Program 126: Preparation for living with Yahuwah

The preparation you need to live forever with Yahuwah is itself a gift!

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Hello! Welcome to Word’s Last Chance Radio. I’m Miles Robey, your host, and with me is Dave Wright.

Dave Wright: Hello! Thanks for listening.

Miles: If you’ve been on our website, or listened to many of our programs, you know that at WLC, we’re convinced that in the future, Yahushua will return to set up Yahuwah’s everlasting kingdom on earth.

The question concerning all of us is: how do we get ready?

Think about your daily life for a moment: the grind of daily activities. You get up, maybe you overslept just a bit, so you’re in a rush to get to work on time. Instead of taking the time to have personal devotions, you decide to pray while you’re driving to work. But, drat! That jerk just cut you off in traffic. Almost caused an accident! What the hell was he thinking??

You speed up to get around him and see, well, there you have it: it’s a woman driver! What do you expect?

Dave chuckles: Do I get to tell your wife you said that?

Miles: Well, you get my point: we have to deal with irritants in our daily lives. Often, the face we present to the world can look very nice, and polite, and “properly Christian,” while, in reality, underneath the façade of good manners is a seething caldron of resentment and irritation.

Now, this may sound normal. It’s what we all deal with on a day-to-day basis. But you take that seething caldron of emotions that lies at the heart of all of us, and then ask yourself: are you ready for living in the very presence of Yah? Are you ready for life in the Kingdom of Love?

Dave: Well, speaking for myself … no. I’m not ready for that.

Miles: I think you can safely speak for all of us. I’m not ready for that, either. And that’s a problem because how do we get from where we are now, to being able to live with Yah?

Dave: We’re all sinners. That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that sin separates us from Yah. Turn over to 1 Timothy, chapter 6, and read verses 15 and 16 for us, would you please?

Here, Paul is giving an interesting description of the Father from the perspective of fallen humanity. Go ahead and read that as soon as you’ve got it.

Miles: “The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power.”

Dave: Yahuwah dwells in unapproachable light. And it’s not just light. It’s energy. That pure energy, flowing from the source of all life and happiness destroys sin wherever it’s found. And because we’re sinners, it would destroy us.

This isn’t news. It’s always been this way. Turn to Exodus 33. You’ll remember Moses had been spending a lot of time on Mount Sinai with Yahuwah.

Miles: I remember that. Moses was so in awe at the beauty of Yah’s character, that he longed to be even closer. He wanted to see Yah face-to-face.

Dave: That’s right. Let’s read it. Exodus 33, verses 18 to 23. Go ahead.

Miles:

And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahuwah before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

And Yahuwah said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.

So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.

Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Dave: So that’s what happened. Moses hid in a cleft of the rock while the Almighty passed by, then Yahuwah removed His hand so Moses could see Yah’s back. And then I like what happened next. Exodus 34, verse 8.

Miles: “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.”

Dave: You have to laugh. Moses begs to see Yah’s face and he can’t, but just as soon as he’s allowed to see Yah’s back what does he do? He “makes haste” and bows down and worships.

Miles: Well, yeah! I would, too! Wouldn’t you?

Dave: Absolutely. Absolutely. But I love this because it’s almost like Moses is the Old Testament counterpart of the New Testament Peter. He’s asking for things, and he hasn’t any real clue about the full magnitude of what he’s asking for. But he loves Yah so much, he asks anyway. He just blurts it out.

Miles: You know Yahuwah has got to love that level of devotion.

Dave: Oh, yes. It’s very precious to Him. But here’s the thing: Moses’ experience is what happens when even the most sincere, devoted believer comes into the personal presence of the Almighty. It’s awesome. It’s fear-inspiring … and it leaves you realizing you are nothing but dust.

Now, I want you to compare that with Revelation 21, verses 1 to 4. This is the end goal. This is what the plan of salvation is working toward: the reality that will open before us in the new earth, when eternity stretches before us. Go ahead and read it. What does it say?

Miles:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Yahuwah, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of Yahuwah is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. Yahuwah Himself will be with them and be their God. And Yah will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Dave: This is quite the difference from Moses’ experience. You can’t wipe someone’s tears away when your back is turned to them. Some change has happened; some transformation has taken place.

Miles: And you know it’s not that Yah has quit radiating out the pure energy of “unapproachable light”!

Dave: No. The change is in the hearts of those who have been redeemed.

Miles: You know, getting back to this “unapproachable light” business … that just, sort of boggles my mind. Any being so powerful, so … incomprehensibly holy … how do you even relate to someone like that?

Dave: Well, the truth is, we can’t. But that’s why Yahuwah provided Yahushua, His only begotten son. And this is further proof that the Saviour is wholly human. Yes, he had the nature of Adam before the fall, but he wasn’t divine. He couldn’t be to redeem the race right where Adam fell.

But more than that, Yahushua is the bridge that connects fallen humanity with the Father. He did more than die for sinners. He revealed to us what the Father would be like if He were a human being.

Miles: Huh. Soooo … Yahushua, dining with sinners and society’s outcasts—

Dave: Is the Father, loving and accepting sinners. He’s not pulling His robes of holiness about Himself, holding Himself apart. That’s what the Pharisees did and it’s why they denounced Yahushua to the people, complaining, “This man receives sinners and eats with them!”

Miles: Well, duh! That’s why Yahushua came! To reveal to the world, the Father’s love for sinners.

Dave: And when Yahushua spoke gently to the woman caught in adultery, telling her, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more,” we’re to know that’s what the Father would say if He were in that same situation.

In all of Yahushua’s words and actions, we’re to hear and see the words and actions of the one who dwells in unapproachable light. That was the purpose for Yah providing a Saviour.

Miles: That reminds me of a verse in Isaiah. I think it’s … yeah, Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2. It says, in part, quote: “Behold, Yahuwah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you …”

Dave: It’s our sins that have created a situation in which we cannot approach the Father. The mission of Yahushua, more than a legal maneuver to “allow” Yahuwah to save us, was to reveal His character to us.

It is this revelation of the Father as someone who loves with an infinite, patient, long-suffering, inexhaustible love that prepares human hearts for the reward that awaits the righteous: the chance to live in the very presence of Yah and behold Him face-to-face.

Miles: This is true. And this is why it’s so important to spend time in Yah’s word, getting to know Him as a, well, as a person!

When we read the stories of Yahushua’s life in the gospels and realize that this is what the Father would have done had He been there and a human, your heart melts and you can’t help but love someone like that.

I mean, look at how he handled it when the disciples made mistakes. He was always so patient. He never lost his temper with the disciples—even when, let’s admit it, Peter really did deserve it at times. He never got impatient with “doubting” Thomas.

He was kind. He was patient. He was friendly, forgiving. What’s not to like about someone like that? He’d be your best friend!

Dave: Of course. Who wouldn’t trust someone with those character qualities?

And this is also why Satan has tried so hard to get people to believe lies about Yah’s character. You’re unlikely to truly love someone who has power over you if you’re afraid of that person.

Miles: Maybe we could do some programs on the life of Yahushua and what it reveals about the character of Yah, because truly, “to know Him is to love Him,” and how are we going to trust Him enough to love Him, if we’re buying into Satan’s lies about Yah’s character?

Dave: Sure. That would be good. It’s a law of psychology that by beholding we become changed.

The reward of the righteous is to live forever in the very presence of the Almighty. To be able to gaze on that face of indescribable purity and infinite love.

The good news of the gospel that Yahushua presented over and over and over again, is that the soul preparation we need, the transformation that changes us from sinners into children of Yah, is—get this: a gift. It’s a gift! All we have to do is accept it.

Miles: That’s good, because I’ll tell you, unless the Father is willing to be the one to get me ready, I’m lost!

We get so caught up in our mental lists of what Christians should do, and what Christians should not do, that we forget that no matter what we do or don’t do, it’s not going to be enough.

Dave: It’s not. But the Father knows that! So, even the very work of preparation, that transforms us from sinners who can’t look on His face, to holy beings who live in His presence, is a gift. And it’s available to everyone who will simply accept it by faith.

Miles: All right. I want to talk about this work of preparation to get us ready to live with Yah—to go from losing my temper during my morning commute, to feeling at home in the very presence of Yah—that’s quite the transformation.

Dave: It is. But again, it’s a gift. Lay aside forever any thought that you can, in some way, do anything at all to earn it, or be worthy of it. The only thing you can ever do is simply to accept the gift.

Miles: All right. We’re going to take a quick break and then let’s talk about that when we return. We’ll be right back.

* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: So, explain, if you would, this gift that gets us ready to live with Yahuwah. It’s a process, yes?

Dave: Yes and no. The work of transformation may be a process, but the completed transformation is credited to your account the moment you accept it by faith. Turn to Romans 3, would you please? What do verses 10 to 12 say?

Righteousness is conformity to the divine law. You cannot transform yourself from a sinful rebel into a righteous person. Neither can I. But Yahuwah can. All you have to do is to let your faith grasp the promise and the reality is yours instantly!

Miles: Romans 3 … 10 to 12. It says: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after Yah. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

Dave: Righteousness is conformity to the divine law. It’s being morally pure and upright. In a very real sense, it is becoming “one” with Yahuwah. Do you remember Yahushua’s prayer for his followers just before his betrayal in Gethsemane?

Miles: Yeah, he prayed for oneness.

Dave: You can’t suddenly transform yourself from a sinful rebel into a righteous person. Not even through long, arduous effort on your part. Neither can I. We can’t do it.

But Yahuwah can. All you have to do is to let your faith grasp the promise and the reality is yours instantly!

Why don’t you read Yahushua’s prayer for us. It’s somewhere in John 17.

Miles: Let’s see … verses 20 to 23. It says:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Dave: To be righteous, is to be One with the Creator. His will, His desires, become your will, your desires. That’s why it’s so pointless to struggle to be saved by your own self-denial, to be saved by your own righteousness. Because unless we have the righteousness that comes from Yah, it doesn’t count!

Miles: You know, I’m not a polyglot by any stretch of the imagination, but I did have to study a couple other languages in school. I don’t know how this works in all languages, but in English, the word atonement is, literally, at-one-ment. You divide it up by syllables, and the literal meaning is at-one-ment, or being in a state of oneness. That’s atonement: being ONE with Yah.

Dave: That’s beautiful. And that’s the longing of the Father’s heart! That’s what this whole plan of salvation is meant to achieve: oneness between the Father and His children.

Now. The question, of course, gets down to: how do we do it? And the answer is, we don’t. We let the Father.

Miles: It’s a gift.

Dave: It is a gift. As with everything else in salvation, it’s supplied by the Father and accepted by faith.

Paul explains this the best. Let’s take a look at how he describes this transaction in Romans 4.

Romans 3 is talking about the impossibility of fallen humans transforming themselves. We can’t. We’ve got fallen natures. Romans 3:23 is where we get the famous statement: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of Yah.” So now, in Romans chapter 4, Paul’s going to explain just how we are saved. It’s not by the works of the law. Go ahead and start at verse 1.

Miles:

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before Yah. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed Yahuwah, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom Yahuwah imputes righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom Yahuwah shall not impute sin.” [Romans 4:1-8]

Dave: Okay, stop there for a moment. There’s so much here.

First, was Abraham justified, or “declared righteous,” because of anything he did?

Miles: No.

Dave: Not even agreeing to being circumcised?

Miles: Well, no, because that was just a symbol of what was already in his heart.

Dave: Exactly! Verse 3: “Abraham believed Yahuwah and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” This is huge! Abraham’s faith was counted as him actually being righteous. His faith was credited to his account as though he were, in reality, righteous.

Miles: That’s beautiful because you know if Yahuwah did that for Abraham, He’s willing to do that for you and me, too.

Dave: That’s the beauty of divine grace. It grows to meet the need. Okay. Keep reading from verse, uh … 9.

Miles:

Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?

Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. [Romans 4:9-12]

Dave: Again, circumcision did not make Abraham righteous. It was simply a symbol of the righteousness that he already had by faith. His faith in the promises of Yahuwah was accounted to him, or to put it another way, his faith in Yah’s promises was “credited to his account,” as righteousness.

This is exciting! What this means for us, you and me—and everyone listening—is that our faith in the promises of Yah is accounted to us for righteousness.

Now. Why?

Miles: ‘Cause He knows we can’t be righteous?

Dave: He knows we can’t be righteous. He also knows we can’t obey. He knows we can’t purify ourselves. He knows that with our fallen natures we can’t stop sinning—even though the law is still binding. He knows all of that and He is willing to supply the lack as a free gift. All we have to do is to accept it by faith.

And then our faith makes it become reality. So, in other words, when you stretch out the hand of faith to accept salvation, that very faith is accounted to you for righteousness!

Let that sink in for a moment: the very act of accepting salvation by faith is accounted to you for righteousness.

Miles: Wow. That’s just … wow. That’s incredible. That’s love.

Dave: That’s what any loving father would do when his child was in need.

We don’t have time to read through the entire chapter, but skip down to the end. I want you to read Paul’s conclusion. Read verses 20 to 25.

Miles: All right. It says Abraham

did not waver at the promise of Yahuwah through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to Yah, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Yahushua our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Dave: Abraham wasn’t perfect. He had who knows how many concubines. He endangered his wife when he said she was just his sister—

Miles: Not once, but twice.

Dave: Yeah. He tried to help Yah along by marrying Hagar and having Ishmael. He wasn’t perfect. But he did trust the promises of Yah and that, that trust, that faith in Yah’s word, was accounted to him for righteousness.

And that’s how it works for us, too. When we take Yahuwah at His word, when we reach out the hand of faith and grasp the promise, that promise then becomes our reality. We are forgiven, we are accounted righteous, we are accounted as lawful even if, in our fallen humanity, we still make mistakes and have failings. By choosing to believe, our faith then becomes our reality.

Miles: That sounds like Hebrews 11, verse 1: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Dave: That’s exactly what it is. Yahuwah knows our helplessness. He knows that we are but dust. So if we will simply grasp the promise by faith, Yah accounts that as the reality. And remember, even faith itself is a gift. Romans 12:3 says that Yah “hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Miles: So then, what’s the next step? How do we get from impatiently swearing at morning traffic to being able to live in the very presence of Yah and behold His face?

Dave: Once you exercise the faith you’ve been given and accept Yahuwah’s gift of the imputed righteousness of Yahushua, Yahuwah then recreates you into His own image. Again, this is not something you can do for yourself. This work is Yahuwah’s and His alone.

Turn to Ezekiel 36 and read verses 25 to 29. This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture because it spells out exactly how we’re transformed from “impatiently swearing at morning traffic” to being able to live in the presence of Yah.

Ezekiel 36, 25 to 29. Go ahead. Now, as you read this, I want you to emphasize the personal pronouns. Pay attention to who’s speaking. OK. Sorry. Go ahead.

Miles:

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses.

Dave: Yahuwah has provided you with literally everything you need in order to be saved. But, it’s up to you to choose. Yah never forces the human will.

Ultimately, it boils down to personal choice, and no one can make that choice for you. If you just choose, you may live forever in the immediate presence of Yahuwah. Think about it! He’s the source of all joy! What better place to spend eternity than in His immediate presence?

Miles: And, unlike Moses in the Wilderness, we have the chance to behold the Father face-to-face. Listen to this promise. It’s found in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 12. It says: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

Dave: What a promise!

Listen, friends, it’s up to you to choose to accept the gift Yahuwah is offering you. The choice is yours. He’s never going to force you to make the right choice.

But I will say this, He’s waiting with longing so intense, we can’t even imagine it, to impute to you the righteousness of Christ. He wants you to accept His gifts and be saved so much, we can’t even conceptualize the joy He will feel. He’s infinite, so His capacity to feel emotion is as well.

Just to give you an idea of how happy He is when a sinner accepts salvation, let’s close this segment of our program with a passage in Zephaniah. We don’t often get a glimpse into the hidden heart of Yah, but this is just beautiful. It shows how much you mean to Him, for Him to have this reaction when anyone simply accepts His gifts.

Miles: Where in Zephaniah?

Dave: Zephaniah chapter 3, verses 15 and 17.

Miles:

Yahuwah has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, Yahuwah, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.

Yahuwah your Elohim in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Dave: Accept Yah’s gifts of forgiveness, cleansing, re-creation and you will stand before Him in the perfection of Yahushua. He will be so thrilled, so filled with joy, that the Father will then “rejoice over you” with singing.

* * *

You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Time for a question from our daily mailbag. Wilma Bradley from the United States has a question. She says: “It seems the older I get, the harder life gets. Many nights I wake up and can’t get back to sleep because of anxiety. I know that the Father has promised to walk with us, but are there any specific blessings He will give to help us endure?”

Dave: Absolutely! Psalm 46 verse 1 says: “Yah is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” He will help us endure, but we need to take advantage of the help He gives. There are several specific ways Yahuwah helps us to endure.

The first, of course, is through His word. Romans 15, verse 4 says, quote: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

Miles: Sounds like 1 Corinthians 10, verse 11 that says: “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

Dave: That’s good! Scripture is, literally, the word of Yah. According to Isaiah 55:11, the word of Yah itself contains the power to fulfill, or do, what that word says. So, you wake up at night and can’t get back to sleep due to anxiety? Claim a promise! Psalms 34 and 37 are bulging with promises. Start there.

Isaiah 26, verse 3 says, quote: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.”

Miles: I like Proverbs 18, verse 10: “The name of Yahuwah is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

Dave: That’s excellent. When you’re afraid, meditate on the name of Yah—what it means to you, and the ways you see His presence in your life.

Miles: It’s not just the promises. The stories of the Bible are really faith-inspiring, too. When you see how Yahuwah has cared for others, even when they didn’t “deserve” it, it gives you courage to know He’ll do the same for you, too.

Dave: Another blessing Yahuwah grants that helps us to endure, interestingly enough, is prayer and worship. James 5, verse 13 asks the question: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”

Prayer and thanksgiving. Those are two of Yah’s greatest blessings for strengthening our hearts for endurance. Doubt can’t live in an environment of praise, and fear dissolves when we focus our attention on the many ways Yah has blessed us in the past.

Miles: Listen to this. It’s one of my favorite promises. It’s Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7. It says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Yah; and the peace of Yahuwah, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Yahushua.”

Dave: I love that promise. This isn’t saying that Yah will remove all our problems. But it is saying that He’ll provide the strength we need to remain faithful regardless of what happens.

Miles: One thing in my own life that Yah has used to strengthen me in times of crisis, is other believers. Knowing they’re praying for you and that they care can really help. And not just in an emotional sense, but often in a very real, very practical sense, as well. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a fellow believer. It’s our privilege as Christians to minister to Yahuwah in the person of His saints.

Dave: That’s good. Galatians 6, verse 2 tells us that we ought to, quote: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Another thing that helps me, is to always keep before me the promise of what the future holds. Living in a world of sin isn’t easy. There are problems, and there will continue to be. But there are blessings, too, to get us through.

Let’s read what Yahushua said in Matthew 5. It’s the beatitudes from the sermon on the mount. Could you read that?

Miles: He said:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see Yah.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of Yah.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. [Matthew 5:3-4, 7-12]

Dave: Those are some rather all-encompassing promises! They’re very comforting. Especially when we’re facing discrimination and persecution, it can feel discouraging and overwhelming.

Romans 8 contains a rather unusual promise. Would you read it for us? It’s verses 16 to 18.

Miles: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Yah, and if children, then heirs—heirs of Yah and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Dave: This is a fascinating promise. It’s saying that if we suffer with Yahushua, then we are heirs of Yah and joint heirs with Christ. And, of course, the joy that awaits the redeemed makes even the worst trials in this life seem as nothing.

Miles: James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which Yahuwah has promised to those who love Him.”

Dave: And there’s 1 Peter as well. Listen to this: 1 Peter 1, verses 3 to 7:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yahushua Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Yahushua Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of Yahuwah through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Yahushua Christ.

Miles: That’s beautiful.

Dave: Hey, in this world, everyone suffers. But Christians have the love and power of Yah to strengthen them, and hope for the future.

Miles: Amen! One last promise. Philippians 4, verse 13. It says: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

We always enjoy getting your messages. Sometimes we see the comments left on YouTube; sometimes we don’t. If you want to be sure and get a message through to us, all you have to do is go to our website, WorldsLastChance.com, and click on contact us. Send us any questions, comments, or even prayer requests. And we’ll do our best to answer.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with today’s Daily Promise.

Edgecumbe, New Zealand sits right on a flood plain. Consequently, flooding is pretty normal. Even when the weather’s bad and there is a lot of rain, the locals go about business as usual. After all, when you live in a town that was built on a flood plain, what’s a little flooding?

Not too long ago, however, it wasn’t “business as usual.” Oh, there was the typical rain, but what was different was that the principal of Edgecumbe’s Primary School decided to cancel classes for the day. That was not normal. As Principal Kahu Walker later explained, quote: “The normal rule of thumb is that you stay open at all costs.”

But that day something impressed Mr. Walker to tell everyone to stay home, so he did.

The school sits near a river. Because flooding occurs frequently, a flood bank has been built which protects the town from rising waters. No one yet knows how or why, but the very morning Mr. Walker canceled school, a concrete section of the flood bank gave way. A “tidal wave of water” swept through town.

The impact was devastating. Fifteen homes were destroyed and two hundred and thirty more were severely damaged. Roughly one-third of the townspeople had to move into local motels or with friends or family while their homes were rebuilt or repaired.

As bad as the damage to the town was, it would have been so much worse had the principal not listened to that impression and canceled classes. The floodwall gave way right when the students normally walked to class. Had Mr. Walker not told everyone to stay home, many children’s lives would have been lost.

Tonia Rutland, a mother of six, said, quote: ‘“If they hadn’t cancelled [school], about how many of these kids and my kids and all their friends would’ve been walking to school?”

Psalm 46 declares:

Yah is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

Yahuwah of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. [Psalm 46:1-3, 7]

It was a lot of work rebuilding Edgecumbe and clearing away the flood debris, but Kahu Walker expressed gratitude for the divine intervention that impressed him to cancel classes that day. He says that without divine intervention, quote: “There would’ve been a hugely different outcome, had our children been walking to school.”

Second Chronicles 16, verse 9 says: “For the eyes of Yahuwah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.”

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Have you heard of the Holodomor?

Dave: Holo- … Holo-what?

Miles: Holodomor.

Dave: The word doesn’t sound familiar. What is it?

Miles: Well, what it was, was a famine. It was an artificially created famine in the Soviet Ukraine between 1932 and 1933.

Dave: Oh, right. I’ve read about that. Just didn’t recognize the name. Wasn’t Stalin responsible for that?

Miles: His regime was, yes. The Ukraine was the bread basket of the Soviet empire. By confiscating the food, millions were left to starve to death. Estimates range between a low of 3.3 million clear up to 12 million dying from starvation.

Dave: That’s so evil.

Miles: Well, what a lot of people don’t know is that, during the 1920s, a spiritual revival swept the Ukraine. A lot of people gave their hearts to Yah. But then, a few years into it, word came from Yah that they were to get ready to leave, immigrate to another country.

Dave: Really! Huh. Never heard of that.

Miles: Well, as you can imagine, it wasn’t a very popular message. Why should they leave? In the end, out of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people who had given their hearts to Yah, only 200 families heeded the call to leave.

Now, what you have to remember, is that this was the Ukraine of 1929, 1930. There was no GPS. These were simple farmers who’d lived their entire lives in one place. There weren’t even any roadmaps to tell them where to go or how to get there, but by faith, these 200 families picked up, packed their farm wagons, and left.

Dave: How’d they know where to go?

Miles: They didn’t! They trusted Yah to lead them, and He did. He would impress their minds as to which town to go to next. Then, when they got there, He’d direct them to the next village. Step, by step, by step. He led them across the Ukraine and down, down, until they were right on the border of China, and there they camped out.

Now, picture this: They’re all camped out in caves and dugouts. It doesn’t take too long before the men start remembering the nice horses and cows they left back in their barns on their prosperous farms. The women start thinking of their comfortable beds in their comfortable homes. Every time they have to cook over an open fire, they’re remembering their nice wood-burning stoves back in their comfortable farmhouse kitchens. So, some of these 200 families decide to go back.

Dave: What happened?

Miles: Well, the word of Yah came, I don’t know how, but He sent a message that if they returned, the men would die in exile in Siberia; some of the women would eat their own babies, and the rest would die of starvation.

This quieted them for a while, but eventually some—most—did return. In the end, there were only 40 families left. Yah led them in groups of 10 families per group down into China. There, they were able to build new homes and set up life once again.

It wasn’t until a few years later, that word trickled down of what had happened in the Ukraine, and it was just as the warning from Yah had said: many of the prosperous farmers who returned were arrested as enemies of the people and died in exile. The women and children starved.

Dave: Incredible!

Miles: It’s a true story. I read a booklet written by a man who was born in China to one of these families that had been led down into safety in China. A few years later, in the mid- to late 1940s, just prior to the clamp down of communism in China, these families were led out again. Some ended up in Australia; some in Canada.

Anyway, the point I’m wanting to make is that I see a real connection between their experience and ours. These families were in danger. They needed to get to a place of safety, but they didn’t know how. There were no road maps; no GPS.

Dave: That would be scary. If you’d lived your entire life in one small village, you wouldn’t even know in which direction to go.

Miles: They were helpless! There was no way they could escape to safety. All they could do was trust Yahuwah. And, as they trusted Him, He led them. One step at a time. One village at a time. As they followed, He led.

That’s how I see today’s topic. We’re dead in trespasses and sins. We’re helpless. There’s no way, in our strength, in our … might—

Dave: Our “wisdom.”

Miles: Such as it is. There’s no way for us to save ourselves. There’s no way we can meet the requirement to enter into the holy city. And yet, if we will place ourselves in Yah’s hands, if we will trust Him and follow where He leads, if we will simply accept the gifts He’s made available, He will lead us safely into the Kingdom.

Dave: That’s an excellent illustration. It’s so true. We can’t get ourselves ready. It’s impossible. Every single one of us has a fallen nature. There’s no way we can ever hope to meet the requirements for entrance into the holy city and living forever with Yah.

In Matthew 12, Yahushua says: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” [Matthew 12:35]

Well, I don’t know about you, but I can’t bring forth “good things” when what’s inside is rotten!

Miles: I’m in the same boat. In Matthew 23, Yahushua was laying it out for the Pharisees. Listen to this, verses 25 and 26. It says:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

That’s me. I’m dirty on the inside. I’ve got a fallen nature, and nothing I can “do” can change that fact. It taints even the little good that I do.

Dave: I understand. We’re all just like the Pharisees in that respect. But the beauty of the plan of salvation is that Yah’s got it all worked out. He’s in control of the transformation that gets us ready for eternity. He’s the one who transforms us into the divine image.

All you have to do is to accept the gifts He is offering. Reach out the hand of faith and claim His gift of forgiveness. Reach out the hand of faith and claim His gift of cleansing, and transformation.

… Reach out the hand of faith and claim the promise of obedience … and by this very act, by choosing to exercise the faith to receive these gifts, your faith will be accounted to you for righteousness.

Miles: What an incredible transaction of divine grace. Faith itself is a gift! So, when we choose to exercise that gift to claim His other gifts, He counts that as righteousness.

Dave: He does.

Miles: Listen, folks: Yahushua is returning to set up Yah’s kingdom on the earth made new. If you want to live forever with Yah, you can. Make that choice: accept the gifts He’s made available to get you there. Everyone who is saved at last, will be saved because they made that choice, that decision, to trust in Yah and accept His gifts. Make that choice today. Start following Him, He’ll never lead you astray.

We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.