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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 3 months ago

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13th February >> Fr Martin's Reflections/Homilies on Today's Mass Readings for Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time (Inc. Mark 7:24-30): ‘The house dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps’.

Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Except GB & USA) Mark 7:24-30 The astuteness of the Syro-Phoenician woman.

Jesus left Gennesaret and set out for the territory of Tyre. There he went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not pass unrecognised. A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him straightaway and came and fell at his feet. Now the woman was a pagan, by birth a Syrophoenician, and she begged him to cast the devil out of her daughter. And he said to her, ‘The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ But she spoke up: ‘Ah yes, sir,’ she replied ‘but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps.’ And he said to her, ‘For saying this, you may go home happy: the devil has gone out of your daughter.’ So she went off to her home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone.

Gospel (GB) Mark 7:24-30 ‘The dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’

At that time: Jesus arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ And he said to her, ‘For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.’ And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Gospel (USA) Mark 7:24-30 The dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.

Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Reflections (6)

(i) Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Many of us find this healing story a little perplexing. Normally in the gospels, Jesus responds promptly to someone’s request for healing, whether it is for themselves or a loved one. On this occasion, Jesus seems reluctant to grant a mother’s request for the healing of her seriously ill daughter. Jesus is in the territory of Tyre, a largely pagan area. He hasn’t gone there on mission but to keep a low profile. He didn’t want anyone to know he was there. However, a pagan woman discovers where he is and, knowing his reputation as a healer, falls at his feet, imploring him on behalf of his daughter. He replies to her using a mini parable. ‘The children should be fed first’. His mission for now is primarily to the people of Israel, the children of God. Only after the children are fed would the house dogs, the pagans, be fed. His mission to the pagans has not yet begun. Yet, this woman displays both great faith and a quick wit. She is well aware that while the children are eating, they often throw scraps to the domestic dogs who draw near in the hope of some food. In other words, why can’t Jews and pagans be served at the same time? Jesus recognized the wisdom of her response and healed her daughter at a distance. Jesus had a clear timetable, the renewal of Israel first and then a mission to the pagans through the renewed Israel. However, he also had the flexibility to change his timetable. Jesus recognized that God was speaking to him through this pagan woman. How is God speaking to us today? Perhaps he is speaking through those we would consider very different from us, even alien to us. As Saint John says in his gospel, the Spirit blows where it pleases. We need that flexibility of Jesus to respond to the ways that God may be speaking to us through the most unexpected of people.

And/Or

(ii) Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

The woman in today’s gospel reading is one of the most striking characters in the gospel of Mark. Jesus is in pagan territory, in the region of Tyre, and is approached by a pagan woman. Jesus shows a marked reluctance to engage with her, ‘it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house dogs’. The children, the people of Israel, should be fed first. Jesus seems to have seen his mission as initially a mission to the Jews and only later, after his death and resurrection, as a mission that also embraced the pagans. However, this particular pagan woman was not prepared to wait. She cleverly retorted that the house dogs can be quite happy with the crumbs that fall from the children’s table. In other words, there is no reason why the children and the house dogs, the Jews and the pagans, cannot eat at the same time. In response to her insight and perseverance, Jesus promptly ministers to her. There is a story in the Jewish Scriptures of Jacob wrestling with God. The pagan woman could be understood as wrestling with Jesus, at least verbally. Sometimes we might find ourselves wrestling with the Lord. We don’t take at face value what the Lord appears to be saying to us; we come back at him, as it were. This morning’s gospel reading suggests that such a way of relating to the Lord is not lacking in reverence. The Lord relates to us out of the fullness of his heart and he wants us to relate to him out of the fullness of our hearts, without censoring what is to be found there.

And/Or

(iii) Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

This morning’s gospel reading gives us an insight into a mother’s instinct to leave no stone unturned when the well-being of her child is at stake. Jesus was in Tyre, a predominantly pagan city on the Mediterranean coast. Why had he moved so far beyond his usual area of ministry? The reference to Jesus going into a house and not wanting anyone to know he was there suggests that he may have been seeking some time away on his own. Yet, not for the only time in the gospels, his desire for solitude was frustrated. A pagan woman burst into the house and threw herself at Jesus’ feet, begging him to heal her daughter. The reputation of this Jewish prophet had reached the ears of this pagan woman. Having somehow come to hear that Jesus was in Tyre, she wasn’t going to miss her opportunity. Jesus appeared to give her short shrift, ‘the children should be fed first’ (the people of Israel), certainly before the house dogs (the pagans). Yet, the woman’s determination that Jesus should heal her daughter was in no way deflected. With both humility and humour she retorted that the house dogs and the children can eat quite happily together. Jesus was disarmed. He recognized her tenacious faith and declared there and then that her daughter was healed. There is a story in the Jewish Scriptures of Jacob wrestling with God. This woman was, in a sense, wrestling with Jesus. There can be an element of wrestling with God in our own faith. Our faith can be put to the test when the Lord does not appear to hear our prayer. At such times we need to be as tenacious in our faith as the Syrophoenician woman was.

And/Or

(iv) Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

In the gospels, Jesus normally responds immediately to requests for help, especially to parents who come to him to heal their sick children. The gospel story is unique in showing Jesus very reluctant to respond to the request of a pagan woman on behalf of her daughter. Jesus is in the region of Tyre, which was a predominantly pagan city, although having a strong Jewish presence. Jesus’ words to the woman suggests that he sees his mission as predominantly to his own Jewish people initially, ‘the children should be fed first’. It is only after his death and resurrection that he will engage in a mission to pagans, through those Jews who have come to believe in him. As Paul says in his letter to the Romans, the gospel ‘is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek’. However, this Gentile woman is not prepared to wait. She is absolutely determined to change Jesus’ timetable. Like others before her in the Scriptures, Abraham, Moses, Job, she argues with the Lord. She acknowledges that in the eyes of many Jews she may be a Gentile ‘dog’, but she observes that some dogs are almost members of the family and eat at the same time as the children, making the most of the children’s untidying eating habits, as their crumbs fall to the ground. In the end, Jesus grants her request; he changes his plan and responds to her human need. According to the Book of Genesis, Jacob wrestled with God. The story of the pagan woman confirms that sometimes our relationship with the Lord can take the form of a wrestling match or an argument, and the Lord seems to be at ease with that.

And/Or

(v) Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Today’s gospel reading reminds us that Jesus was very much a Jew who saw his mission as directed initially to Jews. Jesus wanted to renew the people of Israel and it was a renewed Israel who would bring the gospel to pagans. It was indeed Jesus’ first Jewish followers who preached the gospel to non-Jews, under the inspiration of the Spirit of the risen Lord. This timetable helps to explain Jesus’ initial reluctance to respond to the pagan woman’s request on behalf of her seriously ill daughter. As he says to her, ‘The children should be fed first’, meaning, the children of God, the people of Israel. We all find a little disturbing what Jesus went on to say, ‘it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs’. Jesus was picking up a term that Jews often used with reference to pagans. Yet, Jesus was using an image here, like a little parable. He is not calling the woman a house-dog. He is simply saying that like the house-dogs who have to wait until the children are fed first, the pagans will have to wait a little longer before experiencing the fruits of the presence of God’s kingdom. However, this woman, this passionate mother, was not prepared to wait. She turns Jesus’ image to her advantage declaring that house-dogs often eat the crumbs that fall from the children’s table, with the result that children and house dogs end up eating together. Jesus recognized her wit and her faith and immediately responded to her request. The woman displays the kind of determined faith we all need, especially in these time. This is a faith that is not easily silenced or weakened, even in the face of the Lord’s apparent unwillingness to respond to us at times.

And/Or

(vi) Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Most of the people who approach Jesus for help in the gospels are Jews, like himself. In today’s gospel reading, however, it is a pagan woman who approaches Jesus to heal her very disturbed daughter. It seems that Jesus regarded his ministry as primarily to Jews. As he says to the pagan woman, ‘The children should be fed first’, the children being the people of Israel. It is only after Jesus rose from the dead that he would instruct his disciples to preach the gospel to all nations, Jews and pagans. However, this pagan woman was not prepared to wait; her daughter was in great need. The parents of a sick child are never prepared to wait; they insist that their child be cared for immediately. When Jesus says, in a little parable, ‘it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house dogs’, the woman identifies with the house dogs, ‘but the housedogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps’. In other words, the children and the housedogs can eat at the same time, with the housedogs benefiting from the children’s untidy eating habits. Jesus couldn’t but respond to such an ingenious response; he had to heal the woman’s daughter. His timetable of a ministry to the Jews before a ministry to pagans had to give way. Jesus shows us that we need to hold our plans, our programmes, our timetables, lightly. Human need takes priority over all else. God calls out to us through those in great need, even when that need disrupts our carefully laid out plans. God can be speaking to us through the unexpected and unplanned event and through those who are very different from us. We need something of the freedom that Jesus displayed, the freedom of the Spirit, to go where God is leading us and to do what God is asking of us.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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never-thirsts · 4 months ago

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JESUS RENEWS AND RESTORES

Luke 8:26-39

26 So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes,[a] across the lake from Galilee. 27 As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. (NLT)

Every time this passage was brought before me, I would find myself too fearful to fully engage with it. It was a shame really. Fear would take a hold at the faintest mention of it and I would be sent completely off the edge. I can’t necessarily explain it. The phrases “demon-possessed”, “evil spirit” and “completely under the demon’s power” were truly all I could see, and that alone was enough to make me close my Bible and begin fervently pleading the blood of Jesus over myself!

And this wasn’t an isolated occurrence either- unique to this passage- no. You can imagine, for throughout the Bible, there are several instances where the Lord demonstrated His authority like this by casting out evil spirits. But, as a child of God, covered by the truth of 2 Timothy 1:7- “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (NLT)– yesterday when it was presented before me again in my secret place, I knew it was time to stand up. For greater is He who is within me than he who is in the world, right?

Luke 8:26-39 depicts our shared testimony as believers of Jesus Christ. The passage demonstrates the transformative power of grace, mirroring the moment each and every one of us encountered Jesus for the very first time. To me, it almost feels like a memory. A memory I look back at with thanksgiving, filled with deep gratitude to the Lord for His gift of grace and salvation. It’s a memory that should resonate deeply with us all. The condition of the demon-possessed man before Jesus’ intervention serves as a profound metaphor for life before encountering the transformative grace and glory of Jesus.

Jesus and His disciples arrived in Gentile territory, the region of Gerasenes, foreshadowing His mission to save all people. People like you and me- and not just Jews. The Bible says that, 27 As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town. (NLT)

Did you feel the Holy Spirit nudge, or was that just me? Let’s read further. 28 As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had already commanded the evil[b] spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.(NLT)

This man encountered the gift of grace, much like you and I. While we may not have been demon-possessed, his spiritual bondage mirrors the state we once found ourselves in- when we lived in the world- apart from Christ. It reflects the way we were once held captive under the dominion of sin- enslaved, helpless and unable to break free- until the Lord, in His mercy, saved us and set us free.

For a long time, we were homeless! For a long time we wandered in spiritual desolation, naked and exposed, living in tombs. Though not physically, but spiritually. Before Christ, you and I lived in constant vulnerability, our souls laid bare and unprotected, devoid of the Armor of God. We stood defenceless against darkness, open to evil attacks, humiliated, and shamed in our indulgence of sin. At one point, we were spiritually dead- like walking corpses, isolated and estranged from the glory of God because of our sinful nature.

The Bible says that the demon-possessed man would be placed under guard and bound in chains and shackles, but he would break them and rush out into the wilderness. We, too, fully controlled and deceived by sin, believed we were free in the world. Before Jesus, we didn’t realise that the captivity and torment we endured were masquerading as freedom. We had a veil to our eyes, blind to the chains that held us.

But, Jesus arrived. I remember the moment when the Lord arrived for me. The moment was so significant, every time I recall it, it seems to still time itself. He gently sat me down as a father does, and after I had read the book of Daniel for the first time, He spoke to me- it seemed as clear as day. “Choose,” He said, “Choose your kingdom.”

I didn’t decide immediately. There were more instances after this. He was patient with me. But, the weight of the choice hung in the air as I continued in the world. It was a call to decide between the fleeting kingdom of this world and the eternal kingdom of His glory. God changed the course of my life, and He continues to do so.

As a result, here I am proclaiming the great things Jesus has done for me, much like the freedman.

In John 6:35, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (NKJV)

I invite you to come drink from the Living Water, and never thirst again.

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nijjhar · 1 year ago

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Matt 2v13-18:- Christ Jesus came among spiritually sick Jews outwardly a... Matt 2v13-18:- Christ Jesus came among the spiritually sick Jews outwardly and they wanted to kill Him. https://youtu.be/ng6Ys7pvh2w I am making this video unlisted to avoid a strike from YouTube. Send me your email and I will send you the link. Holy Gospel of our Supernatural Father of our “souls” Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc., delivered by the first Anointed Christ, which in Punjabi we call Satguru Jesus of the highest living God Elohim that dwells within His most beautiful living Temple of God created by the greatest artist demiurge potter, the lord of the Nature Yahweh, Brahma, Khudah, etc. and it is called Harmandir or “Emmanuel” if you are not “greedy” according to Saint Matthew 2,13-18. When the Magi had departed, behold, the Angel of the lord Yahweh appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, the Land of the “Ever” faithful Elder Son of Abraham and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him at the behest of the “Saltless” crook sons of Isaac." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. The unfaithful to Abraham and Yahweh, the “Saltless” sons of Isaac were the staunch enemy of Christ Jesus because He would set up the Royal Roving Priests to Preach the Gospel Truth = Oral Torah, the Taproot of the Tree of Life, the Scriptures from their hearts to the twice-born adults replacing the corrupted Scriptures. But the Temple Priests loved the corrupted Old Testament to fleece the Gentiles. Gen 17 on circumcision, the tribal mark of Abraham to Isaac and his “seed” only. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the lord of the Nature Yahweh had said through the Prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my Son." When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the Magi, he became furious that when Christ comes, He will replace the brick built temple with the living Temple of God, our physical Body and no source of income. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi. then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the Prophet: a voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more. Christ Rajinder:- The Middle Candle of the Menorah called “Shams = Sun” of our Supernatural Father Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc. is raised above the other six of the Demiurge Potter Yahweh in honour of Christ Jesus, the Lord of Sabbath or the Lord of lord Yahweh. The hypocritical Messianic Jews, the legacy of the Temple Priests who were sacked after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. and they were fit for no other job than the ruling job of the Priests still kept the Middle Candle of Elohim, Shams, at the same level as the other six of Yahweh that Messiah has not come yet. In these Messianic Jews is fulfilled Matt 12v43-45 making the situation worse than before the arrival of Christ Jesus and they killed the Christianity of “Freedom” by creating the antichrist Pope and his hireling Dog-Collared stooges who suppressed the people worse than the Temple Priests from the hard yoke of rituals (Mary Magdalene got rid of the seven demons of Menorah) our Anointed Elder Brother and Bridegroom Christ Jesus who had set us “FREE” of the rituals. Why Jesus was given the name “Yahshua”? Hi Brethren, I hail from Punjab where the Second Coming of Jesus in the name of Satguru = Christ Nanak took place in 1469. I am a retired lecturer in metallurgy and studied the New Testament in 1983 and wrote the expositions of the Parable of Matthew in honour of my late father Chaudhry Udham Nijjhar, B.Sc., retired Science Master who died in 1981 in Ghana where I was a Senior Lecturer in Metallurgy at KNUST, Kumasi. Since then, I have found the New Testament very interesting and in 1993, I published a book; "First Gnostic Principles of One God One Faith", which is available on the internet. In 2008, I started Preaching the Gospel on YouTube and so far I have 8700 videos on different religious topics; channel One God One Faith. Here is a taster; why was Jesus given the name "Yahshua"? Jesus' Hebrew name "Yahshua" is made up of two words; Yah = Yahweh and Shua = Shiva = Primordial Adam. Thus, Mary was “Sired” by Yahweh in Hebrew, Brahma in Hindi and Khudah in Arabic, the demiurge lord of the visible creation and our demiurge father, Potter, in heaven of the tribal sons, whom you can see in his creation with two naked eyes, and Angel John, the Baptist, Prophet Elijah (my god is Yahweh, Brahma, Khuda, etc., the heavenly father of Jesus) baptized Jesus in the name of his heavenly father “Yahweh,” and the repentant Jewish men of age their tribal forefather Abraham. Thus, Mary was a Surrogate Mother and Joseph from the tribe of Judah through the line of King David, his adoptive foster father. ..................

#youtube

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herunswithscissors · 1 year ago

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Jesus isn't supposed to be our model

Jesus is God incarnate. He came as the clearest revelation of who God is. He performed miracles. He was the greatest moral teacher we can imagine. He taught Jewish Torah & Prophets perfectly. He kept the Law perfectly. He encouraged others to follow the Law perfectly. He was the perfect fundamentalist Jew.

But Jesus was not perfect. He didn't come to be perfect. He came to show the Jews how to keep the Law perfectly while being much better people.

Of course Jesus never mentioned gays. Or made any definitive statements on women's rights. Or environmental stewardship. Or racial reconciliation.

The fundamentalists were not ready for that. They were hardly ready for "Samaritans can be decent people and we should treat them decently". Or "rich people can't get into the Kingdom of God".

Hell, we are still working on the fundamentalist bullshit the Jews were still struggling with 2000 years ago when Jesus showed up to try and set them right. And we keep trying to pretend we aren't ready for deliverance from oppression, economic justice, women's rights, civil rights in general, LGBTQ acceptance/rights, environmental justice, or even just sharing our largess with the poor.

That's right. I said Jesus wasn't perfect. Did you see how he talked to the Syrophoenician woman begging him to heal her demon possessed daughter? Yikes!

Go read Mark 7. I know your pastor made it sound nice. Read it again. For yourself. Then read it a few more times and try to make it sound nice. Yikes.

Did you see how he didn't include a single woman be an apostle. Or let a gentile into his circle? Even the one he healed of demons who begged Jesus to take him as a disciple.

Did you see how he kept the patriarchy going without ever hating women and doing his best to elevate them within the bounds of his system? Or how he kept ethnocentrism and racism alive while being a good friend to the Samaritans and has good relations with the Samaritans?

Jesus came to show the Jews who God was by showing them who God was if God was just born some schmuck from a backwater town who worked his way up from bastard carpenter's son to rabbi, living and suffering among the rest of the Jews under Roman oppression and abject poverty.

And he came to teach them how to follow the law better. From the heart. Following the spirit of the law, not the letter. Following the Law of Love. Using love as the lens for Law. How to keep being God's special people, but to do it better.

(Funny enough, most of them got the message after a few centuries of working it out for themselves through suffering, oppression, community, scripture, and Holy Spirit. And the Jews of today are (on average) far better at being part of the Kingdom of God today than the Christians are by a long shot. (Zionists in both groups didn't get the message.))

So Jesus was simply very, very good.

For that context.

By their standards he's perfect. By our standards, he's very good, but lacking. And in some key ways, sinful. If indeed racism is sin.

Because Jews of that time were Jew-supremacists. Like modern White supremacists, it was part of their culture. Part of the way they reverted to speaking when filthy Syrophonecian women won't stop pestering him about their demon daughters. A part they regularly reinforced by their own treatment of non-Jews. And if taking part in the oppression of women and weaker minorities is a sin? If oppressing the weak, oppressed, and disinherited of our neighbors by keeping unjust laws is a sin?

I think maybe that's also why we like Jesus's personal method of loving our neighbors. We can still be racist patriarchs. Or at least we can use and benefit from it and never address it and not feel guilty about it.

Jesus didn't come to show us all how to be perfectly good. He came to show the Jews of 35CE living in abject poverty, terrorized with crosses on which hung their neighbors and friends and children, after returning from Exile to Babylon.

I got some rants brewing in me so let me tie this off.

Jesus didn't come to show us how to be perfect.

He kept the law perfectly. That was good enough for a human sacrifice for sin. If sin is breaking the Law, then Jesus never sinned. And that's good enough for Moses.

But if sin is doing what is morally wrong, then I've established Jesus sinned and is not a sufficient human sacrifice of divine worth for our every little sin and shortcoming and impure thought.

He came to show the Jews how to be better people. As better as they could be while perfectly keeping their "unalterable" religious laws. While living in that time and place and situation and history and culture and entire mode of existence that is different from our own.

Don't ask what Jesus would do. That's trapped in a context. All sorts of lenses need to be accounted for to get a little understanding. Ask what Holy Spirit would do. Ask, what Holy Spirit would tell a modern prophet to do? Ask, what Holy Spirit would tell you, if you could hear her? Holy Spirit is motherly in our holy trinity family. What would your mother want you to do? Maybe that's a better morality test. What would mother do. WWMD #WWMD

Every God damn day. Crosses. Crosses dotting Palestine. Crosses your neighbors and family were nailed to regularly.

Crosses were common in many of the same places today's Capitalist-fueled Zionist drone strikes and bombs fall on Palestine today. As they fall on entire neighborhoods, killing neighbors and families en mass, massacring the innocent and carers by blowing up hospitals and schools and apartment buildings. These are the same civil centers and towns Jesus knew. These are the same places the Romans kept their crosses filled across Palestine. A lot of crosses held up people who simply tried to live in poverty in Palestine. Today most of them are better than average delightful people of great moral courage with strong families and a vibrant faith community that continues to evolve. However, their most traumatized children bomb their neighbors living in poverty in order to steal their land.

And The United States MIC is helping them. With my fucking taxes. Half my taxes go to killing very nice people for no good reason. I fucking hate the billionaires and our government.

I cannot over-stress how important it is to read the post-Babylonian scriptures in light of the Babylonian Exile. Pay attention especially if they amended scriptures. Because they amended fucking Genesis. A whole fucking new creation story that ignored the judgy perfectionist god of the garden and just talked about the glory of creation and our place in it. (It was a creation story, not a science lesson. I know it seems heretical, but please, test it and find it to be true.) Anyway, yeah, after the Exile they were far more into the prophets and after the Roman Diaspora they were a lot more into living out the prophets. After the [German-lead European supported] Holocaust they got real God damn good at living out the prophets even though they largely reject Jesus as anything more than a mislead good rabbi. Amazing what Holy Spirit can do with a people who work with her. So yeah, assume things have changed for the people since their old King David days once Babylon gives their Aristocrats permission to leave Babylon in order to try to reassert their domination of all the masses of poor people Babylon had left behind in Jerusalem to hash things out for 70 years. Babylon had taken the rich and predatory class away. The masses were left to rebuild a society. I'm sure without the rich stealing most of the wealth and interfering in everybody's business, it was nice and they got along with the new neighbors and governments who showed up. I wonder what kind of welcome they got? I wonder how the people felt about the change in government and power structures? I wonder what the negotiations and town meetings were like? I bet you 50 quid those fuckers rolled back into town and started telling the people to do shit as soon as they stepped foot. "By the way, we all agreed who was doing what around here". Then the rich showed up again and started trying to rule again. But at least they were reformed now. They took part in the actual work. They shared more. They paid better. They had a really new look on their religion that was friendlier to the poor and oppressed. My point is that the Prophets had been speaking, but the Exile got them listening. And the Aristocrats were traumatized by the whole experience and their religion is an expression and working out of that trauma. Then, since only the rich were priests & rabbinical scholars, everybody else got that religion too. But since they were Aristocrats, once they got rich again, they mostly forgot the justice lessons of the Babylon experience and only retained their own religion's command to love no other gods. And the trauma. Big important thing is to understand how the Jews viewed God, community, morality, etc changed dramatically after Exile and the Exile became their lens through which they understood their religion. Let the self-taught Bible scholars understand.

#Israel #Palestine #Jews #crucifixion #Rome #American Empire #Babylon #Jesus #apostate #christian #jesus christ #bible #christ #christmas #imperfect savior #substitutionary atonement #atonement theology #liberation theology #ph4wg original

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batboyblog · 3 years ago

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Jewish Heritage Month!

May is Jewish Heritage Month (here in America any ways) and I was thinking how to mark this and I thought I'd list out some common questions I get asked as a Jew. Spoiler, most of them are offensive, but usually people are asking honestly.

"wait Jews are real?"/"wait there are still Jews around?"

This happens more often then you would think. People raised in areas with few to no Jews, raised in a Christian Church environment are often shocked to learn in their teens or even in adulthood that Jews are not just historical. Yes we're real! unlike the Romans or other groups in the Bible we didn't pass into history, no the Jews did not become Christians, we're still around we're still our own religion/people.

"Are Jews Rich?"

This, along with "why are Jews Rich" "why do Jews like money so much" "are Jews Greedy?" etc etc is one of the most common questions Jews get. To answer honestly, like any group of people there are rich Jews and poor Jews. There are Jews in the top ten richest people in the world, and there are Jews who live in grinding 3rd world poverty without electricity or running water. The idea that Jews are rich, love money, and are greedy is an antisemitic stereotype used to demonize Jews.

"So Jews, it's like Christianity without Jesus right?"

This often comes from people raised Christian. The answer is no, Judaism is its own religion and is very different. Jews have their own holidays totally different from Christian ones, we use a different calendar, we worship on Saturdays rather than Sundays, our traditions are totally different. Going to Synagogue would be nothing like going to a Church where no one talked about Jesus.

"Do Jews hate/dislike/think they are better than Christians/Arabs/Muslims/non-Jews?"

No, I get asked versions of this, and accused of it, all the time. Unlike most religions Judaism does not require (nor does it even want) all people to join their faith to be "saved". Jews see gentiles as serving a different spiritual role in God's plan than Jews, not a lesser one, just a different one. So No Jews don't hate anyone

"Wait are Jews a race or a religion?"

both? but also neither? Jews are an ethnicity, an unique culture. Our religion, Judaism is a religion of a people, a lot like different Native American believe systems it tells the history of our people and the land we come from. As such while people can become Jewish, Jews don't seek to make people Jewish and becoming Jewish is a much longer and more complex process than conversion to Christianity or Islam.

"What's that funny hat you guys wear?"

In the US it's most commonly called by it's Yiddish name, a yarmulke, in Israel and by more religious people by the Hebrew name, a Kippah. Mostly worn by men, some women in liberal communities particularly women Rabbis in the Reform movement wear them. Traditional Jewish men wear them most of the time, less traditional Jews only where them during prayer or at synagogue or other religious events. The Kippah serves as a reminder of God above us.

"Do Jews celebrate Christmas?"

Short answer: no. Somewhat longer answer: Some Jews, particularly American ones, put up Christmas trees, like ginger bread cookies, and give gifts. The USSR banned Christmas after the Revolution but couldn't get people to stop celebrating it so declared the tree and gift giving "New Years" celebrations so many many former Soviet Jews in Israel, Russia, Ukraine, and the US still put up "New Years Trees" however none of these Jews with trees and gifts are celebrating the virgin birth of Jesus.

"Do you have Jew Gold?"/"Where is your Jew Gold"

Thanks to South Park I was asked this question about a million times in middle school and high school and even some times in College. Some people were joking, some people were "joking" some people were totally serious. For the record, no, Jews do not carry around a little bag of gold.

"What do Jews think of Jesus?"

We don't, we do not think about Jesus. Most likely the only time your average Jew thinks about Jesus is when a Christian very awkwardly and intensely looks us in the eye and asks for our thoughts on their god.

"Jews are like white Europeans right?"

This gets phrased a lot of different ways. First off there are Jews who are clearly not. For example 4 million Jews are Mizrahi, Jews who originate in the Middle East and North Africa, another example are the Beta Israel community of Ethiopian Jews. Jews are an ethnicity so can be from many different races, there are hispanic, black, Asian and Native American Jews.

"Hanukkah thats like Jewish Christmas right?"

I literally never know what this even means, "Jewish Christmas"? If they're trying to ask if it's like the most important Jewish holiday then the answer is no. While Hanukkah is fun, it's not one of our major holidays. It also has nothing to do with Jesus if that what the question means, since it's celebrating events that took place 200 years before Jesus' birth.

If you're Jewish feel free to add your own favorite "favorite" wacky, odd, intrusive or strange questions you've been asked about our tribe. If you're not Jewish well feel free to just reblog, hope everyone has an enlightening Jewish Heritage month (and the hate crimes are low this time)

#Jewish #Jews #judaism #jewish heritage #Jumblr

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littlemissghostshark · 2 years ago

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I think you mentioned you're Jewish in that post about Lingering Echoes, so what are your thoughts on the Sarkaz as a counterpart to the Jewish people?

yep, i am jewish! and while i'm not a representation of every single jewish arknights player out there... personally, i really like it.

i sort of get why gentiles might raise their eyebrows because the sarkaz are aesthetically based off of devils or demons thanks to the horns, but the way they're written and presented as characters definitely manages to avert a lot of antisemitic tropes.

firstly: the sarkaz are not a monolith in spite of the shared memories of their species/race.

take, for instance, vigna. vigna was raised in columbia, who comes off as having a very sharp, witty sense of humor and loves rock music to the point of starting her own band. she's got a very outgoing personality and is clearly someone who's comfortable in her own skin. compare that to shining, who's very understatedly kind but also quiet and somber, very clearly struggling with some form of personal trauma that's implied to have caught up with her if the chapter 11 translations are anything to go by. though they are both sarkaz, their personalities and experiences in life are distinctly different just as is the truth for us real-life jews.

and while the kazdel government is presented as rather scummy thanks to theresis' actions, arknights is very careful in establishing that their actions are not a reflection of the sarkaz people as a whole.

the discrimination of sarkaz is presented as something that is bad; when rockrock makes some pretty scathing statements about the sarkaz she is called out for generalizing an entire race based on the government of their home country. and in lingering echoes, you feel uncomfortable when the leithanien residents make statements about how they wished someone as kind and sweet as hibiscus (when they weren't directly attacking her for her appearance) wasn't a sarkaz, and when you feel icky about it... you're supposed to feel icky.

i think what's also important in how the sarkaz are not treated as a monolith is simply in how many different varieties and subcategories of sarkaz we have. mudrock is a gargoyle, midnight and warfarin are vampire sarkaz (and again, while blood libel has antisemitic origins midnight is presented as more of a well-meaning comic relief character, and warfarin is very clearly an intelligent, caring doctor and her attraction to the doctor's blood is very much played for comedy as opposed to having us go "man, warfarin is so scary!") shining seems to resemble eastern-european elves as opposed to any demon or monster. real-life jewish people are not one large ethnoreligious group: outside of the most well-known ashkenazi, sephardic, and mizrahi jews you have ethiopian jews and chinese jews and argentine jews - all of who have very distinct cultures and traditions.

(personally, i see the different sarkaz subraces as representing either different jewish ethnic groups or, alternately, the twelve tribes of israel.)

so to speak as a jewish person, i'm pleasantly surprised at how arknights manages to neatly avert antisemitic tropes and do so very consciously. while not everything about this game is absolutely perfect, what they do well they do tremendously well and i'm glad that their portrayal of the sarkaz as a counterpart to the jewish people is one of them.

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penhive · 2 years ago

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February 28th 2023

Random Thoughts

When the truck passed on the road, clouds of dust started dancing in the air.

Wings of a poem were gallivanting in the air.

The prose of the garden bloomed red.

The Choice

I have been broke and out of money for many years. While browsing Facebook, I saw an advert of Kuber the Indian God of wealth and fortune and his mystic numbers as a card for getting wealth. I also saw the legendary Chinese beast of wealth Pixiu, a Feng Shui charm crafted as a silver ring for luck and riches. I became tempted to buy these riches but on rethinking I came to the conclusion that these are pagan and I being a Christian should not pay obeisance to these occult talismans. But right now I am having second thoughts as the God Israel is paying deaf ears to my prayers.

God and Deconstruction

I had been having lottery luck with the numbers 1, 9, and 15. And I started picking tickets with these numbers. But my luck has turned to woe as I am unable to get positive results. I wonder why the God of Israel’s favor is not upon on me.

Quote

The body’s happiness is sex.

Married life

My married life sucks as there is no intimacy and sex. I wonder why God wed me to woman who has no feeling and sensitivity.

On religion

Religions also were in the Darwinian mode of evolution. From simplistic belief of nature (animism) they have evolved into anthropic Gods and further with refinement into texts. The funny thing is that all people feel comfortable and cozy with pigeon-holed religious dogma. Religions come into conflict with the growth, progress, wishes and aspirations of the self.

God of Israel

I am amused in irony that the God of Israel blesses pagans with prosperity. Being a devoted follower, he has not answered my prayers.

The Maid

She is named as Sandhya an attractive buxom woman. She was working in the school where I was teaching and later on she moved to a workshop. I want to badly make love to her. So I am thinking of appeasing her buy buying gold jewelry and giving her money. I am planning to take her to resort and fucking her.

My doubts

I have been a diehard Christian all my life. Life has not been easy for me especially when it comes to finances. I have reached 52 years and I don’t have a cent with me. Two days back a prophet (trusted by my family) came home and admonished and said all my dreams, hope and aspirations are in vain. I became very crestfallen and disappointed with the Christian God Jesus. For years I have been pursuing the God of Israel and he has not moved his little finger to help me with my material needs and he is a God who patronizes the gentiles. I have started thinking philosophically about Christianity and I have my legitimate doubts.

a) If God made Adam and Eve in his own image and perfection. Why did they fall into sin?

b) If am Adam and Eve had not sinned there would have been no progeny.

c) If Lucifer the chief musician of God’s throne rebelled against God why did not God eliminate him fully? Why did God permit him to tempt and snare humans?

d) If God wants our free will to choose him, then we have no free will.

e) If the serpent spoke in the days of Adam and Eve why is the serpent not speaking now and why does not the speaking serpent come and tempt people?

f) Why does not angels come and visit people now?

g) If God is the trinity: how can he exist as three and yet remain as one?

h) When God came as the Son, he took human flesh and then in what form does God the father exist in Heaven.

i) There are two instances in the Bible: where swine are mentioned. One is in which Jesus cast out demons from a possessed man into a flock of swine and they rushed headlong and fell into the sea. The second is the story of the prodigal son. After squandering all the resources, the prodigal son was forced to eat the food of hogs. My doubt is in traditional Jewish societies pork and swine are a taboo and Jews don’t consumed pork.

j) If Adam and Eve are the first ancestors how come there exists various races and colors.

#Literature #Art #Aesthetics #Drabble #Flash Fiction

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katteethh · 2 years ago

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Death Becomes Her

My light, my love, My dearest

Angel Azrael. There is no day

in which you have looked more beautiful

Your day of white eternal on your skin

reflecting the moonlight into my eyes

Passions flow through the blue hue veins of your

Wrists. Piercing, blinding…. Beautiful

her cheeks deepen with my adoration

and my love for her stretches as taught as

the flesh across her chest

pink, purple, and blue bruise flavored flesh

Bedridden and docile my little baby birdie

She calls to me softly, strained under

The festering curse of the plague

Swallowing her whole while my envy

for the reaper consumes her hole

“My love, oh, love let me die. Stop looking

at me with those eyes Remember me

as I was Ripe with hot boiling blood heating

my kiddie fat flesh With a mouth full of teeth

and scalp of full flowing locks. With eyes

bright as de Beauvoir and stomach full of caviar

But her allure is her suffering

And her beauty is in death’s cradle

The angels and demons above and

below fight to make her bones their own

Why must it be that the earth has the privilege

of holding her so gently while the wind

rips the flesh fresh from my bones

And the sun bleaches my eyes?

Curse the maggots who feast on her decadent flesh

And damn the worms wiggling in her womb

Malevolent God! Omnipotent creator!

Why must you steal my precious vessel of pleasures?

My angel of death, Goddess of rot

and withered roses

her ghostly form haunts the hearts of man for years to come

Longing and yearning for her frail figure

to hold and to touch To count her ribs

and spinal disks To taste her pale petal lips

And the bloodstained bile caked in the corners

of her smile So small and fragile and weak

So pliable in the grips of the gentile and jew

Shackled and chained by hunger pains

Light as feathers bending and blowing

at the will of the wind Thought they may try

to wear her skin

Plucking heartstrings with poor replications

Heroine chic and cocaine cuties

None of them compare to her endless beauty

#poetry #macabre poetry

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dog-day-morning · 4 years ago

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YOU OWE THEM NOTHING

People can be self-righteous when it comes to what they think God is supposed to do if, and when they call on Him. God is not a genie in a bottle that you rub, and a jinn pops out granting you 3 or 300 wishes. The saying faith without works is dead can be applied here. Have you ever heard of or read the book Daniel Webster and the devil? This tall tale or folklore legend was about a man who made a deal with old Slew Foot, and when it was time to pay up he had 2nd thoughts. Satan never plays fair. He's forever putting us in positions where we find ourselves desperate for a quick solution to a temporary problem that only leads to a difficult end. The Latin term for buyer beware is caveat emptor, and Satan knows how to spell. The power of a wicken comes from their basic weapon of spelling or casting spells by word of mouth. Even the Bible tells us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Tell that to a Nicolaitan. Those who make deals with the most unclean should expect to suffer in the end. Never trust the father of lies who deals in treachery, and deceit. I look back at my mother's life and wonder if God had ever intervened for her, and fought her battles that surely He and only He would be able to deliver her from, and He has. Life is hard, for many it’s a nightmare that’s ongoing. Satan comes to you when you're at your weakest or most vulnerable in the hopes of snaring your soul into eternal suffering. Jesus comes to deliver us from death, sin, and temptations that confuse us in our trek towards His truth. If you have any aspirations of entertaining people with your gifted voice or your talent for playing lead guitar, don’t sign a contract that promises you the world only to find out you owe them your sweet ass which a man of honor wouldn't consider let alone make you cosign your body for their horn dog appeasement.

Revelation 2:9

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

You're abundantly rich in spirit Yacob. Now’s the time to claim your position. These bastards have taken everything from you leaving your ancestors nothing but dust. If they could remove us off the face of the Earth they would. They're plotting to do so as you and I breathe, that's why the Father never sleeps. They are demon spawns who say they worship, and believe in God, but whose god, and what righteous god tells you to destroy a people with his blessing knowing what the children of Japheth have done to them historically? The spawns of Satan want your penuche, mouth, titties, and a-hole for their pleasure along with your talent that Justin Timberlake does not have. The new faces of R&B do not look like the people I grew up listening to or the race of people whose songs left an everlasting impression on my bleeding heart that helped me through my ill-fated, miserable existence. Robin Thicke, Christina Aguilera, K-Pop, the BackStreet Boys, and New Kids on the Block. Some of these groups are defunct, but they’re cranking out as many as they possibly can like Justin Bieber, and Demi Lovato. I just saw on YouTube where people were considering if Elvis Presley was Black, WTF?!! He was the biggest culture thief that Dr. Frankenstein, AKA Colonel Parker ever created. Man is cruel; Satan is a whole other type of bastard you shouldn’t entertain. I'm retarded. Some call me an idiot savant. YO MOMMA!!! People are blessed by the Father who has blessed many of us with gifts. There are many of you whom God has endowed with multiple talents that people would sell their soul in order to possess just one. If you're anointed by God to sing like Aretha Franklin may He lead you to sign with a label like Brother Carl Crawford's who won't make the same mistake he did with a very popular artist at this moment. More than likely you'll sign a contract entrusting your talent, blessing, and soul to the most unclean ones. Ain’t a reason in hell you should bow down or bend over for a leach like Mr. Friedman so he can butt bone your a-hole while enriching himself off your God given talents. God blesses those who seek him out, and those that don’t. I don’t know if Eddie Murphy went to Church, and sowed an offering every Sunday to God praying that the Father would make him the highest paid comedic actor in his prime. Richard Pryor was anointed in the womb to be the most blessed comedic talent, and influential comedian to ever walk this Earth bar none yet he and Mr. Murphy pursued their dreams in different ways with both of them becoming world renown. I'm inclined to ask, was it worth it?

Mark 8:36

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

The synagogue of Satan isn’t a trending pop culture manifestation that’s to be esteemed, cherished, or envied. These cults are trying to maintain a stranglehold on a world that’s not meant for them or their sort. People who play with Ouija boards or childhood games like Bloody Mary, and light as a feather are ushering dark spirits into their homes leaving their loved ones exposed to something sinister. Get the hell away from me and mine unless you're my sister, AKA Ms. Skunk Funk, who needs to get the crust burnt off her musty, dusty drawers. The whore of Don Juan has a death wish. Explain to me how running with the devil beats walking with God?

Isaiah 59:7

7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

This Nation was built on our ancestor’s blood, sweat, and relentless faith. Believe me when I say there's strength in every tear. I pray to God that I don’t shed anymore of them. Their wealth is not. It's a stolen Promise that the Father shall reward His children with. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. The most glaring, and frustrating example that is also bitter and disheartening I can give you is our Promised Inheritance called Yisrael that the gentiles are squatting on. When a person or in this case a tribe or race of people believe in their own lies they've become reprobate; they're lost.

Revelation 3:9

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

This is what all of Esau's children fear. It's why the bland, colored people of the world are flipping over the Earth's axis, and killing us without any probable cause. They are a lawless people who've displayed their lack of empathy, and humanity for anyone save their own breed, they behave like blood hounds. I've become content with this planet being void of water (Holy Spirit.) Black people suffer from a social disorder called the crab bucket mentality. We hate to see anyone rise up, and we’ll do whatever it takes to keep them down or discourage them. That person may possess something that can benefit the collective, who cares. He who possesses that blessing needs to haul tail ASAP before the winter comes knowing the Father will bless him, and a downtrodden people beyond their wildest dreams. This is why Yeshua, and His Father call us children. It's why I pray, and bemoan to the Father daily that He slays me, putting the fear of the Lord in the heathen and His Son Christ Jesus uses us for His purpose. God doesn't need us, we need Him. He's given us so much power, and authority. When you acquire it, use it for something other than satisfying your sinful, carnal, flesh minded desires. Men, don't behave like horn dogs, and women do not behave as Aholah, and Aholibah, 2 whores.

Numbers 32:24

24 Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

Out of thine own mouth you have power to tread over snakes and scorpions. You can exorcise demons and devils out of your present life braking generational curses which is what I' want for a family that's disowned me. To God be the glory. God is telling us to declare a thing, and claim it. What a mighty, just God we serve. Your tongue will become a weapon to use against the lawless ones who use theirs recklessly in their attempts to get us arrested or murdered by local, and federal authorities. You can call it giving them a taste of their own medicine, it isn't. You're reclaiming what they've taken, stolen, including those of us they've murdered.

Isaiah 54:17

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Speak positive prayers out loud if you can. If you live with your family or have a roommate pray in the closet. You'll have favor with God that many people won't. They rebuked the Lord, and their anger did tear perpetually, and they kept their wrath forever. When they use their privilege, which is what we call it more often than they, comprehending they’re fully aware knowing they use it with a Demonic, driven hatred. They persecute Black men, women, and children for reasons that are not godly, and the Father does not condone. They, and all the Earth will have to answer for our individual sins against the Father in the end.

Luke 10:19

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

We don’t worship the same god as they do. They're praying to a god to erase us off the face of the Earth. Why hasn't he?.

Exodus 1:12

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

Their birth rate is dropping steadily. For the first time in the history of the census they decreased in population globally while indigenous, and other races of people stayed steady or in our case increased. This is the reasoning behind these draconian abortion laws. They're trying to preserve themselves while God is eliminating the Earth of their bloody dominion. God is sending the wicked a message before the storm comes, but no one's listening. Their violence towards us is documented, and more often it's unprovoked. They continue with the guilty until proven worthy of their mercy dogmatic mantra which is racist BS. The Earth will be lulled back to sleep. When they're confident that their world isn't in danger of being challenged by anyone, especially us. That's when God will do things that will scare them right back to the caucasus mountains bringing destruction to those who've touched, bruised, and abused the Apple of His eye. Speak life into your angel spirit, don’t entertain the demon seed that's trying to kill you, and the rest of Earth's indigenous people. You have much authority, use it. Elohim. 9/23/2021

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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 5 years ago

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29th October >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Luke 13:31-35 for Thursday, Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time: ‘How often have I longed to gather your children’.

Thursday, Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Except USA)

Luke 13:31-35

It would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem

Some Pharisees came up to Jesus. ‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’ He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.

‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say:

‘Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Gospel (USA)

Luke 13:31-35

It is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose. Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned. But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Reflections (4)

(i) Thursday, Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

In one of the psalms we find the line, ‘He (the Lord) will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge’. It is the image of a great bird protecting its young with its broad wings. It speaks of the Lord as a source of refuge and protection before what the psalm calls ‘the terror of the night’ and ‘the arrow that flies by day’. In the gospel reading, Jesus picks up this imagery of the bird with its sheltering and protective wings. He says to the people of Jerusalem, ‘How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings’. It is a very motherly image, suggesting the mother’s instinct to protect her young. It speaks to us of the Lord’s desire to have a very personal and intimate relationship with us all, which serves as a refuge and a source of strength in times of trial, enabling us to go forth and confront evil in its various forms with goodness, hatred with love. In the first reading, Paul uses a much more male and, indeed, martial, image, calling on us to put on the armour of God, so as to resist when the worst happens. Among other items, he identifies this armour as the shield of faith and the sword of God’s word. Jesus’ image of the hen gathering her brood under her wing presupposes a willingness on the part of her brood to be gathered. However, as Jesus says there, ‘you refused’. The longing of Jesus to gather the people of Jerusalem to himself did not meet with a corresponding longing to be gathered on their part. The Lord who desires an intimate relationship with us that provides protection and strength can only do so much to make that relationship happen. He needs a corresponding desire on our part. He needs us to long for him as he longs for us.

And/Or

(ii) Thursday, Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus often uses images from nature to express the meaning and purpose of this mission. In today’s gospel reading he compares himself to a mother hen gathering her brood under her wings. Jesus longed to gather the people of Jerusalem in a similar way. Yet, the tragedy is that Jerusalem refused to be gathered. Jesus speaks in the gospel reading out of a sense of powerlessness. He has a deep longing to gather people to himself but that longing goes unfulfilled if people refuse to allow themselves to be gathered. Jesus acknowledges his powerlessness before the great mystery of human freedom. The Lord’s desire for us needs to meet with some level of desire in us for him, if his purpose for our lives is to come to pass. Yet, in the first reading Paul expresses his conviction that nothing can come between us and the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ. Perhaps then the Lord’s love, his longing for our hearts, can eventually overcome even our resistance. However, the gospel reading today suggests that the Lord longs for us to respond to his loving initiative towards us, and is greatly distressed when that response is not forthcoming.

And/Or

(iii) Thursday, Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

In the gospel reading, some people come up to Jesus and ask him to take a different path to the one he is travelling because his life is in danger; Herod wants to kill him. In spite of that danger, Jesus expresses his determination to keep going towards the city of Jerusalem, because he wants to gather its people to himself. Jesus shows a determination to keep taking the path that God is asking him to take. Like Jesus, we too can be tempted to give up something that we know to be worthwhile, or to turn away from a path that is the path we really need to take. At such times we need help from outside ourselves to keep on running the race, fighting the good fight, keeping the faith. What enabled Jesus to keep going when he was tempted to turn back was his relationship with God, his Father. What helps us to keep going in testing times is our relationship with the Lord. There is a word of exhortation in the letter to the Hebrews, which echoes the call of the gospel reading to us this morning: ‘Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith’.

And/Or

(iv) Thursday, Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus seems to have been a keen observer of nature and of the animal world. He would have seen a hen in farmyards gathering her brood of chicks under her wings. That sight spoke to him of his own ministry. He too was in the business of gathering people. He wanted to form a new kind of community, consisting of people who would not normally gather together, Jew, Samaritan and Gentile, rich and poor, law abiding and sinner, male and female. In this morning’s gospel reading he laments the fact that the people of Jerusalem, for the most part, were not open to being gathered by him. He longed to gather them together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but they refused; they were not willing. Jesus had a great desire for the lives of others, but if that desire was to come to pass, it needed to find some openness in others. Even Jesus could be powerless before the mystery of human freedom. He could call and invite and plead, but he could not coerce. Even as his desire for others was being met with murderous resistance, even as he hung from the cross, he continued to call and invite and plead; he continued his work of gathering. When he rose from the dead, that work of calling and inviting and gathering continued and continues to this day. The Lord does not and cannot cease his work of gathering people around himself. He continues to await our response; he continues to lament when it is not forthcoming and to rejoice when it is. In the first reading, Saint Paul tells us that there are spiritual forces at work trying to prevent us from responding to the Lord’s work of gathering us to himself. To resist such forces, Paul says, human strength is not enough. We need God’s strength, God’s armour, which is why, in the words of that reading, we need to pray in the Spirit on every possible occasion.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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orthodoxydaily · 5 years ago

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Saints&Reading: Fri,. May 22, 2020

Righteous Melchizedek, King of Salem

The Righteous Melchizedek was the King of Salem (Jerusalem). He was both a king and a priest, laying the foundations of the city where the Messiah would appear. According to Mar Jacob of Serugh, Melchizedek was a Canaanite, asserting that the very site of his kingdom bears witness to this. Therefore, his genealogy is not recorded. He must have been born, and he must have died, but the Scriptures deliberately conceal both events, assigning him neither beginning nor end, so that he might be called a priest forever. Melchizedek (who appears in the Scriptures suddenly, and then disappears) is regarded as a type of Christ (Hebrews 5:6, 10; Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:2). He did not receive his priesthood from any other priest, nor did he pass on his priesthood to anyone else. In his homily "On Melchizedek, Priest of the Most High God," Mar Jacob of Serugh states that the priests of the past shed the blood of animals when offering sacrifices to God. By contrast, Melchizedek was made a priest "by the sacrifices of his soul," and did not sacrifice animals, nor did he offer anything but himself to God. Melchizedek did not adorn himself with splendid robes as Aaron did; and instead of offering bulls and rams, Melchizedek offered his holy prayers from a pure heart. The Son of God also resembles Melchizedek, because there is no beginning or end to His priesthood, and He offered Himself to the Father as a perfect sacrifice. As Priest, Christ brought Himself to the place of sacrifice, placing His body on the altar of the Cross, and shedding His blood for us.

In chapter 7 of the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Righteous Melchizedek is called the King of Salem, and also a "priest of the Most High God." By the interpretation of his name, he is called the King of righteousness and the King of Salem, in other words, the King of peace" (Hebrews 7:2).

Melchizedek met the Patriarch Abraham as he was returning from his victory over the kings (Genesis 14:18-24). He brought bread and wine to Abraham and blessed him, saying: "Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, Who made heaven and earth, and blessed be the Most High God, Who delivered thine enemies into thy power." By offering Abraham bread and wine, Melchizedek foreshadows the Church's Liturgy...keep reading OCA

Martyr Basiliscus, bishop of Comana

The Holy Martyr Basiliscus was a nephew of the Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit (February 17), and he suffered together with his brothers Eutropius and Kleonikos during the persecution of the emperor Maximian Galerius (305-311). The holy martyrs Kleonikos and Eutropius (March 3) were crucified, but the martyr Basiliscus was sent to Comana where he was detained in prison.

The governor Agrippa arrived in the city of Amasea, and started a persecution against Christians. Saint Basiliscus in prison prepared himself for his impending ordeal. The Lord appeared to him in a dream, promising the martyr His help, and foretold his martyric death at Comana. Saint Basiliscus asked the prison guards to let him go to his native village to bid his relatives farewell. They let him go, since they respected him for his holy life and working of miracles. Arriving home, Saint Basiliscus saw his family one last time, and urged them to stand firmly in the Faith.

When Agrippa learned that Saint Basiliscus had gone to see his relatives, he went into a rage. He chastized the prison guards, and he sent a detachment of soldiers after the martyr, headed by a cruel magistrianum (adjutant of the governor). Meeting Saint Basiliscus, who was actually on his way back, the magistrianum placed heavy chains on him, and shod him with metal sandals with nails driven into the soles, and set off to Comana.

Arriving at a certain village during the hot afternoon, the travellers stayed at the house of a woman named Troana. The soldiers went into the house to relax and refresh themselves with food, and they tied the martyr Basiliscus to a dry tree. Standing in the heavy chains beneath the scorching sun, the saint prayed to God. Suddenly a Voice was heard from above, “Fear not, for I am with you.”..keep reading OCA

Acts 15:5-34 NKJV

5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

The Jerusalem Council

6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who knows the heart, [a]acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus [b]Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they had [c]become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; 17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the [d]Lord who does all these things.’

18 [e]“Known to God from eternity are all His works. 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from [f]sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

The Jerusalem Decree

22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas,[g] and Silas, leading men among the brethren.

23 They wrote this letter by them:

The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, [h]saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment— 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one [i]accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual[j] immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Farewell.

Continuing Ministry in Syria

30 So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. 32 Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. 33 And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to [k]the apostles.

34 [l]However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there.

Footnotes:

Acts 15:8 bore witness to

Acts 15:11 NU, M omit Christ

Acts 15:13 stopped speaking

Acts 15:17 NU Lord, who makes these things

Acts 15:18 NU (continuing v. 17) known from eternity (of old).’

Acts 15:20 Or fornication

Acts 15:22 NU, M Barsabbas

Acts 15:24 NU omits saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”

Acts 15:25 purpose or mind

Acts 15:29 Or fornication

Acts 15:33 NU those who had sent them

Acts 15:34 NU, M omit v. 34.

John 10: 17-28 NKJV

17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is [a]mad. Why do you listen to Him?”

21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

The Shepherd Knows His Sheep

22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in [b]doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, [c]as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Footnotes:

John 10:20 insane

John 10:24 Suspense

John 10:26 NU omits as I said to you

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #spirituality #firstchristian #ancientfaith #bible #gospel #mysticalchristianity

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nijjhar · 2 years ago

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Holy spirit = common sense = Surti shatters the fetters of the dead lett... Holy spirit = common sense = Surti shatters the fetters of the dead letters. Mary Magdalene was set FREE of the Law, the seven demons of Menorah. https://youtu.be/ANthEcPzK4E The Gospel is by the grace of our Supernatural Father and no man could give you unless God within you teaches you through intuition. Thus, only Fools would believe in me and not their "Innerman", the Christ. Holy spirit, which is common sense called Surti in Punjabi, shatters the fetters of the Scriptures, the dead letters. https://youtu.be/mUi14s63Ico Full description on my website:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/Universal.htm Why do people reject and ban my Videos? They see, and read the Scriptures but do not perceive the roots of the Scriptures = Oral Torah = His Word. If Nanak was the second coming of Jesus, then how can you say Sikhism has nothing to do with Christianity? Sikhism is the extension of Christianity and that is why I tell you things that hardly anyone knows but you reject me. Here is another proof:- John, the Baptist, Angel of Israel Prophet Elijah, the Headstone of the Temple who was ousted out by the hypocrite Temple Rabbis said that I am baptising you in water and the one coming after me will baptise you in Holy Spirit. Then, tell me in whose name he baptised the Jewish men in the water? He never baptised a woman, Gentile or a Samaritan, the generation of Joseph. Why? The answer is written in the Bible but the once-born people of the Book called stones would not understand it. You need to be twice-born of Holy Spirit to understand the Tap Root, Oral Torah, of the Scriptures, the Milk for the once-born. Many things I have explained but you reject me as the Temple Priests with degrees in theology having the authority of the Temple High Priest did reject Jesus. I am explaining the Parables of the New Testament and you are banning me from the Group fulfilling Matt 12v43-45 making the situation worse than before the arrival of Jesus. Then, suffer the sectarian riots under the super blind guides with funny expensive dresses that the Royal Priests reject for they themselves are solitary capable of entering into the Royal Vineyard of our Supernatural Father of our souls through the Narrow low Gate for the humble where there is neither male nor female, Jew or Gentile, etc. but one son of Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc., who exercise Divine unconditional Love Agape far greater than Eros. Thus, without this Agape Love, we are nothing was stressed by St.Paul. Then, you progress to Philia and Storge Loves. I will make a video on this topic and remember that when the blind guides, the Rabbis, led their blind Disciples of the order of Saul who was redeemed by Christ Jesus for his clean heart burning for the Gospel Truth and see how he served Christianity with the full background knowledge of the old testament full of holes? This knowledge that I have gained by spending His Treasures by Preaching the Gospel and rejected by the Churches and University Colleges is rarely given by the grace of our Supernatural Father Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc. to His solitary sons and not to the slaves who address Him as Lord. Slaves are in the regime of Yahweh, Brahma, Khuda, etc., the Lords of creation or pots into which the soul of our Supernatural Father is infused to make the Pots living. You see the leaves moving but what makes them move, you cannot see but perceive. Our Father is Unseen God and we are His Solitary Apostles making no following of the blind but encouraging them to become solitary to join hands with us. Christ Jesus and his second coming Christ Nanak is the True Vine that has been planted by our Father in His Royal Vineyard so that we can enjoy the living Bread, His Word, the Flesh that needs Teeth of Logical Reasoning to Chew.. Thus, they see but not perceive. JESUS HAD NO ONCE-BORN DISCIPLES BUT THE TWICE-BORN LABOURERS. His twice-born Labouring Solitary Brethren/Friends were called “Talmidim or Sikhs”. BIRTH OF JOHN, THE BAPTIST, - MATT 13, V52:- https://youtu.be/RNXvv-WwdI4 and the Proofs of the Virgin Birth of Jesus: - www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/bojes.htm The Second Coming of Jesus:- Satguru =Christ Nanak:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/550Nanak.htm FAMILY OF OUR SUPERNATURAL FATHER ELOHIM, ALLAH, PARBRAHM, ETC.:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/famofgod.htm Royal Vineyard of our Royal Supernatural Father Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc.:- http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/vineyard.pdf St. Photina, the Samaritan Woman at well John. Her Five Husbands were spiritual and not physical. Here are their names:- http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/photina.htm Nanak came in 1469 and Preached The Gospel to Perfection through five More Lights for 150 years. THE GOSPEL IS CALLED “LOGO” AND LOGO IS THE EXTRACT/NECTAR OF “LOGICAL REASONING” – SATGUR PARSAD. The Gospel would be written over the living tablets of heart – 2corn 3. Son of God:- His qualities for Salvation. https://youtu.be/dQ8pSqeFjQw Trinity:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/trinity.pdf

#youtube

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dailyaudiobible · 5 years ago

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01/14/2020 DAB Transcript

Genesis 30:1-31:16, Matthew 10:1-23, Psalms 12:1-8, Proverbs 3:13-15

Today is the 14th day of January, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is a pleasure and an honor to be here with you today as we take our…as we take our places around the Global Campfire and just exhale. Has it been…how’s it been, the beginning of the year for you, hectic or smooth or whatever? Whatever it is there's this place that we come to hear from God, and we let His word reach into our lives. And, so we have this one place where we can just exhale and just let the Bible speak to us. So let's get to that. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. And we’ve got this drama, this considerable family drama happening in the Old Testament where this man Jacob who got married and woke up to the wrong girl and then a week later got the right girl, but now he's married to two sisters and that's not going so great. And that's where we pick up the story. Genesis chapter 30, verse 1 through 31 verse 16.

Commentary:

Okay. So, yesterday in the book of Matthew we actually just kinda did a deep dive into the back story, like all the different things, the disruptions, the subversion that Jesus message was bringing, especially the disruption to those who were devout religious leaders. And we talked about how they were like, “you know, the reason He can do the stuff that He's doing is because He's empowered by the evil one to do these things”, which Jesus will address that plenty of times. And, so, we’ll talk about that when we get there, but the bottom line was that yesterday's reading gave us a glimpse into what Jesus was seeing. He was seeing a human harvest on behalf of God bringing Earth's people back to God and He was out in the harvest doing that. And we need to notice what He was doing, because what He wasn't doing was coming up with an evangelism curriculum. What He was doing was talking about the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God and awakening people's awareness to it. He was telling them that the thing they have been waiting for is already happening if they have eyes to see and ears to hear. And then He was demonstrating that reality through His ministry works. And then He’s kind of lamenting to His disciples, “this is a big harvest. The harvest is ready, but the laborers are few. Pray that they'll be more, more to go do what I'm doing.” So, we moved into Matthew chapter 10 the day and Jesus is commissioning His disciples to go and do exactly that. He’s sending them into this harvest He was talking about. So, if this is the first opportunity for us to see Jesus sending out friends that He loves, His closest people, sending them out into the harvest, then we should pay attention. So, I’m quoting the Bible here. “Summoning His 12 disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.” May I point out that it wasn't Jesus death and resurrection, His work on the cross that made this possible. He hasn't gone there yet. These are just 12 people that Jesus picked who are ordinary human beings and He’s basically saying, “look, just go do what you’ve seen Me do.” So, He gave them instructions to equip them on this mission on this journey. So, let’s take a look at what He said to do or don't do. “Don't”, he says, “take the road that leads to the Gentiles and don't enter any Samaritan town. Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Okay, so we can read that and go like, “well, the mission of the world of all the world's people is try to tell the house of Israel that they’re lost sheep and should return to God.” And we could look at something like this, Jesus saying like, don't go to the Gentiles, don't go to Samaritans. Just go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and…and…and go like…scratch our heads and say, “what? Is this not like kind of in conflict with the apostle Paul, whose saying that the work of Jesus was to bring everyone, all nations together back to God. Isn’t that the story that God told Abraham, the story that we’re reading through now in the Old Testament now, that all nations of the earth would be blessed through Him? So, why is Jesus just being so exclusionary and so exclusive here?” And believe me, there's plenty of different doctrines, different ways that people have interpreted and tried to live out what Jesus is depicting here. Since we know from the beginning of the story with Abraham, and since we know through the writings of the apostle Paul that yes, in fact, Jesus did come to restore all of the earth's people back to Himself - no Jew, no Greek, no male, no female etc. etc., that Jesus isn’t giving an exclusionary instruction here, He's telling them to go to their people. These are uneducated Hebrew fishermen for the most part, and tax collectors, zealots, like different kind of Hebrew people, but they have that in common. So, He’s not asking them to go without any education whatsoever into cultures they absolutely do not understand and have never had any kind of interaction. He’s saying like, “go into the harvest in the world that you live in in the culture that you understand and as you do it, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. And it's interesting because Jesus pitch isn't, “hey, your lost without me. Accept me. His pitch is, “the kingdom of heaven has come near, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is the message that was awakening the hearts of Jesus hearers and there was a reason and they were misinterpreting it. They’d been waiting for this. They were waiting for a Messiah, a Redeemer, somebody to come and announce the kingdom of heaven is at hand and get everybody to rise up and revolt against these evil Romans who are occupying their ancestral land, which hadn't been their own land for well over a millennia. So, Jesus saying, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” awakened things inside of them and they thought this was going to manifest itself in unified Israel when all Jesus was saying is, “if you have eyes to see or ears to hear you will see that God is never stopped working among you. You have silenced Him. Wake up and see what's actually happening and what's actually available right now if you simply have eyes to see it. And it's no different for us today. We share in the same kinds of blindness is and Jesus came to awaken us. So, he tells them, “go. Like, go. Proclaim the kingdom of heaven has come near.” And then He’s like, “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons.” Like…like just go do those four things. That’s just a whole complete sentence. It…I'm just like thinking to myself if I'm standing there in the crowd of friends and Jesus is like, “look go heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons.” I'd…like you don't even know what to do with a command or even an indentation like that. And He's just saying it matter-of-factly because He's just been doing it matter-of-factly. And e can think that He can just do it that way because He's the son of the living God and yet He's telling His friends who have no education, who do not understand theology, who are not practitioners of doctrine, He’s telling them to simply go and do what they've seen Him do. And then He tells them, “freely you have received, freely give” right? Like this is a wide-open posture. We’re not trying to carve off a little piece of the action for ourselves that we can hide in a tent somewhere under the ground. We’re not angling for how the optics of our ministry might look and who might be able to see us being all holy and pious. Jesus hated that kind of stuff. That's the kind of stuff He goes after in the Gospels because it’s false. It's a veneer of falseness. It's a curated reality that's not real that we can even deceive our own selves into believing but it's not true or real. And Jesus can't stand what's false because it's a lie, it's a deception, it's the cloud that plagues the human race. It's the thing that's been going on since the Garden of Eden and the deception of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When we look at Jesus we see a person who sees this clearly and is working diligently to do everything conceivable to get people to wake up to what's going on so that they can become aware and change the story. And it’s a wide open story. “Freely you received, freely give. Don’t acquire gold, silver or copper for your money belts. Don't take a traveling back for the road, extra shirt, sandals or staff. Everybody's worthy of their food” and so on and so forth. And those…like…those last instructions we can be like, “He's sending them out completely unprepared. Anything could go wrong and they won't be prepared to deal with any of it.” So, what can we learn from this? I like to be prepared. In fact, I think obsessively so, like maybe at times even in unhealthy ways to be prepared to care for those who are in my charge, whoever they might be. And, so, I can look at this and see his would be really difficult for me to just walk out my front door and walk into completely unprepared. And that's the thing, that's the thing about Jesus. That's what He was doing. And yet He never…there’s no stories of Jesus staring off into space completely lost, right? There's never a depiction of Him sitting on a rock down by the Sea of Galilee, praying a prayer of like, “what the heck am I doing? I have no idea what the next step is.” He knows when He needs to know. He does what He needs to do. He's always looking behind the false and finding the true and exposing the true. And that causes incredible amounts of disruption because we’re so used to hiding. People don't like that. And yet it's the truth that will bring us into the presence of freedom. So, there’s Jesus instructions. And…and then, like to put the little cherry on top of all of this, Jesus very, very clearly, after he's telling his friends to simply go. He tells them what to expect. “I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. So, be shrewd as serpent and innocent as a dove. Beware of them, they’ll hand you over the local courts and flog you in their synagogues”, right? Like, that's basically like saying, “they're gonna…they're gonna take you to court and they're gonna drag you into church and beat you up. You'll even be brought before governors and kings because of me to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over don't worry about what you’re gonna say. You’ll be given what to say at that hour because it isn't you speaking but it's the Spirit of your Father that’s speaking through you.” And now we get some clues about our own preparedness in our own strength. Jesus is saying, “this kingdom work isn't something that you can simply arrange for by your own brute force. It doesn't work that way. You can begin to do this kingdom work, the kind of work you're seeing Me do when you are out of the way and out of control so that the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.” Like, I know that we've covered some serious ground here that can feel highly theological in nature. Jesus isn’t making it highly theological though. We just make it highly theological to try to understand what he's saying to do. And what He's saying to do and what He’s saying we are going to be experience as we do it, we should be aware of because, like it's so easy to just sign up for the Santa Claus in the sky, that…that we just have to ask for what we need and He's just gonna drop it in our laps and that's how life is supposed to work and then we’re so angry when it doesn't work that way. And yet here we are in the Bible, Jesus the son of God is speaking here and telling us what our realities are supposed to be like. And how is it that we have such a disconnect? So, He’s like, “I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves and and you gotta be smart about it. You gotta stay innocent. You don't play that game. Just beware. You’re gonna face some opposition. You might be in court. You might…you might get beat up in church. You…you might be brought before governors and kings but you…you’re gonna bear witness. You’re gonna reveal the kingdom in that situation. So, don't worry about what you’re gonna say. It’s not gonna be you speaking. You’ve simply become open and available to go into this situation so that God can speak through you to them. It's not about you. Brother will betray brother to death. Father will betray his child. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. You’re gonna be hated by everyone because of my name but the one who endures to the end will be saved.” That's kind of Jesus pitch. So, why are we so confused when what H says would happen, does? There’s a concept that's kind of being introduced here. There's a theme that threads its way through the teachings of Jesus and through all of the teachings of the New Testament and that is that if you want to truly live then you first have to die to yourself. And now we are beginning to see what that might look.

Prayer:

Jesus, we love You, we trust You, we believe You, and yet what You're saying it kind of disconnects when we actually experience challenge and opposition. We very, very much want to live into our identity as Your children so we focus very diligently on who are in You and what we can do because of You. And yet we are watching You in the gospel of Matthew. We are watching You, light in the darkness, people amazed and overwhelmed. We are watching this, but we are also watching the darkness envelop and try to smother You. And You are simply saying, “You need to be awake. You need to be aware. You need to be as shrewd as a serpent. You need to be innocent as a dove because the darkness is going to do everything it can to swallow You too.” And yet, we acknowledge that You have told us we are the light of the world. And, so, help us Father understand what that means and how important that is and how vital, how vital it is that we stay true and that we allow Your work to remove from us what is false so that we too can announce the kingdom and live in the light as You are in the light, no matter what the darkness may do. Come Holy Spirit we pray in Jesus, Your precious name, we ask. Amen.

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And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey DAB this is Kathleen in Mount Zion Illinois and I’m just calling today for an urgent prayer request. I’m sorry…I feel awful, you can hear me. So, my daughter…my whole family was just together in San Diego and things seemed….things seemed to be well and then everybody flew back to their own places and my daughter went to Dubai where she lives Abu Dhabi in Dubai, anyway that area and she’s been having migraines and found out that there is lesions on her brain and…and some odd shaped things on her brain, some oval-shaped things. They don’t know what they are and so they’re gonna do another MRI. They have to wait until February for some reason. And I just want everyone to pray that these things will go away, the way that this will be healed before her next MRI. And also, I need a way to get over to see her and so that she won’t be alone during this time. And any way so, we are working on all that and I just…I just pray people that…that this will be a miracle will happen here and that this will all be healed. So, I was just hoping you could pray with me and thank you so much family.

Good morning, this is Duncan Holmes from Fredericksburg Texas. I’m a first…I…I think I’ve sent recordings before, but I think only one was successful. So, let’s pray in the two minutes I have. I am totally blind, so I don’t know when this thing shuts off until voiceover tells me. And, so, when I’m recording, I don’t have voiceover. Let’s pray. Father God I bring Reed to you and any others on this community line that are hurting whatever is happening apply Father your balm of Gilead, apply whatever would take to comfort them, to walk them through whatever they’re all going through for Reed especially. It breaks my heart when people are…are…when I hear the needs and I hear the hurt. Father, the same…for the same for this one who calls herself Anonymous. Father may she find…she find comfort in your word and might she stay the path…the course. Father I don’t know what all to pray. I’m being general here. I don’t know to pray specifically. I thank you for this community. You’ve kept me in this group for five years now. My wife is now gone on to be with you back in October. She and I did this together every day except we didn’t always do the prayer…didn’t always go through the prayers. So, Lord I just ask you to…I just submit all of these to you Jesus and I know that time is limited so I better quit. Thank You Lord for hearing my prayer. Please…please be merciful. Amen.

Morning family I don’t normally do mornings at least not this early. It’s Paul from Wales. To the chap in Chicago whose voice was breaking, you were in my prayers straightaway. I could feel it in your voice. Please feel free, ring back with more. I’ll have a look on the Prayer While perhaps tomorrow see if there’s anything specific to pray about. Also just wanted to thank family whoever had those children that ring in with their prayers. Both my children are fully grown apples and it’s so lovely, it brought back memories of when they first committed their lives to God. And like so many young people, they go their own way. So, this morning Lord I just pray for all those people who gave their lives to you as youngsters and ask that they reconnect with you and come back and make this family so much bigger, so more effective and so more evangelical in your name so that mission might put some right back in this world. Amen.

Hi, DABbers this is Jean I’m calling in again with a prayer request for the persecuted church. If you remember I called in about Afghanistan and Algeria and I was going in alphabetical order, but I wanted to quickly step out of order to pray for Nigeria, the Nigerian church. I don’t know if you’ve heard but over Christmas there were 11 Nigerian Christians killed in an Isis Christmas video. The Nigerian church is extremely persecuted and suffering a lot right now and again I’m getting this information from the voice of the martyrs, but it is sharply divided along religious lines. There are about 80 million professing Christians in Nigeria. There are a lot of Islamic militant groups that are persecuting them and nearly Christians in northeastern Nigeria have lost family members to Bocu Huram ands and Islamic militants, Islamic violence. There have been entire congregations that have been displaced, pastors have been forced to leave the region. It takes immense courage to continue to serve Christ in this area. There is a need for Bibles in the north and there is an issue with famine as well in the North because of the jihadi activities. Farmers aren’t working because they’re afraid of being attacked and there’s just a lot going on for the Christians in Nigeria. So, I just want to lift them up. Lord Jesus, we pray that You would put Your hands on the Christians in Nigeria and comfort them, that You would encourage them Lord, that You would fill them with Your spirit and meet all of their needs, provide for their physical, emotional, and psychological needs Lord comfort them as they grieve. Give them courage in the midst of danger. I pray that You would give them hearts of forgiveness towards their persecutors and that Your word and Your gospel would spread. I pray this in Jesus’ name.

Hey Anonymous my sister, this is Michael from Arizona. I’ve got a new name for you to call the Lord. Brian had…when Brian read it your face and thoughts of you came into my mind and it was thre name that Haggai referred to the Lord. She said, “you are the Lord who sees me, you are the God who sees me.” And I think that’s a beautiful, intimate way to to refer to the Lord. Not only is it acknowledging that He sees your innermost parts and every part of you, but it also acknowledges that you reveal yourself to Him and are vulnerable to Him and open yourself like a flower. It’s very intimate and draws you closer and I just I think it’s an awesome name for you to for you to refer to the Lord. I think it’s an answer to your prayer and I so admire your vulnerability in calling in and turning to the Lord, turning to the DABber prayer line and being vulnerable. Ahh…I have trouble pronouncing that word. Anyway, I love you sis. Hang in there and tell all that negativity to take a hike. You don’t have time for it because life is so full. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hi Brian and the Daily Audio Bible community family my name’s Diana Davis and I’m the one that wrote Jewels of the Bible. I took the Bible line by line. I pulled out the verses and made them rhyme. __ the Bible I took it line by line but I’m leaving it to the world and I just got the news that I thought I was gonna get today and my…my cancer started out in my breasts and it metastasized to my brain and I had __ head radiation and they laser __ each one but I went back for my CT today and they’re all over my head and they said the only thing that they can do is put a drill and then inject chemo into my brain but he said that he wouldn’t recommend that for his wife or…or whatever, that it would…I wouldn’t be the same afterwards. So, I did everything that I’m supposed to do, that they’re supposed to do, and it’s…it’s at a stop where there’s…there’s no more to go. So, my husband after 25 years, 2 weeks after I was diagnosed drank and drank and drank and got real…so I had to get him out. I have two autistic boys ages 19 and 22. My prayer is quickly, my son Elijah he’s 19 but he’s severely autistic but I’m so…I know God’s gonna take care of it, I know, but please pray that Elijah and Michael get to stay together because my older son who’s also autistic but highly, he’s been on the __ about three years but he said his biggest fear is getting separated from Elijah. I’ve got them all set up with everything that I can possibly do but I just need your help and prayers because there’s so many people that can listen and pray for my son Elijah. He’s autistic and he’s so sweet, such a sweet boy. And he’s going to be really sad. And I know this is more than two minutes, but Brian the Daily Audio Bible and Jill says the Bible, you inspired that. I’ve been listening to you every day for 13 years Elijah is…

Hey Lee in Chicago it’s your brother Bart in Kentucky. I heard your call today, your prayer request on January 7th and I want you to know that I’m praying for you and I know many others are too. I’m sorry that you’re having to go through these tough times where everything seems like it’s falling apart. I understand completely. So, keep praying to the Lord. Keep asking him to hold your hand as you walk through this troubling landscape. He won’t let you go brother and we’ll keep praying for you. Call in and let us know how we can further pray for you in detail so that we know what’s going on with you. We love you. Have a good day. Have a great day everybody, all you DABbers out there. Thank you for your fellowship and thank you Brian and Jill for this podcast.

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