and Yeshua/Jesus’ reference to the Days of Noah and the acharit hayamim/latter days; the Birthpangs/footsteps of Messiah/ikvot Mashiach and Jacobs trouble?
With all the focus on the nations in the middle east, an overview based on some historical facts may help us to understand what is happening and why. Governments and leaders around the world are beating war drums in the aftermath of recent events but as they say, the first casualty in war is truth; and maybe a better understanding of the different groups in that region, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the PLO, will help us understand what is going on and what may happen next.
In all of what is unfolding we are certain of one thing, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is not taken by surprise because He is in control of everything. We must stay grounded in Him and not be moved or fearful by what we see and hear in the natural; but rather trust in Him and His Word. Psalm 121:4 tells us, The God of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps and His Word and all that is prophesied will indeed come to pass and be fulfilled in His time and way.
The tale of 2 sons, who were also brothers, goes back to Genesis.
In Genesis 4 we read about Cain/Kayin and Abel/Hevel and the 1st act of violence ended in Cain murdering Abel. It was the 1st time human blood was spilled. It was the beginning of the end when in Genesis 6:13 The Lord God saw that the earth was filled with violence and flooded the earth to cleanse it. Noah and his family were saved to start over.
Noah had 3 sons, Shem Ham and Japheth. Ham is the ancestor of Nimrod, and Abraham can be traced back through 10 generations to Shem.
The tale of 2 sons continues with Abrahams sons Ishmael and Isaac, who were half brothers.
Isaac continued the story when he fathered 2 sons Esau and Jacob; and we know that Esau was first born but gave up his birthright to Jacob for food. From Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, come the Israelite tribes; and from Esau come the Edomite tribes as both of them had 12 sons.
This feud between the sets of brothers continues to this day through Ishmael and Esau and their respective descendants. This is an expansive subject and this post cannot cover all aspects, however an overview may help our perspective of the issues facing us today. Referencing only what scripture tells us and in regards to the turmoil, violence, wars and rumors of wars, which we are told of in Matthew 24 will precede the return of Messiah.
The map below of ancient Israel, features the Biblical boundaries of the Land of Israel as described in Genesis 15:18 and Genesis 17:8. Possession of land and eliminating rivals are the focus of much biblical literature.
On that day Hashem made a covenant with Avram, saying, “To your offspring I assign this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
ba-YOM ha-HU ka-RAT a-do-NAI et av-RAM b’-REET lay-MOR l’-zar-a-KHA na-TA-tee et ha-A-retz ha-ZOT mi-n’-HAR mitz-RA-yim ad ha-na-HAR ha-ga-DOL n’-har p’-RAT
The map of ancient Israel is a document that has been studied by scholars and laymen for centuries. It has helped historians understand how external influences have shaped the land over time, and it reveals the ever-changing borders of ancient Israel.
Ancient Israel was initially inhabited by various Canaanite tribes, which were later conquered by the Israelites in the 13th century BCE. The Israelites then established their kingdom in the land, which extended from the Mediterranean coast to the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf).
The map above of ancient Israel shows the country’s territorial divisions during different periods of history. During the reign of King David, the kingdom of Israel included the land from the Euphrates River in the east to the River of Egypt in the west. Under King Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was at its peak and included parts of modern-day Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
However, after the division of the kingdom into two states, Israel and Judah, in the 10th century BCE, the territory of ancient Israel was reduced once again. The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 721 BCE and the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, leading to significant changes in territory, population, and culture. Later, the Greeks established their own boundaries, and then the Romans.
The map reveals how these different forces have shaped the borders of the land over time. It also shows how certain cities or regions were important centers for trade or cultural exchange between different peoples during different historical periods.
Back to the sons… Abraham was called 1948 years after creation which is an interesting point!
Abraham had 2 sons one born of the flesh and one born of the spirit
One was by his own ability and one was by Gods ability.
Abraham tried to fulfill Gods promise to him by his own strength and did not wait on Gods timing. The son/fruit of the flesh always precedes the son/fruit of the spirit.
We act in our carnal understanding trying to help God out, by making the promises happen in our way and time. Fruit of the flesh always causes problems, flesh is flesh and spirit is spirit.
Ishmael’s mother was Sarahs handmaid Hagar; some scholars believe she was Egyptian, possibly pharaohs daughter? Type of the world/ gentile nations. Islam considers her Abraham’s second wife, which was a custom in those days that to produce an heir if the wife could not conceive.
However Abraham should have waited for the son of the promise who would fulfill the prophecy that he would be the father of a multitude or many nations. Isaac gave birth to Jacob whose name was changed to Israel and he had 12 sons. The word to Ishmael was also that God would make him nations and Esau Jacobs brother also had 12 sons who became 12 tribes like the 12 tribes of Israel.
We often hear comments that Ishmael was a mistake that Abram and Sarai made that was a problem to all their future descendants. Ishmael was born according to the flesh that is by means of human design and effort.
Isaac was born through the promise and power of God. One lesson we learn is that actions inspired by works of the flesh without patiently waiting for Gods timing and provision will inevitably lead to conflict, hostility and produce fruit of the flesh.
However we see that YHWH spoke to her and blessed her and said that her descendants through Ishmael would be so many that they could not be numbered. If this was a mistake why would God cause Ishmael to increase his numbers? God knew of this before it happened and allowed it because it was always part of his plan. that these two nations should coexist to bring about the purposes of the Creator.
יִשְׁמָעֵאל Ishmael, Arabic Ismāʿīl, son of Abraham through Hagar,
The name Ishmael means: God will hear – yish maw ale.
Hagar, also spelled Agar, in the Old Testament
Gen. 16:1–16; 21:8–21.
Hagar called the Lord, the God who sees. El Roi
and the place was named: Beerlahairoi – the well of the living one.
Rom 4:1-25 Gal 4:21-5:1 Hebrews 7
Paul says Hagar represents the covenant God made with Israel at Mt.Sinai which bears children for slavery since her children are those who respond with the aspiration Ex.24:3 Deut 5:27 all the words which the Lord has spoken we will do. Whereas Sarah represents the covenant God made with Israel through the child of promise. (Yeshua) who bears children who are free and inheritors of the grace of God.
The Hebrew and middle eastern culture is very focused on family lines and having sons carries on the fathers house line and the inheritance always goes to the firstborn son. He carries the name and the responsibility of the family. Abraham fathered Ishmael first and that is the claim of the Ishmaelites better known as the Arab nations who are mostly muslins and believe Mohammed was the prophet sent from God and that Jesus/Yeshua was just another prophet along with all those of the Old testament.
Charts below:
Hamas? Hezbollah? The PLO?
Who’s Who in the Conflict with Israel.
There is a tendency to join the various anti-Western groups together as “Islamic terrorists,” however, the reality is a bit more complicated, so here is a brief look at some of these groups in more detail.
Some background on Palestine and Gaza.
Palestinian Arabs have occupied the area now known as Israel from the time the Romans exiled the Jews nearly 2,000 years ago. Only very small Jewish communities survived until the 1880s when European Jews began emigrating to Palestine. Jewish numbers increased in the area slowly at first but then more sharply after World War I.
Palestine had been ruled by the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years. However, when the Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I, Britain took control of the area. In 1917, Britain issued its Balfour Declaration, encouraging the creation of a Jewish state. Many Jewish populations within Europe were fleeing the devastation wrought by World War I, and Britain thought that Palestine might be a good place to resettle them. Additionally, with the passage of more restrictive immigration laws in the U.S. in the 1920s, Jews simply found it easier to settle in Palestine.
Naturally, tensions arose. Many fights broke out between Jewish settlers, Palestinian Arabs, and the British government between the two World Wars. However, after World War II, Britain could no longer afford to manage its overseas empire, and the United Nations agreed to divide Palestine between Jewish and Arab groups.
In 1948, one day after the announcement of a new Jewish state, the surrounding Arab nations of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq attacked Israel. At the end of a year-long war, the Israelis won. With the passage of the Israeli Land Acquisition Law in 1953, most of the land within Palestine was formally transferred from its former Palestinian owners to the new Israeli government.
But tensions never really ceased. War broke out again in 1967 between Israel, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. After this war, Israel won control of both Gaza and the West Bank, leaving the now-landless Palestinians living under the control of the Israeli government.
On top of many other issues, the Palestinians have a very high birthrate, which has made the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt one of the most densely-populated places on earth. Poor, crowded areas, full of largely unemployed young people, are ripe grounds for terrorist groups to recruit. And this is exactly what’s happened in Palestine. Though it must be said that not all those in Gaza nor all Palestinians are terrorists we know there are both good and bad people in every nation.
The PLO
The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964 in Cairo, when leaders of 13 Arabic countries pledged to take action to liberate Palestine from Israeli rule. The PLO acts as an umbrella group for six different Palestinian groups, the most prominent of which has been Fatah, to which Yasser Arafat belonged.
While the PLO denied Israel’s right to exist for decades and conducted terrorist activities that ultimately killed thousands of Israelis, in 1993, Arafat entered into an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the Oslo Accords. Arafat renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist, and Rabin agreed to recognize the PLO as the official representative organization of the Palestinians.
But fighting continued nonetheless.
As the PLO claimed to back away from violence, other, more militant groups like Hamas have stepped in.
The word Hamas means violence and was founded in the late 1980s, partially in response to the seeming ineffectiveness of the PLO. Hamas is apparently an explicitly Islamic organization and is not about peaceful solutions or improving the lives of Palestinians. It’s about violently purging the state of Israel from the world.
Hezbollah emerged from the Lebanese Civil War in the late 1970s. They are a Shiite Muslim group, also dedicated to the eradication of Israel.
The Iranian government provides the overwhelming majority of funding for Hezbollah, though Hezbollah has always insisted that they are in favor of Lebanese independence.
Because Hezbollah is so much more sophisticated than Hamas, the Israeli government has been stationing troops at the Lebanese border
This post is only the briefest of overviews. People study Middle Eastern history for years and years, only to come away with the thought that we all need to get our spiritual houses in order.
The Middle East conflict was prophesied in the Old Testament. The conflict is between two sons and, the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael.
On the day of feasting during which Abraham celebrated the weaning of Isaac, Ishmael was “mocking” or “playing with” Isaac (the Hebrew word מְצַחֵֽק, “meṣaḥeq” is ambiguous). This caused Sarah to tell Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.
Abraham circumcised Isaac on the eighth day, making him a party to the holy covenant God had established with Abraham.
Isaac became Abraham’s sole heir, and Ishmael and Hagar were banished to the desert, though God promised that Ishmael would raise up a great nation of his own.
Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac form the link between the world’s three major monotheistic religions, Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
In Galatians 4:28-29, Paul makes it clear that Ishmael represents the believer’s first birth (the flesh) and Isaac represents the second birth (the Spirit). Ishmael was “born of the flesh” because Abraham had not yet “died” and was still able to beget a sonGen. 16. Isaac was “born of the Spirit” because by that time his parents were both “dead” and only God’s power could have brought conception and birth. Ishmael was born first, because the natural comes before the spiritual 1 Cor. 15:46.
When you trust Jesus Christ, you experience a miracle birth from God John 1:11-13, and it is the work of the Holy Spirit of GodJohn 3:1-8. Abraham represents faith, and Sarah represents grace Gal. 4:24-26, so Isaac was born “by grace … through faith” Eph. 2:8-9. This is the only way a lost sinner can enter the family of God (John 3:16-18.
It is worth noting that, in the biblical record, God often rejected the firstborn and accepted the second-born. He rejected Cain and chose Abel Gen. 4:1-15. He rejected Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn, and chose Isaac. He bypassed Esau, Isaac’s firstborn, and chose Jacob Rom. 9:8-13, and He chose Ephraim instead of Manasseh Gen. 48. In Egypt, the Lord condemned all the firstborn Ex. 11–12 and spared only those who were “twice-born” because they were protected by faith in the blood of the lamb.
Isaac pictures the child of God not only in his birth but also in the joy that he brought. Isaac means “laughter,” and this time it was not the laughter of unbelief Gen. 18:9-15. In the parables recorded inLuke 15, Jesus emphasized the joy that results when lost sinners repent and come to the Lord. The shepherd rejoiced when he found the lost sheep, and the woman rejoiced when she found the lost coin, and they both asked their friends to rejoice with them. The father rejoiced when his prodigal son came home, and he invited the neighbors to a feast so they could share in his joy. There is even joy in heaven when sinners turn to God Luke 15:7, 10.
Nowhere do we read that Ishmael caused great joy in Abraham’s home. Abraham loved his son and wanted the best for him Gen. 17:18. From before his birth, Ishmael was a source of painful trouble Gen. 16, and after he matured, he caused even greater conflict in the family 21:9. The old nature is not able to produce the fruit of the Spirit, no matter how hard it tries Gal. 5:16-26.
Note a third comparison between Isaac and the child of God: He grew and was weaned Gen. 21:8. The new birth is not the end, but the beginning, and the believer must feed on God’s Word and grow spirituallyMatt. 4:4; 1 Cor. 3:1-3; Heb. 5:12-14; 1 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Peter 3:18. As we mature in the Lord, we must “put away childish things”1 Cor. 13:9-11 and allow God to “wean us”Ps. 131 from temporary helps that can become permanent hindrances.
Like every child of God, Isaac experienced persecution Gen. 21:9; Gal. 4:29. Ishmael was apparently an obedient son until Isaac entered the family, and then the “flesh” began to oppose “the Spirit.” It has well been said that the old nature knows no law but the new nature needs no law, and this is certainly illustrated in Abraham’s two sons.
Jewish children were usually weaned at about age three, so Ishmael was probably seventeen years old at the timeGen. 16:16But God had said that Ishmael would become “a wild donkey of a man”16:12, and the prediction came true. The flesh and the Spirit are in conflict with each other and always will be until we see the Lord Gal. 5:16-26.
When, like Isaac, you are born of the Spirit, you are born rich Gen. 21:10. Isaac was the heir of all that his father owned, and God’s children are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” Rom. 8:17). Abraham cared for Ishmael while the boy was in the home, but “Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac” Gen. 25:5).
Finally, Isaac was born free, while Ishmael was the son of a slave Gal. 4:22. Freedom is one of the key themes in Galatians5:1 and one of the key blessings in the Christian life 4:31.
No one is more free than the child of God who delights in His will and does it from the heart.
God honored His promise to bless Abraham’s offspring through Sarah, but He also acknowledged and blessed Ishmael and Hagar. Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn son with Hagar
יִשְׁמָעֵאל Ishmael, Arabic Ismāʿīl, son of Abraham through Hagar,
Hagar, also spelled Agar, in the Old TestamentGen. 16:1–16; 21:8–21,
Descendants of the Ishmaelites
After roaming the wilderness for some time, Ishmael and his mother settled in the Desert of Paran, where he became an expert in archery. Eventually, his mother found him a wife from the land of Egypt. They had twelve sons each of whom became a tribal chief in one of the regions from Havilah to Shur, from Assyria to the border of Egypt. His sons:
Nebaioth (נְבָיוֹת Nəḇāyōṯ)
Kedar (קֵדָר Qēḏār), father of the Qedarites, a northern Arab tribe that controlled the area between the Persian Gulf and the Sinai Peninsula. According to tradition, he is the ancestor of the Quraysh tribe, and thus, ancestor of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Adbeel (אַדְבְּאֵל ʾAḏbəʾēl)
Mibsam (מִבְשָֽׂם Mīḇsām)
Mishma (מִשְׁמָע Mīšmāʿ)
Dumah (דוּמָה Ḏūmā)
Massa (מַשָּֽׂא Massāʾ)
Hadad (חֲדַד Ḥăḏaḏ)
Tema (תֵימָא Ṯēmāʾ)
Jetur (יְטוּר Yəṭūr)
Naphish (נָפִישׁ Nāfīš)
Kedemah (קֵדְמָה Qēḏəmā)
Ishmael also had one known daughter, Mahalath or Basemath, the third wife of Esau.
Ishmael appeared with Isaac at the burial of Abraham. Ishmaeldied at the age of 137.
According to the Book of Genesis, in the Hebrew Bible, Isaac rather than Ishmael was the true heir of the Abrahamic tradition and covenant, while at the same time being blessed by God with a great nation.
In some traditions Ishmael is said to have had two wives, one of them named Aisha. This name corresponds to the Muslim tradition for the name of Muhammad’s wife. This is understood as a metaphoric representation of the Muslim world (first Arabs and then Turks) with Ishmael.
Rabbinical commentators in the Midrash Genesis Rabbah also say that Ishmael’s mother Hagar was the Pharaoh’s daughter, making Ishmael the Pharaoh’s grandson. This could be why Genesis 17:20 refers to Ishmael as the father of 12 mighty princes. According to Genesis 21:21, Hagar married Ishmael to an Egyptian woman, and if Rabbinical commentators are correct that Hagar was the Pharaoh’s daughter, his marriage to a woman she selected could explain how and why his sons became princes.
According to other Jewish commentators, Ishmael’s mother Hagar is identified with Keturah, the woman Abraham sought out and married after Sarah’s death. It is suggested that Keturah was Hagar’s personal name, and that “Hagar” was a descriptive label meaning “stranger”.
Ishmael’s descendants “settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt as you go toward Ashur” Genesis 25:18 .
Looking at the historical significance of the worldwide violence/ hamas, prevalent in Noahs day and the facts concerning the stories of two brothers; there is a connection to Jesus’ Messiahs reference to the Days of Noah and the acharit hayamim.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24:5
The existence of hamas/violence is surely a sign of Messiah’s soon return…look up for our redemption draws ever closer and while we are looking, let’s intercede for all those innocent people caught up in the conflicts. Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem as scripture tells us to and focus on our Heavenly Father, Who sees everything and is working all things together for good; for His ways are not our ways and we must trust His plan. As Messiah tells us not to be shaken by worldwide events because we are seeing biblical prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes.
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Seedtime and harvest will continue while the earth remains.
Genesis 18:22
All the days of the earth, seed and harvest, cold and heat, summer and spring, shall not cease by day or night.
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.
This is a natural law of planting, growth and reaping a harvest.
The first thing we need to understand about the law of seedtime and harvest is this: everything that happens on the earth revolves around this law, because this is also a spiritual law and was set in motion from the beginning/genesis.
The Bible says that as long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest will remain Genesis 8:22.
Immediately our mind things crops, grain, wheat, hay; however whatever harvest we are reaping in our lives is the result of the seed of that same harvest. If we sow wheat seed, we know that without a doubt we will reap wheat. This is a natural law, we don’t sow wheat and expect grapes that is obvious. What may be less obvious to us is that our very lives reveal what kind of seed we have been planting and sowing, both into our own and into that of others.
These that scatter generously and reap abundance. Prov. 11:24 There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more; And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty.
2 Cor. 9:6 Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
If we are lacking in an area, sow seeds of that need into anothers life and see the abundant harvest come into our own life.
This is spiritual law – give and it shall be given, according to:
Luke 6:38 Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
If we need time, give time to another; if we need friendship, be a friend and if we desire love and affection, we are to be be loving and affectionate towards others, etc. etc.
Plant the seeds of whatever our need is into the lives of others and watch the law of reciprocity work, which is all about an action being rewarded with another action in return.
We will receive in the same measure we give out. It is a spiritual law put in place by the hand of our Heavenly Father. And often the position or set of circumstance we find ourselves in, is the harvest of the seed we have sown, and it may not always be positive. `
The word says if we live by the sword, we will die by it; and violence reaps only violence. Hate gives birth to hate and everything negative will also bring its’ own harvest.
That’s why we need to abide and live under and in the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:2
The laws of the spirit realm are more certain than we care to realize and although we may not see the results immediately, the laws of attraction go along with reciprocity; and how we behave and live our lives will attract people and elements of similar lifestyles. Just like a magnet, there are 2 sides to a magnet, and one side a magnet will attract another magnet; but if one is reversed they will repel each other. Just as it is in the world which rejects and repels anything to do with Messiah.
The old saying of birds of a feather flock together is clear in all clubs, groups, teams, social gatherings of like minded people with communal goals, aspirations, interests, beliefs, these all separate people into groups. Taking this to its inevitable conclusion we all sow to the basics of either good or bad, light or darkness, black or white; there is no grey in the Kingdom of God. There are only 2 kingdoms, one of light and one of darkness and we will be in one of them. Light always attracts light and darkness attracts darkness.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:22,23.
We are children of light. 1 Thess. 5:5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. because
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
Therefore we have no business with any darkness we are to
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Eph. 5: 11.
The bottom line is, whatever we want in our lives we should plant corresponding seed; and if we don’t want darkness, death, fear and the works of the devil, we should have nothing to do with it, just as scripture says. Decorating our homes with emblems and items related to the devils highest point of the year, is an open invitation for demonic spirits to invade and take up residence in homes and families. We are inviting them by our involvement and willing participation.
Let’s not compromise and put our homes, children and lives at risk by attracting the darkness to them and us. These activities mark people in the realm of the spirit and darkness and all its companions will be drawn to and attracted to those individuals.
Don’t be fooled or think it’s harmless fun, it is NOT.
It is very serious and spiritually dangerous.
No one who calls themselves a child of the living God, who is born again from above and a follower, disciple of Messiah, should have anything to do with any of the activities around October 31st.
Instead of celebrating death, let’s take the opportunity to sow seeds of life to those who are deceived.
We must make the quality decision to sow according to the leading of our Fathers Holy Spirit, and trust that He will bring our harvest to us, as we are diligent to reap. Then, we will be working with the Lord of the harvest and not against Him. Matthew 9:38.
From a spiritual perspective, seed time and harvest can refer both to people coming to Messiah Jesus Christ and to the spiritual growth of those living for HIm.
Mark 4:26-29
From Seedtime to Harvest. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us: To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Isaiah 23:3
This is a harvest of souls and what better time than now, to be a reaper of souls unto eternal life…..
We need to be constantly reminded that our Father put in place seed time and harvest time, and that we are called to plant, as well as to harvest.
2Corinthians 9:6: “This I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall
and Galatians 6:7
Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life If he sows for his own lower nature his harvest will be the decay and death of his own nature. But if he sows for the Spirit he will reap the harvest of everlasting life by that Spirit.
Galatians 5:11-12
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in
The works of darkness are unfruitful; they produce no goodness, give rise to no satisfaction, to no moral results that are “a joy forever;” or, if fruit they have, it is shame, remorse, despair.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. NIV
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
Reposted below is
No Treats Here – Its All Tricks! ..
the expose and historical background to this demonically inspired day celebrating death, horror and fear. It is deadly and should be avoided at all costs.
Open The Eyes Of Our Hearts Lord…Is Halloween An Invitation to the Occult?Hidden dangers that we may not see, are often subtly just under the surface and cunningly disguised by the enemy of our souls as seemingly ‘harmless fun’.Despite economic gloom casting a spell on consumer confidence, this year America’s darkest holiday is looking bright for retailers. According to industry research firm IBISWorld , Halloween sales are expected to exceed a record-breaking $6 billion, sales are up in treats, candy and costumes for even more scary numbers.Let’s not be among those who line the pockets of greedy retailers and the fat cats of commerce, who would like to get their hands on our hard earned income and who also seek to profit from scaring and frightening our children at such a young and innocent and impressionably tender age.
Rather let’s
protect our children
from anything that would frighten them
and cause them to have sleepless nights and nightmares;
and not subject them to fears and anxieties that may
follow and torment them for years to come!
Jesus said suffer, (do not prevent),
the little children from coming to Me,
(not to the occult things of darkness)
for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
The scriptures encourage us in Eph 5:11 KJV: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Amp: Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and reprove and convict them.Phillips Translation: For of this much you can be certain: that neither the immoral nor the dirty-minded nor the covetous man (which latter is, in effect, worshipping a false god) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Don’t let anyone fool you on this point, however plausible his argument. It is these very things which bring down the wrath of God upon the disobedient. Have nothing to do with men like that—once you were “darkness” but now you are “light”. Live then as children of the light.The light produces in men quite the opposite of sins like these—everything that is wholesome and good and true. Let your lives be living proofs of the things which please God. Steer clear of the activities of darkness; let your lives show by contrast how dreary and futile these things are. (You know the sort of things I mean—to detail their secret doings is really too shameful). For light is capable of “showing up” everything for what it really is. It is even possible (after all, it happened to you!) for light to turn the thing it shines upon into light also. Thus God speaks through the scriptures: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Habbakuk 4:6 says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’. When we have all the facts and understand the truth behind the curtains of seducing deception and we are educated, then we can make an enlightened and informed decision concerning future actions and participations. This is not a ‘party pooping exercise’, simply a heartfelt effort, with only a humble and loving motive, to protect and enlighten, while exposing the enemy.It’s always helpful to remember that darkness is looking for any way to capture our children and as fear is the opposite of faith, he uses things and events that scare and produce fear. The kingdom of darkness is based on fear and hate. Gods kingdom is the total opposite and is based on Faith and Love. It’s a good thing to consider which of these we would rather have our precious children exposed to. All the devil comes to do is steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).He uses seduction, temptation and deception among his arsenal of weapons. Many problems in adult life can be traced back to harrowing experiences associated with scary incidents at times such as Halloween.With this in mind… and not wishing to dwell on the subject more than to highlight its dangers...
Do we know where the word Halloween came from?
Halloween a day celebrated around the world when people dress up in costumes, collect candy from neighbors and have parties, but do we ever take time to think about the origins of Halloween? Most people don’t think twice about participating in it saying ‘It’s all in fun’ or ‘Its not evil to me’, but is this so called hallow evening really so innocent?
Do we know that a holiday named Samhain was celebrated on October 31st for centuries before the word Halloween was invented?
Do we know that Samhain is still celebrated by many, many people today?
Do we know that many Halloween traditions of today can trace back to the pagan practices of ancient peoples?
Do we know that the Lord commanded us not to be involved in the types of activities that take place on Halloween?
Once we learn the truth behind Halloween we’ll be stunned.
The Biggest Pagan Holiday Of All
“Halloween has been imposed by an esoteric- satanic culture which induces the community to perform rituals of witchcraft, spiritualism and satanism which can even lead to ritual sacrifices and violence. For satanists, Halloween is the most magic day in the year and during this night they perform black masses, esoteric-magical ceremonies and encourage witchcraft.”
“Christian parents and all those who believe in the values of life should know that Halloween is the adoration of Satan which has been disguised through games and parties for young people. Halloween is especially dangerous for young people because it encourages an esoteric-magical mentality which seeks to subvert religion by attacking spiritual values and what is sacred through an initiation of occult arts and images.” No fascination or pictures! – just the Facts!
This is always a difficult time for Christians, especially those with children. It has been suggested that for a Christian to be asked to celebrate Halloween is like asking a Holocaust survivor to celebrate Hitler’s birthday!
It is also a dangerous time for some, since many of the seemingly harmless involvements associated with Halloween can also be entries for the occult, and can prove very tragic for the unwary.In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain was observed on October 31, the end of summer. November 1 was the new year for both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon calendars and was one of the most important and yet sinister calendar festivals of the Celtic Year.
Settling in northern France and the British Isles, the Celtic people engaged in occult arts and worshiped nature, giving it supernatural qualities. The ancient Druids were the learned priestly class of the Celtic religion. Many of their beliefs and practices were similar to those of Hinduism, such as reincarnation and the transmigration of the soul, which teaches that people may be reborn as animals. The Druids believed that on October 31, the night before their New Year and the last day of the old year, Samhain, the Lord of Death, gathered the souls of the evil dead who had been condemned to enter the bodies of animals.The Druids also believed that the punishment of the evil dead would be lightened by sacrifices, prayers and gifts to the Lord of Death.
The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired a sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature.On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther drove a stake into the heart of many of the prevailing non-Biblical concepts by nailing his famous 95 theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, which started the movement known today as the Reformation. The single most important event in modern history. and appropriately, he did this on Halloween.In the eighth century Pope Gregory III decided to turn the pagans important day into a day of the church by calling it All Saints’ Day.
Chosen to be a spiritual counteract against the previous nights occult activity; in the same way as many churches were constructed over pagan sites, to encourage those who were unsaved to participate in the Christian services that were then held in the same location.
In Western Christianity it’s celebrated on 1 November by the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, and other Protestant churches.Also known as All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, Feast of All Saints, or Solemnity of All Saints. This became a Christian festival celebrated in honor of all the saints, known and unknown.
So now we call Oct 31st All Hallows Eve or evening, or as we are familiar with today, Halloween.
Various customs have developed related to Halloween. In the Middle Ages, poor people in the community begged for soul cakes, and upon receiving these doughnuts, they would agree to pray for departed souls. This is the root of our modern day trick-or-treat.
Modern Halloween Traditions
In early American history, Halloween was not widely practiced until the 20th century, when it was introduced by the Irish Catholic settlements. Gradually, Halloween became a secular observance, and many customs and practices developed. The carved pumpkin may have originated with the witches’ use of a skull with a candle inside to light the way to coven meetings.
The Occult is Increasingly Popular
Halloween is, for many, a crossover involvement in which innocent games can lead to serious entanglement with real witches, neo-pagans, New Agers, and other occultists.
A common pastime is the use of a Ouija board to attempt to contact ghosts or spirits that are believed to be roaming about. This can lead to serious consequences including unwanted activity from evil spirits.Evil spirits have a vested interest in Halloween because it supports the occult, and it also offers novel and unexpected opportunities to control and influence people.
Occultism includes Satanism, astrology, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, theosophy, witchcraft and many forms of serious magic. It includes activities seeking the acquisition of hidden things, which are expressly forbidden by God in the Bible.
Jesus paid the price for our freedom with His Blood.
The Biblical View
Halloween practices can open the door to the occult and can introduce forces into people’s lives that they are not equipped to combat.
There is genuine power in the occult, but it has its origin from darkness not the power of God through His Holy Spirit.
Any serious study of Biblical demonology will reveal Satan as the power behind false religion, witchcraft, idolatry and the occult.
The Word of God makes it clear that these are all to be shunned as dangerous. There were many superstitions and false concepts in ancient Israel about which the Bible is silent. However, occultism, in any form, was punishable by death! Why?
Because – The spiritual power and reality behind idols involves evil spirits.
A Halloween Project?
Every year, many people are perplexed as to how to deal with the children’s celebrations surrounding Halloween. On the one hand, participating in the perpetuation of the usual pagan (and occult) rituals are hardly the enterprise of a Biblical Christian however on the other hand, creating constructive alternatives can be challenging.
Many churches and families organize a ‘Harvest’ festival with games, prizes, etc., as an alternative.
Your ProtectionIntellect alone is insufficient.
“If it were possible, it would deceive the very elect.”
This is another example of the necessity to truly understand the Armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6.
It’s not just the physical dangers of Halloween, of pranks gone too far, or the dangers of tampered with treats, as serious as those are, there are real spiritual dangers of this season.There are other activities though that go on around Halloween that we who are Christians must be aware and wary of. In the past two decades there has been a resurgence of paganism and witchcraft in our culture, largely in response to the secularization of our nations.
If people feel a spiritual void, they will fill it with something.
The often colorful, folksy rites and accoutrements of popular witchcraft and paganism are attractive and can be quite appealing to the senses.
Anything that is used to find power apart from our Holy God, can be dangerous to our immortal souls.It seems that it’s at Halloween time that many otherwise devout, God-fearing people will go to a seance, allow someone to read the Tarot for them, will dabble in a little harmless white magic and otherwise play around with things forbidden by Scripture.
(In truth, there is no such thing as harmless magic.)
THAT is where the danger lies. The Powers of Darkness draw us in, not so much by great temptations, but by little enticements.“Oh, but that Tarot reading was just silly fun! (But, the reader did seem awfully accurate, didn’t she?)”, “I know we Christians don’t believe in reincarnation…but that little past life regression game…well, it was so real!”, “Oh, I don’t really believe in these candle burning rituals, but the colored candles are so pretty and, well, they do help me feel better.” And on and on. But doing these things…small and innocent as they may seem to us…not only opens the door, (even just a little) to evil, these are sinful in the eyes of a loving and Holy God.They contradict the honor,
respect, and loving fear
that we owe to God alone.
Spiritual PlumblineWhen in doubt?… Don’tAs we accept Jesus,
we are saying
YES to LIFE
and
NO to DEATH Halloween is a celebration of death!
Just say NO because When God gives you light… walk in itwe are encouraged that… so here are some real treats
to look at, ponder and think on..
The God we love who sent Jesus
has created so many, many beautiful things…
He is TheLets fill our hearts, homes and gardens with
His love, beauty and peace…
Be Safe this week..
you are greatly loved!
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Says these are the travels of the children of Israel ..
So today we might comment saying:
That was then, this is now!
How is this relevant to us today?
Scripture reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, conviction, rebuking, correcting and training/instruction in righteousness,
The journey, the travels of God’s children includes us, if we too are His children.
The Word tells us that salvation is of the Jews /Israelites…
John 4:22 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews
..and it’s given to the Jews, the Hebrews, the children of Israel first, and then to the goy/gentile /heathen nations.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16/17
Numbers 33 is a reference to our own spiritual journey and our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father. The ups and downs, twists and turns of their path through the wilderness, is a journey to discover Who God is as our Heavenly Father; and to deal with personal issues in regards to our relationship with Him and the rest of God’s family.
We know all too well if a relationship is not consistently worked on by both parties, it will slowly but surely die. Communication is the basis of life and if there’s no interaction, then it will first become stale and stagnant because no effort is put into keeping it alive and fresh, then it will wither and die. The parties becoming more and more separated and the distance increases over time to the point where, even a bridge cannot reach them both to reconcile them. It is not strange then, that we have been given the ministry of reconciliation, and Messiah is the bridge because nowhere is too hard for His arm to reach.
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Here in Numbers, the word for travel in Hebrew is
nasa
which means:
to pull up, pluck up, tear up, put away, to remove.
Original Word: נָשָׂא Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: nasa or nasah Phonetic Spelling: (naw-saw’) Definition: to lift, carry, take
This is not the kind of travel, in the sense of traveling for a holiday or a vacation journey, or for a business trip as the world thinks of travel. The travel in Hebrew concept is:
to a new life – a new destination.
So here we see the travels, the nasa, of the children of Israel, had plucked them from Egypt and pulled them up out of bondage. These travels/nasa, were taking them and removing them from slavery and bondage. The nasa was
to a new life, a new destination, in a new land.
Here it’s is worth noting that the letters nasa, are used as an acronym for the National Aeronautic Space Agency, and what are they focused on? Space exploration and travel to new destinations, though some will say it stands for never a straight answer!
As believers in Messiah Jesus we often use spiritual concepts and we call it spiritualization. These are important because otherwise we would miss some of the things God is saying to us when we read statements like Numbers 33;1; thinking it’s just a historical fact or information with no spiritual message relevant for us today. Again if 1Timothy tells us that every word of God is inspired, then, theres a reason it is there; and we should therefore take the time to see what it is there for!
In Hebrew, a spiritual concept is sometimes called an Inyan; which is more like a general idea, as opposed to something specific.
Inyan – matter, business, thing –
een-YAHN : עִנְיָן
Yesh li inyanim – I’ve got things (to do), errands – יש לי עניינים
Hayu inyanim – There were “things” – “היו “עניינים
These concepts or ideas sometimes have subheadings which some call Bechinos.. בקינוס
Such terms of speech, by way of concepts and ideas, have been used for thousands of years by the Hebrew sages and rabbis/teachers. In the re-new-ed Testament, Yeshua Messiah Jesus used them all the time and an example is when He quoted from the scriptures.
Man shall not live by bread alone
to illustrate His own situation.
He was using an Inyan – a spiritual concept.
So the scripture in Numbers 33:1 is an inyan, revealing the concept of – going from slavery to freedom. It is the story of the children of Israel and us. They left Egypt which is also the picture of us coming out of the world system/the kingdom of darkness, and into the promised land the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father; and ultimately into a new land, a new heavenly kingdom of the spirit, the eternal realm of the creator of the universe.
Every place they camped, was a new challenge and a place to learn new lessons and grow, maturing in faith.
They were learning about themselves, as well as learning of the God of their Fathers. They saw His miracles, signs and wonders but they did not know His ways; they did not know His character as Moses did. He made known His ways unto Moses, His doings unto the children of Israel. Psalm 103:7
God had taken them out of the world, now He had to get the world out of them. Their deliverance from Egypt was more than physical bondage, they were bound spiritually and needed the delivering freedom that only a covenant relationship could provide. Their whole lifestyle had to change, just as it does for every believer; the old man, the carnal flesh life lived by the 5 natural senses, had to die and be transformed into the spiritual walk of the new life and the new relationship with our Heavenly Father.
As a personal inyan, this is our story; that of our journey, our nasa, to know God our Heavenly Father after we have accepted Jesus/Yeshua as our savior/Messiah.
In Matthew 7:13 Messiah spoke of our lives as that spiritual journey, walking a spiritual road, path or way..
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
…and in Mark 4 He describes the types of people and characteristics who will nasa/ travel along the paths.
Everyday is a new challenge and we take up our cross daily the symbol of death to the self life, to follow Him, not to follow our own way, not to follow religion, not to follow other people or popular preachers, nor ideas or idols. We must go forward and upward as there is no standing still in God; and in this statement we could insert an Inyan. Our walk could be likened to climbing a steep incline or hill, one covered in ice. A person can only go forward with consistent effort, and must keep going or they will slide backwards/backslide. We cannot stand still and every day in our walk it either brings us into a closer relationship with the Father and deeper within the boundaries of His kingdom; or further away from the light into the darkness of this worlds systems and all its’ temptations..
The ground has to be prepared so that when the seed of the Word of God is sown into our hearts, the ground is ready, all the stones and thorns have been pulled out and the soil is deep enough to allow healthy growth. Here in Mark 4 is another inyan:
In this first verse that seems at first glance to be just a statement, or headline, or title of what is to come next, here is the word nasa. The letters in Hebrew are:
nun, samek, ayin – n’sa
The meanings in the letters of the word help to remind us everyday that we have the opportunity to:
rise to a new level of faith- nun
dependence on the father – samekh
and to Ayin – see His miracles at work in and through us.
Our nasa is a spiritual one because, it’s not by the energy of the flesh that we journey through the wilderness and enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens.
In Numbers 33:1 – 36:13 All the inhabitants of the land must be dispossessed and all their imagery had to be destroyed, then they could enter and possess the land.
No compromise. No negotiations. No diplomacy.
Luke 21:9 In your patience possess ye your souls – By your endurance gain ye your lives…
We are to be calm and serene, masters of ourselves, and superior to all irrational and disquieting passions by keeping the carnal flesh submitted to the spirit.
Before we can possess our souls we must clean out the land and in this case the land is us.
We too are to show no mercy, our feelings are irrelevant, we are to clean out the land. It seems ruthless and we are not to be shocked at the intensity and seeming lack of compassion; because these are the enemies of our souls. They are stumbling blocks to our spiritual growth and we are to purge our own lives and take possession of our God-given inheritance once and for all. We must be brutal and unforgiving toward sin and we must be merciless and cold blooded toward the flesh if there is any hope of driving out the enemies we have given refuge to. We must be hard with ourselves and refuse to be swayed and seduced into accepting any peaceful co-existence because, it will only be a false peace.
If we are to be Holy and set apart, the land/us, must be cleansed. If not these areas which remain will be as thorns in our sides, and pricks in our eyes vs.33:55,56. The consequences of not driving out every last resident will be a continual source of trouble. Any remnant left in a wound will fester and cause infection and further devastation and we should not underestimate its potential; think of how painful an eyelash can be! The removal is far less painful than the unending torment of their presence, which will not end until the root cause is permanently removed. We must not invite them to stay or see them as part of our personality and be comfortable with them. Once we allow sin to establish its stronghold, we are faced with the inevitability of 2 most unpleasant alternatives; either we allow it to fester and in the end give up to its deadly effects or, consent/agree to being kept still, as it is permanently ejected from us. If we don’t, vs. 55/56 warn us those that remain will be our ruin. The fight for our inheritance is right now, today. The inhabitants will cause us harm if we don’t drive them out.
We are often so quick to move forward and unwilling to wait. We want to get there quickly the sooner the better, we have a problem with it taking too long; this is why we need to develop patience. Our Father sees this not as arriving at our destination, but as the process of our maturing through the experience. We learn to trust in Him, we learn to walk according to the still small voice, we learn not to complain, not to get frustrated or irritated. We learn that He will supply our needs and we learn His word and His ways. It requires a long time because we learn slowly, line upon line and precept upon precept. Our true self is always exposed when we are under pressure, this is the refining of silver and the furnace for gold.Job 10. All the impurities come to the top when heated and that is what is required, for us to see and deal with the flaws in our character. This is the reason we have trials in life, they are for our ultimate good.
There is a future Exodus ahead for us and we are in the wilderness now, on our journey our nasa, camping and moving from level to level, learning and being prepared to enter in to the promised land – heaven. Their journey, their travels their nasa is also ours and we have the benefit of His. written Word and His grace to strengthen our resolve so we can endure and end in victory; meanwhile these are the travels, our travels, our nasa towards our final exodus.
Come quickly Lord Jesus.
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Noach/Noah נֹ֗חַ was a righteous man, whole hearted he had been among his generation. With God did Noach walk.
There was one thing that set Noah apart from everyone else of his day He was wholehearted, completely sincere, fully committed and upright, having integrity in God’s ways, so that
with God did Noah walk.
8549 tamim: complete, sound
Original Word: תָּמִים Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: tamim Phonetic Spelling: (taw-meem’) Definition: complete, sound, whole, integrity, blameless, uprightly, sincere, wholehearted.
Can this be said of us today?
So many of us spend our lives seeking and searching for something or someone to make us complete, anything that will give us meaning and purpose in our lives. Noah was whole in heart because he filled himself with the only thing that can truly complete a person, and that is our Heavenly Father. When we look to the world to fill us up we really do walk alone but, the one who is wholehearted in the ways of righteousness will always walk with God. In a previous post, we looked at Abraham who also walked with God and was called, the friend of God, and yadiyad, walked hand in hand with Him.
Both Noah and Abraham were in covenant relationship with YHVH and so are we, if we have received Yeshua/Jesus Messiah as Savior and Lord of our lives. In this relationship we are supposed to have yielded our lives completely to Him, as they have been bought with a price beyond what we can ever pay. Therefore our lives are not our own any longer.1 Cor. 6:20
When we walk righteously with the Lord God, we offer Him our faithful service. We have been made righteous by faith in Messiahs sacrificial provision. The Lord God honored such righteousness in Noach by making him the chosen one to receive His covenant with all living things. He expected His covenant to be kept and He sealed it with the sign of the rainbow; this is the reminder that He and all the descendants of Noah were to remain faithful and remember His promises forever. Sadly, so many times we forget, and then we make excuses to ignore His promises. However, our Heavenly Father is faithful even when we are not, and never goes back on His word or His promises. So even when we fail on our side of the covenant, our Heavenly Father does not; reminding us through the rainbow that follows every storm in the heavens, that the Creators promises may never be broken.
Genesis 11:4.
they went to build a tower.
In the face of our Fathers faithfulness we arrogantly display our strength and instead of remembering His promises, we bury them at our feet and build monuments to ourselves on top of them. However, the plans of the unrighteous prophesy their own destruction. We think we will go so high so that we will not be scattered, but ultimately our lives will fall apart. We believe we can stay so low that we will avoid being seen and our deeds will not be exposed; yet everything will be revealed and brought to light. We decide we will be our own gods, so that we will be in control of everything that concerns us; yet in reality we will lose command of everything we ever wanted to be in charge of and rule over.
However, for the righteous in every generation, our Heavenly Father has a purpose, a plan, a mandate, an order, and a method of bringing His will to pass. We do not need to build up our own cities and kingdoms because God is the builder and destroyer of kingdoms.
Daniel 1:12 He raisesupkings and also bringsthemdown, Hebrews 3:4 For every house is built by someone, but Godis the builder of everything.
His plan will bring us up to His level and standards by His strength power and might. If we hope to walk with our Heavenly Father and like Noah and Abraham, be called righteous by Him, it will be according to His plan and not by one of our choosing. Our desire should be that of a life of devotion to our Savior, not satisfying our own wants and desires. Nor should we be walking pridefully in a strength that is not our own, but instead be seeking after Him to fill us up and make us whole in heart. Then we can be wholehearted.
Abram was 99 when He was called to walk with the lord inGen. 17:1.
Right here in the first book of the Bible, are the examples of living a life before the Lord given for every reader. When the Lord God appeared to Abram, He told him He was
the Almighty All Sufficient God.
This we are familiar with as El Shaddai, and this verse is the original reference to that divine attribute of Our Heavenly Fathers character.
He is told to walk before him. Here the word walk in Hebrew is הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ hitehaleke.
Walk with me – hitehaleke lepani .
Biblical Hebrew does not focus so much on the tense, meaning whether it is past, present, or future; but rather on the action itself, instead of the time that the action occurred.
The Hebrew word for before is pani and has the meaning of:
the face of or the presence of something.
So this could be rendered as:
I am the all sufficient God walk with me.
Today there is an expression used when someone in authority wants to say something to us that is very important but wants to say it as a friend not as a boss or employer…..
Walk with me.
At this point in the scripture, our Heavenly Father starts to reveal to Abram the covenant He wants to establish with him. We looked in an earlier post at the reason for waiting until Abram was 99. 90 is the number of humility and 9 represents divine completeness. God was waiting for Abram to reach that state of divine completeness in humility before He could come to the place of speaking with him as a friend and not as an authority. This should help us to understand that if our Heavenly Father speaks to us as a friend before we are really humble, we might consider ourselves to be better than other people; then there is a danger of spiritual pride. We could say that humility is realizing that we are unable to fulfill our Fathers will without His power.
A question to ask ourselves is:
have we really allowed God to be El Shaddai, all sufficient in our lives?
Or is it just a name we use in prayer, conversation or simply a head knowledge reference?
It’s easy to say He is all sufficient when we have jobs or regular income from work or social security payments; however, would we still boldly declare He is El Shaddai if there was no job, or regular check in the mail? When we enter into a completeness in honest humility, this is the time when we enter into our Fathers heart and know His presence and His provision. This is the place where we can learn, Ex. 17:1, and be yadiyad as we walk with Him. That’s when He becomes El Shaddai – the all sufficient one – and; we cannot let Him be El Shaddai unless we humble ourselves, this is something we must do. We must remove and divest ourselves of all that trust we place in ourselves, our own abilities and resources, so that our trust is in Him alone. Sometimes, what at first seems a bad thing, can often be a blessing in disguise. For example, that bad health report or the loss of job or income may bring us to the place of complete humility; and to the point where we can walk with God, putting our complete and total trust in Him alone and experience Him as El Shaddai.
The sages say that the word Shaddai is really a a combination of 2 words: she’amar and diy which means: He who said stop. A simple play of the word diy, is our abbreviation of do it yourself which is humbling ourselves. Also, when our Father reveals Himself to us as El shaddai, He is saying: Stop
Telling us to:
Stop what we are doing,
stop trusting in ourselves,
stop trusting in our jobs, our investments, our schemes
and all our earthly securities.
Stop relying on all the worlds resources and allow Him to be in control, to be sufficient for us – all sufficient – for every area of our lives.
Abraham was 99 before he could walk with God and call Him El Shaddai, we don’t have to wait to reach that age, happily, we can do it today. Humble ourselves, choosing to walk away from the world and like Noah
walk with Him wholeheartedly
and be righteous in our generation.
We hear these days more conversations on ‘the days of Noah’ as being a sign of the end of the age just as Jesus/Yeshua described in Matthew 24:38,39
We read that in Noahs day the earth was filled with violence. The first mention is in Genesis 6:11 of the violence that led to Gods judgement by cleansing the earth through the flood.
Genesis 6:11 HEB:וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃ NAS: was filled with violence. KJV: was filled with violence.
The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. Amplified
This violence is a sure sign of coming judgement once again. The verse in Genesis which speaks of violence, holds an indication in the word itself which in Hebrew is Hamas; which is very much in the news today.
2555 hamas: violence, wrong
Original Word: חָמָס Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: chamas Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-mawce’) Definition: violence, wrong
In light of current events, it would indicate we are in times of impending judgment and this surely is all the more reason to STOP and consider our ways; and know in Whom we are trusting and where our loyalties and allegiance lie… while there is still time.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him whilehe is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Is the story of 2 brothers connected to
What Kind Of Seeds Are We Sowing?
The laws of the spirit realm are more certain than we care to realize and although we may not see the results immediately, the laws of attraction go along with reciprocity; and how we behave and live our lives will attract people and elements of similar lifestyles. Just like a magnet, there are 2 sides to a magnet, and one side a magnet will attract another magnet; but if one is reversed they will repel each other. Just as it is in the world which rejects and repels anything to do with Messiah.
Is 
He uses seduction, temptation and deception among his arsenal of weapons. 
It seems that it’s at Halloween time that many otherwise devout, God-fearing people will go to a seance, allow someone to read the Tarot for them, will dabble in a little 
When in 
As we accept Jesus,
Halloween is a celebration of death!
we are encouraged that…
so here are some real treats
He is The
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