Updated: 2016-05-21

Prologue

This message was originally sent out to my former writing ministry mailing list back on May 20, 2012. This Shabbat (2015-08-21), I felt to publish this and one other dream that I believe that יהוה gave me about the current state and near future of the USA.

Background

As far as we are aware, in the history of the world, there have only been two nations that were dedicated to the God of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. The first was Israel, and the second was the United States of America (USA). Of course, there are many, today, (even those within our own government) who would seek to rewrite history and lie about the truth of the foundation of the nations of Israel and the USA. However, as brother Raymond Schwab articulated in his video entitled, “Sycamore,” I would rejoice if the Congress and the President of the United States of America would fast and pray to the God of the Bible for wisdom and protection, and I praise Lord יהוה that the hearts of the leaders who founded this country were set in such a way that they did just that.

Today, it seems that many of the children of the USA have forsaken God, His foundation and His Way and have replaced God, His foundation and His ways with lusts for carnal pleasures and desires of the flesh. However, it also seems that God, in His wisdom is honoring us (today)—as He honored the disobedient children of Israel, thousands of years ago—by sending us warnings of His coming judgement upon the land if we do not humble ourselves, pray and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways.

In God’s past judgement against Israel (and in His, perhaps, current judgement against the USA), He said (Isaiah 9:16, NKJV), “For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed.” I believe that, as the children of Israel did (so long ago), so have many of the children of God (including myself) in the USA done (in this present age). For example, if you consider our various, recent wars going back at least as far as Jimmy Carter’s time (even before then, if you believe the words of conscience strained Major General Smedley Butler), our nation has engaged in violent conflict (not for any just cause but) to secure resources for and to assert the interests of mega corporations and special interests and even enemy nations. If this is correct, then (of course) our leaders have lied to us in order to ease our consciences and encourage our support. However, we have the Truth of God’s Word and the minds that He has given us to reason with and the freewill that He has given us to act with.

The Dream

Before returning to the USA from New Zealand, I was greatly burdened. (Clearly, our country seems to have been infiltrated by her enemies even at the very highest levels of government—certainly ensuing sometime ago and bearing fruit that appears more mature as time goes on.) Around the time that we were praying about our return to the USA, it had been our practice to pray to God to show us any dreams that He had given us the night before, along with their interpretation. One of those mornings (2012-11-04), I remembered a dream that I had, had the night before, which included its interpretation:

America (the USA) became a big, beautiful house that covered the entire landmass of the nation. (On the outside, the house was completely white and of a Neoclassical/Palladian architecture, similar to that of The White House.) However, inside it all fell apart and become hollow because of the evil that the people were doing. Then, only the nice looking (on the outside) shell was left, but the inside was horrible, burning with fire and going down to hell.

Some Post Dream Considerations

Also, during Sukkot, 2011, we were invited to a Sukkot celebration in Auckland. There we met many wonderful brothers and sisters in Yeshua, including one brother who felt that God had previously directed him to journey from New Zealand across the USA—from the west coast to the east coast—praying for the nation as he went. That brother was faithful to the calling that he felt יהוה had placed upon his heart.

Furthermore, shortly after that time, a brother (here, in the US), forwarded us an intriguing message by a messianic teacher (Pastor Cahn) out of New York that describes his belief that God revealed to him that America has come under the judgement proclaimed against Israel in Isaiah 9:8-10:4. Today (Shabbat, 2012-05-19), we had intended to complete our written response to some feedback that we had received about our last message. However, after coming across a teaching of Brothers Elliott Nesch and Raymond Schwab, we felt compelled to share their message, as well.

I suspect that anyone on this list who has read about the journey of the nation of Israel in God’s Word has thought to him or herself something like, “Man, how could they be so stubborn? Why don’t they just trust God?” Well, you (brother or sister)—who thought to question the people of the nation of Israel—may have your chance to prove yourself and to do better than they did, right now. You can step out in faith and fully trust the God of Israel, today.

Certainly, it seems that the literal and spiritual descendants of the very same people who came up against Israel during the days of the Prophet Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) are now rising up—with God’s (currently limited) approval—against the physical and spiritual descendants of Israel (including us), today. However, we can avoid one of the mistakes of Israel and forgo the thought of using physical means to defeat them. The God of Israel, who has protected and defended us from them (for so many generations) may still be willing to do so, today. However, we (His people) need to repent and make Him the center of our lives, again, and start walking in His ways—including manifesting His love to others (including our enemies). (God is more than able to handle this battle, and all of our battles, for us; we just need to trust Him.)

If the USA has come under God’s judgement for our many sins—the greatest of which is pushing the God of Israel out of our lives, out of our government and out of the land—then it seems safe to conclude, from Nineveh’s example, that God is still merciful and that He may also show mercy to us if we heed His message and repent of our sins. Unlike the then king of Nineveh, our leadership seems proud, hard-hearted and stubborn. Thus, we probably cannot rely upon leaders to direct us in the right way. However, we still have the Word of God and our own, individual freewill. So, we each—as individuals who seek to follow and obey God—and, hopefully, the entire Body of Messiah can humble ourselves, pray and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways. Do not wait: today is the day for you to take action; everything else in your life can wait.

When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14, NKJV

God’s Law

We have received feedback that indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose and place for God’s Law in our lives, today. Thus, we are going to revisit the subject, once again, in hopes of providing a clearer understanding.

God’s Law Is Perfect

God’s Law is not a curse (e.g., Romans 7:12). It is perfect (Psalms 19:7-11), and it shows us how to love God and others (Matthew 22:37-40). However, we came under a curse when we chosen to disobey God’s Law (Deuteronomy 27:26). Yeshua and His work broke that curse (Galatians 3:13).

Said another way, God’s Law tells us how we are to live so that we can manifest love for God and for others in our lives. When we break God’s Law, we fail to show love to God and others, which brings separation between God and ourselves (Isaiah 59:2) and others and ourselves. Yeshua came to make The Way for us to be made right with God (e.g., 1 John 4:10, Romans 3:21-26 and John 14:6).

God’s Truth is Absolute

We (believers in Yeshua) know that He is the Lord of everything. So, when Yeshua said that not even the smallest part of His Law (that is, God’s Law) has been done away with (Matthew 5:17-20), we know that is the Truth. Thus, when someone misinterprets the difficult to understand writings of one of Yeshua’s followers, we know to heed the words of Yeshua, not the words of those who misunderstand (2 Peter 3:14-18).

Does God’s Law Apply to (Former) Gentiles?

Some read the likes of Acts 15:18-29 and conclude that those of us from among the Gentiles have very limited restrictions in regards to the keeping of God’s Law. For example, Acts 15:19-20 (NKJV) states:

Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

That seems clear enough, right? Well, keep reading. Acts 15:21 (NKJV) says:

For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

So, it would seem that the intent of the Apostles (in dealing with the divergent backgrounds of the various people who were turning to God), was not to burden new believers who came from heathen beginnings with the whole of the Law—all at once. Indeed, they seem to have asserted that there was already a system in place for people to grow up into the knowledge of God’s Law (Acts 15:21).

Thus, it would seem that the Apostles of the early church focused on bringing people into the saving knowledge of God and His Kingdom with minimal initial burdens in regards to the requirements of God’s Law—knowing that knowledge of God’s Law would come in time, as those new converts heard the Torah readings in the synagogues on Shabbat.

Does Salvation By Faith Do Away With The Law?

Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.
Romans 3:31, GNT

However, Salvation (being made right with God) has nothing to do with The Law, since The Law condemns us (because we have each failed to keep it).

Some, Related Commentaries

• Is God’s Judgment Against Us Inevitable?
• 100 Facts About The Moral Collapse Of America That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe

2016-05-14 Update

While pondering this (around May 5, 2016), the thought came to me that we are each going to hell without Christ. Thus, while the dream signifies the present state of the USA, it need not be an indication of our future. For example, if (as a nation) we repent and cry out to God, He most certainly will be merciful. Regardless, if (as an individual) you merely confess your wrongdoings to God, He will forgive you (1 John 1:9).

Furthermore, while I mentioned the intriguing “visions” of Pastor Cahn (above), as far as I can discern, he has (since then) failed the accuracy test of a true prophet of יהוה (e.g., Deuteronomy 18:22 and Jeremiah 28:9). Furthermore, as I mentioned in the article entitled, “Is the USA Mystery Babylon?,” I suspect that Pastor Cahn did not believe that he had really heard from the Holy Spirit just prior to one of the dates that he had set. Thus, I now do as the Word of יהוה instructs me to do. That is, I do not to fear—nor concern myself with—what he says, any more.