True Love Mission Centre

13/07/2022

In our Torah portion for this week (i.e., Balak), we read how Balaam intended to curse the Israelites, but God “took hold of his tongue” and made him bless the people instead... It is encouraging to realize that despite the repeated failures of the Israelites in the desert, the LORD never let go of his people... Indeed, as the story of Balaam reveals, if a spiritual enemy should secretly arise to curse Israel, God would take the sorcerer "by the tongue" to evoke God’s blessing instead (Deut. 23:4-5). As Balaam himself later confessed: "there is no sorcery (i.e., nachash: נחש) against Jacob; there is no divination (i.e, kesem: קסם) against Israel" (Num. 23:23).

Unlike scheming Balaam, who was willing to say whatever people wanted to gain temporal reward, God is "not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind" (Num. 23:19, 1 Sam. 15:29). Whatever the LORD has promised he will invincibly perform: His word is full of integrity and truth: "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever" (Isa. 40:8). Amen. The God of Israel is forever faithful in his love, and no one can overrule his desire (Num. 23:20; Rom. 11:29; Isa. 40:13).

You can trust in your promised future, friend. As it is written: "No weapon fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD (זאת נחלת עבדי יהוה) and their vindication from me, declares the LORD" (Isa. 54:17). [Hebrew for Christians]

06/07/2022

Where it says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16), we note that the Scriptures referred to are the words of Torah, since the New Testament had not yet been compiled when Paul had written these words. Paul further said: "These things (i.e., the stories recounted in the Torah) happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age" (1 Cor. 10:11). "The deeds of the fathers are signs for the children," meaning that the narratives of the Bible serve as parables or allegories for us.

From our Torah portion this week (i.e., Chukat) we read how the people became discouraged along the way and complained against God and Moses, saying: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread (i.e., לֶּחֶם הַקְּלֹקֵל, lit. "cursed bread," referring to the manna). So the LORD sent venomous serpents (i.e., ha'nechashim ha'seraphim: הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים, i.e., bronze colored snakes that gave a burning bite) among the people, and they bit the people and many of the people of Israel died. Then the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD that He take away the serpent (הַנָּחָשׁ) from us." So Moses prayed for the people and the LORD then said to him, "Make a fiery serpent (שָׂרָף), and set it on a pole (נֵס); and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, and who looks upon it (i.e., the serpent), shall live" (Num. 21:4-8).

The “fiery serpent” – the venomous sting of which brings death – is what must be looked upon, confronted, and confessed. We must look at that which kills us, and by seeing it, we can then see God’s miracle (נֵּס) that delivers us... Therefore we look to the cross – the place where Yeshua clothed himself with our sickness and sin – to realize God’s remedy for our eternal healing. As Yeshua explained to Nicodemus, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). Humanity as a whole has been "bitten by the snake" and needs to be delivered from its lethal venom. Just as the image made in the likeness of the destroying snake was lifted up for Israel's healing, so the One made in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3) was to be lifted up as the Healer of the world. In Yeshua the miraculous exchange takes place: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Bless His holy name! [Hebrew for Christians]

03/07/2022

Our Lord told us: “For as were the Days of Noah (ימֵי נחַ), so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away (οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ἕως ἦλθεν ὁ κατακλυσμὸς καὶ ἦρεν ἅπαντας). Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot - they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from S***m, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all - so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Matt. 24:38-9; Luke 17:28-30).

So what were these “Days of Noah” like? What can we say about the “Generation of the Flood”? Yeshua explained that the "days of Noah" were marked by people who were asleep, blind, and unaware (ἔγνωσαν, “agnostic”). They went about their business willfully ignorant of the spiritual reality around them. For ten consecutive generations -- from the creation of Adam until the generation of Noah -- people progressively became more and more ignorant of spiritual reality and truth. Eating and drinking, romantic intrigue and marriage, buying and selling, and other worldly affairs were the preoccupations of the day. In short, people lived their lives oblivious to the spiritual reality all around them. They “forgot” who God was, who they were, why they existed, and where they were going. In short, they were “unaware.”

The deadening effects of sin leads to moral and spiritual blindness that leads to corruption and unthinking brutality and violence. Of Noah's generation it was written "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart... the whole earth was corrupt before God, and filled with violence" (Gen. 6:5-6, 11). Rashi understood the word "corruption" (shachat) to primarily refer to sexual immorality (i.e., idolatry) and "violence" (chamas) to primarily refer to theft and robbery. In general, however, the sages regarded the word chamas to refer to lawlessness, that is the denial of Torah, and consequently the benighted condition of living without yirat ha-shamayim (the fear of heaven). When people are spiritually dead, they are unconscious of the wonder of God; oblivious to what is real; and they are consequently debased into animals... We see that in our world today.

Far from being "set free" by throwing off the "shackles" of the law, people are debased and brought into deeper darkness (Rom. 1:26-28; 2 Pet. 2:12). True freedom is not the power to do whatever you want but the power to choose what is right. "Right" and "wrong" are not subjective preferences but objective spiritual judgments indicated both by human conscience but more importantly though revelation of the Torah. Despite claims by foolish thinkers like Frederick Nietzsche, moral truth is not malleable and subject to change. Just as human beings are subject to various physical laws to exist, so they are subject to moral laws. A person can no more murder another and escape the consequences than he can step off the ledge of a skyscraper and not fall to the earth.

The chaos we see in the world today is the result of years of social engineering and propaganda. From their youngest age children have been indoctrinated to believe that there is no God, that there is no transcendental moral authority, and that there is no objective truth about anything. Everything is relative and "perspectival," and it is impossible to judge one subjective perspective to be better or worse than another... As a result we are "reaping the whirlwind" and the impulse to destroy is the final expression of this solipsistic and nihilistic ideology. Of course this destruction will be quickly followed by a "new regime" that eventually will enslave all of humanity under the reign of the anti-Christ.

The late Rabbi Levovitz, leader of the Mir Yeshiva, was in Poland before World War II and he saw the German preparations for the concentration camps. Regarding this he said, "The Jews stopped believing in Gehinnom (hell) so Hashem decided to bring Gehinnom into the world. Not the whole Gehinnom, but a little bit of it, a foretaste, a little bit of Gehinnom" (Purim derasha, 1981: Avi Miller). The moral chaos and anarchy we see today is likewise a foretaste of Gehinnom - the reign of terror to come otherwise known as the Great Tribulation....

There is hope, of course. We can and we should pray for the lost to turn to God and be delivered from their demonic fears and rage. And there is a new world coming! Not the "new world order" being prepared by techno-fascist globalists for the anti-Christ, but a truly new world. The chaotic violent and sick world we live in today will be dissolved when our King comes to rule the earth (Psalm 2). Our Lord can come in a blink of an eye. We are now in a state of preparation to herald our king, and that means keeping our hearts directed to his reality and truth. We must not shrink back now - we must affirm the truth and be bold in our witness. For such a time as this, chaverim. [Hebrew for Christians]

02/07/2022

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it sacred" (Exod. 20:8). The Sabbath is a gift from God, a day of "double portion" of manna, and a time to let go of our daily concerns and surrender to God’s care for us.... If the Almighty, blessed be He, rested on the seventh day, how much more should we rest and find comfort from our weariness? Yeshua, who is “the Lord of the Sabbath” (אדון השׁבת) invites you to enter into his secret place and find strength: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:28-29). Yeshua stands at the door and knocks. Repeat this inwardly until it comes to life within your heart: "Come unto me, and I will give you rest... learn from me and I will give you my peace."

Sabbath is a set apart time to reconnect with what really matters... and therefore it is a form of worship. "Sabbath peace" (שלום שבת) is wholeness, healing, and a pleasure - a step out of the profane world into the sacred. We enjoy the Sabbath - we call it a "delight" (ענג) - by choosing to make a place for the holy in our lives (see Isa. 58:13). We reflect on the gift of Torah, the blessing of Messiah, and engage in life-giving activities (Mark 2:27). We avoid bringing up topics that sadden or "draw tears" - we flee from fret, regret, and anger...

The Sabbath teaches us the blessedness of "being" apart from "doing"; it reconnects us with the inherent sanctity of life itself... It was after God created the world and all that was in it that he sanctified time (Gen. 2:3). God himself “created the world to do” (ברא אלהים לעשׂות) but made time to celebrate his work. The Sabbath gives us a transcendental perspective - seeing time as a blessing in and of itself - apart from the "doing" of things in our lives.

Ultimately Sabbath is a matter of the heart - resting in the work of God given on our behalf - both by honoring the blessing of our existence itself and also our deliverance from slavery to sin (Exod. 20:11; Deut. 5:15). Knowing who we are is the crux of the matter. The particular "rules" of the Sabbath day, however, for instance, what we can or can't do, must serve that greater end: "the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). That was the great error of the Pharisees of Yeshua's day -- "fencing off" the Sabbath make it a prison rather than a palace. No, we celebrate the Sabbath and call it a delight; we reconnect with our inner heart and seek deeper communion with God. Because of Yeshua, "there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God" (Heb. 4:9). Amen, and Shabbat Shalom! [Hebrew for Christians]

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Note: Some people worry about what day should be set apart as the Sabbath. Of course every day is a “Sabbath” for those trusting in Yeshua, and we have a certain liberty under the guidance of the LORD of the Sabbath as well as the counsel of the Apostle Paul (Rom. 14:5-8). Moreover, Yeshua told those who criticized him for "working" on the Sabbath that the Torah justified the work of the priests in their service: "have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?" (Matt. 12:5). As priests of the new covenant given in Messiah (Rev. 1:6; 1 Pet. 2:5, 2:9; Deut. 7:6) we also can work on the Sabbath if it is necessary for the preservation of life or for promoting healing and blessing to others. The important point is to understand that the Sabbath is a God-given invitation to set apart some time each week (or each day!) to reconnect with what is real...

30/06/2022

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom (שׁלוֹם), a word that means "wholeness," "completeness," "well-being," and "healing" -- not merely the absence of strife. People often fight with others because they are not made whole within themselves. Just as we cannot really love others until we first learn to love ourselves, so we cannot have peace with others until we first find our own inner healing and peace. Often this means learning to forgive both ourselves and others (including God) so that we can let go of whatever troubles our heart. As we accept ourselves and let go of our fear, we learn to accept others and give up the need to defend ourselves. As Yeshua said, "Blessed (happy) are those who love peace - for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt. 5:9).

In most English translations we read, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Note, however, that the Greek word translated as "peacemakers" (εἰρηνοποιοί) can also mean “those who love peace,” that is, those who long for peace and pursue it (see Psalm 34:14). In Jewish ethical teaching, seeking peace is called redifat shalom (רְדִיפַת שָׁלוֹם) and is considered a primary heart quality. Rabbi Hillel is attributed as saying, "Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace" (Pirke Avot 1:2). Before we can hope to make peace among others, however, we must first know inner peace. If we threaten this peace, we rise up against God, and thereby undermine his will in our lives. Those who love peace will be called the children of God.

Peace is the foundation of God’s great work of deliverance in our lives. Yeshua is called Sar Shalom (שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם), the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6), since salvation brings reconciliation (i.e., peace) between God and man (Rom. 5:1) and sets us free from the fear of condemnation. When we walk in the peace of God (שְׁלוֹם הָאֱלהִים) that “surpasses all our understanding,” we are empowered to be a blessing to others in your life. "The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:18).

We understand the Torah commandment, “Thou shalt not steal” (לא תִּגְנב) to imply more than being forbidden to steal from others, but also to include the prohibition against stealing from ourselves by failing to practice inner honesty. When we lie to ourselves, we “steal” from the truth, we rationalize what is unjust, and we thereby rob from ourselves the great blessing of inner peace. Indeed, the traditional sages say that every sin essentially constitutes theft from God. For instance, in his discussion of teshuvah (repentance), Maimonides notes that confession of sin is connected with theft (Num. 5:7). Rabbi Yitzchak of Gur asks, “Inasmuch as there are 365 prohibitions in Torah, why does Torah choose to specify the need to confess sin in regard to theft?” He goes on to answer by explaining that if someone borrows something for a specific use, he is not permitted to use it for any other purpose other than that specified, lest he abuse the privilege and “steal the use” of the item. Likewise, God lends the soul the ability to speak, hear, see, and so on, for the sake of living a godly life. If we abuse these things, for example, by using our lips and tongue to speak evil about another, we are using our faculties for a purpose other than God intended, and that constitutes theft. Therefore every sin is a form of theft, an act of “breaking faith with the LORD,” and that is why Torah mentions confession of sin in connection with it. [Hebrew for Christians]

26/06/2022

The Antichrist: Power bases of the Antichrist (part 4 of 9)

During the first 3½ years of the tribulation period the Antichrist will reign as prince of peace and pursue world unity. Then he will make his big move to gain absolute power. The Antichrist’s change of image and strategy in the middle of the tribulation will be very dramatic and terrifying and he will endeavour to force all people into satanism. After he has received a deadly wound and comes to life again, the devil will no longer operate through him in the guise of a prince of peace and an angel of light.

He will now reveal his true nature as a power-hungry dictator who will give full expression to his propensity for blasphemy, sa**sm and brutal murder. He will establish a dictatorship that will be power-based on politics, religion and the control of economic resources. On each of these spheres, totalitarian control will be exercised with the main objective of reducing all people to absolute slavery. They will be denied political rights, religious liberties or economic freedom outside the unitary structures of the new world order. The three power bases of the Antichrist are:

Political power:

In the political sphere he will be the sole ruler of the world during the last 3½ years, and base his power on military strength. No alliance will be able to match him because “power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Rev. 13:7). There will not be a single nation with a sovereign government, as they will all be subjected to the decrees of the Antichrist’s military regime. Political disloyalty will not be tolerated and rulers who do not subject themselves to his authority will be deposed: “I have brought down those who sat on thrones” (Is. 10:13; Amplified Bible).

The Antichrist will be a modern Nebuchadnezzar who will manipulate the global citizens of his empire at will. The brutality of historical world dictators such as Ni**od, Alexander the Great, Nero, Hi**er, and Stalin will be repeated in his reign in a surpassing way. His military campaigns will not only be directed at earthly targets, as the greatest military deployment in the history of mankind will occur in Israel against a heavenly army (Rev. 19:19). That will give rise to the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:14,16).

Religious power:

After the false peace has expired and as the last 3½ years of the great tribulation unfold it will, spiritually, be the darkest time in world history. The satanic triumvirate of the dragon (Satan), the beast (Antichrist), and the false prophet will then assume dictatorial powers on earth.

They will make concerted efforts to crush the power of the Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, by destroying all people who worship the God of heaven. The Antichrist, assisted by the false prophet will, on behalf of the devil, claim the position and title of God for himself: “…the falling away (the departing) comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thes. 2:3-4 NKJV).

Daniel also warned against this evil, end-time god-man who will arrogantly exalt himself and claim to be God: “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods… Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers… But in His [place] shall he honour the God of forces” (Dan. 11:36-38).

The Antichrist will exalt himself to the position of God. But his fraud will be evident because he will recognise a power still higher than himself – that is Satan who is also called the God of forces. He teaches his followers to wage war and capture fortresses and strongholds, and thus to achieve their political and religious objectives by force.

Revelation 13:3-4 clearly confirms the rise to religious power of the Antichrist, and shows that all the deceived people in the world will worship him. Through the mediation of the false prophet, who will do great signs and wonders to deceive the masses, an image of the beast will be erected in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, and it will be compulsory to worship the image (Rev. 13:15).

Such a totalitarian form of religious slavery will necessitate the disbanding and destruction of the alliance of false religions that will be formed during the first part of the tribulation period under the auspices of the Antichrist as universal messiah (Rev. 17:16). Only then will it be possible to force all people to worship the beast as God.

Economic power:

Besides the political and religious macrostructures, a cashless world economy under the control of the Antichrist will be instituted. With the use of 666-related codes and PIN numbers, he will control a computerised system of funds transfer from a central part of the world (Rev. 13:16-18).

From this scripture it is obvious that 666-related codes or PIN’s will be allocated to all people, without which no one will be able to buy or sell. Cash will be withdrawn from circulation. The system of electronic funds transfer will only be accessible to people who have “the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:17).

The condition for obtaining this number is that an oath of allegiance will have to be made to the universal messiah and his world government. Only then will a 666-related personal identity number (PIN) be issued. However, a transaction of this nature will involve the selling of one’s soul to Satan for temporary economic gain. By signing the oath of allegiance, the Antichrist will be recognised as the sole political, religious and economic head of the new world order.

Many theologians allege that there will be no spiritual dangers involved in a cashless monetary system and the acceptance of the Antichrist’s number. They spiritualise this prophecy by saying that the Antichrist will only adversely affect a person’s ability to work (the hand) and his way of thinking (number in the forehead). Even though the Antichrist may issue a literal number or code system for funds transfer it will, according to them, be quite harmless. In this way they are joining Satan’s propaganda campaign in which people will be deceived and brainwashed into accepting the coming antichristian new world order.

Those taken up to heaven at the rapture will escape the tribulation and the Antichrist’s number will never be imposed on them. If you are among those who are left behind, you will have to repent and give your allegiance to the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. This will mean that you will have to utterly reject the false messiah, his world government, his alliance of false religions, his demand for personal worship, and his number for electronic funds transfer, irrespective of the severe consequences that you will have to face.

Those who declare their allegiance to the Antichrist by accepting his number, will be enfolded by the darkness of eternal condemnation: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Rev. 14:9-11).

Those who gain the victory over the satanic conspiracy by not bowing the knee to the Antichrist, will be rewarded by an honourable place in the presence of God in heaven: “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass…” (Rev. 15:2).

Reference: Prof. Johan Malan of Bible Guidance https://www.bibleguidance.co.za /

Seven year reign of the Antichrist (part 5 of 9) following soon

It pleased the Lord to take our brother and His servant, Johan Malan, to be with Him on 16 October 2016 at the age of 75.

24/06/2022

When he was asked when the kingdom of God would come, Yeshua answered: "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). The Pharisees were looking for an earthly kingdom, something political, something of this world, but Yeshua taught that the kingdom of THE MOST HIGH (God) was a matter of the heart - an inner reverence, a spiritual awakening, a rapturous mystery, a supernatural peace... "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." The righteousness of God given in Messiah reveals the kingdom of God to the seeking heart, but those who do not esteem the King will be unable to discern the secret grace of his kingdom. The question is not about an outside dominion but whether the divine life and Spirit reign within you. [Hebrew for Christians]

22/06/2022

In light of the ever-creeping techno-fascism of this evil generation, we wonder how long before politically motivated "censorship" will cross boundaries from various social media platforms to any “offensive content” on any publicly accessible website whatsoever... Indeed this is already happening as we see search engine services delivering filtered results (i.e., "shadow-banning"), Internet browsers tagging web sites as "unsafe," and so on. Moreover, the prevailing characteristic of our age is one of moral and intellectual stupor, and indeed we are now living in what may be called the "Age of Stupidity," a prophesied time wherein God gives worldly culture over to strong delusion - and people are deranged and unfeeling for lack of the truth. It's a perilous time, and for all the more reason should we pray with fervor for the lost to saved before time runs out...

"The Messiah will only come when he is no longer needed" (Franz Kafka), which is to say the Messiah will come when humanity has collectively decided that they no longer want Him. As it was in the days of Noah... as it was in days of Lot (Luke 17:26-30). "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8).

Regarding the princes of this world and their various machinations of evil, there is a Scriptural prayer to the LORD God of all power (יהוה אלהים צבאות) that may be offered in times of oppression and persecution by our enemies: "O our God, will you not execute judgment? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (2 Chron. 20:12). [Hebrew for Christians]

21/06/2022

Just as God humbled Israel with manna in the desert, so He humbles us. "Give us this day our daily bread and deliver us..." The purpose of affliction is ultimately good and healing: God humbles us with manna, the "bread of affliction, so "that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD" (Deut. 8:3). We do not live to eat but eat to live: eating is the means by which we are given strength to pursue the truth, and God often uses tzuris to humble us to do teshuvah and receive his blessing. We often pray that our problems be taken away, but God sometimes ordains these very problems so that we will turn and draw near to Him... We are being weaned from this present age to be readied for heavenly glory, for things unimaginably wonderful, soon to be revealed to you. Stay strong in the Lord, friends. [Hebrew for Christians]

18/06/2022

The Sabbath is a treasure for those who find it.
The Sabbath is:
ღ a blessed day (Genesis 2:3).
ღ a commandment (Exodus 20:8-10).
ღ a covenant (Exodus 31:12-17).
ღ a sign (Ezekiel 20:12).
ღ a delight (Isaiah 58:13).
ღ a day of rest remaining today (Hebrews 4:9-11).
ღ a holy/set-apart day (Isaiah 58:13).
ღ a sanctified day (Genesis 2:2-3).
ღ a demonstration of love (John 14:15).
ღ a day made for man (Mark 2:27-28).