PALM SUNDAY - An Extraordinary Fulfillment of Prophecy

 ~~ By James Fire 

(this teaching was delivered on 4/10/2022 at The ETERNAL LIVING WORD Church - the video is hyperlinked here)

Turn in your Bibles to DANIEL 9, and put a marker in it, then turn to:

MATTHEW 21:1-9, one of three passages in the Gospels that reveal this incredible event that we call Palm Sunday!
1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 "And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.'" 6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!

“Hosanna” – meaning “save now”! And “the Son of David” – a title of the Christ (or Messiah; MT 22:42) of Israel. Up to this point whenever people tried to take Jesus and make Him King (JN 6:15), He refused. But on this day, He doesn’t just allow it, He arranges it! Why on this particular day, not any day earlier or later? This is a crucial prophecy that points directly to the identify of Who the Messiah is. Jesus is the ONLY One to fulfill this prophecy!

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NUMBERS – From SINAI To The PROMISED LAND: Chapters 11

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Numbers by pastor Chuck Smith

NUMBERS 11: “FOWL MOUTH MURMERERS” – by James Fire,
For the full message, watch it on the Facebook video!

INTRODUCTION: How many of you claim Jesus as your Good Shepherd? How many of you declare that Jesus is your LORD? What does this mean on a practical level?
It means that you have surrendered your own will in favor of the LORD’s will, Who will care for you and all your needs as your shepherd Who is ‘the goodest’ of all shepherds. Since He is your LORD, you shall not go without any necessities (PS 23:1). It means that whatever trials, struggles, testing, hardships, suffering that you endure, you are experiencing them because the LORD has ordained them – for our best interest as well as for His glory.

So when we murmur, complain, gripe about anything that’s in our lives, we are aiming such words (spoken or not, intentionally or not!) directly at the throne of GOD!
It's a silent accusation from the heart that says, “GOD isn’t doing a good job taking care of me! He doesn’t love me or care about me, because if He did, I wouldn’t be in this mess!”
Some messes we find ourselves in are of our own making, because of unwise, even dumb choices, so I’m not counting these!

Such accusations against our good, generous, holy, gracious compassionate, tender-hearted Abba Father is extremely offensive to Him, because they deny the truth of these noble attributes of His! Such words should never come from our hearts, out of foul mouths in speech that is sin!

And that’s where we begin our study – the children of Israel are sick and tired of this bland manna and want some spicy meat! In their complaining, GOD fills their mouths with quail, these fowl, hence the title of this teaching, “Fowl Mouth Murmurers”!

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PONDERING THE PARABLES – Part Six

~ by James Fire

INTRODUCTION: We dealt with the exegetical properties of MATTHEW 25 in our TTUF studies before; you can check it out here. To summarize, we understand that the four different Gospel accounts are directed to different groups of people. The Gospel according to Matthew is directed towards Israel. All of the kingdom parables are likewise directed primarily to Israel and apply to the church in parallel in many regards.

As mentioned in the TTUF study we are presented with a picture here of the bridegroom and the ten virgins. Yet we understand that Christ – the bridegroom – has only one bride, not ten. If these ten virgins were meant to be a picture of the bride, then shouldn’t verse one say,
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet their bridegroom” rather than “the bridegroom”.

I see these then as the brides maids, but seeing that there are ten (and not eight or twelve), what does this signify?

From Biblestudy.org we have the following observations:

The number 10 in the Bible is used 242 times; “10th” is used 79 times. Ten is also viewed as a complete and perfect number (so is 3,7 and 12). It signifies testimony, law, responsibility, and the completeness of order. GENESIS 1 records that “GOD said” ten times in reference to His acts of creation. GOD gave 10 (primary, fundamental, foundational) Commandments. The people of GOD were responsible to give 1/10th of their properties and, or wages as a testimony to GOD’s faithfulness. The Passover lamb was selected on the 10th day and day 10 of the 7th month is also the Holy Day of Atonement, etc.

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A TTUF Interview with Dr. Gregory Reid on WAR of the AGES – PART 3 of 4

INTRODUCTION: This is an interview with Dr. Greg Reid, a youth pastor, speaker, author of many books, who has his own website, and is a former victim of Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) and a man of GOD who understands spiritual warfare because it’s a reality for him.
He has written a book about it: WAR of the AGES: A Complete Scriptural Guide to Confronting and Defeating Satan’s kingdom.

The purpose of this interview is to excite interest and hunger in the readers to get this book into their hands and devour its contents, become familiar with and eventually adept at spiritual warfare – something that’s been forgotten in today’s modern American church and is terribly needed in this day and age, and the darkness that’s not only growing, but seeking to overwhelm and defeat those unprepared to face it.

Check out this THROUGH The BLACK interview with Colleen James and Greg Reid as they discuss two of his books, TROJAN CHURCH and WAR of the AGES!

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NUMBERS FROM SINIAI To The PROMISED LAND - Chapter 10

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Numbers 1-10 by pastor Chuck Smith

NUMBERS 10: “TIME TO MARCH FORWARD or GOD GOES BEFORE US” – by Sonny Islas,

For the full message, watch it on SHINE BRIGHT Church YouTube channel!
INTRODUCTION: At this point in the story, it’s been two years since the miraculous Red Sea crossing, and they’ve been encamped near Mt. Sinai but now it’s time to march forward to the wilderness of Paran (aka Kadesh).

This is a high point in the narrative because this will be the first time that Yahweh in the form of the glory cloud from above the Mercy Seat will lift up and move forward – to lead the way to Canaan - here – God goes before them, and they are to follow.
BUT as we’ll soon see, the journey that could have taken Israel days, took years, 40 years, due to their hardheads and hard hearts.

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ARE YOU READY FOR: The RAPTURE, REWARD and REIGN with CHRIST?

This teaching will be in three parts:
(you can watch this teaching on Facebook video, soon on SHINE BRIGHT You Tube Channel)

Part One – we’ll have a very brief review of the nine teachings we received at the Calvary Tucson Pastor’s 2022 Conference on Prophecy (these video teachings, plus a Q & A, are available on Calvary Tucson YouTube channel – for your convenience I also have them on TTUF).
Part Two – We’ll be looking at the rewards we may or may not receive once we are raptured into heaven, at the Bema Seat by Christ where He will judge our works as His disciples.
Part Three – We’ll see how these rewards are related to the degree of rule we will share in the reign of Christ.

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CALVARY TUCSON Pastor/Leaders Conference 2022 on PROPHECY

We just finished three days of teaching on the much needed study on biblical prophecy at the Calvary Tucson church with pastor Robert Furrow and a line-up of top notch pastors, professors and leaders! The following are those teachings, along with a Q & A (is any conference really complete without one of these?), and I must say that we were enormously blessed with each and every one of them!

So much so, that I wanted to share them with you all here, copying the videos from off the Calvary Tucson's Youtube page! Along with each teaching I have a link to the teacher's bio, and also some web links to their ministries and ministry projects!

In such a day as ours when eschatological prophecies are ripe for fulfillment, it's tragic that too, too many churches are neglecting prophecy, believing that such things are peripheral in importance, not central to biblical doctrine, nor serving practical needs, but I disagree on all counts.

Prophecy IS very important, and practical and central!

JESUS is the very spirit, the very heart, the core of all biblical prophecy as the entire volume of the Scriptures are about Him (PSALM 40:7) and testify of Him (JOHN 5:39)! 

As for practical needs, does not Scripture itself state that we who have this hope of Christ's return are purified even as He is pure (1 JOHN 3:3)? Saints living in expectation of the LORD's return are living in a readiness, preparedness for His coming - living holy and godly - and nothing could be more practical! 

Further, these teachers are all dispensational in their eschatology, and inherently this means that they correctly teach that the church and Israel are distinct from one another, having different missions appointed to them by GOD with different destinies and functions. They are all dispensational (specifically, they believe that the church will not be here for the 70th week of Daniel, and that JESUS Himself will literally reign on Earth from Jerusalem for 1000 years in what's known as the Millennium.

Along with pertinent studies on this subject, David Guzik shared a very special message to wrap up the conference that I found particularly meaningful!

So, without further ado, will you join me in watching these videos and be blessed in all of the teaching on our Blessed Hope?

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NUMBERS – From SINAI To The PROMISED LAND: Chapters 9

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire
Complete Study of Numbers 1 - 10 by pastor Chuck Smith

NUMBERS 9: “THE OBSERVANCE WITH THE HEART OF OBEDIENCE” – by Albert Lopez,  Facebook video or SHINE BRIGHT Church YouTube channel video not available.

INTRODUCTION: Many times, when we do things, we can do them halfway or even do them completely but even then, do them wrong. We have a poor attitude and are very careless with what is required of us. The problem is that sometimes we do these things with the wrong heart and the wrong motives.

Example: I tell Dominic to take out the trash. He says, “OK Dad” and he continues playing Xbox or continues on his phone. There is a second reminder, “I told you to take out the trash five minutes ago and it’s still there and if you don’t take out the trash; the trash will take us out”.
So, he goes to the kitchen grabs a snack, looks at the trash and goes back to his room. The 3rd reminder is now here, and it comes more as a consequence of not listening to the first two: “You are going to be grounded until you grow a beard. I want you to drop whatever you’re doing and take out the trash now!”

This could have been avoided if Dominic would have listened the 1st time he was told to do something. If only he would just have taken the two minutes or less to take out the trash and put a new bag on the trash-can and not put his needs above what was required of him. Knowing that taking out the trash is his job he should not have to be reminded each time to do it. Gladly doing it because he contributes to the team that is our little family would be the proper attitude and motive - and also contributes to filling up the trash.

This attitude would have avoided any type of bad consequences for disobedience on his part. Now this scenario can apply to you or to me and in different circumstances where we have an opportunity to show a right attitude with a good heart, but we fail miserably at times.

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NUMBERS – From SINAI To The PROMISED LAND: Chapters 8

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Numbers by pastor Chuck Smith

NUMBERS 8: “THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND & THE DEDICATED TO THE LORD’S WORK” – by Sonny Islas, For the full message, watch it on Facebook video or on SHINE BRIGHT Church YouTube channel!

INTRODUCTION: At this point in the OT narrative, the children of Israel have been in the wilderness of Sinai for a little over two years now (NUM 1:1). They went from being slaves of Pharoah in Egypt to now being servant of Yahweh in the wilderness. To being contaminated by false worship in Egypt to being blessed with true worship in the desert.
In NUMBERS 7 twelve leaders, one from every tribe brought their offerings and sacrifices to the dedication of the Tabernacle (which was in a sense the earthly house of God). And now Aaron will be told how to arrange the lamps on the lampstand and the Levites will be ceremonially cleansed and dedicated - before the LORD and the entire congregation - for the work of the LORD.

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