[audio] Are You Ready? Christmas is Coming
Your Day of Visitation
Psalm 122:1-8
What a beautiful Psalm under the inspiration of the Ruach by King David. He certainly was a man after God’s own heart.
But the powerful sentiment of this writing is how valuable and important is the gathering of Elohim’s people together in His House. His House is a place designed to accommodate the gathering of an assembly or congregation. It is specifically put here on earth for that purpose. The Gathering of Elohim’s people is the Kingdom of Heaven being established here on the earth, but only when it is being built exactly according to the plans laid out in the Heavenly.
“Unless Y’Hovah builds the House, they labour in vain that build it.” His House, His place of worship, is a place to praise the Name of Y’Hovah – it is a place where judgements are made on what is righteous and what is not.
Jerusalem is the city which stands for, or represents the place where Y’Hovah has put His Name, the place He calls His dwelling place, the place where He says He will meet with His people. How often so many of God’s people don’t honour or care about doing what He desires so much for us to do: our Sabbath gathering. That’s why people are weak in faith, believe for little and struggle in life. Paul said, “Don’t forsake the gathering together as some do.” Strength is in unity, Community, and standing in support and fellowship with one another. Our faith is what we practice, faith is acts of obedience.
Verses 6-7: “Pray for the peace (shalom) of Jerusalem – May those who love you be at peace (be happy, secure, prosper)- May there be shalom within your walls.”
Security, peace, unity and wellbeing are found in her walls. It’s only found in Jerusalem or Fathers dwelling place. If we are not within the walls of the Heavenly Kingdom, that is, living according to the Kingdom’s rules here on earth – we will never have true peace, shalom, prosperity and wellbeing.
Verse 8: “For the sake of my brothers and friends, I now say, Shalom be within you.” True peace, purpose, prosperity and wellbeing are found in her walls as we pray, rejoice and enjoy each other’s presence in our Jerusalem, Y’Hovah’s House. This is a message of love. Love is also shown or based on obedience. If we don’t obey God’s Word, it’s because we don’t love God as God defines love. This Psalm will one day come literally true in Israel – in the New Jerusalem, when it comes down from Heaven with the return of Yeshua.
Yeshua Visits His Father’s House
Luke 19:27-48
Yeshua’s arrival in Jerusalem was at the exact time and purpose as defined by Y’Hovah, and as declared by Yeshua earlier in Nazareth.
Luke 4:18-19 says, “Ruach Y’Hovah is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of Y’Hovah’s favour.”
Yeshua spent the next twelve to eighteen months doing exactly that. He did all the works that demonstrated and proved He was the Messiah, the Son of God, of the house of David and the rightful heir to the throne as Israel’s King. The only problem was the Temple priesthood and leadership did not recognise the year of Y’Hovah’s favour.
In Luke 19, we have the record of what we call Yeshua’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. He rides into Jerusalem on a colt as prophesied of Him; He comes in like a triumphant king being crowned and seated on the throne of the King’s palace to rule and reign. Nothing was missing on this day, He fulfilled everything prophesied about Him. It was on the tenth day of the month, only four days before Pesach (Passover), when they would put Him on trial and crucify Him. But He had something to do first and much to say over the next four days.
But I want to highlight firstly the insight, revelation and understanding of the crowd that went with Yeshua down the slopes of the Mount and into Jerusalem. This group, or crowd of His disciples were taking off their outer garments and cloaks and throwing them on the road, as they shouted out with loud voices and praised God for all Yeshua had done for them, crying out “Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of Y’Hovah!”
They recognised their Messiah, they boldly proclaimed Him as such and threw their garments on the road for Him to ride over.
This is a picture of absolute submission to Him as their Saviour and Messiah. “We lay down our lives for You, we will follow You no matter where it takes us or what it costs.” Is this our response? For it is what is required if we want the eternal by being resurrected into His Kingdom.
The Pharisees were livid at what was going on and the recognition being given to Yeshua. They said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke your followers.” Yeshua said, “...if these keep silent, the stones will shout out.” You know, I think He might have been saying “If you Jews won’t, then the Gentiles will.”
But what did Yeshua do next?
He went straight into Father’s House and cleansed it. He drove out all that wasn’t of God. They were using it to make wealth at the people’s expense. This was all about themselves. It was a den of thieves and a house of lies! They were money laundering. They added their traditions to make it more like a market, a celebration of levity, a time of excitement and hustle and bustle, making it all about them and not about the true things of the Father and His Word. How often we can do the same and lose the importance and primary purpose of the Feasts.
Christmas
Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and chocolate eggs are more important than the traditions and truth of Scripture. Christmas is the love of the world taking over the House of Elohim.
Christmas is based on the winter solstice, the changing of the seasons and coming into spring. It celebrates the Norse Yule, the burning of the logs, and on Roman Saturnalia, the worship of the god of Saturn, the god of agriculture. It was a public holiday and an orgy of food, drink and immorality. It was also a time of the Roman celebration of Mithra, their Sun god, whose birthday was on the 25th of December.
The Roman Catholic Church could never stop that or change that to get the Romans and Europe to become part of their religion. So, what did they do? They said Jesus’ birth day was on the 25th of December too: you can still celebrate on the same day, but add Jesus’ birth to your celebration and join us.
What about Santa Claus? He is based on a Turkish Catholic Monk named Saint Nicholas who gave gifts to children. He died, was sainted and was added to the tradition of Christ’s Mass, or Christmas. And the Business world has grabbed a hold of all these things and a whole lot more, and made it a feast, a Festival of gigantic proportions. Christmas trees, pork, ham and puddings. Lavish eating, wining and dining and expensive gift giving. And the Church loves it! It’s idolatry!
Where do you find this in your Bibles? No date given there for Yeshua’s birth. We are not even asked to celebrate His birth. It’s all designed by the god of this world to get rid of the Feasts and their important dates and message.
What about Christmas Carols?
As lovely as Christmas carols seem with their messages about Jesus lying in a manger; Silent night, holy night; Jingle bells, jingle bells; Little drummer boy…….All so exciting. But what are we doing? We are celebrating a pagan festival, on a pagan date and we are doing it all in the name of Yeshua. That’s mixing pagan worship with the worship of Y’Hovah, in His house.
It’s what Israel did, and they paid a great price for it; and it’s what the Christian Church is doing and they will also pay a great price for it.
Mark 10:13-16
Yeshua’s admonition and rebuke was to “Bring the children unto Me.” He picked them up, put His hands upon them and blessed them. What do Christians do today? They take their children to Santa’s castle, seated on his throne, and put their children on Santa’s knee so he can put his hands on them, giving his blessing and his gifts and a promise of a visit to their house with even more gifts. That’s paganism and idolatry. And we wonder why our children and families are in a mess, and following the wrong path of life and belief. It’s the wide path of destruction! Only a genuine encounter with and a genuine love for Yeshua will turn things around.
Christmas, Easter and big lavish lunches seem more the order of the day than making His House a House of prayer. These traditions and celebrations have replaced the Sabbath and the Feasts of Y’Hovah. But that’s the way of the world and the way of the Church, and Y’Hovah is not happy. His House is called the seat of judgement, and judgements are coming.
What did Yeshua say, weeping, as He came into the city?
Luke 19:41-44. In your blindness and disobedience, judgements are coming, and all you hold dear will be destroyed and lost. He says, “You and your children will have no place in My Kingdom because you did not recognise or take heed to your time of visitation.” How is this curse reversed?
This always begins with repentance, and turns into joy and blessing as we obey His call and change. This is called being grafted into the Commonwealth of Israel. Ephesians 2:11-22.
If it wasn’t for Abraham and the nation of Israel and their Messiah, we would be without hope in this world. Our hope is in the Messiah, in the covenants and promises made to Israel and Yeshua bringing us into their inheritance, as one with them through His blood.