Shabbat shalom kol beit Yisra'el and Mishpachah, welcome to the final assembly of the secular Roman year. I hope you enjoyed the last series and that Yahweh has blessed your week.

I must admit this is the time of the year I enjoy the least, and not just because of the cold weather here in the far north. Having danced with the Antichrist Nimrod and and his incestuous mother Semiramis at the Saturnalia or Brumalia, renamed and redressed with Christian terminology by the Roman Church as 'Christmas', the world prepares one last winter dance with Janus, the two-faced Roman god of change on 1 January, make resolutions they know they will never keep, and carry on as before. I do not need to remind you, I hope, that the biblical new year is not 1st January but in the spring month of Aviv.

Only things never do quite carry on as before, do they? Don't forget - and most Christians are completely unaware of this - Satanists and devil-worshippers make human infant sacrifices on 24 December, exchanging body parts received as Christmas gifts - remember the big Christmas present exchanges are made in continental Europe on 24th December, not on the 25th as they are in the Anglophone world. On Christmas Day itself, these same devil-worshippers celebrate of the birth of the sun to the 'great goddess'. The satanist's own birthday is very important. As the late founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey, who died a most miserable death, said, "Every man is a god if he chooses to recognise himself as one". This is the hidden pagan side of the 'Yule' season, appropriate inasmuch as it's the darkest time of the year with the shortest days, and why it is an abomination.

But why are Roman Christians, who stole this festival from the pagans in the first place, and who won't repent of their paganism, getting more and more stubborn when they are called out for their apostate practices? As a sister in the UK pointed out to me the other day, prominent Christian ministers like Loren R.Sandford, who claims to be a 'prophet', have started getting quite aggressive toward those of us who insist that these ancient pagan deities and their celebrations should have no part of the worship of those calling themselves Christians, the more so at this critical juncture of world history where judgment is clearly about to be poured out on all nations. What does this reaction tell you? And what red flags ought to start waving in your minds when these staunch defenders of paganism claim to be latter-day 'prophets'? Can you understand why I said what I did in my Rosh Chodesh sermon, The Road to Anarchy, Revolution & Civil War about not following the prophetic voices coming out of the Christmas-loving Pentecostal and Charismatic communities, and why, after I announced I would be giving this sermon and what it would contain, a certain online social network service blocked me from making videos?

We therefore perhaps need reminding, more than ever, of the words of the navi (prophet) Isaiah:

"When Your (Yahweh's) judgments appear on earth, the inhabitants of the world learn the meaning of integrity" (Is.26:9b, Jerusalem Bible/JB).

May I therefore repeat (for the benefit of those who missed my Rosh Chodesh sermon and which I urge you to read or listen to afterwards if you did) that Yahweh will not use lawless 'prophets' in these last times. He simply will not, because, in spite of their claim to be born-again believers, they nevertheless insist that they be allowed to reject and attack Yahweh's Torah (Law), cavort with demons at the pagan Yule season, and this on account of their love of false tradition whose true satanic face I have just revealed to you. Those coming out of satanic backgrounds will confirm what I have said. They know what happens on 24-25 December which makes consenting believers, who acknowledge their festivals, accessories to their wickedness, and those who know the facts and who attack those who reject these things are consorting with Antichrist.

Like it or not, though we are supposed to be living the Creator's moedim (appointments) according to the rhythm of the Yahweh's Creation Calendar which belongs to the reality of eternity and the inheritance of the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) during the Millennium and into Eternity, we can't help but flow in parallel with the world's calendar too since we are born, and are commanded to live in, the world until instructed to completely separate from it physically. That's not necessarily easy and I know this poses numerous dilemmas for many people since we cannot exclusively use one or the other until the 'Conflict of the Ages' finally ceases when Yah'shua (Jesus) returns. Yet we are to be simultaneously in the world's reality whilst being in Yahweh's, or as the apostle puts it, we are to be in the world but not of it (1 Jn.2:15) - and whilst in it, we are to be the lights of the world lost in darkness (John 9:5, NIV).

This is not an easy thing to do, and there is a constant pressure to conform to the world placed on us by the world itself. We all of us arrive at slightly different solutions to this dilemma of following Yahweh and living on a fallen planet, that are based on our circumstances. I was born in a Moslem country and lived my childhood there. My parents and I attended the various festivals of the Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians because that's what everybody did back then in the 1950's, 60's and 70's in order to be polite, so I have witnessed their festivals and holy days firsthand. We had to walk circumspectly by treading carefully. I am not judging my parents one way or the other, one of whom was an agnostic and the other a nominal Anglican. They did (based on what they believed or didn't believe in) what they thought was right. Our lives weren't steered by the Bible but by, all things considered, a wise colonial policy of 'live and let live'. From a secular perspective, I have not the slightest doubt that what they did was correct. We were liked, we liked our friends from the various religions, and made lasting friendships. That's one way of going about living 'in the world'. Had I been an atheist or a liberal, that is undoubtedly the policy I would have pursued myself, and indeed I did for a period of my life.

But what was Christ's view? And what in His life does He expect us to imitate as far as such matters are concerned? Taking the Scriptures as a whole, there is a twin policy believers are expected to adopt:

• 1. To personally stand completely apart from paganism, atheism and false teaching; and
• 2. To leave the judgment of non-believers to Yahweh (provided they do not try to coerse us into their ways) and to seek to live as decent, kindly, considerate neighbours and citizens whilst living amongst them. The only 'judging' we are absolutely required to do is of our own kind - fellow Christians and Messianics - who willfully and knowingly pervert the Scriptures and teach as the commandments of Yahweh the commandments of men, whilst dealing kindly with those who believe falsehoods in ignorance.

We are to be rooted in the Davar or Logos (Word), which on the first level means being rooted in Christ and His ahavah- or agapé-love, and on the second, we are to be firmly and squarely rooted in the written Word, the Bible. If we do these things, and most particularly the latter, we shall stir up a demons' nest in those opponents whom we treat kindly and respectfully anyway, as Yah'shua (Jesus) warned:

"I (Yah'shua/Jesus) have given them (the talmidim/disciples) Your Davar (Word); and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (John 17:14, NKJV).

You don't even have to open your mouth to provoke this kind of hostility. Simply being and walking in the emet (truth) will do it, because the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) in you will stir up the demons in those who do not live in the emet (truth). The chances are that if the world is comfortable being around you then you have either compromised somewhere or you haven't been spiritually regenerated yet. My mother was a nominal or cultural 'Christian' but she never taught me the Besorah (Gospel) or even spoke of it, let alone knew it, in spite of exposure to some keen Methodists at one time in her life. And sadly, the churches are crammed full of such people, even the charismatic ones who think that being emotional or talking gibberish is evidence that they have the Ruach (Spirit)!

But I'll tell you this: some of the most hostile responses I have had, when it has been made known I do not celebrate Christmas, have been from Pentecostals and Charismatics, even when they learn I believe in the Incarnation, the Virgin Birth, and celebrate the Nativity! What they take issue with is the date I claim to be the actual birth (which most know wasn't on 25 December or 7 January anyway) and the way we don't celebrate. What they're really upset with, particulary the Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, is that we don't accept the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils that fixed the liturgical calendar after the opposition had been silenced by banishment and/or excommunication. And beneath that, what they hate - specifically the dark spirits driving this demonic road show - is that we insist on faithfulness to the Word - the Bible - and to the mitzvot (commandments) which they know they aren't obeying. Indeed I was listening to another so-called Pentecostal 'prophet' yesterday who said he knew 25 December wasn't the Saviour's birthday but that it didn't matter and we should just fall in line and celebrate. We will see if his prophecy, which has a fulfilment deadline in about three days' time, comes to pass or not.

It's the same with 'Easter' even though we believe in the crucifixion, death, atonement and physical resurrection. So what's their issue? The date, chocolate easter bunnies, and the clear implication of the unreliability of the Councils upon which they are resting their traditions so heavily. Which is interesting, because we accept, as they do, the Apostles' Creed which contains all the purely biblical elements of the faith. There are other things they object to about us to be sure, but they tend to be thrown into the 'argument' later to keep their case, as they supppose, afloat. It's all pretty dishonest and hypocritical, not to mention idolatrous.

I could go on but most of you know what I am talking about. Let us rather return to the broader picture and look beyond Christendom itself. How do we live by Yahweh's standards in the world if the world won't 'live and let live' as we seek to do in our ordinary dealings with people? I know, and admit, that some Christians and Messianics unhelpfully like to deliberately stir up trouble and think they are doing Yahweh a favour by doing so. They're not, they're just giving us a bad name. It also depends, in part, what kind of a society you live in - a libertarian democratic one or a totalitarian one - each of which requires certain adjustments for believers living in them to make. The first believers lived in a totalitarian system, Imperial Rome, as all systems were back then. Modern believers typically forget that. It seems the world is rapidly returning to a global conglomoration of totalitarian, feudalistic states.

Sometimes we have to change our circumstances in order to be faithful, principally by relocating, a reason there are Christian refugees all over the world. Yah'shua (Jesus) gives us very specific instructions, actually:

"...you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another" (Matt.10:22-23, NKJV) [1].

That's not always so easy nowadays, with mass surveillance from satellites using 5G that can even see into your homes using infrared photography (though that particular capability has been around a few decades now)...and it gets more sophisticated by the day. Get wise. The time is coming when it won't be possible to find anywhere that is safe...except in the supernaturally-protected Twelve Cities of Refuge, which is why Yahweh is setting them up. Until then, and as I have been shown in visions, persecution is uneven, even within countries, with the worst persecutions being...you've guessed it...in the cities. That is why I keep on urging my listeners and readers to get out of the cities and to petition Yahweh to tell you where He wants you to be and to go there in faith, when He tells you, even if it means fleeing with only the shirt on your back because you have been careless in your listening or responding, which may be what will happen to you if you haven't been listening to Him in prayer. (Obviously if He tells you to remain in a city, obey Him, and stay). True nevi'im (prophets), on the other hand, are sent, equipped, into the metaphorical 'lion's den' to confront the rulers of the age for the purpose of transmitting Yahweh's messages and judgments to them with special powers (like Elijah) to call down fire from heaven, but it is rarely, if ever, to live there. I'll be talking more about the nevi'im (prophets) in a later series. We are to live 'in' the world system in a similar way, going 'in' only to earn our daily bread (if we're not self-sufficient yet) and, when called, to witness, and then going straight 'out' again.

The more prepped and self-sufficient you become, the more responsibility you must accept in raising your children (including in home-educating), and so the easier it becomes to live faithfully. Martin Luther famously said, "I advise no-one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount", something the state wishes to totally prevent. As a result, even homeschooling is becoming harder and harder and it is illegal in most countries now. Now children are completely open to Marxist indoctrination in compulsory state schools as they were in the former Soviet Union whilst we pretend it is otherwise. But that bubble is bursting now.

But even self-sufficiency isn't so straight forward as it might at first seem unless you're really remote. You can be self-sufficient and yet the state still demands its taxes, and in order to pay the state in its currency you have to have some sort of business in the world too to get hold of that currency with which to pay them, even if is digital, which means you'll need the equipment to do that...unless, of course, you have been debarred, in which case you have an entirely different scenario and must be remote. And the same is true with homeschooling. I knew one family which ran into this problem.

The world is becoming more and more integrated which means, at least at a certain age, children must pass through state education to get the qualifications needed to 'get' anywhere if they're intending to earn a wage within the System. The level of state control increases every year unless there is public pushback so I feel great sympathy for the last generation who must make really difficult choices, as we have had to too. And many of their solutions will likely be radically different to ours, again, depending where they are located and what limitations are placed on them in the world as far as trading is concerned. You can perhaps now understand the importance of the three-part series of sermons we have just completed on family life in 1 Corinthians 7.

Whatever the choices are that you make, the consequences are going to leave you with many great and varied challenges which Yahweh will help you navigate successfully as you are faithful, aiding and equipping you with gifts, some of which have never been seen before and which, were I to describe them to you, would sound science-fictiony and unbelievable, so I will leave you to your own imaginations for the present. So we must have more studies like this one to pinpoint and carefully consider the likely challenges ahead, some of which will be published, others of which obviously cannot be. Last time we looked at famine but now we must look at persecution, what our response should be, and what the world will start morphing into.

The first choice we have to make concerns our primary motive for living as this will determine the course of the rest of our life. Is our primary motive to survive no matter what, or is it to live and (if necessary) die for Christ? That choice has already been forced on Christians in places like Nigeria, Sudan, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, North Korea, Communist China and elsewhere where they face death every day. In the 60 or so years I have been alive, millions of Christians have been murdered for their faith.

In the tiny central African state of Rwanda alone, over 800,000 Christians were massacred in under 100 days in 1994. That's over 8,000 people per day. That's horrific enough but what, in my mind, is even more unbelievable is that many of the Christian leaders handed their own flocks over to the mobs to be slaughtered in order to save their own skins. One leader justified his betrayal by saying the mob would have discovered and killed his parishoners whether he informed them who his people were or not, and that it made sense to at least save himself and his own family [2]. He had felt no remorse or guilt for what he did. It never seems to have occurred to him that he behaved like a Judas. For him survival was the primary motive for living, not living and/or dying for Christ.

It may sound hard to believe, given all the persecution the Messianic Community (Church) has suffered over the last two thousand years (you only have to remember how badly Rome persecuted the first believers) but the prophecies in Scripture say quite plainly that persecution of the Messiah's talmidim (disciples) will grow to unprecedented heights. You have to remember that the reason non-believers hate and attack believers is, on the face of it, irrational. Decent people, unaware of spiritual realities, cannot fathom it. The degree of vitriol with which enemies of Christ turn on believers is in proportion to the number of dark entities or demons they have allowed into their souls, something demons can only do when given legal grounds to do so, namely, disobedience to the mitzvot (commandments) established by the Creator from the beginning, commandments embedded into life itself. It is the demons in lost souls, and the souls of believers who are spiritually compromised in one way or another by disobedience or who are otherwise believing in lies (the demonic counterpart of reality), who, living in spiritual darkness, rail against the light in the souls of believers, a light which disturbs the darkness of the world we live in.

I well recall a vivid personal experience of this many years ago when I was travelling by ship between Denmark and Norway. Some of you have heard this story before so bear with me for the sake of those who have not. I had been in prayer and decided go on deck for a breath of fresh air. As I was climbing the stairway, two inebriated young Norwegian men were coming down toward me, and though I had never seen them before in my life, or they me, as soon as we made eye contact they started swearing and cursing me as well as the Name of Christ. The following Sabbath when I got back to Oslo I was in a meeting and had an open vision in which the very same scene was shown me, only this time I was viewing both myself at a distance and the two angry youths in a kind of 'action replay'. This is not the first time I have had an experience like this. In the vision I could see that there was a bright mark on my forehead, and on the shoulders of the two men were several very dark monkey-like entities holding on tightly as though surreptitiously hitching a ride. The two men were completely unaware of these ugly creatures. When the simian-like beasts saw the mark on my forehead they became very agitated indeed. It excited them to great fury, and to this demonic disturbance the two men responded, quite unaware of why they were behaving the way they did, by cursing me and Yah'shua (Jesus). The Ruach (Spirit) in me, made visible by the mark, had aroused and agitated the demons riding the two men whose willpower was already diminished on account of the fact that they had been drinking, not an uncommon thing on Scandinavian ferrys. That someone a little drunk of uncivil character might curse a complete stranger I 'get', but to curse the Messiah in the same breath with such vehemence is more than just a coincidence.

The point is, you don't have to say or do anything to agitate the demons in others. If you're in Christ, they know it, and can't bear it, because it disturds their environment like a giant magnet affecting iron filings. You just have to stand out to the Enemy who sees, and is agitated, by the mark of Christ on you. This mark is the counterpart of the Mark of the Beast which is located in the same bodily places - the forehead and the right hand (Rev.13:16; 14:9; 20:4). Of course, if you start talking about the Besorah (Gospel) too, that can, and usually does, agitate them even more, as anyone who has been involved in street evangelism will know.

I'll share something else with you that happened many, many years ago in Oxford, England, so that you can better understand the Mark of Messiah. One night I woke up and saw Yah'shua (Jesus), brightly glowing in the darkened room, standing at the foot of my bed. He lightly placed what looked like a very small shining stone, diamand-like, onto the palm of my right hand, and I watched with wonder as it sunk into my flesh and disappeared within. It was't physical, of course, even though it somehow interacted with my physical body. That memory is as vivid to me today as it was then. This was the time He presented me with a small round table which symbolised a table of communion and covenant pertaining to the work I have been called to.

You may recall that the Torah speaks of the davar Elohim or Word of God being bound as a sign to the forehead and on the right hand of true Yahweh-worshippers (Dt.6:4-9; 11:13-21; etc.). Out of these verses arose the tradition in Judaism of binding phylacteries or teffilin on the forehead and right hand, little leather boxes containing a small parchment with some verses of Torah written on them. The Jews have not understood that this was a figure of speech or metaphor, not a literal mitzvah (commandment), but a supernatural marking on the part of Yahweh made on those Torah-obedient talmidim (disciples) who choose to live, and if necessary, die for the Elohim (God) and His emet (truth). There's a whole lot more that could be said about these and related passages of Scripture which must await another time. Just know that the divine marking is many things, including literal spiritual equipping. Those were the early days of my commissioning for this work when all sorts of things like that happened.

The systematic persecution of Christians worldwide is not, however, for the most part, a seemingly random event like my experience on the Danish boat, though it was an important personal object lesson on what's going on in the invisible realm. The "accuser of the brethren" (Rev.12:10, KJV) has had 2,000 years now to systematise and perfect his art of deception and control, institutionalising persecution as best he can, most infamously in communist states, where the butchery has been the most severe unlike any other period in history, a reason I study communism so closely. Once former Christian nations are now anti-Christian and the attitudes of the ordinary man or woman on the street are being fuelled by Marxist ideology. This behaviour is going to rise to a feverish crescendo in the Great Tribulation at the very end just before Yah'shua (Jesus) returns to intervene and banish the demonic from earth for a millennium.

None of this should shock or take anyone by surprise. We are, by definition, 'outsiders' - ambassadors from a timeless world very different to this one, temporarily incarnated in fallen bodies. True believers are not subject to the powers and principalities of this world, the demonic hosts, and our subjection to non-Christians human authorities is within very precise limits. As I have been at pains to point out again and again, we are not required to obey all that governments may demand of us if such requires us to cross a boundary line to force us to break the mitzvot (commandments) of our Heavenly Father: "We ought to obey Elohim (God) rather than men" (Acts 5:29, NKJV) if forced to make a choice. I carefully explain those boundaries or the limits of state authority in my important exegesis of Romans 13:1-7, a passage which is badly misunderstood by so many believers, and twisted by state authorities to get demonic compliance out of believers, to mean we must give them unquestioning obedience in everything. No way, José!

The new claim by the government in our own day to have the right to genetically modify us en masse through dangerous injections, in the name of stopping the spread of a disease and supposedly for 'the good of all', rightly provokes lots of people to resistance. There's going to be a huge backlash. A reason I supported Fridenstimme in Germany in support of Russians who were denied the right to believe the Besorah (Gospel), be baptised and assemble for worship, was because of a conflict between Yahweh's Torah or Law and man's. Increasingly we are going to face more and more such conflicts as ungodly governments seek to crush or trick their citizens into conformity through lies, fear and - failing those - guns. In a sense we were designed for persecution since we serve a King who already has our prior allegiance.

Consequently, we are supposed to be separate (that's what the Hebrew word 'qodesh' or 'holy' means) and unequal. The Enemy wants us dependent on the state like helpless infants, Elohim (God) wants us dependent on Him. And to demonstrate His power to the world, Yahweh chooses the poor, the weak, the broken and the spoiled to confound the wisdom of the world, a world that lives according to the way of the forbidden fruit of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" (Gen.2:9, NKJV), whereas we are rather to live by the "Tree of Life" which is only possible through overcoming (Rev.2:7; 22:2,14) which always involves persecution of some sort. In so many ways, we are the perfect candidates for persecution. You're either eating from one tree or the other, by the rule of one Master or the other.

Not only were we designed for persecution but were also "designed to fight valiantly, withstand courageously, overcome gloriously, and die honourably" [3], unlike that "hireling" Rwandan pastor who sold out his flock to be murdered in cold blood to save his own neck. As Yah'shua (Jesus) Himself said:

"The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling (hired hand, someone who's in it for the money or the fame), he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep" (John 10:11-13, NKJV).

Ahavah or agapé love - the love we are commanded to live by and impart to others - is sacrificial by nature, and is the highest sort of love, the love Elohim (God) demonstrated toward us in sacrificing His Son for the sins of the world. Just before His fateful appointments in the Garden of Gethsemane and then Golgotha, Yah'shua (Jesus) told His talmidim (disciples):

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command" (John 15:13-14, NIV).

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father (as a human being) I have made known to you" (John 15:15, NIV).

This is why we are willing to be persecuted for Him, even unto death if we are ever called to make the final sacrifice, because He set the example by already demonstrating this very same attitude toward us, and indeed had to die for us so that we might be cleansed of sin, something we could never do for ourselves. Without Him there would be no hope of any kind. Paul Marshall explains that believers "embody a loyalty to a standard of spiritual allegiance apart from the political order. This fact itself denies that the state is the all encompassing or arbiter of human life. Regardless of how the relationship between Elohim (God) and Caesar has been expressed, it now at least means that, contra the modern Romans or totalitarians, Caesar is not god. This confession, however mute, sticks in the craw of every authoritarian régime and draws their anger and bloody response. Many Christians are therefore persecuted simply because they are Christians. Their usually peaceful and quiet beliefs stand as a rebuke to those who are corrupt, to those who cannot tolerate the presence of any view but their own, and to those who want to make their own political régime the focus of loyalty. Their very existence is a silent witness to a claim beyond human control" [4].

This is what persecution always boils down to especially when it comes to the final act of taking the life of a believer. Persecution is always provoked by an internal rage which is itself provoked by the unspiritual human, or a group of humans like the state, wanting to be worshipped as god, and this is in turn because the demons within them want to be worshipped as gods, and this in turn is because the chief of demons, Satan, craves worship. Since he wants to be Elohim (God) he must of necessity demand worship or be seen not to be 'God' by his followers, both demonic and human. That's why the Scripture says "the devil took [Yah'shua/Jesus] to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me'" (Matt.4:8-9, NIV). The Saviour categorically refused.

The devil wants worship above all else, and in exchange he offers wealth and power. It's why the 'Health and Wealth' or 'Prosperity' movement is such an abomination because it repackages the Besorah (Gospel) to include the very thing Satan wants and which we are called to relinquish if required. Why do you think the so-called Charismatic message is all about believers supposedly being endowed with the power to order their god to do for them whatever they want on the assumption they have the 'Spirit' operating on their feelings, and that therefore their feelings must be of 'God'?? That's the spiritual basis of the 'name it, and claim it' fraud. It's the spiritual basis of the 'once saved, always saved' lie, promoted by Calvinists and others, and the self-conceit and arrogance that in turn produces. It turns grown men and women into spiritual brats.

These are all variations on the theme of man wanting to be a god or god-like, the very first temptation that Satan laid before Eve (Gen.3:5) to declare independence from Yahweh. It's why Charismatic preachers like Kenneth Copeland claim believers are 'mini-gods', it's why Mormons claim they will be 'gods' one day, it's the spiritual basis of New Age belief in pantheism that teaches everyone is collectively and individually 'god', the 'Force' in the Star Wars movies, again repackaged to appear like truth. Ultimately, it boils down to worshipping self, to created things and beings like fallen angels. And that is why when Yahweh's people oppose these things they provoke such fury in demonised people. It's the basis of all kinds of élitism, the belief that you are better than others because of your skin colour, IQ, wealth, your social status, or whatever panders to pride.

You see, the way of the Master is the diametric opposite. It's not about how 'wonderful' we are but about how wonderful He is, which He has demonstrated for us a million times over by His life and by His dying for us on the cross. And neither Satan nor his lackeys are willing to sacrifice or love like that. They never laid down any part of themselves for anyone or anything even though they demand the ritual sacrifice of their deceived followers in order to consume their life force - their children, and the things most precious to human beings. This is what we are up against in the so-called 'deep state', the invisible government and corrupt corporations, which are underpinned by devil-worship, which is now, mercifully, starting to be publically exposed to an incredulous public.

That said, don't go and martyr yourself for martyrdom's sake. Just live for Yah'shua (Jesus) without counting the cost in the sure knowledge that a resurrection awaits you and a reward that doesn't even begin to compare with the ultimate carnal prize of being the ruler of a kingdom or the possessor of great wealth. And even if you got wealth and power, you wouldn't be able to hold onto it for long anyway - you can't take any of it out of this world with you when you die. In terms of Eternity, the duration of your personal kingdom on earth, whether acquired by honest or devilish means, is but a pinprick in infinity. There are far better, worthier and more honourable things to live for.

All of this is to make the very same point that Christ and the apostles made, a reason why all but one of them (John) were martyred for their witness. Caesar is not god. The élites of this world want global power because they crave the worship of the masses the same way their controlling spirits do. Power acquired in this way can never being them peace, satisfaction or joy, though - they are driven by what-they-know-not, they only know they must have it and get it by all means, fair or foul, and right now we are witnessing much of their foulness in the world, including all the chaos in America and elsewhere. Satan's route doesn't give any human being the ultimate power his flesh craves anyway because Satan isn't about to yield the 'Top Dog' position to anyone, not that he even has it, and he knows it, another reason he rages and why in turn his human lapdogs rage too, though they don't know why either. The best he can do is cause some short-term suffering to the children of Elohim (God) and even the pleasure he gets from that doesn't last. He knows his time is short.

You see, in Satan's domain, you can either have a short-term, illusiory power but you cannot have love or truth, which is what all human beings were made for, so these pitiful servants of hell can never be satisfied. In this world, true believers expect no wealth or power but they do have a super-abundance of love, and that drives the devil insanely and jealously mad, because he doesn't have one particle of it in himself. Oh yes, there is a huge element of jealousy mingled in with demonic rage. So "do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened," said the apostle Peter (1 Peter 3:14-15, NIV). "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul," the Saviour said, but "rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt 10:28, NIV).

In other words, take care of your spiritual life and Yahweh will take care of the rest. What's important is that your spirit is intact because the state of your spirit or inner man after death determines what kind of resurrection you receive. As the Saviour said:

"...for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. ... As I hear (of My Father), I judge; and My judgment is righteous" (John 5:28-30, NKJV).

Therefore, most assuredly, when those leaders in the organised church or messianic synagogues place believers under the subjection of ungodly, lawless secular rulers, they are doing violence to the Body of Messiah. The Bible says, speaking of secular government, that he who has authority is a ruler who punishes evil and rewards good. That is the main talk of our political rulers, and for which they have been given authority by Elohim (God) above! Their main job is to protect us and make society safe, and for that, when they do it, they deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.

Do you have any conflict in your soul as to how far you should go in obeying human rulers? You have been given a very simple guide indeed by the apostle John:

"Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of Elohim (God), but he who does evil has not seen Elohim (God)" (3 John 11-12, NKJV).

Who decides what is good and what is evil - man or Elohim (God)? We live by the Standard of Heaven, not by the standards of this world. Put that into the context of Paul's much abused words when he said:

"For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is Elohim's (God's) servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is Elohim's (God's) servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience" (Rom.13:3-5, NIV).

Two elements must be taken into consideration, says Paul. First, doing what is right and let the consequences follow. Who establishes right-ness or rightousness? Elohim (God) does. What Elohim (God) has pronounced to be good, do that. What Elohim (God) has pronounced to be evil, do not do, for your soul is at stake, the welfare of your neighbour with whom you must live, is at stake, and eternity is infinitely more important than a small window in time.

Second, Paul speaks of conscience. Torah does not cover every little detail in life. Here you must take personal responsibility and act according to your conscience in areas where the Torah is silent, because going against conscience is sin (1 Cor.8:12). But be careful - be very, very careful - for if your conscience is defiled because of weakness or disobedience and sinning (1 Cor.8:7; Titus 1:15), it won't be working properly and you will set yourself up against the Father's Torah or Law, with unavoidable consequences. Conscience is the second thing to consult, not the first. Remember that.

The Torah does not cover, for example, traffic rules. Obey them, that's common sense. It doesn't talk about every type of 'food' we eat, things not covered by the kosher laws like Coca Cola, artificial food additives, refined sugar, and the like. Use your intelligence, Yahweh gave you a brain, do some research, and then, after prayer, make an informed decision.

Your body is a temple of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), where your essential self and Elohim (God) meet to commune. Take care of it, live wisely. The Scriptures say we are to pax taxes, however unfair - if we have democracy, we can campaign for better tax laws, but otherwise Scripture says this is not a priority issue. Suffer injustice in that department if you have to, do what you can - lawfully - to change circumstances. Don't refuse to pay your taxes as one prominent Evangelical minister did recently who ended up in prison for many years. It wasn't worth it. We have better things to live for.

Should you take vaccines? Find out what's in them - the chemicals, baby parts, and so on - and make an informed decision and live by your conscience. You'll find the mitzvot (commandments) cover all of your questions at some level or another (like not killing the unborn or beig complicit in their deaths). Remember, it's the Temple of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) that's going to be impacted by what you put in it, for good or evil, that might weaken, cause disease or even kill it. Weigh the facts carefully. It's your body - your stewardship, for which you're accountable to Yahweh - not the state's. They don't care whether you get poisoned and die or not. You're just a statistic to them, a taxable entity.

Your conscience is irrelevent to totalitarians because control and absolute power is the name of the game for them. Do what is right and let the consequences follow. For as it is written, as the Master Himself said:

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavour, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another" (Mark 9:49-50, NKJV).

The Christian/Messianic believer, in doing well, rejects evil leadership. He subscribes to the kingship of Yah'shua (Jesus) before all else. And when he does so, he is guaranteed the wrath of despotic tyrants but also the assurance of divine approbation and shalom (peace) in his soul. But be very, very careful what you do with your 'sword' - it's only for self-defence and then only to be used as a last resort.

Some final thoughts, if I may, before we end. When you choose to do the right you will only discover that you are supernaturally supplied with more life energy but you will discover a deep reservoir of serenity and a new capacity for patience. And the persecuted need patience, lots of it, because Satan ever wants to provoke you to do act hastily and do something you might later regret. Remain calm, remember discretion is the better part of valour. Don't deliberately court persecution, get out of its way if you can without compromising your integrity, but if you can't, face it courageously. Therefore stay one step ahead of the Enemy by closely communing with Yahweh. No matter the circumstances, retain, wherever possible, a sense of fun and of adventure. We're supposed to thrive even in times of persecution because we are filled with the Ruach (Spirit). However bleak your situation may appear, remember it is nevertheless pregnant with possibilities if you have handed over control of your life to Yahweh. Do not allow the suspicion that life is completelty futile creep up on you because such a suspicion is ill-founded and is a common device of the Enemy to discourage you.

Learn to relax. Yah'shua (Jesus) slept peacefully in that boat on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the storm. In that connection, do take a look at the Olive Branch section entitled, Stilling the Storm (OB 268), a revelation that has been a blessing to many. I look forward to seeing you next week when we shall be resuming this theme of persecution. Hold on to Yah'shua (Jesus), and "if you have faith and do not doubt" (Matt.21:21, NKJV), then miracles will start happening no matter what the crisis. May His shalom (peace) and ahavah (love) be within you. Amen.

Endnotes