Podcasts about adonai

McKnight Crossings Church lead minister, Andrew Owens, closes out our sermon series exploring the names of God found in the Bible considering the name “Yahweh”. Also known as “Jehovah”or “Adonai”this name is considered the divine name and so important in some God following cultures that it won't even be said aloud, or written. It is a name that means “I Am”, a statement of existence in all forms and acknowledgment that he is present for us in all times; the God of compassion and mercy.

Complete Jewish Bible is for Christians page: 91Exodus 27: 20-30:10page: 225Deuteronomy 25:17-19page: 3131 Samuel 15:2-34page: 1416Romans 12:1-13:14

Every life follows something—or someone. Today on The Healing Word, Pastor Jack Morris concludes The Names of God series with a message titled Jesus Is Lord. From Psalm 8, we'll explore the meaning of Adonai, and what it truly means to live under the loving lordship of God. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1528/29?v=20251111

McKnight Crossings Church lead minister, Andrew Owens, continues our series exploring the meanings behind the names given to God throughout the Bible. This week we examine the name “Adonai” meaning “ruler, lord, master” and how it suggests a role that we, as the faithful, should take in regards to God. Andrew reminds us of God's authority and power, along with his love for us as a parent who take lead of our lives at times, but always in an effort to take care of us and help us along our path.

In Moses' day the heartfelt donations were used to construct a special place for Adonai to dwell with his people as they continued on their journey. Today, instead of giving precious materials to construct a physical dwelling we are learning to live less for our own worldly successes and physical desires and more to become one with the Spirit of God.

In this sermon, we are reminded that our journey of faith is marked by continual awakenings and necessary confrontations, just as the ancient paths of Israel reveal. Our identity and convictions are forged through facing both external adversaries and internal temptations, echoing Abraham’s unwavering faith at Tel Dan and Jesus’ victory at the gates of Caesarea Philippi. As we stand on the eternal path, we are called to consult what God has already revealed, trusting that each confrontation—whether against overwhelming odds or subtle compromise—deepens our resolve and leads us closer to the fullness of God’s promises. The heart of the message is that our victories, like those of our spiritual ancestors, are assured when we embrace the faith of Abraham, reject compromise, and march confidently toward every challenge, knowing that Adonai guides us and that the gates of hell will not prevail against us.

7 key takeaways from this study God measures hearts more than amounts. The half-shekel ransom (Exodus 30) and the widow's two coins show that what matters most is heart posture, not the size of the gift. Rich and poor gave the same ransom; the widow gave “all she had.” Ransomed people are called to purposeful service. Exodus' census (ransomed out of Egypt) and Numbers' census (selected for battle) show a pattern: God rescues first, then deploys. Freedom from bondage leads into a calling, not passive comfort. Stewardship exposes our true priorities. In 2Kings 12, the priests gladly received money but failed for 23 years to repair God's house. Their inaction revealed where their real priorities lay — they were comfortable with the system but not committed to the mission. Accountability protects both people and God's reputation. The methods in 2Kings 12 and Ezra 8 (lockbox, multiple money counters, clear procedures) and Paul sending Titus with the gift (2Corinthians 8–9) show that transparent handling of resources is a spiritual duty, not just a business best practice. Holy things must not be made common. The anointing oil and incense (Exodus 30) were not to be copied or commercialized. When what is holy is treated as common — whether smells, symbols, or God's name. It confuses the nations and distorts who God is. Priests (and all leaders) must align hearing, doing, and walking. The blood on the ear, thumb, and toe (Leviticus 8) pictures shema (hear), asah (do) and halach (walk). Leaders who moralize a lot and don’t do it themselves (Matthew 23) misrepresent God as badly as corrupt priests in Israel's history. Where your treasure goes, your heart follows. Messiah's teaching (“where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Matthew 6) ties together money, time, talents, and calling. Investing in God's kingdom — with resources, energy, and obedience — shapes and reveals the direction of the heart. In this study, we’ll explore how Adonai ransoms His people, calls them to serve, and then examines how they steward what He places in their hands. Are God's people really “all in” for the Kingdom of Heaven, or just loosely involved (even apathetic) with their surplus? Where Your Treasure Is: The Heart of the Matter “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“ Matthew 6:19-21 NASB95 This is not merely about financial giving. It is about what a person values most — where their mind, emotions, and will (collectively, the “heart”) are oriented. Treasure may include: Money Time God-given talents and skills Spiritual gifts Any “storehouse of value” entrusted by heaven Money is simply a representation of value — a “certificate of appreciation” or “certificate of completion” that says, “Someone did something I value.” That means the way people hold and use money reveals what they actually honor, trust, and love. Messiah's interaction about the Roman tax illustrates this (Matthew 22:15–22). When asked if taxes should be paid to Caesar, He requests a coin and asks whose image it bears. When they answer, “Caesar's,” He replies: “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's.” Matthew 22:21 NASB95 Coins bear Caesar's image. Human beings bear God's image. The study suggests the real issue is not “Do we give money?” but “Do we give ourselves?” This ties identity (tzelem Elohim, God's image) to stewardship. The call is not just to manage finances well, but to align the whole self with the kingdom. Exodus 30: The Half-Sheqel Ransom and Atonement The first main text is Exodus 30:11–16, part of the Torah portion Ki Tisa (“when you lift up” or “when you take up”). Adonai commands Moshe to take a census of Israel, but it is done in a surprising way: Each man 20 years and older gives half a shekel It is called “a ransom for himself to the LORD” (Exodus 30:12) The rich may not give more, the poor may not give less (Exodus 30:15) The money funds the service of the Tent of Meeting and becomes “a memorial” (Exodus 30:16) The Hebrew expression מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל makhatzit ha-sheqel (half the sheqel) is crucial. It is described as: A כֹּפֶר kofer (ransom) for each life A means of atonement. A safeguard “so that there will be no plague among them when you number them” (Exodus 30:12 NASB95). This census is not about demographic data but about redemption identity. The people of Israel have just been brought out of מִצְרַיִם Mitzrayim (Egypt, “the house of slavery/bondage,” Exodus 13:3, 14; 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6; 6:12; 7:8; 8:14; 13:5, 10; Judges 6:8; Micah 6:4; Joshua 24:17; Jeremiah 34:13). They did not merely “leave” Egypt; Heaven ransomed them out of it. This frames salvation not as a casual rescue but as a price paid. A ransom implies: Something (or someone) has been taken A cost is demanded for release The redeemer absorbs that cost So each half-sheqel becomes a tangible reminder: You belong to the One who bought you out of slavery (1Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). At the same time, Scripture warns us about reducing people to money. Counting coins instead of persons is meant to protect against treating people as mere financial units. Later history shows what happens when societies start thinking that way — people become commodities, even less valued than money itself. Numbers 1: From Ransomed People to a Fighting Force The next major step is the census in Numbers 1:1–3. Again, Adonai speaks to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, but the purpose is different: “Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel.” Numbers 1:2–3 NASB95 Here the key verb is פָּקַד paqad (often “to visit,” “to number,” or “to appoint/select”). The teacher emphasizes that this is not just counting; it is selecting and appointing. The pattern is: Exodus census: You are ransomed out of bondage. Numbers census: You are numbered/selected for battle. The move is from freedom received to freedom defended. The study notes that once Israel is free, the question becomes: Is this freedom worth fighting for, under God's mission and leadership? In the wilderness accounts, when the people balk at entering the land because of fear (Numbers 13–14), it exposes their lack of trust. They treat the mission as too costly, despite having been ransomed by great miracles. This parallels the life of a believer in Messiah: redeemed out of spiritual bondage, yet called into costly obedience, spiritual warfare, and faithful endurance — not mere spiritual tourism. Priestly Calling: Hearing, Doing, and Walking Two passages illustrate the ordination of Israel’s priests: Exodus 29:4–9 – Aharon and his sons receive garments, anointing, and a perpetual priesthood. Leviticus 8:23–24 – Blood is placed on: The lobe of the right ear The right thumb The big toe of the right foot Ancient Jewish commentators see in this a pattern: Ear – for hearing Thumb/hand – for doing Toe/foot – for walking These align with three key Hebrew concepts: שָׁמַע shama‘ (“to hear, listen, obey”) עָשָׂה asah (“to do, to perform”) הָלַךְ halakh (“to walk, to go”), from which הֲלָכָה halakhah (“way of walking/practice,” i.e., tradition) comes. Priests are thus marked to: Hear God's word Do what He commands Walk in ways that reflect His character When Messiah later critiques certain leaders (Matthew 23), saying they “say things and do not do them,” He is confronting a breakdown in this priestly pattern. Their halakhah (practical walk) contradicts the Torah and the heart of God, even if their words sound religiously correct. This priestly pattern extends to all who serve in the name of Yeshua. One cannot merely teach Torah, or speak of Messiah, while living a life that contradicts both. Hearing, doing, and walking must remain aligned. Holy Oil, Holy Incense, Holy Lives: Guarding What Belongs to God Alone Back in Exodus 30, here are the key characteristics of the anointing oil and incense used in the מִשְׁכָּן Mishkan (“dwelling place,” the Tabernacle): These mixtures are “most holy” (קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים qodesh qadashim, “holy of holies,” the same Hebrew term for the Most Holy Place of the Mishkan). They must not be copied for personal or commercial use They must not be applied to common people for their own pleasure. The concern is that what uniquely signifies the presence and authority of God could be trivialized, commodified or associated with corrupt behavior. Later archaeology finds household figurines and inscriptions combining the divine Name with “His Asherah,” suggesting syncretism (mixing of disparate belief systems) and distortion. When Israel took the symbols of the Mishkan and mixed them with pagan patterns, contemporary and later observers (namely, Bible-critical archaeologists) could conclude Israel was no different from the surrounding nations. This is an assemblage of pottery shards from a 8th century B.C. (900s) jar (titled Pithos A) found at the Kuntillet Ajrud site in the northeastern Sinai peninsula. The inscriptions show five figures, including a bull and a calf. A seated musician or weaver is to the right side of this reconstruction. The phrase above the figures includes the phrase “Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah.” (Choi, Gwanghyun. “The Samarian Syncretic Yahwism and the Religious Center of Kuntillet Ajrud.” 2016) This warns against: Treating divine symbols, language, or worship styles as branding tools. Borrowing holy imagery to sell, entertain, or self-promote. Confusing people about who the God of Israel truly is. Holy things must remain holy, not because God is petty, but because misuse misrepresents Him. 2 Kings 12: The Priests Who Wouldn't Repair God’s House A parallel passage to Exodus 30:11–16 is 2Kings 12:1–16. It’s from a very messy political period in Israel's history: a divided kingdom north and south, coups, moral corruption led by idolatry. One of the few “good” kings, יוֹאָשׁ Yo'ash ( Jehoash/Joash) of Yehudah (Judah, southern kingdom), commands that: All money brought to the house of the LORD Census money Freewill offerings prompted by the heart Be used by the priests to repair the damages of the Temple On paper, this is ideal: those entrusted with God's house use God's people's gifts to maintain that house. But decades pass. By the 23rd year of Joash's reign, “the priests had not repaired the damages of the house” (2Kings 12:6). The king confronts יְהוֹיָדָע Yehoyada‘ (Jehoiada) the priest and the others: Why haven't you repaired it? The text implies: Money flowed in. Repairs did not happen. The priests eventually agree, likely under Yoash’s coercion, to stop receiving repair money and stop pretending they will do the work. This is a sobering mirror: People may have correct theology and even be called by God. Yet their inaction and misplaced priorities betray their hearts. They grow comfortable receiving, but not serving. Note the contrast between the priests and the contractors Yoash later hired to do the repairs. Yoash had secure chest is installed — sealed with a hole is bored at the top — and multiple overseers count and distribute funds transparently. The text explicitly notes there was no suspicion of embezzlement, because the contractors acted faithfully. This lines up with the larger biblical pattern: Stewardship is not only spiritual. It is accountability with practical outcomes. High Places vs. the Holy Place: Compromise and Confusion Looking at the kings of Judah and Israel after Solomon: Many are described as having done evil “in the high places” Even relatively “good” kings of Judah sometimes failed to remove the high places The northern and southern kingdoms start to look strikingly similar, even with similar or the same names for rulers at parallel points in time. KingdomKing/QueenReign (B.C.)Good/BadKey PassagesJudahRehoboam931–913Bad (did evil, high places)1 Kings 12:1-14:31; 2 Chron 10-12JudahAbijah913–911Bad (walked in sins of father)1 Kings 15:1-8; 2 Chron 13JudahAsa911–870Good (did right, removed idols)1 Kings 15:9-24; 2 Chron 14-16JudahJehoshaphat873–848 (coregent 873-870)Good (walked in ways of David)1 Kings 22:41-50; 2 Chron 17-20JudahJehoram853–841 (coregent 853-848)Bad (walked in ways of Ahab)2 Kings 8:16-24; 2 Chron 21JudahAhaziah841Bad (walked in ways of Ahab)2 Kings 8:25-9:29; 2 Chron 22:1-9JudahAthaliah (Queen)841–835Bad (destroyed royal seed)2 Kings 11:1-20; 2 Chron 22:10-23:21JudahJehoash/Joash835–796Good in youth (did right via Jehoiada), evil in old age (killed prophet)2 Kings 11-12; 2 Chron 23-24JudahAmaziah796–767Good in youth, evil later (turned to idols)2 Kings 14:1-20; 2 Chron 25IsraelJeroboam I931–910Bad (golden calves, false worship)1 Kings 11:26-14:20IsraelNadab910–909Bad1 Kings 15:25-31IsraelBaasha909–886Bad1 Kings 15:27-16:7IsraelElah886–885Bad1 Kings 16:8-14IsraelZimri885 (7 days)Bad1 Kings 16:9-20IsraelOmri885–874Bad1 Kings 16:15-28IsraelAhab874–853Bad (worse than all before)1 Kings 16:28-22:40; 2 Chron 18IsraelAhaziah853–852Bad1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:18IsraelJoram/Jehoram852–841Bad (clung to Jeroboam’s sins)2 Kings 3:1-9:26IsraelJehu841–814Mixed (destroyed Baal, but kept calves)2 Kings 9:1-10:36IsraelJehoahaz814–798Bad2 Kings 13:1-9IsraelJoash/Jehoash798–782Bad2 Kings 13:10-14:16This is partial table of kings from the divided kingdoms period comes from conservative scholars like Edwin R. Thiele, whose chronology synchronizes biblical data with Assyrian records. All northern kings “did evil … walked in the ways of Jeroboam” (e.g., 1Kings 15:34). Southern evaluations vary. High places were local worship sites often associated with idolatrous or syncretistic practices. Torah had commanded Israel to bring offerings only to the place where God put His Name—the Mishkan, later the Temple—precisely to avoid mixing worship of Adonai with that of the surrounding nations. The problem is not mere geography. It is mixed allegiance. When Israel keeps the Temple but tolerates the high places, the message becomes blurred: Is the God of Israel just one option among many? Are His instructions just one flavor in a spiritual marketplace? This speaks directly to modern spiritual life. The presence of a “Temple” in one's life — congregational involvement, correct doctrine, our identity in the Messiah — does not cancel out the heart's hidden “high places”: areas of compromise, competing loyalties, or unchallenged cultural idols. Ezra 8 and 2 Corinthians 8–9: Accountability and Cheerful Giving In 2Corinthians 8–9, apostle Shaul (Paul) handles a large gift for the believers in need. Some have seen hints in the text suggesting some feared Paul might mishandle funds.1“Paul handles a possible misinterpretation of the collection. Paul has already been accused of embezzlement (cf. 2Cor 12:16ff.), a charge that he addresses in a preliminary way in 2Cor 2:17. In order to prevent any criticism about his handling of this gift, Paul avoids making the delivery himself. Instead, he has commissioned representatives of the participating churches to deliver the collection. The analogy to Ezra's procedure is obvious (Ezra 8:24–30).” (Scott, James M. 2 Corinthians. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011. Paragraph 42958.) In response, he: Sends Titus and other trusted brothers with the gift Insists things are done honorably “in the sight of the Lord and in the sight of men” Emphasizes that giving must be willing and cheerful, not pressured Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2Corinthians 9:7 NASB95 He then quotes Psalm 112:9: He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,His righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:9 NASB95 The same God who “supplies seed to the sower and bread for food” (2Corinthians 9:10) is able to multiply the seed and increase the harvest of righteousness. The issue is not fundraising technique; it is aligning generosity with God's character. Some see parallels to Ezra 8:24–30,2Scott, paragraph 42958 where Ezra receives significant contributions from the Persian emperor and the people of Israel for rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem. Ezra: Chose 12 leading priests. Weighed the silver, gold, and utensils into their hands. Held them accountable to deliver everything safely to Jerusalem. Two people verify what is given and what is received. The aim is to avoid even the appearance of financial misconduct (1Thessalonians 5:22). The Widow's Two Coins: Heart Over Surplus The study then turns to the Gospels' scene of the poor widow (Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4). Yeshua sits opposite the treasury and watches: Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow drops in two small copper coins. Messiah declares: “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43–44 NASB95 From heaven's perspective: Amount is not the primary measure. Cost to the giver and heart motivation are. The widow surrenders her whole life, not just a portion of disposable income. This echoes the intensive devotion the altar of incense symbolizes in Exodus 30 — prayers rising as a representation of the people themselves, deemed “most holy” in God's sight. This challenges both religious pride and fear-based withholding. It calls for whole-hearted trust (i.e., faith) in the God who sees and values the hidden sacrifice. Treasures in Heaven: The Final Measure “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19–21 NASB95 Our journey through Scripture today — Exodus, Numbers, 2 Kings, Leviticus, the Gospels, 2Corinthians, Ezra and Psalms — has a consistent message: God ransoms His people. God selects and appoints them for service. God entrusts them with resources — time, money, ability, knowledge. God watches how they steward it. God measures the heart by where that treasure actually goes. For the priests who failed to repair the Temple, their neglected tasks revealed that their treasure — and thus their hearts — lay elsewhere. For the widow who gave her last coins, her action revealed a heart fully entrusted to God. If someone followed the trail of how a believer uses money, time, energy, and gifting, would it lead to the kingdom of heaven — or somewhere else? To be “all in” for the kingdom is to let Adonai direct every “certificate of value” He has placed in one's hands, whether coins, skills, or hours in the day. The ransom has been paid; the call is to serve with all the heart, all the soul, and all the strength (Deuteronomy 6:4–5), storing up treasure where Messiah reigns and where no thief can touch it. 1 “Paul handles a possible misinterpretation of the collection. Paul has already been accused of embezzlement (cf. 2Cor 12:16ff.), a charge that he addresses in a preliminary way in 2Cor 2:17. In order to prevent any criticism about his handling of this gift, Paul avoids making the delivery himself. Instead, he has commissioned representatives of the participating churches to deliver the collection. The analogy to Ezra's procedure is obvious (Ezra 8:24–30).” (Scott, James M. 2 Corinthians. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011. Paragraph 42958.)2 Scott, paragraph 42958The post Render to God what is God’s: Identity, ownership and stewardship in Scripture (Exodus 30; 2Kings 12; 2Corinthians 9) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

We walk by faith and not by sight! Faith bucks.com 11 False scales are an abomination to Adonai, but accurate weights please him. 2 First comes pride, then disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom. 3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the duplicity of the treacherous destroys them. 4 On the day of wrath, wealth doesn't help; but righteousness rescues from death. 5 The righteousness of the innocent levels their way, but wickedness of the wicked makes them fall. 6 The righteousness of the upright rescues them, but the treacherous are trapped by their own intrigues. 7 When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; what he hopes for from evil comes to nothing. 8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked comes to take his place. 9 With his mouth the hypocrite can ruin his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. 10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is joy. 11 By the blessing of the upright, a city is raised up; but the words of the wicked tear it down. 12 He who belittles another lacks good sense, whereas a person of discernment stays silent. 13 A gossip goes around revealing secrets, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence. 14 Without clever tactics an army is defeated, and victory comes from much planning. 15 He who guarantees a loan for a stranger will suffer, but refusing to underwrite is safe. 16 A gracious woman obtains honor; aggressive men obtain wealth. 17 A man who is kind does himself good, but the cruel does harm to himself. 18 The profits of the wicked are illusory; but those who sow righteousness gain a true reward. 19 Genuine righteousness leads to life, but the pursuer of evil goes to his own death. 20 The crooked-hearted are an abomination to Adonai, but those sincere in their ways are his delight. 21 Depend on it: the evil will not go unpunished; but the offspring of the righteous will escape. 22 Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman who lacks good sense. 23 The righteous desire only good, but what the wicked hope for brings wrath. 24 Some give freely and still get richer, while others are stingy but grow still poorer. 25 The person who blesses others will prosper; he who satisfies others will be satisfied himself. 26 The people will curse him who withholds grain; but if he sells it, blessings will be on his head. 27 He who strives for good obtains favor, but he who searches for evil — it comes to him! 28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like sprouting leaves. 29 Those who trouble their families inherit the wind, and the fool becomes slave to the wise. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls. 31 If the righteous are paid what they deserve here on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!

Welcome to Day 2793 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2793 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 110:1-7 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2793 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred ninety-three of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Priest-King of the Cosmos – The Coronation of the Ultimate Human. Today, we arrive at what might be the most significant mountain peak in the entire Old Testament. We are standing at the base of Psalm One Hundred Ten, and we will be trekking through the entire psalm, verses one through seven, in the New Living Translation. In our previous journey through Psalm One Hundred Nine, we stood in a courtroom. We saw David as a defendant, surrounded by accusers. We saw him destitute, weak, and pleading for help. That psalm ended with a vision of God standing at the "right hand" of the poor to save him. But today, the scene shifts dramatically. The courtroom is gone. The weakness is gone. Psalm One Hundred Ten opens the door to the Throne Room of the Universe. We are no longer looking at a needy human King David; we are looking at a Divine figure who is invited to sit at the right hand of Yahweh Himself. This short psalm—only seven verses long—is the most frequently quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament. Jesus quoted it to stump the Pharisees. Peter quoted it on the Day of Pentecost. The author of Hebrews built his entire theology of the priesthood around it. Why? Because this psalm unveils the mystery of the Messiah. It reveals a figure who is both a conquering King and an eternal Priest—a combination that was legally impossible under the Law of Moses. It gives us a glimpse into the Divine Council, where the Father invites the Son to rule over the chaos of the nations. So, take off your sandals, for we are standing on holy ground. Let us listen to the conversation between the Father and the Son. The first segment is: The Oracle of the Throne: The Two Powers in Heaven. Psalm One Hundred Ten: verse one. The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." The psalm begins with an explosion of theological depth. "The Lord said to my Lord..." In the Hebrew text, this reads: "The oracle of Yahweh to my Adonai." David, the King of Israel, is writing this. He is the highest human authority in the land. Yet, he is eavesdropping on a conversation in the heavenly realm. He hears Yahweh (God the Father) speaking to someone David calls "my Lord" (Adoni). Who could possibly be David's Lord? David had no human superior. This is the question Jesus asked the Pharisees in Matthew Twenty-two. If the Messiah is merely David's son (a human descendant), why does David call Him "Lord"? The answer lies in the Divine Council worldview. David is seeing a figure who is...

Join host Julie Harwick as she concludes our study of the most significant names of God with three that appear frequently throughout Scripture: El Shaddai, El Elyon, and Adonai.

7 takeaways from this study Incense shows us what prayer really is. The altar of incense in Exodus isn't just ancient ritual. It pictures our prayers rising continually before God, like what we see in Revelation 8. Hannah is a model of real intercession. Her silent, anguished prayer in 1Samuel 1–2 shows what it means to pour out your soul before the LORD, with no pretense and no Plan B. The “horn” is God's power to lift up the lowly. When Hannah's “horn” is lifted, it ties into the larger Bible picture of the horn as strength and victory — from the Psalms to Daniel to the Lamb with seven horns in Revelation. From bronze altar to golden altar is a journey. Sacrifice at the bronze altar leads to transformation, and the golden altar of incense pictures a life that now draws near and sends up a pleasing fragrance of prayer. Yeshua is our eternal High Priest and advocate. Unlike mortal priests, He lives forever and always intercedes for us (Hebrews 7; 1John 2). He doesn't just officiate; He fights for us. John 17 ties incense to truth and unity. Yeshua prays that we'll be set apart by God's truth and that we'll be one, just as the LORD is one. That unity is part of our “incense” to the world. Malachi warns us how not to worship. God rejects cheap, half‑hearted offerings and religious show. Yet Malachi also promises the Sun of Righteousness and an Elijah‑type call to return and be restored. There’s line from the altar of incense in Exodus 30 through Hannah's prayer, Yeshua's high priestly ministry, and Malachi's rebuke of corrupt worship, showing how Scripture presents prayer as something like heavenly incense—fragrant, costly, and “most holy to the LORD” (קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים qodesh qodashim, “most holy”; Exodus 30:10). In Exodus 30:1–10, the altar of incense stands right in front of the curtain that separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant/Testimony rests. The Ark often receives the most attention, and rightly so, because the visible manifestation of God's Presence dwells above it. Yet the golden altar of incense is placed just outside the veil, very near to that Presence. The Mishkan (“Dwelling Places,” i.e., the Tabernacle) and its furniture are not merely ancient religious artifacts. They are earthly replicas of heavenly realities (cf. Hebrews 8:5). The altar is a replica of what happens in heaven; the pattern given to the priests teaches Israel what is already true in the heavenly realm. That pattern still speaks to believers today in Messiah. Hannah's Prayer: Incense of the Heart To understand what the altar of incense signifies, we must listen to חַנָּה Channah (Hannah) in 1Samuel 1–2. Her story offers a narrative picture of incense-like prayer. Hannah's deep longing for a son moved her to pour out her soul before Adonai with unusual intensity and sincerity. In the biblical world, barrenness was viewed as a source of reproach and grief for a woman, and 1 Samuel 1:9–20 emphasizes that this sorrow is what drove Hannah to such fervent, heartfelt prayer.  Channah is “greatly distressed” and “wept bitterly” as she prays at the Tabernacle, at that time pitched in Shiloh. She vows: “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life…” 1Samuel 1:11, NASB95 Her prayer is silent — only her lips move — so that Eli the priest misreads her anguish, assumes she is drunk (1Samuel 1:12–14). But Hannah explains that she is “a woman oppressed in spirit” who has “poured out [her] soul before the LORD” (1Samuel 1:15). This language of pouring out the soul parallels the outpouring that incense imagery conveys: something deep within rises up toward heaven. Yet, considering Eli's broader story and the moral decline he witnessed around him, it is understandable why he initially assumed the worst. Once he listened and understood the true nature of her prayer, he affirmed her request and blessed her. God remembers Hannah; she conceives and bears שְׁמוּאֵל Shemu'el (Samuel), saying, “because I asked him of the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:20). Her answered prayer leads to a song of praise in 1Samuel 2:1–10. The Horn: Power and Exaltation In Hannah's song, she says: “My heart exults in the LORD;My horn is exalted in the LORD” 1Samuel 2:1, NASB95 The Hebrew term קֶרֶן qeren, “horn,” appears repeatedly in Scripture as a symbol of power, victory, and strength. In the Psalms we read: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2, NASB95 Prophetic books like Daniel 7 use horns in visions to represent kings and kingdoms rising and falling. In Revelation 5:6, the Lamb appears with seven horns, signaling complete and perfect power. 7 and 8: Completion and Overflow The number seven holds special resonance in Hebrew thought. The word שֶׁבַע sheva (“seven”) is related to שָׁבַע shava (“oath”), giving seven the sense of something you can rely on, something complete and confirmed. Thus seven horns on the Lamb picture power brought to its full, reliable, oath-like completion. The symbolism of seven lamps in Revelation 1–2 connects to the מְנוֹרָה menorah in the Tabernacle — the seven‑branched lampstand that symbolizes God's complete insight into, and care for, His people. The number eight, שְׁמוֹנֶה (shemonah), connected to שֶׁמֶן (shemen), “oil” or “fatness.” If seven is fullness and completion, eight suggests overflow—fullness that spills over, like rich oil. In the pattern of Scripture, seven stands for complete cycles (Sabbath, feasts, etc.), while eight can signal new beginnings that flow out of that completed work. In this context, the Lamb with seven horns represents perfect, complete power; the Lamb stands amid the seven lamps as the One who fully sees and fully empowers the congregations. This ties the imagery of horns, lamps, and incense together around the person of Messiah. From Bronze Altar to Golden Altar: A Journey of Transformation The bronze altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle connects with the golden altar of incense in the Holy Place. Both have horns (קַרְנוֹת qarnot), but they serve different roles. The bronze altar (Exodus 27) receives burnt offerings; animals are consumed by fire there, and their smoke rises. The golden altar of incense (Exodus 30:1–10) stands inside, by the curtain, and receives only incense — no animal sacrifices. This layout illustrates a progression: The worshiper enters the courtyard and encounters the bronze altar. Here, a substitutionary life is poured out in blood; the offering is consumed. Only the blood of certain offerings proceeds further, toward the inner sanctum. The golden altar of incense represents the completion of that process: what has been offered and transformed now rises as a pleasing fragrance, close to God's presence. In Messianic Jewish terms, this progression points to the way a believer, Jew or Gentile, approaches God through Yeshua the Messiah. The life laid down (sacrifice) leads to cleansing and transformation, and from that transformed life arises prayer as incense before the throne. ‘Most Holy to the LORD’ Exodus 30 describes the golden altar as “most holy to the LORD” (קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא לַיהוָה qodesh qodashim hu la‑Adonai). This expression is rare and weighty. קָדוֹשׁ kadosh means “holy, set apart”; qodesh qodashim is literally “holiness of holinesses,” usually translated “Most Holy” or “Holy of Holies.” The same language describes the inner sanctuary where the Ark is kept and certain offerings that are entirely set apart for God (e.g., Leviticus 2:3; 6:17). When something is “most holy,” it is not negotiable, not a casual add‑on to life. It belongs to God in a unique way. The altar of incense stood in intimate connection with the Holy Place, positioned directly before the veil and closest to the presence of Adonai. Though smaller in size than other furnishings, its spiritual significance was immense.  The study draws a parallel between this and prayer itself. When prayer rises from a life genuinely devoted to God, it resembles that incense on the most holy altar: entirely set apart, fully given over. ‘Devoted’ Beyond Recall Leviticus 27:28 introduces the concept of חֵרֶם ḥerem: “…anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has… shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD.” Leviticus 27:28, paraphrased from NASB95 The Hebrew root חָרַם ḥaram basically means “to devote,” though in many contexts it takes on the sense “devoted to destruction,” as in the conquest of Jericho. Once something is ḥerem, it is irrevocably given over; you do not get to pull it back or swap it out. Applied to prayer, this becomes a vivid image: true prayer is ḥerem-like—wholly given to God without reservation. Hannah's plea for a child and her vow to dedicate him to the LORD (1Samuel 1:11) exemplify that kind of devotion. The High Priest and the Cloud of Incense Once a year, on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16), the high priest enters the Most Holy Place. Crucially, he must bring incense from the golden altar in a censer, so that a cloud of incense covers the mercy seat, “that he may not die” (Leviticus 16:13). The study emphasizes that this cloud is not a mere ritual flourish; it is a protective and mediating sign, wrapping the high priest as he draws near. This leads naturally to the role of Yeshua as the eternal High Priest. Hebrews 7 contrasts mortal priests, who die, with Messiah: “…because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:23–25 NASB95 In a Messianic Jewish reading, Yeshua is the heavenly כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל Cohen Gadol, who not only offers atonement but continues in intercession—like incense continually rising. The Tanakh shows that Israel's priests, descendants of Aaron, were human and varied—some served faithfully, others struggled deeply, and some, like the sons of Eli, acted in ways that dishonored their calling. Their priesthood, though divinely appointed, was limited by mortality and human weakness. Yeshua, on the other hand, is not a priest who “clocks in and out,” but the One who stands between the living and the dead, just as Aaron once did with the censer of incense to stop a plague in Israel (Numbers 16:46–48). John 17: The High Priestly Prayer of Yeshua John 17 is often called the “high priestly prayer.” Here Yeshua lifts His eyes to heaven and prays for: The glorification of the Father and the Son (John 17:1–5) Revelation of the Father's name and word to the disciples (John 17:6–8) Protection from the evil one (John 17:9–16) Sanctification in truth (John 17:17–19) Unity of believers in Him (John 17:20–23) Eternal presence with Him and experience of the Father's love (John 17:24–26) Yeshua says: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17, NASB95 The Hebrew concept behind “truth” here parallels אֱמֶת (emet), “truth, reliability.” Sanctification (qiddush) is not vague spirituality; it is being set apart by the Word of God, as revealed in Torah, Prophets, Writings, and fulfilled in Messiah. Yeshua's emphasis on unity (“that they may all be one,” John 17:21) resonates deeply with the שְׁמַע Shema: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” Deuteronomy 6:4 NASB95 Just as יהוה Adonai is one, His people are called to Oneness in Him — Jew and Gentile together in Messiah, reconciled and united (cf. Ephesians 2:14–16). That unity is not theoretical. It is part of the fragrance of genuine incense-like prayer that displays God's reality to the watching world. Prayer and Judgment in Revelation 8 Revelation 8:1–5 presents a striking scene: the prayers of the saints (“holy ones,” קְדֹשִׁים kedoshim), like incense, rise before God, and then the angel takes the censer, fills it with fire from the altar, and throws it to the earth, triggering thunder, lightning, and an earthquake. Those prayers are not only requests for comfort; they include cries of “How long?”—longing for justice, the end of oppression, and the final setting-right of the world. Prayer and judgment intertwine: the persistent prayers of God's people are linked to the release of God's righteous judgments that end evil and suffering. As the narrative unfolds, these prayers are connected to the sounding of the seven trumpets, showing that intercession invites divine intervention against the forces of darkness. The cries of the saints for healing, peace, deliverance, wisdom, and righteousness are heard by God and elicit His response. Other New Covenant passages reinforce this life of continual prayer: “pray without ceasing” (1Thessalonians 5:17), “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 NASB95), and the assurance that “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16 NASB95). In this way, Revelation portrays prayer not as passive devotion but as active participation in God's triumph over evil and the restoration of creation. Malachi 1–2: How Not to Offer Incense Malachi speaks to a weary and disillusioned people and to a corrupt priesthood who, amid spiritual decline, begin to question the love and faithfulness of Adonai Malachi 1:11–2:9 uses incense language to rebuke corrupt worship. “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting,My name will be great among the nations,And in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure…” Malachi 1:11 NASB95 This universal vision is immediately contrasted with the failed priesthood of Malachi's day. Priests bring stolen, lame, and sick animals — offerings that cost them little and misrepresent God's holiness. God calls such behavior “despising” His name (Malachi 1:12–13). In Mal 2:3 the language becomes graphic: God threatens to spread the refuse — literally, the vomit of their festival sacrifices — on their faces. Instead of fragrant incense, their corrupted offerings produce stench. The priests' hypocrisy becomes a stumbling block for the people, leading them astray rather than drawing them near. This is not merely ancient history. It warns any community claiming to serve the God of Israel, including Messianic congregations and the wider body of Messiah. Ritual correctness without integrity of heart can become an abomination, just as Isaiah 1:11–15 says, where God refuses multiplied sacrifices and prayers because they are joined with iniquity. Crisis, Reboot, and Return to Torah Historically, Malachi stands after the Babylonian exile and the rebuilding of the Second Temple. There has been a kind of spiritual letdown: the people expected a glorious restoration, but they remain under foreign empires and spiritual zeal has cooled. The prophet confronts a generation coasting on older revivals. In times of crisis, people often cry out to God and even see short-term renewal, but unless each generation reboots back to God's original instructions — the תּוֹרָה Torah (“instruction”) — the slide returns. This “reboot” analogy works well: when a computer system is corrupted, you shut it down and restart from the manufacturer's instructions. Spiritually, that means returning to what God commanded through Moses at Horeb/Sinai (Malachi 4:4), testing every new word, teaching, or movement against the standard of Scripture (cf. Deuteronomy 13; 18). Elijah, the Day of the LORD, and Multiple Fulfillments Malachi ends not in despair but hope (Malachi 4:1–6). A coming “day” will burn like a furnace, consuming the arrogant and evildoers. Yet for those who fear God's name, “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings” (Malachi 4:2, NASB 1995). God promises to send אֵלִיָּהוּ Eliyahu (Elijah) before the great and terrible day of the LORD, to turn hearts — fathers to children, children to fathers. In the Apostolic Writings, Yeshua identifies Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) as an Elijah‑figure for His generation (e.g., Matthew 11:14). Yet Revelation's two witnesses, calling down fire from heaven, again echo Elijah's ministry, suggesting multiple fulfillments of the Elijah pattern — each time God confronts widespread corruption and calls His people back to faithfulness. In each case, God's goal is the same: to distinguish between those who merely play at religion and those truly devoted (ḥerem) to Him, and to invite the undecided to step off the fence and follow truth. The Power of Pure, Hidden Prayer An ancient commentary on Malachi 1:11 notes how pure prayer — even when silent and hidden — is more precious than loud, showy words. Purity of heart constitutes prayer more than do all the prayers that are uttered out loud, and silence united to a mind that is sincere is better than a loud voice of someone crying out. My beloved, give me now your heart and your thought, and hear about the power of pure prayer; see how our righteous ancestors excelled in their prayer before God and how it served them as a “pure offering.” For it was through prayer that offerings were accepted, and it was prayer again that averted the flood from Noah. Prayer has healed barrenness, prayer has overthrown armies, prayer has revealed mysteries, prayer has divided the sea, prayer made a passage through the Jordan. It held back the sun, it made the moon stand still, it destroyed the unclean, it caused fire to descend. Prayer closed up the heaven, prayer raised up from the pit, rescued from the fire and saved from the sea. Aphrahat the Persian Sage (A.D. 270–345) It recalls how prayer in Scripture: Averts judgment (Noah and the Flood; intercession in the Prophets) Heals barrenness (Hannah) Overcomes armies Divides seas and rivers Stops the sun and moon Calls down or withholds fire and rain Raises up from the pit and rescues from danger Yeshua Himself warns against prayer done to impress others (Matthew 6:5–6). Public prayer is not wrong, but when its motive is human recognition, the “reward” is already spent. Like Hannah, genuine prayer may be misunderstood outwardly, but God hears the heart poured out. This aligns with the calling of Israel and the nations in Messiah: to become a people whose lives are living sacrifices (cf. Romans 12:1), whose prayers are like incense on the golden altar, and whose worship is qadosh qadashim — most holy to the LORD. The post ‘Most holy to the LORD’: What the altar of incense reveals about prayer (Exodus 30; Malachi 1–2; John 17; Revelation 8) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

1.18.26 Pastor Tommy shares that this message traces the biblical story from creation through Israel's history to show how the Christian faith ultimately centers on Jesus. It explores themes of God's breath and presence in creation, humanity's fragile yet sacred nature, and the growing human search for God amid uncertainty. While childhood faith often collapses under adult experiences, the early Christians' faith was grounded not in tradition or rules but in a single starting point: the resurrection of Jesus. Drawing especially on Psalm 110 and the book of Hebrews, this message concludes that the resurrection was the decisive event that convinced Jesus' followers that He is Lord, fulfilling Scripture and changing everything by offering proof that God has acted decisively in the world.To get connected visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.midtownvineyardchurch.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...To Donate ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://midtownvineyard.churchcenter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.... Download the church center app to stay in the loop ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://churchcenter.com/setup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Discover more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.midtownvineyardchurch.com...⁠⁠⁠ Find us on Instagram: / midtownvineyard Find us on Facebook: / midtownvineyardmbSermon Notes: Rightnowmedia.com

Season 4 Episode 03 Topic: Healing In His Hands (Ft. Jordyn Peaks) Adonai means “Master” or “Lord,” but not in a way that diminishes us—rather, it frees us. In this episode, we'll look at the moments in Scripture where God's people had to decide whether to trust His leadership or cling to control. We'll discuss why surrender is one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines and how living under God's Lordship brings clarity, direction, and peace. You'll discover how acknowledging God as Adonai reshapes not just your obedience, but your identity. Scriptures: Exodus 15:22–27, 2 Kings 20:1-7, Matthew 8:16-17, Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 61:1-3, Hosea 6:1, Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 53:5, Psalm 103, Jeremiah 30:17, James 5:14–16, Matthew 9:35, Mark 5:25–34, Luke 4:18, Revelation 21:4 Black girl Bible is a podcast that speaks on her experience as a woman and uses the Bible to provide Godly advice on how to navigate through this world as a young woman. New podcasts every Monday. Each week will feature a different topic, coupled with some of my experiences as a young woman. I utilize songs, prayer, and scriptures to provide Godly advice relating to each topic.

This week we look at the calling of Moses. We discuss the Burning Bush and how the redemption of the children of Israel shows the plan of redemption for all men from the Garden of Eden to the coming of Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom. We look at why Adonai uses this moment in time and in particular Moses as the template for redemption and the Torah as the instruction manual that is also the blueprint for life.

Season 4 Episode 02 Topic: Master Of It All Adonai means “Master” or “Lord,” but not in a way that diminishes us—rather, it frees us. In this episode, we'll look at the moments in Scripture where God's people had to decide whether to trust His leadership or cling to control. We'll discuss why surrender is one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines and how living under God's Lordship brings clarity, direction, and peace. You'll discover how acknowledging God as Adonai reshapes not just your obedience, but your identity. Scriptures: Genesis 15, Isaiah 6, Psalm 8, Psalm 110, Proverbs 3:5–6, Luke 6:46 Black girl Bible is a podcast that speaks on her experience as a woman and uses the Bible to provide Godly advice on how to navigate through this world as a young woman. New podcasts every Monday. Each week will feature a different topic, coupled with some of my experiences as a young woman. I utilize songs, prayer, and scriptures to provide Godly advice relating to each topic.

Encounter Adonai by Real Life

As this is the first study of the Gregorian year, we look at the beginning of the book of Exodus and discuss how this account connects to the Garden of Eden.We consider how Adonai through the descendants of Adam and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, leading to Yeshua brings into reality a redemptive program that is far more than a religious practice.We touch on how the relevance of the Exodus account reaches beyond the first Passover and can impact us on a daily basis as we seek to understand what true freedom is and our place within the plan of the Creator.

7 takeaways from this study God's dwelling place is both physical and spiritual. The Tabernacle, Zion, and ultimately humanity itself are called to become pure habitats for God's presence, reflecting a heavenly pattern on earth. Approaching God requires humility and transparency. Only those who are humble, contrite in spirit, and tremble at God's word can draw near to Him authentically. Spiritual refinement is a continuous process. Like gold being purified, our lives are to undergo ongoing testing and refining so that impurities are removed and deeper holiness is achieved. Discerning truth vs. deception is crucial. Scripture warns that not every sign, prophet, or miracle is from God; true spiritual messages will always align with God's revealed character and commandments. God values inner transformation over outward rituals. Religious acts and offerings are meaningless unless accompanied by a changed heart and genuine desire for God. The Tabernacle's design teaches personal and communal holiness. Just as the Tabernacle had levels of increasing sanctity, believers are called to internalize God's instructions and move from the outer courts into deeper intimacy and obedience. Every believer is called to be God's living Temple. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, each person is shaped, molded, and refined to become a set-apart, welcoming place for God's presence, reflecting His glory to the world. Last Shabbat, our study centered on the ascent to Mount Sinai — מֹשֶׁה Moshe’s (Moses) going up to receive the tablets, the לֻחֹת הָעֵדוּת luchot ha'edut (“Tablets of Testimony”; Exodus 25:16), and the intricate boundaries Adonai set from base of the mountain to the summit. As we recalled, only Moses was invited all the way up; the elders, אַהֲרֹן Aharon (Aaron), and his sons, Nadav (Nadab) and Avihu (Abihu), attended a banquet in the Divine presence, yet only Moshe crossed into the holiest place. The mountain itself, with its levels of separation: the base for the people, the middle for Aaron and יְהוֹשֻׁעַ Yehoshua (Joshua), and the top, the most holy, for Moses—mirrored the very structure of the משכן Mishkan (tabernacle), with the outer court, the הַקֹּדֶשׁ haQodesh (Holy Place), and the קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים Qodesh haQadashim (Holy of Holies). צִיּוֹן Tziyon (Zion) is not just a geopolitical entity, but “the special dwelling place of the Creator of heaven and earth,” a beacon from which the Word and Spirit flow out to all the earth. Just as Sinai functioned as the first outflow, Zion becomes the ultimate, spiritual beacon, culminating in the presence of God reaching to all nations. The mountain, the Tabernacle, and Zion all direct our hearts toward the Divine calling — the upward journey of drawing close. Recognizing True Prophets and the Danger of False Ones Deuteronomy 18 calls us to discernment: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.” Deuteronomy 18:15 NASB95 But the Torah warns, too, that a prophet may arise who may even perform “signs and wonders” (Deuteronomy 13:1), but if his message beckons us to follow other gods or abandon what Adonai has revealed, be very, very, very careful. The parameters are clear: fidelity to the testimony— the עֵדוּת edut — etched in stone. In Hebrew, this notion of witness or testimony underscores the sanctity and fixedness of God's revelation, echoed by the New Covenant's call to “test everything” (1Thessalonians 5:21). Approaching God: The Heart of Qorban and the Veil When the Torah speaks of קָרְבָּן qorban/korban (“thing brought near,” “offering”; Leviticus 1:2), it reveals that it is not just about ritual sacrifice; it is about approach, nearness — our hearts being the “thing that approaches” Heaven. The Mishkan, with its furnishings, courses of gold, and layered sanctity, is not architecture for ceremony alone. Here is the message: There is a special way — a Divinely sanctioned method — of approach to the Presence, and that is through the special offering foretold from Genesis, the הַמָּשִׁיחַ haMashiach (“Anointed One,” Messiah, Christ), in Whom all nations will be blessed (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:14). The Tabernacle is a תַּבְנִית tavnit (“pattern from heaven”; Exodus 25:9) of Heaven's purpose: Who or what is it that approaches God? And how do we become “pure gold”? ‘Pure Gold’ and the Pattern of Heaven This week, we examine Exodus 25:1–26:30. A key phrase leaps out:“pure gold.” Over and over, the construction instructions for the Mishkan objects repeat זָהָב טָהוֹר zahav tahor (“pure gold”) — nearly three dozen times in the Hebrew Scriptures, mostly in the Exodus 25–39. Every object within the אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד Ohel Mo'ed (tent of meeting) is fashioned of or overlaid with gold — symbolizing ultimate purity and divine perfection. The utensils are gold. The furniture, if not solid gold like the menorah, is wood covered in gold. Outside, in the courtyard, things are נְחֹשֶׁת nechoshet (copper or brass), which is “reddish” (דָּם dam) like dirt (אֲדָמָה adamah). But enter the tent, and the sensory world changes: gold everywhere, echoing a realm set apart, not tarnishing, otherworldly. הַטְּהוֹרָה ha-tahorah (“the pure”; tahor = pure), as the Torah uses it, is contrasted with טָמֵא tamé (“unclean,” or that which is not pure, not fit to approach). We see the pattern amplified in the Prophets and Apostolic Writings. In the Septuagint, zahav tahor is rendered as χρυσὶον καθαρὸν chrysion katharon. That phrase only appears in the New Testament in two places: The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. Revelation 21:18 NASB95 The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:21 NASB95 Apostle Yokhanan (John) describes the New Jerusalem just as the Torah describes the Tabernacle — perfection, transparency, and illumination. The Message of Transparency and Refinement Why this obsession with purity? Why not settle for strength, as with tempered bronze mixed with other elements? The text gives us the answer: it is transparency, not mere resilience, that is the goal. Ancient glass was often cloudy, imperfect — like our own attempts at personal holiness. But the “gold” of the New Jerusalem is so pure “you can see right through it.” In the life of faith, God is after not just outward perfection, but an inner transparency — a heart open, without deceit or corruption, to the searching gaze of the Creator. Genesis 3 offers a brilliant Hebrew wordplay — נָחוּשׁ arom (“naked”) and עָרוּם arum (“cunning”) — playing on the paradox that sometimes what seems transparent is actually deceptive. The Adversary (haSatan), the serpent, offers Chavah (Eve) half-truths. But a half-truth is a deceptive lie. We are reminded that every teaching, every revelation, must be measured by God's testimony. Even Yeshua (Jesus) faced the Scripture-twisting Adversary in the desert, “for it is written,” — and answered with fidelity to the Father's Word. Holiness, Ritual, and the Internal Change Adonai through the prophet Isaiah thunders: “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? … To this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word” Isaiah 66:1–2 NASB95 Religious ritual alone is meaningless (James 1:26–27). The offerings, festivals — even those God calls for — are rejected when the heart is far away. If all it is is a sign on your body, the Apostle Paul essentially says, you're just mutilating yourself (Philippians 3:2–3). Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 1Corinthians 15:50 NASB95 We have gone through moments like in Israel's history when the scroll of Torah was forgotten “in the back room” of the Temple. Yet when rediscovered— whether after Babylonian exile or following generations of neglect — the words brought people to weeping and repentance. The passage in Isaiah 66 separates those who “tremble at His word” from those who scoff, who trust in the building but ignore the Builder. The Potter and the Clay: Transformation Through Trials A recurring metaphor in Scripture is the בַּיִּץ ba'itz (“clay”) in the hand of the יֹוצֵר yotzer (“potter”), referenced in Isaiah and echoed in the Psalms: “We are the temple of God today…. He is building in us a place where He wants to dwell” (Isaiah 64:8). Our lives, like gold, are heated (put to the test) and impurities are skimmed off, until “refinement by fire” brings maturity and wholeness (see Malachi 3:3, James 1:2–4). We should ask Heaven to, “Refine me like silver, purify me like gold (Proverbs 17:3; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3).” The stress, trials, and growing pains are the “moving of the clay” as Adonai makes us a vessel fit for His presence. Approaching With a Transparent Heart What, then, does it mean to “enter the house of Adonai with a transparent heart”? It means acknowledging our failings, responding to conviction, and submitting to the refining work of the רוח הקודש Ruach HaQodesh (Holy Spirit). The pattern is always inward — “circumcise your hearts” (Deuteronomy 30:6). God desires not a mechanical offering, but hearts that are soft, humble, and willing to change. In Isaiah 1, Adonai says effectively, “Your festivals, I hate them ….” (Isaiah 1:10–15). Did He call for them? Yes, but their hearts was far off. That's a recurring message throughout the Prophets and echoed by Yeshua (Matthew 15:8–9). The goal is not to “hack” our way into the presence of God, building our own way, but to accept the One whom He sent, to be transformed and led into the Presence as purified, transparent gold — zahar tahor. Emotions, Strength, and the Role of ‘Impurities' Are emotions bad? Some wonder, since Yeshua showed righteous anger (Matthew 21:12–13). Scripture tells us God gave us these emotions for a reason—the challenge is not their existence, but how we bring them under the Spirit's refining fire. Just as glass with some admixture may be strong physically, it's transparency — spiritual clarity — that God is after. Being cunning as serpents, yet innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16), means understanding the world's cunning, but not allowing darkness within. The Ultimate Goal: God's Dwelling in Us Scripture reveals a cyclical history for Israel, and we who are grafted in or born into the people of Israel see it in our own walk: God's “pattern” is always about fostering His presence among us, not just in tents or temples, but in new hearts (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:25–27). Building according to God's blueprint involves internalizing His Word (Psalm 51:6). The Tabernacle/Temple has always been a shadow, an earthly replica, of what God was always after: We are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. 2Corinthians 3:18 NASB95 A Challenge Do I want to enter God's house with a transparent heart? Am I letting Him mold me, refine me, and fill my life with the kind of holiness that shines — not just with outward strength, but inward clarity, love, and authenticity? Ultimately, the Tabernacle, Zion and the vision of “pure gold like transparent glass” all point to this: God is not calling us to architectural blueprints, but to lives built by His Spirit, fit for His indwelling. May we walk out these truths, allowing Heaven's pattern to become our reality. May we respond to God with humble, contrite hearts; refuse counterfeit revelations; and continually ask Him to refine us. So together, we may become the dwelling place for His glory on earth. The post How we build a house for God on Earth (Exodus 25–26; Isaiah 66; 1Corinthians 6) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

Noisy Doors, Leaky Roofs, and the Mark of the Beast Last week's newsletter was written to be very simple. This week...not simple. We're tying together our lessons on the Salt Covenant, The Scarlet Harlot, and the basic menorah pattern of Workbook One. So no, it's not simple, but it's not too difficult, either! Try printing it off and studying it over two Shabbats, referencing the suggested videos or workbooks as you go.   ***   So what do noisy doors, leaky roofs, and the mark of the beast have in common?    Excellent question! I'm glad you asked.   In order to see the connection, we have to know a little something about each of them. If you want a refresher on the Beast, consider signing up for the Creation Gospel Workbook Four class coming up with Kisha Gallagher (scroll down for info) or watching the Scarlet Harlot series on YouTube. You can also refresh your memory on the meaning of the mezuzah with our "More Than" YouTube videos. We'll cover a few basics here to tie it together.   “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me…”   Yeshua standing at the door knocking is a huge hint, especially on the heels of John's sobering prophecies of the mark of the beast in Revelation. If we can't see the link to the world commercial system as “Babylon” in Revelation, we're not trying very hard. Revelation begins with memos to the seven assemblies emphasizing their need to “overcome” the tribulations John is about to describe,   • “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Re 3:14-21)   We can conclude that how to overcome is described in Revelation, but we can also conclude that an ignorance of the Torah will make our understanding only partial. Revelation is written as an incredibly intricate re-telling of the Torah portions. Without an understanding of those Torah portions, it will be difficult to be identified as one of those who overcome when they “keep the testimony of Yeshua and the commandments of God.”   If Yeshua knocks on the door of one of these potential overcomers, he knocks on a door that is marked by a mezuzah, which contains summaries of the commandments. To pull in the themes of our Salt Covenant study over the last several weeks, a mezuzah is a sign that those inside the house know to be salty within, tenderly and joyfully salting their commandment-keeping. Because they are pliable to the work of the Ruach HaKodesh within the house, they are ready to meet the challenges of the Beast outside the house.   The mezuzah is their reminder that they've committed their coming and going, especially their work and business dealings, to preserving their covenant with the Father with salt, for savory salt is our faith, the tenderness we have toward His Word. It is our desire to draw close to Him through our sacrifices, not begrudgingly or to be admired by others, but to give glory to the Father. Yeshua reminds us that he also wants to draw near to our salty selves, so he stands at the door and knocks.   Just imagine that the mezuzah on your door was Yeshua standing there each day inquiring if he may accompany you in your coming and going.   Because he is. The custom is to touch one's fingers to the mezuzah and kiss the fingers. It demonstrates affection and tenderness toward the Shma and other scriptures in the mezuzah, which remind us in our coming and going Who the only Source of wealth is. The name Shaddai is inscribed on mezuzot, which is the name describing His attribute of nourishment and supply.   By touching the mezuzah, we also are reminded like the Israelites in Deuteronomy Eight: “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers...”   The mezuzah on the door marks the boundary between what happens when we go into the world and how we are inside our homes. If we are at war inside our homes, then how will we war against the principalities and powers outside our homes? The shin on the tefillin reminds the person Who opens the Heavenly windows to drip down zuzim, or coins, transactions, in our lives. Zuz is found in the word mezuzah, but the letter shin is found on both the mezuzah and the prayer tefillin.   Because they are worn in prayer, it helps one to adjust those trade prayers according to Yeshua's model…daily bread…forgiveness…holiness…His will and glory on earth…protection from temptation to sin. Ever notice how many famous actors, musicians, and sports stars end up unhappy, addicted, disconnected from the real world, and just plain weird? We are not spiritually wired to receive the glory of Heaven, only to reflect the glory of Heaven outward with salt. Of course they get weird and depressed!   Our labor and business dealings outside the home must be salted and lit from within first. We must extend ourselves from within, or it will eventually be evident to the world that we did not exert ourselves according to our wealth of salvation and light.nIt is thought that the marks of tzaraat (leprosy) that appeared in a home were a result of greed and stinginess. When the priests removed everything inside to the outside to quarantine and scrape the stones, everyone would see the wealth concealed inside, especially if they'd pretended not to have enough to help the needy brother. The “best third” is where the mezuzah is placed on a door, the upper third, like an upper room. The mezuzah marks the right hand frame of the door about 2/3 of the way up: “Mezuzah guards the Covenant, and so observing the mitzvah of mezuzah leads a person to truth and faith, the faith which is absolutely necessary when conducting business.”    “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,' And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.'” (Zec 13:9)   Yeshua invokes this prophecy in Zechariah when he warns the Laodiceans in Revelation Three that he is standing at the door knocking: “Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich…”   This is where we see another connection to the mezuzah. Zechariah prophesies of the “third part.” This is thought to be the remnant that will come through the tribulation refined by fire instead of destroyed by it. They have not succumbed to the Beast's commercial activity, buying and selling excessively or on Shabbat (see CG Workbook Four or Workbook Two). Traditionally, the mezuzah is affixed at a pointing on the right side of the door 2/3 of the way up the door. To relate the thirds, the mezuzah is like the principle of the “upper room” we've studied over the last several weeks.    Ancient Israelite houses typically had two levels, a ground level where beasts were stabled and practical household work such as cooking and weaving took place, but the family quarters were on the second floor. An extra upper room had to be built either on the second floor or atop the family quarters, making it an upper third. More simply, an upper room was where the family made space for visitors, a space that wasn't there, yet they created the space through hospitality.   Those upper rooms in Scripture were places associated with hospitality toward the righteous visitor as well as resurrection from the dead, like the stories of Elijah, Elisha, Dorcas, and Eutychus. A mezuzah reminds us not to neglect making those spaces of hospitality for the righteous visitor, who represents hospitality toward Yeshua and the Living Word. Yeshua's noisy knocking on the door is a daily reminder that when we make an “upper room” of hospitality, then we are actually tapping into the Garden of Eden. The resurrections in the upper rooms of Scripture show us this.    On the mezuzah is either the Name Shaddai, or it is in the shorthand of the first Hebrew letter shin. Not so coincidentally, the tefillin that are placed on an Israelite male's forehead and arm are also marked with a shin (see above). The mezuzah and tefillin remind each day:   • Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Dt 6:4-9)    Deuteronomy 8:11-19 reminds Israel not to be deceived when they become comfortable and prosperous in the Land, for their wealth will deceive them into thinking they earned it with their own hand. Remember the gumballs?   The tefillin on the hand and arm are a reminder that it is YHVH alone who gives the power to acquire wealth. Likewise, the mezuzah is marked with a shin for Shaddai, the One who provides sustenance, nourishment to Israel. Strangely, the shin is made of three Hebrew letters vav joined at the bottom. The gematria value of vav is six. 666.    Whaaaaat? Yes, it's the mark of the beast. But that's not the whole story. The mezuzah and tefillin are NOT the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast is when you get very close to being a salt covenant household or person, yet you have something lacking. Salt. Your daily work is not to acquire the wealth of the Kingdom to the glory of the Father, which can only be done through the power of the Ruach HaKodesh moving through the Word in you. The mark of the beast is when our daily work is to acquire the object of desire for our own sake. We can hear the disingenuous, unsalty believer when he says, “If God will just let me win the lottery, I'll build orphanages and feed the poor all over the world.”   And he probably will. But he will do it only in order to feed his own desires first. He's not really seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He's pursuing his own kingdom, offering God a deal that the Kingdom of Heaven will benefit from the scraps. Such a person will not give commensurately with his newfound wealth, for he is stingy at heart. Unsavory salt. Tepid. Lukewarm. Blechhhh!   The secret of the 666 is that it is only the letter of the Torah without the Ruach. The shin is like a menorah when the backlight of the Ruach shines through it (again, see Workbooks 2 & 4). Remember last week's lesson on the gumball machine? It was what you couldn't see that had to occur before what you could see. The Ruach precedes the letter of the Torah. Together, with the spiritual backlight through the literal three vavs, it yields seven, the seven- branched menorah. One tefillin has three vavs, but its mate has four! 3 + 4 = 7. Compare to the above: To be unsalty is 666. To be salty is to shine the seven spirits of Adonai described in Isaiah and Revelation:     •  wisdom   •  understanding   •  counsel   •  Spirit of Adonai   •  power   •  knowledge   •  reverence    Yeshua, the Living Word, is the doorkeeper of the overcoming household. We never want to reduce him to someone there to reward us with wealth. The word mezuzah comes from a Hebrew word meaning movement, going back and forth. The historical zuz was a coin, about a day's sustenance for one adult:   • Weight: About 4.26 grams (0.137 troy ounces) of silver. • Value: Historically equivalent to a day's wage or a portion of food/clothing, (e.g., 200 zuz was a year's support).  • Modern value would be about $20.   "Give us today our daily bread." Not the lottery.   Not so coincidentally, a mezuzah means more than movement. It is rooted as well in the movement of a beast: What starts out as a beautiful creation of spirit (upper room), soul and body (lower rooms), can degenerate into the mark of the beast. Instead of letting the Ruach drip into our lower rooms of work and family, the upper room is sealed off because of our stinginess and greed. Esau and Jacob had very different motives in asking for blessings. We can become unsavory, relentless hunters like Esau, the Red One, nicknamed Edom because he was red and hairy all over like a beast, a man of the field who loved hunting. We don't want to become marked by the Red One, never satisfied, even on Shabbat.   “…and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” (Re 13:17)   Nehemiah's struggles with those returning to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, especially in their continued buying and selling on Shabbat, are the reference point. He eventually had to order the gates of Jerusalem shut and locked to prevent the vendors from coming in with their goods. How glorious will it be when the gates no longer need to be shut, for no one will even entertain the idea of disobeying the King of King's command to rest and be with Him in Jerusalem on Shabbat.   Knock, knock.   In short, the mark of the beast is on one who buys and sells on Shabbat. Because there is no trust in Adonai to provide the many things we crave, we continue to work on His holy day. Someone who believes in God may have salt, but it is not savory. One who believes in God enough to do what He says is savory salt. Salt allows us to draw near the upper room of the Garden. I'm sure Yeshua is having wonderful conversations with the righteous souls of those who just didn't understand Shabbat, but they were faithful in what they knew. They are learning while they wait, not rebelling.   Ezekiel describes what went wrong in the “upper room” of the Garden of Eden, a hospitable place for those who want to draw near to the voice of Elohim, but a place from which rebels are purged. The “trader” was cast out of the heavenly fiery stones and tossed into the lower realms of strange, profane fire, that is, fire used by those estranged from the upper room fires of the Ruach above:   You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. (Eze 28:13-16; 18)   Ezekiel 28 drops a hint to where we should be vigilant: “By the abundance of your trading [H7404 rekula] you became filled with violence within, and you sinned...”   ????? rawkal' [H7402] to travel for trading   Our trade is part of work for our living, yet, the abundance is the danger zone. If our inner fire craves more wealth than we are willing to give back to Heaven commensurately, our going back and forth, zuzing about, to trade our time and effort for goods, power, and esteem becomes idolatry. In Hebrew, moving back and forth is zuz [zuz is also a coin], the root of mezuzah. The mezuzah marks the door where we travel back and forth each day to obtain our portion of wealth.   When our pursuit of wages and wealth pushes the testimony of Yeshua and the commandments of God beneath our feet instead of allowing them to drip daily from the upper room of the resurrection Ruach that raised Messiah from the dead, we sin. Our house's upper room should be designed to drip to lower floors of daily living, or we become unsavory salt.   We trade our precious lives, our time, our effort, to accumulate an abundance of things, not necessarily money, but what money will purchase: entertainment, security, comfort, esteem, power, knowledge, appeasement, etc. These things deceive us into believing they will bring joy and peace, but we know it's a lie because they never do. They are simply offered to the strange, consuming fire of the soul, but are not refinement of the spirit, which is everlasting peace and joy. It brings savory salt, light, and contentment from within.    The ancient investment advice is:   • Invest 1/3 of your income in tangible property such as real estate, durable goods, secure long-term investments  • Invest 1/3 in your daily labor, your paycheck, investments that provide a faster return, a little riskier, easily liquidated • Invest 1/3 above the mezuzah in the Kingdom of Heaven by lending to the poor, giving to needy, investing time in spiritual causes along with Torah study, prayer, service, discussing Scripture with others, etc. Even kindness is an investment!   We should not become “stingy” with Heavenly principles in the world of work, which would reflect a home's lower rooms sealed off from the upper room. The upper room should drip the testimony of Yeshua and the noisy commandments of God through the power of the resurrection Ruach. It leaks into the lower rooms of family and work!   The leaky roof is what we need to carry into the world of work and business as well as our relationships. An outwardly successful business producing wealth that can only be spent before the resurrection of the dead is not successful at all.    Preparation in the home under the disciplines of the Ruach HaKodesh will be evident in the place of business, not as a pile of 666 cash, but as peace in drawing near the Father, salt. The physical work is simply a means of building the Kingdom instead of demanding that the Father bless our work to build our own kingdoms of security, esteem, attention, comfort, intellectual stimulation, etc. Whether we have little or many zuzim, all we need to remember is that we must give commensurately with the wealth the Father drips down upon us.    If we can be responsible even with earthly money, which has no righteousness within itself, then we can be responsible with Heavenly riches.   If we can't be trusted to give commensurately with our wealth when there is no Temple service, and much freedom is granted in when and how much we give, then how can the Father trust us with His riches when the Temple on “the mountain of God” descends? The Temple services and the Land of Israel are places of extreme exactness in managing work and wealth.   Manage earthly zuzim faithfully, and we will inherit the Heavenly riches to manage.    One of my favorite movies is about a Quaker family, from the book Friendly Persuasion. One of the funniest lines is, “Friend, thee's got a squeaky door upstairs.”    Friend, thee's got a squeaky door downstairs, too. Yeshua is knocking, reminding, inquiring, requesting if we will open to his voice. It is the same voice of Elohim that walked and talked in the Garden, an upper room.   When we open our doors to him, we release the water of the Word from our upper rooms and let it fill our homes, workplaces, and relationships. If we move about, may we zuz for the glory of the Father.    Please SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to get new teachings.

Episode baru setiap Senin | pemuda.stemi.id | Episode 290 (Matius 22:41-46): Siapakah Sang Mesias itu? Di dalam Mazmur 2:7 dikatakan bahwa Allah menyatakan Sang Mesias itu adalah Anak-Nya. Di dalam Mazmur 2:10-11 bahkan dikatakan bahwa seluruh pemimpin, raja, dan hakim di seluruh dunia harus sujud kepada Sang Anak dengan mencium kaki-Nya dengan gemetar. Juga di dalam Mazmur 110:1 yang dikutip oleh Tuhan Yesus di dalam ayat 44, Sang Mesias dipanggil dengan sebutan “Adonai” oleh Daud. 

The Liturgical Year is a multi-volume work written between 1841 and 1875, by Dom Prosper Gueranger, abbot of the French Benedictine abbey of Solesmes. It is a rich theological reflection on the various feasts and seasons of the Church's liturgical cycle. Please consider donating to help keep this podcast going by going to buymeacoffee.com/catholicdailybrief Also, if you enjoy these episodes, please give a five star rating and share the podcast with your friends and family

The next name of God that appears in Scripture is Adonai. It means: The Lord; My Great Lord God is our total authority. Adonai is the name often used in place of Yahweh, because YHWH was too sacred a name to speak. Recognizing God as Adonai is to recognize our need to submit to Him. He is the Master and owner of all things. We are His servant stewards.    Kay Arther says: "The lordship of God means His total possession of me and my total submission to Him." You can connect with me or order my books on my website here: https://debbiekitterman.com/ click on the store tab and choose the book(s) you would like to view under the book tab.   OR on Amazon here using my affiliate links:    Legacy: The Lost Art of Blessing  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNJNNHKY/ref=nosim?tag=da2he-20   Releasing God's Heart through Hearing His Voice:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615316220/ref=nosim?tag=da2he-20   The Gift of Prophetic Encouragement: Hearing the Word of God for Others:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/0800798864/ref=nosim?tag=da2he-20   The Gift of Prophetic Encouragement Bible Study: Living a Lifestyle of Encouragement  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B083J3RCYP/ref=nosim?tag=da2he-20   Symbolism Reference Guide & Dream Journal: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984012346/ref=nosim?tag=da2he-20  

December 14th. Genesis 15:1-6, John 1:3, John 4:23-24, Romans 8:7, Romans 12:1-2.

Yeshua was after Debbie for a very long time, but she just didn't know it. Her brother's changed behavior and suggestions put her on a path of researching about Yeshua and trying to understand her brother's decision to become a believer. It took her a year and 1/2 to read and research the truth in the word. It was so loud and clear to her and she knew that she was on the right path based totally on the word of Adonai. 

We began by declaring the powerful names of God—Elohim, Adonai, Rapha, Nissi, Shaddai—proclaiming that the name of the Lord is our strong tower and hiding place. What a beautiful way to worship the Creator who calls us His own, as Joel Munoz reminded us through Isaiah 43: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Pastor Josiah continued the theme of being on mission, reminding us that whether across the street or around the world, we are called to reach the lost. In Luke 15, Jesus shared how the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep, revealing God's heart for every person who has wandered away. Just as God sought Adam and Eve in the garden, He seeks us still. We were lost, but He found us. Pastor Josiah encouraged us to be equipped, to stand firm, and to help others find Jesus—because our walk with Him is not a sprint, but a lifelong journey of faith and endurance.

We began by declaring the powerful names of God—Elohim, Adonai, Rapha, Nissi, Shaddai—proclaiming that the name of the Lord is our strong tower and hiding place. What a beautiful way to worship the Creator who calls us His own, as Joel Munoz reminded us through Isaiah 43: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Pastor Josiah continued the theme of being on mission, reminding us that whether across the street or around the world, we are called to reach the lost. In Luke 15, Jesus shared how the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep, revealing God's heart for every person who has wandered away. Just as God sought Adam and Eve in the garden, He seeks us still. We were lost, but He found us. Pastor Josiah encouraged us to be equipped, to stand firm, and to help others find Jesus—because our walk with Him is not a sprint, but a lifelong journey of faith and endurance.

The first two Advent Antiphons, "O Wisdom" and "O Adonai," trace God's story from the creation to the exodus and find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who is the Wisdom that orders all things and the Lord who redeems all things.

Custom Mary I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone say, "It's just man's tradition. It's just a custom." At its worst misunderstanding, the tradition or custom is seen adversarial to Torah obedience and as evil. As a simply uninformed understanding, it's a lack of research or direction into how Yeshua taught and lived customs and traditions...of men.   For instance, the letter of the Torah does not say to go to a synagogue every Shabbat. But how should one "hear" the Word, which is a commandment? Synagogues were an answer to that question. The Torah was read every Shabbat, so Scripture tells us that Yeshua went to synagogue every Shabbat:   • And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. (Lk 4:16)   Yeshua wouldn't do something evil, so this was a good custom even if the Torah does not say, "Thou shalt enter the synagogue every Sabbath." How to differentiate among the direct mitzvah (commandment), the custom or tradition that helps one to do the mitzvah, and an outright tare? The answer comes from knowing that the Word is the seed from which we grow fruit and that the heart's intent is a vital indicator of the fruit grown from it. My offer to help with a Biblically sound way to look at customs and traditions for believers was to write the booklet: Truth, Tradition, or Tare: Growing in the Word.   This brings us back to our topic of hospitality over the last several weeks. Hospitality is how we invite the very Presence of Adonai into our homes, towns, and gatherings. In the following account of hospitality, the hostess is a woman named Martha, and she had a sister named Mary (Miriam). Custom dictated that a host or hostess like Abraham and Sarah provide a safe refuge, water for washing, and food and drink for their guests. It was customary. Traditional. Martha busied herself providing these customary things for Yeshua and his disciples, but Mary was more, well, I'm going to say it...not Custom Mary:   • Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:38-42)   Martha was missing something in her hospitality, just as we can miss it in any custom or tradition we practice: why do we do it? To strengthen our relationship to the Holy One and His Word? Or to earn righteousness or the esteem of others through our own efforts?   Yeshua gently pointed out to Martha the important aspect of customary hospitality: it is to strengthen the relationship between the ministry of the Word and the recipients of the Word. To make it come alive. In this case, the Word was literally alive in Martha's home!   In fact, Yeshua would have greeted the home with peace when he entered, just as he instructed his disciples to do. Instead of receiving the peace, Martha remained in a state of worry and bother. She did not receive the blessing. Mary, however, was eating and drinking it in, getting to know what the Living Word should be in her life. The custom of hospitality is to enable Kingdom ministry, to provide a temporary little Temple sanctuary for the minister.   Martha was not wrong if she wanted to continue preparing food to serve the disciples, but she was wrong if it became contentious and destroyed the very relationships she should be strengthening with other believers. Yeshua was well able to perform a miracle of bread, oil, wine, fish, or any other meal she was serving. He'd certainly done it for others who offered what little they had, and so had Elijah. And I'm sure he was prepared to wait if her meal took longer. After all, he was there to grace her with his Presence, not to grade or promote her on culinary skills. He wanted her to drink him in!   To Martha, however, the customary, traditional way a woman of the First Century was viewed as valuable was in her domestic skills. To Yeshua, his custom was to invite all to sit and learn at his feet. Male, female, Jew, non-Jew, slave, free...all could learn and grow in the ministry of the Word. It was the better part of hospitality. It didn't negate the need to feed and house the visiting ministers, the other part, but it was the better part of the whole equation. Perhaps, Yeshua is saying, the point of the serving is forging peace with people and Heaven. Hospitality is the designated vehicle for it.   Yeshua didn't pick Martha's home so she could become righteous through serving; he picked her because she believed in him; she already was righteous. She just needed some extra training like he had to correct his other disciples on things like fighting over higher positions, water-walking, and poor demon management.   A righteous guest seeks a righteous home for hospitality, and he/she has the authority to bless that sanctuary home with peace:   • “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. As you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house* is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.” (Mt 10:9-15)      *”The House” is a euphemism for The Temple    Yeshua clarified hospitality: it is receiving by 1) providing refuge, food and drink, and water for washing as well as 2) receiving his Word. Yeshua had to remind Martha to receive the Word, too. The heart of the Temple was in the hidden place of the ark, the Word of the Torah emplaced between the two cheruvim where the Voice would speak. Out loud.   Hospitality is how the average person enters the holy Sanctuary to experience the Voice and Presence of Adonai through His designated ministers of the Word.   • “You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD.” (Le 19:30)   What did First Century Jews understand about this commandment? And why did Yeshua instruct his disciples so specifically about hospitality as they ministered in his name and authority?   Rashi explains it in his comments to Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:30:   • “'And revere my Sanctuary.' He should not enter the grounds of the Temple neither with his staff, nor with shoes on his feet, nor with his moneybelt, nor with the dust that is on his feet, i.e., he should not enter with dirty feet. And although I enjoin you to have reverence with regard to the Beit HaMikdash [Temple], nonetheless, ‘you shall observe my Sabbaths; the construction of the Beit HaMikdash does not override the Sabbath.”    Contextually, Rashi's point is that Sabbath will occur in every place for all time, and so commandments specific to the Temple services will be overridden by commands specific to Shabbat. As Yeshua understood about the magificent Temple, it would not long endure. Instead, the righteous of the earth would have to function as little sanctuaries in the nations where they lived and were sent. He would continue to build the Temple through them and to send the Presence, the Ruach HaKodesh.   In practice, Yeshua sent his disciples to continue his work; in order to do that work, they would need holy homes to provide Temple hospitality. For this, the home would need to be a “worthy” one. The family would need to conduct its daily life toward the preservation of holiness of Shabbat.    Such a family was fit for Kingdom ministers, and those minister-guests were obligated to treat it with the same courtesies as they would enter the Temple itself. Yeshua's requirements were identical to the customary Temple protocols for entry. A home that provided water to wash the feet was a prepared holy temple. As the repentant sinful woman washed Yeshua's feet with her tears, receiving his forgiveness, so a righteous home signaled receiving the guest with physical water as well as receiving the Word of shalom he or she brought to the house...and House.   The reverence of Shabbat is linked to entering the Temple itself, placing that home in a very high spiritual status, worthy of blessing for its hospitality.   The disciples would bless the homes of Custom Marys the same as they would proclaim blessings in the Temple, for the host was standing in to bless them as the priests would bless the tribes coming up to worship, and all, even those "night watcher" servants of exile from among the nations, offered blessings to YHVH.

What does it truly mean to be consecrated before a major breakthrough? The Israelites stood at the edge of the Jordan River for 40 years, waiting for this very moment. They were given specific instructions: consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow Adonai will do amazing things. This in-depth study of Joshua 3-5 explores the profound act of faith required to step into the flooding river before the waters parted. We'll examine why God tests us, often bringing us back to the same challenges we failed before. Are we, like them, waiting on the verge of our own promised land, held back only by a lack of faith? This message unpacks the deep connection between true consecration and witnessing God's power. Share this message with someone who needs encouragement to 'step into the water' in faith! #Joshua #JordanRiver #MessianicJudaism #ShalomAdventure

We continue our Advent journey with “O Lord of Might,” the ancient cry that remembers the God who rescued Israel and reveals Jesus as that same redeeming Lord. Throughout Scripture, Adonai is the warrior who saves—powerful in judgment, rich in mercy, and faithful to deliver His people. In Christ we see this fullness: gentle and gracious, yet the One who will return to judge evil and make all things new. This week invites us to take that portrait seriously—not to fear evil, because Jesus conquers it, but to fear drifting toward the very sin He opposes. The Lord of Might stands ready to redeem, lead, and strengthen all who call on His name.

Send us a textAdonai Dieu — formerly known as Daniel Loveless, the creator of the viral Caribbean street show “What Yuh Know”— joins us on The Corie Sheppard Podcast for a powerful, transparent, and transformational conversation.In this episode, we explore his full journey:• Growing up and building one of the Caribbean's biggest digital brands• The rise of What Yuh Know and the pressures of fame from age 17• Identity, purpose, mental health, and the emptiness that success couldn't fix• His public name change to Adonai Dieu• Why he walked away from his old life and old identity• Becoming a devout follower of Jesus Christ• The spiritual shift that changed everything• What's next for him, his platform, and his missionThis is one of the most honest and deeply human stories we've shared — a conversation about transformation, faith, reinvention, and the courage it takes to start over.Watch/Listen to the full episode now.Click the link in my bio for the full conversation.#coriesheppardpodcast #AdonaiDieu #DanielLoveless #WhatYuhKnow #Transformation #Testimony #FaithJourney #CaribbeanPodcast #CaribbeanCulture #DigitalCreators #Purpose #Reinvention #JesusChrist

The Second Story and the Third Heaven This week I'd like to visit the architecture of resurrection. Yes, such a thing is possible! Scripture gives us several examples from literal buildings. Last week's newsletter gave a hint with the resurrection patterns in the homes of the women who extended hospitality to Elijah and Elisha. There are even more examples than that.   Just to review, the last several newsletters have investigated the Torah's ancient call to hospitality, not just a a nice thing to do, but as a vital preparation to inherit the Kingdom. Our hospitality study trail through the Torah, Prophets, Writings, and New Covenant started with Song of Songs 5:1, a restoration of the Bride and Bridegroom to the Garden of Eden:   • "I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam.I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.”   Elijah in 1 Kings 17:9 protected the widow and her son during the famine. Because she used the last of her flour and oil to feed the prophet of YHVH, she never lacked during the tribulation. She also hospitably gave him an upper room in which to dwell during the famine. In return, her son was resurrected from the dead in that upper room. Because she ministered to the man of God during an apocalyptic famine, she received multiplied miracles of nourishment and resurrection.    And in Elisha's “double portion” fashion, he performs two resurrections for the hospitality of the upper room. First, the barren Shunnemite woman is rewarded with a son, and then later the son is resurrected from the dead:   • "Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food. She said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually. Please, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.” (2 Ki 4:8-10)   The Shunemmite furnished her upper room with the furniture of the Mishkan. She made a little House for the Presence to dwell over the daily activities of her lower rooms. Elisha, a righteous visitor, was the stand-in for the very resurrecting Presence of Adonai.   The upper room is the highest room of our home, a set apart place, yet attached to the rest of the home. What we furnish in the upper room blesses the rest of the home...or not. It can be where heaven meets earth...or not. When the Shunnemite woman constructed an upper room, imagine it as a third story built atop their own living quarters in the second story. Not a brand-new building, but one atop the existing one.   Although now more symbolic because its examples are drawn from building construction in ancient times, today we still have upper rooms, those spaces we make to host the righteous believers who will accept our invitations. The visitor becomes the presence of Yeshua in our homes, especially during Shabbat.   During the Iron Age (1000–586 BCE; the First Temple Period), the "four-room house" dominated Israelite architecture. The four-room house with pillars was widespread already, but it often had more or less than four rooms. The majority of houses only had three rooms, but could also five or more. The house had long rooms and a transverse broad room in the back, which could be partitioned by walls or columns.   The ground level housed valuable livestock and had a working area for storage, weaving, food preparation, or other working tasks. The second level had the living quarters. A rooftop had an area for drying certain products, such as flax or fruits, and it was used as sleeping quarters in the intense heat of the summer for the cool breeze.  

True thanksgiving begins with knowing who God is and recognizing what He has done. Psalm 136 calls us to give thanks for both the person and works of God, whose steadfast love endures forever. God reveals Himself through His names—Yahweh, the faithful covenant-keeper; Elohim, the powerful Creator; Adonai, the sovereign Lord; and El Shamayim, the God of heaven. Because God is good, everything He allows in our lives works for ultimate good. His loyal love—hesed—never fails or ends. Genuine gratitude flows from this deep understanding of His character, not just His blessings. Like the Pilgrims who thanked God despite hardship, believers are called to live with continual, visible thanksgiving, trusting His presence, power, and eternal faithfulness. 

Disclaimer: Any views or opinions presented in this podcast are personal and belong to the content creator. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company or individual.In this episode, not only will I be giving a heartfelt tribute to our dear brother and friend Charlie Kirk, I will also be returning to Dr. Eitan Bar's book "Why Don't Jews Believe In Jesus" to touch on the subject that's become my main mission and calling: to raise Church awareness of the false doctrine from Hell called Replacement Theology, expose antisemitism from within the Church and to do my best to destroy them both utterly. We will be answering questions like "How does a Christian explain Israel?" and "Is replacement theology Biblical?"Since this is such a broad and massive topic of discussion, I will be stopping there only to continue this study in the following episode, which will focus on the debunking of Replacement Theology with Sha'ul's (Paul's) own words. Also I will dive into the true and Biblical definition of the term "Synagogue of Satan", how the Bible is a book of Jewish self-criticism and finally, pointing out the fact that Yeshua The Messiah has NOT REPLACED Israel and that anyone who believes in this lie needs to reevaluate their theology and get right with the Messiah of the Jews! To go against Natural Israel (as opposed to the Israeli government) is to go against Yeshua Himself!To my fellow Gentile pastors; do not wait for another, different Israel to return to its Biblical boundaries that were promised to her over and over again by her God in the very Scriptures you read from, every Sunday morning! The prophecies of ADONAI are being fulfilled in front of your very faces yet your relying on your own wisdom and understanding is causing you to MISS IT.I urge you all to revisit your theology and realize what YeHoVaH ÉLÖHÍM יהוה אלוהים is doing in your midst! In Spirit and in Truth ברוח ובאמתIn Messiah Yeshua's Name!My sermon at Epic Life Church in North Seattle - https://www.youtube.com/live/fpERHGuwHaM?si=VHWU3lT8HTVCQ4gqDr. Eitan Bar's Book "Why Don't Jews Believe In Jesus" for purchase on Amazon - https://a.co/d/1rZFmI3

On the second anniversary of the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas, Rabbi Gary teaches a lesson he originally learned from Arnold Fruchtenbaum, entitled, “How to Destroy the Jews.” Rabbi Gary begins with a brief history of the Messianic Jewish Movement, and the beginnings of the Chosen People Ministries. He then explains the meaning of the verse in Genesis 12:2-3 where God tells Abram, “My heart's desire is to make you into a great nation, to bless you, to make your name great, so that you may be a blessing. My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you, I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”Rabbi Gary gives examples throughout history of how this promise, along with the following promises have been, and will eternally be fulfilled.Malachi 3:6: “For I am ADONAI. I do not change, so you, children of Jacob, are not consumed.”Jeremiah 31:35-37: Thus says ADONAI, who gives the sun as a light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars as a light by night, who stirs up the sea so its waves roar, ADONAI-Tzva'ot is His name. Only if this fixed order departs from before Me, then also might Israel's offspring cease from being a nation before Me, for all time. Only if heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then also I will cast off the offspring of Israel, for all they have done.” It is a declaration of ADONAI.Psalm 122:6: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Amen.YouTube: https://youtu.be/VYrjRv5wj9YSend us a text

Rejoicing At Sukkot  Part 5:  Singing Hodu  -  English and Spanish.  During the Feast of Sukkot, we sing Hodu, Give Thanks To Adonai For He Is Good.  How is this beloved song connected to this feast? Join us (and the wind!) under our sukkah for our Shabbat services on October 11, 2025.  This year, the week-long Feast of Sukkot began on Monday night, October 6, at sunset.  Alegría en Sucot  Parte 5:  Cantando Hodu  -  Inglés y español.  Durante la fiesta de Sucot, cantamos Hodu, «Dad gracias a Adonai porque Él es bueno».  ¿Cómo se relaciona esta canción con esta fiesta? Acompáñenos (¡y al viento!) bajo nuestra sucá para nuestros servicios de Shabat el 11 de octubre de 2025.  Este año, la fiesta de Sucot, que dura una semana, comenzó el lunes 6 de octubre al atardecer.

Every Sunday morning, in the daily psalm, Psalm 24, we praise consistent, steady, disciplined ethical behavior:           Who may ascend the mountain of Adonai?          Who may rise in God's sanctuary?          One who has clean hands and a pure heart. Unlike the teaching from Berakhot, that the penitent stands in a place the Tzadik cannot stand, the Sunday psalm exalts consistency, discipline and self-restraint, not struggle and growth. Tomorrow we will examine two biblical characters who embody these models. King David, who commits adultery with Bathsheba, and has her husband Uriah killed, and is chastised by the prophet Nathan. David authors Psalm 51, the words of a penitent heart. Joseph, young and single, is propositioned by his boss Potiphar's wife, and says no repeatedly. In today's context Joseph would be seen as a victim of repeated sexual harassment by an employer who has power over him,  but he never succumbs. The Talmud's only question is whether he was tempted or not. Two rabbis disagree on that. But all agree he did the right thing. As we emerge from Yom Kippur to our new year, how do we assess the models presented to us by King David and Joseph? Is it possible to say yes to both? Is it possible to hold out as an ideal both the growth and struggle that come from falling and getting up; and also self-restraint, self-discipline, and consistent moral excellence? Our sacred canon contains both models. Do we?

Send us a text What does it really mean to declare “Jesus is Lord”? This episode takes you deep into the earliest Christian confession—exploring its roots in the Hebrew word Adonai and the Greek Kyrios, its radical contrast with “Caesar is Lord,” and its sweeping presence across Scripture. We'll unpack how this title affirms both the divinity and sovereignty of Christ, and why it's not just a matter of theology but of allegiance, discipleship, and daily living. Together we'll consider the life-changing implications of Christ's lordship: how it reshapes our worship, our mission, our holiness, and even how we view and value other people. Far from being a casual phrase, “Jesus is Lord” is the heartbeat of Christian faith and the call to live under His reign in every sphere of life. Support the show If you have any questions about the subjects covered in today's episode you can find us on Facebook at the links below or you can shoot me an email at joe@buddywalkwithjesus.com One Stop Shop for all the links Linktr.ee/happydeamedia

On this Sunday, Pastor Chris took a close look at Psalm 113, one of the "Hallel" Psalms, and also called the "Egyptian Hallel." Our marvelous God is both transcendent and immanent. What else can we learn about God the Father and His divine name through this psalm? Praise the Lord! And join us.

Send us a textDuring the month of Elul it is said that the King is more accessible.  Adonai wants us to know He is always available and is calling us into a deeper relationship.

Be My Burning Guest I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.” Last week, we learned: "Of all the righteous ones of Scripture, Avraham and Sarah were the best known for hospitality to strangers, especially when they received the three angels. (So 5:1) Good gardening is good hospitality to the voice of Adonai, His holy Presence. Because human beings, particularly believers walking in the Way of Yeshua, are in His image, practicing hospitality toward people of faith is an especially sweet fruit of the Ruach HaKodesh." Hospitality prepares us to be a part of the Garden of Eden conversation in the Scripture above. We can both invite the Bridegroom hospitably and remain in the Garden because we possess the vital character of hospitality without which a human cannot remain in the Garden. We can be a worthy guest...and friend...who will bless the Garden. To get a better handle on this trait, let's take a careful look at what hospitality is. What does the word mean? Hospitality: Middle English hospital, "residence for pilgrims and travelers, charitable institution providing residence for the poor and infirm," "guest accommodations" (probably by ellipsis from hospit?le cubiculum "sleeping room for guests"), noun derivative of hospit?lis "of a guest, of hospitality, hospitable” The Hebrew word for “guest” is kara ????? The KJV translates Strong's H7121 in the following manner: call (528x), cried (98x), read (38x), proclaim (36x), named (7x), guests (4x), invited (3x), gave (3x), renowned (3x), bidden (2x), preach (2x) Outline of Biblical Usage to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim (Qal) to call, cry, utter a loud sound to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God) to proclaim to read aloud, read (to oneself), read to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint to call, name, give name to, call by The Book of Leviticus is "Vayikra" ["and called"], a book of holies, our calling to create a sanctuary of holiness for YHVH. This hospitality “preaches” His Presence to the earth and His desire to dwell with us. The Torah describes to us our holy "calling." Not only that, Adonai listens to the cries / proclamations of human beings, especially the poor and distressed. Somewhere in this world, your name can be proclaimed to Heaven, either in frustration, agony, and pain, or in gratefulness, relief, and consolation. How this works is that the needy “give name to” the situation in that home or community. A guest can “summon” Adonai's attention for blessing or chaos. He will actually come investigate the call for Divine help or proclamation of gratefulness! • Now the LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by. Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree; and I will bring a piece of bread, so that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” (Ge 18:1-5) Avraham understood what a special opportunity he had. Without a guest, who would bless? Righteous guests are given a Divine mandate to bless or destroy a home. It's an apocalyptic opportunity symbolic of the end of days. Washing feet and providing a safe place to rest with food is the ancient practice of hospitality to guests, especially honored guests. Yeshua told his disciples to honor one another, not a new commandment, but an affirmation and demonstration of an old pattern of hospitality.

A Leaning Lady I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.” Of all the righteous ones of Scripture, Avraham and Sarah were the best known for the hospitality to strangers, especially when they received the three angels. (So 5:1) Good gardening is good hospitality to the voice of Adonai, His holy Presence. Because human beings, particularly believers walking in the Way of Yeshua, are in His image, practicing hospitality toward people of faith is an especially sweet fruit of the Ruach HaKodesh. “Given to hospitality” is not a light characteristic to the righteous. It is integral. It was incorporated into the believers' daily habits in the Books of Acts, and it is a vital quality for an elderwoman of the congregation... The number 60 is signified by the Hebrew letter samekh, which means to support, sustain, to lean upon, ordain: • "Moses did just as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses." (Nu 27:22-23)  ??????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????????? ????????? ??????? ??????????????????? The appearance of the letter samekh is round, like a wheel. A burden may be moved more easily in a wheeled cart than dragged or carried, and to ordain someone for ministry is to infuse them with the spiritual strength to be that person who eases the burdens that others must carry for the Kingdom. The anointing of the ordination is to help that servant bear the suffering for that ministry in the Kingdom. As those who ordain must lean their hands upon the one receiving the ordination, so others will lean upon him or her to ease their suffering. Those who plead for an anointing may not understand exactly what they're asking for. With the anointing comes the suffering! By the age of 60, the individual is considered to have committed his or her best physical years to the royal priesthood, slightly different from the Levites, who formally served from ages 25 to 50 (Nu 8:23-26). This did not preclude them from assisting their younger brothers, serving as mentors. The holy Mishkan/Mikdash work was physically demanding as well as exacting. At the age of 60, a righteous woman has achieved an age where she needs physical support as her due for devoting her life as a royal priestess to the support of the righteous community and her family. She is still a teacher and mentor to the younger, but as others have leaned upon her, now she must lean upon others for physical support: • “A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.” (1 Ti 5:9-10) The age of 60 suggests that she has fulfilled the days of her ordination to every good work. Just as Levites were still entitld to portions from the Temple gifts after retirement, so a righteous elderwoman is entitled to eat from the common fund of the congregation she's served. Paul defines for Timothy the behaviors that are elderwoman good works according to the Word: 1 bringing up children 2 showing hospitality to righteous strangers 3 washing the feet of the righteous (extended hospitality as in #2) 4 recognizing and assisting those in distress A reputation is a “name,” and Ruach-filled women who demonstrated this vital attribute of a good name were entitled to full benefits from their congregations in old age. It was NOT the responsibility of the government, but her congregation if her family was unable to provide.

Rabbi Gary continues to teach about the Holy Spirit. He is a Divine Person. He is eternal, powerful, omniscient, omnipresent, emotional. His works include convicting and prosecuting unbelievers for their sins, and for their lack of God's righteousness. He works through believers to spread the Good News of Messiah Yeshua.YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/17OmpwXW4EESend us a text

Send us a textGrace and peace to yallToday we discuss Mark 5, the man of the tombs, the healing of the woman with bleeding and the raising of a little girl form death to life. All stories of Gods love, compassion and healing power shown through three miraculous stories. All of which resemble us and our life and our desperate need for you.May we stand firm and obedient to you Adonai and to your Torah, old covenant and renewed covenant with us all grafted in as we aman ( believe) All for your GloryIn Yeshaus name we prayAmenSupport the show

Lord, Adonai our dwelling place. For more resources on reading through the Bible in a year, visit my church's website at this link or text us at 888-644-4034. God bless - Doyle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. This is different times of worship in the awesome presence of the Lord. Our hearts give HIm all praise, worship and glory! * A special shout out to Elijah Oylade for his contribution of the song "Adonai" and to Donna Ostrander for her version of "In The Presence Of Angels."

“The Jewish voice must be heard, not because it's more right or less right, but it's there. The suffering is there, the grief is there, and human grief is human grief.” As Jews around the world mark Tisha B'Av, we're joined by Columbia University professor and award-winning poet Owen Lewis, whose new collection, “A Prayer of Six Wings,” offers a powerful reflection on grief in the aftermath of October 7th. In this conversation, Lewis explores the healing power of poetry in the face of trauma, what it means to be a Jewish professor in today's campus climate, and how poetry can foster empathy, encourage dialogue, and resist the pull of division. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.   Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod:  Latest Episodes:  An Orange Tie and A Grieving Crowd: Comedian Yohay Sponder on Jewish Resilience From Broadway to Jewish Advocacy: Jonah Platt on Identity, Antisemitism, and Israel Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War: The Dinah Project's Quest to Hold Hamas Accountable Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview:   Owen Lewis:   Overheard in a New York Restaurant.   I can't talk about Israel tonight.    I know.    I can't not talk about Israel tonight.    I know.    Can we talk about . . .   Here? Sure. Let's try to talk about here.   Manya Brachear Pashman:   On Saturday night, Jews around the world will commemorate Tisha B'av. Known as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the culmination of a three week period of mourning to commemorate several tragedies throughout early Jewish history.  As a list of tragedies throughout modern Jewish history has continued to grow, many people spend this day fasting, listening to the book of Lamentations in synagogue, or visiting the graves of loved ones. Some might spend the day reading poetry.  Owen Lewis is a Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University. But he's also the award-winning author of four poetry collections which have won accolades, including the EE Cummings Prize and the Rumi Prize for Poetry.  His most recent collection, A Prayer of Six Wings documents in verse his grief since the October 7 terror attacks. Owen is with us now to talk about the role of poetry in times of violence and war, what it's been like to be a Jewish professor on the Columbia campus, and a Jewish father with children and grandchildren in Israel. And also, how to keep writing amid a climate of rising antisemitism. Owen, welcome to People of the Pod. Owen Lewis:   Thank you so much, Manya. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So you opened with that short poem titled overheard in a New York restaurant. I asked you to read that because I wanted to ask whether it reflected how you felt about poetry after October 7.  Did you find yourself in a place where you couldn't write about Israel, but yet you couldn't not write about Israel? Owen Lewis:   Among the many difficult things of that First Year, not only the war, not only the flagrant attacks on the posters of the hostages one block from where I live, 79th and Broadway, every day, taken down every day, put back up again, defaced. It was as if the war were being fought right here on 79th and Broadway.  Another aspect that made this all so painful was watching the artistic and literary world turn against Israel. This past spring, 2000 writers and artists signed a petition, it was published, there was an oped about it in The Times, boycotting Israeli cultural institutions.  And I thought: artists don't have a right to shut their ears. We all need to listen to each other's grief, and if we poets and artists can't listen to one another, what do we expect of statesmen? Statesmen, yeah, they can create a ceasefire. That's not the same as creating peace. And peace can only come when we really listen to each other. To feel ostracized by the poetry community and the intellectual community was very painful. Fortunately, last summer, as well as this past summer, I was a fellow at the Yetzirah conference. Yetzirah is an organization of Jewish American poets, although we're starting to branch out. And this kind of in-gathering of like-minded people gave me so much strength.  So this dilemma, I can't talk about it, because we just can't take the trauma. We can't take hearing one more thing about it, but not talk about it…it's a compulsion to talk about it, and that's a way to process trauma. And that was the same with this poetry, this particular book.  I feel in many ways, it just kind of blew through me, and it was at the same time it blew through me, created this container in which I could express myself, and it actually held me together for that year. I mean, still, in many ways, the writing does that, but not as immediately and acutely as I felt that year.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   This book has been praised as not being for the ideological but for the intellectually and emotionally engaged. So it's not it's not something that ideologically minded readers will necessarily be able to connect to, or is it actually quite the opposite?  Owen Lewis:  Well, it's very much written from the gut, from the experience, from in a sense, being on the ground, both in Israel and here in New York and on campus, and trying to keep a presence in the world of poetry and writers. So what comes from emotion should speak to emotion. There are a few wisps of political statements, but it's not essentially a politically motivated piece of writing.  I feel that I have no problem keeping my sympathies with Israel and with Jews. I can still be critical of aspects of the government, and my sympathies can also be with the thousands of Palestinians, killed, hurt, displaced. I don't see a contradiction. I don't have to take sides.  But the first poem is called My Partisan Grief, and it begins on October 7. I was originally going to call the bookMy Partisan Grief, because I felt that American, Jewish, and Israeli grief was being silenced, was being marginalized. And I wanted to say, this is our grief. Listen to it. You must listen to this. It doesn't privilege this grief over another grief. Grief is grief. But I wanted ultimately to move past that title into something broader, more encompassing, more humanitarian. Manya Brachear Pashman:  And did that decision come as the death toll in Gaza rose and this war kept going and going and the hostages remained in captivity, did that kind of sway your thinking in terms of how to approach the book and frame it?  Owen Lewis:  Yes, but even more than those kind of headlines, which can be impersonal, the poetry of some remarkable Palestinian poets move me into a broader look. Abu Toha was first one who comes to mind Fady Joudah, who's also a physician, by the way. I mean his poetry, I mean many others, but it's gorgeous, moving poetry.  Some of it is a diatribe, and you know, some of it is ideological, and people can do that with poetry, but when poetry really drills down into human experience, that's what I find so compelling and moving. And that's what I think can move the peace process. I know it sounds quite idealistic, but I really think poetry has a role in the peace process here. Manya Brachear Pashman:  I want to I want to unpack that a little bit later. But first, I want to go back to the protests that were roiling Columbia's campus over the past year and a half, two years. What was it like to be, one, writing this book, but also, teaching on campus as a Jewish professor?  Owen Lewis:  Most of my teaching takes place up at the Medical Center at 168th Street. And there I have to say, I didn't feel battered in any way by what was happening. I had a very shocking experience. I had a meeting that I needed to attend on, or that had been scheduled, I hadn't been quite paying attention. I mean, I knew about the encampments, but I hadn't seen them, and I come face to face with a blocked campus. I couldn't get on the campus. And what I'm staring at are signs to the effect, send the Jews back to Poland. I'm thinking, Where am I? What is this? I mean, protest, sure. I mean we expect undergraduates, we expect humans, to protest when things really aren't fair. But what did this have to do…why invoke the Holocaust and re-invoke it, as if to imply the Jews should be punished? All Jews.  And what it fails to account for are the diversity of Jewish opinion. And you know, for some Jews, it's a black or white matter, but for most thinking Jews that I know, we all struggle very much with a loyalty to Israel, to the Jewish people, to the homeland and larger humanitarian values. So that was quite a shock. And I wrote a piece called “The Scars of Encampment,” in which I say, I can't unsee that. " And I go to campus, and, okay, it's a little bit more security to get onto campus. It's a beautiful campus. It's like an oasis there, but at the same time, I'm seeing what was as if it still is. And in a way, that's the nature of trauma that things from the past just roil and are present with almost as much emotion as when first encountered. Manya Brachear Pashman:  So did you need to tune out those voices, or did that fuel your work? Owen Lewis:  No, that fueled my work. I mean, if anything, it made me feel much more, a sense of mission with this book. And a commitment, despite criticism that I may receive, and no position I take is that outlandish, except to sympathize with the murdered on October 7th, to sympathize with their families, to resonate with what it must be like to have family members as hostages in brutal, brutal conditions. Not knowing whether they're dead or alive. So I really felt that the Jewish voice must be heard, not because it's more right or less right, but it's there. The suffering is there, the grief is there, and human grief is human grief. Manya Brachear Pashman:  Owen, if you wouldn't mind reading another poem from the collection. Of course, many of us remember the news out of Israel on Thanksgiving Day 2023, right after October 7th. And this poem is titled, “Waiting for the Next Release, Reported by the New York Times, November 23 2023”. Owen Lewis:  Waiting For the Next Release, Reported N.Y. Times, Nov. 23, 2023    Maybe tomorrow, if distrust  doesn't flare like a missile,  some families will be reunited.    How awful this lottery of choice; Solomon would not deliberate. Poster faces always before my eyes,   Among them, Emma & Yuli Cunio.  Twins age 3, Raz Katz-Asher, age 4, Ariel Bibas, another four year old.    What do their four year old minds make  of captivity? What will they say? What would my Noa say?    What will the other Noas say?  Remembering Noa Argamani, age 26,  thrown across the motorcycle    to laughter and Hamas joy.   I have almost forgotten this American day,  Thanks- giving,   With its cornucopian harvests,  I am thinking of the cornucopian  jails of human bounty.    (What matter now who is to blame?) Manya Brachear Pashman:  Really beautiful, and it really captures all of our emotions that day. You have children and grandchildren in Israel, as I mentioned and as you mentioned in that poem, your granddaughter, Noa. So your grief and your fear, it's not only a collective grief and fear that we all share, but also very personal, which you weave throughout the collection.  In another poem, “In a Van to JFK”, you talk about just wanting to spend one more hour with your family before they fly off to Israel. And it's very moving.  But in addition to many of the poems, like the one you just read, they are based on and somewhat named for newspaper headlines, you said that kind of establishes a timeline. But are there other reasons why you transformed those headlines into verse? Owen Lewis:  Yes, William Carlos Williams in his poem Asphodel, says, and I'm going to paraphrase it badly. You won't get news from poems yet, men die every day for wanting what is found there. And I think it's a very interesting juxtaposition of journalism and poetry. And I mean, I'm not writing news, I'm writing where my reflections, where my heart, goes in response to the news, and trying to bring another element to the news that, you know, we were confronted.  I mean, in any time of high stress, you swear off – I'm not watching any more TV. I'm not even gonna look at the newspaper. And then, of course, you do. I can't talk about Israel today. I can't not talk about it. I can't read the paper. I can't not read the paper. It's kind of that back and forth. But what is driving that? And so I'm trying to get at that next dimension of what's resonating behind each one of these headlines, or resonating for me. I mean, I'm not claiming this is an interpretation of news. It's my reaction, but people do react, and there's that other dimension to headlines. Manya Brachear Pashman:  That seems like it might be therapeutic, no? Owen Lewis:  Oh, totally, totally. You know, I'm very fortunate that having started a career in medicine, in psychiatry, and particularly in child and adolescent psychiatry. I always had one foot in the door academically. I spent, you know, my life as, I still teach, but I'm very fortunate to have, maybe 10+ years ago, been introduced to a basically a woman who created the field of Narrative Medicine, Rita Sharon. And now at Columbia in the medical school, we have a free-standing Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics, of which she's chairman.  So I've had the fortune of bringing psychiatry and medicine and writing together in a very integrated way. And yes, writing is therapeutic, especially, I could say in medicine, which has given itself over to electronic medical record keeping, but our whole society is moving towards the electronic. And what happens when you sit and write, and what happens when you then sit and read, you reflect. Your mind engages in a different way that is a bit slower than the fast pace of electronic communications and instant communications and instant thinking. And now with AI, instant analysis of any situation you want to feed data from.  So that's sorely lacking in the human experience. And the act of writing, the act of reading has huge therapeutic values, huge salutary benefits for humans in general, but particularly in times of stress. In a lot of work on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, finding an outlet, an artistic outlet, it doesn't have to be writing, but that's often a way of transcending the trauma.  And medicine is filled with trauma. People trying to come to terms with acute illnesses, chronic illnesses. Doctors and caregivers trying to come to terms with what they can and can't do. And you know, we're coming up against limitations. But how do you make peace with those limitations? And it's not that it's a magical panacea, but it's a process of engagement, not only with the subject, but with yourself in relation to the subject. Manya Brachear Pashman:  I mean, I imagine dialogue is really the healthiest way of conversation and speaking through and interacting with a topic. And so I would imagine poetry, or, as you said, any art form, responding to news reports, it makes that a two way conversation when you're able to process and it's not just the headlines shouting at you, you're actually interacting and processing it by writing and reaction, or painting and reaction, whatever you choose to do. Owen Lewis:  Exactly. Manya Brachear Pashman:  You have said that poetry can serve a purpose during times of war. Is this one of the purposes to to be therapeutic or are you talking more in terms of what statesmen could learn from it?  Owen Lewis:  Well, yes, of course, what statesmen could learn from it, but it's human nature to want to take sides. I mean, that's kind of just what we do. But I think we can always do better than that. So I'm really talking about the people. I mean, there are also many Jews who are so angry at Israel that they can't listen to the story of Jewish grief. They should be reading mine and others poetries from this era. I wish the Palestinian poets were. I wish the Palestinian people. I mean, of course, in their current situation, they don't have time when you're starving, when you're looking for your next glass of fresh water. You don't have time for anything beyond survival.  But once we get beyond that, how long are these positions going to be hardened. I mean, I think when the people of all sides of the dilemma really listen to the others, I mean, they're, I mean, if, unless as Hamas has expressed, you know, wants to push Israel into the sea, if Israel is going to coexist with the Palestinian people, whether they're in a nation or not in a nation, each has to listen to the other.  And it's, you know, it's not one side is right, one side is wrong. It's far too complex a history to reduce it to that kind of simplicity. And I think poetry, everyone's poetry, gets at the complexity of experience, which includes wanting to take sides and questioning your wanting to take sides and moving towards something more humanitarian.  Manya Brachear Pashman:  You said earlier, you recommend Abu Toha, Fady Joudah, two Palestinian poets who have written some beautiful verse about– tragically beautiful verse–about what's happening. But there have been some really deep rifts in the literary world over this war. I mean, as you mentioned before, there was a letter written by authors and entertainers who pledged to boycott Israeli cultural institutions. Some authors have refused to sell rights to their books to publishers in Israel. So why not reciprocate? And I know the answer. I think you've already addressed it pretty well. What's wrong with that approach? Owen Lewis:  In any conflict, there are at least three sides to the conflict. I mean, claims to nationhood, claims to who shoved first, who. I mean, you don't entangle things by aggressively reacting. I mean, if we learned anything from Mahatma Gandhi, it's what happens when we don't retaliate, right? And what happens when we go the extra mile to create bridges and connections.  There are a host of people in Israel who continue to help Palestinians get to medical facilities, driving them back and forth, working for peace. I mean, there's a Palestinian on the Supreme Court of Israel, and well, he should be there. You know, that's the part of Israel that I am deeply proud of. So why not retaliate? I think it entrenches positions and never moves anything forward. Manya Brachear Pashman:  So have you gotten any negative feedback from your writing colleagues? Owen Lewis:  Some cold shoulders, yes. I mean not nothing overtly. I haven't been slammed in a review yet. Maybe that's coming. But when I publish pieces, I tend not to look at them. I had an oped in the LA Times. I've had some other pieces, you know, that precipitates blogs, and I started to read them.  And the first blog that came off of the the LA Times oped was, God, is he an opportunist, just taking advantage of having a daughter in Israel? And trying to make a name for himself or something. And I said, You know what, you can't put yourself out and take a position without getting some kind of flack. So occasionally, those things filter back, it's par for the course. Manya Brachear Pashman:  Right, not really worth reading some of those. You included Midrash in this book. You also spelled God in the traditional sense in the poems. Why did you choose to do that? Owen Lewis:  Well, I felt it honors a tradition of Jewish writing. It mean we have yud, hey, vav, hey, you know, which in English comes down as Yahweh, but it's unpronounceable. The name of God is unpronounceable. And, you know, yud, hey, vav, hey is just a representation. It isn't God's name. And there's a tradition that the name of God, when it's written down, can't be destroyed. And it's a way of honoring that tradition. Millennium of Jewish writers, you know, it's similar to say Elokim, instead of Elohim when the text is written. To sort of substitute. We know what we're talking about, but really to honor tradition, to pay respect and sort of to stay in the mind frame that, if there is a God, he, she, they, are unknowable. And somehow it creates, for me, a little bit of that mystery by leaving a letter out. It's like, G, O, D, seems more knowable than G-d. It's leaving that white space right for something bigger, grander, and mysterious, for the presence of that  right in the word itself. Manya Brachear Pashman:  And what about including Midrash? Owen Lewis: That's a very interesting question. You know Midrash for me, when you steep yourself in traditional Midrash, there's stories that exemplify principles and they fill in gaps. I mean, some of the most important. I mean, we have this notion of Abraham breaking the idols of his father before he left. No. That's Midrash, thats not in the Torah. And yet, nine out of ten Jews will say that's in the Torah, right? So, it kind of expands our understanding of the traditional text. But it also very much allows a writer to creatively engage with the text and expand it. It's like a commentary, but it's a commentary in story, and it's a commentary in terms that evoke human responses, not necessarily intellectual responses. So frankly, I think it's every Jews' responsibility to write Midrash. That reinvigorates the stories, the texts, and the meanings, and then we write midrashes upon midrashes. And you know, we get a whole community buzzing about a single story. Manya Brachear Pashman:  Which is very much what you've done with this collection, you know, writing poetry in response to news stories and engaging it in that way. It's very Jewish response, I would argue.  Do you observe Tisha B'av? Owen Lewis:  You know what I do. You're gonna laugh. My grandmother always warned us, don't go in the water on Tisha B'av, the sea will swallow you up. So I'm a big swimmer. I love swimming. I don't swim on Tisha B'av, because I hear my grandmother's voice, I'm going to be swallowed up. Manya Brachear Pashman:  If you could please wrap up this conversation by sharing a poem of your choice from your latest collection. Owen Lewis:  A poem I love to read again starts with a headline.   2000 Pound Bombs Drop, Reported N.Y. Times, Dec,, 22 2023.   In Khan Younis, the call to prayer  is the call of a dazed Palestinian child crying baba, standing at the brim of a cavernous pit of rubble   biting his knuckles–baba, baba . . .  It's so close to the abba of the dazed  Israeli children of Be'eri, Kfar Azza. There is no comfort. From his uncles   he's heard the calls for revenge– for his home and school, for his bed  of nighttime stories, for his nana's  whisper-song of G-d's many names.   His Allah, his neighbor's Adonai,  cry the same tears for death  and shun more blood. No miracle these waters turning red. Who called forth    the fleets of avenging angels? By viral post: Jewish Plagues on Gaza! A firstborn lost,  then a second, a third. What other plagues  pass over? Hail from the tepid sky?   From on high it falls and keeps falling.  Though we've “seen terrible things,” will you tell us, Adonai, Allah, tell us– do You remember the forgotten promise?   From the pile once home of rubble stone, a father's hand reaching out, baba, abba crushed by the load. We know the silence  of the lost child . . . G-d “has injured us   but will bind up our wounds . . .” Mothers  Look for us, called by the name yamma, calling  the name imma. Our father of mercy, not the god of sacrifice. Our many crying heads explode. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Owen Lewis, thank you so much for talking to us about how this book came about and for sharing some of these verses. Owen Lewis:   Thank you so much. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to listen to my conversation with Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder on the sidelines of AJC Global Forum 2025. Hear how his Jewish identity shapes his work, how his comedy has evolved since the Hamas terror attacks, and what he says to those who try to silence him.

We are proud to introduce the 3rd podcast in the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts: Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness, hosted by Jericho Vincent. "We are the ancestors of the future." This new podcast offers a spiritual home for listeners seeking to connect Jewish ancestral, feminist wisdom with their own svara: moral intuition. Each episode of this limited series delves into a different story of our ancestor Miriam, illuminating her mystical teachings and offering practical tools for navigating and flourishing in personal or political spiritual wildernesses. We're thrilled to periodically feature episodes of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness here on Judaism Unbound. But we don't only feature those episodes alone. Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman, two members of Judaism Unbound's team, supplement each episode with some gemara (commentary) as well. We hope that our ideas will help spur you to form your own gemara, and channel your unique teachings -- about this podcast and beyond -- into the world. Subscribe to Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness anywhere that podcasts are found!------------------------------------Amid pain and fear, joy can sometimes feel like betrayal. Yet, the mystics point out that Miriam's joyful song at the Red Sea is a major liberatory act. In this episode of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness (with Judaism Unbound Gemara/commentary from Lex and Rena Yehuda), our teacher Miriam has some sharp and clear advice. We also dive into the subject of tambourines, somatic experiencing, the mystical power and gender politics of a circle, bell hooks, and a practice for bringing Miriam's living Torah into our own lives.