February 29
	Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
	John 7:14
The first time Jesus went to Jerusalem, He cleansed the Temple (John 2:13-16). This time, He’s teaching in the Temple. And that’s always the way it is: Before Jesus can impart His Word effectively to me, there must first be a cleansing within me. The moneychangers must be driven out, the cattle chased away. That is why when you study the Word whether here corporately, or in your devotions individually, it’s always good to say, ‘Lord, before I even begin reading, search my heart. Show me that which needs to be confessed.’ ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me,’ declared the Psalmist (Psalm 66:18). Why? Because our Father won’t allow us to live in sin which will hurt us and those around us, and still continue in intimate relationship with Him. He loves you and me too much for that. So He says, ‘I’m going to break communication with you not because I’m angry with you, not because I’m giving up on you, but because something’s amiss in your life — and if it’s not changed, it will bring pain into your life and problems into the lives of those around you. So when you don’t sense I’m listening, if your prayers aren’t being answered, or the Word isn’t speaking — call upon Me; let Me come in and cleanse your temple. And then I will teach; then you will hear My voice; then you will see My face.’ I think too many of us minimize the importance of quietly waiting on the Lord and asking Him to search our hearts. Before teaching, there must be cleansing.

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Idolatry

At the first beat of a drum, the noise in the tavern died away. There was silence as the musicians began playing a lilting air. The crowd recognised it at once; they were all shepherd-folk and had whistled or hummed it to their sheep on the hillsides. Soon they were joining in, beating time on the tables with their mugs. They recognised the musician, too. He was a shepherd who came down from the hills each evening to play for a few pence in the tavern of the village of Niklashausen. His name was Hans Bohm. Soon he was to be called the saviour of mankind and the herald of the end of the world. It was in 1474. Europe had been ravaged by wars, dynastic and religious, and the people were exhausted. They often sought release in fantasies. A recurrent belief was that so much war and devastation must have a purpose: must herald the Millenium, the destruction of the old, corrupt world and the creation of a new. In remote cells, men pored over parchments to discover when the event might happen. Two Bohemians argued that 1467 would be the year; but when it passed without incident, no one’s faith was in any way diminished – it was simply assumed that they had got their sums wrong. In the states of Germany, the feeling that the end of the world was approaching was especially strong. The people there had been heavily taxed to pay for their emperor’s armies and the armies themselves had carried off what the tax-gatherers had left. In no state was the atmosphere more apprehensive than in Wurzburg, which was governed by a powerful Prince-Bishop. And it was to his castle that rumours came of strange events in the village of Niklashausen. People spoke of a young shepherd who played the drum, who had declared that the world was to be destroyed and – here the Prince-Bishop choked in fury – who was laying the blame for it all on princes and bishops. Hans Bohm had assumed his role as prophet quite suddenly. One night in the tavern he had beaten his drum for silence. Then he had declared to the flushed audience in the taproom that he had had a vision. The Virgin Mary had appeared to him and had told him to stop entertaining the people and to save them instead. She had declared that the world as they knew it would be destroyed and that her statue in the village church was to be a rallying-point for all who wished to be saved; and she had ordered Hans to proclaim the news. Having delivered his message, Hans added a theatrical touch by burning his pipe and drum – a wasted gesture since after a message of that sort, no one felt like more music, anyway. At any other time, Hans might have been dismissed as a crank. But this was war-weary Europe and his message was just what people had been expecting. He was, in any case, a very eloquent preacher. On Sundays and holy days, crowds surged into the village streets to hear him. He began by preaching repentance, urging them to burn their gaudy clothes and elegantly-pointed shoes. Then he went further: he claimed he had worked miracles. Thanks to his personal intercession, he told farmers, God had refrained from sending a frost to kill off their corn and vines. The farmers were duly impressed; if the lad really was a prophet, they told each other, he clearly had his priorities right and with a bit of luck – and prayer, of course – they might even have a decent summer. Then Hans attacked the clergy. They were, he said, proud, lazy and greedy and the root of the evil that had contaminated the earth and made its destruction necessary. And in case anyone thought that the nobles were getting off lightly, he urged his listeners not to pay rents and taxes to them: “The time will come,” he declared, “when they, too, will work for their daily bread.” Attacked like this on both fronts, it was small wonder the Prince-Bishop was beside himself with rage. Soon, from the Alps and the Rhineland, bands of pilgrims were trudging along the roads to Niklashausen, anxious to be saved. Craftsmen downed tools and left their workshops; butchers and bakers shut their shops and set off also; and peasants in the fields left the seed unsown as they bundled up their few possessions and took to the road. As they walked they carried banners and sang their own songs. “To God in Heaven we complain,” ran one of the more moderate verses, “That the priests cannot be slain.” The less restrained choruses sent the clergy scurrying into their churches where they alternately quaked and prayed until the columns of pilgrims had passed. Meanwhile Hans was treated like a modern pop star. Wherever he went, men and women fell on their knees before him, begging to be saved. They scarcely allowed him to eat or sleep and on several occasions almost crushed him to death. They ripped off his clothes and tore them to fragments to be kept as relics as precious, they said, “as the hay from the manger in Bethlehem.” During April 1474, seventy thousand pilgrims were gathered at Niklashausen. A vast camp surrounded the village with traders, craftsmen and souvenir-sellers to cater to the pilgrims’ needs. The Prince-Bishop could stand it no longer. The gates of Wurzburg were closed to pilgrims and the citizen-militia was put on the alert. Eventually the State Diet, or Parliament, decided that Hans must be arrested. One night in July, a troop of the Prince-Bishop’s cavalry galloped through the pilgrim camp trampling the tents and stalls and making straight for the house of the “Holy Youth.” The soldiers seized him and carried him off to Wurzburg Castle. After the initial shock, the pilgrims rallied. One of them, a local peasant, claimed that he, too, had had visions and that if they marched on Wurzburg, the walls of the city would crumble before them like those of Jericho. Unarmed, except for the great candles they carried, the pilgrims marched to the city and surrounded it. They waited for the walls to fall, for their saviour to emerge and for the world to end. They were disappointed on all three counts. The walls did not crumble. The Prince-Bishop, who did not want a riot on his hands, sent a messenger to point out this fact to the pilgrims but he was driven off by a hail of stones. Then the crowd grew angry and threatened to take the castle by storm. The Prince-Bishop ordered his master-gunner to fire a few cannon-balls over the pilgrims’ heads. The master-gunner obliged and, being good at his trade, successfully avoided hitting anybody. The crowd, however, took this as a sign that Hans and the Virgin were protecting them from harm and attacked. The Prince-Bishop delayed no longer and sent out his cavalry. Forty pilgrims were killed. The rest fled. A few days later Hans was burned at the stake for heresy. So perished the Drummer of Niklashausen and his prophecies. His ashes were thrown into the river lest any of his followers should treasure them as relics. Nevertheless, some pilgrims crept back at night to scrape away earth from the foot of the stake and preserved that instead.

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me ...
	John 4:9
Why isn’t Jesus a Gentleman here? Why doesn’t He say, ‘Let Me draw water for you?’ It seems that would be the right thing to do. In actuality, however, Jesus is demonstrating a very important principle. ‘Give to Me,’ He says to the woman — not because He wants the water, but because He wants her heart. He wants to see her saved. You see, oftentimes, we as believers err on this point. We think, ‘What can I do for other people to find a way of entry into witnessing or sharing?’ While there certainly is a place for that, often letting people do something for you — humbling yourself and allowing them to make an investment in or give assistance to you — is the most effective way to reach them. Jesus knew that wherever a person’s treasure is, his heart would be there as well (Matthew 6:21). If someone shares with you something of his ‘treasure’, something of his heart will be sure to follow — affording you the opportunity of touching his heart with the Gospel. It’s hard because we want to be helpers, not help-ees. We want to be the givers because it’s truly more blessed to give than to receive. But, as Jesus shows us, sometimes it’s imperative to receive in order that another might come into the Kingdom. The classic Biblical example of this principle is found in Numbers 10. As Moses prepares to lead the people of Israel on their journey towards the Promised Land, he invites his Gentile brother-in-law to join them. ‘Hobab, come with us. It’s a good land to which we are going, and good things will happen to you if you travel in our company.’ ‘Sorry,’ said Hobab. ‘I’m going back to my own people.’ It was then that Moses changed his tactic. ‘Hobab,’ he said, ‘we need you. You understand the wilderness. You can be our eyes. Would you help us?’ Hobab agreed, and ended up in the Promised Land with the people of Israel (Judges 4:11). How important it is that we don’t come across simply as those who say, ‘We’re going to Heaven. We’re great. Join us.’ Rather, sometimes we need to say, ‘We need you. The talents you have, the abilities you’ve been given would be such an asset to us.’ So it is, that, although in Chapter 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘You must be born again,’ here in an entirely different situation, He says, ‘Woman, give me to drink.’ And both would be saved.

Love is really the love of perfection (God.)

"Life is in part a bundle of choices with a bundle of consequences; the earlier one learns which choices bring forth which consequences, the better."

Jesus, therefore, being wearied with his journey ...
	John 4:6
Hebrews 2 says Jesus was made like unto his brethren — like you. He knows how it feels to be bone-tired. I’m glad about that, because I feel that way not infrequently. The battles rage. The problems mount. The struggles continue — and I just feel weary. Yet it is often at this point, when we are weary or feeling weak, that we will be used to the greatest degree, for, as Paul learned, when we are weakest, we’re actually strongest (2 Corinthians 12:10). A couple of nights ago, there was a knock at our door. It was 10:30. After a particularly taxing day, the lights were out and I was ready to crash. So when I saw a brother at the door who I knew had needs, my heart sank. But I invited him in, and as we began to share, even though my mind was blurry and my body fried, I sensed the Lord’s strength flowing through me in a uniquely powerful way. It’s often when you’re feeling particularly tired or spiritually dry that suddenly there will be an opportunity the Lord will bring your way. I have found that if, by faith, you begin to share the Lord with others, you’ll experience renewed vitality.

A Great Mural - Concerning God's Word! In a night vision, I was taken to the top of a hill overlooking a very large city. It was in darkness but I could see everything clearly. Horses and carriages with lantern lights were moving through the streets. I noticed that there were only three or four houses that had fire-like lights in their windows, even though there were many houses that I could see clearly. It was the time of King James. In the center of the city was a concave shaped building on which a mural was painted. This building was taller than any building I have ever seen and was probably fifty to seventy times taller than any other building in the city. The mural on the concave side of this building had been painted by the Greatest Painter who had ever lived! It was a tremendous painting and I marveled at its size. I knew the people were very proud of it and had lived around it, actually under it (because of its size), for years and years. I was in awe! Then I realized the Lord was standing beside me! I turned towards Him and looking straight at me He said,"Go burn it!" I quickly turned back toward the mural. I knew it was the people's most prizedpossession and figured the people would kill me if I destroyed the mural. As I was starting to say, "But Lord, that's their most prized possession," I was suddenly at the bottom right hand corner of the painting with a match already lit in my right hand, lighting the painting. It burned very fast, almost like a flash, leaving soot and a smoky film all the way up across the face of the building. Then the Lord, who had been standing there beside me, placed His hand over mine. A sponge then appeared in my right hand. My hand, arm, and the sponge grew in size. The Lord used my hand, with His over mine, to clean all the soot and smoke from the building with the sponge. This revealed the true original painting had been tampered with. I was stunned at the beauty and color of the real mural that had been hidden underneath! It was full of life! It seemed to emit life! I knew then that the painting I had burned was a deception, very cleverly placed, and had come about by the repainting of the picture by man. The mural had been tampered with long before King James' time. Satan has been distorting God's Word from the very beginning. He was distorting it in the garden with Eve! It was around this time when God was dealing with me about various Bibles. (In my words) He informed me that no man could translate without getting his perception into the translation. There have been a couple of times in my life when the Lord told me a scripture was translated wrong.     The enemy, together with mankind, has painted over the original picture; covering up the true and correct painting through translations and wrong ideas. The Bible is a mural of many little pictures and so was this mural. It was made up of a lot of smaller scenes, all blended together to produce a beautiful big picture, a mural. This vision gives us a picture of what the Lord has done and I hope a better understanding of the seriousness of what this web site is all about. I have, at times, had to read the articles on this web site myself, for information, and to refresh what He has taught us. These articles burn the doctrines of men and reveal truth by the teachings of the Holy Spirit, comparing Spiritual things with spiritual. He is the revealer of Truth and He is the One giving understanding. It is God's doing (by My Spirit, says the Lord), in fulfillment of His Word in these Last Days. Little did I know that the Lord was writing the Book of Rememberance He promised in Malachi 3, to His people who fear Him! Let all praise and glory be directed to Him, for giving us understanding! You will notice in the vision that I didn't want to burn the mural. That reluctance has been in my life but I found myself doing it anyway. With the symbolism, presented to be on stagebefore God as revealed in the White Horse movie, this vision has gained a deeper importance with me personally. God's dealing with me concerning Mount Zion has also further illuminated for me the importance of this vision, as far as the Lord's church is concerned. You can start examining all the little pictures in a mural anywhere on the mural!  The thing is, we should understand all the little pictures and then we can understand or see the bigger picture. About This Site How the Holy Spirit Teaches About Us Take His Heart to the World Ministries A Great Mural Africa Foundational Word God's Heart Funds

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By Claudia Moscovici

We tend to be enamored with instant bonding, both in friendships and romantic relationships. We tend to believe that becoming “close” to someone quickly is a good sign: of deep compatibilities; love at first sight; or being kindred spirits. Whirlwind romances are exciting and sweep us off our feet. And, in the internet revolution that created an explosion of online dating, clicking with new partners is only a few taps of the keyboard away.

Unfortunately, instant compatibilities rarely turn out to be as promising as they initially seem. More frequently, they fade away and sometimes they are signs of danger. There are two main reasons why this happens: one from your perspective, the second from the point of view of the new person you encounter.

From your perspective, this instant bonding is a sign of your intuition. You sense a vague but compelling emotional intimacy with your new friend or romantic partner. That intuitive sense, you wish to believe, is an emotional insight that defies reason (after all, you don’t know the new person well) and is deeper than rational knowledge. Right? Well, no. This intuition is usually wrong because its insights are not usually based on some sixth sense deeper than reason, but on your own fantasy or wishful thinking.

When you meet a new person, particularly a new romantic partner, both of you are on your best behavior. You undergo a mutual idealization phaseduring which each of you projects upon the other one’s desires for love and fulfillment; what one wishes to see in each other. The same logic can apply to new friendships as well, where you look for someone whounderstands you, cares about you and knows you without you even needing to explain yourself. It’s even easier to make such idealized projections in virtual reality, when you communicate via the internet and don’t see each other in person.

In both romance and friendship, however, true intimacy comes from knowing each other over time, in different circumstances, throughout the many tests and challenges life has to offer. The sense of instant bonding is therefore often a sign of projecting one’s desires upon the new person and, sometimes, of shallow emotions and predatory intentions. This brings me to the other perspective: that of the new person you’ve encountered, who appears to be your new soulmate.

As we’ve seen in previous articles, people who instantly mirror your personality and desires; who flatter you; who seem too eager, initially,to please you can be, in reality, not just incompatible with you, but downright dangerous. These are the strategies of social predators; how they initially attract new victims and get them hooked on their (false) “love” and approval. In some cases, such instant bonding is, indeed, a positive sign of compatibility, just as you wanted. In others, however, it’s a warning signal that you’re being targeted by a social predator, who intends to use you and harm you.

This is why the best thing to do is to proceed slowly in new relationships, with CAUTION. While it’s very easy to get excited by what looks like instant compatibility, keep a cool head, observe the new person’s behavior, and be attuned not only to the qualities you (desire to) see in him or her but also to inconsistencies, signs of deceit and implausible behavior. Dangerous predators are very adept at wearing a “mask of sanity” and appearing ideal; however, they are not good at maintaining it consistently in closer relationships.

There is a second advantage to proceeding with caution: if you don’t become too warm too soon with a new person, it’s far less noticeable when you cool off after discovering they’re not who you initially thought they were. This may help you pass under the radar of a vengeful social predator, who may pursue and stalk you if, after a rapid warmup, you decide to cool it off. Keep in mind that real life is rarely a fantasy. When a person or relationship seems too good to be true, it usually is.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
	Luke 10:35
After carrying the beat-up traveler into the inn, the Samaritan said to the innkeeper, ‘Here’s money to take care of this man. If you need more, I’ll repay you when I return.’ This puts the innkeeper in an interesting place. Two pieces of silver being a significant amount of money in that day, if he figured the Samaritan was not likely to return, he could dump the traveler on the street and use the silver to remodel his inn. That’s what a lot of us do. We’ve been blessed by the Lord with money, jobs, resources, abilities, and talents. And what do we do with them? Use them for our own gain. Or the innkeeper could have said, ‘I’ll take care of him until the two pence run out. Then, whether he’s healed or not, he’s out of here.’ A lot of us do this as well. ‘We’ll use what You give us, Lord,’ we say, ‘but don’t ask us to extend ourselves in faith. We’re not going to take on any new challenge or step into any new opportunity. We’ll give what You require, but once that’s given, that’s it because we’re not completely sure You’re coming back or that we’ll be repaid.’ I have news for you: Jesus is coming back. And, based upon the Word of God, I promise you that anything you have spent above and beyond the two pence you have been given will be rewarded greatly. Not once in the next billion years to come will you regret that which you did not do for yourself because you cared for someone who was beat up, someone who was in need, someone who needed to grow in the ways of the Lord. What we will regret is that which we did not spend because we weren’t living as though the Samaritan was really coming back. The Lord has entrusted to you more than enough to take care of the half-dead people who come our way. The question is, will you release what He’s given you? Will you let it go? Will you make the time? Will you expend the energy? Fellow innkeepers, I trust you will say to our Good Samaritan, ‘You’ve already given me the gifts and the goods to care for whoever You send my way. Therefore, I will do whatever it takes, knowing You are repaying even now.’

The one who truly senses the presence of Jesus in his life will celebrate life like Jesus did. What about us? Have we lost sight of the fact that Jesus Christ came to bring us life and life abundantly, to let us experience real celebration? Would we be invited to a neighborhood function readily? Do our co-workers include us when they get together — or is there something about us so Pharisaical that they conveniently forget to invite us? Jesus was included in all kinds of parties. The common people embraced Him easily, and loved to be around Him constantly. Why? Because He brought a higher degree of joy wherever He went. I pray not only that we might be able to penetrate the parties of our society, that people would feel free to include us in their celebrations, but that we might do what Jesus did — for, although He came to people as they were, He left them different than He found them. If you find the party or the people affecting you rather than you affecting them — watch out. But if, like Jesus, you can go into a place and make a difference by your joy and the unmistakable reality of God’s work in your life, then go with God’s blessing. Acts 8 tells us that the Early Church was so full of joy that they caused the entire city of Samaria — comparable in size to present-day Dallas — to be full of joy as well.Celebrate your salvation, gang, as you infiltrate your situation. Realize that Jesus can handle your humanity, that He would rather see you a friend of sinners than a self-righteous Pharisee. Then go on to make a difference in your community.

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