#A WILD YESHUA HAS APPEARED---

[general-kalani]

{ @unforgivendivine WHJADJKA YESHUA--- }

A sigh.

"Please. I know you're going to hate what I do. I don't need to be a mind reader over it. Thank you but... No. I don't need advice."

[besorah-tovah]

VaYigash 11-1

and came closer

Genesis 44:18-30

And we answered my lord: "We have an old father and a little brother, the son of his old age. And his brother is dead, so that only he remains of his mother's sons, and his father loves him."... the one he came out of my side, and I said, 'He must have been torn to pieces,' and I haven't seen him since.

(Gen. 44:20, 28 ESV)

What is the weakness of the lie?

Yosef's brothers had presented Yosef's bloodstained clothes to his father to make it look like he had been torn to pieces by a wild beast. At that time they did not say clearly that Yosef was dead, but let Yaakov draw his own conclusion from him (37:32-33). Yaakov said that he had been torn to pieces by a wild beast. However, 22 years later Yaakov was not so sure that Yosef was dead adding that he had not seen him since. This shows us that Israel had left a small door of hope open regarding his son. The promises that he had received from the Eternal and the dreams that Yosef had and that Israel had kept in his heart, had created that little spark of light in his aching soul.

However, the brothers had become accustomed to the language of lies, saying that Yosef was dead. We see the same thing in Reuven's rebuke in 42:22b where he says: "Now an account must be given for his blood." (ESV) The brothers knew Yosef was alive when they sold him into slavery, but they chose the lie and got used to it. When one repeats a lie many times, in the end the mind gets used to it and many times the same mind chooses to believe the lie, even knowing that it is a lie, because it wants it to be so.

But there is a huge weakness of the lie – reality itself.

Here we have a man, Yehudah, together with his brothers, who had all chosen to believe in the lie and suppress the truth, speaking of Yosef as dead, and he was doing it in the face of the "dead". The reality was much stronger than the lie that had invaded the minds of the brothers. That lie had no power in the face of reality. All it took was for Yosef to make himself known, speaking to them in fluent Hebrew about intimate family matters, for the lie that had been believed for so many years to fall to the ground and die once and for all.

The same will happen with many lies believed in the world. The lie of atheism will fall when the Almighty is revealed. The lie of evolution will fall. The lie of socialism-communism will fall. The lie of a new Israel will fall. The lie of Islam will fall. The lie of Palestine will fall. The lie of the Israeli occupation will fall. The lie of the new world order will fall.

And the most glorious of all will be when the lie that has been believed in the Jewish people that Yeshua is dead falls, when the resurrected Messiah appears in glory as the brother and savior of the Jews. That day he is drawing near!

May the Eternal help us not to believe in the lies that are being believed in the world.

[dfroza]

lost & found things

this is what we see in Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament book of Luke in chapter 15:

Jesus became increasingly popular among notorious sinners—tax collectors and other social outcasts. The Pharisees and religious scholars noticed this.

Pharisees and Religious Scholars: This man welcomes immoral people and enjoys their company over a meal!

Jesus (with another parable): Wouldn’t every single one of you, if you have 100 sheep and lose one, leave the 99 in their grazing lands and go out searching for the lost sheep until you find it? When you find the lost sheep, wouldn’t you hoist it up on your shoulders, feeling wonderful? And when you go home, wouldn’t you call together your friends and neighbors? Wouldn’t you say, “Come over and celebrate with me, because I’ve found my lost sheep”? This is how it is in heaven. They’re happier over one sinner who changes his way of life than they are over 99 good and just people who don’t need to change their ways of life.

Or imagine a woman who has 10 silver coins. She loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the whole house, and search diligently until that coin is found? And when she finds it, doesn’t she invite her friends and neighbors and say, “Celebrate with me! I’ve found that silver coin that I lost”? Can’t you understand? There is joy in the presence of all God’s messengers over even one sinner who changes his way of life.

Once there was this man who had two sons. One day the younger son came to his father and said, “Father, eventually I’m going to inherit my share of your estate. Rather than waiting until you die, I want you to give me my share now.” And so the father liquidated assets and divided them. A few days passed and this younger son gathered all his wealth and set off on a journey to a distant land. Once there he wasted everything he owned on wild living. He was broke, a terrible famine struck that land, and he felt desperately hungry and in need. He got a job with one of the locals, who sent him into the fields to feed the pigs. The young man felt so miserably hungry that he wished he could eat the slop the pigs were eating. Nobody gave him anything.

So he had this moment of self-reflection: “What am I doing here? Back home, my father’s hired servants have plenty of food. Why am I here starving to death? I’ll get up and return to my father, and I’ll say, ‘Father, I have done wrong—wrong against God and against you. I have forfeited any right to be treated like your son, but I’m wondering if you’d treat me as one of your hired servants?’” So he got up and returned to his father. The father looked off in the distance and saw the young man returning. He felt compassion for his son and ran out to him, enfolded him in an embrace, and kissed him.

The son said, “Father, I have done a terrible wrong in God’s sight and in your sight too. I have forfeited any right to be treated as your son.”

But the father turned to his servants and said, “Quick! Bring the best robe we have and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Go get the fattest calf and butcher it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate because my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and has been found.” So they had this huge party.

Now the man’s older son was still out in the fields working. He came home at the end of the day and heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. The servant said, “Your brother has returned, and your father has butchered the fattest calf to celebrate his safe return.”

The older brother got really angry and refused to come inside, so his father came out and pleaded with him to join the celebration. But he argued back, “Listen, all these years I’ve worked hard for you. I’ve never disobeyed one of your orders. But how many times have you even given me a little goat to roast for a party with my friends? Not once! This is not fair! So this son of yours comes, this wasteful delinquent who has spent your hard-earned wealth on loose women, and what do you do? You butcher the fattest calf from our herd!”

The father replied, “My son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours. Isn’t it right to join in the celebration and be happy? This is your brother we’re talking about. He was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found again!”

The Book of Luke, Chapter 15 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 23rd chapter of the book of Job:

Job confided to his friends.

Job: So once again you are telling me my complaint amounts to rebellion,

that the heavy hand I feel upon me is smothering my groans?

Would that I knew where to find Him.

I would appear before Him.

I would lay my case out before Him;

I would fill up my mouth with arguments.

And then I would finally learn how He would answer me,

and I would understand what He tells me.

Would He oppose me merely with His great power? Surely not!

Surely He would show me the respect of listening to my argument.

There, in that courtroom, a moral man might hope to reason with Him,

and I would escape my Judge forever.

Alas, wherever I go, ahead or behind,

He is not there;

I am unable to find Him.

When He works on either side of me, I still cannot see Him.

I catch no glimpse of Him.

But He knows the course I have traveled.

And I believe that were He to prove me,

I would come out purer than gold from the fire.

My foot has been securely set in His tracks;

I have kept to His course of life without swerving;

I have not departed from the commands of His lips;

I have valued everything He says more than all else.

He alone is one True God; who can alter Him?

Whatever He desires within Himself, He does.

For He will carry out exactly what He has planned for me,

and in the future there are more plans to come.

Therefore, I am deeply troubled before Him;

when I ponder it at any length, I am terrified of Him.

Yes, God has melted my courage,

and the Highest One has overwhelmed me with His terror.

He could have turned me aside when the darkness came,

but He did not cut me off.

Nor does He hide my face from the gloom that has now overtaken me.

The Book of Job, Chapter 23 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, April 30 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons that looks into our “rest”

It is written in our Scriptures: "Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and he will bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5). In this verse, the word translated "commit" comes from the Hebrew root galal (גלל), which could be rendered as "roll away" or "heap upon" (the word gal means a heap or pile of stones). The LORD spoke this word when He said to Joshua, "This day have I rolled away (galal) the reproach of Egypt from off you" (Josh. 5:9) and named the place "Gilgal" (גִּלְגָּל), a word-play meaning a wheel or "rolling away." In great mercy the LORD "rolls away" the reproach of our sin.

The word galal can also mean to trust or to commit, with the connotation of "rolling one's trouble" away from oneself upon someone else who can help. Thus the Messiah entrusted (galal) His suffering unto the LORD (Psalm 22:8), and we are likewise encouraged to "commit" (galal) our way to his loving will. When we trust in His love, when we "roll away" the burden of our lives to His care, our thoughts will be "established" and we can freely enjoy the confidence that God Himself is directing our way (Prov. 16:9, Psalm 37:23). We can then experience genuine rest and shalom, despite the tumult of the world and its tribulations.

As the Lord Yeshua cried out, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28), so may we come, rolling away our burdens unto Him, and having our way established in His shalom (1 Pet. 5:7; Psalm 55:22). Amen. [Hebrew for Christians]

4.29.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

April 30, 2021

Jehovah

“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.” (Hebrews 1:10)

The primary name for God in Scripture is the majestic name Jehovah, occurring nearly 7,000 times. The early Jews were reluctant to use that name for fear of using it lightly (Exodus 20:7) and substituted the word Adonai (meaning Master or Lord) in its place. Our English versions have followed suit, using the term “Lord” for Jehovah (small or all caps to distinguish it from Adonai, or Lord). Thus, the name Jehovah appears only four times in the King James and causes us at times to miss the full impact of the passage.

This is especially true in the New Testament quotations from Old Testament passages that used the name “Jehovah” for which “Lord” has been substituted. Now in the English versions the name “Lord” appears. If “Jehovah” (i.e., deity) were read instead, much richer meaning would be gathered, and it would prove beyond a doubt the full deity of Christ. Consider two examples.

First, our text quotes from Psalm 102:25-27. The entire psalm consists of praise to Jehovah, and here in Hebrews it addresses the Son. If we read “thou, Jehovah, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth” and realize that Jesus is the subject of the passage, we recognize that Jesus can be none other than the Creator God.

Also, in Matthew 3:3, where John the Baptist fulfilled his prophesied role by teaching “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” quoting from Isaiah 40:3, we see Jesus equated with the Jehovah of the Old Testament, for Isaiah uses the term LORD, or Jehovah.

In these and many other examples, we see Christ as the Jehovah Jesus and that the Lord of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament. JDM

[nataliesnews]

Modi. Rivlin 6.4.2021

I have not written much lately. One of my friends is very ill and it sent me back all those years to the time with Oscar.  In this case she was attacked by a germ which they have not been able to identify and antibiotics are having no effect. I was learning Spanish with her for the fun of it but over the years we also became friends. It is so sad as she has just been through a few bad years and a divorce and had moved into a new flat with no furniture and everything seemed to be going for her. She is under sedation and oxygen and one can only wait.

 But the last night I heard at last some wonderful news. My girl, Esther who did reflexology on me got married at the age of 40 and yesterday had a son. I was so thrilled for her. I just hope that her mother will be able to come as she is from Hungary. Esther also had Corona so this is such a relief.

 So much has happened also in the last few days so let me do it chronologically.

 I have often written of Chan el Achmar and a group called Friends of the Jahalin did a trip on Thursday. While we are at the school I thought maybe I had wasted my time as there was nothing new nor encouraging to hear. I only hope that International organizations manage to keep the school going and also the little miserable village from being destroyed. I look around at the shacks they live in, the tents, their conditions and find it unbelievable that we want to take even that away from them. Anyhow a young man, Modi, did a trip there and then went on to Nabi Musa and Mar Saba which are places which I have not seen for years though we have often hiked there.

 Nabi Musa was built in 1269 and the Moslems believe that Moses was buried there. Just lately some idiots, Jews and Muslims held a rave party there. It is like holding a rave party at the Wall. It has caused a great furor and has put a stop of the time to the idea of building a sort of a Chan ( hotel in the desert)  there. I don’t much hold with holy places. I am always reminded of the story of the two travellers in the desert whose dog died while they were on a trip and buried in under many stones so as to remember the place and every time they passed there they would add a stone and often saw that the heap was getting bigger. Then for many years they did not go back and when in old age, decided to make a trip of memory. As they drew near the spot they saw that there was a big celebration there and were told that it was in honour of the great prophet, Caleb (Dog). But you really have to have no respect to do anything like that. As you can see  you really have to  cover yourself to go in and this was how they dressed me.

  Then we went on to Mar Saba. My memory of it is arriving there on a hot day and only the men were allowed in. According to what I remember I think no woman ever has been allowed in. But we sat there for over an hour and a half in that baking sun  while the men had the grand tour. We were furious. But this time a road is being made to a lookout point on the other side.  It was really hard going up but two men who had a four by four came back and took myself and another woman up ….but it was a wild ride and once or twice I was sure that the jeep was going to topple over. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the view was great.

 https://www.seetheholyland.net/mar-saba/

 Our demonstrations do not seem to have done much good. The shouts of Bibi is the king…if they would listen I would shout to them Shaul was also king, he also was engaged with a witch and his sons came to no good end. Last night there was a demonstration at the house of the president. One does not know what to dread more…that Netanyahu will again from the government with some of the most fascist elements Israel has ever known…. Or that he will become the president in the place of Rivlin. Then the right will make him dictator. And give Yigal Amir a pardon and a life pension. Little about our protests appear on the news to be read or seen. I was yust thinking that Netanyahu would probably make a law to make him president for life when I read this about Putin

 Putin approves bill allowing him to remain president until 2036

Russian leader gives himself option of two more terms after this one ends in 2024‎; was first elected in 2000‎, has been the de-facto head of government since

https://www.timesofisrael.com/putin-approves-bill-allowing-him-two-more-terms-as-president/

 So on the light side:

So last night we were there and I met Lulu, this great dog whom I had noticed before with three legs.

  My friend, Dalia, lives in the same street as the home of the President. I hope for her said Netanyahu does not become President……then their street will be turned into a Bastille prison as Balfour has. When we went back to her house, the Bibiastiem, were standing on the other side. Of course they were given the closest area next to the presidential residence and as we came past the one with the microphone started jeering at me saying that I would have to go on walking for the next four years……I was surprised that we were not phatically attacked because the police would certainly have turned a blind eye. All the police presence seemed to be on the side of the left…..we traitors.

 Today we will go the Knesset for the grand opening….of what. Of a government which is being founded on the same day as the leader has been in court on charges of bribery and heaven alone knows what. I noticed his wife did not come along to do hold his hand. And I suggest to read this to see how the crime family controls the media,

 Ex-CEO of top news site: Skewed coverage of Netanyahu was part of quid pro quo

Ilan Yeshua details orders to fire top editor, bury negative stories, smear rivals, all coming from PM's aides; says Walla owners made clear their business interests were at stake

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-walla-chief-skewed-coverage-of-netanyahus-was-part-of-quid-pro-quo/

   https://www.jahalin.org/palestinian-school-under-imminent-threat-of-demolition/

 Don't Say We Didn't Know 741

In their efforts to make Palestinians of the South Hebron Hills leave, the Israeli army and  settler-colonists block ways that serve Palestinian traffic in the area.

On March 11, 2021, the Israeli army used boulders to block a track connecting Sha'ab Al Batam, Qawawis and Al Fakhit to Al Carmil and Yatta.

On Monday, March 22, 2021, settler-colonists blocked the track connecting Bir Al Eid, Jinba, Al Fakhit, Halawa and Al Markaz to Yatta, Susya and Al Carmil. 

On Saturday, March 27, Israeli human rights activists cleared this barrier.

   Modi. Rivlin 6.4.2021

[trevisdampierministries]

Sept 9, 2021 - Verse of the Day - Titus 2:2 - Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled.. from Trevis Dampier Ministries on Vimeo.

News Feed - facebook.com/trevisdampierministries/

New Moon was spotted on Sept. 8th, so we know now Tishrei 1.

Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the universe, the day G‑d created Adam and Eve, and it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year. It begins at sundown on the eve of Tishrei 1 (Sept. 8, 2021) and ends after nightfall on Tishrei 2 (Sept. 10, 2021).

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the shofar (ram’s horn) on both mornings of the holiday (except on Shabbat), which is normally done in synagogue as part of the day’s services but may be done elsewhere for those who cannot attend.

In the following forty+ items below, all took place on or are associated with the date of Tishri 1, or the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh HaShanah. Documents referenced appears to the right where possible. Those references are either from the Bible, or Jewish sacred works.

fivedoves.com/letters/aug2014/pastorbob810-3.htm Tishri 1 Moon in the constellation of Bethulah. New Moon. Numbers 10:8-10. Yom Teruah (Rosh HaShanah). Leviticus 23:24. The month of the strong - 1st kings 8:2. The new year for Kings begins. Mishna: Seder Moed: Tractate Rosh HaShanah: 1:1. The Awesome Days / Yamin Noraim, day 1. Period of Teshuvah / repentance day 30. Adam and Eve are created, it is the sixth day. Sanhedrin 38b. Cain and Abel and three twin sister are born. Beresshit Rabbah 22. Noah's birthday. 1st day of the 1st month, 1056 AM (ATB, pg.307). Genesis 8:13 (Seder Olam Radak). Noah has dry land. Noah removes the cover of the ark and dispatches the dove. Genesis 8:5; 8:13. Rashi. HaSatan stands before HaShem to accuse Job. Job 1:6, Targum Jerus. Rebecca and Leah are rememberd. (Tanhuma, Vayera). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were born. Sarah conceived Isaac. Yevamot 64b). Rachel conceives Joseph. Genesis 30:22ff is read (Rosh HaShanah 10b) Yevamot 64. Pharaoh's cup bearer and baker have dreams related to their judgment. Oznaim L'Torah, Rosh HaShanah 10a. Joseph was released from prison. Rosh HaShanah 10b-11a. Pharaoh freed the Israelites from Slavery. Rosh HaShanah 11a. Plague of wild beasts begins (Plague number 4). Exodus 8:24. Zihron Yemot Olam. Moses goes up to Mount Sinai, the third time, to get the second set of stone tablets to spend forty days - day 30. Exodus 34:1. Hannah conceives Samuel. Yevamot 64. 1st Samuel 1:2-10. Nabal refuses to feed David's men. Abigal did feed them. 1st Samuel 25:1-35. David is forgiven after sinning with Bathsheba. Shabbat 56a. Elisha prophesied the birth of a son to the Shunamite. 2nd Kings 4:16. Zohar. Be-Shallah. Daniel 7:9-14 took place on this day. (seated for judgment). Joseph Good. Daniel sees a vision of judgment. Daniel 7:9-10. Zerubbabel brought the first offering on the new altar in Jerusalem in 538 BC, Nehemiah 8:2. Daily sacrifice restored by Zerrubbabel. Talmud Zevachim 62a. Ezra begins to read the law to the people in 444 BC. Nehemiah 8:2. Revelation 4:1-4 took place on this day (seated for judgment). Joseph Good. Burnt offerings begin before Ezra's foundation. Ezra 3:6. Herod slays the children trying to kill Yeshua. Matthew 2:13-23 (see the halftorah for the second day.). John the Baptizer wants to know if Yeshua is the "expected" One, after raising the widow's son. Luke 7:11-35. Judgment of the righteous. Revelation 20:4-6. The resurrection of the righteous. 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1st Corinthians 15:51-57. Remembrance of the fathers. Revelation 21:12-14. Coronation of the King. Revelation 11:15-18. "The Day of the Lord" begins on this day. Zephaniah 1:14, 16. The revelation of Yeshua took place on this day. Revelation 1:9-11. Torah section for the first day is Genesis 21:1-34, Numbers 29:1-6. Haftorah is 1st Samuel 1:1-2:10. Torah section for the second day is Genesis 22:1-24; Numbers 29:1-6. Halftorah is Jeremiah 31:1-19.

Because the Feast of Trumpets is observed as a two-day or (one long day) there are events associated with day two, which are as follows:

Period of Teshuvah / repentance day 31. The Awesome Days / Yamin Noraim, day 2. God blesses the seventh day and sanctifies it because He rested from all the work of creating. Genesis 2:3. Sanhedrin 38b. Moses goes up to Mount Sinai, the third time, to get the second set of stone tablets to spend forty days - day 31. Exodus 34:1. The letters engraved on law tablets were created at dusk on the eve of the first Sabbath. Pirkkei De-Rabbi Eliezer 19. Ezra celebrates the second day of Yom Teruah by reading the law again. Nehemiah 8:13.

[blackyeshuadepictions]

Transfiguration

Matthew 17.1-9

And after six days Jesus Yeshua took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus Yeshua, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus Yeshua came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus Yeshua only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus Yeshua commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead.”

Mark 9:2-8

Now after six days Jesus Yeshua took Peter, James and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus Yeshua. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus Yeshua, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one Elijah” because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came and overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR HIM!” Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus Yeshua with themselves.

Luke 9:28-36

At that time, Jesus Yeshua took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they wakened they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus Yeshua, “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah” - not knowing what he said. As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus Yeshua was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

John 1:1-17

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’”) And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Yeshua Calms A Storm in Gospel of Mark 4.35-41:

On that day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him. And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” And He awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?” Lord Yeshua the Messiah, True God, have mercy on us! प्रभु यीशु मसीह, परमेश्वर के सन्तान, हम पर दया कर!  We learn from St. Mark that, in the words of the St. Athanasius the Great, “The Lord Who rebuked (the storm) was not a creature, but rather its Creator.” St. Basil the Great further teaches us that “by these encounters we are meeting the Father of the Son, the Father Who creates through the Son.

HANNUKAH (Chanukah) MIRACLE! 

2 Maccabees 10:5-9 

It happened that on the same day on which the sanctuary had been profaned by the foreigners, the purification of the sanctuary took place, that is, on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was Chislev. And they celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the feast of booths, remembering how not long before, during the feast of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals. Therefore bearing ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place. They decreed by public ordinance and vote that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year. Such then was the end of Anti′ochus, who was called Epiph′anes. +

John 16:33

+New American Bible Revised Edition:

 “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” 

+Revised Standard Version:

 “I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 

+King James Version:

 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” 

+DouayRheims:

 “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you shall have distress: but have confidence, I have overcome the world.” 

+Disciples’ Literal New Testament: 

“I have spoken these things to you in order that you may have peace in Me. You have affliction in the world, but take-courage— I have overcome the world”.

Apostle Peter On Yeshua’s Transfiguration in 2 Peter 1:16–18 

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

YESHUA EATS FISH & ASCENDS TO HEAVEN in Luke 24: 36-53 ++LORD JESUS YESHUA THE MESSIAH CHRIST, PRE-ETERNAL BISHOP (TRUE HEAD OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH) & SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON US SINNERS! ++ 

… Jesus YESHUA himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. Then he said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

YESHUA’S ASCENSION from the Acts of the Apostles 1:6-11 (NOT the Gospel of Luke) 

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samar′ia and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Song of the Theotokos in Luke 1:46-55 

And Mariam (Mary) said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, too Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”

[veale2006-blog]

The Road to the Anti-Christ, Part 3

July 24, 2019 While the two witnesses were prophesying 3 ½ years against the anti-Christ, the seven seals were striped from the book, six of the seven angels have sounded their trumpets, two of the three woes have occurred, and maybe three of the horseman have made their appearance.

The anti-Christ during these 1,260 days ,or 180 weeks, could not shut the two witnesses up.  But when their 3 ½ year testimony is complete, and they are killed, and they rise again from the dead and ascend back to Heaven, , the anti-Christ will go wild.

First, let’s go to Daniel, to learn more of the evil son of perdition.

Daniel 7: 7-15 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Let me pause here. I believe this is the first mention of the coming anti-Christ in the bible. The ten horns are ten nations, which shall form an alliance.  The beast, which I believe will come from the nation of Turkey, will initially take control of three nations. He will have a great gift of gab, meaning he will be a commanding speaker, saying great things. Now verse 9.

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Let me pause. The above verses are now speaking of Yeshua, being merged with Yehovah.  It was about the time of Judgment Day, since the writer was speaking of the books being opened, to be used in the high court. Let’s jump to Rev 1, vs 14-15 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

The books that were opened are the book of life, and the books that have recorded the deeds of mankind, which shall be used in court on Judgment Day. Now, let’s go back to Daniel 7, and pick up at vs 11. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

Let me pause. The beast, also known as the anti-Christ, will be the first person to be thrown into the lake of fire.  He, and the false Jesus, will be alone in the lake for 1,007 years, while there is peace on Earth and Satan is bound.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

Let me pause.  Daniel had seen four beasts, representing four nations that would take turns ruling the ancient world. The first was like a Lion, which represented Babylon, the second beast was like a bear, which represented the Medes and Persians. The third beast was like a leopard, which had four heads, which was the nation of Greece, which had the four generals that took over after Alexander the Great died.  The fourth beast was Rome, in earlier times. The spirit of that nation will arise again, which will be the ten nation alliance which the anti-Christ will control.  Next two verses.  

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Let me explain. The Son of Man is Yeshua, the Son of God. The Ancient of Days is Yehovah, the Father God. When Yeshua ascended to Heaven for the last time, the Son and the Father merged into one being. This transferred all power and dominion to Yeshua.  When Yeshua rules upon the Earth from Jerusalem, it will be for ever and ever.  Not just for 1,000 years.

15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for ever and ever. 19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nailsof brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Let me pause.  At this point, the two witnesses are gone back to Heaven, and the anti-Christ begins his 42 month reign of terror against all who call themselves Christians.  

22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Let me pause. The Beast, also known as the anti-Christ, will initiate the great tribulation for 3 ½ years, after the two witnesses rise from the dead and are taken to Heaven. This is the 42 months that the gentiles will trod or step upon Jerusalem and the Temple. After the 3 ½ years are complete, Yeshua will come from Heaven to eventually rapture the saints.  

23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Let me pause. Here again is the time 1 year, times -  two years, and the dividing of time ½ year. 3 ½ years the beast shall wear out the saints of God, and force many to take on his mark, or else starve.  

26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

In Revelation, where it says that the saints will live and reign with Jesus for 1000 years, is misleading. First, Yeshua will come to Earth from Heaven with His angels, fight the first battle of Armageddon, and kill the armies of the anti-Christ with swords from His mouth. This is when the birds shall eat the flesh of soldiers and horses.  The anti-Christ and the false Jesus will be thrown in the Lake of fire. Satan will be bound for 1,000 years.  The rapture will take place and the saints will be in Heaven with Jesus during those same 1,000 years.  

Jesus will show the saints all of the other universes and creations that Yehovah had made before He created our universe. That will take 1,000 years, while there is peace on Earth and Lucifer is bound in the bottomless pit.

After the 1000 years are over, and Satan is loosed, and he does his dirty work for seven years, Yeshua will return to Earth this time with the saints, fight a second battle of Armageddon, stand on Mt of Olives, split the mountain in two, and kill the invading armies with fire from His mouth.

We then have the second resurrection, the White Throne judgment where the books are opened, and remaining mankind is judged.  It is here that all those that did not make the rapture will either be thrown into the Lake of Fire with Satan, the Beast, and the false Jesus, or, they will found “not guilty” and be allowed to live forever on the new Earth.

After all judgment is over, the saints will reign on Earth with Yeshua for another 1,000 years.  After that, the saints, that do not stay in the New Jerusalem, will go away and rule other creations. But Yeshua will remain on Earth and rule forever.  Now, we go back to Daniel ch 9, to read more of the anti-Christ:  

26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolation are determined.

I’ll pause here.  After the Messiah is cut off, but not for himself, the prophecy shifts from Yeshua to the anti-Christ. It is the Beast that will destroy Jerusalem, and the third Temple that was just built and has (present tense) the Arc of the Covenant in it. The Arc was discovered at 2:00 PM, local Jerusalem time, on January 6, 1982.  Keep that date in mind, because I suspect that forty years from that Hebrew date, the Arc will be revealed.

When Yeshua told His disciples that the Temple would come down, it happened forty years later, in 68 AD. So it makes sense that after forty years, the Arc will be revealed.  

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This complete verse is about the anti-Christ. As it has been said in the past by others, it is expected that after the beast has control of the middle East, a seven year agreement will be made. This is when the two witnesses will show up, and begin their 3 ½ year testimony against the Beast, who people will think at the time is a good man, and will think that the two witnesses are evil.  

So, it would appear that about in the year 2026 time frame, the Beast will kill Enoch and Elijah. 84 hours later, on a Tuesday evening, when the renewed Moon is seen at sunset, the two witnesses will arise, ascend to Heaven to give their report to the High Priest, who is Yeshua, and the great tribulation begins.

We will pick up from here in Part 4.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK!!!

Have a blessed day and week, May Yeshua the Messiah bless you, Love, Debbie

[israel-jewish-news]

Report: Tape Recording Prompted Filber to Testify Against PM

New Post has been published on http://hamodia.com/2018/02/22/report-tape-recording-prompted-filber-testify-pm/

Report: Tape Recording Prompted Filber to Testify Against PM

Shaul Elovich arrives for extension of his remand in case 4000 at the Magistrate’s Court in Tel Aviv, Sunday. (Flash90)

It was a tape recording of Shaul Elovich appealing for “better coverage” for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that pushed former Communications Ministry Director General Shlomo Filber to turn state’s evidence, Maariv reported on Thursday. The recording has Elovich speaking to Ilan Yeshua, the CEO of the Walla news site.

The recording, according to the report, convinced Filber to make a deal with state prosecutors. Filber, whose nominal boss was Netanyahu, who was acting as communications minister, is accused of providing documents and other assistance to Elovich that would benefit his holding company by improving the situation of communications firm Bezeq. According to Hadashot News, Filber told police under questioning Wednesday that “I carried out the direct orders of Netanyahu. I had no say in any of these matters. He made clear to me what was needed, and who was needed to accomplish his goals.”

The report quoted associates of Filber, to whom he revealed the questions police asked. “I don’t want to mess up the inquiries, but I gave police very detailed answers. I sent outlines of documents to Bezeq, they went over the outlines, and I made the necessary corrections.” Filber said that investigators prompted him to sign the deal by pointing out that others involved in the affair, including Elovich, “are walking away with millions, but you are just a suspended civil servant, who at best earned half a salary.” They told Filber that they had him dead to rights, and when they played the recording for him, “he broke,” the report said. Police officials quoted by Maariv said that the recording “is one of the main things that turned Filber into a witness.”

The case police presented to prosecutors, according to the report, appears to be that Netanyahu, who was close to Filber and who, as the state witness said, gave him “direct orders,” could not have been unaware of the assistance Filber was providing Elovich, and likely instructed Filber to act in that manner. Elovich’s pushing for better coverage for Netanyahu was the quid pro quo that connects the prime minister to the affair. Police on Thursday will seek to extend the remand of Elovich, his wife and son, and Filber.

In a terse statement responding to the reports, Netanyahu’s office said that “the events as described never happened.” In a statement Tuesday night, Netanyahu dismissed the accusations as “shocking. What has been happening in the past two days is a breakdown of the system. They have dug up two new accusations against me and my family, part of the campaign that has been going on for years.”

Any benefits for Bezeq, he said, were approved by numerous government and professional committees, approved by legal authorities. “This is not the Wild West, no one is making personal decisions. All the decisions were properly and transparently made. Any claims that I acted on behalf of Bezeq are absolutely ridiculous.” The previous investigations against him are going nowhere, Netanyahu said, “so they have to come up with a new case, within hours. They question associates of mine, leak information, and all of the sudden we have a ‘case.’ The point, of course, is to publicly damage my reputation. What is happening is unbelievable.”

[dfroza]

it doesn’t matter what the fear of man tries to force in this world

because there is no fear in the sacred truth of Love.

and Love is Light that gives us assurance of the eternal hope we treasure in the heart. and so we are meant to fear God which is a state of humility that guides our words and behavior.

in Today’s reading Paul writes of this hope at the start of his Letter of First Thessalonians that illuminates a new covenant of grace in the Son:

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church gathering in Thessalonica, those living in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus the Anointed.

May grace and peace be yours [from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Anointed].

We always thank God for all of you in our prayers. Your actions on behalf of the true faith, your tireless toil of love, and your unfailing, unwavering, unending hope in our Lord Jesus the Anointed before God our Father have put you consistently at the forefront of our thoughts. O brothers and sisters loved by God, we know He has chosen you. And here is why: what you experienced in the good news we brought you was more than words channeling down your ears; it came to you as a life-empowering, Spirit-infused message that offers complete hope and assurance! We lived transparently before you so that you would know what sort of people we truly are. We did it for your sake, and you have modeled your lives after ours just as we are modeling ours after the Lord. You took to heart the word we taught with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, even in the face of trouble. As a result, you have turned into a model of faith yourselves for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. In fact, not only has the message of our Lord thundered from your gathering into Macedonia and Achaia, but everywhere we go, your faith in God is talked about so we don’t even have to say a thing! You see, they go on and on telling us the story of how you welcomed us when we were introduced to you; how you turned toward God and realigned your life to serve the one true living God—leaving your idols to crumble in the dust— and how you now await the return from heaven of His Son, whom He raised from the dead—namely, Jesus—our rescuer from the wrath to come.

The Letter of First Thessalonians, Chapter 1 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 19th chapter of the book of Jeremiah that pronounces Judgment for turning from God:

[Smashing the Clay Pot]

God said to me, “Go, buy a clay pot. Then get a few leaders from the people and a few of the leading priests and go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom, just outside the Potsherd Gate, and preach there what I tell you.

“Say, ‘Listen to God’s Word, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem! This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel. I’m about to bring doom crashing down on this place. Oh, and will ears ever ring! Doom—because they’ve walked off and left me, and made this place strange by worshiping strange gods, gods never heard of by them, their parents, or the old kings of Judah. Doom—because they have massacred innocent people. Doom—because they’ve built altars to that no-god Baal, and burned their own children alive in the fire as offerings to Baal, an atrocity I never ordered, never so much as hinted at!

“‘And so it’s payday, and soon’—God’s Decree!—‘this place will no longer be known as Topheth or Valley of Ben-hinnom, but Massacre Meadows. I’m canceling all the plans Judah and Jerusalem had for this place, and I’ll have them killed by their enemies. I’ll stack their dead bodies to be eaten by carrion crows and wild dogs. I’ll turn this city into such a museum of atrocities that anyone coming near will be shocked speechless by the savage brutality. The people will turn into cannibals. Dehumanized by the pressure of the enemy siege, they’ll eat their own children! Yes, they’ll eat one another, family and friends alike.’

“Say all this, and then smash the pot in front of the men who have come with you. Then say, ‘This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: I’ll smash this people and this city like a man who smashes a clay pot into so many pieces it can never be put together again. They’ll bury bodies here in Topheth until there’s no more room. And the whole city will become a Topheth. The city will be turned by people and kings alike into a center for worshiping the star gods and goddesses, turned into an open grave, the whole city an open grave, stinking like a sewer, like Topheth.’”

Then Jeremiah left Topheth, where God had sent him to preach the sermon, and took his stand in the court of God’s Temple and said to the people, “This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies to you: ‘Warning! Danger! I’m bringing down on this city and all the surrounding towns the doom that I have pronounced. They’re set in their ways and won’t budge. They refuse to do a thing I say.’”

The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 19 (The Message)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Wednesday, September 1 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons that takes a look at sacrificial Love:

As I’ve mentioned over the years, the word “love” (i.e., ahavah) first appears in the Torah regarding Abraham’s passion for his son: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love (אֲשֶׁר־אָהַבְתָּ), and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Gen. 22:2). After journeying three days to the designated place, Abraham told his son that God himself would provide a lamb (אֱלהִים יִרְאֶה־לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה), and then bound Isaac, laid him upon an altar, and raised his knife to slay him (Gen. 22:8-10). At the very last moment, the Angel of the Lord called out: “Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your “only son” (בֵּ�� יָחִיד), from me” (Gen. 22:11-12). Abraham then “lifted up his eyes” and saw a ram “caught in a thicket” which he offered in place of his son. Abraham then named the place Adonai-Yireh (יהוה יִרְאֶה), "the LORD who provides" (Gen. 22:14). The sacrifice of the lamb for Isaac portrayed the coming sacrifice of Yeshua, the great “Lamb of God” (שֵׂה הָאֱלהִים) who would be offered in exchange for the trusting sinner (John 1:29). Indeed the story of how God provided the lamb at Moriah (and later during the Passover in Egypt) foreshadowed the greater redemption given in Messiah at the "Passover cross," and may be understood as the “Gospel according to Moses” (Luke 24:27; John 5:46). Therefore, during Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment (יוֹם הַדִּין), we listen to the sound of the shofar (ram’s horn) to remind us of the provision of the Lamb of God given in place of Isaac... In other words, Rosh Hashanah is decidedly a holiday that commemorates and celebrates Yeshua our Messiah... [Hebrew for Christians]

and another about repentance:

The theme of the High Holidays is teshuvah (תְּשׁוּבָה), a word often translated as “repentance,” though it is more accurately understood as turning back (i.e., shuv) to God. In spiritual terms, teshuvah may be regarded as a practical turning away from evil and a turning toward the good, though it is simpler to regard turning to God as the means by which we turn away from evil. Indeed the Greek word translated repentance (i.e., μετάνοια) means going beyond our habitual thinking, changing our mind, and learning to see from a radically new perspective. As we turn to God, we see that “everything is new.”

Teshuvah, or “repentance,” believes that the kindness of God can give life to our dead hearts, and therefore it is first of all a matter of faith, trusting God to perform the miracle for us. However, even though it is a great gift from heaven, repentance requires honesty and acknowledgment of the truth. We must confess our inner poverty, our neediness, and mourn over the loss and harm caused by our sin (Matt. 5:2-8). Repentance turns away from our attempts to defend or justify ourselves and instead turns to God to heal our separation from Him (Rom. 8:3-4). Teshuvah buries our old nature by being made into a new creation.

It is no small thing to believe the message of Yeshua, and indeed, it involves a passionate inwardness that “scandalizes” the rational mind. Our father Abraham is extolled as the model of righteous faith, but he was tested to sacrifice the moral law (e.g., “thou shalt not murder”) when he lifted up the knife to slay his beloved son Isaac. Faith requires you to change your everyday thinking, to go beyond natural expectations, to “walk on water.” In the case of Yeshua, we are confronted with the “Absolute Paradox,” namely, the God-Man, the Infinite-made-Finite, the Holy-made-Profane, the Sinless-made-Sin, who says to you: “I AM the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). You will never die; you will never hunger; you are made whole through my brokenness; you will be cleansed by my defilement, and so on. It’s not just hard to believe, it’s impossible, which is why it is a miracle of God to be saved (Matt. 19:26). “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is no help at all” (John 6:63). The difference is Yeshua: “Salvation is of the LORD.” We are enabled to love and know God by means of his inner life and spirit, not by means of good intentions or religious zeal. Faith itself is a miracle, the power of God. [Hebrew for Christians]

8.31.21 • Facebook

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

September 1, 2021

Stand Ye Still

“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem...to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17)

The Ammonites and Moabites and Edomites had organized “a great multitude” seeking to destroy Judah under King Jehoshaphat. But the king and his people came together to “seek the LORD” in prayer for deliverance, and God answered. “The Spirit of the LORD” spoke through Jahaziel, assuring them that “the battle is not yours, but God’s” (see 2 Chronicles 20:2, 4, 14-15).

Then the Lord sent what may have seemed a strange instruction. “Stand ye still,” He said. Just watch God do it! And He did. All their enemies were constrained by the Lord to fight and destroy each other, without the Israelites having to fight at all. Similarly, at the Red Sea when everything looked hopeless, “Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13). So, they did, and all Pharaoh’s armies were overthrown in the midst of the sea.

In Isaiah’s day, when Israel was tempted to call on pagan Egypt for help against pagan Assyria, God said concerning Israel’s armies, “Their strength is to sit still” (Isaiah 30:7). As the ship was being buffeted in the storm, and the sailors in panic were about to flee in the lifeboat, Paul said, “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 27:31). So, they stayed, and God spared every man.

There are times for action, of course, but the principle is this. When we have done all we can, and the situation seems hopeless, this is the time to sit still and trust God to work it out in His own good way. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? God specializes in things thought impossible! HMM

[dfroza]

“the golden rule”

Love.

everything will be consummated by it at some point.

Today’s reading from the Scriptures begins with chapter 7 in the book of Matthew:

“Refuse to be a critic full of bias toward others, and you will not be judged. For you’ll be judged by the same standard that you’ve used to judge others. The measurement you use on them will be used on you. Why would you focus on the flaw in someone else’s life and fail to notice the glaring flaws of your own? How could you say to your friend, ‘Let me show you where you’re wrong,’ when you’re guilty of even more? You’re being hypercritical and a hypocrite! First acknowledge and deal with your own ‘blind spots,’ and then you’ll be capable of dealing with the ‘blind spot’ of your friend.

“Who would hang earrings on a dog’s ear or throw pearls in front of wild pigs? They’ll only trample them under their feet and then turn around and tear you to pieces!

“Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.

“Do you know of any parent who would give his hungry child, who asked for food, a plate of rocks instead? Or when asked for a piece of fish, what parent would offer his child a snake instead? If you, imperfect as you are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what’s best, how much more ready is your heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask him?”

“In everything you do, be careful to treat others in the same way you’d want them to treat you, for that is the essence of all the teachings of the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road! The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to eternal life—so few even find it!”

“Constantly be on your guard against phony prophets. They come disguised as lambs, appearing to be genuine, but on the inside they are like wild, ravenous wolves! You can spot them by their actions, for the fruits of their character will be obvious. You won’t find sweet grapes hanging on a thorn bush, and you’ll never pick good fruit from a tumbleweed. So if the tree is good, it will produce good fruit; but if the tree is bad, it will bear only rotten fruit and deserves to be cut down and burned. You’ll know them by the obvious fruit of their lives and ministries.”

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into heaven’s kingdom. It is only those who persist in doing the will of my heavenly Father. On the day of judgment many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, don’t you remember us? Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we cast out demons and do many miracles in your name?’ But I will have to say to them, ‘Go away from me, you lawless rebels! I’ve never been joined to you!’

“Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.

“But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand. When it rained and rained and the flood came, with wind and waves beating upon his house, it collapsed and was swept away.”

By the time Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were awestruck by his teaching, because his words carried such great authority, quite unlike the religious scholars.

The Book of Matthew, Chapter 7 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 4th chapter of Ezra where a group of people became indignant at the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, even to send letters of accusation to the king of Persia in an attempt at getting him to put a stop to it:

[The Building Stopped]

Old enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building The Temple of the God of Israel. They came to Zerubbabel and the family heads and said, “We’ll help you build. We worship your God the same as you. We’ve been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon king of Assyria brought us here.”

Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the family heads of Israel said to them, “Nothing doing. Building The Temple of our God is not the same thing to you as to us. We alone will build for the God of Israel. We’re the ones King Cyrus of Persia commanded to do it.”

So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built. They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve. They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius king of Persia.

In fact, in the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those living in Judah and Jerusalem.

Again later, in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote regarding the Jerusalem business to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. (What follows is written in Aramaic.)

Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:

From: Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, backed by the rest of their associates, the judges and officials over the people from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, Elamites of Susa, and all the others whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and other places in the land across the Euphrates.

(This is the copy of the letter they sent to him.)

To: King Artaxerxes from your servants from the land across the Euphrates.

We are here to inform the king that the Jews who came from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and have set about rebuilding that rebellious and evil city. They are busy at work finishing the walls and rebuilding the foundations. The king needs to know that once that city is rebuilt and the wall completed they will no longer pay a penny of tribute, tax, or duty. The royal treasury will feel the loss. We’re loyal to the king and cannot sit idly by while our king is being insulted—that’s why we are passing this information on. We suggest that you look into the court records of your ancestors; you’ll learn from those books that that city is a rebellious city, a thorn in the side to kings and provinces, a historic center of unrest and revolt. That’s why the city was wiped out. We are letting the king know that if that city gets rebuilt and its walls restored, you’ll end up with nothing in your province beyond the Euphrates.

The king sent his reply to Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary, and the rest of their associates who lived in Samaria and other places beyond the Euphrates.

Peace be with you. The letter that you sent has been translated and read to me. I gave orders to search the records, and sure enough it turns out that this city has revolted against kings time and again—rebellion is an old story there. I find that they’ve had their share of strong kings who have taken over beyond the Euphrates and exacted taxes, tribute, and duty. So do this: Order these men to stop work immediately—not a lick of rebuilding in that city unless I order it. Act quickly and firmly; they’ve done enough damage to kings!

The letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates. They lost no time. They went to the Jews in Jerusalem and made them quit work.

That put a stop to the work on The Temple of God in Jerusalem. Nothing more was done until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

The Book of Ezra, Chapter 4 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Tuesday, march 9 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons about becoming “alive”

As our Teacher, Yeshua reveals the heart of God to us, teaching us about the meaning of life and death and why we suffer... Most radically, however, he offers us the cure for the sickness of “spiritual death” (i.e., separation from God) by offering the gift of his life for us. Yeshua heals us from alienation and separation from the Eternal by means of spiritual regeneration (Eph. 2:1,5; John 3:3-7). Your relationship with Messiah constitutes eternal life (חַיֵּי עוֹלָם), for it is He who “makes you alive together with him” (i.e., συζωοποιέω, the Greek word here means you are brought into a new realm of existence by participating in the life in Messiah). He offers us daily deliverance from the power of sin by means of the Spirit of Truth (רוּחַ הָאֱמֶת), though we must remain receptive to the message of hope and be transformed by the renewing our minds (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10).

We must be careful not to “drift away” from the truth, since that forfeits the integrity of our lives and leads us into darkness and despair: “For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36). Faith is the means or agency of connection with what is real, though we can lose that connection by hardening our hearts and returning to our former illusions (Heb. 3:13). Exile from God is therefore self-imposed; the gates of repentance are always open to those who seek God’s compassion; everyone is welcome to find life in the blessing of Messiah (Luke 14:16-23; Luke 15:11-32). Therefore, draw near to God and God will draw near to you. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). [Hebrew for Christians]

3.8.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

March 9, 2021

Thy Precious Blood

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:...And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:14, 20)

John introduced Jesus to the world at His baptism by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He was known prophetically as a lamb even before then. “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). He fulfilled the lamb role in His sacrificial death for the sins of mankind: “With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). The third verse of “There Is a Fountain” continues that picture.

Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood

Shall never lose its power

Till all the ransomed church of God

Be saved, to sin no more.

The precious Christology passage of Colossians 1:13-20 identifies Christ as Creator, Redeemer, and King. As Creator, His redemptive work included the ransom of His creation, lost and shackled in sin. There will come the time when all of redeemed mankind will gather around His throne “saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).

They will be joined by all in creation to sing His praises. “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:3). JDM

[dfroza]

we have this writing to tell us of precious things to come

and of meeting the Lord in the air at some point.

and our Union has been foretold as a heavenly wedding, a marriage of the eternal King & Queen

(A secret elopement away from this world)

of which we await with patient hearts, holding to the sacred hope of the eternal

and when? since it has been nearly 2,000 years and many have died still waiting. but still we hope...

(still we dream)

Today’s reading of the Scriptures is the closing of the Letter of First Thessalonians that begins with these lines:

I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would.

The Letter of 1st Thessalonians, Chapter 5:1-2 (The Message)

with the whole chapter in The Passion Translation:

[God’s Times and Seasons]

Now, beloved brothers and sisters, concerning the question of God’s precise times and specific seasons, you don’t need me to write anything to you. For you already know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly and as a complete surprise. For while some are saying, “Finally we have peace and security,” sudden destruction will arrive at their doorstep, like labor pains seizing a pregnant woman—and with no chance of escape!

But you, beloved brothers and sisters, are not living in the dark, allowing that day to creep up on you like a thief coming to steal. For you are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night nor to darkness. This is why we must not fall asleep, as the rest do, but keep wide awake and clearheaded. For those who are asleep sleep the night away, and drunkards get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, we must stay alert and clearheaded by placing the breastplate of faith and love over our hearts, and a helmet of the hope of salvation over our thoughts. For God has not destined us to experience wrath but to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. He gave his life for us so that we may share in resurrection life in union with him—whether we’re awake or asleep. Because of this, encourage the hearts of your fellow believers and support one another, just as you have already been doing.

Dear brothers and sisters, make sure that you show your deep appreciation for those who cherish you and diligently work as ministers among you. For they are your leaders who care for you, teach you, and stand before the Lord on your behalf. They value you with great love. Because of their service to you, let peace reign among yourselves.

We appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, to instruct those who are not in their place of battle. Be skilled at gently encouraging those who feel themselves inadequate. Be faithful to stand your ground. Help the weak to stand again. Be quick to demonstrate patience with everyone. Resist revenge, and make sure that no one pays back evil in place of evil but always pursue doing what is beautiful to one another and to all the unbelievers.

Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.

Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit. And don’t be one who scorns prophecies, but be faithful to examine them by putting them to the test, and afterward hold tightly to what has proven to be right. Avoid every appearance of evil.

Now, may the God of peace and harmony set you apart, making you completely holy. And may your entire being—spirit, soul, and body—be kept completely flawless in the appearing of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. The one who calls you by name is trustworthy and will thoroughly complete his work in you.

Now, beloved ones, pray for us.

Greet every brother and sister with a sacred kiss.

I solemnly plead with you before the Lord to make sure that every holy believer among you has the opportunity to hear this letter read to them.

Grace from our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen!

The Letter of 1st Thessalonians, Chapter 5 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 14th chapter of 2nd Kings that documents the life & times of kings of Israel and Judah, brothers in opposition:

[Amaziah of Judah]

In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin. She was from Jerusalem.

He lived the way God wanted and did the right thing. But he didn’t come up to the standards of his ancestor David; instead he lived pretty much as his father Joash had; the local sex-and-religion shrines continued to stay in business with people frequenting them.

When he had the affairs of the kingdom well in hand, he executed the palace guard that had assassinated his father the king. But he didn’t kill the sons of the assassins. He was obedient to what God commanded, written in the Word revealed to Moses, that parents shouldn’t be executed for their children’s sins, nor children for those of their parents. We each pay personally for our sins.

Amaziah roundly defeated Edom in the Valley of Salt to the tune of ten thousand dead. In another battle he took The Rock and renamed it Joktheel, the name it still bears.

One day Amaziah sent envoys to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, challenging him to a fight: “Come and meet with me—dare you. Let’s have it out face-to-face!”

Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah, “One day a thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But then a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it. Just because you’ve defeated Edom in battle, you now think you’re a big shot. Go ahead and be proud, but stay home. Why press your luck? Why bring defeat on yourself and Judah?”

Amaziah wouldn’t take No for an answer. So Jehoash king of Israel gave in and agreed to a battle between him and Amaziah king of Judah. They met at Beth Shemesh, a town of Judah.

Judah was thoroughly beaten by Israel—all their soldiers ran home in defeat.

Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. But Jehoash didn’t stop there; he went on to attack Jerusalem. He demolished the wall of Jerusalem all the way from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a stretch of about six hundred feet. He looted the gold, silver, and furnishings—anything he found that was worth taking—from both the palace and The Temple of God. And, for good measure, he took hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

The rest of the life and times of Jehoash, his significant accomplishments and the fight with Amaziah king of Judah, are all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria in the cemetery of the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam became the next king.

Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah continued as king fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. The rest of the life and times of Amaziah is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

At the last they cooked up a plot against Amaziah in Jerusalem and he had to flee to Lachish. But they tracked him down in Lachish and killed him there. They brought him back on horseback and buried him in Jerusalem, with his ancestors in the City of David.

Azariah—he was only sixteen years old at the time—was the unanimous choice of the people of Judah to succeed his father Amaziah as king. Following his father’s death, he rebuilt and restored Elath to Judah.

[Jeroboam II of Israel]

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for forty-one years. As far as God was concerned he lived an evil life, never deviating an inch from all the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. But he did restore the borders of Israel to Lebo Hamath in the far north and to the Dead Sea in the south, matching what God, the God of Israel, had pronounced through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

God was fully aware of the trouble in Israel, its bitterly hard times. No one was exempt, whether slave or citizen, and no hope of help anywhere was in sight. But God wasn’t yet ready to blot out the name of Israel from history, so he used Jeroboam son of Jehoash to save them.

The rest of the life and times of Jeroboam, his victories in battle and how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath which had belonged to Judah, these are all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Jeroboam died and was buried with his ancestors in the royal cemetery. His son Zechariah became the next king.

The Book of 2nd Kings, Chapter 14 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Saturday, december 19 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A set of posts by John Parsons:

Though the whole earth is filled with the miracles and glory of the LORD, we must choose to see, to open our hearts, and to become God's partners in calling forth goodness and truth. God is the Source of all Light and truth, and therefore we first turn to receive his radiance within our heart. As Yeshua said, "Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your heavenly Father" (Matt. 5:16).

It's no small thing to affirm that "the LORD is good," since that affirmation implies our trust that that Reality is ultimately friendly, welcoming, and loving, despite the present hour of darkness... As Albert Einstein once said, "I think the most important question facing humanity is, ‘Is the universe a friendly place?’ This is the first and most basic question all people must answer for themselves." Indeed. Is there hope for a sense of home in the midst of our long exile? Do we affirm that we are accepted by God, despite our present unacceptability? The skeptic enjoys savoring the theological "problem of evil," though to be fair, he also ought reckon with the "problem of the good," since it is a mystery why the universe should produce beauty, love, and hearts that seek timeless universals... The truth that the LORD is good is radical in its implications... Our faith expresses the victory that all things work together for good!

It's been said that God sends each soul into the world with a special message to deliver, a revelation that only he or she can disclose... No one else can deliver your message of praise to this world - only you can do this, though ultimately your message is always done for the glory of God and the benefit of others. “For you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession (וְעַם סְגוּלָּה), that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). [Hebrew for Christians]

12.18.20 • Facebook

The Chanukah holiday is now over, chaverim, though may its message pervade our souls every day, as we dedicate our lives to serving the Lord and choose to walk in His light... Amen. - [Hebrew for Christians]

https://hebrew4christians.com/

12.18.20 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

December 19, 2020

Science—True and False

“And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:9)

It is significant that the first reference to “science” in the Bible is in connection with the tree of the “science” of good and evil. The English word “science” comes from the Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge.” In both Old and New Testaments, “science” and “knowledge” translate the same Greek and Hebrew words respectively. Science—properly speaking—is what we know, not naturalistic speculation (as in evolutionary “science”). Adam and Eve knew a great deal about God and His creation, and all of it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31); they did not need to have a knowledge of evil, and God warned them against it (2:17).

But they partook of the evil tree anyway, and therewith evil knowledge entered the hearts and minds of mankind. Throughout the long ages since, true science has been of great good in the world and false science has wrought great harm. The apostle Paul has warned us against it: “Keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called” (1 Timothy 6:20). In the context of the times, Paul was specifically warning against the evolutionary pantheism of the gnostic philosophers.

In contrast, the final climactic reference in the Bible to knowledge is Peter’s exhortation to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7), and in Jesus Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Therefore, let us resolve to eschew the knowledge of evil and grow in the knowledge of Christ! HMM

[dfroza]

A call to repentance and humility of heart & mind

is seen 2,000 years ago from John sharing a message in the wilderness with Today’s reading of chapter 3 in the book of Matthew:

Around the same time, a man called John began to travel, preach, and ritually wash people through baptism in the wilderness of Judea. John preached a stern but exciting message.

John: Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near.

John’s proclamation fulfilled a promise made by the ancient prophet Isaiah, who had said, “There will be a voice calling from the desert, saying,

Prepare the road for the Eternal One’s journey;

repair and straighten out every mile of our God’s highway.”

John wore wild clothes made from camel hair with a leather belt around his waist—the clothes of an outcast, a rebel. He ate locusts and wild honey.

People from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and indeed from all around the river Jordan came to John. They confessed their sins, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan.

He told some Pharisees and Sadducees who came for the ritual baptism,

John: You children of serpents! You brood of vipers! Did someone suggest you flee from the wrath that is upon us? If you think that simply hopping in the Jordan will cleanse you, then you are sorely mistaken. Your life must bear the fruits of turning toward righteousness. Nor are you correct if you think that being descended from Abraham is enough to make you holy and right with God. Yes, the children of Abraham are God’s chosen children, but God can adopt as daughters and sons anyone He likes—He can turn these stones into sons if He likes.

Even now there is an ax poised at the root of every tree, and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and tossed into the fire. I ritually cleanse you through baptism as a mark of turning your life around. But someone is coming after me, someone whose sandals I am not fit to carry, someone who is more powerful than I. He will wash you not in water but in fire and with the Holy Spirit. He carries a winnowing fork in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor; He will gather up the good wheat in His barn, and He will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.

And then, the One of whom John spoke—the all-powerful Jesus—came to the Jordan from Galilee to be washed by John. At first, John demurred.

John: I need to be cleansed by You. Why do You come to me?

Jesus: It will be right, true, and faithful to God’s chosen path for you to cleanse Me with your hands in the Jordan River.

John agreed, and he ritually cleansed Jesus, dousing Him in the waters of the Jordan. Jesus emerged from His baptism; and at that moment heaven was opened, and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him, alighting on His very body.

Voice from Heaven: This is My Son, whom I love; this is the Apple of My eye; with Him I am well pleased.

The Book of Matthew, Chapter 3 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Thursday, june 18 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

And a set of posts to accompany Today’s reading about the spiritual truth in Love shared by John Parsons:

Our Torah portion for this week (i.e., Shelach-Lekha) is a “heavy one” since it reports the “Sin of the Spies” (i.e., chet ha’meraglim: חטא המרגלים) and the subsequent failure of the people to trust that the Lord would take care for them. The people’s lack of bittachon (trust) in God is the most serious sin recorded in all the Torah, even more serious than the sin of the Golden Calf (i.e., chet ha’egel: חטא העגל). This is confirmed by the testimony of the New Testament, which presents the fate of the Exodus generation as the dire warning of apostasy for those who claim to follow the Messiah (see Heb. 3:7-4:2).

Trust, then, is the central issue, though in order to trust God, you must believe that you are valuable to Him and that He genuinely desires relationship with you... God redeemed you so you could know and love Him (Isa. 43:1). In this connection it is important to notice that the spies said, "we were in our eyes like grasshoppers" (Num. 13:33). They felt small because they had forgotten the reason for their redemption - they had forgotten how much they meant to God! Their lack of self-respect made them feel unworthy of the inheritance. The sin of the spies was not simply that they doubted they could overcome the “giants in the land,” but rather that they were worthy people in God’s eyes... Sadly the spies view of themselves was more real to them than God’s view of them, and that is why they added, “and so we were (like grasshoppers) in their eyes.” From a spiritual point of view, this was profoundly tragic...

One lesson we can learn from the unbelief of the spies is that we must be careful to esteem ourselves properly. We are created be’tzelem Elohim (in the image of God), and that is the starting point for everything else revealed in the Torah. This foundational idea may be expressed as "respect precedes Torah." Self-esteem and self-worth are very important characteristics because they enable the soul to receive the Word of God. This isn’t a selfish, narcissistic type of love. If you have no self-worth, then it is likely you will believe the promises of Scripture are for other people, but not for you. You will regard yourself as an “outsider” or “alien” who is without promise of inheritance. So we have to begin there, with the fact that God created you in His image and therefore you are of infinite value. You matter to God - and therefore you must respect yourself. It is no mark of holiness to shame or belittle yourself - notwithstanding your sinful nature - since you have a duty to honor yourself as one of God's created children. Dishonoring yourself violates the central ethical commandment of the Torah: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev. 19:18). How can you respect others if you don’t respect yourself? You will regard yourself as “insect like” and will tend to view others as “gigantic” threats; you will act defensively and walk in fear of other people.... This is the path of a person living in a prison of fear, and it is a type of hell. Trusting in God’s personal love for you presupposes that you are worthy to be loved and that there is a divine inheritance for you. This gives you real courage to go take possession of the land as its rightful heir. Trusting in God means regarding God’s view of you as more real than your own. It means allowing yourself to be “drawn close” so that you can be in a genuine love relationship with your Heavenly Father. "From now on, therefore, we regard no one (including ourselves) according to the flesh..." (2 Cor. 5:16).

We “walk by faith, not by sight,” which means we must take hold of the promise of God, even in a world that “devours its inhabitants” and that is filled of seemingly invincible giants... Faith believes the possible, even in moments of testing and struggle. As Yeshua said, "All things are possible for the one who believes" (Mark 9:23). [Hebrew for Christians]

6.17.20 • Facebook

The spies said, “we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them" (Num. 13:33). Here the sages note the subtle - yet profound - connection between how we see ourselves and how we imagine that others see us... This sort of “projection” is common enough in everyday life. However, while it may be valid for you to sometimes feel small, inadequate, and even “grasshoppery,” it is not valid to claim that this is how you are regarded by others. After all, how do you know how you appear to others? And, moreover, what difference does that make in light of who God says you are? In other words, who or what defines you? Do you need the approval of man to exist, or the approval of God? Worrying about how others see you, seeking your self worth among the fickle passions of men, is cowardly, carnal and self-centered. When the spies said that “the land devours it inhabitants” (Num. 13:32), they projected their own hidden fears. Instead of seeing God at work, preparing the way for the Israelites to more easily conquer the land, the spies saw only themselves, and that led to the irreparable sin of unbelief...

We lose sight of what is real because we want the blessing on our own terms, apart from the miracle... The legalist is actually enslaved to the idea of God’s conditional acceptance: “If you obey, then you belong.” There is still some faith that the right religious scruples, the affirmation of a particular creed, and the practice of certain rituals will gain us access to His heart. The message of the cross scandalizes the religious because it boldly states, "if you believe, then you belong.” As Kierkegaard rightly observed, "And this is the simple truth - that to live is to feel oneself lost. He who accepts it has already begun to find himself, to be on firm ground. Instinctively, as do the shipwrecked, he will look around for something to which to cling, and that tragic, ruthless glance, absolutely sincere, because it is a question of his salvation, will cause him to bring order into the chaos of his life. These are the only genuine ideas; the ideas of the shipwrecked. All the rest is rhetoric, posturing, farce." For Kierkegaard, religious rituals devoid of a sense of crisis within the heart are little more than a sham. “I think of the times I tried to use him to make my life secure, and undisturbed, and painless. Also the times I was enslaved by fear of him, and by the need to protect myself against him through rites and circumstances” (de Mello). Ritualistic behavior is a tawdry substitute for trusting that His heart is forever present for you. [Hebrew for Christians]

6.18.20 • Facebook

Spiritual regeneration or transformation isn’t just leaving the sinful past behind you, but discovering the glory of true and infinite life that sustains all of reality... There is change of perspective, of no longer backing away from the hell you came out of by turning around to focus on heaven, your true spiritual home. We are called to pursue the goal of the upward call of God in Messiah (Phil. 3:14). If we walk in the light, the LORD will cause us to know "orach chayim" (ארח חיים), the path of life; we will find joy in the Divine Presence; and we will discover pleasures that endure forever.

Have you discovered the glory and wonder of God's love, despite the many sins and the shame of your life? Do you know "in your gut" that his love means no longer having to defend or explain yourself? God's love enables you to quit hiding what you really are from Him; you can give up the pretense of being something you're not. When you turn to the Lord in the transparency of your brokenness, weakness, and neediness, you will find Him there, accepting you for who you really are... The path of life is Yeshua; he is the Bridge and Glory to all that is beautiful and true! [Hebrew for Christians]

6.17.20 • Facebook

[dfroza]

digging up Treasure

A topic of Today’s reading, and this in relation to the wealth of wisdom, at its source. a chapter of Scripture from the book of Job that i enjoyed this afternoon on the rapid bus commute:

Where Does Wisdom Come From?

“We all know how silver seams the rocks, we’ve seen the stuff from which gold is refined, We’re aware of how iron is dug out of the ground and copper is smelted from rock. Miners penetrate the earth’s darkness, searching the roots of the mountains for ore, digging away in the suffocating darkness. Far from civilization, far from the traffic, they cut a shaft, and are lowered into it by ropes. Earth’s surface is a field for grain, but its depths are a forge Firing sapphires from stones and chiseling gold from rocks. Vultures are blind to its riches, hawks never lay eyes on it. Wild animals are oblivious to it, lions don’t know it’s there. Miners hammer away at the rock, they uproot the mountains. They tunnel through the rock and find all kinds of beautiful gems. They discover the origins of rivers, and bring earth’s secrets to light.

“But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom? Where does Insight hide? Mortals don’t have a clue, haven’t the slightest idea where to look. Earth’s depths say, ‘It’s not here’; ocean deeps echo, ‘Never heard of it.’ It can’t be bought with the finest gold; no amount of silver can get it. Even famous Ophir gold can’t buy it, not even diamonds and sapphires. Neither gold nor emeralds are comparable; extravagant jewelry can’t touch it. Pearl necklaces and ruby bracelets—why bother? None of this is even a down payment on Wisdom! Pile gold and African diamonds as high as you will, they can’t hold a candle to Wisdom.

“So where does Wisdom come from? And where does Insight live? It can’t be found by looking, no matter how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly. If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, ‘We’ve only heard rumors of it.’

“God alone knows the way to Wisdom, he knows the exact place to find it. He knows where everything is on earth, he sees everything under heaven. After he commanded the winds to blow and measured out the waters, Arranged for the rain and set off explosions of thunder and lightning, He focused on Wisdom, made sure it was all set and tested and ready. Then he addressed the human race: ‘Here it is! Fear-of-the-Lord—that’s Wisdom, and Insight means shunning evil.’”

The Book of Job, Chapter 28 (The Message)

and this chapter from the Old Testament is paired with chapter 11 of the New Testament book of Romans written by the apostle Paul, in which illumines the desire of his heart for the reconciliation of Israel (his own people), or the resurrection thereof, by embracing the Messiah not as someone obscure in the future, but the One (Yeshua/Jesus) who already made His first appearance 2,000 years ago.

and it describes how we “the outsiders” have been ingrafted into the original Tree, the Master Tree at that, namely God who joins by an act of grace all who willingly choose to believe.

and this is the way i’ve been reading through the Bible for some time now, by pairing a chapter from each Testament and reading through the 66 books in sequential order as laid out traditionally from Genesis to Revelation. all but the Psalms and Proverbs which i read from daily. for which Today (march 31) are Psalms 31, 12 and 90, and Proverbs 31. the Psalms corresponding to the day of the month (31), the day of the season (12), and the day of the year (90). and the Proverbs matching with the day of the month (31). and this is a neat way for me personally to journey through the Scriptures as it relates to each day, right here & now. to learn from History and to grow while trusting in eternal Love as a child of God.

and so thanks for journeying with me, if indeed you have followed along with all the letters of my heart. because it really means a lot to me to be Authentic with you, if that matters to you. and i have the same desire as Paul reflects here, to see walls of division and unbelief removed, not only for my family of Israel but for anyone who chooses to see the nature of the children of God as brothers & sisters in grace. a beautiful freedom from this world, simply because it is not really our True “Home.”

but it will be again One day, in the new Creation. in the resurrection life of all things. in the rebirth of the heavens and the sacred garden of Earth (#2)

Today’s chapter from the New Covenant:

The Loyal Minority

Does this mean, then, that God is so fed up with Israel that he’ll have nothing more to do with them? Hardly. Remember that I, the one writing these things, am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham out of the tribe of Benjamin. You can’t get much more Semitic than that! So we’re not talking about repudiation. God has been too long involved with Israel, has too much invested, to simply wash his hands of them.

Do you remember that time Elijah was agonizing over this same Israel and cried out in prayer?

God, they murdered your prophets, They trashed your altars; I’m the only one left and now they’re after me! And do you remember God’s answer?

I still have seven thousand who haven’t quit, Seven thousand who are loyal to the finish.

It’s the same today. There’s a fiercely loyal minority still—not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think. They’re holding on, not because of what they think they’re going to get out of it, but because they’re convinced of God’s grace and purpose in choosing them. If they were only thinking of their own immediate self-interest, they would have left long ago.

And then what happened? Well, when Israel tried to be right with God on her own, pursuing her own self-interest, she didn’t succeed. The chosen ones of God were those who let God pursue his interest in them, and as a result received his stamp of legitimacy. The “self-interest Israel” became thick-skinned toward God. Moses and Isaiah both commented on this:

Fed up with their quarrelsome, self-centered ways, God blurred their eyes and dulled their ears, Shut them in on themselves in a hall of mirrors, and they’re there to this day.

David was upset about the same thing:

I hope they get sick eating self-serving meals, break a leg walking their self-serving ways. I hope they go blind staring in their mirrors, get ulcers from playing at god.

Pruning and Grafting Branches

The next question is, “Are they down for the count? Are they out of this for good?” And the answer is a clear-cut No. Ironically when they walked out, they left the door open and the outsiders walked in. But the next thing you know, the Jews were starting to wonder if perhaps they had walked out on a good thing. Now, if their leaving triggered this worldwide coming of non-Jewish outsiders to God’s kingdom, just imagine the effect of their coming back! What a homecoming!

But I don’t want to go on about them. It’s you, the outsiders, that I’m concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders, I make as much of this as I can when I’m among my Israelite kin, the so-called insiders, hoping they’ll realize what they’re missing and want to get in on what God is doing. If their falling out initiated this worldwide coming together, their recovery is going to set off something even better: mass homecoming! If the first thing the Jews did, even though it was wrong for them, turned out for your good, just think what’s going to happen when they get it right!

Behind and underneath all this there is a holy, God-planted, God-tended root. If the primary root of the tree is holy, there’s bound to be some holy fruit. Some of the tree’s branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in. Yet the fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren’t feeding the root; the root is feeding you.

It’s certainly possible to say, “Other branches were pruned so that I could be grafted in!” Well and good. But they were pruned because they were deadwood, no longer connected by belief and commitment to the root. The only reason you’re on the tree is because your graft “took” when you believed, and because you’re connected to that belief-nurturing root. So don’t get cocky and strut your branch. Be humbly mindful of the root that keeps you lithe and green.

If God didn’t think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn’t give it a second thought. Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God—ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don’t presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, you’re out of there.

And don’t get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don’t persist in remaining deadwood, they could very well get grafted back in. God can do that. He can perform miracle grafts. Why, if he could graft you—branches cut from a tree out in the wild—into an orchard tree, he certainly isn’t going to have any trouble grafting branches back into the tree they grew from in the first place. Just be glad you’re in the tree, and hope for the best for the others.

A Complete Israel

I want to lay all this out on the table as clearly as I can, friends. This is complicated. It would be easy to misinterpret what’s going on and arrogantly assume that you’re royalty and they’re just rabble, out on their ears for good. But that’s not it at all. This hardness on the part of insider Israel toward God is temporary. Its effect is to open things up to all the outsiders so that we end up with a full house. Before it’s all over, there will be a complete Israel. As it is written,

A champion will stride down from the mountain of Zion; he’ll clean house in Jacob. And this is my commitment to my people: removal of their sins.

From your point of view as you hear and embrace the good news of the Message, it looks like the Jews are God’s enemies. But looked at from the long-range perspective of God’s overall purpose, they remain God’s oldest friends. God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded.

There was a time not so long ago when you were on the outs with God. But then the Jews slammed the door on him and things opened up for you. Now they are on the outs. But with the door held wide open for you, they have a way back in. In one way or another, God makes sure that we all experience what it means to be outside so that he can personally open the door and welcome us back in.

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.

Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.

The Book of Romans, Chapter 11 (The Message)