The Waters Of Salvation

How should the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) respond to adverse circumstances?

A great evil came upon the Earth, when the DNA of the human race was polluted by the intermarriage of angels with human women, and their offspring filled the earth with wickedness (Genesis 6:1-5).  The only way for the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) to end this wickedness, was to destroy every living thing on the face of the Earth (Genesis 6:6-7).  Yet there remained one man and his family, who still loved the Father of Truth, and did not have any of the polluted DNA in their bodies (Genesis 6:8-10).  So the Father of Truth warned Noah, that He was going to destroy everything, that possessed this corrupted DNA, off the face of the Earth, to put an end to this wickedness (Genesis 6:11-13).  Then the Father of Truth instructed Noah to build an enormous box (Ark) with a ventilation system, to preserve some of every species, that did not possess any corrupted DNA (Genesis 6:14-16).  Then the Father of Truth revealed, that He was going to use a flood of water, to bring about the destruction of the everything with this corrupted DNA (Genesis 6:17).  However, the family of Noah would be protected from this destruction, by entering into the Ark, as part of a covenant that the Father of Truth would provide (Genesis 6:18-21).  So Noah and his family came into covenant with the Father of Truth, by doing what He commanded (Genesis 6:22).

When the time of the destruction of the wicked came near, then Noah, his family, and specimens of every species, that did not possess any of the corrupted DNA, went into the Ark (Genesis 7:1-9).  As soon as Noah had everyone, and everything, safely in the Ark, then the Father of Truth started The Flood, and protected everything in the Ark (Genesis 7:10-16).  Then the same waters, that destroyed everything on Earth with the corrupted DNA, lifted the Ark above the destruction (Genesis 7:17-24).

After The Flood was over, and the ground was dry, Noah and all that were with him in the Ark, came out as the only creatures on Earth (Genesis 8:1-19).  Noah became owner of the entire Earth, because the same waters that destroyed the wicked, and those with corrupted DNA, were the same waters, that saved the human race through the faith of Noah (Hebrews 11:7).  Noah and those with him were saved from the wicked by the waters of The Flood (1 Peter 3:20).  The same flood that brought about the salvation of the righteous, also brought about the destruction of their enemies (2 Peter 2:5).  The Flood carried the waters of salvation.

Centuries later, after the Children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, commanded, that all of the newborn Hebrew boys be cast in to the Nile River (Exodus 1:15-22). Yet his own daughter drew one of the Hebrew boys, that his parents had put in a box (ark), out of the Nile River, named him "Moses", and raised him in the house of Pharaoh (Exodus 2:1-10).  After Moses grew up, the Father of Truth then began bringing about the deliverance of the Children of Israel, by turning the Nile River into blood, as the first plague on Egypt (Exodus 7:15-25).  So the same Nile River that brought about the salvation of the righteous, also brought about the destruction of their enemies (Acts 7:34-36).  The Nile River carried the waters of salvation.

After the Egyptians let the Children of Israel go, the Father of Truth had the Children of Israel camp in a place, that trapped them between the wilderness and the Red Sea, so He could draw the Egyptians out after them (Exodus 14:1-4).  So the Egyptians pursued them, until they were trapped between the Egyptians and the Red Sea (Exodus 14:5-9).  When the Children of Israel became afraid, Moses told them to not be afraid, because this was going to bring about their salvation (Exodus 14:10-14).  Then the Father of Truth told Moses what to do next, so He could to save the Children of Israel from the Egyptians (Exodus 14:15-18).  So the Father of Truth divided the Red Sea, and held back the Egyptians, while the Children of Israel escaped through the path of dry land, that had been made between the walls of water (Exodus 14:19-22).  Afterwards, the Father of Truth allowed the Egyptians to pursue the Children of Truth in the the midst of the Red Sea, and then destroyed their ability to escape (Exodus 14:23-25).  When the last of the Children of Israel was safely on the other side of the Red Sea, then the Father of Truth brought down the walls of water upon the Egyptians, and destroyed all of them (Exodus 14:26-29). The same Red Sea that brought about the salvation of the righteous, also brought about the destruction of their enemies (Exodus 14:30).  The Red Sea carried the waters of salvation.

When it was time for the Children of Israel to enter the Promised Land, then the Father of Truth promised to hold back the waters of the Jordan River, to let them know, that He would be with them against their enemies (Joshua 3:9-14).  The Jordan River had been an impenetrable defense for their enemies, because it was overflowing its banks, but it flooded the cities upstream of Jericho, as the Children of Israel marched into the Promised Land, over the dry bed of the Jordan River (Joshua 3:15-17).  After they passed over the dry bed of the Jordan River, then the Jordan River returned to overflowing its banks, becoming an impenetrable barrier, that trapped their enemies on the same side of the Jordan River as the Children of Israel (Joshua 4:17-18).  So the Children of Israel built a monument of stones from the bed of the Jordan River, so that all the Earth might know, that the Father of Truth would bring about their salvation (Joshua 4:19-24).  The same Jordan River that brought about the salvation of the righteous, also brought about the destruction of their enemies (Joshua 5:1).  The Jordan River carried the waters of salvation.

After the Children of Israel were settled in the Promised Land, then the Father of Truth commanded Barak to go near to Mount Tabor, so He could draw Sisera and his army to the Kishon River (Judges 4:5-7).   So Barak gathered an army at Kedesh, then marched along side the Kishon River, until his army was at Mount Tabor (Judges 4:10-12).  When Sisera learned that Barak was at Mount Tabor, he lead his army of nine hundred iron chariots, and thousands of men, along Kishon River to trap the army of Barak on Mount Tabor (Judges 4:12-13).  While Sisera was still traveling along side the Kishon River, Barak and his army came down from Mount Tabor to attack them, while the Father of Truth acted to give them complete victory (Judges 4:14-16).  The same Kishon River that brought about the salvation of the righteous, also brought about the destruction of their enemies (Judges 5:11-21).  The Kishon River carried the waters of salvation.

The pattern is the same in all of these cases.  The Flood, the Nile River, the Red Sea, the Jordan River, and the Kishon River, all were all emblems of destruction or defeat for the righteous at first.  Yet, the Father of Truth used each one of those in a way, that was beyond the schemes of man, to bring about His own will.  The very circumstances, that their enemies thought would bring death to the righteous, were His means of salvation.  The same circumstances, that brought about the salvation of the righteous, also brought about the destruction of their enemies.  Those circumstances carried the waters of salvation.

This pattern is not just for those special cases, but is a pattern that continues to this day.  For example, a combination of medications, put my daughter Savannah in a coma, that no one had ever came out of alive.  This deadly combination of medications, that the Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan Aka The Devil) had intended to kill her, destroyed every deadly bacteria in her body.  Then the Father of Truth raised her up, after ten days of being as good as dead.  The very circumstances, that the Father of Lies had thought would bring her death, were the means of the Father of Truth to bring about the salvation of her health.  The same circumstances, that brought about the salvation of Savannah, also brought about the destruction of her enemies.  Those circumstances carried the waters of salvation.

All of this was foreshadowed by the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the grand finale of the Greatest Play Ever.  The Prophet of Truth had said, that the waters of salvation were coming to the Jewish people, when the Holy One of Israel would stand in their midst (Isaiah 12).  For this reason, on the great and notable day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the eighth day, people would sing about the waters of salvation, and pour out water on the steps of the Temple.

So the Man of Truth went up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, and stood in their midst to teach them (John 7:2-14).  Then on the great and notable day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the eighth day, the Man of Truth proclaimed, that he was the Holy One of Israel, who carried the waters of salvation (John 7:37-40).

Later, the Man of Truth faced the most adverse circumstances, that any person has ever faced (Luke 22:41-44).

His death on the cross looked like his certain defeat to his enemies (Matthew 27:39-50).  However, the Father of Truth raised him from the dead on the third day to bring salvation (Acts 4:10-12).  His victory over the grave, brought destruction to the Father of Lies (Hebrews 2:14-15).

The very circumstances, that the Father of Lies had thought would bring him defeat, were the means of the Father of Truth to bring about salvation (1 Corinthians 2:7-9).  The same cross that brought about the salvation of the Man of Truth, also brought about the destruction of his enemies (Colossians 2:13-15).  His death on the cross carried the waters of salvation!

It is no different with the Children of Truth.  What their enemies mean for evil, the Father of Truth will turn for their good, as His means of salvation (Genesis 50:20).  The Father of Truth causes even the most adverse of circumstances to work together for their benefit (Romans 8:28).  The same circumstances, that bring about their salvation, will also bring about the destruction of their enemies (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).  Those adverse circumstances carry the waters of salvation!

So the Children of Truth should never stop rejoicing in adverse circumstances, for the Father of Truth will use every adverse circumstance to bring them to victory, when they draw near to Him in thanksgiving and prayer (Philippians 4:4-7).  When they draw near to Him by walking in obedience to Him, then He will draw near to them in their most adverse of circumstances, causing the very thing, that was intended for their destruction, to become the means of their salvation (James 4:6-10).  When they humble themselves, by looking to Him, to take care of them in their adverse circumstances, then He will bring about their victory over the Father of Lies (1 Peter 5:6-10).  When they have confidence in the Father of Truth, that leads them to obey His commandments, then He will turn their most adverse of circumstances into victory through the Man of Truth (1 John 5:3-5).  The Father of Truth carries the waters of salvation!

This why the Father of Truth showed Himself strong on my behalf, by using the very circumstances, that were intended to kill Savannah, to bring about the salvation of her health.  I had learned, that the fastest way to victory, was to pursue Him, before a crisis ever occurs.  Today is the day, for the Children of Truth to prepare for adverse circumstances, just like a champion athlete trains in their sport, long before entering the arena, or a soldier prepares for war, long before the battle begins.

The waters of salvation are found, by coming into the House of Truth.  No one can come into the House of Truth, where the Father of Truth pours out the waters of salvation, except through the Man of Truth (John 14:6).  People can only come into the House of Truth, by surrendering control of everything to the Man of Truth, because they believe that His Father raised him from the dead, so they can experience the waters of salvation (Romans 10:9-10).  Today is the day, to come into the House of Truth, and begin to drink the waters of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)!

Come into the House of Truth!

Camp Meeting!

What is the greatest camp meeting of all time?

For over a decade, I spent a week each year going to the Camp Meeting put on by Kenneth Hagin Ministries here in Tulsa.

Camp Meeting was the highlight of the year for many people.  There would be various ministers who ministered during the three sessions per day. 

Some sessions consisted entirely as praise and worship.  Some sessions were focused on teaching about various subjects in the Book of Truth (The Bible).  Some sessions were focused on preaching salvation to those who had not come into the House of Truth.  Some sessions were focused on baptizing the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) in the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost), so they could start producing the sound of power.

Some sessions were focused on the Spirit of Truth delivering people from all kinds of things that had kept them bound, like addictions.  People would frequently pass out as an addict, and then come to as someone who had no more interest in doing what they had been addicted to doing, than they had in picking up a piece of dog poop and eating it.

My favorite sessions at Camp Meeting were focused on allowing the Spirit of Truth to operate as needed. 

These usually started out in some other way, but it when it became apparent that the Spirit of Truth wanted to change the focus, then we followed the leading of the Spirit of Truth for that session.  You never really knew how this was going to turn out.

Sometimes, messages were given to people by the Spirit of Truth that were usually either knowledge about what was going on their lives, or wisdom about a difficult decision that they had to make.  Sometimes, there was a message for all of the Children of Truth about a future event that we needed to prepare for. 

Not every message was a happy message.  Some were dire warnings about specific disasters that were given to specific people, unless they repented quickly of specific sins that were sometimes named.  Some told of events that would soon come upon America, and how to prepare for those events, if necessary. 

In those ten years, I do not remember one of these messages that was not 100% accurate.

Sometimes, the Spirit of Truth would move in miraculous ways.  Sometimes, people would be instantly cured of cancer and other diseases that were beyond the ability of medical science to cure.  Sometimes, the lame would walk, the blind would see, and the deaf would hear.  In fact, about the only thing that I did not hear of, or personally witness happening, was people growing back missing body parts or people being raised from the dead.

Sometimes, the Spirit of Truth would just move upon all of the Children of Truth who was there. 

Several times, a supernatural love came over the crowd, and they gave enough money to one of the Children of Truth to completely wipe out all of their debt that had been accumulated over years of hardship.  Sometimes, a holy reverence would come over the crowd and not one of the ten thousand attendees would make a sound, or leave their seats, except for the ones in the front rows who laid down with their face to the ground.  Sometimes, everyone would just start acting drunk - with some laughing uncontrollably, while others went around weeping and hugging every person they saw.  Sometimes, the crowd would be so overcome with a sense of mourning over their sins, where they would start crying, confessing their sins, and making restitution to those whom they had wronged.  Sometimes, the crowd would be so overwhelmed with the joy of their salvation that they would jump, dance, sing, clap their hands, yell, do back flips, take off running, and anything else that people do to express joy - even the elderly men and women! 

There were also amazing services that the youth attended. 

It would not be an exaggeration to say, that several hundred of them got the call to be missionaries and the like at Camp Meeting.  Many of them are still active today in carrying out the mission that they were given then.

The supernatural power of the Spirit of Truth prevailed among the children as well. 

Those who were in charge of the children were not there to just watch them while their parents were encountering the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD).  They were there to lead the children into encountering the Father of Truth for themselves. 

My daughter Miranda came into the House of Truth at Camp Meeting when she was three years old, and has never strayed from her decision, because one of the children ministers believed that a three year old could make a decision to follow the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ).  Sometimes, the evening service would go extra long and none of the babies would get cranky or anything like that.  Instead, a supernatural atmosphere of peace would prevail and they would all just sit quietly in the arms of the nursery workers.

Camp Meeting was open to the public and completely free. 

Anyone was welcome to attend and every kind of person did.  The rich and famous, prostitutes and the homeless, average men and women, all  showed up.  People of every skin color and ethnicity showed up.  People from around the world showed up.  People from around the block showed up. 

Camp Meeting was a special time to meet with the Father of Truth and He showed up!  

Camp Meeting was just the most spectacular event of the year!

Still the name "Camp Meeting" seemed a little odd the first time I went, because we met in a convention center.  No one was camping there in downtown Tulsa, except maybe the homeless.  Many people stayed at the Double Tree hotel across the street from the convention center, while many people just drove there from their homes.  The "camp" in "Camp Meeting" seemed to be missing.

Then I learned, why it was called "Camp Meeting".

It was not called "Camp Meeting", because we actually all met in a camp and slept in tents.  It was called "Camp Meeting", because it was met to bring the same atmosphere as the camp meetings that used to occur all across America to a younger generation.

My grandmother had went to some of these camp meetings when she was young. 

The camp meetings that she had attended in Arkansas during the 1920's and 1930's, were put on by the Methodists.  Still, many of the same elements were present.  She would tell about me about how in late summer or early fall, entire communities spread across several counties would all converge at one place with every family living in tents.  Then an evangelist would lead the camp meeting for eight days, starting on a Sunday morning and ending on the night of the following Sunday.

During the camp meeting people would hear the teaching of the Word of Truth from the Book of Truth. 

The evangelist would preach with such conviction that people would tremble violently.  People would repent and get baptized in the nearest river as quickly as possible.  People would play music and sing, but not like they did in their regular weekly service.  They would just go wild, playing their fiddles and other bluegrass instruments as hard and as loud as they could.  They would sing so loud that people passing by on the nearest road would stop their journey, and come into the camp to see what was going on.  It was a time of great repenting over sin and great rejoicing over salvation.

Their camp meeting was a special time to meet with the Father of Truth and He showed up!

Their camp meeting was just the most spectacular event of the year.

These camp meetings were a continuation of an American phenomenon that had been going on since at least the 1790's.  They were a key part of the Second Great Awakening.  Circuit evangelists like Charles Grandison Finney would preach at various camp meetings throughout the year, and entire cities would turn away from wickedness to serve the Father of Truth.  One of the Methodists camp meetings was so loud that a city fifteen miles away heard the commotion!  Most of the town came to see what was going on, and everyone of them surrendered their lives to the Man of Truth!

Sometimes these camp meetings were called brush arbor meetings.  They were called this, because the services occurred in a booth with a flat roof made of tree branches that had been cut down for this meeting.  Some of these booths were so large that they would contain many rows of benches forming a small church building. Typically, these booths would be expanded to fit the size of the crowd.  In some cases, there would be several booths with different activities going on at the same time.

These camp meetings were a special time to meet with the Father of Truth and He showed up!

These camp meetings were just the most spectacular event of the year!

The original camp meetings in America were started by Scots and Scotch-Irish settlers.  They adapted a traditional meeting among the Presbyterians of Scotland, northern Ireland, and the counties of England that bordered Scotland, which were called "holy fairs".

Holy fairs frequently happened during Communion Season as an eight day celebration in the fall, after all of the crops had been harvested.  Holy fairs typically began on Monday one week and then ran until the next Monday.

Communion Season was not a single eight day period, but rather a period of about six weeks in duration when different holy fairs occurred at different locations.  This period began as early as mid September and ended as late as about a week before the last day of October. 

The Scots would set up special booths each year on the first Monday to hold the speakers and musicians who ministered to the crowds over the next seven days.  These booths were also usually taken down after the closing activities of the second Monday were concluded, typically after sunset.  The crowds would also spend all eight days in tents or booths as well.

Also on the first Monday, the start of the holy fair was heralded with the blowing of trumpets throughout fair grounds.  This helped everyone to know where to go to meet together with the Father of Truth.  The sound of trumpets could be heard for miles.

The official clergy of the Church of Scotland would rarely attend these holy fairs.  In fact, they were often convened by all of the congregations in a county at one central location.  Many of these congregations were poor, so the Church of Scotland did not even bother to so much as assign a circuit preacher to entire their county.

So guest speakers, like circuit evangelists and teachers, would come from other places to preach the Good News, and to teach people how to live out their faith.  Some of them would preach messages of repentance and many people would turn from their wicked ways.  On Friday, commonly called "Question Day", the guest speakers would spend the day answering questions from the crowd.

At other times, the lay people would read from the Renewed Covenant (B'rit Chadashah aka The New Testament) out loud and then they would have discussions about what they read.  They would also have praise meetings that featured ecstatic music, loud joyful singing, and wild energetic dancing.  There were also times when the Spirit of Truth would move upon the entire crowd in spectacular ways.

Certain days were devoted entirely to activities similar to those of the camp meetings in America. 

These days were usually the first Monday when it started, Thursday, when there was a day long fast, Communion Sunday, when the entire community would take their annual communion (hence the name "Communion Season"), and the last Monday when it ended.

On the other days, during the day and evening, people would also display the best of their crops and live stock.  They would also sell hand crafted items and home made works of art out of booths and tents.  It was also a time of playing various games with each other.

Also, on all of the days except for the first Monday, and Thursday, people would eat special "fair food" that was typically only available during a holy fair.  The fair food vendors were not allowed to sell their food on the four days devoted entirely to the Father of Truth.  So people typically brought food with them for the first day of the holy fair, and then bought extra fair food on the days that proceeded the days when the vendors could not sell anything.

The traditions of the holy fairs of Scotland, which were usually county wide, not only gave rise to camp meetings in America, but also to county fairs in America.  These county fairs still frequently occur in the same period as the Communion Season.  Many of the fair food vendors typically sold food at different county holy fairs during the Communion Season, similar to how many fair food vendors sell food at different county fairs during fair season today.

However in Scotland, these traditions were all part of the same eight day celebration in each county.

So the holy fairs were a time of great rejoicing as well as a time of great repentance.  People met together, had fun together, and gave special attention together to the things that pertained to the Father of Truth.

These holy fairs were a special time to meet with the Father of Truth and He showed up!

These holy fairs were just the most spectacular event of the year!

These holy fairs had their roots in Celtic Christianity in its original form.  Several different festivals, that were originally celebrated over a three week span each fall, came to be celebrated during a single eight day long festival.

It is no mystery what those original festivals were.  The detractors of Saint Patrick left a record, of how his followers had been celebrating these festivals that were not part of the official religious calendar of the False Church of Rome.  He had instead taught them to celebrate the same festivals and observe the same days that the Apostles of Truth had celebrated and observed.

The festivals and customs that the Scots originally celebrated and practiced were the same ones that Paul the Jew (Shaul aka Saul aka The Apostle Paul) had celebrated and practiced (Acts 21:20-26).

These customs of these festivals were changed in some ways, while keeping many of their original characteristics, to be combined together into the holy fairs.

These Scots did not allow commerce to be carried out on Communion Sunday, because they never allowed any commerce, or any unnecessary work, to be done on any Sunday. 

They were in the habit of giving one day a week to the Father of Truth.  They spent each Sunday engaged in activities necessary to rest, carry out the Great Commission, and take care of other people, so they were never bored on the Sabbath.  They did this, because they thought that the Sabbath had been changed to Sunday.  Most of them did not have the means necessary to determine who changed the Sabbath.  They were keeping the Sabbath to the best of their understanding, because the Sabbath is when the Apostles of Truth met with congregations to tell them about the Man of Truth (Acts 13:42-44).

These Scots blew trumpets at the beginning of the holy fair to announce the beginning of their Fall festival season.  This day of blowing trumpets and meeting together was originally held on the day after the new moon became visible, when that day was no earlier than two weeks before the last of the crops would be harvested. 

The Apostle of Truth had kept the Feast of Trumpets on this day and treated it the same as the Sabbath, because that was what was commanded in the Law of Truth (Leviticus 23:24).  The Apostles of Truth had told them in the Renewed Covenant, that the sound of the trumpet would signal that it was time for the Children of Truth to be gathered together to meet with the Man of Truth (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

The Scots fasted together during the holy fair, so they could learn the fastest way to victory!  They originally fasted on the same day every year as the Apostles of Truth had fasted. 

The Apostle of Truth had fasted on the Day of Atonement every year that was commanded in the Law of Truth, which was nine days after the Feast of Trumpets and treated the same as the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:27).  This was "the Fast" that Paul the Jew and all of the Apostles of Truth had kept every year (Acts 27:9).

The Scots selected Thursday as the day to fast, because that was one of the two days that the Pharisees fasted every week (Luke 18:11-12).  Paul the Jew had continued to identify himself as a Pharisee, long after he came into the House of Truth (Acts 23:6).  So Paul the Jew had continued to do this, all during his ministry to the Gentiles (2 Corinthians 11:27). 

The other day of the week that Paul the Jew fasted every week was Monday, when the holy fair began and ended.

The Scots had their holy fair for eight days, after the last of their crops had been harvested, because that is what the Apostles of Truth had done. 

The Apostles of Truth had congregated together for eight days for the Feast of Tabernacles, after all of the crops had been harvested, and fourteen days after the Feast of Trumpets, with the first and eighth days being treated the same as the Sabbath as commanded in the Law of Truth (Leviticus 23:39).  This was the same Feast of Tabernacles that the Man of Truth attended in Jerusalem each year (John 7:2-10).

So the Scots had originally met together for the Sabbath each week.  They originally met in the Fall over a three week period.  During this three week period, they met together for the Feast of Trumpets, then they met nine days later to fast together on the Day of Atonement, and finally camped together in tents and booths for the Feast of Tabernacles.  Over the centuries, they combined all of these elements together into a single eight day festival, which they called a holy fair.

The Scots treated the first and eighth day of the holy fair the same as the Sabbath, except for putting up tents and booths on the first day, because that is what was done on the first and last days of the Feast of Tabernacles. They announced the start of the holy fair with the blowing of trumpets, because the Feast of Trumpets announced the beginning of the Feasts of Truth each Fall.  They fasted on a set day during the holy fair, because everyone fasted on the Day of Atonement.  They gave met together for communion on Sunday, because they had been led to believe, that Sunday was the Sabbath when they were to meet together every week.  They started each holy fair on a Monday and ended on a Monday, because they were commemorating how Paul the Jew had fasted on every Monday.  They selected Thursday for the day of the Fast during the holy fair, because Paul the Jew had fasted every Thursday.

This transformation of these festivals and customs into those of the holy fair by the Scots was probably due in part to a lack of access to the entire Book of Truth. The handwritten copies of the Book of Truth were expensive before the printing press was invented, and only the very wealthy could own their own copy.  Most of the copies were owned by the same Church of Scotland that did not even bother to send a preacher to meet with them during the entire year! 

They were pretty much limited to what they learned each year at the holy fair from traveling ministers - who may have had access to the entire Book of Truth.  All they could do for the rest of the year was rely on what they found in their translation of the Renewed Covenant - if their congregation owned one!

Also, the Scots combining all of the Fall Feasts of Truth and the customs of the Apostles of Truth into a single eight day festival may have been a matter of practicality as well.  They had probably found it difficult to spend a day traveling to congregate together, and then another day traveling home afterwards, first for the Feast of Trumpets, and then for the Day of Atonement, during the harvest season.  This was one of the busiest times of the year for them, when the important work of harvesting their crops had to be carried out.  However, they could manage to meet together in tents and booths in each county after all of their crops had been harvested.

The Feasts of Truth did not occur during the same week each Fall.  Their occurrence was based on when the new moon was visible and when the crops would finish being harvested.  The new moon does not appear on the same date every year and different crops are finished being harvested on different dates in different locations.  So there was about a six week window, from the earliest date of the Feast of Trumpets to the latest date of the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.  Eventually, the Scottish Children of Truth in different counties,selected different weeks inside that window based on when the crops would finish being harvested in their county.

The Feast of Truth that contributed the most the shaping of the holy fairs was the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Jewish Children of Truth would gather together every year in one place for the Feast of Tabernacles to meet the Father of Truth (Exodus 23:15-17). 

They met for the Feast of Tabernacles at the end of their agricultural year, after all of the crops had been gathered into their barns (Exodus 34:21-22).  They observed the Feast of Tabernacles, after they had gathered in their all of their crops and turned their grapes into wine (Deuteronomy 16:13).

The Jewish Children of Truth gave one tenth of their crops to the Father of Truth each year (Leviticus 27:30).   The Jewish Children of Truth gave one tenth of their livestock to the Father of Truth each year (Leviticus 27:32-33).

The Jewish Children of Truth brought their tithes to the place where the Father of Truth chose to meet them at, and ate of their tithes there (Deuteronomy 12:5-7).  They rejoiced when they ate of their tithes in the place where they met the Father of Truth (Deuteronomy 12:11-12).  They did not bring their tithes of their crops and livestock to any other place (Deuteronomy 12:17-18).  They brought the tithes of their crops and livestock, so they could eat of them before the Father of Truth (Deuteronomy 14:22-23).

The Feast of Tabernacles was a time of presenting livestock to the Father of Truth (Numbers 29:12-38).

There was never an event for displaying the crops that the Father of Truth had blessed people with, which was even close to the Feast of Tabernacles!  The Feast of Tabernacles was also the greatest livestock show on Earth!

When the Jewish Children of Truth could not bring the tithes of their crops and livestock to that place, then they sold them and brought the money from the sale to that place (Deuteronomy 14:24-25). All of them spent some of that money to buy food and drink, so they could rejoice before the Father of Truth (Deuteronomy 14:26).  All of them brought a contribution that was in proportion to how the Father of Truth had blessed them (Deuteronomy 16:16-17).

The Jewish Children of Truth rejoiced with everyone who lived among them at the Feast of Tabernacles in the same place every year, because it was a commandment - and not an option (Deuteronomy 16:14-15).

The Children of Truth were free to spend their time selling arts and crafts, making new friends, playing games, and taking part in other amusements, during the middle six days of the Feast of Tabernacles, except for the weekly Sabbath (Leviticus 23:35-38).

The Feast of Tabernacles was a time of great rejoicing!  It was a time for people to spend time together and have fun!  It was a fair like no other!

On the first and eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles the Jewish Children of Truth would congregate together like they did on the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:34-36).  On the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles the Jewish Children of Truth would build booths with flat roofs covered by tree branches like those used in the brush arbor meetings, and live in those booths for the next seven days (Leviticus 23:39-42).  The Jewish Children of Truth truly had a camp meeting (Nehemiah 8:14-16)!

The Jewish Children of Truth spent part of their time reading, hearing, and discussing the Law of Truth, as well as doing things that brought them joy, for all eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Nehemiah 8:17-18).

So the Feast of Tabernacles was both a time for people to meet with the Father of Truth and to have fun with each other.  The Feast of Tabernacles was meant to bring balance between the needs of the souls of the Children of Truth and the needs of their spirits.  The Feast of Tabernacles was meant to help them learn how to win at Greco-Judeo wresting.

The Feast of Tabernacles was a special time to meet with the Father of Truth and He showed up!

The Feast of Tabernacles was just the most spectacular event of the year!

So Camp Meeting came from camp meetings, which came from holy fairs, which came from the Feast of Tabernacles.  So it would be safe to say that the Feast of Tabernacles was the original Camp Meeting!

Yet as great as any of these yearly events might have been, they are not the greatest camp meeting of all time.  There is coming a yearly camp meeting that is going to be larger and greater than any camp meeting that has ever been!

The greatest camp meetings of all time will be those that occur in the aftermath of the Man of Truth bringing this world into total surrender to the Father of Truth!  The Feast of Tabernacles tells about the time of the greatest camp meetings of all time that occurs during the seventh act of the Greatest Play Ever!

The Man of Truth will rule over all nations from Jerusalem and use the Law of Truth to bring an end to all disputes (Isaiah 2:1-4).  When He bring all nations into subjection to the Law of Truth, then it will be an incredible time of peace and prosperity (Micah 4:1-4).

All nations, not just the Jewish Children of Truth, will go up to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles that the Man of Truth will host (Zechariah 14:16).  All nations will rejoice before the Father of Truth at the Feast of Tabernacles - or they will get no rain for the next year (Zechariah 14:17-19)!

The Feast of Tabernacles will be a special time to meet with the Father of Truth and He will show up!

The Feast of Tabernacles will be just the most spectacular event of the year!

The Feast of Tabernacles will be the greatest camp meeting of all time!

You do not have to wait for the greatest camp meeting of all time to begin to experience the joy of camp meeting! 

You can seek the Father of Truth today by coming into the House of Truth and He will show up (Jeremiah 29:11-13)!  Today, you will experience just the most spectacular event of your life, if you will come into the House of Truth (2 Corinthians 6:2)!

You can come into the House of Truth today by surrendering to the Man of Truth, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9)!  You can begin to rejoice now before the Father of Truth by coming into the House of Truth (1 Peter 1:7-9)!  When you come into the House of Truth, then you will start living in the presence of the Father of Truth, the Man of Truth and the Spirit of Truth, just like people will do in the greatest camp meeting ever (1 John 4:13-15)!

Come into the House of Truth!

The Fastest Way To Victory!

What is the fastest way to victory?

There is no shortage of plans that are supposed to help people achieve success.  Many of these plans advertise how people can get rich by creating a successful business - often using other people's money.  Often the advice of these books is like a legal case that I read about once.

During the Great Depression, a man took out a classified advertisement in the New York Times that said something like this, "Want to learn how to become a millionaire?  Send $1 in a S.A.S.E to this address....".  Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers answered the ad.  True to the ad, each received a piece of paper back in their envelope with the plan to become a millionaire.  The plan was one sentence long and said, "Get 1 million people to send you a dollar.".

The man was eventually dragged into court by unhappy customers.  However, the judge ruled that he had not scammed anyone, since anyone who carried out his plan really would become a millionaire.  The man retired a millionaire and everyone who bought his self-help plan ended up one dollar poorer.

Of course, not everyone measures success in terms of money.  I got off the hamster wheel of pursuing bigger, better, newer things a long time ago.

One of the things that I measure success by is the times that the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) has shown Himself strong on my behalf.

For example, my youngest daughter Savannah, has six conditions that according to medical science are incurable and 100% fatal.  Families with just one of theses conditions, Cystic Fibrosis, have a 98% divorce rate and a 98% bankruptcy rate.  On top of that, I spent four of the last eight years unemployed.

Yet despite the Obama years being hard on my wallet, we did not go bankrupt and we did not get divorced.  We did not lose our house, but we did manage to get a new roof and our foundation repaired.  We also still managed to finish sending my older daughter Miranda to a private university, so she could carry out His plan for her life.  When I called out to the Father of Truth, He answered!

This sort of thing was nothing new for us. It has been going on for a long time.  For example, the Father of Truth has shown Himself strong on behalf of Savannah numerous times over the last twenty-three years.

Savannah had been born deaf, although I am not sure if she was totally deaf, or just mostly deaf.  It seemed that Savannah could hear my voice, but no other voice or sound.  Perhaps she was only responding to my presence, instead of my voice.

My wife was greatly distressed by this.  One day, she told me to do something about it for what seemed like the one hundredth time.  I was tired of hearing about this from my wife, so I went over to Savannah, laid my hands on her, and commanded her to hear.  She instantly started hearing sounds other than my voice and I finally got some peace from wife about this.

When Savannah was two years old, my wife handed me the phone to talk to a doctor at a research hospital in California.  The doctor on the other end explained that one of the conditions that my daughter had diagnosed with a week earlier, usually killed those who had it before they were six months old.  The doctor wanted to know why Savannah was still alive.

I told the doctor that Savannah was still alive, because I had followed the leading of the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost).  I  told the doctor that I had been led to make a concoction of coffee, chocolate ice cream, bananas, peanut butter, raw eggs, milk, and cayenne pepper.  This was then liquefied in a blender.  She had pretty much lived on this concoction, since she was a few months old.

The doctor proceeded to tell me that I should not be giving a baby things like chocolate and cayenne pepper.  I reminded the doctor that she had asked me what I had done.  She may have been skeptical of even the existence of the Spirit of Truth, but she could not deny the results.  She was the one who told me that my daughter was alive when she should have been dead.

When Savannah was seven, I was given the whole "your daughter is not going to make it, plan the funeral" speech by her main doctor in the hospital.  At that same time, I had an opportunity at work to take out a million dollar life insurance policy on every member of my family.  This may have seemed like a no-brainer to most people.  According to the doctor my daughter was doomed to die within days, and for less than a hundred dollar investment I could collect one million dollars when she died. 

The only problem was, that I was not cooperating. 

I refused to buy the insurance.  Instead, I was betting against all odds that the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) would cause my daughter to recover.  I told her doctor that she would live and not die, so she could fulfill the purpose that the Father of Truth had made her for.  Her doctor was one of the Children of Truth himself, but he still asked me if I understood the seriousness of the situation.  I told him that I did, but I also understood what a great savior that the Man of Truth was.

Then what medical science said was impossible to happen, happened.  My daughter got better and came home.  She has never had another period of time where she was either in the hospital or home on IVs for almost a year, since that time.  The Man of Truth had stood between her and death.

Three years later, one Friday night, my wife and I both felt like we were supposed to go to this small Messianic congregation on the other side of the metroplex.  We had only been there once before and did not really know anyone.  We were quite content with the congregation that we were attending.  Nonetheless, we got in car and made the half hour drive, arriving just in time for their Shabbat evening service.

A young man was speaking there instead of the Rabbi.  He said some very interesting things that I mentally filed away to investigate later.  Still, we did not know why we were there.

After he was done speaking, a woman, whom I never met before in my life starting telling me a bunch of things that had happened to me in the past, and then some things that would happen to me in the future.  She was absolutely right about every single past event.  So far, many of the future events have come to pass as well.

When she was done telling me these things, she paused and then looked right at me to be sure she had my full attention.  Then she said the strangest thing to me.  She said, "And you will soon know that God loves you.".

I had no idea what she meant by that.  I already knew that the Father of Truth loved me.  He had given His son to die for my sins.  He had shown Himself strong on my behalf so many times.  Still, I could not dismiss her words.  They stuck with me for days.

Later, I asked the young man who had been speaking about the woman.  He told me that she just shows up once in a while in the congregation.  He then explained that when she does, she always does something like that.  He finished by telling me that something always happens to confirm that her message was from the Spirit of Truth.

My wife and I knew that this woman was the reason that the Spirit of Truth had led us to go to a strange congregation at a irregular time.

About a month later, I learned why all of this had happened.

My daughter was in the hospital again and was supposed to get out on Christmas Eve.  I had seen her the night before, just like I have done every day that she has been in the hospital.  She had been doing much better and was ready to come home the next day.  We were all looking forward to our time together when all of our kids would be out of school for Christmas break.

I had taken the week off between Christmas and New Year's Day.  I was busy wrapping up my work, so there nothing left incomplete while I was on vacation.  Early in the morning, I got a frantic call from a friend of our family telling me something about Savannah and Julie.  I really could not understand what she was saying, except that Savannah was in ICU and I needed come quickly.

The night before when I was praying, I heard the Spirit of Truth tell me that everything was going to be alright.  The more she talked, the stronger the Spirit of Truth witnessed to me that everything was going to be alright.  So I told her that I had finish up a couple of things, and then I would be there as soon as I could.  Then I finished wrapping up my work.

When I got to the hospital I went to the floor where Savannah had been staying, and then went to the pediatrics ICU.  When I asked to see her, they told me that Savannah not was in the ICU.  I went to her room and no one was there, including my daughter Miranda who had spent the night with her sister.  So I finally went to the nurse's station to find out what was going on.

The nurse told me that Savannah had been transported to a specialty ICU of another hospital, because Savannah had went into a coma.  Julie and Miranda had went with Savannah.  So I went to the room and got the rest of their things from the room.  After I loaded up the car, I drove to the other hospital to see exactly what was going on.

When I got there, I learned that Savannah was in a coma and had been put on dialysis.   I met up with my wife and told her not to worry, because the Spirit of Truth had said that everything was going to be alright.  I then asked her, if she needed anything.  She told me what she needed from the car and what she needed from home.  So I brought up a few items to her, then headed home to get the other things that she needed.

When I got home my son was still not home from work.  So I unloaded the things that they did not need from car, and then loaded it again with the things that my wife had requested.  There was still a couple of hours until my son came home.

So I prayed in the Spirit of Truth producing the sound of power, while I waited for him to get home.  While I was praying, I got very specific instructions about what to do when I got back to the hospital.

When Danny Ray came home from work, I told him what was going on.  I also told him that the Spirit of Truth had been telling me, since before Savannah had ever slipped into the coma, that everything was going to be alright.

After we arrived at the hospital, I waited for my turn to be in the room with Savannah.  My wife greeted visitors outside of the room to give me a few minutes alone with Savannah.  It was now time to carry out the instructions that the Spirit of Truth gave me.

I took my right hand, opened it like the Vulcan peace sign, placed it in the center of the chest of Savannah, and said one word, "Chaim".  Then I left the room.

By this time our pastor, Brett, was up there.  Brett has a big heart and feels things deeply.  He had been informed that Savannah was in this coma and not expected to live.  He was trying his best to keep it together, but was not really succeeding.  So I went over and told him that the Spirit of Truth had told me that everything was going to be alright.

The weeping pastor was being comforted by the father of the child in the coma.  It was a strange scene.

Then I saw her main doctor.  After he told me the situation, I told him that the Spirit of Truth had said that everything was going to be alright.  He did not even try to give me the whole "your daughter is not going to make it, plan the funeral" speech this time.

Later, I saw the neurologist who was assigned to Savannah. 

He patiently explained that one of her medications had shut down her kidneys, and this was allowing the other medication to go unfiltered into her brain.  This was causing her brain to swell uncontrollably.  He explained how long it would take the all of the blood in her body to go through the dialysis machine, and how many times it would take to filter out the medicine, that was causing her brain to swell, down to a safe level.  He told me that this would take days, during which time her brain would keep swelling more and more.  He finally explained, that not even shunting her brain would save her.  Then he gave me the whole "your daughter is not going to make it, plan the funeral" speech.

I told him, that the Spirit of Truth had told me that everything was going to be alright.

The neurologist became red in the face with anger. 

He told me about his years of experience, and that he knew what he was talking about.  He said these exact words to me, "It is impossible for your daughter not to die.".

I really did not expect one of her doctors to act like this.  I would have thought that the doctor would be happy to learn that he was not going to lose his patient.  Apparently, that was not his highest priority.

So I told him again, that the Spirit of Truth had told me that everything was going to be alright.  Then we parted company.

Over the next nine days, there was a constant stream of people who came to comfort Julie in the hospital.  Many of them thought that I was cold and unfeeling, because I was totally unconcerned about the condition of my daughter.  The truth is, it would have been a lie for me to act like I was worried about anything.  The Spirit of Truth was witnessing to my spirit that everything was going to be alright.  I literally had inside information that they were lacking.

During that time, our pastor gave me a check for about $3,500 that people in our church had given him to help us out.  Then some Jewish people from New York City, who were total strangers, heard about what was going on somehow, and also sent us checks, that totaled to about the same amount of money.

I really did not know why people kept giving us money.  I did not need it at the time.  It turned out, that the Father of Truth was taking care of needs that we would soon have, before the needs ever occurred. Once again, the Spirit of Truth was letting me know that everything was going to be alright.

(I realize now, that people were giving me money, so Savannah could have a proper burial.  They knew that I had lived on the brink of bankruptcy, so I could take care of her and her siblings.  However, the thought that I would need money to bury her had never crossed my mind.  The Spirit of Truth never stopped witnessing to me that everything was going to be alright.)

Then after ten days of Savannah being as good as dead, she did the impossible and came out of her coma.  Many of those involved were in total shock, including my pastor.

However, my family and her main doctor were not in shock.  This was not their first rodeo. 

Savannah had been beyond the ability of medical science to save before, but her father had heard from the Spirit of Truth.  They had seen this movie before and knew how it ended.

However, the news just kept getting better and better.

She had been given this combination of medications, because she had contacted a serious bacteria that was killing her.  This strain of bacteria had shown itself to be immune to almost all medications.  This combination of medications was the last resort effort to keep the bacteria from killing her.   These medications that were going around unfiltered through her body for those ten days killed off that bacteria completely.  In fact, they burned out every single bacteria and disease that was in her body.

Now the word, "Chaim" that the Spirit of Truth had told me to speak over her when I laid hands on her began to come to pass.  The Hebrew word "Chaim" does not mean "life", as it is often mistranslated.  It literally means "lives".

Soon after that, Savannah took up golf, and was finally able to have a sports life like she had always wanted.  She was able to go to school on a consistent basis for the first time in her life, so she got a school life.  She became part of a group of girls at our church and got a social life for the first time in her life.  She took up drawing and things like that, which make up an art life.  In every area, Savannah became alive where she had been dead.  She had been given lives.

The Father of Truth had not just given her health so she could have lives, but I had been given the money in advance to make it possible for her to do many of these things.

Suddenly, it all made sense.  I had been told to lay hands on her, because that is what the Book of Truth (the Bible) says to do.  The Vulcan peace sign is really how a Rabbi spreads his hands, when he blesses the congregation, when a synagogue service ends with the blessing that Aaron was told by the Father of Truth to bless the congregation with.  The right hand is the hand of blessing in the Book of Truth.  So I was putting the symbol of blessing on Savannah when I obeyed the instructions and put my right hand in the shape of the Vulcan peace sign on her chest.  Then I spoke lives into her when I finished carry out the instructions by saying that one word, "Chaim".

I finally understood what that woman had meant when she said that I would soon know that the Father of Truth loves me.

In that particular ICU, where they send the most desperate cases in Oklahoma about one out of three of them died.  During those ten days, several children who were not in near as bad a condition as Savannah died.  Shortly after that the FDA banned this combination of medications, because they did not play nice together.  Her doctor researched the matter and found that Savannah was the only person who ever lived once the kidneys shut down.

When I learned this I finally broke down and cried.  I was overwhelmed with the knowledge of how much the Father of Truth loved me.

I am sure that most of those people who had lost their child had prayed that the Father of Truth would save their child, but their child died anyways.  I have no other explanation of why the Father of Truth did this for me other than to cause me to know how much He loves me.

As the Spirit of Truth had said to me everything was alright.  The Man of Truth had once again stood between Savannah and death.  The Father of Truth had again showed Himself strong on my behalf.

After Savannah came home, the Spirit of Truth instructed me to take seven rocks out my yard, use them to build a pillar in my front yard, and anoint the pillar with olive oil as a memorial of what the Father of Truth had done for me.  Even though I was hindered terribly, I overcame those hindrances and did as I was instructed.  That pillar became a symbol of the love that the Father of Truth has shown me.  That is why it is part of the logo for this blog, and why it is my photo on Facebook.

The Father of Truth did not stop there, but has shown Himself strong on my behalf many times since then.  We do not just believe in miracles in our house - we count on them.

Her health took another turn for the worst a few years ago and Savannah felt like giving up.  Then the Father of Truth gave her a dream one night that revealed the purpose that she was made to fulfill.  She has been working to fulfill that purpose against all odds.  

Savannah is now in college.  She is about to complete her degree in Japanese, which is the first step towards getting a master's degree in international business.

The Father of Truth has always had a great purpose for Savannah.  The Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan Aka The Devil) has always tried to keep her from fulfilling that purpose.  This war between them over her has been going on for twenty-three years now.

This war is but one battle in a bigger war that has been going on since the time of Adam.  The Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) have a part to play in this bigger war.  The Father of Truth works through them in this Earth.  Their victory is certain if they learn how to fight in the way that the Father of Truth desires, so He can show Himself strong on their behalf.

One of the main reasons that the Father of Truth keeps showing Himself strong on my behalf, is because I have learned the fastest way to victory.

There has never been a time in my life when I did not have extraordinary trouble compared to my peers.  I learned at a very young age that there are only three phases to my life.  One is where I am in a fight.  The second is where I am recovering from a fight.  The third is where I need to be preparing for a fight.

So after I came into the House of Truth I began learning the fastest way to victory.  I learned that the fastest way to victory is to frequently eat the breakfast of champions.

So for about a five year period I kept being led by the Spirit of Truth to fast.  This was a period when I was rarely engaged in a fight.  Yet, I ended up fasting basically every other day.

Julie would get so aggravated at me. 

She wanted to know why I was fasting all of the time, when there was nothing going on where I needed the Father of Truth to show Himself strong on my behalf.  All I could tell her was that I was being led to do this because I was preparing for a big fight.

Of course when Savannah was born, it became apparent what that big fight was.

When it comes to fasting, most of the Children of Truth tend to only think of it as something that you do in a crisis when you are desperate and you have no other option.  This is how my wife used to think of fasting, so she could not understand why the Spirit of Truth would lead me to fast when there was no crisis.

Most of the Children of Truth think that fasting is only for when they are in a crisis. 

They only fast when they face an overwhelming threat, and their only chance of victory is the Father of Truth showing Himself strong on their behalf (2 Chronicles 20:1-18).  They only fast when they need the Father of Truth to give them wisdom to deal with a crisis (Ezra 8:21-23).  They only fast when they learn of an impending crisis (Esther 4:1-3).  They only fast when they need the Father of Truth to show Himself strong on their behalf by giving them favor with those in authority, so they can divert a crisis (Esther 4:7-17).  They only fast when they are crying out to the Father of Truth to deliver them from a crisis (Esther 9:31).  They only fast when they can see that they are in a crisis (Joel 1:13-15).

However, fasting will not bring deliverance from a crisis without repentance. 

The Father of Truth will only show Himself strong on behalf of people when they fast, if they also repent of their sins (Isaiah 58).  The Father of Truth will certainly not hold back judgment, if they fast without any true repentance (Jeremiah 14:10-12).  Fasting will not divert disaster, if the Word of Truth is rejected (Jeremiah 36).  Fasting must be an outward sign of a genuine change of heart to bring about deliverance by the Father of Truth (Joel 2:12-14).  The Father of Truth will show Himself strong, when people give fasting the highest priority to show that they have returned to making Him their highest priority (Joel 2:15-18).  The Father of Truth is looking for people to fast to show genuine repentance, so He can divert judgment for their sins (Jonah 3:4-10).

So people are particularly inclined to fast when trouble comes upon them for their own sins. 

The Father of Truth sometimes shows Himself strong on behalf of people to deliver them from the results of their sins, when they fast to show that they have repented of those sins (1 Samuel 7:3-10).  However there is no guarantee that fasting will cause the Father of Truth to show Himself strong on their behalf, when they repent of their sins (2 Samuel 12:13-23).  Sometimes the best that fasting in repentance will do, is delay the judgment that comes from their sins (1 Kings 21:20-29).

Most of the Children of Truth also think that fasting is a sign of mourning over the results of a crisis. 

They fast when someone has died in a crisis (2 Samuel 1:12).  They fast when they learn of the disaster that came from the crisis, which their owns sins brought about (Nehemiah 1:1-7).  They fast in repentance to bring restoration, after the judgment of sin has happened (Daniel 9:2-20).

So in short, most of the Children of Truth only think of fasting as a crisis management tool or a disaster recovery plan.

Fasting was never meant to be a substitute for obedience to the Father of Truth. 

The Father of Truth is only certain to show Himself strong when fasting is done to deliver those who have done no wrong (Daniel 6:18-22).  The Father of Truth is more inclined to hear people and grant their requests when they hear Him and obey His commandments, than when they fast (Zechariah 7:4-14).  Living a life of obedience to the Father of Truth will do more to bring people into the House of Truth than fasting (Zechariah 8:16-23).

Fasting is meant to be part of a lifestyle of obedience that draws the Children of Truth closer to the Father of Truth. 

The Man of Truth did not fast to make up for any kind of disobedience, but rather to be obedient to the Spirit of Truth, so he could overcome every temptation of the Father of Lies to disobey the Father of Truth (Matthew 4:1-11).  When the Children of Truth humble themselves in obedience to Him, then He gives them grace to overcome their circumstances (James 4:6).  When they are obedient to the Father of Truth, then the Father of Lies flees from them when they rise up to resist him (James 4:7).  When they fast to become closer to the Father of Truth, then He moves to become closer to them when they are obedient to Him (James 4:8).  When they humble themselves by afflicting their souls with fasting, then the Father of Truth shows Himself strong on their behalf (James 4:9-10). 

That is why fasting as part of a lifestyle of obedience, is the fastest way to victory!

Fasting is something that the Children of Truth are to supposed to do, so they can draw closer to the Father of Truth.  

Moses received the instructions of the Father of Truth when he fasted (Deuteronomy 9:9-11).  Moses fasted to intercede for the Father of Truth to show mercy to others (Deuteronomy 9:18-20).  Anna, the Prophetess of Truth, served the Father of Truth constantly with fasting, so she could give witness that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Luke 2:36-38).  Cornelius fasted, so that he could clearly hear the instructions of the Father of Truth (Acts 10:30-33).  The Apostles of Truth fasted, so they could know who put in charge of every congregation that they started, so the congregations would keep walking in obedience to the Father of Truth (Acts 14:21-23).  Fasting was was part of the lifestyle of the Apostles of Truth, so that people could see that they were ministers of the Father of Truth (2 Corinthians 6:3-5).

The Children of Truth are supposed to fast so they can hear the Spirit of Truth more clearly.

The Spirit of Truth was so strong upon Moses that his face shined, after he had spent time fasting before the Father of Truth (Exodus 34:28-30).  Elijah fasted to escape to be hidden in the secret place of the Father of Truth, where he could clearly hear the Spirit of Truth (1 Kings 19:7-9).  Peter the Jew (Sh'mon aka Simon aka Simeon aka Cephas aka The Apostle Peter) was instructed by the Spirit of Truth to tell Cornelius the Good News, when he fasted (Acts 10:9-20).  The Prophets of Truth and the Teachers of Truth ministered to the Father of Truth with fasting, so they could clearly hear the instructions of the Spirit of Truth about who to send out as Apostles of Truth to tell others about the Man of Truth (Acts 13:1-4).

The Children of Truth also gain a stronger bond with the Man of Truth when they fast. 

When they fast they identify with the fast that the Man of Truth experienced, while suffering on the cross (Psalm 69:7-10).  When they fast they are looking to the Father of Truth for deliverance, just as the Man of Truth did on the cross (Psalm 109:24-27).  They suffer the hunger comes from a loss of food in order to gain a closer relationship with the Man of Truth by suffering with him, because nothing binds men together like suffering together for a common cause (Philippians 3:7-10).

So fasting causes the Children of Truth to draw closer to the Father of Truth, more clearly hear the Spirit of Truth, and to become more like the Man of Truth.  This is why the Children of Truth should be fasting. 

Fasting as part of a lifestyle of obedience is the fastest way to victory!

This is why the Man of Truth said, that the Children of Truth were to fast, after he left this Earth. 

The Children of Truth are to fast, because they are mourning that he is not with them on this Earth (Matthew 9:14-15).  They are to fast until they are with him again (Mark 2:18-20).  They are to fast often until he returns to this Earth (Luke 5:33-35).

The Man of Truth told us why fasting as part of a lifestyle of obedience, is the fastest way to victory. 

He said that the Children of Truth are to fast to drive unbelief out of their lives - and that gives them the victory (Matthew 17:20-21)!  When the Children of Truth struggle with unbelief, then fasting helps to bring an end to the unbelief, so they can have victory over every enemy (Mark 9:24-29).

So fasting was not the fastest way to victory, because it moved the Father of Truth to be more on my side, but because it moved me to be more on His side! 

The Father of Truth shows Himself strong on behalf of those who live a lifestyle of obedience, when they cry out to Him with fasting (Psalm 145:17-19).

The fact is, that not only do most of the Children of Truth not know that the primary purpose of fasting is to draw them closer to the Father of Truth, but they do not even know how to fast.

Fasting is not just abstaining from eating food.  That is just a bad diet plan. 

Fasting is afflicting your soul by abstaining from things that bring pleasure to your soul, in order to spend more time with the Father of Truth (Isaiah 58:3).

Fasting does mean abstaining from food, even though that is not all there is to fasting. 

Fasting does not normally include abstaining from water for people will die without water in about four days, but some of the Children of Truth fasted for seven days in mourning (1 Chronicles 10:11-13).  Whenever people have gone a while without food, then they are fasting (Matthew 15:32).  Fasting continues until the fast is broken by eating food (Acts 27:33).

Fasting also means abstaining from sex.

 Men are not to approach their wives for sex when they are going to draw near to the Father of Truth (Exodus 19:15-17).  For this reason, a man can make void a vow that his wife has made to fast unto the Father of Truth on the day that he learns of it (Numbers 30:12-14).  For this reason, married couples are to only fast for a limited amount of time by mutual consent, and must resume having sex as soon as practical after the fast is over (1 Corinthians 7:3-5).

This was undoubtedly part of the frustration that my wife felt.  I knew that I was being led to fast often to prepare for a big fight, but that was not the only reason that I fasted often.  I had found that spending time with the Spirit of Truth was better than sex.  I was totally addicted to fasting and I hurt my wife without realizing it, by fasting all of the time.

So it is important that couples are honest with each other and tell their spouse to end their fast, because they need sex.  The fast has to end when this occurs unless they had agreed for it to go longer ahead of time.

Fasting is not to bring pleasure to the Children of Truth by doing things to draw attention to their fasting, so others will admire how devoted that they are. 

The Children of Truth are to take baths and wear clean clothes, when they are going to draw near to the Father of Truth (Exodus 19:14-17).  They are not to go around with a dirty face and looking sad, so that everyone knows, that they are fasting (Matthew 6:16).  They are to hide that they are fasting by keeping their hair and face clean, because the Father of Truth will reward them in ways that everyone can see for doing so (Matthew 6:17-18).

Fasting is about doing something else, instead of things that bring pleasure to their souls. 

Fasting is about making time, to spend confessing your sins to the Father of Truth, reading the Word of Truth, and worshiping the Father of Truth (Nehemiah 9:1-3).  Fasting is making time to seek after the Father of Truth to heal the sick (Psalm 35:13).  Fasting means taking time to hear from the Spirit of Truth (Acts 13:2).  Fasting is spending time in prayer, instead of the things that bring pleasure to your soul, so you can hand your problems over to the Father of Truth (Acts 14:23).

Since most of the Children of Truth have not been taught why they need to fast, and how to fast, they also do not know when to fast. 

Is it really necessary for all of the Children of Truth to fast every other day?

The fact is, that some people do fast frequently in their efforts to draw closer to the Father of Truth, because fasting as part of a lifestyle of obedience is the fastest way to victory! 

The Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist (Yochanon the Mikveh Man), many of whom came into the House of Truth, fasted often (Matthew 9:14).  Many of them like Paul the Jew (Shaul aka Saul aka The Apostle Paul), continued to fast often after they came into the House of Truth (2 Corinthians 11:27).

How often did Paul the Jew, and other Jews, who came into the House of Truth fast as they continued in the discipline that they had grown up with?

They had seven yearly fasts. 

All of the firstborn males fasted on the day before Passover (Pesach), the fourteenth day of the first month, because the firstborn males were the ones who were passed over when the Father of Truth destroyed all of the firstborn males of Egypt (Exodus 12:21-29).  They fasted on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the tenth day of the seventh month, because it was commanded in the Law of Truth (Leviticus 16:29-31).  They fasted on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month to commemorate the fast of Esther, that saved the Jewish people from extermination (Esther 4:16).  They fasted on the ninth day of the fifth month to mourn over the destruction of the Temple, and they fasted on the third day of the seventh month to mourn over the murder of Gedaliah, which led to them being completely exiled from the Promised Land (Zechariah 7:5).  They fasted on the seventh day of the fourth month to mourn for the breaching of the walls Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and they fasted on the tenth day of the tenth month to mourn for the destruction of Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:19).

On top of that, they fasted twice every week, on Mondays and Thursdays, because those days were two days after the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) and two days before the weekly Sabbath (Luke 18:12).

This means that they fasted over one hundred days per year!  This would average out to be about every third day.  So not even observant Jews, like Paul the Jew, fasted every other day after they came into the House of Truth!

So how often should people fast?

As often as they are led by the Spirit of Truth to fast, which will never contradict the commandment, to do so by mutual agreement with their spouse. 

If they cannot agree on this, then the husband could fast during times when they are to abstain from sex anyways, like between when the wife starts her monthly purification until a week after it is over (Leviticus 15:24-28).

Perhaps the only Children of Truth, who are going to be led by the Spirit of Truth to fast extraordinarily often, are those who like Paul the Jew who faced extraordinary trouble (2 Corinthians 11:23-27).  They are the ones who need the Father of Truth to show Himself strong on their behalf more often.

So what about everyone else?

When it comes to fasting like everything else, you have to start somewhere.  For many people starting anything new, particularly if it is difficult for them, is easier to do if they do it at the same time as everyone else.

Fortunately, there is a day when all of the Children of Truth should be fasting.  While there were over one hundred days per year when some of the Children of Truth, like Paul the Jew fasted, there is only day a year when all of the Children of Truth should be fasting.

The fast on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), on the tenth day of the seventh month on the calendar of the Father of Truth, is the only fast, that all of the Children of Truth are commanded to perform (Leviticus 23:26-28).  Every single one of the Children of Truth are commanded to fast on this day (Leviticus 23:29-31).  This fast is to start near sunset of the ninth day of the month and continues until near sunset the next day (Leviticus 23:32).  The Children of Truth are congregate together during this Fast, so that no one has to try to fast alone (Numbers 29:7).  That is why Paul the Jew called it, "The Fast" (Acts 27:9).

So the best place to start learning the fastest way to victory is with a congregation of the Children of Truth, who are walking in obedience to the commandment of the Father of Truth to fast together on the Day of Atonement.  This fast has everything to do with the Man of Truth, for it is the sixth act of the Greatest Play Ever that tells about when the Man of Truth will bring this world into total surrender to the Father of Truth.  When the Children of Truth fast during this fast, they are not only sharing in the sufferings of the Man of Truth, but they are expressing faith that they will also share in his reign over the Earth (2 Timothy 2:12)!

Fasting on the Day of Atonement, or any other day, is of very limited value unless it is accompanied by a lifestyle of obedience. 

No one can be baptized in the Spirit of Truth, unless they first come into the House of Truth, so they can live a lifestyle of obedience (Acts 2:37-39).  No one can have a lifestyle of obedience, until they come into the House of Truth by surrendering to the Man of Truth, because he is the one who the Father of Truth told Moses that everyone must obey (Acts 3:19-23).  No one can come into the House of Truth to learn how to live a lifestyle of obedience, unless they accept the Word of Truth concerning the Man of Truth (Acts 4:10-12).  The Man of Truth is the only mean, that the Father of Truth has provided for people to come into the House of Truth, so they can learn a lifestyle of obedience with the help of the Spirit of Truth (Acts 5:30-32). 

A lifestyle of obedience begins with coming into the House of Truth, by making a commitment to obey the Man of Truth, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Come into the House of Truth!