Chanukah(More than just lighting candles)

Here's a fun little factoid for you, did you know Chanukah is in your bible? 

don't believe me huh?

And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

John 10:22

You may be saying to yourself; "Um…I see winter and dedication, I don't see the word Chanukah at all."

Well my friend, it's because you don't know the meaning of Chanukah or the fact that it's the only feast in "winter" that is celebrated by jewish people. Chanukah is the "Feast of dedication" that is its meaning, it is more than what you see on the surface level, it is more than lighting some candles for eight days. Yeshua(Jesus) found Chanukah important enough to be in the temple, at the time of it's celebration. 

And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

John 10:23

What did Yeshua say in John chapter 8? He called Himself the "Light of the World",

do you not see the symbolism of lighting the chanukiah?(Chanukah Menorah) it goes much deeper than that.  A chanukiah(a menorah specifically used for Chanukah) has a total of 9 candle holders, usually one candle holder on the chanukiah is raised a little higher than the others, this is called the "Shammash candle" this is the candle that is lit and then lights the other candles on the menorah. Shammash means "Caretaker" or "helper"or a better way to put it is "Servant", this is usually a title given to a person in a jewish synagogue who takes care of temple duties,  in christianity this would be called a "Deacon". 

Yeshua was absolutely a servant, He only did the Fathers will, and like the "Shammash candle" that gives light to the other candles, is Yeshua not our light? without Yeshua we are nothing, and we must be shining beacons of light, and only by Yeshua is it possible for us to be light! Where is such symbolism, such biblical affirmation in Christmas? think about it, what does Christmas even have to do with Yeshua? sure, you say;

"it's when our savior was born!"

but really that's not even biblically accurate at all, and even if it were true…what exactly does santa clause and decoration of a tree have anything to do with His birth? none the less I'm not writing to talk about Christmas, I'm writing to share how biblical and important Chanukah is. 

I did say it was more than lighting a menorah, some call it "the festival of lights" and I suppose it is, but its meaning is really "The feast of Dedication", the question becomes, what exactly is being dedicated? Well, you would have to know the story of the Maccabees, which oddly enough is in the Catholic cannon. The story of Chanukah is really found in the first book of Maccabees, I'd say if you want to know the whole story read chapters one thru four.  Basically It's about the hellenization of Israel, the spread of greek culture and their philosophy forced down the throats of the jewish people.

This hellenization happened slowly, it really started with Alexander "the great" and only infected and spread after Alexander passed away and divided his kingdom up among his generals. To the greek mind set the jewish people were barbaric for they only "worshipped one GOD" and their laws and customs were looked down upon. Some jewish people welcomed the change, and had no problem adopting pagan customs, but most were really forced to change or they were put to death. King Antiochus attacked Jerusalem and pillaged the Temple, took all the gold out of the temple and defiled the temple of the LORD our GOD the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and made it a worship place for zues, turned the temple into a place of orgies and pagan sex practices to please their "gods".

They would gather up the jewish people and murder them if they didn't worship their gods, and murder them if they tried to hang on to any type of jewishness. It's even recorded that there was a mass slaughter of jewish people who refused to worship their gods and adopt pagan practices, they were keeping the sabbath and refused to take up arms against Antiochus's forces, so they were massacred without fighting back. Well a man named Mattathias and his sons were disgusted with what was happening with Jerusalem and their people being forced into hellenistic practices, and they were not going to stand for it any longer.

This small band of jewish men who were devoted to God and His commandments started up a revolt against Antiochus, they were vastly out numbered but it was shown that God was absolutely on their side. THe real leader and hero of the story is Mattathias's son Judah/Judas Maccabee who was steadfast,loyal and brave…a cunning warrior very much like Gideon.

Judah Maccabee took back Jerusalem and the temple, and they "re-dedicated" the temple back to the LORD, which took eight days, not only was it a miracle that they took back the temple but when they started to dedicate the temple and cleanse it from it's perversion they only found enough oil to last one day but the oil lasted eight days…hence the eight day celebration of Chanukah.

How is this not important? Shouldn't we as believers in our jewish savior Yeshua Ha'Mashiach(Jesus Christ) honor the days of Chanukah? It was apparently important enough to Yeshua that He went to temple during the feast. Don't the events of Chanukah parallel for us today? 

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

1 Corinthians 6:19

As believers in Yeshua, full of the promised Ruach Hakodesh(Holy Spirit), our bodies are the temple, Chanukah is a time of declaring such, Chanukah is a time of clarification and dedication of our bodily temple to God. I mean, can you seriously not relate to the Maccabees? have our beliefs not been hijacked…has "Christianity" itself not become "hellenized" or to put it in todays terms "Westernized". We live in a culture that is saturated with unbiblical thinking, unbiblical theology and unbiblical living…and just like back in the days of the Maccabees some of us have no problem adopting paganism, and following the ways of the world while still claiming to be for God. Just like the days of the Maccabees we will come to a time where we will no longer be able to walk the fence, we wont be able to walk on the line of worldliness and Godliness, I promise you there will come a time where you are going to have to choose a side, and there will come a time where you will be faced with either surrendering your faith in the God of Abraham,Isaac and Jacob or being faced with death…..which would you choose?

I hope you would stand and fight, and refuse to surrender just like the Maccabees ! 

Vote for the lesser of Evils?

**WARNING***

What you are about to read will offend,

and will upset your "apple cart".

I will get political while remaining biblical (imagine that)

I will call out falsehood

I will not allow "emotionalism" or "fear" to sway me. 

May the Holy spirit convict, and speak through this blog

and that goes for myself too.

***WARNING***

Yes, you will leave him too, 

with your hands on yours heads(in shame).

For Adonai rejects those in whom you trust;

from them you will gain nothing.

Jeremiah 2:37

Good Ol' Jeremiah, my favorite book of the bible. 

The time of Jeremiah and backsliding Israel,

reminds me of western christianity, specifically speaking

it reminds me of America, who considers itself a christian nation but is far from it. a verse that always is in the back of my mind is "They turned their backs to me but not their faces" that's Jeremiah, Jeremiah 2:27 and I think it's found elsewhere in Jeremiah too.

Tell me, have we as a country and culture stood by God and His principles? His commands? are we even seeking to? We've completely snubbed our noses at God, turned our backs to what He commands us to be, and at the same time have our hands out asking for His "blessing". It's abhorrible, we want God on our side but in no way shape or form want to live for Him.

I'm talking about "Christians", those who claim to follow, but have more concern for themselves and their lively hood than they do about God Himself, you know, those who refuse to die to themselves, but still want to claim to be united with Yeshua(Jesus). I'm not calling out unbelievers in America, that's not my job, after all unbelievers are just being what they are suppose to be. I'm calling out those who claim to be of the body of HaMashiach(The Messiah). Thought I'd clarify such before I get into this can of worms..

As we all know In America the elections are coming upon us, It's almost November already, and while some of us have lost hope and have chosen not to even vote, I've noticed an alarming trend amongst those who claim to be followers of Yeshua(Jesus). This trend I am speaking of is "FEAR", now obviously fear is nothing new, it's as old as creation, and political fear or the popular "Vote for the lesser of evils" is as old as politics. My question is, have we even really thought about "Vote for the lesser of evils"? 

(this is where the apple cart upsetting starts)

What do you think God thinks about your choice to "vote for the lesser of evils" do you think He thinks its noble? Let me answer that for you…NO! God looks at evil as…well...EVIL! there is no distinction between "evils", it's like saying you told a "white lie"..God still looks at it as a lie, and it's like saying being a homosexual is wrong and at the same time saying it's ok to heterosexually sleep outside of marriage, to God both are a sin and both are equally wrong.

But wait…wait…wait..this is politics..right? what does God have to do with politics? we are not voting for a rabbi/pastor we are voting for a president..

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who change darkness into light

and light into darkness,

who change bitter into sweet

and sweet into bitter!

Isaiah 5:20

We may not be voting for a rabbi/pastor but the fact of the matter is God isn't for evil(sin) He is abhorrently against it, the bible makes that crystal clear, The Son was crucified because of sin(our sinfulness), not to tolerate sin but to fundamentally ABOLISH IT! To answer the question of what does God have to do with politics? what doesn't He have to do with it? Is He not in control of all things? He's the one who puts people in positions of power, and we as a "free" country our privileged to be able to vote for the leader of the country.

Now some may say, if God's in control and puts people in power, then why even bother voting?

To me that's like saying "God's the one that heals and feeds the poor, why even bother trying to help?"

The fact is I know whoever wins the election will win because God has a purpose and a plan in it(It could very well be to pour out His wrath), but that doesn't mean that I don't get involved and vote for someone who stands by God and His word. My conscious before God will be clean in who I vote for, because I sought to stand by His word and not compromise with evil out of fear of the other party.

Romney is considered the lesser of evils compared to the democrat runner Obama, I suppose I could see how some people could think that…but the truth is there isn't much difference between the two. Asking me to choose between Romney and Obama is like asking me to drink either cyanide or nuclear waste…

Which is why I find it alarming that Christians in this country are supporting Romney, mainly it is out of fear of having another four years of Obama. First of all, like I just said if you honestly look at Romney and Obama they are not that different, second why don't you go read your bible and see what happens when you put FEAR ahead of God. That's the problem with people now adays, they run around with chickens like their heads cut-off basing their whole life on FEAR and not the good kind of FEAR…like the FEAR OF THE LORD, that's the only FEAR you should have. If Christians aka followers of Yeshua(Jesus) in this country actually had a fear of the LORD then they certainly wouldn't be voting for a mormon, and they would also be seeking to stand by Gods commandments, but thats a whole other story. Or maybe come to think of it it's not another story at all, this country is going to get what it deserves for mocking God, for claiming to follow Him but ignoring His commands.

Romney puts on a front that he's pro-life but he's far from it, he's also for homosexual marriage and the very "god" he worships isn't the one true God of Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob. But yet, you'll vote for him because he's not Obama? because he's white and maybe a little less socialistic? What is with Christians who just vote Republican  and think they are doing God's will? they don't do their research…they don't check the fruit…they just vote R and think they are good christian Americans for doing so. I respect someone who chooses not to vote more so then one who just votes for one party because they put the party before the standards of God. Not that my respect means a thing, but seriously when are those who claim to be of  Meshiach(Christ) going to start living like it? When are you going to wake up from your westernized entertainment driven selfish mind-set….and….

DIE TO YOUR SELF!(Matthew 16:24,Mark 8:34, Galatians 2:20)

For my people have committed two evils:

they have abandoned me,

the fountain of living water,

and dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns,

that can hold no water!

Jeremiah 2:13

Just like Israel at the time, I'm sure you will ask;

"How have we abandoned God?"

We are in a moral decline, God and His word is being mocked by those you support. Murder of babies has become just another "issue" same with gay marriage.

You sacrifice TRUTH for the sake of tolerance, because you think tolerance is love, wake up you have been infiltrated and you don't even realize it! 

You may claim politics is a useless issue, but sitting

back and doing nothing is condoning the evil you are suppose to abhor. You let the world shape your biblical view when it is suppose to be your biblical view shaping your world view! I expect such from those without GOD but if you proclaim to be apart of the body... then where is the biblical shaping!? where is the change?! where is the love for God and His word?! the love of His TORAH!

You want this country to be better, you cry about the economy, and your wealth & prosperity, and you will seek anyone and everything to better that for you, except GOD. Because God has standards, because GOD sent the Son Yeshua(Jesus) to die for sin and make us Holy, not out of pity, but to make us HOLY… but you westernized American Christian just want His death for forgiveness and prosperity! not for Holiness, because your god isn't the GOD of the bible! your god is success and wealth…your god is money…

So you ignore what He abhors, and live contrary to His word making for yourself broken cisterns, like in Jeremiah's time. you live like the whore that Ezekiel 16 talks about and yet... still claim to be on God's side,

you walk on the proverbial fence/line when God says choose a side!

Woe to you who settle for less then God's standards!

Woe to you who don't FEAR the LORD GOD!

God wont be mocked!

 I am voting independent. Tom Hoefling to be exact…I suggest you do your own research, instead of blindly following the media and wolves in sheep's clothing christian leaders.

Oh, and for the record…I don't HATE Obama or Romney, I abhor their policies yes, and the fact that people can't see through the bull, but I understand they don't have GOD so their actions don't surprise me, and all I can do is pray for GOD to open their eyes, before it's to late. God will have His way, His will… it will be done, all I can do is seek to stand by His word.

Wake up call #1

The "Stoning" Verse

If there is found among you, in any city that ADONAI your God gives you, a man or a woman who does what ADONAI your God sees as wicked, transgressing His covenant by going and serving other gods and worshipping them, the sun,the moon, or anything in the sky- something I have forbidden- and it is told to you, or you hear about it; then you are to investigate the matter diligently. If it is true, if it is confirmed that such detestable things are being done in Israel; then you are to bring the man or woman who has done this wicked thing to your vita gates, and stone that man or woman to death.

-Deuteronomy[D'varim] 17:2-5

Have you had this verse thrown in your face before?

it's a verse that God mockers(Atheists/Agnostics)

love using. it's suppose to make God look cruel and at the same time make His word(The Bible) look like a "Contradiction"(trust me I know, I use to do the same thing they do with certain verses) 

Claiming that The Bible is a "Contradiction" only comes when one is lacking of understanding, and doesn't understand the context of the scripture they claim is a "Contradiction". I'd say 90% of the time "contradiction" comes up when it has to do with Torah(Old testament) and this stoning one is a perfect example, it comes around because most people fail to realize what God was doing with His people. 

BUT, before I get into that, lets just think logically for a second(something the atheist/agnostic throwing this verse in your face claims to do nothing but)

Lets imagine God is exactly who He says He is, crazy I know, but try to stay with me. So, God is one(Echad)

there is NO other, He is creator of all, the potter who can mold and destroy as He wishes. He demands, doesn't just ask for, but demands Holiness and worship of ONLY HIM, remember the 1st and 2nd commandment? they pretty much make that absolutely clear. So does...

Exodus(SH'MOT) 34:14 

because you are not to bow down to any other god; since ADONAI -whose very name is Jealous -is a jealous God.

So, as He is molding His people, there comes one person who decides he/she will ignore all God asks and worship creation rather than creator. Now this ONE Holy perfect God is suppose to do what? tell His jewish people;

"Oh…that man or woman worshipping what I told you NOT TO, just ignore them, it's all good."? 

This man/woman wouldn't just be effecting themselves, they are living in Gods Holy Land which He gave to His people, this person would corrupt others and lead others to do such wickedness. God isn't going to bless you if you completely ignore His mitzvot(Commandments) and He was blessing His people by giving the land He promised them. So God said get rid of the wickedness from you before it corrupts you all, provided there is two or three witness's to attest to the fact that the person is indeed worshipping a false god. (Deuteronomy[D'varim] 17:6)

God was establishing a Holy people & nation, He chose a people who were lesser then others, He showed His grace to the Jewish people by saving them out of Egypt! they did nothing to deserve saving from slavery, and did nothing to deserve Him choosing them as His people.

Now all God asks from them( and us by the way) is to put Him first, and that we don't worship His creation or false gods. What a cruel God to ask for such a thing! what a cruel God to show grace and only ask we acknowledge Him as ONE!(that's called sarcasm kiddies incase you missed it)

Now if you would say this to a person who throws the "stoning verse" in your face, what will they say next?

 well, they will absolutely ignore all the "babble" about God being ONE and Holy and demanding we surrender to Him completely and they'll either go off into some other tangent or say something like;

"Ok…so then your "God" gives you permission today to go and stone people who don't believe like you."

Again they will ignore the fact that God was establishing His people in the Holy Land and thats who the verse was directed too. The fact is..NO that verse isn't for today, and no that doesn't mean God has changed in His Holiness or jealousy or that He still doesn't demand us to worship ONLY HIM nor does it mean that God doesn't still want us to be Holy. NONE of that has changed, the reason killing someone who ignores the truth has changed is because the promised Messiah/Prophet/Lord of Lords and King of Kings has come! Yeshua Ha Mashiach! (Jesus The Messiah/Jesus Christ) Moses talked about Him in 
Deuteronomy [D'varim]18:15

"ADONAI will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him,just as when you were assembled at Horev and requested ADONAI your God, 'Don't let me hear the voice of ADONAI my God any more, or let me see this great fire ever again; if I do, I will die!' On that occasion ADONAI said to me, 'They are right in what they are saying. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order him. Whoever doesn't listen to my words, which he will speak in my name, will have to account for himself to me.

What Yeshua says is from Abba, and Yeshua paid the price we couldn't, the Prince of Peace our High priest who intercedes for us! Hallelu et ADONAI!(Praise the LORD)

Yeshua's yoke is easy, but His words and following Him isn't. 

Deuteronomy[D'varim] 19:21 says;

Life for life,eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. 

As human beings wretched and wicked as we are that is probably the easiest thing for us to follow, HOWEVER Yeshua says;

"You have heard that our fathers were told, `Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too! If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well! And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two!  When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him.- Matthew(Mattityahu) 5:38-42

You see, Yeshua doesn't destroy the law but fulfills it, He doesn't make it ok to worship other gods or to sin, He makes it so we can be forgiven of such wickedness, so those chains can be broken and we can be a new creation, and be Holy as God called us to be! All Glory to HIM! Holy Holy Holy is the one who was and is  and is to come!

How Bad are you?

And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [am] the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
Jeremiah 24:7

Word Of Faith(What Jesus would say..)

You'd rather argue semantics till you're blue in the face

then surrender to ME, and walk in the light.

You're all about your choice, and power in your words

BUT...

I am the author…the finisher(Hebrews 12:2)

King of Kings, Lord of LORDS(Revelations 19:16)

I reign on a throne that no man could hold, (Hebrews 1:8)

worth more than anything ever created

every human,animal, planet and star…

all bow to my very existence.

I am alpha Omega(Revelations 22:13)

Holy and infinite, beyond understanding. (Isaiah 55:8)

I am spotless,blameless, sinless perfection(2 Corinthians 5:21)

righteous above all comprehension.

Only doing the Fathers will, (John 4:34)

His plan that was laid out before all of creation.

I was beaten,scarred…scourged,mocked and  put on a roman cross(Isaiah 53:5)

took every sin from beginning to end…

I was poured out wine and broken bread..(Luke 22:19)

it pleased the Father to crush the Son(Isaiah 53:10)

Yet I am not First? somehow it's become about your choice?

as if this was your plan, and not HIS…

Did you have a choice in choosing how you would be saved from sin?

Or was I chosen and crushed before you even knew what sin was?

You clamor and fight over your freedom of will

When the only choice you freely make is to fail…. 

I tell you... He who looks to save his life will  lose it,

He who loses his life will preserve it.(Luke 17:33)

You want to follow? then pick up your cross…(Luke 9:23)

prepare yourself for death of the flesh

instead of your "Word of Faith" -selfishness.

You pray for Gods will, but only want it if it matches your own!

You didn't speak saving grace into existence,

didn't save yourself from sin

It was given without your permission.

R3TURN to Me

I always hear this or something like it said;

"God was a tyrant/unloving/unmerciful in the

Old Testament, and yet He was full of Grace/Love/Mercy in the New."

This, and statements like it, is nothing more then biblical ignorance. First and foremost God doesn't change..

"And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent." 

[-1 Samuel 15:29-]

"For I am the LORD, I do not change"

[-Malachi 3:6-]

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

[-Hebrews 13:8-]

God not being full of love and grace in the "old" is absolutely false. This statement that He has changed or was any different then He has always been can be proven false in so many different ways. For instances, do you think God was oblivious to the fact that the Israelites would backslide? Do you think He was surprised when they started worshipping idols and false gods?

Do you think He was like: "…hmmm…I did not think they would turn from me, I totally didn't see this coming."

If you think so, well you are wrong..check out Deuteronomy 31

And the LORD said to Moses: "Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go [to be] among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.

"Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, 'Have not these evils come upon us because our God [is] not among us?'

"And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.

"Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel. "When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant.

"Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore [to give them]."

Deuteronomy 31:16-21

"For I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land which I swore to give them." hmm..doesn't sound like God is oblivious to the fact that the Israelites would turn away from Him.

God knew before they even set foot in the land He promised them, that they would eventually turn away.

Yet God still fulfilled His promise to His chosen people, and knowing they would turn away still showed mercy and forgiveness. In Deuteronomy 30 The LORD says;

"Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call [them] to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you,

"and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you.

Deuteronomy 30:1-3

Return to ME, God was willing and is willing to forgive because He is loving and merciful. Look at Jeremiah chapter 3

"They say, 'If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man's, May he return to her again?' Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me," says the LORD.

Jeremiah 3:1

If a man divorces his wife and she becomes another man's, there is no returning back to the first man,

She is considered unclean. Israel had turned to so many different idols and gods, she had many "lovers"…like a whore….YET God being as loving and merciful as He is simply says "Return to Me"

The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: "Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.

"And I said, after she had done all these [things], 'Return to Me.'

Jeremiah 3:6-7

Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: 'Return, backsliding Israel,' says the LORD; 'I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I [am] merciful,' says the LORD; 'I will not remain angry forever.

Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,' says the LORD.

"Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD; "for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

Jeremiah 3:12-14

What a tyrant God is…so unmerciful He is, to forgive an adulterous nation who turned their backs to Him, but not their faces. God had and absolutely has mercy, he asks you to return to Him, even after all of Israel's backsliding, all their abominations and idolatry God wanted them back! and He still does! Even after all your backsliding all your abominations and idolatry and sinfulness God still wants you, Yeshua Hamashiach-Jesus Christ the son, God in the flesh coming and taking the wrath we deserve is the ultimate proof of that.

Thank God for the breath of life in your otherwise dead lungs, each day amongst this completely wicked world He holds back the return of the SON is a testament of His mercy. Each day we wake is a chance of repentance, every time a non-believer wakes God is showing His mercy! seeking repentance He simply says "Return to me!" 

"We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

"Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, '[If] you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations;

'but [if] you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, [yet] I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.'

Nehemiah 1:7-9

Be †Killing † SIN

Abba you got the power

I walk in Your Holy grace

to the destruction of my selfish ways

-and-

No matter how many times I lose,

I'm going to fight this flesh until I am dead in you.

I feel the presence of evil

Seeking to have me so focused on my mistakes that I wont be able to spread the gospel of His Grace.

In the darkness of this hour, I feel the somber silence the thick air leaving me breathless again.

With eyes fixed on the Son

I stand again, ready to face any tribulation. 

Abba you got the power

I walk in Your Holy grace

to the destruction of my selfish ways 

-and-

No matter how many times I lose,

I'm going to fight this flesh until I am dead in you.

This battle has already been won

and this careless war that's raged

can't hold a candle to His sacrifice.

Keep promising me happiness and wealth

what does that matter if I'm not promised tomorrow?

Take your pride and your worldliness

pick up your cross and crucify it all…

You want peace and change?

well, somebodies got to die

either you or Christ…

make your choice.

Lord enlighten me with your word

every move I make solidify my steps

Following the path that You have made

not wanting to walk to my desires

deep in the darkness of my lusts

Dragging this flesh to the crucifix 

killing this sin until theres nothing left.