Category Archives: The Holy Bible and You

Thoughts on Crucifixion

“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it”” (Luke 9:23-24, NKJV).

As we celebrate Passover (Easter), let’s analyze the meaning of Crucifixion from a different angle. Just as Jesus came to earth to live, suffer, and die for us; as His disciples we may experience tribulations. It is written that: “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22, NKJV). Do not be surprised if your trials will take place at a church. The church is where many can be tested the most. In fact, I had a dream where I was persecuted by my local church’s sisters. While going through trials and persecution do not be afraid. Just as it was the perfect will of the Father for Jesus, it’s the perfect will of Christ to take us through necessary trials to purify us and make us precious as high quality gold. Jesus was glorified after undergoing the cross! We see such examples in lives of King David and Joseph. After passing their trials they were rewarded with a high position. The greater the calling the more intense testing to overcome.

Please share for the glory of God! May God bless you abundantly!

Photo by Ja’Corie Maxwell on Unsplash.

 

Unleavened Bread

Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6–8): “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst’” (Jn. 6:35). Jesus was free of sin and a living sacrifice, suitable before the Lord to be pierced for our transgressions.

Application: Jesus is the unleavened bread. As His disciples, we are to be free of sin and flee from it. When we fall into sin because of our fallen nature, we have the blood of Jesus to cleanse us, if we repent and confess our sins to Him (1 Jn. 1:8–10). We are to eat unleavened bread as His body at communion: “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:6b–8).

This is copyrighted material and taken from book

She Divides the Spoil by Natalya Vazemiller.

Copyright © 2018 Natalya Vazemiller

Please share for glory of our Savior.  Thank you! God bless you!

 

Feast of Firstfruits

Feast of Firstfruits (Lev. 23:10): “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). In the Father’s eyes, Jesus is the first among His brothers and sisters (which is His Church, saved and adopted by His blood) to be resurrected into life. Those who believe in Him will be resurrected with Him (1 Cor. 15:51–52).

Application: We need to put Jesus and serving God first in our lives. All other preoccupations should come next; otherwise, they will take the place of God and become our idols.

This is copyrighted material and taken from book

She Divides the Spoil by Natalya Vazemiller.

Copyright © 2018 Natalya Vazemiller

Photo by Raphael Rychetsky on Unsplash.

Please share. Blessings! God is good!

Passover

Passover (Lev. 23:5): “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29) Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God, whose blood is holy and powerful enough to redeem us from the power of sin and satan.

Application: Jesus’ blood was spilled for the forgiveness of our sins, removing our curses, healing our bodies, and rebirthing our dead spirits (born-again experience). We are to drink wine at church communion, which symbolizes His blood, to remember His suffering and what He has done for us. We no longer need to bring animal sacrifices to wash away our sins. Instead, when we repent, His blood washes away our sins. 

This is copyrighted material and taken from book

She Divides the Spoil by Natalya Vazemiller.

Copyright © 2018 Natalya Vazemiller

Photo by Bill Fairs on Unsplash.

Please share for God’s glory . Thank you. Be blessed!

Seven Angels and Their Trumpets

So far, we have lived through Revelation 8, 9 and part of 12. The Lamb has broken the seventh seal. Six angels have blown their trumpets since then. The seventh angel is about to blow the seventh trumpet: “The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever!’” (Rev. 11:15, HCSB) The seventh angel’s trumpet does not point to the Rapture. It is the final trumpet, at which time Jesus will put an end to humankind’s six years of rule and start His seventh year of rule, or the Messiah’s Millennial reign, which is represented by the Feast of Tabernacles, as in Leviticus 23:34. Here we see God’s mystery (Gen. 2:1,2) and His instruction to observe the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week: six days for people to work (time for human), and the seventh day is for rest and the Lord (time for God).

I recommend reading Joel 2, the entire book of Revelation, and Daniel 12 for further study and to clearly understand the material being covered in this chapter. This chapter is very intense and full of information, but in spite of this continue your reading. You can always return to it for detailed study after completing this entire book. In the meantime, let’s briefly get acquainted with the seven angels and their seven trumpets in Revelation 8–11. I came across this information on YouTube, verified it, and think it’s an excellent analysis of the seven trumpets. Please refer to the biblical text that accompanies these passages.

  1. Revelation 8:7: World War I. Russia and Germany adopted a “scorched earth” policy, which manifested in the burning of trees and grass.
  2. Revelation 8:8–9: World War II. “Burning Mountain” is the first atomic bomb used on Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Both cities are near the sea. According to theologian Irvin Baxter, a third of the ships were destroyed, and most of the people on the ships died.
  3. Revelation 8:10–11: The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion in 1986. “Chernobyl” is a combination of two words from the old Slavic dialect, which mean “bitter plant or wormwood.” Many people, especially children, have been affected by it. Nearby rivers and lakes are still radioactive. Nevertheless, people have been using the contaminated water for watering crops, drinking, and raising livestock. The devastation of the explosion is not obvious to the naked eye, for the poison is hidden in contaminated water and air pollution, from which people have developed sicknesses, which result eventually in death. The effect of this accident continues to bear its deadly fruit today. I know a woman who is battling thyroid cancer. Her husband lost his life to the same cancer. They both were children at the time of the accident and lived about one hundred miles from the station.
  4. Revelation 8:12: Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991. During its eruption, a third of the moon and sun were covered due to the ash cloud. It also changed the weather around the globe.
  5. Revelation 9:1–12: Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Italy called this operation “an operation of locusts.” American helicopters resemble the locusts and their ability to shoot and use precision weapons; therefore, no damage was done to the earth. Tons of smoke came from about six hundred oil wells, which Saddam Hussein’s retreating army set on fire. Saddam’s name means “destroyer.”
  6. Revelation 9:13–21: Middle East crisis. It began approximately in the beginning of 2014 or even earlier, perhaps from the time US went to war with Afghanistan (after 2001) and, later, Iraq. It involved the region around the Euphrates River and included mostly Iraq, Syria, and Iran. It even effected other countries that practice Islam, like Egypt. ISIS played the biggest role. “Hour, day, month, and year” means that four significant things are to happen in that region. The predetermined events are already completed. Besides the Middle East, the world, especially Europe, is now witnessing its aftermath. Only time will reveal the aftershocks of this trumpet. Verses 17 and 19 give us an exact description of the machinery and equipment used by ISIS. About a third of the people involved died. Two hundred million is the estimated population of that region, who practice Islam. Thus, the source of the troops is Islamic in nature, just as we witnessed through ISIS.
  7. Revelation 11:15–19: Kingdom of the Messiah. This is the final trumpet that is going to seal the end of humankind’s rule and start the Lord’s Millennial rule or the Day of the Lord.

When I studied Revelation, I noticed that the events are ordered relatively chronologically, though the narrative stops periodically to clarify certain events. If the seventh angel with the seventh trumpet in chapter 11 is the last trumpet, which ends humankind’s rule on Earth and starts the Lord’s millennial rule, we are living in the time before the seventh trumpet. It means that the following events will be coming next: the mighty angel with the small scroll (Rev. 10), the two witnesses (Rev. 11:114), the woman with the child and the dragon (Rev. 12), the beast and his mark (Rev. 13), bowls of judgment and the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16), the judgment of Babylon, the prostitute on the scarlet beast (Rev. 17—18), and the Rapture or the wedding of the Lord and His Church. The events may not be in the order I listed. Some scholars believe all this will be accomplished in a maximum of seven years! Upon further study of the Scriptures, I realized that we are approaching this seven-year period and have little time left before the Rapture and the return of Christ. This is exciting news, because we will witness Revelation prophecies come true! The sad news, however, is that most of us are not ready and are in a deep spiritual slumber. I hope that, through this book, I can make people aware of our last days before the Lord’s return and give some directions as of what to do next.As we read, “There will no longer be an interval of time [sometime after the sixth trumpet in Rev. 9:13–21], but in the days of the sound of the seventh angel, when he will blow his trumpet, then God’s hidden plan [kingdom of the Lord and the Messiah Rev. 11:15–19] will be completed, as He announced to His servants the prophets” (Rev. 10:6c–7, HCSB). In other words, sometime after the sixth trumpet is blown, a secret event will take place. After this event there will no longer be periods of rest between the events, which are scheduled to happen and recorded in the rest of Revelation, until the day of the last trumpet of the seventh angel. This secret event, I believe, can be the Rapture. Although the birth contractions have been reasonably spaced out, we are no longer going to have a rest period between them after the event with the angel that is recorded in Revelation 10. All events will follow one after another, as planned by God. The sixth angel has already blown his trumpet. The seventh and final trumpet, which will signal the Day of the Lord, is coming soon!

This is copyrighted material and taken from book

She Divides the Spoil by Natalya Vazemiller.

Copyright © 2018 Natalya Vazemiller

Photo by Wim van ‘t Einde on Unsplash.

 

 

 

Lord’s feasts

“We need to pay attention to the Lord’s feasts and even celebrate them in the light of the New Testament, for they signify events that are directly related to us. These seven feasts are represented as the seven lamp lampstand: “. . . there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left” (Zech. 4:2b4).

Copyrighted. Excerpted from page 6 of the book She Divides the Spoil by Natalya Vazemiller

New Year Encouragement

I want to wish everyone a happy New Year and God’s blessings! Regardless of our age, God is blessing us with one more year in our lives to be with our loved ones and a chance to bring more fruit for His Kingdom.

The Apostle Paul, has said the following: “I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:26-27). Christians should live a focused life and be goal oriented in their deeds and thoughts. Peter tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Peter 1:13). That is a suggestion to not slack off.

The proverb about the talents illustrates Jesus’ stand towards lazy Christianity. We need to be actively working on our spiritual growth. We also need to be engaged in the use of our God given talents for His glory. Our talents can be our families and children. What is your situation in this area? How much do you fast, pray and read the Bible? Do you have any plans to make changes in those areas in the New Year?

I encourage you to bring much fruit for the Lord and people around you in this coming year! May all your resolutions be accomplished! I leave you with this following verse to ponder on: “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7).

A Prayer for a New Year: “Dear God, please work in me both to will and to do things for Your good pleasure. Help me to do all things without complaining and disputing. Thank you.” (Prayer based on Philippians 2:13-14)

If you were blessed, please share with others. Blessings!

 

Clean Hands

Bring your petitions before the Lord with clean hands:

“… let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:10b-12 NKJV)

Analyze your life in the light of God’s Word, bring everything under His subjection in repentance and aim to lead a holy life with His help.

 

Relationships and You

Relationships and You

Have you been having difficulties with your relationships? One of the famous characters of the Bible, Jacob was not by any means an exception. He had to return to his homeland after working many years for Laban. While his brother, Esau, was coming to meet him with 400 men, Jacob used his wisdom to ease the tension of this strenuous relationship by being humble and sending Esau expensive gifts. Jacob then bowed to the ground seven times while approaching his brother and humbly calling himself a servant.

Perhaps, we should rethink our ways and approaches in our relationships. Humbleness and the right words can do wonders. Jesus concept of turning the other cheek is nothing more than a proposal of a warless way to handle situations around us. Perhaps, next time we feel like going on strike and prove our rights, we should restrain ourselves with the perfection of our heavenly Father, for He sends rain and sun to both the just and the unjust.

Read: Genesis 32, 33 & Matthew 5:38-48

Wise vs Foolish

Someone has said: “A wise man learns from mistakes of others, a smart man learns from his own mistakes, and foolish learns from none.” We all surrounded by people who are either successful and/or failures. The temporary success or failure doesn’t immediately give us permission to analyze and adopt the actions of such people. For we know that what seemed like a failure started to bloom and things which beamed with success turned out to be complete embarrassing failures. We see this in the example of Joseph and his time as a slave. Before making any true judgment of things, one needs to take into consideration the foundation and focus of one’s direction. Any company, home or character built on the integrity of the word of God can succeed or come out clean , regardless of difficulties in the process. Anything that is built on lies and manipulation, will eventually bring corruption no matter how successful it seemed in the beginning.

I found Bible as the only source of true wisdom for everything we deal with in our day. It has moral laws, which if people truly adopt and live by can never fail. The true success of one’s life and work will be determined through a long period of time and will be analyzed at the final days of every person. Solomon has been successful in the beginning, because the Lord was the core of His success. But he has failed miserably and he is not remembered as well as his father David. David on the contrary has had some failures, but no other king has such a positive outcome. David is still popular through many generations afterwards.

It is absolutely sad to see strong , successful people to fail over simple things that could have been avoided. Samson has lost his strength for he loved gentile women. There was no reason to break God’s law by seeking women outside of Israel, for we have a great record that women of his nation come with exceptional charm.

I find it very useful to study this great book that is called the Holy Bible. Spend very much time with it and with its Author. Pay attention to the people mentioned in this book. Learn their positive and negative moves and their successes and failures. Also, remember the perfectionism is possible only with God. Failures are normal to humans. Just don’t allow those failures to keep you down for too long, nor your successes make you boast into pride (which will make you fail.) Seek God for His wisdom and His direction in your life. Remember, even though beginning is important, the end shows the final results.