Edition 154 March 8th 2013

The Living Stones:

News events and commentary:

My comment begins with ***

●Both Russia and Israel warn of brewing trouble on the Golan Heights controlled by Syria. (Debka File March 4th)***This is of major importance prophetically because we know that the full destruction of Syria’s capital, Damascus, lies not far off and we know that Russia as part of the “Gog and Magog” confederation will attack Israel in the great war of Ezekiel 38 & 39.This is all part of the stage being prepared for these things.

●A US source in Washington says that Hizbollah has possession of chemical weapons.

●Egypt’s Arab Spring continues to become an Islamic revolution as Egyptian Christians are arrested in Libya for “sheltering coverts.” Egypt is again in turmoil as their April election is cancelled.

●Netanyahu’s new coalition government is taking shape but it is going to be weaker than before. This could be a harbinger to the great Damascus destruction prophecy. This occurs as “Israel is waning.”

The Living Stones

Introduction:

Micah 4:11-12 “Now also many nations have gathered against you who say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.” But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, nor understand His counsel; for He shall gather them like sheaves for the threshing floor.”

God has a plan for Israel, Jerusalem and the Jewish people and it will come to pass. That shouldn’t be surprising, but tell that to the world’s leaders! What an enormous surprise they all will get one day when they discover that they have not been working for peace but war, and they have been working directly for Satan and not God. Imagine choosing Satan’s word and rejecting God’s.

God’s plan is one of enormous gravity and importance. It’s of terrible severity and wonderful blessing. It will shake the world to its very roots.

Isaiah 49:8...”I will preserve you (Israel) and give you as a covenant to the people to restore the earth.”

The term “Living Stones” is a parody based on the fact that believers run off to Israel to see all the ancient dead stones, but ignore or simply don’t have eyes for the “Living Stones” who are groups of Israeli believers in our Lord, springing up all over Israel and forming new Messianic congregations.

I recall being repulsed by the obsession so many had with the dead stones and even the actions of certain churches to build shrines and other monstrosities over almost every holy site. I recall walking the streets of old Jerusalem with incredible excitement, not because of where our Lord once walked but because of where He will soon walk again!

I recall standing on top of Masada with some Israeli Defence Force generals as they proclaimed and prayed, “Never again will Jerusalem fall into the hands of its enemies”.

Amos 9:15 I will plant them in their land and they shall no longer be pulled up from the land I have given them.”

I recall standing on top of Megiddo (Jezreel Valley) with a bunch of “clever” pastors denying that there would ever be a real Armageddon. At that instant three Israeli F16 fighter jets blasted into the scene out of nowhere, just above ground level, turning up almost vertically and then disappearing into the clouds.

Jeremiah 51:20 “You (Israel) are My battle axe and weapons of war, for with you I will break the nations in pieces.”

Living Stones, my dear brothers and friends, you have been placed right on the cutting edge of God’s final work. What a privilege you have to be called of our soon coming Jewish King of Kings and Lord of glory. Your position in God’s scheme of things is far more important than you may imagine. You are our Lord’s “teaching priests.”

2 Chronicles 15:3-4 “For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest and without the law. But when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.”

I would like to share this with you: Many years ago I desired to become involved if only in a minor way with a ministry in Israel. I can assure you that I am well aware of the believers who have the disease called Israelitis and go overboard on Israel and I stand clear of them. But I wanted to be where God’s heart was. I wanted to participate in some way with what He is doing now.

I believe this was our Lord’s doing. May I say that I and the Prophetic Scroll and many of our regular readers and members would consider it a privilege to stand with you and for you in prayer, fellowship, relationship and any other thing that the Lord lays on our hearts.

Who are the Living Stones?

The Living Stones is a tiitle for a group of Messianic congregations all across Israel. It's not an official organisation as such but a collection of fellowships drawn together, so that they can be more effective in God’s call.

There were 12 to start with and now the number of fellowships has increased to over 60. (There are 20 that appear in the doccumentary)

These are Messianic fellowships in that they believe in the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua. They keep Babylon out by not practising Christmas, Easter and the like and do celebrate the Feasts of the Lord. They are not modern “Judaisers” trying to bring people under the domination of legalism, but respect the law as the school master to bring us to salvation.

Some of the fellowships have come under terrible persecution from the orthodox Jews. One in particular, was almost killed recently by a bomb sent to their family by some orthodox Rabbis disguised as a gift. You may have seen this on the news.

Here are some of them:

Anis Barhoum is an Arab believer from Shafar’am (Galilee) Ministry = “House of Light”

Avi Schwartz was of the town called Arad on the edge of the Negev Desert and is now in the north country.

Bella Davidov (Husband – Simscha, below) is of Holocaust survivor parents. She lives in Ashdod. Ministry = “Yeshua Ministires”

Evan Thomas is of Netanya. His ministry is called Beit Asaph working with Arab leaders.

Howard Bass is of Beer Sheva and his ministry is called “Yeshua’s Inheritance.” A focus is ministry to the military amongst many other things.

Israel Harel lives in the Jezreel Valley (Armageddon scene) Ministry= Sha’ar Ha Emek

John Pex is of Eilat (tip of Red Sea) Ministry = hostel based called The Shelter.

Rafi Shimon is an Israeli but spent most of his time in South Africa. 15 years ago he moved back to Kfar Saba in Samaria. Ministry= Keilat Ha Maayan

Simcha Davidov of Ashdod (next to Gaza) . He is an ex IDF tank commander. Ministry= Yeshua Ministries.

Tony Sperandeo is of Kfar Saba. He is pastor of multi-facetted Kehilat Ha Maayan

Yossi Ovadia is of Karmiel near Galilee. Minstry= Kehilat Haderech. (Pastor)

Yo-Yakim Figueras is of Arad. Ministry= Arad Congregation.

The Living Stones aren’t the biggest ministries in Israel with some being very small, just starting up.

►If you or your friends are visiting Israel, look up one or more of these fellowships and make a visit to them an important part of your trip.

►From time to time I will be doing audio talks with them. These will be posted at the top of the home page.

The greatest drama all summarised:

In a little nutshell this is the greatest drama of all time:

Our Messiah was born, Saviour of the word, and immediately rejected by his brothers. For almost 2000 years the gospel went primarily to the Gentiles. But God in His word reveals that He will bring His lost brothers, the Jews, back into His fold. He will first bring them back into their God-given land in their blindness and then lift the veil, all in association with the Second Coming. A remnant of Jewish (Messianic) believers will recognise their Messiah long before the majority and prepare the pathway for the great end time escape from Egypt and Babylon (the world) and into salvation. The world led by its evil god will hate this plan and resist it, but they who reject God’s plan will fail and fall. Many will fall in battle after battle in Israel and a huge army of the world’s nations will fall at Jerusalem. Many Jews will be saved before all of this, but many will reject our Lord again only to come to salvation in the soon coming tribulation period.

The salvation of the Jews is the most important issue of our day. If Satan can prevent them from salvation, he has a legitimate claim against the veracity of the word of God and the Second Coming.

Isaiah 42:16 “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known, I will make darkness light before them and crooked places straight.”

Isaiah 9:2 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.”

Amos 9:15 I will plant them in their land and they shall no longer be pulled up from the land I have given them.”

Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold the days are coming says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”

Romans 11:25 “For I do not desire brethren, that you be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

Israel – God’s story:

The dead stones of Jerusalem are beautiful indeed but they are dead. If these walls were alive and could talk, what an incredibly dramatic story they would have to tell! It would put a thousand Shakespeare’s to shame!

The image below is a composite I made of war weary walls, Temple stones, ancient gates, symbols and the living shofar blower at the Western Wall.

Zechariah 8:13 “And it shall come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.”

Hosea 3:5 “In the latter days, the children of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and fear the Lord.”

Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold the days are coming says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”

You know music is great up to a point. Once you’ve heard a piece a dozen times it’s boring and that’s true for classical music as well. It’s like chewing gum that’s lost its flavour. But interestingly God’s word is not like that. It lives and breathes with an eternal heartbeat. It speaks of ancient things and new things. It’s never boring.

Some of my favourite verses are timeless. I can read them a thousand times and they’re still exciting. Here are another two of my favourites:

Isaiah 60:1-3 “Arise shine; for the light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you (Jews). For behold the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Isaiah 49:6 “I also will give you (Israel) as a light to the Gentles, that you should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

These verses above also speak of and apply to the unique position and call of these Living Stones.

Time is running out for the modern Church. It has ignored God’s call to present the gospel to “the Jew first”, so now the Jewish “stones” (not a rock band) are already doing the job, while much of the church plays self-centred, me-now games.

Storm clouds are coming to Israel and Jerusalem in particular as the god of this world tries in vain to bring down our God and His word. That is the root of the conflict. In fact it goes right back to the Garden of Eden where Satan challenges Adam saying, “Has God said...”

Yes “God has said” and it is a good “say”! This whole issue is very close to God’s own heart. It is His time clock as well.

I tell you from my personal perspective, I care little for what this or that mega church is doing today. I care nothing for what the orthodox churches are doing. But I care a great deal for what God is doing now in the Living Stones and others in Israel, even though it is still relatively small. In fact I would give my life for this lot if called to.

This is not an issue of total belief in exactly the same doctrines, although there are none I’ve seen that I would disagree with. This is a much bigger issue. In a sense it’s like the real true reformation just starting now! It’s like the reformation being reformed into the final great restoration.

Finally:

Do you know that the “whole world” will turn against God’s plan for Israel, Jerusalem and the Jews? Now, that doesn’t mean every single last person. It means a huge number, most certainly the majority.

Dear reader, when next you look at yourself in a mirror, ask yourself this question: “Will I be one who will betray God’s plan for Israel?” “Will I become a modern Judas like a host of others?” Dear reader, do you know that one of the signs of the coming of our Lord is believers betraying one another? Matthew 24:10

Make this proclamation into the spirit world: “I will stand with and for my God and His plans for Israel. I will be His “banner” to as many as would listen.” I will keep my heart open, soft and tender to my God and His word, and I will keep my heart hard and closed to Satan and his word in these days.” Do it!

Isaiah 11:12 “He will set up a banner for the nations, and gather the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”

As regular readers know, my objective with the Prophetic Scroll has always and will continue to be to keep you on the cutting edge of what God is doing. It has been to forewarn and inform of things to come before they get here, so that we can be well armed and prepared.

I see this new connection with these Living Stones as prophetic in many ways. I want them and all of you to know that we are one family as we go forward into dark, dangerous, terrible, exciting and glorious times.

Isaiah 60:14-15 “The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you and those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations.”

Isaiah 62:1 “For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burns.”

 Here’s a painting I did a while ago. It represents many thoughts and ideas on Israel. There is a hint of the ancient walls, gates and stones of Jerusalem as well as Hebrew letters. There are olive leaves, menorahs, scrolls, a shofar blower and other things. I’ve used a multi-layering, mixed-media, style. I’ve used cement to create some of the textures and bits of gold leaf merged into the painting to bring in a feel of luxury.

Shalom and grow in grace!