Jacob, whose other name was Israel, wandered from place to place with his flocks and servants, until at last when Joseph was a boy and Benjamin a tiny baby, he settled at Marmre. Jacob loved Joseph above his eleven brothers because he was the first born of Rachel who he loved. One day to show how much he loved Joseph, Jacob gave him a wonderful new coat. It was woven in all the colours of the rainbow, it floated around him as he walked on the hills. All his other brothers were jealous of him and would not speak to him. One nigh Joseph had a strange dream. He was so excited about it h...

I know many of you are familiar with the famous Sufi poet Rumi. Dr. Deepak Chopra has spent much time promoting translations of this wonderful poet. But how many of you realized those poems were not being spoken to another human, but instead written to his beloved, God? Truly they are love songs to the divine! Another great Sufi poet that I love dearly is Hafiz. He was born around 1320 and died 1389 AD and was one of the most beloved poets in Persia (living around 100 years after Rumi). I find his poems a bit rowdy and outrageous, which I feel is a delightful attribute for “religious” poetry. ...

When you receive the Seal you will see global warming as the sign of the End-times approaching. You will see how smoke and soot is dimming the sunlight reaching China and India. The soot is black carbon. It warms the upper atmosphere but actually cools the lower atmosphere a little. That means there is warming of the earth happening from the upper atmosphere. And at the same time there is a cooling happening below since some of the sun is being blotted out. This cooling can make the Indian monsoon much worse, causing more catastrophic flooding than ever before. T...

When you receive the Seal you will be able to become one with God--as a duomonad--and yet the two of you will remain separate and distinct. This is how Adam and Eve were one and yet two separate and distinct people. God created the world in seven days. On the fifth day He created the first man, Adam. That day He also created the other animals of the earth as well as the birds of the air. The animals were the only companions of Adam at first because God waited before He created the first woman. He wanted Adam to realize how alone he was without a woman as his companion. ...

Question: Im having trouble being consistent in valuing Gods Word. Suggestions? First of all, why is it important for us to value Gods Word? To put it first place in our lives? Gods Word, although comprised of different authors, is all inspired by God (II Timothy 3:16). It is Gods expressed will for us. It is His love letter to us. More than that, the writer of John 1:1 tells us the Word is God. If we value and consistently put the Word first place in our lives, we are putting God first. We are spending time with Him. Jesus advises us in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the Ki...

Is the book of Ecclesiastes the most depressing book in the Bible? Well, it can be - no doubt about it. I don't think it would make very many people's list of favorite Bible books. I know personally it always kind of depressed me in days gone by when I would read it but that was my fault, not the book's. I would like to try and show the upbeat side of the book of Ecclesiastes. What the book of Ecclesiastes does is lay before us the facts of this life. Our great achievements, as we may view them, will eventually fade away into obscurity and we along with them. Even the names on our...

Worry means to be anxious, troubled, or uneasy. It is a strong feeling of anxiety that causes unhappiness. It also causes mental agitation or distress which disturbs our peace. Worry is not the will of God for us. God is our provider, when we seek his kingdom first, he w Worry reveals a lack of total faith in God to provide for us. When we seek the kingdom with all our hearts, we will overcome worry. Worry is a habit that we can change. Worry is triggered by negative thoughts, words, beliefs and negative assumptions, which are usually not the truth. Worrying is unproductive and steals our...

When you receive the Seal you will not swear by the earth. This means you will no longer revere the earth as precious collateral for your vow. Indeed, Jesus said you shall no longer swear by anything, not even Heaven. Sometimes when you borrow something you are asked to pledge something valuable as collateral. This guarantees to the lender you will have something of value to give them if you end up not paying them back. And this is why people swear by things. They swear by something of value and it gives their vow emphasis. But Jesus taught that such vowing is little mor...

Not long ago I was going about my daily chores and I heard a voice ask me “What are you looking at?” I was pretty sure it was God. Just as sure, I thought, the question didn’t apply to me. It must be a message for someone else that I know. A couple days ago I heard the same question asked of me. But this time the question was more urgent and forceful. This time I knew it was from God. Also, I knew the message was for me. The message started me to examine my life and to see what I was looking at. So now I am back to a life of faith and being led by the Holy Spirit. It ...

As soon as King Josiah heard God’s Word, he wanted others to hear it too. He called a meeting to be held in the house of God. He called ALL the leaders or elders, ALL the men of Judah and ALL the people, great and small. This must mean that the parents bought their children. Josiah knew that they were not too young to hear the Word of God. The king stood up before the people with a scroll in his hand. He read to them all the words of the book which had been found in the house of God. It must have taken a long time to read it. Then the king made a covenant or promise before the Lord and be...