BEFORE Deliverance is Belief

6 06 2024

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BEFORE Moses could lead his people out of Egyptian slavery, they were required to believe. Before the ten plagues, the Israelites had to believe God through Moses. Belief comes first. Yet, God was willing to confirm His Divine plan of deliverance with personal signs. Exodus 4 is an overlooked part of the Exodus account. Before the famous plagues, Israel had to believe. Yehovah gave them two signs to confirm that He was with Moses.

First, He changed the rod of Moses into a snake and back again. This hearkened back to the Garden showing authority over the serpent, Satan. It also specifically applied to the Pharaohs’ snake god worn on his headdress. God revealed He had authority over Egypt’s gods. Yehovah revealed Himself as El Shaddai.

Second, God also turned Moses’ hand to leprosy and then healed it. This sign indicated that Yehovah would heal and protect His people even through suffering. He revealed Himself as Yehovah Rafah, “I am Yehovah who heals you.”

“Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which Yehovah had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people.”  Exodus 4:29-30

Notice that this gathering of the elders of Israel was before Moses went to Pharaoh. God was merciful to give these signs to His own, before the ten plagues even started. The people had to be on board before their deliverance. They had to believe first. This is still true today for our salvation and deliverance from sin. We are required to believe.

“So the people believed; and when they heard that Yehovah had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.”  Exodus 4:31

So we also humble our selves and worship our Savior and Messiah Jesus. He is Yehovah ben Yeshua!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and total victory in Gaza. Pray that the people will believe in God for their deliverance first.

Les Lawrence, a voice of Christian Zionists                    (Read more)

Why  do I use God’s literal covenant Name: Yehovah? Here is a link to the explanation in my book: The Hebrew God Who Has No Name. And here is a link to a great visual from my friend Keith Johnson.


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Abraham Did Not Know God’s Name

10 09 2021

Hebrew God cover photoWhile researching my book about God’ name, I discovered a fascinating verse in Exodus. Did you know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not know the covenant name of God? He appeared to them and spoke with them but did not reveal His name. He was know by them as “God Almighty.” 

And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am Yehovah. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by My name, Yehovah, I was not known to them. Exodus 6:2-3

Remember that most English translations do not translate His name into English, but rather conform to the Jewish rabbinic tradition of not using His name. However, there is a simple code so you can know when His name, Yehovah, should be used. Every time you see LORD in all capital letters in English versions, the real word in the Hebrew text is Yehovah, His covenant name. How many times is this mistaken translation used (substituting LORD for Yehovah)? In the Old Testament alone His name actually is used 6,828 times. Wow! When you start using His name, a whole new level opens up. Look at the third chapter of Exodus.

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

15 – Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Yehovah God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.” Exodus 3:13-15

In Exodus 3, Moses first learned Yehovah’s name at the burning bush, when God called Moses to go back to Egypt and bring Israel out of slavery. Many are confused because they only read verse 14 which mentions “I Am,” which is a descriptive phrase that means “the Eternally Existent One.” But, the next verse goes on to reveal the name, Yehovah, that appears 6,828 times, but is miss-translated as LORD. This comes from the tradition that Jews substitute “Adonai” which means Lord. Whenever the Hebrew text uses Adonai it is translated as “Lord” with only a the first letter capitalized. Now you know the code. All caps is His real name, and lower case Lord is Adonai. I cannot defend why modern Bible publishers persist in obscuring His literal name, Yehovah. By the way, some say it is Jehovah or Yahweh, but the pronunciation is secondary. Use His name!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and pray for rain. A small rain shower fell in southern Israel this week.

Les Lawrence, a voice of Christian Zionists,              (Read more)

Why  do I use God’s literal covenant Name: Yehovah? Here is a link to the explanation in my book: The Hebrew God Who Has No Name. And here is a link to a great visual from my friend Keith Johnson.


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The Bible is not Ancient

19 05 2020

radioTo most modern Americans, the Bible is an ancient collection of out of date stories. But that is wrong. The Bible is more current than today’s newspaper headlines, because God sees the end from the beginning. The word of God is living energy, transforming everything it touches. Consider this verse.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

The phrase “living and powerful” comes from Greek words that mean “alive” and “energy.” God’s word is alive! God’s word is energy! Think about it. His words are not lying around in some dead letter office. His message is throbbing with life, imparting life, breathing His very being into ours as we listen to Him.

When He speaks it is far more than inspiration. Powerful energy is released into our spirit, soul, and body. You need to understand that literally. When you are feeling blah, and listless, hearing the voice of God fires you up. I am not talking about the Bible as opinions of various writers, but as the Holy Spirit breathing out the very voice of the living Yehovah God, King of Creation.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

God lives outside of the human time/space continuum. When He speaks into our human condition, there is a supernatural effect. It is beyond natural. He speaks through the Bible, through visions and dreams, through prophesies, and even through circumstances. The key for us is to see what He is saying, to listen expectantly, ready to receive.

Most people think God never speaks to them. That is dead wrong. God speaks to every person on this planet. The problem is that we are not listening, or don’t want to listen, or are just too busy with our own selfish pursuits. The problem is that there are too many voices. Think of it as a radio with hundreds of stations with every imaginable programming. But, you hear every station, every frequency all at once, at the same time. Somewhere in the cacophony of sounds assailing your senses, there is one clear channel with the voice of God. How do you tune Him in, and tune the others out? The others are louder and demanding, and yet God is speaking. Can you hear Him? Try it.

Pastor John Thrift preached Sunday at Grace Assembly in Wake Forest, NC. He talked about a great commandment that is rarely preached. When Jesus appeared on the mountain with Moses and Elijah, who represented the Law and the Prophets, God gave a clear command. When Peter started talking, God interrupted Peter. Think of that. Even Peter was talking when he should have been listening. Whew!

Yehovah directed Peter to Jesus, His “beloved Son,” and commanded: “Hear Him!”

He (Peter) was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Matthew 17:5 ESV

Have you ever considered that commandment? Are you talking, instead of listening? Maybe it is time pay attention to His voice? Consider what I say. Try praying this simple prayer: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and pray for the restoration of rains in Israel.

Les Lawrence, Voice of Christian Zionists


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Moses, Netanyahu, and the Rebellion of Korah

25 07 2019

MosesIs there a similarity between Moses and Prime Minister Netanyahu, and for that matter also President Trump? There is an intriguing article in this month’s Israel Today Magazine, an Israeli Messianic based publication.

Korah and his clan recently made headlines in the Israeli media, and not just because of the weekly Torah portion. Korah’s rebellion against Moses is regarded as the first political opposition in the Bible. It is now being compared with the almost obsessive opposition to Israel’s current national leader, Benjamin Netanyahu. “Anyone but Moses” was the rallying cry at that time. Today, it’s “Anyone but Bibi.” Israel Today

The conflict in politics today in the U.S. and in Israel is closer than you may think to the rebellion in Moses’ day. First, a disclaimer: We do not agree with every decision of the PM or of Israel. They make wrong-headed decisions just like anyone else. However, let’s look at the real issue of Korah’s objection to the leadership of Moses.

Korah made a simple “democratic” point. To paraphrase verse 13: “Who died and made you king?” His contention was that everybody is equal and he accused Moses of exalting himself above the people. Was Korah correct?

Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and Yehovah is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yehovah?” Numbers 16:1-3

Notice that the 250 leaders were “representatives of the congregation,” sort of like Congress? But the point is that they rejected the legitimacy of Moses and Aaron. So the only question is simple. Did Moses exalt himself or was he placed there by the Almighty Yehovah God? In their case it was settled overnight. Unfortunately, today it takes accusation, litigation, investigation and then it is finally settled by an election. Here is the rest of the story.

And Moses said: “By this you shall know that Yehovah has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then Yehovah has not sent me. But if Yehovah creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected Yehovah.”

Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. Numbers 16:28-33

I dare you to read all of Numbers 16 with a heart open to the Holy Spirit and open to the God who is holy.

Are Netanyahu and Trump better than other men? NO! Are they raised up to their places by the hand of Yehovah? Yes. If true, then watch God defend them and deal with their enemies.

One more disclaimer: I could be wrong. But it will become clear soon. In the meantime, I pray for both leaders and both nations that evil principalities will be bound and their evil plots be exposed for all to see. I pray this in the mighty name of Yeshua ben Yehovah, Jesus, the Son of God.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and pray for rain.

Les Lawrence, Voice of Christian Zionists              (Read more)

 

 


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