​Over the weekend the Jewish calendar turned to a new month, the third month of Sivan. This name is Assyrian and means joy or the month of harvest. There is excitement for the Jewish people as they enter this month because it is packed with events that give them assurance of provisions. Physical provision is evident by the ripening wheat fields. As the children of Israel moved to Mount Sinai, God was preparing to give Moses Torah—the Word of God. During the same period, but years later and ten days after the ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God (Ruach Ha-Kodesh) was poured out on those who waited in the upper room. With these gifts, God was positioning His people to receive power.
 
The stories of these provisions in the Bible should inspire us to position ourselves to be set apart from the world and dedicated to our Lord. He is calling us to Himself and purifying us in holiness and righteousness through the power of the Word and His Spirit as they come together. This month is a reminder that we are God's children of inheritance. He made a covenant with the Israelites and promised to keep that covenant.
 
When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God gave them a history lesson to remind them of how He cared for them. Some of those reminders are written about in Deuteronomy 8. "Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers...Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in His ways and revering Him...When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws, and His decrees that I am giving you this day...Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers as it is today." (Deuteronomy 8:1, 6, 10, 11, 18)
 
God called the children of Israel to come up as He met them at Mount Sinai, and he called the disciples to come up to an upper room. We are still called to look up to the Lord, The Light of the World. (John 8:12) We are meant to be set apart and anointed as priests before Him. Jesus confirmed this call by identifying us on the Sermon on the Mount. "You are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14, 16)
 
Here is what 1 Peter 2:9 tells us about our identity: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." We are to live in step with the Holy Spirit. In doing so we will impact the world around us. Peter goes on to say, "Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day that He visits us." (1 Peter 2:12)

​In honor of Mother's Day, I want to share with you part of the story of Susanna Wesley's life. She was the twenty-fourth child of Dr. Samuel Annesley, a Puritan minister. Born in 1669, Susanna had a deep desire to learn and had the opportunity to do so through her father's books. At age nineteen, she married Samuel Wesley, whom she met at her sister's wedding. Both came from nonconformist backgrounds and decided to join the Church of England.
 
It is reported that Susanna had nineteen children in a little over twenty years, nine of whom died in infancy. She took responsibility for raising her ten children with a strong Christian and moral education. Their schooling began at age five. A couple were able to read the New Testament in Greek by the age of eight. Susanna took particular interest in her daughters' education.
 
While her husband was in London in 1712, Susanna decided to invite some of her neighbors to what became known as her "Kitchen Meetings" where she preached to her children. Several writers tell us that, at times, over two hundred friends and neighbors joined the Sunday evening meetings. In addition, they say that she had theological knowledge superior to that of many pastors. Her influence on her sons, John and Charles, was evident. In fact, she is remembered as "The Mother of Methodism" since the boys adopted her teaching methods. John wrote that his mother was a preacher of righteousness.
 
It is obvious that Susanna believed and followed the Scripture written in Proverbs 22:6. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it." As a godly mom she went about fulfilling her responsibility to teach her children the importance of having a loving relationship with God.


If we look back to creation, we see that Eve brought life into the structure of Adam's world. She came as a companion and helper. Adam and Eve were dependent on one another to give birth to children. Then it became the responsibility of the woman to be a nurturer of life. May I suggest, however, that the ultimate purpose of a mother is to love God. Everything else will follow this. Godly moms are a product of fulfilling their first purpose in loving God.


My own mother modeled faith to my brother and sister and me. We were blessed to have a mom who had the fear of the Lord within her. God also modeled His care and concern for His children in Israel by teaching them about Himself, providing for and directing them in their relationship with Him. Through the prophet Isaiah, He made a promise to His children. "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13)


May we all be challenged by these godly examples of care given to children and the obvious results of godly influence on them. Mothers over the years have demonstrated the love of God and helped to impact generations.

​In honor of the 250th anniversary of our country, the Ambler Choral Society, a non-profit community choir based in Ambler/Maple Glen, PA area, put on a concert last Sunday afternoon. Since my sister is a member of the choir, I got to attend the concert. It was filled with American folk and classic songs such as "Yankee Doodle," Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor," and "America." While they did magnificent renditions of these songs, we all agreed that the “piece de resistance” was their rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." It brought tears to many eyes.
 
The song was written by a woman abolitionist named Julia Ward Howe who lived through the horrors of the Civil War. While in Washington, D. C., Howe heard the Union troops singing "John Brown's Body." Unhappy with what she was hearing, she desired to write new lyrics for the melody. That she did! In her own words. Here is how it happened. "I awoke the next morning in the gray of the early dawn, and to my astonishment found that the wished for lines were arranging themselves in my brain. I lay quite still until the last verse had completed itself in my thoughts, then hastily arose saying to myself: 'I shall lose this if I don't write it down immediately.' I began to scrawl the lines almost without looking...Having completed this, I lay down again and fell asleep, but not before feeling that something of importance had happened to me."
 
The words that Julia penned appeared in the February,1862 issue of the Atlantic Monthly. Packed with Biblical imagery, her song spread quickly through the Union armies. We should note that, ironically, the tune that was used was written by a southerner named William Steffe. Howe's words angered the southerners as she was taking aim at the fight to end slavery. However, so many were inspired by her lyrics that they united in singing the new words to the old tune. The words to five stanzas of the hymn are below:
 
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
 
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps; they have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps. I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps; His day is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
 
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat. O be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
 
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, with a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and Me. As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free! While God is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
 
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave. He is wisdom to the mighty; He is succor to the brave. All the world shall be His footstool and the soul of time His slave. Our God is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.”
 
The Word of God is the truth that keeps marching on. As we pick up the sword of truth, we can impact nations.

​The beginning of creation demonstrates the power of God's Word. "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." (Genesis 1:3) All of creation is an example of how God spoke the word and the earth came into existence. God assures us in the much-quoted verse of Isaiah 55:11 that His word that goes out from His mouth will not return empty but will accomplish what He desires. God has a purpose for every verse in the Bible, and when it is read aloud, there is power in it. That is one of the reasons I am so encouraged by what happened at our nation’s Capital this past week.
 
As part of the celebration of America's 250th birthday, an organization called "Christians Engaged" arranged for nearly five hundred leaders from our country to read the entire Bible aloud from Genesis to Revelation. The initiative is called "America Reads the Bible." It began on April 19 and ran through April 25 with citizens reading Scripture from the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D. C. One of the event highlights occurred when our President, Donald Trump, read from 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 via video from the Oval Office.
 
In commemoration of this historic event the President sent out a message on April 17. Here is some of what he said: "...In every generation, through every trial and triumph, God's Word has guided our people and our country to incredible new heights...Today, during our 250th year of American independence, The America Reads the Bible initiative invites all citizens to once again acknowledge our Nation's extraordinary Biblical foundations and give thanks for countless ways in which God has been the sacred source of our unity and national strength. This one-week event, during which leaders in faith, government, business, and entertainment will read every verse and chapter of the Bible, will inspire countless citizens to rediscover the Biblical truths that animated our Republic for two and a half centuries and pray that the Bible will continue to guide us—as individuals, as a people, as a nation—for the next 250 years and beyond...Together we will honor Holy Scripture, renew our faith, usher in a historic resurgence of religion on American shores, and rededicate the United States as One Nation under God.”
 
It is reported that the inspiration for this seven-day reading of the Bible came from the book of Nehemiah where Ezra was instructed to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses a few days after the walls of Jerusalem were complete. "So, on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men and women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law." (Nehemiah 8:2 & 3)
 
Let us remember what is says in Romans 10:17—that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Statistics from the American Bible Society tell us that forty-two percent of Americans have never opened a Bible and that even professing Christians are increasingly Biblically illiterate. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, wants to see Americans "rediscover the ancient paths" because "Those who know their history understand that the Bible played a fundamental role in the founding of this nation...We need to return to that understanding of the role that Scripture plays in guiding and directing us individually, but also collectively as a nation."
 
Think about the impact the reading of the Bible could have on our nation as the power of God's Word went forth! Perhaps there will be conviction of sin, a spirit of repentance, joy in the Lord, and/or revival. As the sound of truth permeated our nation, let us pray in agreement with the Lord that it will accomplish what He desires. Rest assured that this was both a historic and holy moment in our nation.

​Much happened during the second month of the Hebrew calendar. It is called Iyar or Ziv (meaning radiance) and is known as a month of transition since the children of Israel were moving from Egypt to Mount Sinai. They were experiencing a new level of relationship with God as they learned about His nature and that He is trustworthy. While traveling through the wilderness, the Israelites encountered God in supernatural ways.
 
As the name of this month indicates, the children of Israel were enlightened in their understanding of who God is. They had a crisis when they arrived at Marah, meaning bitter. There was no drinkable water in the desert. The bitterness the Israelites were experiencing was transformed and redeemed as God showed them a tree to put in the water to heal it. He made it known that His healing power is not only for water but also for people. One day He would send His Son to hang on a tree to bring healing for everyone. The Lord told the Israelites, "If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." (Yahweh Rapha) (Exodus 15:26)
 
God revealed two other important names for Himself while the Israelites were on their journey and during a time when they were grumbling at Him. "So, Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, 'You will know that it was the Lord when He gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because He has heard your grumbling against Him.'" (Exodus 16:12) Hence, they came to know God as Yahweh Jireh—"The Lord who Sees and Provides." In the middle of their journey, the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites. A battle ensued. Moses went to the top of a hill to raise his hands up. This action enabled the Israelites to win their battle. However, Moses needed help when his arms got tired. Aaron and Hur came to his rescue by holding up his hands. They learned that raising their arms as a banner in praise was their key to victory. Thus, God became Yahweh Nissi, "The Lord, my Banner of Victory."
 
If we fast forward 480 years, we can learn another significant event that occurred during the month of Iyar or Ziv. "In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord." (1 Kings 6:1) Another promise from the Lord for the children of Israel appears in 1 Kings 6:12 and 13. "As for this temple you are building; if you follow my decrees, observe my laws, and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people, Israel." Doesn't this promise sound very similar to the one God gave to the Israelites when they were coming out of Egypt and He was reintroducing Himself to them? "He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
 
This would be a particularly good month for us to build our relationship with God. He stands ready to feed us not only physical manna, but "every word that comes from His mouth.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) The Lord has food for us in every circumstance of our lives. In Exodus 19:4-6 God made it clear that He wants a special relationship with His children. "You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." As part of God's family, we are included in this amazing covenant. God is still our healer, provider, and victory over our spiritual enemies. What an amazing God we serve!

​The power of concerted prayer and agreement in faith was overtly demonstrated over Easter weekend. Our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, summed up the results of the prayer convergence like this: "Shot down on a Friday...Good Friday...hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, and rescued on Sunday...flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for...a nation rejoices. God is good!" We certainly saw the hand of God in action as one of our American pilots was rescued from the mountains of southwestern Iran.
 
One F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down on Good Friday with two airmen in it. These airmen ejected from the plane but became separated in the rugged terrain where their plane crashed. The pilot was rescued on the same day, but the weapon's operator could not be located. He avoided capture by climbing a 7,000-foot ridge in Zagros Mountains despite injuries, including a sprained ankle. Upon reaching the top of the ridge, he hid in a narrow crevice to evade capture. At this point, he was able to send out a beacon signal. Pete Hegseth reports: "When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple, and it was powerful. He sent a message: 'God is good!'"
 
President Trump is calling the airman's rescue "an Easter miracle." The reason for this comment was because of the difficulty of the mission. In addition to our armed forces trying to pinpoint the airman's location, the Iranian forces were also hunting for him. They offered a bounty to anyone who could find him alive. It is reported that the United States rescue mission used one hundred fifty-five aircraft, including four bombers, sixty-four fighters, forty-eight refueling tankers, thirteen rescue aircraft, and more. American air power was used to destroy any Irian advancing units. At the same time, United States special forces made their way toward the stranded officer and lifted him from his hiding place. Regarding the number of personnel and equipment used in the rescue, President Trump said, "We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge. We wanted to have them think he was in a different location, because they had a vast military force out there—thousands of people were looking."
 
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel's IDF assisted in the operation. They launched strikes designed to act as diversion, drawing Iranian security forces away from the crash site and toward other areas. General Frank McKenzie, a former commander of U. S. Central Command said, "We did in fact lose a couple of aircraft in that mission," but added that he would take that lose "any day" in a situation like this. "It takes a year to build an aircraft—it takes two hundred years to build a military tradition where you don't leave anybody behind."
 
President Trump acknowledged the watchful eye of the Lord in the rescue. "When you go into these areas, you don't come out like we came out. God was watching us." It seems many were led to pray Psalm 91 over the weekend operation. "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'" "...He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge, His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart...He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways...I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name..." For those intercessors who may wonder if their prayers are making a difference, this rescue was a demonstration of their effectiveness. Did you know that the U. S. military has a prayer guide written by Gloria Robles of Intercessors for America that is based on Psalm 91? God calls us to partner with Him in prayer. When we do, we will see His miracle-working power.

We are in the middle of Passover week. Included in this week is the celebration of First Fruits or the day of the resurrection of Yeshua/Jesus. This is Nisan 16 on the Hebrew calendar. In 1 Corinthians 15:20 He is called "the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." The New Living Translation says, "But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So, you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when He comes back." (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
 
For life to spring forth we must first have death. This was demonstrated with Jesus who willingly went to the Cross to take our sicknesses and diseases, pain and sorrow, sin and guilt on His body. During the three hours between noon and three p.m., He felt the pain of His spiritual separation from His Holy Father because of what He was bearing. The first two verses of the prophetic Psalm 22 is a look at what Jesus would say as He hung on the Cross. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving Me, so far from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer, by night, and am not silent." 
 
The "groanings" of Messiah are followed by a statement of truth and comfort in verse three of Psalm 22. In this Psalm there is a move from despair to faith in the truth of who God is. "But You are holy, enthroned in the praise of Israel." (NKJV) "Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the praise of Israel." (NIV) The word "enthroned" or "inhabits" in the KJV is the Hebrew verb "yashab" which means to remain or dwell. God is everywhere! Psalm 139:7-10 makes this clear. "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast."
 
As we contemplate Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, we should see a call to worship the Lord. That message began as Moses went to Pharoah to obtain the release from slavery for the children of Israel. "So, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.'" (Exodus 10:3) Today our enemy, the devil, does everything he can to stop us from worshiping the One True God. Just as God broke the bondage of slavery for the Israelites, Christ broke the bondage of sin and sickness for us on the Cross. He was resurrected on the third day with a message of victory over death and a call for us to come near to worship Him.
 
Rabbi Jason Sobel tells us that "Passover reminds us that without God's intervention, Israel would still be in bondage." After the Exodus, Moses realized that what is most important for God's people is His presence. Moses said, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here...What else will distinguish us from all the people on the face of the earth?" (Exodus 33:15, 16) This question is still for today. We should be defined by the presence of God. That comes as we open our hearts to worship Him. Today we glory in the resurrection of Christ and His promise of eternal life for those who believe in Him. Let us make today and the weeks to come ones of His Presence through extravagant worship! 

​On the same day (Nisan 10) that every Jewish household was choosing their unblemished, spotless lamb for Passover, God brought Jesus into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey to present His Son as the pure, spotless Lamb of God. Large crowds met Him there and "took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!'" (John 12:13)
 
Four days later Jesus joined His disciples in an upper room for a Passover Seder. He was being obedient to the Scripture in Exodus 12:14 that says, "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance." At this Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."  (Luke 22:15) God's plan was for His people to remember how He set them free from slavery in Egypt. He also knew that through the retelling of the Passover story, a connection would be made that His Son, Yeshua, is the Passover Lamb. He shed His blood that would be applied to the doorpost of our hearts for eternity. The blood of the lambs that was applied to the doorframes of the homes of the children of Israel was for protection from the death of the firstborn.
 
There has always been a battle over the power of the blood. It was Emperor Constantine who legalized Christianity but forbid the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus during Passover. The Church in Rome joined the battle and tried to stamp out Passover and pronounced a curse on Christians who celebrate it. Satan hates Passover because he knows the power of the blood. He also knows that it points to Jesus as being the Passover Lamb. The first time Jesus was introduced this way was by John the Baptist who said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
 
On the original Passover night, the head of every household stood at the door of his house with a basin containing the blood of the lamb. He used a hyssop branch to dip into the blood and smeared it on the two doorposts and the lintel over the door. In doing this, he was making the sign of The Cross. The applied blood redeemed each family from the power of the death angel. Deliverance comes by the Cross of Jesus and by His shed blood!
 
At today's Passover feast there are four cups to drink. The first one is called The Cup of Sanctification, which represents the power of the blood to take away sin. The second cup is called The Cup of Judgment. Before drinking this cup, a drop of juice is taken out of it ten times and dropped onto a napkin—one for each plague. We are to remember that by the stripes of Jesus we are healed. The Cup of Redemption is the third one. Jesus said, "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many." (Mark 14:24 - NKJ) The third cup would become the center piece of communion and spoke of the greater redemption and deliverance that humankind would experience through the forgiveness of sin from the Lamb of God. The final cup is called the Cup of Praise and is the one to remind us to rejoice because of our promised future. Truly, the Passover table was the birthplace of the Communion table.
 
The deliverance of the children of Israel came at the first Passover in the land of Goshen in Egypt. From this Passover table, a nation was born. The Passover table is a place from which one is sent out and the beginning of an annual reset as this is the time that God ordained to be the beginning of a new year on the Hebrew calendar. Yeshua, Jesus, reminds us of His position as the Passover Lamb at the Passover table and draws us into a new year of intimacy with Him. As Israel used the Passover feast to reset their year, Let us remember that God delivered us from the bondage of sin so that we can pursue a more intimate relationship with Him. Praise the Lamb!

Jesus was resolute in His journey toward Jerusalem in the days before Passover would begin. On the way He stopped to visit His friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha in Bethany. Those who joined Him at the supper given in His honor were about to witness an extravagant act of worship by Mary.
 
John 12:1-11 describes the scene where Mary brought a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from the essence of nard. This perfume was one of the most expensive substances in the world and came from the Himalayan mountains. The actual common name of the plant is Spikenard. The plant gets its name from the hairy, spike-like roots that were crushed to extract the thick, amber-colored oil. The Bible first introduces us to this perfume in Song of Solomon 1:12. "While the king was at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance." (NKJ) It was truly the fragrance of royalty.
 
To the horror of one of the disciples of Jesus, Judas Iscariot, Mary poured the entire pint of nard on Jesus's feet. Then she wiped His feet with her hair in an act of total submission. During the time in which Jesus lived, guests who came to someone's home in the Middle East would have had their feet washed by household servants. However, the anointing of His feet was an act of selfless love by Mary. Judas expressed his indignation over what he called an extreme waste of money, explaining that the value of the nard (300 denarii or a year's salary) could have been used to help the poor.
 
If we look deeper into the agenda of Judas, we can see that he was the keeper of the money bag for the disciples and freely helped himself to the coins whenever he desired. Jesus explained that Mary's extravagance was appropriate because she was anointing Him for His burial. Jesus went on to say, "You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." (John 12:8) Sadly, Judas could not understand the act of worship that was being demonstrated before him.
 
Through the book of Revelation, we learn that both God and the devil seek worshipers. The devil had entered Judas as he was preparing to hand Jesus over to the Pharisees in a brief time. On the other hand, Jesus carried the Spirit of the Lord within Him and was worthy of all the worship shown to Him. The central question to ask ourselves is, "Who will we worship?" Pastor Francis Frangipane tells us that, "The enemy has easy access to the soul that is not protected by true worship of the Almighty!" Worship is based upon the reality of God, not circumstances. Francis goes on to say, "Without true worship of God, there can be no victory in warfare."
 
We were created first for God's pleasure. When we come to the end of our lives and go before the judgment seat of God, we will be evaluated by the way we worshiped the Lord. Whatever circumstances surround us, it is crucial for us to be true worshipers of Him. May this Passover season be used for us to move our worship of the One True God to the next level. 

​There is a picture of an open Torah scroll making rounds on social media that should make us pause and think about God. As demonstrated by this picture, He speaks to us in a multitude of ways that will direct our attention toward Him. At the beginning of Israel's "Operation Lion's Roar" a missile came into Beit Shemesh, in Israel, and killed nine people and injured many more. These people were sheltering in the basement of the town's synagogue. Those who helped clear through the rubble found an open Torah scroll with a shard of metal from the missile that was stuck at the reading for the week.
 
The Parasha (Torah portion) to be read for that week is called "Zachor," which means remember. This Scripture commands us to remember the attack that Amalek made on the Israelites after they left Egypt. It would have been read on the Sabbath before Purim and comes from Deuteronomy 25:17-19. "Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!" With the placement of the missile fragment directly beneath this Scripture, God was speaking to His people.
 
The missile fragment seemed to be reminding the Jewish people, as they prepared to celebrate Purim, how connected the past is to the present and future. How is this so? Along with the weekly Torah portion, there is also a selected reading from the "Prophets" to be recited in the synagogues. This is called "the Haftarah." It is meant to relate to the Torah portion. The haftarah that connects to Deuteronomy 25:17-19 comes from 1 Samuel 15:2-34. It is the story of King Saul's battle against Amalek and his failure to destroy King Agag as instructed by God. Because Saul spared the life of Agag, years down the road Haman arose and continued the battle against the Jews during the reign of Queen Esther. Haman was a direct descendant of King Agag. (Esther 3:1) However, God always gives us an opportunity to redeem our situations. Just as Haman was a direct descendant of Agag, Mordecai, Queen Esther's guardian, was from Saul's tribe, Benjamin. Therefore, Saul's descendants had the opportunity to accomplish what he failed to do.
 
This uncanny position of the shrapnel from an Iranian missile under the "Parashat Zachor" highlights the importance of doing what God instructs: "Remember," and "Do not forget!" Isn't it interesting that the missile that struck the Torah scroll came all the way from Iran whose name was Persia where the story of Purim took place about 2,500 years ago? God uses every means at His disposal to speak to us and guide us in all truth. Blessed be the name of the Lord!