The Great Satan

The Arabs refer to the US as the Great Satan and most of the world hates the US as well.  Americans often wonder why the world hates us so much.  They can reason that the Little Satan, Israel, is hated because they are Jews surrounded by sea of Arab enemies.  However, they are puzzled by the almost universal hatred for Americans.  America is surrounded by water, not hostile neighbors.  Americans lead the world in generosity and giving to disasters of all kinds.  American liberal minded citizens blame our foreign policy and support for Israel as the reason for the world’s hatred.  This may be part of the blame, but I believe the answer is deeper than that.

America was founded on Inalienable rights given to man by God.  The whole concept of our government was freedom.  Freedom to worship God as each man saw fit.  The country was founded by God fearing people that left tyrannical countries to find freedom to live righteously.  Because of the sacrifice our ancestors made and the government they established, the US is filled with God fearing people.

The world hates the US for its heritage of faith and freedom.  It hates the US because it is filled with God’s people, both Christians and Jews.  As long as we as a nation stand for God and what is right, the world will continue its hatred towards us.  And if we continue on our current path to be like the rest of the world, our own government will hate the righteous remnant.  The evil taking over the world is seeking to establish a New World Order where Bible believing people are not welcome and will not be tolerated.  In the end God defeats and destroys the evil and the system it is trying to establish.  In the meantime, it is up to us to remain faithful to God and the freedoms He gave us!

The Coming War

There is a war that is raging is behind the scenes.  It is between good and evil.  It is between godly love and satanic hatred.  There are many voices around the planet talking  about the war.  Folks like Bill 0’reilly and Glenn Beck who describe the culture war between traditional values and progressives.  Good people feel the evil that is coming upon us.  They see evil all around as decency and common sense are becoming rare commodities. 

Part of evil’s plan is to get good people attacking each other instead of seeing the real enemy.  When I frequent internet sites, I am shocked by the labeling and hatred that I sometimes come across.  It is mostly one religious group saying derogatory statements about another group or member of another group.  A recent example I can point out is the well-known radio, television, and internet personality Glenn Beck.  I have heard Christians call him the Anti-Christ and point to his Mormon theology.  I have heard Jews critical of him for the same reason.  Both groups caution their followers to be wary of Glenn, a potential wolf in sheep’s clothes.  They say he says good things but has evil intentions based on their view of his Mormon theology.

I have lived in Utah for 25 years as a non-Mormon. I have close friends that are Mormon and they are good people that love God.  I may not agree with their theology, but I know that they are good people with good values.  So to me it is clear who Glenn Beck is.  He is a man that is standing up for truth.  He loves God, his country, and fellow man.  He is doing everything he can to wake people up to what is going on all around.   

He is trying to wake us up and show us where the evil is and who the real enemies of God are.  They are the intolerant ones that are filled with hate and want to kill everyone not like themselves.  They hate anything godly and focus their hatred on Bible-believing people (both Christians and Jews).  They have a global agenda and want a global government.  They want to control us and eradicate our freedoms, especially our freedom to worship God as we see fit.  They are an unholy alliance of haters, both non-religious and religious in contrast to God’s people that are identified by God’s love!

We need more Glenn Becks!  We need more people that will shine forth God’s love and truth against the evil that is growing.  We need to quit arguing about theological differences and stand with God and all God’s people for truth, freedom, and what is right. 

The emphasis in God’s word is on action.  The Hebrew word for love is Ahava and it is a verb, not a noun.  We demonstrate our love and faith by what we do.  Most God fearing people believe in God and his word.  We just differ on the interpretation of God’s word which leads to theological differences.  These theological differences don’t really matter when it comes to the Greater War between good and evil.  A war that is about to break out full force soon.  A war that will mean life and death!  We should choose wisely who we demonize for if God’s people demonize each other we will surely lose the battle and die!  Seek God’s guidance to recognize truth where ever it comes from!  It is easily identified by love and not hatred!  When the war explodes in full force, you will need to be on the side of truth and God even if it means that you will be fighting for truth alongside of people with different theological views than your own.

Did the Christian Messiah Teach Reincarnation?

In studying the teachings of Orthodox Jews, one teaching I came across was the concept of reincarnation.  At first I dismissed the concept, but as I studied more about it, I started to realize that that the Jewish view of reincarnation was vastly different from what I had initially thought.  I always thought that people who believed in reincarnation believed that the entire person was sent back and reincarnated into another body.  I learned that the Jewish concept is more that a spark of one person’s soul can merge with our own and continue a process of rectification.  The Jews teach that the original spark of a soul that was given by God can be divided and reunited unlimited times.

According to Wikipedia, “Reincarnation is not an essential tenet of traditional Judaism.  It is not mentioned in the Tanach ("Hebrew Bible"), the classical rabbinical works (Mishnah and Talmud), or Maimonides’ 13 Principles of Faith. Medieval Jewish Rationalist philosophers discussed the issue, often in rejection. However, Jewish mystical texts (the Kabbalah), from their classic medieval canon onwards, teach a belief in Gilgul Neshamot (Hebrew for metempsychosis of souls: literally "soul cycle", plural "gilgulim"). It is a common belief in contemporary Hasidic Judaism, which regards the Kabbalah as sacred and authoritative, though unstressed in favor of a more innate psychological mysticism. Kabbalah also teaches that "The soul of Moses is reincarnated in every generation".   Other, Non-Hasidic, Orthodox Jewish groups while not placing a heavy emphasis on reincarnation do acknowledge it as a valid teaching.” (Wikipedia)

As I pondered the concept reincarnation, I thought of the fact that life comes from God through our DNA which is inherited from our parents.  This DNA is the blueprint that directs the formation of individual cells into our bodies.  We inherit physical and psychological traits from each of our parents.  Basically the spark of life from each parent is subdivided and then recombined to produce an entirely new individual with inherited characteristics from both parents.

Last month I came across an article describing how scientists had stored information or data on DNA http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/01/23/potential-dna-for-storing-digital/ .  Now if data can be stored on DNA and we inherit DNA from our parents, could it be possible that memories from some of our ancestors could be stored on that DNA and some people have the ability to access those memories?  If so, that would explain why some people can remember things from other lives and believe they are a reincarnation from that individual.  They have inherited a “spark” or memory from that person.

According to the New Testament, the Christian Messiah was asked about Elijah coming to prepare the way for the messiah.  His answer was that he had come and was John the Baptist.  The Disciples had assumed that the literal Elijah was supposed to come back.  Was the Christian Messiah teaching reincarnation?  Possibly, he was a Jew and that is what some Jews believed and taught and still do teach.  If so, then he was teaching that Elijah’s spirit or a spark of his soul was in John the Baptist.  An alternate explanation that most Christians believe is that John the Baptist was fulfilling the role of Elijah that was foretold prior to the coming of the messiah.

So do I believe in reincarnation?  I do not believe in the popularized notion of reincarnation that is portrayed in books and movies.  However, I think we have a stronger connection to our ancestors than modern thought accepts.  We inherited DNA from our parents and maybe even a spark of their souls that joined together to form our own.  Ultimately, God hard wired us for his purposes and who is to say if He injected some other sparks of souls to the mix.  After all, he is the potter and we are the clay of His workmanship.

Soul Mazal – Your name is your destiny

Your parents did not name you.  God did and he has encoded your potential destiny in your name.  My name is Daniel bar Zohar in Hebrew.   Daniel bar Zohar = Daniel son of Zohar.  My father’s name is Hobart which in Hebrew translates to Zohar.   I discovered that by having a name analysis done by Rabbi David Katz in Israel.  His website at http://soulmazal.blogspot.com/ offers the information on name analyses as well as other resources that are available. 

Rabbi Katz initially did a name reading for me where he was able to reveal the essence of who I am even without knowing me or ever meeting me.  I followed the name reading up by requesting an in depth analysis based on finding my name encoded in the Torah reading at the time of my birth.  Rabbi Katz discovered my name encoded in the Numbers 8:1-2 where I was again astounded by the mission and focus that was revealed for my life in that portion of scripture. All of the information echoed truth to who I am, the major challenges I face, and what I need to work on to accomplish God’s will for my life!  It confirmed that my spiritual journey is on track in the search for absolute truth in connecting with my Creator.  It also emphasized that being honest and true to myself was critical in elevating my soul to reflect God’s divine light to those around me. In short, the analysis revealed my spiritual path and inspired me to stay the course with additional effort!  I am so thankful for the information and blessing that Rabbi Katz’s in depth analysis provided me based on discovering my name in the Torah! 

What is the destiny that your name reveals?  It is who you are and who you could become.  It is the potential God has written on you with the name that He gave you.

What does God require of man?

Growing up in a Christian church I was taught to love God, to love His word the Bible, to love my fellow man, and to spread the truth of God’s word.  I attempted to implement those items in my life.  However, some of the things the church wanted me to do, like door to door missionizing, just did not feel right.  It seemed to me to be forcing my beliefs on another person instead of letting them seek truth and God’s calling in their life.  I believe that those that truly are seeking truth will hear God calling and find the answers that they need.  So I struggled with the whole proselytizing aspect of Christianity.

One day while studying my Bible I came across a verse that really spoke to me.  It became my life verse because it was God answering my struggle with what He required of me.  The verse was Micah 6:8 which states:  “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Now I had an answer for how I should live my life.  A life exemplified by justice, kindness, and humility as I walked along my spiritual path learning from God.  Instead of letting people direct my path by telling me what to believe and what to do, I study His word and humbly seek God’s direction.  I try to implement justice by always doing what is right tempered with loving kindness.  It is what God asks of me and I do my best to answer this request by the way I live.  It requires a spiritual journey from selfishness to selflessness.  A goal that is worth striving to implement because doing so allows God’s divine light to shine through our love and actions.  The Hebrew word for love is Ahava.  It is a verb and not a noun.  May you learn how to transform your love from a noun to a verb!  Doing so will please God.

How are we saved by a name?

The essence of a being is contained in their name.  When you call their name you are calling for that person to pay attention and listen to you.  If you have a relationship with that person they invariably answer you when you call unless they have a good reason not to.  If you are a stranger to that person they may or may not acknowledge you.

So how does a name save us?  It is not the name, but the being behind that name that gives us salvation.  In Joel Chapter 2, verses 30 – 32 there is a description of the Day of the Lord.  It is quoted from the NASB as follows:

30 “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth; blood, fire and columns of smoke.  31 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.  32  And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the Lord has said, Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.” (NASB)

The Hebrew word in the text for Lord is the 4 letter name of God the Creator (YHVH).  So the plain reading of the text is that whoever calls upon the name of the Creator is saved.  It doesn’t say the messiah’s name; it says the specific name in Hebrew of the Creator.  So how can it be that the Messiah’s name saves us?

There is an interesting passage in Exodus 23 that gives a clue to this mystery.  God says the following to the Israelites prior to the conquest of the Promised Land starting in verses 20 - 22:

20 “Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. 22 But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.” (NASB)

It is clear in this passage that God’s name is in His angel – The Angel of the Lord.  In other words God’s spirit and essence is in His angel.  It is common theological teaching that the Angel of the Lord would incarnate to become the messiah and that the messiah would teach truth, restore all things, and establish God’s Kingdom here on earth.

In Acts Chapter 4 when Peter and John were arrested in Jerusalem, Peter stated in reference to the Christian messiah, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”  This is in direct contradiction to the Joel 2 passage unless you take into account the Exodus 23 passage where God said His name is in His angel.  On the surface, Christians believe that by calling on their messiah through repentance of sins brings them to salvation.  However, on a deeper level they believe that their messiah is an earthly extension of the creator here on earth and the Creator’s name (essence) is in him.  It is calling upon the name or essence of the creator that grants salvation through a relationship with Him.  If a person doesn’t really have a relationship with the Creator’s essence and know Him through His Word, then they are not saved.  If you have this relationship, you will “obey his (angel’s or messiah’s) voice” and “do all that I (God) say” (Ex 23:22) in my instructions (Bible).

The ultimate expression of this concept is illustrated in the Christian messiah’s own words in Matthew Chapter 7:21-23 where he said:  21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”  It is not just saying the name and doing things in the name, it is in knowing the Creator’s Name (essence) that is in the Angel of the Lord and God’s messiah, the Name of the Creator of all.  May His Name be praised!  Halleluyah!

The Matrix will dissolve in the coming dimensional shift

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook (1865-1935) once said that "Before the world of truth can come, the world of lies must disappear".  The rabbis have long taught that the world we live in is an illusion.  It is real, but it is not the real world.  The real world is the spiritual world that exists in the shadows of this world.  It was designed by the Creator as a training ground for humans with free will to experience the consequences of their choices as they discovered a spiritual life in a physical world.  Man is both physical and spiritual.  The choices we make in this life will determine many things in the real world to come. 

The physical body is the vehicle by which we function in this 4 dimensional world.  However, who we are is our soul and spirit and only a portion of our higher self actually resides in our physical bodies.  This concept was recently popularized in the movie “The Matrix” where there was a holographic construct that people were plugged into and thought was real.  Recently scientists have started examining this theory and want to test it (http://news.discovery.com/space/are-we-living-in-a-computer-simulation-2-121216.htm).  The Matrix concept is very similar to what some rabbis have taught and passed down for over 3,000 years.

Further the Rabbis teach that at the End of Days, the Creator somehow merges all the various dimensions when all of creation is judged.  In this process, the material, 4 dimensional worlds will dissolve revealing the remaining dimensions that constitute heaven (which is the real world).  To prepare for this “dimensional shift”, an individual has to detach from the material world around them and bond to the Creator and the spiritual world associated in the other dimensions.  If that is not accomplished, the individual will dissolve along with the material world that they cling to.

It is love of our Creator and His truth that is how we detach from this world and attach to the next.  Those that achieve attachment to the Creator will see His face in the midst of judgment while those attached to this material world will only see the judgment.  The key is summed up in the command to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  By doing this we are serving God and our fellow man instead of serving ourselves by attaining material things that will soon disappear.

Now is the time to prepare as the matrix is soon to be dissolved.  Love God and His word, and live according to His instructions!  Believe in the messiah and his soon appearance!