Click here for this Herald in pdf format.

by Angus Wootten

I also know that a day is coming when each one of us will need to have Messiah Yeshua do for us what He did in my life-changing experience.

In the mid-eighties I had an extraordinary experience that forever wrote on my heart an indelible understanding of our need to be born again, to have a personal relationship with Yeshua, and to be covered by His shed blood. It happened in the fall of the year as I was preparing for a meeting of my board of directors the following week. At the time (seventies and eighties), I was living in Southwestern New York, and operating an oil company that drilled over 400 hundred oil wells in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Oil has always been a volatile commodity, and in the mid-eighties the price had plunged from a high of over $46 a barrel to a low of $9 a barrel. This dramatic price reduction sent waves of financial destruction throughout the US oil industry. My company was no exception, we too were battling to contain the waves of red ink. So, I called a meeting of my board of directors to deal with our pressing financial problems.

The board meeting was scheduled for a Monday morning. The preceding Tuesday night I experienced a startling vision. I felt as though I were in front of a giant movie screen, and being portrayed on the screen in three-dimension, technicolor, and stereophonic sound, were my good works. Most of them showed the financial contributions I had made for various causes in support of the fledgling Messianic Jewish Movement. Also reflected was the Chaplain I had hired for the oil company, and the time I flew him to Texas so he could pray for a former employee who had been injured in an oil rig accident, and our daily prayer meetings. There were pictures of people being baptized in the company frac ponds, pictures of me taking people to the local Full Gospel Business Men’s meeting, and there was a cross country motor coach trip to promote Israel at the FGBM annual convention. Also shown was a picture of the oil well I had drilled and dedicated the profits from it to the State of Israel.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the film presentation was over. I was now wide awake. I could not even blink my eyes. Where did this dream or vision come from? Why? What message was I supposed to receive from it? On one hand it seemed very complimentary. Maybe the Father was just telling me how pleased He was with me. On the other hand, I felt uneasy, as though something was not right. So I decided to keep pondering the vision and not to tell anyone about it.

The next night I had the same experience. Once again, I felt the primary emphasis was on my financial contributions to the Messianic Jewish Movement. While the film still seemed to reflect a complimentary theme, I felt even more uneasy than I had the previous night. I couldn’t help but think about the fact that one of the key reasons for the company’s financial problems and the need for a board meeting was because the company literally had no reserve working capital. This problem was a key factor in the breakup with a company that was partnered with me in a large drilling project. They expressed their concern that I was devoting far too much of my resources to what they called the “Jewish Church.” Once again, I decided to keep pondering the vision and not to tell anyone about it.

Thursday night I had the same experience. To say I was a basket-case by now would be an understatement. I knew something was wrong. I knew the message from the visions was not really a complement endorsing all my good works. But what was the message, what was the Father trying to tell me?

I spent most of the day Friday reading the fourteenth chapter of John over and over again. And again, I did not mention what was happening to me to anyone.

Friday evening a fellow Believer, a close friend and board member, arrived to spend the weekend with me and to attend the board meeting on Monday. While I did not tell him about my visions, I did express my concern as to how the Lord might be feeling about our financial challenges. He assured me that he felt the Lord was with us, and while he felt sure we were going through a time of testing, still, all would be well in the end.

There was no vision Friday night, nor on Saturday or Sunday. I was beginning to feel better. Perhaps my friend was right. We were going through a time of testing, but everything would turn out all right.

By Monday morning I was feeling pretty good. The meeting with the six board members was being held in my living room. They were seated in front of the fireplace, and I was leaning on the fireplace mantel soaking in the warmth from its flames. I was confident that I had everything under control. As I was about to start the meeting, my Executive Assistant said, “Angus, before we get started I would like to read something.”

I had not been in the oil business long when I realized that it was hard to find people you can really depend on, so I had hired a military officer I once knew, and who had retired. He had served under me when I was Company Commander of Company A, 1st Battalion of the 29th Infantry Regiment. John Eisenhower, Ike’s son, was our Battalion Commander. While the retired officer did not fully share my Messianic beliefs he was someone I felt I could count on to guard my back.

I would have liked to have known in advance what my assistant was going to read, but since all the board members had heard his request, I felt the best thing to do was to agree to have him read it.

He began by saying, “I woke up very early Saturday morning and felt compelled to write down the thoughts that came to me.” He then began to read from a yellow lined legal pad. What he read was a description of what I had seen in the three visions the prior week. Keep in mind I had told no one about them.

I immediately realized that the board members reaction to his presentation would undoubtedly deal with how wise, or unwise, I had been, and whether I had exceeded my authority in the utilization of funds to support various elements of the Messianic Jewish Movement. As he read from his yellow paper, I mentally began to formulate my response.

Then suddenly, I realized I was not in my living room! Where was I? I felt I was in a place much like the Capital Mall in Washington, D.C. and that I was standing in the area of the Lincoln Memorial. And, as I looked to my right, I could see a figure dressed in red and black. I immediately recognized that it was Satan. He was standing at what would be like the foot of the Reflection Pool, looking towards where the Washington Monument would be. However, rather than having a pool of water before us, there was a crystal-like surface. Also, rather than the Washington Monument, while I could not see it clearly, I realized that in its place was the throne of God. In addition, I could sense the presence of a vast multitude of witnesses looking on from the clouds.

Startled, I realized that Satan had in his hands the same legal pad my assistant had and was reading from it while making a presentation to the Father and the multitude of witnesses. However, there was one giant difference in Satan’s presentation and the one my assistant was giving. It also differed from the visions I had experienced. Every time Satan related one of my good works to the Father, he added the comment, “And You did not tell Angus to do this, so he served another god!”

“Angus served another god!” The awful words kept on ringing out in that heavenly setting…

What came on me during this time was not so much fear, but an appalling realization that Satan was absolutely correct. I had served another god. I was that false god! I was following my own good ideas!
Rather than follow Yeshua’s example, and not do anything that the Father had not told me or shown me that I was to do, I now saw that many of my supposed “good works” had been based on my own initiative. In my heart I realized that I had done many of these things out of pride, fear of man, and a host of other unholy reasons. False gods.

Satan’s presentation to the Father finally came to a close.

Then I heard a voice from the throne ask, “Are the accusations that Satan makes about our servant Angus true?”

I realized that the question was not directed to me but to a figure that I now saw on my left, and I realized that figure was Messiah Yeshua.

Relieved to see Him, I was devastated when He answered, “That is not the half of it…”

While that surely is not something that anyone would want to hear their defense council say, I had to nonetheless agree that Yeshua was absolutely correct. Satan had only talked about what I thought were my good works. He had not even mentioned my sins.

The Father then asked, “Is there any reason that we should not take our servant Angus and throw him into the bottomless pit and burn him to a crisp?”

Suddenly, there was a period of silence in the heavens. Again, it was not so much fear and despair that came over me, instead, I felt the absolute justice of the sentence being proposed against me. Truly, I had served another god. I had failed the test of loving Yah with all my mind, heart and soul and listening to His voice alone. I had instead let my own fleshy desires and the desires of others guide me. Rather than being sure I was walking step by step with the Father, rather than trying to make sure His desires were my desires, I had gone my own way, and in pride, I had called it “His way.”

However, the question being asked had nothing to do with how I felt about my proposed sentence. Again, the question being asked of Yeshua was, “Is there any reason that the proposed sentence against Angus should not be carried out?”

 Then Yeshua answered, “Yes! Angus is saved by My blood!”

As long as I live, those words will resound in my mind, heart and soul, “Yes! Angus is saved by My blood!”

Then the verdict came down from the Throne, “Case dismissed!”

My destiny was not eternal damnation, but was instead eternal salvation. I was granted the gift of eternal life with, and in the presence of, my Heavenly Father. And it was granted to me because I had faith in the shed blood of my Messiah.

Suddenly, I was back in my living room and my assistant had finished his presentation. But before I could say anything, my friend from out of town said, “Angus I know you have a lot that you could say about what has just been read; however, I believe that this is not your day to say anything, and surely not to try and defend your actions.”

My friend was right. Rather than attempting to justify my fiscal decisions, I, with tears (which is really unusual for me), hugged each man present and asked each one to forgive me. I then pledged to them that in the future, I would seek their council and seek to be truly led by the Lord.

Fortunately the fiscal problems we had gathered to consider that day, but had never discussed, were miraculous resolved.

What I learned from this experience was the absolute necessity of having a saving relationship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, my Messiah and Redeemer. Nothing is, or will ever be, more important to me than that relationship. Further, I realize that my relationship with Him is not just a one time affair, but a life-long relationship, one that will continue for all eternity. I also know that the best way to keep that relationship in proper order is to always desire to only do things that are pleasing to the Father. So, to the best of my ability I now seek to follow Yeshua’s example, and He said, “I do nothing on My own initiative,” and, “I always do the things that are pleasing to the Father” (John 8:28-29; 14:10).

My experience forever taught me that, when I do things out of my own thoughts, wants, or desires, or with wrong motives, I am serving another god. As harsh as that may sound, it is the truth, and we all need to realize it. When I am instead led by the Father, I can say, as Joshua did, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14).

I want to emphasize that during my time in the Throne Room of Heaven, I was never asked any questions, nor given opportunity to say anything. The proceedings were handled by the Father, who was the Judge, by Satan, who was the accuser and prosecutor, and by Yeshua, who was my Advocate, my Defense Attorney. When I remember this experience, I cannot help but wonder, what would have been the outcome if I had not had a Defense Attorney?

I wanted to share this vision to encourage others to make sure they too have Messiah Yeshua as their Defense Attorney. Make sure that you, too, are covered by His shed blood. If you have not done so already, ask Him now to forgive you of your sins, to come into your heart, and to help you live a life wherein He is your Lord and Savior.

For those of us who have already asked Yeshua to be our Lord, let us remember to always be asking Him to help us to better hear His voice as He whispers in our ear, “This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isaiah 30:21). Let us also remember to pray the prayer of King David in Psalm 51:1-13:

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge….Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.”

By Yeshua’s grace may we be a people who do not do things based on our own fleshy initiative, but instead truly serve the One True God.Amen and Amen. Angus Wootten is a retired Army Colonel who now serves in the Army of the Holy One of Israel.It is Angus’ heart’s desire to see full restoration of the Kingdom to Israel.For more information, see his book, “Restoring Israel’s Kingdom.”

WDYD? and WWYD?

by Batya Wootten

“Yeshua was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel/good news of the kingdom….” (Mat 4:23).

Most of us have heard of the acronym “WWJD?”, which stands for, What Would Jesus Do? These initials are found on T-shirts, buttons, mugs, etc., to remind people to act like Jesus. The point of the question being, If Jesus were in your shoes, what would He do about the present situation?

Since our Messiah’s given name was Yeshua, we ask the question a bit differently: WWYD?

To help us better understand our mission, we also ask, WDYD?

Our acronyms stand for:
What Would Yeshua Do?
What Did Yeshua Do?

And ultimately, What Will You Do?

We are called to be transformed into Yeshua’s image, so we should examine ourselves to see if we resemble Him in the good news that we preach, and in our actions toward His people (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 13:5).

What Did Yeshua Do? He went about “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom.” Thus, we ask, what is His gospel of the kingdom, and do we likewise preach it?

To understand Yeshua’s good news, we need to see that Yah allowed Israel’s twelve tribes to divide into two houses, and/or kingdoms: Ephraim/Israel and Judah (1 Ki 12:24; 2 Chr 11:4). Yeshua’s good news was that they could be fully reunited and made into one new man in Him. To similarly preach His good news we need to see that there were two branches in Israel’s Olive Tree (Ephraim and Judah), Yeshua is its Root, meaning its life-source, and we gain eternal life when we are rooted in Him (Jer 11:10,16; Rom 11:25; Rev 22:16). The gospel of the kingdom is that Yeshua came to reunite and restore both houses of Israel, so that they, AND THEIR COMPANIONS, could become “one stick” in the Father’s hand (Eze 37:15-28; 47:23). To do this, our Messiah calls us to be born anew and become sons of His eternal commonwealth of Israel (Isa 56:8; Eze 34; Hos 5:3; Amos 9:9; John 10:16; Mat 15:24; Eph 2:11-22).

The Disciples knew that the Messiah would restore Israel’s divided kingdom (Acts 1:6; 15:16). What they had to learn was that His kingdom would be different – because it is “not of this world.” Yeshua’s kingdom also has different authorities. He said to the chief priests and elders, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing the fruit of it” (John 18:36; Mat 21:23, 43-45; Luke 22:29).

Yeshua’s kingdom gospel also is represented by the presence of certain types of “fruit.” It begins with the fruit of true repentance, with realizing that it is not enough for anyone to be a biological son of Abraham, but that we must have an active faith like that of Abraham (Mat 4:17; Luke 3:8; John 8:39-59; Rom 4:9-12; Gal 3:8-9; Heb 11:8,17).

Moreover, all must experience a “rebirth” in the Messiah in order to live in His kingdom. He said, “I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). Like the Prodigal Son, we must come to our senses, repent, and return home to our Father.

By faith, we become reborn sons of the Living God (Hos 1:10; Rom 8:19; 9:26). We do this by being born anew of the Spirit, in this way we receive the “spirit of adoption” and thus are able to call “Abba, [our] Father.” To see this truth, we note that Scripture uses the word “adoption” only five times and those five verses declare the following:

• “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you received a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are ‘children of God'” (Rom 8:15,16).
•  “We to whom the first fruits of the Spirit have been given as a foretaste of our coming inheritance – we groan within ourselves while we eagerly await our full adoption as sons, which is the redemption of our bodies” (Rom 8:23).
• Paul speaks of “My brethren, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the law and the Temple services and the promises” (Rom 9:4).
• “God sent His Son, who was born under law, that He might redeem those who were under law, that they might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal 4:5).
• “To the saints at Ephesus,” Paul reveals, “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Messiah Yeshua, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Eph 1:5, NIV).

The Father gives the spirit of adoption to free us from the fear of death, be reborn, and thus able to call Him Abba, or Father. As reborn sons, we await the fullness of our adoption, which is the redemption of our bodies. This spirit of adoption belongs to the sons of Israel. The Father sent His Son to redeem those under the law (Judah), as well as the non-Jewish saints (Ephraim). He predestined both to adoption as His sons through Messiah Yeshua. All must receive this spirit of adoption before becoming reborn sons of God. This is so because “all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God” (Rom 3:23).

In this way we are empowered to produce the kingdom fruits of “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).

The Kingdom and Its Stones

We learn much of Israel’s kingdom when we examine its stones. For instance, the High Priest had a breast plate over his heart with twelve stones representing Israel’s tribes (Exo 28:21; 39:14). Their well-being was important to him, as it is to our High Priest, Yeshua, and as it should be important to us, even always on our hearts.

Nonetheless, Isaiah said YHVH would become a “Sanctuary” over which “both houses of Israel” would “stumble” (vs 8:14; see John 2:18-22). Through Paul, He said, “I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame” (1 Pet 2:8; ref Mat 21:44; Rom 9:33). Our Messiah is the “Chief Corner Stone.” And, as Peter said, we are “living stones being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua” (1 Pet 2:2-6; Eph 2:20).

 If Israel stumbles in this effort it is “because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works, they stumbled over the stumbling stone” (Rom 9:32).

Our works will not save us. While “faith without works is dead” (James 2:14-26), relying on works will cause us to stumble. We want to keep/honor/guard Abba’s Instructions, so that we might be strong (Deu 4:6; 11:8), and at the same time, realize that breaking His laws results in having an automatic decree, up to and including a death sentence, written against us. For example, cursing our parents, being rebellious, breaking the Sabbath, and taking Yah’s name in vain are offences that call for death by stoning (See Exo 21:12,16,17; 21:29; 22:19; 31:14, 15; Lev 20:2,11,13,27; 24:16; Num 3:10; 15:35; Deu 13:10; 17:5; 21:21; 22:21; 22:24.)

Every one of us have broken some of Yah’s commandments and thus have been weighed on divine scales and found wanting. Our sins separate us from our God and even cause Him to hide His face from us. Our wickedness keeps us from the blessings that come from walking in His way. Our sins, transgressions against His Laws, lead to our downfall (Dan 5:27; Isa 59:2; Jer 5:25; Hos 14:1).

If we depend solely on “keeping the Law to obtain eternal life,” we will fail. But that is not our case. In Messiah Yeshua we have hope. In Him, we can become a new creation, born anew of His Holy Spirit. We need to be born of the Spirit and not just live our lives in the flesh, because the mind that is governed by, set on, focuses on the flesh, is hostile to God. It does not, cannot, submit to His ways. Our flesh desires what is contrary to, it wants things that oppose the desires of the Spirit. Flesh and Spirit are in opposition to each other, so mortal flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God; the perishable cannot inherit the imperish-able. Simply put, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 7:18; 8:7-8; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 5:17).

So how do we best present the good news of Messiah’s kingdom?

He said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Doing is meat. If we want to be mature and be like Messiah, we need to do the works of the Father. And we start with love. Yeshua said all of the commandments can be summed up in the first two: Love God. Love your neighbor. Their common denominator is love. Our “God is Love.” To be like Yeshua, to be a true priest, we need to lovingly care for the well being and full restoration of the whole house of Israel (Mark 12:28-29; John 10:25; 14:12; 1 John 4:16,21).

What did our Messiah do to show forth the fruits of the kingdom?

He felt “compassion” for the people: “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” He felt compassion for them and “healed their sick.” When He saw a widow with a dead son, His heart went out to her and He raised her child from the dead. He spoke well of a master who took pity on a man and canceled his debt. He praised a Samaritan who showed mercy to a wounded man. Yeshua healed blind eyes, opened deaf ears, and caused the lame to walk. He touched and healed lepers. He called demons of oppression and bondage out of people and set captives free (Mat 9:36; 14:14; 20:34; Mark 1:34-41; Luke 4:41; 7:11-15; 8:2; 10:33; 13:16). Yeshua primarily taught people through His actions. And, He called His apostles together and gave them the power and authority to drive out demons and cure diseases. He also told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were filled with power from on High (Mark 3:15; 6:13; 16:17; Luke 9:1; 24:49).

Such are the hallmarks of the good news of Messiah’s restored kingdom. His is a kingdom that is comprised of unique living stones that are close to Yah’s heart, and they need to be healed, delivered, and restored.

Yeshua spoke harshly to religious people who thought their heritage and works would save them. Despite His years of public teaching, they were not wise enough to realize that they were blind, splinter-filled sinners who needed to be saved by grace. They instead thought they “had no sin” (Mat 8:8; Luke 6:42; 13:1-5; 15:19; John 9:41).

We began our study with Matthew 4:23 but did not quote its end: Yeshua went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, “and healing every affliction and sickness among the people.” Let us seek to be like Him and begin to see our need to mature, to perhaps talk less and do more. Let us seek to exhibit the same kingdom fruits of our Messiah, they will surely attest to our kingdom restoration and sonship.

Share the Good News and Help our Friends!

Order a WDYD/WWYD T-shirt Today!

All proceeds go to help Daniel and Sylvia Calderon!

Daniel and Sylvia have been Dance Leaders and MIA/ARI conference coordinators for many years. They also have a ministry called New Jerusalem Designs, and among other things, they print T-shirts.

While we are happy to report that Daniel’s health is continually improving, they still need help with their expenses. So, we are offering a “Help Daniel” shirt that he will print especially for you.

On the front is our special “WDYD” design and “What Did Yeshua Do?” On the back is WWYD? and “What Will You Do?”

The provocative questions will surely allow you many opportunities to share the good news of Messiah Yeshua’s reunited Kingdom!

White cotton. Choose, S, M, L, XL. $12.00 each, plus $4.00 shipping.

See “WDYD? Shirt Special” https://redeemedisrael.com/products/wdyd-shirt-special/