He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Is. 53:2-5
Dear brothers and sisters,
about 2000 years ago God became man to redeem us. Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God has suffered terribly in order to reconcile this world with God the Father. For two thousand years, the Cross has been a curse for many and a blessing for others.
For many people, the cross is a sign of helplessness, of suffering, defeat.
The world has rejected Jesus, it comes to the Cross and curses it, so the world itself is on its way to the Cross, to the suffering, the defeat. The world will reap what it has sown. This crisis will not end until the "New World Order" comes, the kingdom of the Antichrist. For many Swiss and Westerners, it seems impossible that we will have even famine, but that is what will happen. It will not be a surprise for me if the earthquake in Italy was only be the beginning of a series of other earthquakes in Europe. God will give the scoffers and blasphemers a lesson that they will never forget, neither on the earth nor in hell. About two weeks ago, I started preaching that the day will come when God will shut the door, therefore we have to work as long as the door to the "Ark" is still open.
Israel is on its way to the Cross. Israel has not yet accepted the Cross; for two thousand years now, it has cursed Jesus, persecuted his followers and resists God. In the last sixty years, we have seen the protection of God over Israel, but it is clear that the day will come when this protection will be removed for a short time. It is preached again and again that all Israel will be saved. This is a false statement; perhaps it causes enthusiasm and brings donations, but it is not the whole truth. The Word of God says in Zechariah 13.8 that 2/3 of Israel will be killed before the second coming of Jesus. This can never happen when the protection of God is there. The Bible speaks again and again of a remainder that will be saved and come back to Jesus. Why will there be no protection of God? Will Israel makes any treaties with the Antichrist? Will there be persecution of Christians, especially by the Orthodox Jews? Can God save a nation that kills its saints? No. Israel is and remains the chosen people of God, and because of that, His responsibility and the consequences of His actions weigh heavier. Pray for Israel on its way to the Cross, that as many Israelis as possible convert to their Messiah.
The church is on its way to the Cross. Soon after Jesus ascended into heaven, false teachers tried to bring confusion to the churches. Many letters of Paul and the other apostles were written in response to these false teachers.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and God was the Word ... and the Word was made flesh ... John wrote his gospel as an answer to the false teachers who taught that Jesus was merely a man and not God. Paul repeatedly writes in his letter to the Romans as well as to the Galatians and in other letters about the dispute between the Jewish believers and the believers of the Gentiles. One of the biggest challenges of the church in the end time will also be an attempt by some people to judaize the church. I recently looked at such a website. You see Christians from our churches not only with prayer shawls but also with tefillims (leather strap around the arm, etc.). Brother and sister, you abandoned the Cross, you make the Cross useless if you think you have to carry tefillims or whatever. It is interesting,: the Bible says in the NT that men should not cover their heads if they are to pray but the women should. While no-one in the churches is covered, almost everyone wants to cover themself in such special meetings.
A gospel without the Cross is mainly preached. It is all about our death and resurrection: our old man died with Jesus Christ and the new man rose with Him, we live by faith in Jesus Christ. But today, it's about how I can live my short time here on earth as well as in heaven. What can I have without asking: “God, what do you want from me?”
The church is on her way to the Cross! She does not want the Cross of Jesus, which brings ridicule, shame, persecution ...she wants to be like the world. As with Israel, God also has a remnant in the church. The remnant is the bride of Jesus, not the whole church. Whoever doesn’t want the Cross will die without the Cross.
The Cross cost Jesus everything. How terribly did he suffer? He was fully God but also fully man. He felt the pain, he felt the thorns, all the beatings, the mockery ... how could Jesus endure such a thing? How could He go to the Cross and overcome it? How can the Cross as a sign of suffering and defeat be a sign of victory?
Gethsemane! That is the key. Jesus not only suffered on the Cross! Jesus could endure the Cross because he previously passed through the garden of Gethsemane. He struggled with the fear of death, he struggled, he sweated blood. Do you know how much it takes for someone to sweat blood? Abba, Father, everything is possible for you! But, take this cup from me: nevertheless not what I want, but what you want! Without Gethsemane, Jesus would never have been able to endure the Cross.
Jesus was already forsaken by his disciples in Gethsemane, they were at a distance, perhaps with their bodies near him, but with their hearts far away. They slept! It’s just like the church today, it is in the garden of Gethsemane, but it will not fight, it will not suffer, it will not want to wrestle, and does not want to do any work anyway...
The people always wanted to make Jesus a king, but Jesus said: I know you, I know what is in you .... Jesus knew that who applauds me today could crucify me tomorrow! Moses had spent forty years in the wilderness. David lived in caves for many years and the prophets of God lived in Gethsemane almost their entire lives. They knew what is in man. How many stars in the church are falling with a big crash? They had spent no time in Gethsemane, we have made them big quickly before they died. Without Gethsemane, you will be proud of your signs and wonders on your gifts and will soon fall. The Lord prepares his Elijahs in Gethsemane. You cannot buy them with money, the world or the churches. They know who their friends are and who their Judas, even though they still work with their Judas. They know that who is applauding them today could deny them tomorrow when it's about his life or death.
The world can be saved if it falls down before the cross and asks for forgiveness.
Israel can save itself if it bends its knee to the hated cross and asks for forgiveness.
The church can only survive the time that is coming to us if it spends time in Gethsemane, struggling, sweating blood to say, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee, Take this cup from me, but not my will, may your will be done!”
The cross - a blessing for some, a curse for others. The cross - a sign of defeat for many, a sign of victory for the others.
If the world and Israel were the only ones who have not understood the Cross, then one could understand it, but the worst is that many Christians have still not understood what it's about, even after 10, 20, 30 years. Many Christians are in the baby stage, and that's a shame.
What does the Cross mean for my personal, everyday life? Jesus has defeated sin on the cross, the devil and death.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.” 1. Pet. 1.9
The problem today is that if someone gives his life to Jesus, we often pray a small, nice, general prayer with him without him really confessing his sins. If you have been at a fortuneteller, etc. or in sexual sin, or have done something unjust (inheritance, etc), then does not God forgive until you confess it. This is one of the reasons why many Christians have no victorious life, even after many years in the faith.
Second, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Who is here and now to destroy the works of the devil? You and me. How? Through the spiritual battle. Why do we have an armor? So much is written against the spiritual battle but I tell you: either you will learn to fight or die! You do not have to fight against the Queen of Heaven in Europe, leave that to the Lord and his Elijahs. But you must fight against the forces that attack you daily in your marriage, in your family, business, school, church, etc., etc. Jesus has defeated Satan on the cross! Is Satan dead? No, he is still very much alive, more and more active. So what does this victory on the Cross mean? That means you and I are no longer under his authority, we have authority over him. We can say to Satan: “Behind me! I do not accept that you touch me.” Do you want to fight or continue to take psychotropic drugs, run to psychiatrists and psychologists? For what did Jesus die?
Many siblings suffer from depression, especially women. Some of them will not contact each other for months, until it is better and then after a few months, the same game continues. My dear sister, two thousand years ago, Jesus not only carried your sins but also all your diseases, weakness, pain and depression to the cross so that you are free. This means that if you notice that something is coming, you take the sword of God and say, Satan, if you want to be depressed, it's your business but I do not want it. It is finished, my God has paid. In the Name of Jesus, go and never come again. That is no dialogue with the devil, that's a proclamation. Of course you can only do it if all your sins were actually placed on the cross. The pity is that most Christians tremble about the devil, they are even afraid of talking about him! They think he's waiting around the corner to get them. As long as you think like that, you have not yet grasped the Cross. As long as Satan is not afraid of you, but you of him, you destroy the work of Jesus on the Cross.
When I came back last year from Algeria, I had three dreams on the second night. In the first, I saw myself near Satan. I felt the absolute evil, my knees were shaking but I raised my voice and shouted: “Satan in the Name of Jesus Christ, you must give me back what you stole from me!” I cried out three times. What has Satan stolen from us? A lot, but he has no right, he must return it to us.
Why this world is in this state? Because the church does not carry out spiritual battle, on the contrary, it is itself bound. What is the biggest obstacle to the restoration of the church? The pride, the arrogance and the arrogance of the leadership. Back then in Israel and even today, the leadership is the greatest obstacle in the church of God. Can someone tell me what reason have we to be proud of? For years, the Street Parade has been running in Zurich, now the Euro Pride; the city of Zurich now has a Lesbian President. Can someone tell me where the Church is? Where are the leaders who meet in Zurich, to repent, throw out the sin from the church and then take the sword to challenge the forces of darkness?
Maybe you think you have a large church, not so small as the others, you are somebody! What is the difference between large and small churches? One has a congregation of hundreds of people with at least eighty lukewarm Christians, and the other has two thousand people with at least sixteen hundred lukewarm Christians, so what? Why do we have mega-churches? Most of them have thrown out the Cross, become discos, become like the world and so they grow. Does that mean we have to be small? No, the small ones are not better, it's not about big or small but about the Cross.
But every week, you say somebody is coming to Jesus and someone is healed! So what? The masses are and remain lukewarm and you know what? The devil does not mind if a few are converted as long as the church does not take the sword and fight against him. While a few are converted in Zurich, the devil increases his influence and kingdom. Where are the biggest and toughest strongholds of Satan? In the churches. How can they fall? If the leadership of a city comes together, asking for forgiveness, preaches the whole gospel, stands up against sin, throws sin out, and people and leadership will stand as one man against Satan and his demons. That will make the kingdom of darkness tremble. The Bride of Christ, the "remainder" will do this when God cleans the church.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom. 8, 1
Have you sinned? Run to the cross, do not let the enemy destroy you. But if you have pleasure in your sin? Then I don't want to be in your place.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. Eph. 2:14-16
The Lord has his faithful people in Israel and the Nations. The Cross unites us, nothing else.
So it's still a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Heb. 4,9 Do you know this peace? If not, then you need to ask the Lord what the obstacle is, usually you know it already. Everything you do, do it out of the peace of God.
Jesus has conquered death: O death, where is thy victory? Death where is thy sting? I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe it?
Remember, that Jesus has broken the power of sin, Satan and death in our lives. Do we live in this victory?
I have the impression some of you have not taken my last letters seriously. About two weeks ago, a thought came into my mind It was certainly not from me, it said: "Some will take their money to their grave!" Did you become rich through hard work or by inheritance? But if you do not want to help your brothers and sisters, then this word applies to you.
I cry out to some of you: you will take your money to your grave! To the others I say:
Behold, I come quickly; think what you have, that no one take your crown! Rev.. 3.11
Christ is my life, and to die is gain. Phil.1, 21 Can you confess this word with confidence?
But far be it from me, praising me as in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me and I unto the world. Gal. 6.14 Can you confess this word with security?
The peace and the grace of God with you!
Catherine Hafner, a servant of Jesus Christ!
