Shout it from the mountaintops with the shofar! Just as one follows the Law and celebrates the New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and the Fast Day, Yom Kippur, for the atonement for sins, one can celebrate a new birth by being born-again spiritually through Yeshua, declaring eternal victory and freedom from sin.
Shout it from the valleys and ravines with echoes going on and on! Shout from your rooftops the message of love and forgiveness and truth! Yeshua Messiah is today, giving you a beckoning call to “Come, follow Me.” Stop now and say this prayer with all sincerity: Open my heart Lord, I want to see You. Show me Your truth, Oh God, for I am willing to follow. I want eyes to see You and ears to hear You, to heed Your truth and Yours alone. I ask for truth, I seek truth, and I knock for I know Your word says, “Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps asking receives; he who keeps seeking finds; and to him who keeps knocking, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
I turn in repentance to You, Oh God. Grant me understanding through faith to experience Your love for me. Amen.
“Open The Eyes of My Heart, Lord”
performed by: Michael W. Smith
One must begin with an open, receptive mind and heart to receive the convicting power of God’s Holy Spirit, for He is the revealer of God’s truth. Let us look at some often asked questions, not for critical information but for spiritual application, and we will answer these questions using God’s Holy Word.
A question about sin: What about the origin of sin? Sin began in the heart of the anointed cherub, who had the seal of perfection, was full of wisdom and beauty and blameless in his ways from the day he was created until unrighteousness was found in him. Internally he was filled with violence, and he sinned; therefore his creator, Jehovah God cast him as profane from His Holy Mountain. The heart of the anointed cherub became proud because of his beauty and he corrupted his wisdom by reason of his self-will.
12 “How did you come to fall from the heavens, morning star, son of the dawn? How did you come to be cut to the ground, conqueror of nations? 13 You thought to yourself, ‘I will scale the heavens; I will raise my throne above God’s stars. I will sit on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north. 14 I will rise past the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.’ Yesha-Yahu 14
Sin was displayed outwardly, but originated in the mind and heart. Pride is the anti-God state of mind, for it is all about I, me, my and mine – the self-will, which rules one’s being. It is because of pride that the devil became the devil, for pride produces selfishness, greed, anger, envy, hate, lust, sexual immorality, jealousy, and unfaithfulness; the list goes on. The one to fall from God’s Holy Mountain, the heavens, has many names: Satan, devil, deceiver, the lawless one, the dragon, the ancient serpent and the accuser just to name a few.
19 And it is perfectly evident what the old nature does. It expresses itself in sexual immorality, impurity and indecency; 20 involvement with the occult and with drugs; in feuding, fighting, becoming jealous and getting angry; in selfish ambition, factionalism, intrigue 21 and envy; in drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God! Galatians 5
The account of Avram and Lot best illustrates how the old nature of selfish ways of the flesh, directed by the ancient serpent in the garden, can blind the eyes and deceive a person’s heart. They come to the crossroads of life; they must choose one of two directions.
5 Lot, who was traveling with Avram, also had flocks, herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support their living together, because their possessions were too great for them to remain together. 7 Moreover, quarreling arose between Avram’s and Lot’s herdsmen. The Kena’ani and the P’rizi were then living in the land. 8 Avram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between me and you, or between my herdsmen and yours, since we’re kinsmen. 9 Isn’t the whole land there in front of you? Please separate yourself from me – if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.” 10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Yarden was well watered everywhere, (before ADONAI destroyed S’dom and ‘Amora,) like the garden of ADONAI, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Tzo’ar. 11 So Lot chose all the plain of the Yarden for himself, and Lot traveled eastward; thus they separated themselves from each other. 12 Avram lived in the land of Kena’an; and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, setting up his tent near S’dom. 13 Now the men of S’dom were evil, committing great sins against ADONAI. B’resheet 13
1 ADONAI appeared to Avraham by the oaks of Mamre as he sat at the entrance to the tent during the heat of the day. 2 He raised his eyes and looked, and there in front of him stood three men. On seeing them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, prostrated himself on the ground, 3 and said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please don’t leave your servant. 4 Please let me send for some water, so that you can wash your feet; then rest under the tree, 5 and I will bring a piece of bread. Now that you have come to your servant, refresh yourselves before going on. “Very well,” they replied, “do what you have said.” 20 ADONAI said, “The outcry against S’dom and ‘Amora is so great and their sin so serious 21 that I will now go down and see whether their deeds warrant the outcry that has reached me; if not, I will know.” 22 The two men turned away from there and went toward S’dom, but Avraham remained standing before ADONAI. B’resheet 18
1 The two angels came to S’dom that evening, when Lot was sitting at the gate of S’dom. Lot saw them, got up to greet them and prostrated himself on the ground. 2 He said, “Here now, my lords, please come over to your servant’s house. Spend the night, wash your feet, get up early, and go on your way. “No,” they answered, “we’ll stay in the square.” 3 But he kept pressing them; so they went home with him; and he made them a meal, baking matzah for their supper, which they ate. 4 But before they could go to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house -young and old, everyone from every neighborhood of S’dom. 5 They called Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to stay with you tonight? Bring them out to us! We want to have sex with them!” 6 Lot went out to them and stood in the doorway, closing the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, don’t do such a wicked thing. 8 Look here; I have two daughters who are virgins. Please, let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them what seems good to you; but don’t do anything to these men, since they are guests in my house.” 9 “Stand back!” they replied. “This guy came to live here, and now he’s decided to play judge. For that we’ll deal worse with you than with them!” Then they crowded in on Lot, in order to get close enough to break down the door. 10 But the men inside reached out their hands, brought Lot into the house to them and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they couldn’t find the doorway. 12 The men said to Lot, “Do you have any people here besides yourself? Whomever you have in the city – son-in-law, your sons, your daughters – bring them out of this place 13 because we are going to destroy it. ADONAI has become aware of the great outcry against them, and ADONAI has sent us to destroy it.” 15 When morning came, the angels told Lot to hurry. “Get up,” they said, “and take your wife and your two daughters who are here; otherwise you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 23 By the time Lot had come to Tzo’ar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then ADONAI caused sulfur and fire to rain down upon S’dom and ‘Amora from ADONAI out of the sky. 25 He overthrew those cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities and everything growing in the ground. 27 Avraham got up early in the morning, went to the place where he had stood before ADONAI, 28 and looked out toward S’dom and ‘Amora, scanning the entire plain. There before him the smoke was rising from the land like smoke from a furnace! 29 But when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Avraham and sent Lot out, away from the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. B’resheet 19
Sin is a folly to deceive you, a force to destroy you, and a fact to condemn you. Sin is the revolting act of disobedience against the perfect will of God for your life. The first recorded sin of man took place in the perfect Garden of Eden.
Click on this link to review Chapter 1: Come Let Us Reason Together to read this account in Genesis.
12 Here is how it works: it was through one individual, Adam, that sin entered the world, and through sin, death; and in this way death passed through to the whole human race, inasmuch as everyone sinned. Romans 5
17 For if, because of the offence of one man, Adam, death ruled through that one man; how much more will those receiving the overflowing grace, that is, the gift of being considered righteous, rule in life through the one man, Yeshua the Messiah! 18 In other words, just as it was through one offence of Adam that all people came under condemnation, so also it is through one righteous act of Yeshua the Messiah, that all people who follow Him will be considered righteous. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man, Adam, many were made sinners, so also through the obedience and righteousness of the other man, Yeshua Messiah, many will be made righteous. Romans 5
2 “Hear, heaven! Listen, earth! For ADONAI is speaking. “I raised and brought up children, but they rebelled against me. 3 An ox knows its owner and a donkey its master’s stall, but Isra’el does not know, my people do not reflect. 4 “Oh, sinful nation, a people weighed down by iniquity, descendants of evildoers, immoral children! They have abandoned ADONAI, spurned the Holy One of Isra’el, turned their backs on Him! 5 “Where should I strike you next, as you persist in rebelling? The whole head is sick, the whole heart diseased. 6 From the sole of the foot to the head there is nothing healthy, only wounds, bruises and festering sores that haven’t been dressed or bandaged or softened up with oil. Isaiah 1
For those who are hurting physically and spiritually, Yeshua delivers a parable to return to Him for He is waiting.
11 Again Yeshua said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of the estate that will be mine.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his money in wild and reckless living. 14 But after he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch. 15 “So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any. 17 “At last he came to his senses and said, “Any number of my father’s hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death! 18 I’m going to get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” 20 So he got up and started back to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly. 21 His son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son — 22 but his father said to his slaves, “Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let’s eat and have a celebration! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he’s alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!” And they began celebrating. Luke 15
Return to Father God, your creator, by faith, believing in His Son, Yeshua, and you who are lost, will be born-again and become a part of the family of God.
18 “Come now,” says ADONAI, “let’s talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you will be eaten by the sword”; for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken. 27 Tziyon will be redeemed by justice; and those in her who repent, by righteousness. 28 “Rebels and sinners together will be broken and those who abandon ADONAI be consumed. 31 The strong will be like tinder and [the idol’s] maker like a spark; both will burn together, and no one will put them out.” Isaiah 1
The next important question is: What is God’s remedy for sin? The ultimate sacrifice was made by His Son, Yeshua, not born of the seed of man, but of His Father God’s Holy Spirit. He is referred to as the Holy One of Israel.
The Holy Scriptures speak for themselves:
God’s Only Way of Salvation
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
In the beginning was the Word (Yeshua), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1,14
Yeshua said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6
For Yeshua also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Yeshua died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Yeshua Messiah, Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord Yeshua. Acts 3:19
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! James 2:19
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshua Messiah and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Therefore whosoever confesses Me (Yeshua) before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33
Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Yeshua Messiah for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
Yeshua said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbors as yourself.” Luke 10:27
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Rejoicing shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth! Luke 15:7
For those of you have chosen Yeshua as your personal Savior and Lord you have made the most important decision of your life! This is called being born again, not a physical rebirth, but a spiritual rebirth. You now have a new life in Yeshua Messiah and the Holy Spirit is now lives in your heart to guide and direct you in all things. You have become a child of God because Yeshua, God’s only Son, shed His blood to forgive your sins – past, present and future. He gave you the most awesome gift – everlasting life! The Holy Bible, the living Word of God, provides you with assurance of eternal life for the Bible will separate man from sin or sin will separate man from the Bible. Your Word, O God, have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You. Psalm 119:11
“Saved”
performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
God’s love for you cannot be measured. He is always there for you in any situation. You can talk to Him 24/7 for He is never too busy to listen. This is only the beginning; you are a new creation in Yeshua Messiah! You have much to experience in your new walk with Yeshua. The next chapter is so amazing as you begin to treasure God’s gifts to you as a new believer!!!
Yeshua set the example of baptism as an outward testimony of what you believe in your heart. To review this account, click this link Chapter 9: Behold the Lamb of God.
WELCOME TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND
THE FAMILY OF GOD!!
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This portion of the message is for those who still doubt the truth because of the deceiver. You are holding back as he puts doubts in your mind: I am not good enough – What will others think – I can’t be saved in the condition I am in – I am not sure where to begin – I need to put this decision off until tomorrow…
If the knowledge found in all the books of law, science and math were archived by the mind without the experience of knowing God as one’s Father, accepting Yeshua as one’s Savior and Lord, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within one’s very heart and soul, this knowledge would be for naught. For in the end, the mind and the body exist in the darkness of hell just as the person who lives in darkness in life because he has not chosen the way provided by Yeshua Messiah. If heaven is not your destination, you have chosen darkness. The soul of each and every man lives forever either in heaven or hell. This decision is your personal choice and must be made by you for no one can choose for you. You can do everything by the book, but if you do not humble yourself before God, repent and accept Yeshua Messiah as Savior, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. God has provided salvation to you through his Son, Yeshua. It is your personal decision to choose or refuse God’s Son.
If you have chosen the wrong direction at your crossroads, as Lot did, there is still time to repent and turn to Yeshua. In all humility, ask for forgiveness and by faith believing, follow His path that leads to eternal life by way of the cross.
Hebrews 4:7 “Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Today is the day of salvation. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Your decision must be made Today, for the past is gone and tomorrow is promised to no one. It can only be done Today.
“Just As I Am”
performed by David Phelps
performed by David Phelps
“Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)”
Written and performed by Chris Tomlin
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
The third Person of the Trinity has arrived. The Apostles’ wait is over! The almighty power of God unites the Apostles with His Almighty Power, the Holy Spirit. The Mind of God, the Body of Yeshua, and now, the Holy Spirit comes to live within believers.
Acts 22:2-4
2 Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven like the roar of a mighty rushing, violent wind, and He filled the whole house where the Apostles were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of Fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 The were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak.
2 Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven like the roar of a mighty rushing, violent wind, and He filled the whole house where the Apostles were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of Fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 The were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak.
Take note of the words in verse 3, each referring again to the fact that being born again (salvation) is a personal one-on-one relationship with Almighty Jehovah God through believing in His Son, Yeshua.
The first representation we see of the Holy Spirit is a mighty rushing, violent Wind. The wind speaks of the immeasurable depth of the mighty regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.
4 Nakdimon said to him, “How can a grown man be `born’? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time?” 5 Yeshua answered, “Yes, indeed, I tell you that unless a person is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 6 What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit. 7 Stop being amazed at my telling you that you must be born again from above!
8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it’s going. That’s how it is with everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”
Book of Acts Chapter 2
The second representation of the Holy Spirit is Tongues of Fire. The spiritual meaning speaks of the Holy Spirit as the consuming and purifying power in the life of the believer.
16 so Yochanan answered them all, “I am immersing you in water, but He who is coming is more powerful than I – I am not worthy to untie His sandals! He will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire. (Luke 3)
One of this writer’s most loved passages from the Word is found in Yesha ‘Yahu (Isaiah) 6:1-8. Most Holy God, may we see your holiness and our condition and bow before You in deepest repentance and humility.
1 In the year of King ‘Uziyahu’s death I saw Adonai sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of His robe filled the temple. 2 S’rafim stood over Him, each with six wings – two for covering His face, two for covering his feet and two for flying. 3 They were crying out to each other, “More holy than the holiest holiness is ADONAI-Tzva’ot! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” 4 The doorposts shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said, “Woe to me! I [too] am doomed! Because I, a man with unclean lips, living among a people with unclean lips, have seen with my own eyes the King, ADONAI-Tzva’ot!” 6 One of the s’rafim flew to me with a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Here! This has touched your lips. Your iniquity is gone, your sin is atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying, “Whom should I send? Who will go for us?” I answered, “I’m here, send me!” (Isaiah 6:1-8)
5 Now there were staying in Yerushalayim, God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language. 7 Totally amazed, they asked, “How is this possible? Aren’t all these people who are speaking from the Galil? 8 How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages?
14 Then Kefa stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: “You Judeans, and all of you staying here in Yerushalayim! Let me tell you what this means! Listen carefully to me! 15 “These people aren’t drunk, as you suppose – it’s only nine in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken about through the prophet Yo’el: 17 ‘ADONAI says: “In the Last Days, I will pour out from my Spirit upon everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions; your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my slaves, both men and women, will I pour out from my Spirit in those days; and they will prophesy. 19 I will perform miracles in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood, fire and thick smoke. 20 The sun will become dark and the moon blood before the great and fearful Day of ADONAI comes. 21 And then, whoever calls on the name of ADONAI will be saved.” (Acts 2)
In verse 17, ADONAI refers to the Last Days. When does this time period take place? In Hebrews 1:1-4 we read:
1 In days gone by, God spoke in many and varied ways to our forefathers through the prophets. 2 But now, in the acharit-hayamim, Last Days, He has spoken to us through his Son, to whom He has given ownership of everything and through whom He created the universe. 3 This Son is the radiance of the Sh’khinah, the very expression of God’s essence, upholding all that exists by His powerful Word; and after Yeshua had, through Himself, made purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of HaG’dulah BaM’romim. 4 So He has become much better than angels, and the name God has given Him is superior to theirs.
Remember when Yeshua was with His Apostles He foretold of this Power from His Father God that was to be poured out from above in the Last Days, being His Holy Spirit. This is Deity, God of all gods, expressed in His Trinity, three in One!
44 Yeshua said to them, “This is what I meant when I was still with you and told you that everything written about me in the Torah of Moshe, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds, so that they could understand the Tanakh, 46 telling them, “Here is what it says: the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day; 47 and in His name repentance leading to forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to people from all nations, starting with Yerushalayim. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 Now I am sending forth upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been equipped with power from above.” (Luke 24: 44-49)
33 “Moreover, Yeshua has been exalted to the right hand of God; has received from the Father what He promised, namely, the Ruach HaKodesh; and has poured out this gift, which you are both seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into heaven. But he says, 35 ‘ADONAI said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”‘ 36 Therefore, let the whole house of Isra’el know beyond doubt that God has made Yeshua both Lord and Messiah – this Yeshua, whom you executed on a stake!” 37 On hearing this, they were pierced to the heart; and they said to Kefa and the other emissaries, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Kefa answered them, “Turn from sin and turn to God, and each of you be immersed on the authority of Yeshua the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh! 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for those far away – as many as ADONAI our God may call!” 40 He pressed his case with many other arguments and kept pleading with them, “Save yourselves from this perverse generation!” 41 So those who accepted what he said were immersed, and there were added to the group that day about three thousand people. (Acts 2)
Could it be? Could it be that this is the same Kefa that denied Yeshua three times the night of His trial before He was crucified? Yes, one and the same. But oh, what a difference the power of the Holy Spirit makes! Kefa now has the awesome power of God’s Holy Spirit to speak through him as teacher, counselor and comforter in any and all things. The result of God’s Holy Spirit speaking through Kefa resulted in three thousand people added to the Kingdom of God! The miraculous power of the Holy Spirit revealed both their sinful condition and their need of salvation.
This is the gospel message:
1. The Holy Spirit draws and convicts one of sin and separation from God. It is described as “piercing the heart.”
2. One realizes they are lost, without direction, no hope and in need of The Savior, Yeshua.
3. The next step, “Brothers, what shall I (we) do? Willing to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit.
4. (38) Kefa answered them, “Turn from sin, turn to God, and each of you be immersed on the authority of Yeshua the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh! (Acts 2)
5. Praise God for salvation through His Son Yeshua. For the Holy Spirit now takes residency within my heart and soul 24/7 to be my resident teacher, guide and comforter – my all in all! Born again and bound for the Kingdom of Heaven!
11 For who knows the inner workings of a person except the person’s own spirit inside him? So, too, no one knows the inner workings of God except God’s Holy Spirit. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the Holy Spirit of God, so that we might understand the things God has so freely given us. 13 These are the things we are talking about when we avoid the manner of speaking that human wisdom would dictate and instead use a manner of speaking taught by the Holy Spirit, by which we explain things of the Spirit to people who have the Spirit. 14 Now the natural man does not receive the things from the Spirit of God – to him they are nonsense! Moreover, he is unable to grasp them, because they are evaluated through the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2)
The third representation we see of the Holy Spirit is Water.
2 The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. (Genesis 1)
This scripture shows that the Holy Spirit was with Jehovah God in the beginning of the creation of earth. All Powerful!
37 Now on the last day of the festival, Hoshana Rabbah, Yeshua stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! 38 Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!” 39 (Now He said this about the Holy Spirit, whom those who trusted in Him were to receive later – the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, because Yeshua had not yet been glorified.) (John 7)
Here is an awesome example of the cleansing power of the spiritual water of God’s Holy Spirit.
24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all the countries, and return you to your own soil. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit inside you; I will take the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit inside you and cause you to live by My laws, respect My rulings and obey them. 28 You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors. You will be My people, and I will be your
God. (Ezekiel 36)
The spiritual water speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit to fill the believer to overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit.
22 But the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self-control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things. (Galatians 5)
God is love. The Holy Spirit is love. With the Holy Spirit living within the believer, this inward love is expressed outwardly by joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control: Joy is love’s strength, Peace is love’s security, Patience is love’s endurance, Kindness is love’s conduct, Goodness is love’s character, Faithfulness is love’s confidence, Humility is love’s gentleness, and Self-control is love’s victory! God’s amazing love!!
“Against such things there is no law.” Nothing in the Torah stands against such things. When the believer is obedient to the will of the Holy Spirit, one needs no law to live a righteous life.
1 I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and set apart for God. This will please Him for it is your spiritual “Temple worship.” 2 In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh (pattern of this world). Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; then you will be able to know and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. If these are present in your life, you know the power of a yielded life that lifts you above circumstances. If one is weak in this area, yield to God’s Holy Spirit and allow Him to live His life through you by faith.
The fourth representation is the Dove as recorded in Matthew at the baptism of Yeshua by John. The pure-white dove, with its gentle and peaceful nature, is often used as a peace emblem.
16 As soon as Yeshua had been immersed, He came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, He saw the Spirit of God coming down upon Him like a dove, 17 and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love;
I am well pleased with him.” (Matthew 3) This shows the Trinity in one verse: God, Son and Holy Spirit.
The fifth representation of the Holy Spirit is Oil.
Oil was used in biblical times for the anointing of Kings and officials for service. Oil speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit to anoint for service. Psalm 23, as written by King David, is such a psalm and in it he gives all praise and glory to the Lord.
1 A psalm of David: ADONAI is my shepherd; I lack nothing. 2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water, 3 he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name. 4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me. 5 You prepare a table for me, even as my enemies watch; you anoint my head with oil from an overflowing cup. 6 Goodness and grace will pursue me every day of my life; and I will live in the house of ADONAI for years and years to come. (Psalm 23)
The perfect example of the anointing of oil is found in Hebrews: 1:8-9, when God, the One Jehovah Father God, calls His Son, God:
8 But about His Son, Yeshua, God says, “Your throne, O God,(Yeshua, now reigns as the King of kings) will last forever and ever; You rule Your Kingdom with a scepter of equity; 9 You, Yeshua My Son, have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, O God, Your Father God has anointed You, Yeshua with the oil of joy in preference to Your companions.” The Trinity shown once again!
The sixth representation is the Seal, which speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit, showing the security of the believer as a finished eternal transaction. Destination: The Kingdom of Heaven!
In summary, the six representations; the all powerful wind, the all purifying fire, the all cleansing and filling pure water, the true perfect peace, the all anointing oil for service, and the eternal security of being sealed, symbolize the spiritual power of the Holy Spirit.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is found throughout the entire Word of God, the Book, the Bible, the Holy Bible, which is complete Truth and authored by God’s Holy Spirit, the same resident teacher that is within the heart of the believer!
The following passage explains:
13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative but will say only what He hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future. 14 He will glorify me (Yeshua), because He will receive from what is mine and announce it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine; this is why I said that he receives from what is mine and will announce it to you. (John 16) {The Trinity}
21 For never has a prophecy come as a result of human will – on the contrary, people moved by the Ruach HaKodesh spoke the message from God. (2 Peter 1)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; 17 thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3)
To the one who does not know Yeshua Messiah, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth that they must be born again, through exposure of hearing, reading or seeing the witness of believers through their attitudes and actions. The Holy Spirit convicts and draws one to the truth of the gospel message. At this point they know they are lost without hope and are separated from God because of their sin.To those who have become believers, each has received God’s gift of the Holy Spirit! He is all power, all knowledge and is eternal, without boundaries. He is the Spirit of Truth, Teacher and Translator of God’s Word to the believers’ heart. He is Comforter and can carry any size load given to the believer! His power is given to the believer for witnessing and testimony of Yeshua Messiah as Savior and Lord. God’s Holy Spirit conceived the virgin by an overshadowing of His power and the Holy Child shall be called the Son of God. The Holy Spirit was also there in Yeshua’s resurrection.
11 And if the Spirit of the One who raised Yeshua from the dead is living in you, then the One who raised the Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit living in you. (Romans 8)
The Holy Spirit convicts the believer of unforgiven sin in their life which breaks the fellowship with Father God, but never the relationship. (1 John 1:9) 9 ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and He will forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness.’
The power of God’s Holy Spirit is the only means by which a believer can mature into the likeness of Yeshua the Christ. This is an ongoing process called sanctification.
How great is our God! What love the creator God has for each of us to send His Son, Yeshua to provide any who choose to follow Him, the free gift of eternal life. Then He sends His Holy Spirit as a gift to live within the heart and soul of each believer to become more like Yeshua Messiah the Christ. God’s Holy Spirit gives me the power to say no to sin. The choices I make – make me.
“Holy Spirit Rain Down”
performed by Hillsong
performed by Hillsong
Before reading this, please refer back to our Chapter 3 posting to the account taken from Exodus 12:1-13 of the Passover in Egypt, then read the following of the Passover in Jerusalem.
21 Indeed, this is what you were called to; because the Messiah too suffered, on your behalf, leaving an example so that you should follow in His steps. 24 He himself bore our sins in His body on the stake, O so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness – by His wounds you were healed.
18 You should be aware that the ransom paid to free you from the worthless way of life which your fathers passed on to you did not consist of anything perishable like silver or gold; 19 on the contrary, it was the costly bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah, as of a lamb without defect or spot. 20 God knew Him before the founding of the universe, but revealed Him in the latter days for your sakes.
There is only one more week, Passover week, then all sin will be atoned for and the Lamb, God’s Sacrificial Passover Lamb, God’s Perfect Lamb, God’s only begotten Son, once for all will pay our sin debt, with a pardon.
“Paid-in-Full” to the Kingdom of Heaven!!! Hallelujah and praise be to the Lamb!!
Even Messiah our Passover is sacrificed for us. 1 Cor. 5:7
“Who Am I”
performed and written by Casting Crowns
The last days leading up to Passover begin with Yeshua and His apostles stopping in Bethany on their way to Jerusalem to perform yet another miracle.
1 There was a man who had fallen sick. His name was El`azar, and he came from Beit-Anyah, the village where Miryam and her sister Marta lived. 2 (This Miryam, whose brother El`azar had become sick, is the one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent a message to Yeshua, “Lord, the man you love is sick.” 4 On hearing it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may receive glory through it.” 5 Yeshua loved Marta and her sister and El`azar; 6 so when he heard he was sick, first he stayed where he was two more days; 7 then, after this, he said to the talmidim, “Let’s go back to Y’hudah.” 8 The talmidim replied, “Rabbi! Just a short while ago the Judeans were out to stone you — and you want to go back there?” 9 Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a person walks during daylight, he doesn’t stumble; because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if a person walks at night, he does stumble; because he has no light with him.” 11 Yeshua said these things, and afterwards he said to the talmidim, “Our friend El`azar has gone to sleep; but I am going in order to wake him up.” 12 The talmidim said to him, “Lord, if he has gone to sleep, he will get better.” 13 Now Yeshua had used the phrase to speak about El`azar’s death, but they thought he had been talking literally about sleep. 14 So Yeshua told them in plain language, “El`azar has died. 15 And for your sakes, I am glad that I wasn’t there, so that you may come to trust. But let’s go to him.” 16 Then T’oma (the name means “twin”) said to his fellow talmidim, “Yes, we should go, so that we can die with him!” 17 On arrival, Yeshua found that El`azar had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Beit-Anyah was about two miles from Yerushalayim, 19 and many of the Judeans had come to Marta and Miryam in order to comfort them at the loss of their brother. 20 So when Marta heard that Yeshua was coming, she went out to meet him; but Miryam continued sitting shiv`ah in the house. 21 Marta said to Yeshua, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” 23 Yeshua said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said, “I know that he will rise again at the Resurrection on the Last Day.” 25 Yeshua said to her, “I AM the Resurrection and the Life! Whoever puts his trust in me will live, even if he dies; 26 and everyone living and trusting in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” 28 After saying this, she went off and secretly called Miryam, her sister: “The Rabbi is here and is calling for you.” 29 When she heard this, she jumped up and went to him. 30 Yeshua had not yet come into the village but was still where Marta had met him; 31 so when the Judeans who had been with Miryam in the house comforting her saw her get up quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking she was going to the tomb to mourn there. 32 When Miryam came to where Yeshua was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Yeshua saw her crying, and also the Judeans who came with her crying, he was deeply moved and also troubled. 34 He said, “Where have you buried him?” They said, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Yeshua cried; 36 so the Judeans there said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “He opened the blind man’s eyes. Couldn’t he have kept this one from dying?” 38 Yeshua, again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying in front of the entrance. 39 Yeshua said, “Take the stone away!” Marta, the sister of the dead man, said to Yeshua, “By now his body must smell, for it has been four days since he died!” 40 Yeshua said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you keep trusting, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Yeshua looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I myself know that you always hear me, but I say this because of the crowd standing around, so that they may believe that you have sent me.” 43 Having said this, he shouted, “El`azar! Come out!” 44 The man who had been dead came out, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen and his face covered with a cloth. Yeshua said to them, “Unwrap him, and let him go!” 45 At this, many of the Judeans who had come to visit Miryam, and had seen what Yeshua had done, trusted in him. 46 But some of them went off to the P’rushim and told them what he had done. 47 So the head cohanim and the P’rushim called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? — for this man is performing many miracles. 48 If we let him keep going on this way, everyone will trust in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both the Temple and the nation.” 49 But one of them, Kayafa, who was cohen gadol that year, said to them, “You people don’t know anything! 50 You don’t see that it’s better for you if one man dies on behalf of the people, so that the whole nation won’t be destroyed.” 51 Now he didn’t speak this way on his own initiative; rather, since he was cohen gadol that year, he was prophesying that Yeshua was about to die on behalf of the nation, 52 and not for the nation alone, but so that he might gather into one the scattered children of God. 53 From that day on, they made plans to have him put to death. 54 Therefore Yeshua no longer walked around openly among the Judeans but went away from there into the region near the desert, to a town called Efrayim, and stayed there with his talmidim. 55 The Judean festival of Pesach was near, and many people went up from the country to Yerushalayim to perform the purification ceremony prior to Pesach. 56 They were looking for Yeshua, and as they stood in the Temple courts they said to each other, “What do you think? That he simply won’t come to the festival?” 57 Moreover, the head cohanim and the P’rushim had given orders that anyone knowing Yeshua’s whereabouts should inform them, so that they could have him arrested.
This miracle illustrates the greatest upcoming event in the history of man! The miracle foretells the crowning proof of all- Yeshua Messiah’s own resurrection!
“Revelation Song”
performed by Guy Penrod
A brief review of this account identifies Yeshua, yet again, as the fulfillment of the long awaited Messiah, the true Son of God. A powerful plea sent to Yeshua, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick”, yet He waited two more days before going to Bethany. Martha met Yeshua and said, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” {This event happened that the Son of God might be glorified, giving perfect timing for Yeshua to work the glorious miracle; the raising from the dead.} Yeshua answered Martha, “I AM the resurrection and the life, do you believe this? “Yea, Lord” was her answer. Martha quotes, “ I have believed that You are the Christ Messiah, and therefore, I do believe this!
Therefore Martha believed and confessed that:
Yeshua is the Christ Messiah.
Yeshua is the Son of God.
Yeshua is the prophesied One to come.
Yeshua is the resurrection.
Yeshua is the blessed Life.
Yeshua is the light and truth.
Yeshua is divine and faithful.
Yeshua then prayed to His living Father God in heaven with praise and thanksgiving for hearing Him. Prayer is connecting one’s soul with the very heart of God. After the prayer, Yeshua said in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” and he came forth – – perfectly!
Lazarus was Jewish, in the presence of many Jewish people, in order that they may witness the glory of God! Many of the Jewish people saw the things that Yeshua did and believed on Him. They had heard of the miracles, but now they had seen for themselves, first hand, and their unbelief changed to belief!!
Other Jews were irritated by it, and hardened in their unbelief. Some went to the Pharisees and reported what they had seen. The Pharisees called the Council to order to inflame one another with rage against the Christ. What do we do? If we don’t silence Him, all men will believe on Him! (That would set up a new King, and the Romans would take away our place and nation). Then Caiaphas, the high priest, spoke, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day they plotted to take Yeshua’s life.
If I had been in the crowd that day, would I have seen and believed or would I have turned and walked away? Each one must choose.
John 12 1 Six days before Pesach, Yeshua came to Beit-Anyah, where El`azar lived, the man Yeshua had raised from the dead; 2 so they gave a dinner there in his honor. Marta served the meal, and El`azar was among those at the table with him. 3 Miryam took a whole pint of pure oil of spikenard, which is very expensive, poured it on Yeshua’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair, so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of the talmidim, Y’hudah from K’riot, the one who was about to betray him, said, 5 “This perfume is worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” 6 Now he said this not out of concern for the poor, but because he was a thief — he was in charge of the common purse and used to steal from it. 7 Yeshua said, “Leave her alone! She kept this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9 A large crowd of Judeans learned that he was there; and they came not only because of Yeshua, but also so that they could see El`azar, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 The head cohanim then decided to do away with El`azar too, 11 since it was because of him that large numbers of the Judeans were leaving their leaders and putting their trust inYeshua.
17 As Yeshua was going up to Yerushalayim, he took the twelve talmidim aside by themselves and said to them, as they went on their way, 18 “We are now going up to Yerushalayim, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the head cohanim and Torah-teachers. They will sentence him to death 19 and turn him over to the Goyim, who will jeer at him, beat him and execute him on a stake as a criminal. But on the third day, he will be raised.”
This was prophesied by Isaiah in chapters 52 and 53.
13 “See how my servant will succeed! He will be raised up, exalted, highly honored! 14 Just as many were appalled at him, because he was so disfigured that he didn’t even seem human and simply no longer looked like a man, 15 so now he will startle many nations; because of him, kings will be speechless. For they will see what they had not been told, they will ponder things they had never heard.”
1 Who believes our report? To whom is the arm of ADONAI revealed? 2 For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He was not well-formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us. 3 People despised and avoided him, a man of pains, well acquainted with illness. Like someone from whom people turn their faces, he was despised; we did not value him. 4 In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. 5 But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet ADONAI laid on him the guilt of all of us. Or: and in fellowship with him 7 though mistreated, he was submissive – he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to be slaughtered, like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 After forcible arrest and sentencing, he was taken away; and none of his generation protested his being cut off from the land of the living for the crimes of my people, who deserved the punishment themselves. 9 He was given a grave among the wicked; in his death he was with a rich man. Although he had done no violence and had said nothing deceptive, 10 yet it pleased ADONAI to crush him with illness, to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering. If he does, he will see his offspring; and he will prolong his days; and at his hand ADONAI’s desire will be accomplished. 11 After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction. “By his knowing [pain and sacrifice], my righteous servant makes many righteous; it is for their sins that he suffers. 12 Therefore I will assign him a share with the great, he will divide the spoil with the mighty, for having exposed himself to death and being counted among the sinners, while actually bearing the sin of many and interceding for the offenders.”
These passages were prophesied hundreds of years before Yeshua was born.
Yeshua’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem as recorded in Matthew 21:1-9. (Known also as Palm Sunday)
1 As they were approaching Yerushalayim, they came to Beit-Pagei on the Mount of Olives. Yeshua sent two talmidim 2 with these instructions: “Go into the village ahead of you, and you will immediately find a donkey tethered there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him, `The Lord needs them’; and he will let them go at once.” 4 This happened in order to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, 5 “Say to the daughter of Tziyon, `Look! Your King is coming to you, riding humbly on a donkey, and on a colt, the offspring of a beast of burden!’ 6 So the talmidim went and did as Yeshua had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put their robes on them, and Yeshua sat on them. 8 Crowds of people carpeted the road with their clothing, while others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds ahead of him and behind shouted, “Please! Deliver us!” to the Son of David; “Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI!” “You in the highest heaven! Please! Deliver us!”
Continuing in Luke 19:39-44
39 Some of the P’rushim in the crowd said to him, “Rabbi! Reprimand your talmidim!” 40 But he answered them, “I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones will shout!” 41 When Yeshua had come closer and could see the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “If you only knew today what is needed for shalom! But for now it is hidden from your sight. 43 For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you, encircle you, hem you in on every side, 44 and dash you to the ground, you and your children within your walls, leaving not one stone standing on another – and all because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
Yeshua entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day Yeshua clears the Temple.
12 The next day, as they came back from Beit-Anyah, Yeshua felt hungry. 13 Spotting in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came up to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it wasn’t fig season. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And his talmidim heard what he said. 15 On reaching Yerushalayim, he entered the Temple courts and began driving out those who were carrying on business there, both the merchants and their customers. He also knocked over the desks of the money-changers, upset the benches of the pigeon-dealers, 16 and refused to let anyone carry merchandise through the Temple courts. 17 Then, as he taught them, he said, “Isn’t it written in the Tanakh, My house will be called a house of prayer for all the Goyimp But you have made it into a den of robbers!” 18 The head cohanim and the Torah-teachers heard what he said and tried to find a way to do away with him; they were afraid of him, because the crowds were utterly taken by his teaching. 19 When evening came, they left the city.
The withered fig tree
20 In the morning, as the talmidim passed by, they saw the fig tree withered all the way to its roots. 21 Kefa remembered and said to Yeshua, “Rabbi! Look! The fig tree that you cursed has dried up!” 22 He responded, “Have the kind of trust that comes from God! 23 Yes! I tell you that whoever does not doubt in his heart but trusts that what he says will happen can say to this mountain, `Go and throw yourself into the sea!’ and it will be done for him. 24 Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust that you are receiving it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive your offenses.” 26 But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your offenses.”
Continues the same day. The authority of Yeshua questioned.
Mark 11:27 They went back into Yerushalayim; and as he was walking in the Temple courts, there came to him the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the elders; 28 and they said to him, “What s’mikhah do you have that authorizes you to do these things? Who gave you this s’mikhah authorizing you to do them?” 29 Yeshua said to them, “I will ask you just one question: answer me, and I will tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things. 30 The immersion of Yochanan — was it from Heaven or from a human source? Answer me.” 31 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, `From Heaven,’ he will say, `Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, `From a human source, . . . ‘” — they were afraid of the people, for they all regarded Yochanan as a genuine prophet. 33 So they answered Yeshua, “We don’t know.” “Then,” he replied, “I won’t tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things.” Yeshua continued teaching many parables in the Temple.
Continuing the week.
1 It was now two days before Pesach (that is, the festival of Matzah), and the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers were trying to find some way to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death; 2 for they said, “Not during the festival, or the people will riot.” 3 While he was in Beit-Anyah in the home of Shim`on (a man who had had tzara`at), and as Yeshua was eating, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfume, pure oil of nard, very costly. She broke the jar and poured the perfume over Yeshua’s head. 4 But some there angrily said to themselves, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for a year’s wages and given to the poor!” And they scolded her. 6 But he said, “Let her be. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 7 For you will always have the poor with you; and whenever you want to, you can help them. But you will not always have me. 8 What she could do, she did do — in advance she poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial. 9 Yes! I tell you that wherever in the whole world this Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in her memory.” 10 Then Y’hudah from K’riot, who was one of the Twelve, went to the head cohanim in order to betray Yeshua to them.
Judas Iscariot – one of the Twelve – agrees to betray Yeshua
1 But the festival of Matzah, known as Pesach, was approaching; 2 and the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers began trying to find some way to get rid of Yeshua, because they were afraid of the people. 3 At this point the
Adversary went into Y’hudah from K’riot, who was one of the Twelve. 4 He approached the head cohanim and the Temple guard and discussed with them how he might turn Yeshua over to them. 5 They were pleased and offered to pay him thirty silver coins. 6 He agreed and began looking for a good opportunity to betray Yeshua without the people’s knowledge.
7 Then came the day of matzah, on which the Passover lamb had to be killed. 8 Yeshua sent Kefa and Yochanan, instructing them, “Go and prepare our Seder, so we can eat.” 9 They asked him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” 10 He told them, “As you’re going into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters, 11 and say to its owner, `The Rabbi says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I am to eat the Pesach meal with my talmidim?” ‘ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs already furnished; make the preparations there.” 13 They went and found things just as Yeshua had told them they would be, and they prepared for the Seder. 14 When the time came, Yeshua and the emissaries reclined at the table, and he 15 said to them, “I have really wanted so much to celebrate this Seder with you before I die! 16 For I tell you, it is certain that I will not celebrate it again until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.”
1 It was just before the festival of Pesach, and Yeshua knew that the time had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. Having loved his own people in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 They were at supper, and the Adversary had already put the desire to betray him into the heart of Y’hudah Ben-Shim`on from K’riot. 3 Yeshua was aware that the Father had put everything in his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God. 4 So he rose from the table, removed his outer garments and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 Then he poured some water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the talmidim and wipe them off with the towel wrapped around him.
12 After he had washed their feet, taken back his clothes and returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me `Rabbi’ and `Lord,’ and you are right, because I am. 14 Now if I, the Lord and Rabbi, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you.
Yeshua came to serve and this example is the height of humility!
17 Then, taking a cup of wine, he made the b’rakhah and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the `fruit of the vine’ until the Kingdom of God comes.” 19 Also, taking a piece of matzah, he made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of me.” 20 He did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the New Covenant, ratified by my blood, which is being poured out for you.
11 But when Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a New Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the First Covenant.
During the Passover meal Yeshua said, “I tell you a truth, one of you will betray me. The Twelve began to ask, “Is it I, Lord?” Yeshua replied, “the one who dips his hand in the bowl with me, will betray me. Judas looked at Yeshua and said, “Surely not I, Rabbi.” Yeshua answered, “Yes, it is you. What you are about to do, do quickly. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out – and it was night.
Yeshua conferred upon the apostles an honored position in His Father’s Kingdom.
28 “You are the ones who have stayed with me throughout my trials. 29 Just as my Father gave me the right to rule, so I give you an appointment, 30 namely, to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom and to sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Isra’el. When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The Passover meal has ended. This begins the unveiling truth of the progressive revelation that started as a shadow in Egypt, now, it is being fulfilled in the reality of the once-for-all sacrifice of God’s loving Lamb – His Son! Yeshua’s statement says it all:
And Yeshua took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body given for you; Do this in Remembrance of Me.”
From this time forward, Passover has taken on a full and complete reality of truth, behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
The Passion of the Christ – The Last Supper
“Remembrance”
performed by Matt Maher
It is imperative that one re-read and review the foundation of God’s truth found in the first two chapters of this blog: “Come, Let Us Reason Together” and “Truth: Hear and Heed.” In knowing God’s truth of the past, on which life and order began, then and only then can one build, precept upon precept, the truth of God’s inspired and complete truth, the Holy Bible. In believing these things, how will you answer the questions Yeshua asked the people and His disciples?
After speaking in parables, Yeshua asked those present, “Have you understood all these things?” and they said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” (Matthew 13:51)
Yeshua asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13) “But what about you (My disciples)?” “Who do you say I am?” Yeshua asked. Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”(Matthew 16:15-16)
The three and a half years of training for the twelve disciples was coming to an end. Yeshua sent them out many times on their own to proclaim His message.
5 These twelve Yeshua sent out with the following instructions: “Don’t go into the territory of the Goyim, and don’t enter any town in Shomron, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Isra’el. 7 As you go, proclaim, `The Kingdom of Heaven is near,’ 8 heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those afflicted with tzara’at, and expel demons. You have received without paying, so give without asking payment. 9 Don’t take money in your belts, no gold, no silver, no copper; 10 and for the trip don’t take a pack, an extra shirt, shoes or a walking stick — a worker should be given what he needs. 11 “When you come to a town or village, look for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. 12 When you enter someone’s household, say, `Shalom aleikhem!’ 13 If the home deserves it, let your shalom rest on it; if not, let your shalom return to you. 14 But if the people of a house or town will not welcome you or listen to you, leave it and shake its dust from your feet! 15 Yes, I tell you, it will be more tolerable on the Day of Judgment for the people of S’dom and `Amora than for that town! 16 “Pay attention! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves, so be as prudent as snakes and as harmless as doves. 17 Be on guard, for there will be people who will hand you over to the local Sanhedrins and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as a testimony to them and to the Goyim. 19 But when they bring you to trial, do not worry about what to say or how to say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you should say. 20 For it will not be just you speaking, but the Spirit of your heavenly Father speaking through you.
“Here Am I”
written and performed by MercyMe
11 “How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way. 13 “You are salt for the Land. But if salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except being thrown out for people to trample on. 14 “You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don’t cover it with a bowl but put it on a lamp stand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
15 “Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep’s clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves! 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Can people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every healthy tree produces good fruit, but a poor tree produces bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, or a poor tree good fruit. 19 Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire! 20 So you will recognize them by their fruit. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. 22 On that Day, many will say to Me, `Lord, Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we expel demons in your name? Didn’t we perform many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
Yeshua continues with the Twelve reflecting God’s Holy Spirit in their daily lives.
23 But the time is coming — indeed, it’s here now — when the true worshipers will worship the Father spiritually and truly, for these are the kind of people the Father wants worshiping him. 24 God is Spirit; and worshipers must worship Him spiritually and truly.”
34 “I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other. 35 Everyone will know that you are My talmidim by the fact that you have love for each other.”
John 13:15 “For I have set you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you.”
Yeshua comforts His disciples and gives assurance of knowing He and His Father, God of all things, are One, and promises to send the Holy Spirit, the Counselor to be with them forever—the Spirit of truth!
John 14 reads:
1 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with Me; so that where I am, you may be also. 4 Furthermore, you know where I’m going; and you know the way there.” 5 T’oma said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Yeshua said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 Because you have known me, you will also know My Father; from now on, you do know him — in fact, you have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” 9 Yeshua replied to him, “Have I been with you so long without your knowing Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, `Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with Me? What I am telling you, I am not saying on My own initiative; the Father living in Me is doing his own works. 11 Trust Me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with Me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. 12 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in Me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father. 13 In fact, whatever you ask for in My name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me for something in my name, I will do it. 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands; 16 and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another comforting Counselor like Me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever. 17 The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees nor knows Him. You know Him, because He is staying with you and will be united with you. 18 I will not leave you orphans — I am coming to you. 19 In just a little while, the world will no longer see Me; but you will see Me. Because I live, you too will live. 20 When that day comes, you will know that I Am united with my Father, and you with Me, and I with you. 21 Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me, and the one who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.” 22 Y’hudah (not the one from K’riot) said to him, “What has happened, Lord, that you are about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Yeshua answered him, “If someone loves Me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Someone who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep My words — and the word you are hearing is not My own but that of the Father who sent Me. 25 “I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything; that is, He will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 “What I am leaving with you is shalom — I Am giving you My shalom. I don’t give the way the world gives. Don’t let yourselves be upset or frightened. 28 You heard Me tell you, `I am leaving, and I will come back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have been glad that I Am going to the Father; because the Father is greater than I. 29 “Also, I have said it to you now, before it happens; so that when it does happen, you will trust. 30 “I won’t be talking with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on Me; 31 rather, this is happening so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded Me.
Get up! Let’s get going!
“God with Us”
written and performed by MercyMe
Yeshua continues to prepare His disciples for His departure back to the Father and prays for them to His Father.
25 “I have said these things to you with the help of illustrations; however, a time is coming when I will no longer speak indirectly but will talk about the Father in plain language. 26 When that day comes, you will ask in My name. I am not telling you that I will pray to the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. 28 “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and returning to the Father.” 29 The talmidim said to him, “Look, You’re talking plainly right now, You’re not speaking indirectly at all. 30 Now we know that You know everything, and that You don’t need to have people put their questions into words. This makes us believe that You came from God.” 31Yeshua answered, “Now you do believe. 32 But a time is coming — indeed it has come already — when you will be scattered, each one looking out for himself; and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone; because the Father is with Me. 33 “I have said these things to you so that, united with Me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris. But be brave! I have conquered the world!”
Yeshua’s prayer for Himself and His disciples
1 After Yeshua had said these things, he looked up toward heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son may glorify you — 2 just as you gave Him authority over all mankind, so that He might give eternal life to all those whom You have given Him. 3 And eternal life is this: to know You, the One true God, and Him whom You sent, Yeshua the Messiah. 4 “I glorified You on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me alongside Yourself. Give Me the same glory I had with You before the world existed. 6 “I made Your name known to the people You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything You have given Me is from You, 8 because the words You gave me I have given to them, and they have received them. They have really come to know that I came from You, and they have come to trust that You sent me. 9 “I Am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given to Me, because they are Yours. 10 Indeed, all I have is Yours, and all You have is mine, and in them I have been glorified. 11 Now I am no longer in the world. They are in the world, but I am coming to You. Holy Father, guard them by the power of Your name, which You have given to Me, so that they may be one, just as We are. 12 When I was with them, I guarded them by the power of Your name, which you have given to Me; yes, I kept watch over them; and not one of them was destroyed (except the one meant for destruction, so that the Tanakh might be fulfilled). 13 But now, I am coming to You; and I say these things while I Am still in the world so that they may have My joy made complete in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world — just as I Myself do not belong to the world. 15 I don’t ask You to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 On their behalf I am setting myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the truth.
Yeshua, the Master Teacher, taught by word and deed the truths of His Father God to His disciples. The disciples volunteered for Yeshua’s army to fight the forces of evil when they answered Yeshua’s call: “Come! Follow Me for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Here you will find love, peace and everlasting life.”
Their basic training had been completed and it was time for active duty! They would soon be on their own for Yeshua was about to return to His Father God. But Yeshua promised His Father would send the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit would be with them forever!
Yeshua is still looking for answers from each of us. Do you understand? What have you learned? What is truth? Thy Word, O God, is truth.
“Walk By Faith”
written and performed by Jeremy Camp
Yeshua ushered in the Kingdom of Heaven, spiritually, to the elect and chosen of God 2000 years ago. The people were in the presence of Yeshua, the Holy One of Israel; the door by which each person enters the Kingdom. His teachings, of love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy and grace were taught by example. Yeshua’s teachings put love, life and Spirit into the Law, making it complete. Yeshua addresses Law/Spirit completeness in Mattityahu 5:17-20
17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
“I AM”
performed by Mark Schultz
Yeshua is the only One who can describe the Kingdom of Heaven since He was there with His Father God from the beginning! Yeshua was questioned by the Pharisees about the coming of the Kingdom of God in Luke 17: 20-21.
20 The P’rushim asked Yeshua when the Kingdom of God would come. “The Kingdom of God,” he answered, “does not come with visible signs; 21 nor will people be able to say, `Look! Here it is!’ or, `Over there!’ Because, you see, the Kingdom of God is among you.”
The passage refers to God’s Holy Spirit within a believer. Yeshua again explains the Law and Spirit becoming one in Mattityahu 22: 34-40.
34 but when the P’rushim learned that he had silenced the Tz’dukim, they got together, 35 and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh’eilah to trap him: 36 “Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?” 37 He told him, “`You are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’ 38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. 39 And a second is similar to it, `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.”
23 “Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah — justice, mercy, and trust. These are the things you should have attended to — without neglecting the others! 24 Blind guides! — straining out a gnat, meanwhile swallowing a camel!
The Kingdom is referred to in God’s Word as the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. The very first phrase of Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Yeshua taught His Apostles how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13, with verses 9-10 addressing our Father and His Kingdom.
Pray, then, in this way,
9.Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name
10.Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Simply put, since God made the heavens, God abides in the heavens on His Throne. God is holy and is our {the believers} heavenly Father. Believers pray, Thy will be done, for His Kingdom to come to earth, as it is in Heaven. This becomes a reality after the seven-year tribulation. (Much more will be written on this subject later!) Therefore, it is God’s Kingdom of Heaven where He rules and reigns over all things.
All believers, while living on earth, receive the Kingdom of Heaven within their hearts. This takes place by forsaking sin, not simply confessing it, but leaving it behind, repenting in all humility and by choosing God’s way over our own. Believers are born again spiritually by faith believing and after passing from this world, shall be given a glorified body and live forever in God’s Kingdom of Heaven.
“God of Wonders”
performed by Third Day
Yeshua spoke in parables, a beautiful way of illustration using an earthly story to relate a heavenly meaning. Several parables are given in Matthew 13:24-51, illustrating the Kingdom of Heaven.
24 Yeshua put before them another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, then went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads of grain, the weeds also appeared. 27 The owner’s servants came to him and said, `Sir didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, `An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, `Then do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 But he said, `No, because if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot some of the wheat at the same time. 30 Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers to collect the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn.'” 31 Yeshua put before them another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a man takes and sows in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up it is larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the birds flying about come and nest in its branches.” 33 And he told them yet another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with a bushel of flour, then waited until the whole batch of dough rose.” 34 All these things Yeshua said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without using a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, “I will open my mouth in parables, I will say what has been hidden since the creation of the universe.” 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His talmidim approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world. As for the good seed, these are the people who belong to the Kingdom; and the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One. 39 The enemy who sows them is the Adversary, the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all the things that cause people to sin and all the people who are far from Torah; 42 and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where people will wail and grind their teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let him hear! 44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field. 45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls. 46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it. 47 “Once more, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the lake, that caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen brought the net up onto the shore, sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad fish away. 49 So it will be at the close of the age — the angels will go forth and separate the evil people from among the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth. 51 “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered.
Yeshua explains some of the parables, with a common theme throughout.
Included are terms such as:
Good seed – the children of the Kingdom
The tares – the children of the wicked one
The weeds – the children of the wicked one
The wicked – those who refuse Yeshua and will be cast into a furnace of fire where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The reapers – the angels separate the good and bad
The Harvest – the End!! It is all over for planet earth!! No more good and evil together. You will either be eternally part of the Kingdom of Heaven or the devil’s Hell.
The net – gathered every kind; when full, the good were saved; the bad cast away. Full as complete; the end of the world! The angels earlier were called reapers, shall come and sever (separate) the wicked from the just. Yeshua asked those present, “Have you understood all these things?” and they said to Him, “yes, Lord.”
What is your answer?
The Kingdom of Heaven – priceless!!! In two separate parables a man and a merchant sold all of their possessions and each obtained their one treasure: life everlasting in the Kingdom of Heaven!
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field. 45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls. 46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it.
This is summed up perfectly in Mattityahu 6:33.
33 But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
“I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy”
performed by Michael English and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Here is a true story of a small party of missionaries, one of whom was Jim Elliot, a young man totally dedicated to spreading the gospel message to a lost world. After much preparation in language and customs, he and others traveled to Ecuador, Latin America. There mission: witness to the Quechua Indians, a primitive, violent and murderous tribe, with no contact with the outside world, nor white man, other than killing. On January 8, 1956 it was time, after many months of their presence made known, to visit the Auca tribe, but instead, twenty to thirty of the tribe ran into their camp, killing them all. Their bodies were brutally pierced with spears and hacked by machetes. Jim Elliot and the others gave all in faith to the Auca people and cannot lose in the Kingdom of Heaven!!! Jim Elliot, a godly missionary, gave the world a profound quote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.”
This account tells of a rich man and El’azar (Lazarus) in Luke 16:19-31.
19 “Once there was a rich man who used to dress in the most expensive clothing and spent his days in magnificent luxury. 20 At his gate had been laid a beggar named El`azar who was covered with sores. 21 He would have been glad to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table; but instead, even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 In time the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Avraham’s side; the rich man also died and was buried. 23 “In Sh’ol, where he was in torment, the rich man looked up and saw Avraham far away with El`azar at his side. 24 He called out, `Father Avraham, take pity on me, and send El`azar just to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue, because I’m in agony in this fire!’ 25 However, Avraham said, `Son, remember that when you were alive, you got the good things while he got the bad; but now he gets his consolation here, while you are the one in agony. 26 Yet that isn’t all: between you and us a deep rift has been established, so that those who would like to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house, 28 where I have five brothers, to warn them; so that they may be spared having to come to this place of torment too.’ 29 But Avraham said, `They have Moshe and the Prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30 However, he said, `No, father Avraham, they need more. If someone from the dead goes to them, they’ll repent!’ 31 But he replied, `If they won’t listen to Moshe and the Prophets, they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!'”
The Rich Man and Lazarus
VFX
The passage in 1Timothy 6:6-10 reads:
6 Now true religion does bring great riches, but only to those who are content with what they have. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world; and we can take nothing out of it; 8 so if we have food and clothing, we will be satisfied with these. 9 Furthermore, those whose goal is to be rich fall into temptation; they get trapped in many foolish and hurtful ambitions, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all the evils; because of this craving, some people have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves to the heart with many pains.
Herein is one of two choices: live on planet earth for 70 or so years and go to Sh’ol or chose great spiritual riches through Yeshua and follow Him and live forever in the Kingdom of heaven. One cannot begin to understand the powerful deception of evil that permeates our world.
Again, let’s repeat this quote: “The lost man is blinded, by the deception of Satan, to believe that he has control over his own destiny. One is given sight only when he chooses God’s way over his own.”
Yeshua continues teaching the Apostles concerning money in Mattityahu 6:19-24.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal. 20 Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal. 21 For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also. 22 `The eye is the lamp of the body.’ So if you have a `good eye’ [that is, if you are generous] your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if you have an `evil eye’ [if you are stingy] your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can’t be a slave to both God and money.
This account shows the Law and the fulfillment of the Law, yet the fulfillment -Spirit of the Law- was refused, therefore Yeshua’s fulfillment of the Law was refused, for you see, money was still his god, not ADONAI God.
17 As Yeshua was starting on his way, a man ran up, kneeled down in front of Him and asked, “Good rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?” 18 Yeshua said to him, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good except God! 19 You know the mitzvot — `Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, don’t defraud, honor your father and mother, ‘” 20 “Rabbi,” he said, “I have kept all these since I was a boy.” 21 Yeshua, looking at him, felt love for him and said to him, “You’re missing one thing. Go, sell whatever you own, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!” 22 Shocked by this word, he went away sad because he was a wealthy man.
Was the Law kept? Was ADONAI God number one? Sad to say money, not God, was on the throne of his life.
The Law has become a heart issue! Yeshua simply condensed the Ten Commandments into one called the Greatest Commandment.
“Follow Me”
performed by David Kauffman
29 Yeshua answered, “The most important is, `Sh’ma Yisra’el, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, O Isra’el, the LORD our God, the LORD is one], 30 and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your understanding and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other mitzvah greater than these.”
The first four of the Ten Commandments describe man’s relationship to God. The remaining six describe man’s relationship with man. There is no way the ten can be broken when one loves God with all his heart and soul and loves his neighbor as himself! The Word says, God is love, and that love is personified in His only Son, Yeshua, to complete and fulfill the Law. The Law is a mind that obeys, willingly or unwillingly, without emotion. The Spirit is a heart that willingly follows out of love.
Several passages in the Bible give insight to the coming Kingdom of Heaven.
1 The desert and the dry land will be glad; the ‘Aravah will rejoice and blossom like the lily. 2 It will burst into flower, will rejoice with joy and singing, will be given the glory of the L’vanon, the splendor of Karmel and the Sharon. They will see the glory of ADONAI, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen your drooping arms, and steady your tottering knees. 4 Say to the fainthearted, “Be strong and unafraid! Here is your God; he will come with vengeance; with God’s retribution he will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped; 6 then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the mute person’s tongue will sing. For in the desert, springs will burst forth, streams of water in the ‘Aravah; 7 the sandy mirage will become a pool, the thirsty ground springs of water. The haunts where jackals lie down will become a marsh filled with reeds and papyrus. 8 A highway will be there, a way, called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not pass over it, but it will be for those whom he guides fools will not stray along it. 9 No lion or other beast of prey will be there, traveling on it. They will not be found there, but the redeemed will go there. 10 Those ransomed by ADONAI will return and come with singing to Tziyon, on their heads will be everlasting joy. They will acquire gladness and joy, while sorrow and sighing will flee.
17 When that time comes, they will call Yerushalayim the throne of ADONAI. All the nations will be gathered there to the name of ADONAI, to Yerushalayim. No longer will they live according to their stubbornly evil hearts.
17 When that time comes, they will call Yerushalayim the throne of ADONAI. All the nations will be gathered there to the name of ADONAI, to Yerushalayim. No longer will they live according to their stubbornly evil hearts.
18 On that day the deaf will hear the words of the Book, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19 The humble will again rejoice in ADONAI and the poor exult in the Holy One of Isra’el.
8 On that day, fresh water will flow out from Yerushalayim, half toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea, both summer and winter. 9 Then ADONAI will be King over the whole world. On that day ADONAI will be the only one, and his name will be the only name.
Yeshua, Holy One of Israel, King of kings and Lord of lords, ushers in the millennium period bringing peace to the earth, the Kingdom of Heaven, with life on earth without sin as it was in the beginning in the Garden, so it is now restored!!! All because the Lamb has brought us home!! Amen!! Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!!
1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”
3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;
5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
13 And every created thing, which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”
14 And the four living creatures kept saying, ” Amen ” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Let all who read this give glory and honor and power and praise and thanksgiving and blessing to the One, the Holy One of Israel, for He alone, our Yeshua Messiah, is Worthy of all our worship and praise and adoration forever. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain! Worthy is the Lamb that brought us home! The everlasting Kingdom of Heaven without end! Amen.
“Worthy the Lamb”
performed by the Gaither Vocal Band
Like God said to Moses, let those who read this chapter say, “Take off your shoes for you are standing on Holy ground.” The words unworthy and inadequate come to mind as one speaks of the life of the Son of God, who comes to us as Servant, Savior, Shepherd, Redeemer and Lord. Later we will see that there are many more names and titles given to Yeshua.
Yeshua’s message was simple, repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and come, follow Me. Yeshua called twelve disciples beginning with the fishermen. Here is the account from Mattityahu 4.
18 As Yeshua walked by Lake Kinneret, he saw two brothers who were fishermen — Shim`on, known as Kefa, and his brother Andrew — throwing their net into the lake. 19 Yeshua said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men!” 20 At once they left their nets and went with him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers — Ya’akov Ben-Zavdai and Yochanan his brother — in the boat with their father Zavdai, repairing their nets; and he called them. 22 At once they left the boat and their father and went with Yeshua.
“Fishers of Men”
Scripture is the best teacher for it is truth! Why would the fishermen leave their nets immediately and follow Yeshua? Going a little farther, Yeshua called two more who were in their boat repairing their nets with their father. At once, they left their boat and their father and went with Yeshua! The fishermen, without hesitation, answered the call of Yeshua. They knew very little about Him, but by faith, they followed the One who had begun to preach and teach, showing such wisdom and understanding in the synagogues and the miraculous healing of the sick. Yeshua was meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of the Jewish people…His people.
This was the beginning of choosing His twelve disciples/apostles. Their basic training had begun. They had volunteered to be a part of Yeshua’s army, in word and deed, to bring all who believed into His coming Kingdom. The disciples would watch and witness this Man of Galilee as He went throughout the region, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of His Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people, even raising some who had died! The complete list of the twelve disciples, whose name Yeshua designated now as Apostles are recorded in Mark 3.
13 Then he went up into the hill country and summoned to himself those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve to be with him, to be sent out to preach 15 and to have authority to expel demons: 16 Shim`on, to whom he gave another name, “Kefa”; 17 Ya`akov Ben-Zavdai and Yochanan, Ya`akov’s brother — to them he gave the name “B’nei-Regesh” (that is, “Thunderers”); 18 Andrew, Philip, Bar-Talmai, Mattityahu, T’oma, Ya`akov Ben-Halfai, Taddai, Shim`on the Zealot, 19 and Y’hudah from K’riot, the one who betrayed him.
News spread like wildfire throughout Syria, bringing those ill with diseases, pain, demon-possession, epileptics, paralytics and Yeshua healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judah and across the Jordan followed Him. These people saw Yeshua’s love and compassion demonstrated first hand. Yeshua was meeting the physical needs, now He began teaching His apostles while thousands of people listened as well.
Yeshua teaches a portion of scripture recorded in Mattityahu 5 known as the Beatitudes. These are the believers “attitudes” for living in a world that is turned upside down and can only be done through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit of God.
1 Seeing the crowds, Yeshua walked up the hill. After he sat down, his talmidim came to him, 2 and he began to speak. This is what he taught them: 3 “How blessed are the poor in spirit! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 “How blessed are those who mourn! for they will be comforted. 5 “How blessed are the meek! for they will inherit the Land! 6 “How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! for they will be filled. 7 “How blessed are those who show mercy! for they will be shown mercy. 8 “How blessed are the pure in heart! for they will see God. 9 “How blessed are those who make peace! for they will be called sons of God. 10 “How blessed are those who are persecuted because they pursue righteousness! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 “How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
Yeshua taught the apostles and the crowds how to receive blessings from following His teachings. The first ‘attitude’ being poor in spirit, is the believers’ inner humble condition by experiencing God’s saving grace through Yeshua Messiah, thus replacing the selfish pride and haughty attitude toward others. The reward: Kingdom of Heaven. Pride is the foundational taproot from which sprouts other roots of selfishness, arrogance, bitterness and hate.
Proverbs 11:2 and 16:18 records pride this way:
2 First comes pride, then disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and arrogance before failure.
“The Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes”
from The Life of Christ Bible Videos
The greatest example of humility is found in Philippians.
1 Therefore, if you have any encouragement for me from your being in union with the Messiah, any comfort flowing from love, any fellowship with me in the Spirit, or any compassion and sympathy, 2 then complete my joy by having a common purpose and a common love, by being one in heart and mind. 3 Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves – 4 look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own. 5 Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua: 6 Though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force. 7 On the contrary, He emptied himself, in that He took the form of a slave by becoming like human beings are. And when He appeared as a human being, 8 He humbled Himself still more by becoming obedient even to death – death on a stake as a criminal! 9 Therefore God raised Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above every name; 10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua, every knee will bow – in heaven, on earth and under the earth 11 and every tongue will acknowledge that Yeshua the Messiah is ADONAI – to the glory of God the Father.
The second ‘attitude’ is blessed are those who mourn for the sinful condition of others. The following is spoken by Yeshua in Mattityahu 23.
37 “Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! 38 Look! God is abandoning your house to you, leaving it desolate.
Yeshua had come to His own and they did not receive Him. Yeshua knew the meaning of the word ‘mourn’ more than anyone could ever comprehend. In another passage in Luke 19, Yeshua is speaking of the city, Yerushalayim.
41 When Yeshua had come closer and could see the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “If you only knew today what is needed for shalom! But for now it is hidden from your sight.
That was a statement made by Yeshua 2000+ years ago as He wept over Jerusalem. That was then and this is now! Praise Yeshua for His message for you today, His direct quote from Matthew 11.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
“Come Unto Me”
performed by Nicole C. Mullen
The third Beatitude says, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Many people could refer to the word ‘meek’ as weak, but this is by no means correct! Meek is used in this scripture as: bridled strength! A picture comes to mind of the beautiful white Lipizzaner stallion, prancing on two legs with two in mid air as though marching to the heavens. The rider has complete control of this strong and mighty animal, using only a small bridle. That is harnessed strength! The believers are given strength from within through the power of the Holy Spirit, yet one also displays the attitudes of the Beatitudes.
The Master of meekness: Yeshua, as read in 1Peter 2
21 Indeed, this is what you were called to; because the Messiah too suffered, on your behalf, leaving an example so that you should follow in His steps. 22 “He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found on His lips.” 23 When He was insulted, He didn’t retaliate with insults; when He suffered, He didn’t threaten, but handed them over to Him who judges justly. 24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the stake, o so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness – by His wounds you were healed.
The fourth beatitude reads, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. This beatitude is classified as ‘high priority’ for the believer. It is communication with one’s heavenly Father God through prayer and study of His Holy and perfect Word, knowing Yeshua, His Son as one’s Savior and Lord with the Holy Spirit within, as teacher and guide in one’s daily life. The meaning to hunger and thirst for righteousness is the spiritual feeding of the soul. Have you ever been so hungry you would give almost anything for something to eat? One example of this physical hunger is found in Genesis 25.
19 Here is the history of Yitz’chak, Avraham’s son. Avraham fathered Yitz’chak. 20 Yitz’chak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, the daughter of B’tu’el the Arami from Paddan-Aram and sister of Lavan the Arami, to be his wife. 21 Yitz’chak prayed to ADONAI on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. ADONAI heeded his prayer, and Rivkah becamepregnant. 22 The children fought with each other inside her so much that she said, “If it’s going to be like this, why go on living?” So she went to inquire of ADONAI, 23 who answered her, “There are two nations in your womb. From birth they will be two rival peoples. One of these peoples will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 24 When the time for her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first to come out was reddish and covered all over with hair, like a coat; so they named him ‘Esav [completely formed, that is, having hair already]. 26 Then his brother emerged, with his handholding ‘Esav’s heel, so he was called Ya’akov [he catches by the heel, he supplants]. Yitz’chak was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 The boys grew; and ‘Esav became a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman; while Ya’akov was a quiet man who stayed in the tents. 28 Yitz’chak favored ‘Esav, because he had a taste for game; Rivkah favored Ya’akov. 29 One day when Ya’akov had cooked some stew, ‘Esav came in from the open country, exhausted, 30 and said to Ya’akov, “Please! Let me gulp down some of that red stuff – that red stuff! I’m exhausted!” (This is why he was called Edom [red].) 31 Ya’akov answered, “First sell me your rights as the firstborn.” 32 “Look, I’m about to die!” said ‘Esav. “What use to me are my rights as the firstborn?” 33 Ya’akov said, “First, swear to me!” So he swore to him, thus selling his birthright to Ya’akov. 34 Then Ya’akov gave him bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, got up and went on his way. Thus ‘Esav showed how little he valued his birthright.
The spiritual account of the ‘bread of life’ is found in John 6.
26 Yeshua answered, “Yes, indeed! I tell you, you’re not looking for me because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the bread and had all you wanted! 27 Don’t work for the food, which passes away, but for the food that stays on into eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For this is the one on whom God the Father has put his seal.” 28 So they said to him, “What should we do in order to perform the works of God?” 29 Yeshua answered, “Here’s what the work of God is: to trust in the One He sent!” 30 They said to Him, “So, what miracle will you do for us, so that we may see it and trust you? What work can you perform? 31 Our fathers ate manna in the desert — as it says in the Tanakh, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ 32 Yeshua said to them, “Yes, indeed! I tell you it wasn’t Moshe who gave you the bread from heaven. But my Father is giving you the genuine bread from heaven; 33 for God’s bread is the one who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread from now on.” 35 Yeshua answered, “I am the bread which is life! Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever trusts in Me will never be thirsty. 36 I told you that you have seen but still don’t trust. 37 Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will certainly not turn away. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do not My own will but the will of the One who sent Me. 39 And this is the will of the One who sent Me: that I should not lose any of all those He has given Me but should raise them up on the Last Day. 40 Yes, this is the will of My Father: that all who see the Son and trust in Him should have eternal life, and that I should raise them up on the Last Day.”
“My Savior My God”
performed by Aaron Shust
The account of both physical and spiritual water is found in John 4. Yeshua was on His way from Judea to Galilee.
4 This meant that He had to pass through Shomron. 5 He came to a town in Shomron called Sh’khem, near the field Ya`akov had given to his son Yosef. 6 Ya`akov’s Well was there; so Yeshua, exhausted from his travel, sat down by the well; it was about noon. 7 A woman from Shomron came to draw some water; and Yeshua said to her, “Give me a drink of water.” 8 (His talmidim had gone into town to buy food.) 9 The woman from Shomron said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for water from me, a woman of Shomron?” (For Jews don’t associate with people from Shomron.) 10 Yeshua answered her, “If you knew God’s gift, that is, who it is saying to you, `Give me a drink of water,’ then you would have asked him; and he would have given you living water.” 11 She said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket, and the well is deep; so where do you get this `living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Ya`akov, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it, and so did his sons and his cattle.” 13 Yeshua answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!” 15 “Sir, give me this water,” the woman said to him, “so that I won’t have to be thirsty and keep coming here to draw water.”
25 The woman replied, “I know that Mashiach is coming” (that is, “the one who has been anointed”). “When he comes, he will tell us everything.” 26 Yeshua said to her, “I, the person speaking to you, am He.”
Jesus and Nicodemus and Jesus meets the Woman at the Well
from the movie, The Gospel of John
The fifth beatitude, blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Merciful: showing sincere compassion and kindness with no partiality.
A beautiful parable told by Yeshua of the lost son in Luke 15.
Luke 15
11 Yeshua said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of the estate that will be mine.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his money in reckless living. 14 But after he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch. 15 “So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any. 17 “At last he came to his senses and said, `Any number of my father’s hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death! 18 I’m going to get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” ‘ 20 So he got up and started back to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly. 21 His son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son –‘ 22 but his father said to his slaves, `Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let’s eat and have a celebration! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he’s alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!’ And they began celebrating.
11 Yeshua said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of the estate that will be mine.’ So the father divided the property between them. 13 As soon as he could convert his share into cash, the younger son left home and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his money in reckless living. 14 But after he had spent it all, a severe famine arose throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch. 15 “So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him any. 17 “At last he came to his senses and said, `Any number of my father’s hired workers have food to spare; and here I am, starving to death! 18 I’m going to get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” ‘ 20 So he got up and started back to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him warmly. 21 His son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son –‘ 22 but his father said to his slaves, `Quick, bring out a robe, the best one, and put it on him; and put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the calf that has been fattened up, and kill it. Let’s eat and have a celebration! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he’s alive again! He was lost, but now he has been found!’ And they began celebrating.
This parable relates to both physical and spiritual lostness. The father never gave up hope that the son might return, for he kept looking and waiting as the days became months and then years but he never gave up that hope of return. This reunion shows the compassion and forgiveness of a waiting, loving father. In our world today there are countless families with heartaches and loneliness, waiting for a family member to return and become a part of the family again. If this is your situation, pray to God for the healing, for it may begin with you.
The spiritual lostness of one follows the same path. One strays from the foundation of God’s Word, only to realize, in their heart, they have chosen the wrong way, yet cannot bring themselves to admit it until they reach the bottom.
“Come Home Running”
performed by Chris Tomlin
The world of sin always takes one farther than he ever intended to go and keeps him longer than he ever intended to stay. There is a heavenly Father that is also waiting for you to come to Him for He is waiting and ready to receive you into His arms just as the earthly father received his son. It is called mercy. Luke 18:13
13 But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but beat his breast and said, `God! Have mercy on me, sinner that I am!’
Call on Him and He will answer and say to you, Matthew 11
28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The sixth beatitude reads, blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Pure: not mixed with anything else; genuine; perfectly clean and spotless; as silver is heated, the dross comes to the top and removed, leaving the silver pure as a reflection in a mirror.
Pure in heart is the position of the believer before God. The life of one who receives Yeshua as Savior and Lord has been transformed into a new spiritual birth. Being born again, because of Yeshua dying for my personal sin by shedding His blood on the cross and raising to life on the third day, He defeated death and the grave to give eternal life to each one who believes in Him. When God looks at me, Yeshua is standing between me and the holiness of God and deems me pure because He died and took my sin on Him on the cross. When I chose to follow Yeshua, all my sins, past, present and future were forgiven and washed away by the blood of the Lamb!!!
One is not sinless as a believer, but enters a continuous process of sanctification, a common term used as the act of growing into the likeness of Yeshua. Yeshua knew no sin, for He is pure, but He became the sacrificial Lamb, taking on the sin of the world, that whosoever, meaning any one or all, has been provided the way that leads to life, the Kingdom of Heaven.
When one sins as a believer, the fellowship can be broken, but the relationship as a part of the family of God can never be broken. This also holds true when being born into our earthly family. There is a quote in 1John 1:9 that says,
9 If we acknowledge our sins, then, since He is trustworthy and just, He will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.
9 If we acknowledge our sins, then, since He is trustworthy and just, He will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.
The seventh Beatitude says, blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
Peacemakers are believers who are at peace with God and live in peace with God for they experienced the peace that passes all understanding when they obeyed Yeshua invitation, “Come, follow Me.” At the birth of Yeshua, the angels sang, “Peace on earth, good will to men.” Why? Yeshua brought peace to a world lost and without hope. It is the difference between the thermostat and thermometer. The thermometer represents the ups and downs in life, with instability a constant companion. That is the way of the world. The thermostat describes the believer as steady in all of life’s circumstances. How? Because of the peace and joy given to the one who chooses God’s love gift, Yeshua the Messiah, His only begotten Son, the Prince of Peace.
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| Tortured for Christ website |
The eighth Beatitude says, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. The quote from 2Timothy 3:12says:And indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted.
And Mattityahu 5 says:
11 “How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
The world in its darkness does not except the ways of Yeshua. It continues to be the battle of the ages: the goodness of God against the deceptions of Satan.
This concludes the Beatitudes, the Spirit of the Law, given to His Apostles while thousands gathered on the hillside to capture each and every word spoken by the amazing One. Yeshua supplies one’s every need. He lived as a man and followed His own beatitudes as an example to His apostles and the people.
Truly the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
“I Still Believe”
performed by Jeremy Camp
He is like a shepherd feeding His flock,
gathering His lambs with His arm,
carrying them against His chest,
gently leading the mother sheep.
Let us connect the period of time from the birth of Yeshua Messiah King to when Yeshua Messiah was thirty years of age. At the age of thirty, He was formally announced to the world by John the Baptist, the son of the priest, Zechariah, in the division of Abijah, and wife Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron.
On the eighth day, Yeshua was taken by Mary and Joseph to the temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised, presented to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with the Law of the Lord: a pair of doves or two young pigeons.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for Him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised,
You now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which You have prepared in the sight of
all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to Your people Israel.”
The next account of Yeshua is recorded in Mattityahu 2:13-15, 19-23.
After the Magi had gone, an angel of ADONAI
appeared to Yosef in a dream and said, “Get up,
take the child and His mother, and escape to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you to leave. For Herod
is going to look for the child in order to kill Him.”
So he got up, took the child and His mother, and
left during the night for Egypt, where he stayed
until Herod died. This happened in order to fulfill
what Adonai had said through the prophet,
“Out of Egypt I called my Son.”
After Herod’s death, an angel of ADONAI appeared in a dream to Yosef in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and His mother, and go to Eretz-Yisra’el, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So he got up, took the child and His mother, and went back to Eretz-Yisra’el. However, when he heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Y’hudah, he was afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, he withdrew to the Galil and settled in a town called Natzeret, so that what had been spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that He will be called a Natzrati.
Matthew 2: Gifts of the Magi and the Escape to Egypt
Luke 2:40-52 records Yeshua, as a boy, at the temple.
The child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.
Every year Yeshua’s parents went to Yerushalayim for the Feast of the Passover. When Yeshua was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while His parents were returning home, the boy Yeshua stayed behind in Yerushalayim, but they were unaware of it. Thinking He was in their company, they traveled for a day.
Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him. After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers.
When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
“Why were you searching for me?” He asked.
“Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what He was saying to them.
Then He went down to Natzeret with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Yeshua grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
The next account tells of John the Baptist’s introduction and baptism of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the World! The following passage is Mattityahu 3:1-17:
It was during those days that Yochanan the Immerser arrived in the desert of Y’hudah and began proclaiming the message, “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”
This is the man Yesha`yahu was talking about when he said, “The voice of someone crying out: `In the desert prepare the way of ADONAI! Make straight paths for him!'”
Yochanan wore clothes of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Yerushalayim, from all Y’hudah, and from the whole region around the Yarden. Confessing their sins, they were immersed by him in the Yarden River.
But when Yochanan saw many of the P’rushim and Tz’dukim coming to be immersed by him, he said to them, “You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment? If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it! And don’t suppose you can comfort yourselves by saying, `Avraham is our father!’ For I tell you that God can raise up for Avraham sons from these stones! Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire! It’s true that I am immersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I — I’m not worthy even to carry his sandals — and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire. He has with him his winnowing fork; and he will clear out his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn but burning up the straw with unquenchable fire!”
Then Yeshua came from the Galil to the Yarden to be immersed by Yochanan. But Yochanan tried to stop him. “You are coming to me? I ought to be immersed by you!” However, Yeshua answered him, “Let it be this way now, because we should do everything righteousness requires.” Then Yochanan let him.
As soon as Yeshua had been immersed, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, he saw the Spirit of God coming down upon him like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him.”
John the Baptist baptizes Jesus
from The Life of Christ Bible Videos
Yeshua’s baptism in the Jordan River near Bethany introduced the beginning of Yeshua’s earthly ministry. Some people are not familiar with the word baptize.
The Vine’s expository dictionary reads:
- Baptisma (n) baptism, consisting of the processes of immersion, submersion and emergence (from bapto, to dip), is used of John’s baptism.
- Baptizo (v) to baptize, primarily a form of bapto, to dip, was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment.
It is used in the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and in the book of Acts as the rite performed by John the Baptist who called upon the people to repent that they might receive remission of sins. Those who obeyed came confessing their sins, thus acknowledging their unfitness to be in the Messiah’s coming Kingdom.
Baptism is to be undergone by believers, thus witnessing their identification with Yeshua the Christ in His death burial and resurrection.
The verb is also used metaphorically in two distinct senses:
- Baptism by the Holy Spirit, which took place on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-13
- The calamity which would come upon the nation of the Jews, a baptism of the fire of Divine judgment for rejection of the will and word of God.
The Complete Jewish Bible uses immersion instead of baptism. The World Book Encyclopedia dictionary’s definition:
Immerse:
- To dip or lower into a liquid until covered by it.
- To baptize by dipping a person completely under water.
- Baptized by immersion
When one becomes a believer, baptism is the public testimony following the example of Yeshua. A person dies to self and sin (since Yeshua has died for my sins, past, present and future), buried the old self by immersion, and raised (as Yeshua Christ was raised by His Father God) to walk in newness of life with the Holy Spirit as teacher, counselor and guide.
Galatians 2:20 says:
When the Messiah was executed on the stake as a criminal, I was too; so that my proud ego no longer lives. But the Messiah lives in me, and the life I now live in my body I live by the same trusting faithfulness that the Son of God had, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Go back and re-read Matthew 3:16-17. Here is the majestic presence of Three in One, the triune God! The trinity coming together to give honor and affirmation to the Son, Yeshua, as He begins His public teaching and preaching of repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The Father declared Yeshua to be the Son of God!
The next day, Yochanan saw Yeshua coming toward him and said, “Look! God’s lamb! The one who is taking away the sin of the world!” Then Yochanan gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and remaining on him. I myself did not know who he was, but the one who sent me to immerse in water said to me, `The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is the one who immerses in the Ruach HaKodesh.’ And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
After Yeshua had been baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit led Yeshua out into the desert wilderness for forty days to be tempted by Satan.
Then the Spirit led Yeshua up into the wilderness to be tempted by the Adversary. After Yeshua had fasted forty days and nights, he was hungry. The Tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, order these stones to become bread.” But he answered, “The Tanakh says, `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of ADONAI.'”
Then the Adversary took him to the holy city and set him on the highest point of the Temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “jump! For the Tanakh says, `He will order his angels to be responsible for you. . . . They will support you with their hands, so that you will not hurt your feet on the stones.'” Yeshua replied to him, “But it also says, `Do not put ADONAI your God to the test.'” Once more, the Adversary took him up to the summit of a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their glory, and said to him, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.” “Away with you, Satan!” Yeshua told him, “For the Tanakh says, `Worship ADONAI your God, and serve only him.'” Then the Adversary let him alone, and angels came and took care of him.
“Desert Voice”
composed by Eric Becker
These accounts could only be stated by scripture, for God’s Word is true and complete. Yeshua was about thirty years old when He began His ministry.
Let us read Mattityahu 4:12-17:
When Yeshua heard that Yochanan had been put in prison, he returned to the Galil; but he left Natzeret and came to live in K’far-Nachum, a lake shore town near the boundary between Z’vulun and Naftali. This happened in order to fulfill what Yesha`yahu the prophet had said, “Land of Z’vulun and land of Naftali, toward the lake, beyond the Yarden, Galil-of-the-Goyim — the people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the region, in the shadow of death, light has dawned.” From that time on, Yeshua began proclaiming, “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”
“I’m Amazed”
performed by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
The time has come! Words are inadequate to introduce the One and only Holy One of Israel! Oh, what a revelation! Oh, what a declaration! The profound prophecies of old are fulfilled, affirming who Yeshua is and His mission on planet earth. The introduction is made by the only One worthy, His Father God.
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
One can only imagine this scene of Yeshua, walking by the Jordan River toward John the Baptist. These people were witnessing the public arrival of their long awaited Messiah! They were looking into the face of the Son of God, God-Visible! The Holy One of Israel stepped down from heaven’s glory to begin His public earthly ministry as a servant to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, God’s chosen and set apart people.
The message of Yeshua is the very same today as it was when He walked out of the wilderness after Satan tempted and tested His mind, body and soul, but Yeshua did not yield to Satan’s deceptions. From that time on, Yeshua began to preach, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17
“The King is Coming”
performed by the Gaither Vocal Band
In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. John 1:4
The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Israel was no stranger to that deep and penetrating darkness under the rule of their enemies. The Jewish people knew of the prophecies that foretold of the Light that would come into the world and bring salvation to God’s people.2 The people living in darkness have seen a great light;upon those living in the land that liein the shadow of death, light has dawned.
6 For a child is born to us,A son is given to us;Dominion will rest on His shoulders,And He will be given the namePele-Yo’etz El Gibbor, Avi-‘Ad Sar-Shalom.[Wonder of a Councilor, Mighty GodFather of Eternity, Prince of Peace] The light came into the world through the One born to a people, a special people, a chosen and set-apart people.
God used His creation to announce the coming of the Light of the world. The brilliant star lit up the night sky to give directions, the angels lit up the dark hillside to announce His birth to the shepherds, but most importantly, in the darkness of night, Yeshua, the light of life was born to give light and life into the hearts of men and remove the blackness of sin, to become the Messiah and King of His people.
In Isaiah 49:6
ADONAI has said, “It is not enough that you are merely My servant to rise up the tribes of Ya’akov and restore the offspring of Israel. I will also make you a light to the nations, so My salvation can spread to the ends of the earth.”
Wherever God is, He expels the darkness. Numerous comparisons of spiritual and physical light are paralleled in many respects.
In Genesis 1, the first thing God did on Day 1 of creation was say, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw the light was good and God divided the light from darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.
Without the light of the sun, there can be no life. Without the light of the Son, there can be no life. The sun is the light of the world. The Son is the light of the world.
Yeshua spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light which gives life.”
While traveling through the beautiful state of Kansas, the highway topped one of the many flint hills and there on both sides of the road were fields and fields of sunflowers. Their blooms, in perfect sync, were facing the sun. In the early morning, the sunflowers face the rising sun, as the sun moves, so do the sunflowers. They follow the sun from first light to darkness, then bending over in rest until another new day. Even the flowers know where to turn for light and life. The sun gives warmth, growth, direction, light and life.
One must also look to the Son for warmth, growth, direction, light and life for eternity without end, for without the Son, all is lost. The Son is waiting for each one to look up and seek His face and follow Him.
35 Yeshua said to them, “The light will be with you only a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, or the dark will overtake you; he who walks in the dark doesn’t know where he is going.
36 While you have the light, put your trust in the light, so that you may become people of light.”
IF ONLY I HAD…IF ONLY…
I saw the light and rejected it for darkness
I was told if I ask, I would receive
I was told if I would seek, then I would find
I was told if I knocked, the door would open
If only I had… if only…
We are all drawn to the light
The light is the way, the truth, the life
The light is the Word of God
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us
For God loved us so very much
He sent to us His only Son
To pay the debt we could not pay
The debt of sin is forever removed
When each repents, believes and follows Him
I saw the light and rejected it for darkness
I was told if I ask, I would receive
I was told if I would seek, then I would find
I was told if I knocked, the door would open
If only I had…if only…
Each of us has experienced darkness, now experience light.Choose the light TODAY, which destroys darkness. Choose Yeshua, the Word, the Light, the Life forevermore.
“Great Light of the World”
performed by Bebo Norman
He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David, so long afterwards, in the text already given, “Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts.”
7 For he is our God, and we are the people in his pasture, the sheep in his care. If only today you would listen to his voice: 8 “Don’t harden your hearts, as you did at M’rivah, as you did on that day at Massah in the desert,
By David: Adonai is my light and salvation;
Whom do I need to fear?
ADONAI is the stronghold of my life;
Of whom should I be afraid?
One of the most compelling events in scripture is the beggar named Bar-Timai, being in both physical and spiritual darkness. This account is found in Mark 10:
46 They came to Yericho; and as Yeshua was leaving Yericho with his talmidim and a great crowd, a blind beggar, Bar-Timai (Bartimaeus, son of Timai), was sitting by the side of the road. 47 When he heard that it was Yeshua from Natzeret, he started shouting, “Yeshua! Son of David! Have pity on me!” 48 Many people scolded him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the louder, “Son of David! Have pity on me!” 49 Yeshua stopped and said, “Call him over!” They called to the blind man, “Courage! Get up! He’s calling for you!” 50 Throwing down his blanket, he jumped up and came over to Yeshua. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” asked Yeshua. The blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me be able to see again.” 52 Yeshua said to him, “Go! Your trust has healed you.” Instantly he received his sight and followed him on the road.
Life was sitting by the roadside begging. Bartimaeus had nothing else to do. He had heard of this man from Nazareth and how people were being healed. He knew his helpless condition. Then he heard Yeshua was passing by and he began to shout to Him. If anybody could help him it would be Yeshua, for He had healed so many others.The people around Bartimaeus told him to be quiet, but he called all the louder for he was not ashamed to ask for healing. Then he was called to come to Yeshua! He threw off the cloak, jumped to his feet and came to Him, the One that could heal him. What joy! The most important thing that would ever happen to him in his life! “I want to see.” That is what I want.
Looking back, Bartimaeushad a need. There was only One who could heal and give new life. He cried out to Him. He left his cloak of sin behind and by faith He believed and followed Yeshua. Yes, Yeshua really cared about him, just as He loves and cares about each and every one of us.
The Battle of the Ages continues to be fought for the souls of men. Light vs. Darkness! It is a choice we all make; choose light and life by choosing Yeshua Messiah, OR choose darkness and the ways of Satan and death – there is no middle ground. You are either in the light or in the darkness. By not choosing the Light, you choose darkness. The blind man chose Yeshua Messiah. Which one have you chosen? Choose while it is yet today.
“It Is Finished”
performed by the Gaither Vocal Band
The First Letter from Yeshua’s Emissary John
1 The Word, which gives life! He existed from the beginning. We have heard Him, we have seen Him with our eyes, we have contemplated Him, we have touched Him with our hands!
2 The life appeared, and we have seen it. We are testifying to it and announcing it to you – eternal life! He was with the Father, and He appeared to us.
3 What we have seen and heard, We are proclaiming to you so that you too may have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Yeshua the Messiah.
4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Yochanan (John) is testifying to what he and others saw and announcing it to you! We heard Him speak, saw Him personally with our own eyes, contemplated Him, and touched Him with our hands. All these things we are testifying and proclaiming SO you too may have fellowship with the Father God and His Son Yeshua the Messiah. We write these things so your joy may be complete; full and complete truth! Eternal life.
1 After Yeshua had said these things, He looked up toward heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son may glorify You –
2 just as you gave Him authority over all mankind, so that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him.
3 And eternal life is this: to know You, the One true God, and Him whom You sent, Yeshua the Messiah.
Yochanan 20:31 “But these which have been recorded are here So that you may trust that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by this trust you may have life because of who He is.”
9 If we accept human witness, God’s witness is stronger, because it is the witness which God has given about His Son.
10 Those who keep trusting in the Son of God have this witness in them. Those who do not keep trusting God have made Him out to be a liar, because they have not trusted in the witness which God has given about His Son.
11 And this is the witness: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Those who have the Son have the life; those who do not have the Son of God do not have the life.
13 I have written you these things so that you may know that you have eternal life – you who keep trusting in the person and power of the Son of God.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment, so that we may know who is genuine; moreover, we are united with the One who is genuine, united with His Son Yeshua the Messiah. He is the genuine God and eternal life.
The following is a conversation between Yeshua and Nakdimon (Nicodemus) taken from Yochanan 3:
1 There was a man among the P’rushim, named Nakdimon, who was a ruler of the Judeans. 2 This man came to Yeshua by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know it is from God that you have come as a teacher; for no one can do these miracles you perform unless God is with him.” 3 “Yes, indeed,” Yeshua answered him, “I tell you that unless a person is born again from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 Nakdimon said to him, “How can a grown man be `born’? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time?” 5 Yeshua answered, “Yes, indeed, I tell you that unless a person is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 6 What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit. Stop being amazed at my telling you that you must be born again 7 from above! 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it’s going. That’s how it is with everyone who has been born from the Spirit.” 9 Nakdimon replied, “How can this happen?” 10 Yeshua answered him, “You hold the office of teacher in Isra’el, and you don’t know this? 11 Yes, indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give evidence of, we have seen; but you people don’t accept our evidence! 12 If you people don’t believe me when I tell you about the things of the world, how will you believe me when I tell you about the things of heaven? 13 No one has gone up into heaven; there is only the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. 18 Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only and unique Son.
Jesus and Nicodemus
from The Life of Christ Bible Videos
Thus we continue to examine the meaning of eternal life. There is one profound statement given by Yeshua Himself that speaks volumes! Yeshua said, “I AM the Way – and the Truth and the Life; NO one comes to the Father except through Me.” If one remembers anything that is in this book, please remember this powerful verse!
Yeshua is the only way to heaven and eternal life! The world is in darkness and those in that darkness must look to God’s only Son for complete truth and assurance of eternal life. Today is all we have, today is the day of salvation for yesterday is gone and we have no assurance of tomorrow.
6 Seek ADONAI while He is available, call on Him while He is still nearby.
7 Let the wicked person abandon his way and the evil person his thoughts; let him return to ADONAI, and He will have mercy on him; let him return to our God, for He will freely forgive.
“There Will Be A Day”
preformed by Jeremy Camp
The Good News of Yeshua the Messiah as reported by Yochanan (John)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning, all things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing made had being. In Him was life and the life was the light of mankind.
The light shines in the darkness, andthe darkness has not suppressed it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was Yochanan (John the Baptist).He came to be a testimony, to bear witness concerning the light; so that through Yeshua the Messiah, everyone might put his trust in God and be faithful to Him. Yochanan himself was not that light; no, he came to bear witness concerning the light. This was the true light, which gives light to everyone entering the world. He was in the world – the world came to be through Him- yet the world did not know Him.He came to His own homeland, yet His own people did not receive Him.
But to as many as did receive Him, to those who put their trust in His person and power, He gave the right to become children of God, not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God. The Word became a human being and lived with us, and we saw His Sh’khinah,the Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
Yochanan witnessed concerning Him when he cried out, “This is the Man I was talking about when I said, ‘The One coming after me has come to rank ahead of me, because He existed before me.”’ We have all received from His fullness, yes, grace upon grace. For the Torah was given through Moshe; Grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father’s side – He has made Him known.”
John
from the movie, The Gospel of John
This scripture from John describes the incarnation of Yeshua Messiah. Let us examine the meaning of incarnation from World Book Encyclopedia dictionary.
Incarnation (n.) 1. The union of divine nature and human nature in the person of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ); the assumption of human form by the Son of God; the hypostatic union. 2. The embodiment of God in the person of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).
“If we accept human witness, God’s witness is stronger, because it is the witness which God has given about His Son.Those who keep trusting in the Son of God have this witness in them. Those who do not keep trusting God have made Him out to be a liar, because they have not trusted in the witness, which God has given about His Son. Those who have the Son have the life; those who do not have the Son of God do not have the life. I have written you these things so that you may know that you have eternal life— you who keep trusting in the person and power of the Son of God.”
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment, so that we may know who is genuine; moreover, we are united with the One who is genuine, united with His Son Yeshua the Messiah. He is the genuine God and eternal life.”
Therefore, The Word was God, with God in the beginning; the Word became flesh –God visible- Yeshua the Messiah, the only begotten Son of God His Father and the One who came to earth to reveal His Father God to mankind. The Word is complete truth, pure love, and offers eternal life to those who receive Him.
Word of God Speak
performed by Mercy Me
Israel's Ultimate Victory 