so, it was that the world was created in six days and on the seventh, He rested. He was pleased with all that He had created. He had only to speak and the power of His words brought life and form in everything that He created. At the command of the Lord’s voice all subjected to Him. There was sun light to govern the day and moon to govern the night; Man was created in God’s image; and a beautiful garden was provided for him to live in and tend to. “When the Lord speaks the word that He will speak and the word that He shall speak shall be performed; it shall be no more delayed or prolonged, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and will perform it, says the Lord God.” The spoken word of God is powerful to perform that which He sends it for. Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens and return not  there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me  void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it”. The Bible says, “He Who promised is reliable and faithful to His word” (Heb. 10:23b). The Lord spoke to Jeremiah and said, “I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it” (Jer. 1:12b). That confirms that the written word of God is alive and powerful to perform His purposes and fulfills His promises.

The voice of the Lord thunders in power and might; it causes the ocean to rise in judgment. When He came down to Mount Sinai it was wrapped in smoke, for the Lord descended upon it in fire; its smoke ascended like that of a furnace and the whole mountain quaked greatly; as the trumpet blast grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice (Exodus 19:18-19). Then He spoke to the people of Israel in covenant with the nation, by giving them the ten commandments. They were all afraid when they perceived the thunderings and the lightenings, and the noise of the trumpet and the smoking mountain, and as [they] looked they trembled with fear and fell back and stood afar off (Exodus 20:18). Thunderings, lightenings, trumpet sounding, all represented the voice of the Lord in His  holiness and power.  Nor men, neither animals could stand at the foot of the mountain to face the physical presence of God, because of what nature became after sin entered the world. Sin, without a doubt, changed man and nature, causing them to be afraid of God and be separated from Him.  “Hear, oh, hear the roar of His voice and the sound of rumbling that goes out of His mouth! After it His voice roars; He thunders with the voice of His majesty, and He restrains not when His voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend” (Job 37:2-5). The letter to the Hebrews gives us a warning concerning our lack of zeal for the word of God: It says, “Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest, that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience, for the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and spirit, and of joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing  and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart, and not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:12-13).

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The Valley of the Shadow of Death

What does the Valley of the shadow and death mean to us? Surely that it does not sound inviting in its adjectives of the shadow of death. We find this term in Psalm 23:4: “Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” These are words of trust and confidence in the shepherd. Although, the Hebrew word for “shadow of death” means darkness, the root word for both shadow and death is the same. YAHSHUA, as our Shepherd, knows the way out of a valley, as well as the dangers of it. He stands tall to protect His own from the danger found in the valley of the shadow of death.

A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a very long period. Some valleys are formed through erosion by glacial ice. These glaciers may remain present in valleys in high mountains or polar areas shield. (Wikipedia)

Valleys display beautiful surroundings in spite of its dangers. The valleys we go through are difficult and challenging, for they are the valleys of life. It is the place where we feel alone in our trials; as YAHSHUA experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane. Not one of the disciples would pray with Him.  He promised that He will be with us always to the end of time. The Bible says that He fills the entire world. There is no place where He is not. “Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol behold, You are there; if I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall You hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Ps. 139:7-10). And, “Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? Says the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Says the Lord?” (Jer. 23:23-24). While we walk the valley of suffering, even though overwhelmed by the feeling of loneliness and depression, it is good to draw near to the Lord. Sometimes, it seems He is far away and is not hearing our voice; and that’s when doubts take our mind; we suffer anguish and torment of the soul.

The Psalmist Asaph once said, “Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Have His mercy and loving-kindness ceased forever? Have His promises ended for all time? Has God abandoned or forgotten His graciousness? Has He in anger shut up His compassion?” (Ps. 77:7-9). YAHSHUA, in the valley of abandonment from His Father cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1). Alone in the valley of suffering, separated from His heavenly Father for the first time, YAHSHUA carried the sins of the world, which darkened the way to the Father. That was the valley of death of hell. God’s presence will never be there. But YAHSHUA had to go through to pull us out of it, in order to rescue us from the power of eternal death and Satan.  Every time, we go through the valley of suffering, let’s remember that we are not alone. We may feel that way, which is normal for humans to feel in the presence of hopeless situations, since we are flesh and demand to see things that we can touch. However, faith mingled with hope opens our spiritual eyes and there in the midst of sufferings, we feel peace. It is the peace that comes from the presence of the Lord standing there with us.

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Rejoice in Hope; Be Patient in Suffering; Be in Constant Prayer

(Romans 12)

In the days of the early church, Christians suffered tremendous persecution. They worshipped God in caverns, and lived there, too. Their lives were always in danger of death. Those were the days when confusion of beliefs penetrated the churches, as we see today in the Catholic Churches. Constantine is partly responsible for that, when he made Christianity legal, interacting his pagan practices into the Christianity faith. Seemly, people followed the idea, leaving the Christian faith tainted with paganism to this day. When Paul wrote this, he had much to say concerning persecution and suffering for the faith, for he himself was one of those who suffered severe persecutions. A very difficult thing to do in suffering, is to be patient. I know that Paul took suffering well so that he could write what he wrote to the Romans. However, suffering due to persecution for the sake of the Gospel, it should be an honor to all Christians, as we see in Stephen’s death. The Bible says that while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord YAHSHUA, receive and accept and welcome my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them! (one of them was Paul). And when he had said this, he fell sleep (in death). (Acts 7:59-60).  Paul said, Rejoice in hope. Hope that things will get better; rejoice in the hope that God will deliver us by answering our prayers, or rejoice in the outcome of our faith – eternal life with YAHSHUA.  Peter said, For one is regarded favorably if, as in the sight of God, he endures the pain of unjust sufferings What kind of glory [is there] if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you take it patiently? But if you be patiently with suffering when you do right and that is undeserved, it is acceptable and pleasing to God. For even to this were you called. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His footsteps; He was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit ever found on His lips. When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] When He was abused and suffered, He made no threats; but He trusted to Him (God) Who judges fairly (I Peter w:19-23).

YAHSHUA said, Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me; (John 14:1a); In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but of good cheer! For I have overcome the world. (John 16:33b). The secret of being patient in suffering in found in faith and hope – hope in the written promises of God.  Patient is a word that many of us have not grasped its true meaning. To be patient, is to be mistreated without retaliating, or complaining; it is waiting for God to show up and take vengeance on our enemies. The word patient means to bear or endure pain, trouble without complaining, losing self-control, refusing to be angry (Webster dictionary).  The Patriarch Job in his sufferings, often showed to trust God. We do not know how long was his ordeal, but we understand that was long and terrible. In spite of been counselled to “curse God and die,” he took a stand of faith and rebuked his wife for suggesting that, saying, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept good at the hand of God and shall we not accept also misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In [spite of] all this, Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:9-10). That speaks to me of “patient in suffering.” Job was not suffering for any evil doing of his own. God put him to the test to show Satan how righteous he was. I do not know if he ever understood that, or even knew it, but patient in his suffering, he overcame and was blessed more that the first time. Suffering for the sake of our Lord and Savior, must be an honor. Although, very painful and difficult to keep the faith, our hope in Him will cause joy to flow, considering the outcome of our suffering for YAHSHUA will be heaven. As Paul said, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in un and for us and conferred on us! (Rom. 8:18). Paul, a faithful minister of YAHSHUA suffered much persecution for the love and hope and faith in God. He was amazing in his stability of faith, and died as a martyr for the cause of the Gospel of YAHSHUA Messiah. In the letter to the Romans, he wrote:  For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Messiah, or it is God’s power working unto salvation to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16).

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There Walked the Man Who Had Been Dead All Wrapped Up in Burial Cloths

This is a beautiful event in the life of Lazarus, but not only in his, but also, in the lives of all Christians, because it is prophetic in its meaning. It gives us the picture of the hope we have in our Lord and Savior, YAHSHUA Messiah, for it speaks of the Blessed Hope- “the glorious appearing of YAHSHUA Messiah, our great God and Savior, Who gave Himself on our behalf, that He might redeem us from al iniquity and purify for Himself a people eager and enthusiastic about [living a life that is good and filled with] beneficial deeds” (Titus 2:13).  When YAHSHUA called Lazarus out of the grave, He was giving a future picture of the time when He will call His saints out of this world through a “cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God.” (I Thess. 4:16). YAHSHUA had to call the dead by name, otherwise, through the resurrection power expressed in YAHSHUA’S command, many would have risen with Lazarus.  That coming glorious day was pictured then in the resurrection of Lazarus. “Your dead shall live [O Lord]; the bodies of our dead shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For Your dew [O Lord] is a dew of [sparkling] light; and the earth shall cast forth the dead [to life again; for on the land of the shades of the dead, You will let Your dew fall]” (Isaiah 26:19). Our names will be called on that day, when the trumpet of God will sound its blast.

It had been four days since Lazarus had died and buried. Martha, without hesitation, at the command to take away the stone that close the entrance of the cave where Lazarus was buried, exclaimed, “But Lord, by this time he throws off an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days!”  YAHSHUA then said to her, “Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe on Me, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:39-40). YAHSHUA’S affirmation and question move our hearts today to ponder on the meaning of His words. Believe in God is a verb that causes Him to reward us with a life of peace and in the future, eternal salvation. Believe is imbedded in faith and hope that moves mountains in our daily living; is the word that opens our eyes to see the glory of God been manifested while here on earth. Moses pleaded with God, “Show me your glory.” God’s action toward his request was, “I will make all My goodness pass before you…” (Exodus 33:18-19a). The glory of God is His goodness; Every day His glory is manifested to us in many ways we do not recognize. That day for Martha and those present who did not believe in YAHSHUA’S resurrection power, saw the glory of God shone through Him. The glory of God broke open Lazarus’ tomb and brought him out of the dead into the living. Every eye present saw it and marveled at His power, but still remained incredulous, with blindness that kept them in darkness. God’s goodness shone clearly also in YAHSHUA’S prayer before He brought Lazarus forth from the dead. He prayed to His Father, saying, “Yes, I know you always hear and listen to Me, but I have said this on account of and or the benefit of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You did send Me. When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! And out walked the man who had been dead, his hands and feet wrapped in burial cloths, and with a napkin bound around his face. YAHSHUA said to them, Free him of the burial wrapping and let him go” (John 11:42-44). This is a beautiful picture of when we will be undressed of our mortal body to the immortal one. Paul said, “For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable, and this mortal [part of us] must put on immortality; and when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up in and unto victory; O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:53-55).

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It Was at the Cross Where Judgment and Mercy Met

In the Garden of Eden, the first judgment was pronounced to our parents for their disobedience to God. Sin, spreading to Adam’s and Eve’s children, their first son committed the sin of disobedience, as in his offering of fruits and vegetables to the Lord, instead of offering Him a lamb, as was commanded. And as a result, he committed murder by killing his brother. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.” Life is in the blood. The lamb was pointing to the Son of God, Who was to come in the far future as the Lamb of God to be sacrificed to redeem the world with His blood. There is life only in the blood. And the blood of YAHSHUA never dies, never lost its power to save and give life to all who seek Him. Cain misrepresented God’s future plan; he in his pride, offered of what he represented, not what God commanded him. It is when one tries to be saved through his own effort, disregarding the Word of God. The Bible says that we are saved by grace; it is not based on our work, it is a gift from God, and this gift was His Son, Who sacrificed His life, so we can live eternally with Him.  God pronounced judgment to Cain and for the rest of his life he was a wonderer. (Gen. 4:11-12). God said to Cain, and now you are cursed by reason of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. A wonderer, Cain became separated from the rest of his world as a result of his disobedience and homicide.

Throughout the Old Testament, we read about God’s judgments on His people because of their practices of infidelity against God’s covenant “You shall have no other gods besides Me.” The Lord God takes very seriously the sin of infidelity. In Ezekiel 14:13-14,20 it reads: Son of man, when a land sins against Me by committing a trespassing and I stretch out my hand against it and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they would save but their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord God… Though Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, as I live says the Lord, they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would but deliver their own lives by their righteousness. To transgress is to act contrary to God’s law. It is infidelity to the covenant God made with them, through the law, which requires both parties for its validity.

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And He Looked at the Storm

It happened after the multiplication of five loaves of bread and two fish to feed the crowd of 5,000 men, not including women and children (Matt 14:21), when YAHSHUA dismissed the disciples to go into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd (vs.22). YAHSHUA, after He dismissed the multitudes, went up into the hills by Himself to pray, as He used to do. When it was evening, He was still there alone (vs.23). YAHSHUA’S day had been busy feeding the crowd, and needed to be refreshed by the Father. Not concerned with time, evening came, and He was still there alone, praying. Meanwhile, a storm caught the disciples by surprise. The boat was by that time out on the sea, many furlongs [one-eighth of a mile] distant from the land. Their boat was beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them. In the fourth watch [between 3:00-6:00 a.m.] YAHSHUA came to them walking on the sea (vs.25). The disciples were in the storm for a while before the Lord appeared to them. Not that He didn’t know about it, but for some reason it happened that way. To me, was a matter of faith and trust for the disciples and through it, for them to see the glory of God. After all, the disciples witnessed miracles, and more miracles performed by Messiah YAHSHUA. He, being connected with nature, knew exactly what was going on. He was not delayed, as He is never late for anything.

In the fourth watch He decided to come to the disciples. In an amazing way, YAHSHUA showed His disciples once again Who He was. Creator of the earth, and of all that has been created, He walked over the waters as if walking on ground. The storm continued but it didn’t affect Him. For there stood One Who had the power to hush it. All creations submit to His voice, their Creator. The disciples had no idea. The storm was blinding them from recognizing Who that was walking on water. Distant from land many furlongs the disciples were beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them (Matt.14:24). Without YAHSHUA with them, they feared the fury of the storm. When He appeared in the distance, in their fear, they failed to recognize Him. They feared even more when they saw Him. As a matter of fact, they were terrified and screamed with fright, thinking He to be a ghost. (Vs.26).

From a distance came the comforting words, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid! I AM WHO I Am and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE. This was the answer God gave to Moses, many years ago, when He called him to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He asked God, what answer I would give to the Israelites when they asked, the question, What is His name?  And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM AND WHAT I AM, AND I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and you shall say this to the Israelites, I AM has sent me to you! (Exodus 3:13-14). There, stood I AM to save them again, and this time, from the storm. The disciples should have known the tittle I AM that referred to God. There, stood the incarnate God, ready to save them as in the days of old. Peter, their spokesman, didn’t hesitate to be the first to answer. Seeing the Lord walking on the water, he wanted to try for himself, voided of faith, he said, “If it is You, command me to come to You on the water. YAHSHUA said, Come! So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward YAHSHUA. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me. Instantly YAHSHUA REACHED OUT His hand and caught and held him, saying to him O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God!” (Matt. 14:26-33).

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God Disarmed the Principalities and Powers That Were Raged Against Us

(Col. 2:15)

This spiritual warfare started in heaven, when the devil rebelled against God. He wanted to be like God in his prideful ways for having received a high honor of a cherub. The Bible describes him as “the anointed cherub that covers with overshadowing… You were upon the holy mountain of God; you were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the carnelian, topaz, jasper, chrysolite, beryl, onyx, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald; and your settings and your sockets and engravings were wrought in gold. On the day that you were created they were prepared” (Ezekiel 28:13,14). This is quite a description of Satan!  He had the highest position of all angels. He became proud and wanted to be like God, as a result, he was thrown out of heaven. From that time, he was called Satan, the devil. A destroyer, an accuser, a liar, a thief, a tormenter that’s what he is and more. YAHSHUA said, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance” (John 10: 11).

What was really happening at the time YAHSHUA was crucified? Reading Genesis 3: 15 we see that YAHSHUA was fulfilling the prophecy of redemption for humankind. It reads, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel”. Satan’s head was bruised and treaded underfoot while YAHSHUA was being sacrificed. The Bible says, that “when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to the Law, to purchase the freedom of those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us” (Gal. 4:4-5). YAHSHUA, while on the cross, won the victory over Satan, and humankind was reconciled to God. In the suffering of the Son of God, while carrying our sins and diseases, we were reconciled with the Father and healed from diseases and Satan lost the battle.  We see that in His death, even nature revolted, when the earth shook and the rocks were split (Matt.27:51a) showing the tremendous connection it has with its Creator. It spoke loudly and clearly, but just a few understood it, as in the centurion and his soldiers.

It was all invisible to the human eye what was happening. But at that time the spiritual war raged to free mankind from the power of Satan and nature felt it. For it also suffers corruption, as a consequence of man’s sin. In Romans 8:19-23 Paul gives a picture of nature in its longing for their redemption. He said, “For even creation waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known; for the creation was subjected to frailty, not because of some intentional fault on its part, by the will of Him Who so subjected it- with the hope that nature itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children. We know that the whole creation has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now”. There at Calvary, at the death of YAHSHUA, their Creator, they understood that they too were being liberated from decay through the reconciliation between man and God.

There, on the cross, “YAHSHUA disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]” (Col. 2:15).  Before then, men’s spiritual situation was that they were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of their flesh. God brought to life together with [Christ] having forgiven us all our transgressions (Col. 2:13). We were slaves to sin and condemned through eternity. But our Lord, YAHSHUA in His loving-kindness took upon Himself the punishment that due us and set us free, disarming the principalities and the powers, which were holding us prisoners to them. Principalities and powers, in this case, correspond to spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places; evil spirits that oppose everything and everyone. In Ephesians 6 Paul tells us to put on the armor of God to be able successfully to stand up against all strategies and the deceits of the devil; “for we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere” (vs. 12). The works of darkness are powerless, because YAHSHUA nailed them to the cross. Before the blood of YAHSHUA they cringe with fear. They well know about their end publicly expressed and acted against them there on the cross.

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I Am Wonderfully Created

Have you ever thought how special you are to God? You are His possession from the time He created you. There is such an individuality between God and us that it is difficult not to feel His love when reading Psalm 139. For every person created, God was pleased to create. A baby in the womb of a mother is God’s creation. It is God Who gives form and development to that child at the moment of conception. David said, “For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb” (vs. 13). The word knit is to fasten together closely and firmly (Webster Dictionary). Knitting a shawl, we perceive that the thread needs to be tightly together, in order to sustain its strength and the ability to be used for long time. Imagine how orderly God created us! In perfect harmony and in perfection of action among the organs. Think of the brain and its complexities. It is a world of information restored in it as it is the control center of the body. No human being, smart as they can be will be able to create the body as God created with life and the brain with the ability to think, to reason, to decide, etc. It constitutes the part of the soul: the intellect, the emotion, the will. For every child that has been born, God wrote in His book all the days of his/her life (vs.16b). In some cases, there has been defect due to the parent’s taking drugs, or smoking cigarette, or alcohol, or even due to vaccine. This is not a work of God, but of man, who in his sinful nature, has altered God’s creation. God knows what’s best to keep our body healthy and strong. When He was knitting us together, He thought of us individually as special. He planned our future as in the number of days of our existence on earth: “Your eyes saw my uniformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them” (vs. 16).

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