The Kingdom Of God Is At Hand (Interest versus Commitment)

The Kingdom of God is at hand (Matt. 4:17, 10:7, Luke 10:9 & Mark 1:15).What does that mean? Yeshua (Jesus) was telling his disciples that the Kingdom of God was near. How near? Take your hand and place it right in front of your face. That near! God's kingdom is not out there in the sky somewhere. Neither is it just something to look forward to when you die. The Kingdom of God is within His people (Luke 17:21). We are blessed to be living in the very end of the age, or this world system, as we know it. Messiah is about to return. The signs are everywhere, if one would only open their eyes and pay attention.

 There is a hatred today, for God, His people Israel, and believers in Messiah. The hatred we are witnessing today, is unprecedented in all of history. Just do a search of the word "antisemitism", or "antisemitism of the church fathers," and you may shock yourself, as to the hatred for the Jewish people, and followers of Messiah that exists today. Yes, it exists even within the church. This is exactly as the Bible has been stating from Genesis to Revelation. We are living in the age, when Jewish people are beginning to cry out for their Messiah. Jewish people everywhere are praying for Messiah to reveal himself and at the same time, Christians are watching in anticipation of  His return.

 Antisemitism is nothing new. It has existed ever since the Hebrew people were chosen by God, to be a witness unto Him in the world. The following is a (not so) brief excerpt, with quotations and notes added by me, adapted from "Anti Semitism" (Keter Publishing House, Jerusalem, 1974).

3rd Century B.C.E.  Manetho, Greco-Egyptian Historian says; Jews were expelled from Egypt as lepers.

38 C.E.  Anti-Jewish riots in Alexandria (Egypt): Many Jews killed and all remaining Jews were confined to one quarter of the city.

19 C.E.  Emperor Tiberius expels the Jews from Rome and Italy.

66 C.E.  Massacre of the Jews of Alexandria (Egypt) in which 50,000 Jews were killed.

200 C.E. Church Father, Tertullian writes his anti-Jewish polemic in Latin Adversus Judaeos (Against The Jews). This was the beginning of the Israel and Church concept, or Replacement Theology.

325 C.E.  After the ecumenical council of Nicaea, the Christian Church formulates it's policy toward the Jews: The Jews must continue to exist for the sake of Christianity in seclusion and humiliation. Circumcision is outlawed, as is the keeping of the Jewish Shabbats, God's appointed feasts, New moons and blowing of the shofar. Torah scrolls are burned and Jews are forbidden to marry Christians.

For more information on this, visit this site:

www.ngabo.org/prophetic/constantine.htm

386-387 C.E.   John Chrysostom, Church Father in the East, delivers 8 violently anti-Jewish sermons in Antioch.

438 C.E.  Theodosius II, Roman Emperor of the East, legalizes the civil inferiority of the Jews.

circa 470 C.E. Jews persecuted in Babylonia by Firuz, The Exilarch, many Jews killed and their children given to Mazdeans.

535-553 C.E.  Emperor Justinian I, issues novellae to Corpus Juris Civilis expressing his anti-Jewish policy.

612 C.E. Visigothic King Sisebut of Spain inaugurates a policy of forcible conversion of all Jews in the kingdom.

624-628 C.E.  Jewish tribes of Hejaz (Arabia) destroyed by Muhammad.

632 C.E.  Heraclius, Byzantine Emperor, decrees forced baptism of all Jews in the Byzantine empire.

632 C.E. Official Church doctrine on forced conversion of Jews in Spain formulated.

1421C.E.  Persecutions of Jews in Vienna and its environs, confiscation of their possessions and conversion of Jewish children, 270 Jews burned at the stake, known as the Wiener Gesera (Vienna Edict). Expulsion of Jews from Austria.

1473 C.E.  Marranos of Valladolid and Cordoba, in Spain massacred.

1474 C.E.  Marranos of Segovia, Spain massacred.

1492 C.E.  Expulsion from Spain.

1492-93 C.E. Expulsion from Sicily.

1495 C.E.  Expulsion from Lithuania

1496-97 C.E.  Expulsion from Portugal; Mass forced conversions.

1506 C.E.  Massacre of Marranos at Lisbon.

1543-44 C.E.  Martin Luther, German reformer, attacks the Jews with extreme virulence. Quotes from Martin Luther follow, but I'll keep it brief focusing only on the important points of his words.

"What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews"

First, their synagogues should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt.

Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed. For they perpetuate the same things there that they do in their synagogues. For this reason they ought to be out under one roof or in a stable, like gypsies---.

Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer- books and Talmuds in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught.

Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach any more.

Fifthly, passport and traveling privileges should be absolutely forbidden to the Jews.

Let the government deal with them in this respect, as I have suggested.

Such a desperate, thoroughly evil, poisonous, and devilish lot are these Jews, who for these fourteen hundred years have been and still are our plague, our pestilence, and our misfortune"

Adolf Hitler used much of Luther's writings in his book "Mein Kampf" It makes you wonder where he got most of his demonic ideas.

I have only given a small portion of what is recorded of the persecutions of the Jewish people throughout history. I have left out much, but anyone who wants to know more, can easily find it online. Satan has tried to eliminate our heavenly Father's people from the beginning of humanity, but he will not succeed. The Almighty has a purpose for His people, and He will have his way, no matter what Satan and his deceived demoniacs try to do. 

The antisemitism of times past, are nothing compared with what is ahead of us.  Just look at the news today. The truth of Israel is suppressed, in favor of the Arab lies, and anti-Jewish propaganda. The United Nations have become nothing more than a sounding board, for the hatred of the state of Israel. Do we really think the Arab Spring is pure coincidence? Do we really believe, it is all about democracy? Do we think Egypt's president was only kidding when he said, "Jerusalem would be the new capital of Egypt?" Do we really think, that Iran is developing nuclear technology, just to make electricity, especially in light of what their president says about Israel? Khamenie has called Israel "a cancerous tumor, that must be wiped out." Iranian president Mahmoud Ahnadinejad in 2005 said, "Israel will one day be wiped off the map." At the UN he said "Israel's existence is an insult to all humanity."

 It's time to get into our Bibles, and look at where we are in History and Prophesy. Time is running out, and it is running out fast. Israel is surrounded by people, who want to drive her into the sea. What do you think is going to happen, should Israel attack Iran's nuclear facilities? Do we think it will create world peace?  Please read Psalm 83 to see how this fits in prophesy today. Do we think the things happening in Syria are merely coincidence? Read Isaiah, Chapter 17. If we are only interested in the truth of Scripture, but are not committing our lives to trust in Our heavenly Father, and His Messiah Yeshua haMashiach, we are in for a world of hurt in the near future.

There seems to be a renewed interest, as of late, in the return of Messiah. Many churches are looking at the Scriptures, in a new way, hoping to discover some answers they may have missed in the past. Many are starting to seek the Hebraic roots of their faith, to see, if there is something they are missing in their Modern/ Western Hellenistic/Greco/Roman/Protestant understanding, of the Ancient, Eastern, Hebrew Scriptures. I have recently noticed an interest in Biblical matters, from a lot of people, that have had zero interest in the past. People seem to instinctively know, that something is about to happen. Therein lies the root of the problem. There is great interest, but at the same time, there also seems to be a great lack of wanting to prepare their lives, for what is about to happen. There is a profound lack of commitment to having their lives changed in conformity to what Scripture requires. Interest in spiritual matters is not going to prepare you for the troubled times ahead. Our Father is looking for a people, who are committed to following His instructions. He is looking for a people, who are willing to put Him first in their lives, and trust in Him alone, for their very being.  

Our heavenly Father is looking for a people, who are not interested in the cares and worries of this world. Anything that you place in front of, or between you and our Creator is an idol. If there is anything of this world that you are not willing to give up for Him, it is an idol. Whether it is cars, jobs, the party life, houses, friends, family, pagan traditions, or holidays. If you allow them to get between you and the Father in heaven, He will view it as pagan worship, and visit upon you His wrath. Our Father is a jealous Elohim, and He wants all of our lives, not just a part of it. If Yeshua is not LORD of all in your life, He is not LORD at all. Think about this. When the church abandoned the Hebrew understanding of Scripture, and their ways, the power also left the church. No more were there the miracles, that were common to the Jewish believers in Messiah. No more was the power of healing commonplace. No more was there revelation in His word, as in the days of the Apostles. Was it because the Apostles all died out, or was it because their teachings were abandoned in favor of the doctrines of devils and wicked men? I believe it is the latter. Could that be why the power is returning to those who have committed their lives to finding the truth, and then trusting God to teach them His ways?

Shalom,

Barry W. Gaugler