Podcasts about jewish synagogue

In this sermon by Chris Romig, he examines the message to the church in Philadelphia from the Book of Revelation, illustrating its resilience amid adversity. The ancient city, known for its missionary roots and constant earthquakes, metaphorically parallels the church's situation—they faced societal exclusion and instability yet remained faithful. Chris highlights Jesus' message promising open doors, representing opportunities for mission and a path to eternal security, despite being a small and seemingly powerless community. He emphasizes that these Christians were commended for their steadfastness and faith, despite living in fear and facing persecution. The sermon encourages contemporary believers to see their trials as part of a larger divine plan. Jesus' assurances of stability, protection from future trials, and eternal security offer hope. Chris motivates believers to hold firmly to God's word and find strength in their faith, reassured that through Christ's authority, they are more than conquerors. In conclusion, no matter life's challenges, it is well with their souls.

Clinton breaks the news.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headlines: PM’s pitch to families ahead of election announcement, Syria’s new PM meets old government officials to aid transition, Telstra fined $3 million for 000 network outage, and two new sounds have been added to Australia’s sound archive. Deep Dive: The fire attack against a Jewish synagogue in Melbourne has intensified a battle between our politicians over the meaning of anti-Semitism and who is responsible for encouraging it in Australia. Meanwhile, many people are struggling to know how to talk about anti-Semitism, Israel or Gaza without fear of saying the wrong thing. In part one of The Briefing’s two-part special episode on anti-Semitism in Australia, Bension Siebert speaks with human rights lawyer and Executive Officer at the Jewish Council of Australia, Sarah Schwartz. Listen to part two here: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/the-briefing/episode/the-politics-of-a-jewish-synagogue-fire-attack-p-1? Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fire attack against a Jewish synagogue in Melbourne has intensified a battle between our politicians over the meaning of anti-Semitism, and who is responsible for encouraging it in Australia. Meanwhile, many people are struggling to know how to talk about anti-Semitism, Israel or Gaza without fear of saying the wrong thing. In part two of The Briefing’s two-part special episode on anti-Semitism in Australia, Bension Siebert speaks with writer and co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin. Listen to part one here: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/the-briefing/episode/the-politics-of-a-jewish-synagogue-fire-attack-par?Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Below the streets of Brooklyn, New York, tunnels are hidden beneath a Jewish Synagogue. The people responsible for these tunnels claim they are harmless and are only trying to expand their space. However, there are disturbing links to Jeffery Epstein, Skinwalkers, Shapeshifters, and other sinister activities. Join us as we explore the underground tunnels and similar sites to uncover the truth about "Underground Tunnels & Hybrid Breeding Programs."Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/jW3fflT_4IESupport the Show.

This bonus episode of Judaism Unbound is presented in partnership with Theatre Dybbuk. We are proud to feature their fourth season's fourth episode as a bonus episode here on Judaism Unbound's feed. In each episode, they bring poems, plays, and other creative texts from throughout history to life, all while revealing their relationships to issues still present today. Subscribe to The Dybbukast on Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else that podcasts are found.---------------------------------------------In this episode, presented in collaboration with Hebrew College, we begin by exploring two poems from the second half of the 19th century by prominent American poets. One, "The Jewish Cemetery at Newport," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is generally thought to have been written during a visit to Newport in 1852 and was then published in 1854. The other, a response to that work by Emma Lazarus, called "In the Jewish Synagogue at Newport," was likely written in 1867 and then published in 1871.Rabbi Dan Judson, Provost of Hebrew College, discusses how the poem by Lazarus both builds upon and deviates from Longfellow's poem. He also shares about the artistic and ideological journey that Emma Lazarus, as a Jewish American writer, took over the course of her career, using her poem "The Banner of the Jew," published in 1882, as an entry point to understand this journey, and touches on the ways in which her evolution speaks to Jewish identity in America and the American experience overall.Support for this episode is provided in part by A More Perfect Union, a project of The Tides Center.

The Queen of the Rex Ball at New Orleans' raucous and world-famous Mardi Gras—beautiful, vibrant, and dressed in an ivory silk lamé gown with chevrons and gold beading—collapses and dies. Was foul play involved?Jenna Depreaux, a maiden in the Queen's court, is rich, popular, and jealous. By any measure —birth, social standing, looks—she should have been selected queen. Or so she believes. Is there blood on her hands?Detective Decker O'Day is on the case. A tough kid from the Irish Channel, he is the son of a cop who was beaten to death on the job and a mother who lost her way to alcohol and promiscuity. He teams up with Detective Gail Waites. She carries her own baggage: a Black woman and a lesbian, her daughter is found dead under mysterious circumstances—nude and drugged, and dumped outside University Hospital.Meanwhile: Two gunmen kill fifty-three souls at a Jewish Synagogue in town. A popular anchor at the local TV news station disappears without a trace. A woman is killed when an unidentified pair drops a cinderblock from an overpass, smashing the windshield of her car.As the bodies pile up, as New Orleans society closes ranks, O'Day and Waites must avoid attempts on their own lives and puzzle together the disparate crimes. Are the events connected? Conflicts arise and tempers flare in this taught and picaresque psychological thriller.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/houseofmysteryradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Richard Syrett Show, March 7th, 2024 Pro-Hamas Agitators Protest in Front of Jewish Synagogue in Thornhill - Daniel Bordman, Senior Correspondent The National Telegraph, Live from the Protest. Keeping An Eye on Your Money - Parliamentary Budget Officer Report: “Canada Facing Massive Deficits for Years to Come” - Franco Terrazzano – Federal Director of The Canadian Taxpayers Federation taxpayer.com In Defense of Women - Sadistic Sex-Killer Luka Magnotta Transfered to Medium Security Prison After Claiming He's Trans. Plus An International women's Day Celebration Toronto, March 8th – Reality Based Women Unite! For More Information https://trinityproductions.ca/ - Heather Mason, Founding Member of Canadian Women's Sex Based Rights (CAWSBAR) "Stop Calling ArriveCan, ArriveScam, says Liberal MP, "You're Eroding Public Trust in our Institutions." Meanwhile, Federal accountants knew of irregularities in the $59.5 million ArriveCan program but were too frightened to speak out. - Tom Korski, Managing Editor Blacklock's Reporter OPEN LINES Biden SOTU address will try to convince voters Trump is dangerous - Larry Schweikart, author of A Patriot's History of Globalism: Its Rise and Decline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Rover place a bet on the Browns? Secret tunnel found under a Jewish Synagogue. Security cam footage shows how oblivious Jeffrey is to what is happening around him. The show learns more details of the Kroger cart flip. Reno family is accusing Jeremy Renner of insulting their family. Duji recaps her holiday break and gives an update on her mom. Krystle got a call about her dad's health.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: The 101 Space You Will Always Have With You, published by Screwtape on November 29, 2023 on LessWrong. Any community which ever adds new people will need to either routinely teach the new and (to established members) blindingly obvious information to those who genuinely haven't heard it before, or accept that over time community members will only know the simplest basics by accident of osmosis or selection bias. There isn't another way out of that. You don't get to stop doing it. If you have a vibrant and popular group full of people really interested in the subject of the group, and you run it for ten years straight, you will still sometimes run across people who have only fuzzy and incorrect ideas about the subject dauntless you are making an active effort to make Something Which Is Not That happen. Or in other words; I have run into people at Effective Altruism meetups who were aghast at the idea of putting a dollar price on a human life, people at LessWrong meetups who did not know what Bayes Theorem was, and people at Magic: The Gathering meetups who thought the old lands tapped for two mana. (Because, you see, new lands don't have a "T: Add [Mana Symbol] to your mana pool" ability, maybe the cards that do say that do something extra when you tap them?) Laughter and incredulity can come across as insulting and push people away. Instead, consider how to make sure the information you care about transmitting is regularly conveyed. It can happen to you! I. As I understand it, the standard Jewish Synagogue service includes a reading from the Five Books Of Moses such that at the end of a year the books have been read in their entirety. Anyone attending every week for a year will have at least heard all of those words once, and if someone has been around for a couple of years it's a reasonable assumption that if they missed a week here or a week there, they'd have heard it the next year. You can't go to synagogue for years and accidentally not know about the slavery in Egypt. I'm not Jewish, so my synagogue knowledge is mostly second hand. I was raised Christian, and while my family branch of Protestantism doesn't have such an organized sequence as the Five Books Of Moses I can confirm that it would have been practically impossible to somehow attend three months of church services and not have been told Jesus loved you. If you skipped a week, that's fine, it came up in other sermons too. If you zoned out at that bit, the first thing I remember being told about writing sermons was to repeat things about three times at different points in the speech. If you showed up with earplugs in, it was written in the program and sometimes in bright colours on the walls. I have on occasion been tempted to put that kind of redundant and overlapping effort into making people aware of such rationalist lessons such as "Zero And One Are Not Probabilities" or "Your Enemies Are Not Innately Evil." Linear education systems play by an entirely different set of rules. A standard American student will go through first grade, second grade, third grade, and so on up to the end of high school. Many will then go to university, and the university can assume that new students already know how to write essays and do algebra. (Though they can't safely assume this is true of every student! There was a college professor at my dinner table growing up, and overheard complaints about how college freshmen were unable to do things such as, without loss of generality, reliably remember the difference between "their" or "there" in a written essay.) Society as a whole does not get to make this assumption. The overt purpose of the entire education edifice is to deal with the fact that civilization has a constant influx of people who don't know how the government works, how written language works, or how we wound...

Link to original articleWelcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: The 101 Space You Will Always Have With You, published by Screwtape on November 29, 2023 on LessWrong. Any community which ever adds new people will need to either routinely teach the new and (to established members) blindingly obvious information to those who genuinely haven't heard it before, or accept that over time community members will only know the simplest basics by accident of osmosis or selection bias. There isn't another way out of that. You don't get to stop doing it. If you have a vibrant and popular group full of people really interested in the subject of the group, and you run it for ten years straight, you will still sometimes run across people who have only fuzzy and incorrect ideas about the subject dauntless you are making an active effort to make Something Which Is Not That happen. Or in other words; I have run into people at Effective Altruism meetups who were aghast at the idea of putting a dollar price on a human life, people at LessWrong meetups who did not know what Bayes Theorem was, and people at Magic: The Gathering meetups who thought the old lands tapped for two mana. (Because, you see, new lands don't have a "T: Add [Mana Symbol] to your mana pool" ability, maybe the cards that do say that do something extra when you tap them?) Laughter and incredulity can come across as insulting and push people away. Instead, consider how to make sure the information you care about transmitting is regularly conveyed. It can happen to you! I. As I understand it, the standard Jewish Synagogue service includes a reading from the Five Books Of Moses such that at the end of a year the books have been read in their entirety. Anyone attending every week for a year will have at least heard all of those words once, and if someone has been around for a couple of years it's a reasonable assumption that if they missed a week here or a week there, they'd have heard it the next year. You can't go to synagogue for years and accidentally not know about the slavery in Egypt. I'm not Jewish, so my synagogue knowledge is mostly second hand. I was raised Christian, and while my family branch of Protestantism doesn't have such an organized sequence as the Five Books Of Moses I can confirm that it would have been practically impossible to somehow attend three months of church services and not have been told Jesus loved you. If you skipped a week, that's fine, it came up in other sermons too. If you zoned out at that bit, the first thing I remember being told about writing sermons was to repeat things about three times at different points in the speech. If you showed up with earplugs in, it was written in the program and sometimes in bright colours on the walls. I have on occasion been tempted to put that kind of redundant and overlapping effort into making people aware of such rationalist lessons such as "Zero And One Are Not Probabilities" or "Your Enemies Are Not Innately Evil." Linear education systems play by an entirely different set of rules. A standard American student will go through first grade, second grade, third grade, and so on up to the end of high school. Many will then go to university, and the university can assume that new students already know how to write essays and do algebra. (Though they can't safely assume this is true of every student! There was a college professor at my dinner table growing up, and overheard complaints about how college freshmen were unable to do things such as, without loss of generality, reliably remember the difference between "their" or "there" in a written essay.) Society as a whole does not get to make this assumption. The overt purpose of the entire education edifice is to deal with the fact that civilization has a constant influx of people who don't know how the government works, how written language works, or how we wound...

Jewish synagogue president murder not a hate crime according to police. Letters to editor

Acts 14:1-28 Paul and Barnabus went as usual into the Jewish Synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed it.

We conclude chapter 9 of the Book of John. We are still in the story of the man who was born blind that Jesus gave sight to. Because the formerly blind man would not lie about who healed him and because he exposed the Pharisees' hypocrisy, they excommunicated him from the Jewish Synagogue. Jesus hears about this and reveals to the man that He is the Messiah. The man believed Jesus and worshiped Jesus.  You can listen to past and future episodes of this podcast and The God Revelation Podcast and the Holy Spirit Podcast on our website  https://renewyourmindministries.org/, or on any podcast platform such as Amazon Alexa, Audible, Apple/Itunes Podcasts, Spotify, iheart, Google Podcasts, & etc. If you need prayer, you can email us at renewyourmindm@gmail.com,or write us at Renew Your Mind Ministries, P.O. Box 721143, Jackson, MS 39272.

Tasmania is home to Australia's oldest surviving Jewish synagogue, but the capital city Hobart hasn't had a full-time Rabbi since the late 1950s.

Luke 18:18-34

Why are we not at Church today… Do we feel like a social and spiritual leprosy sufferer, an unclean outcast? That before entering Church, we must first cleanse ourselves of our issues/faults/problems, etc..! In Mark 1v40-45, we learn that Jesus stretched out his hand to someone condemned, a leprosy sufferer cast out from the social society of the day, cast out from the Jewish Synagogue – unable to worship God, someone who can't be closer than 50 paces to another. No family, no contact, no interaction, no life thereafter, no future… Jesus was renowned as a great Teacher, a Holy Man, a Prophet, someone with Authority over Creation and the Spiritual World, yet he reached further than anyone else, and takes not only the sin of this individual, but at the Cross, Christ Jesus takes all of our sins too… Join Pastor Gareth as he teaches from Mark 1v40-45 and unpacks the true caring and loving nature of Christ Jesus and God, for every single one of us.

The Hebrew Roots movement has a growing reputation for being overly negative, critical, and hostile to the good things brought to us by the Jewish Synagogue and Christian Church.

“Passionate Living” Philippians 3:8-12 –08/27/21 Philippians 3: CHRIST OUR GOAL 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained,[b] or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me 8)Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ  “Yet indeed” or “Yea Doubtless” (Kjv) In the construction of the Greek language Paul is making a passionate statement, a plea as it were to the Philippian Church about the force & passion with which he was pursuing Christ as an example for them to follow…it reads “yea, therefore, at least, EVEN” Paul wanted to Leave no doubt at as to His Pursuit in life. “Count” The same verb (counted) as used in vs. 7 …here it is in the present tense showing continuous action in present time. Paul had come to the steadfast CONVICTION that any supposed gain in the world he might attain was but total loss if He failed to GAIN CHRIST “loss”-- Paul continually held a tenacious& habitual focus & Mind-set against anything that might come between Him & the goal of Christ, so he counts EVERYTHING  personally to himself  as a Loss, except knowing Christ Acts 20:24 But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course[a] and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace. Romans 8:18 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. “excellence,excellency”   of  a Higher, supreme , surpassing degree       8)Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, …speaks of the relationship that Paul developed with Jesus thru intimate communion & companionship with Him, He came to Know Jesus Heart & will; through  time spent in His (Jesus) presence I Cr. 2:2 2 For I didn't think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1:17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,[a] would give you a spirit[b] of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. II Peter 1:3 His[a] divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by[b] His own glory and goodness. I Jn. 5:20 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One.[a] We are in the true One—that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 16:26 What shall it profit a man 13:44 Parable of treasure hidden in a field   for whom I have suffered the loss of all things  this speaks of ALL Paul gave up  at his Damascus conversion. Paul was brought up in what we would say was a ‘closed community'—TARSUS because he & his family were wealthy & only the wealthy could live there. Paul left a life of wealth & status to become the Gentile/Missionary Apostle who made tents to get by. This was NOT all , as his parents basically  disowned their son, because he left Jewry …He had been supported by his folks  studying under Gamaliel at the U. of TARSUS, as an up & coming Priest in the Jewish Synagogue. that I may gain Christ   Not Paul's salvation, BUT appropriating in His Life the graces & nature of Christ into his whole being…GAIN= (Kedaino) an acquisition made from shunning evil 9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; “Be found” more like ..'to turn out actually to be'( like grk. Expression here Gal. 2:17 we ourselves are found to be sinners). The idea here is that of a REVELATION of Character ,,that is, Paul LONGS to demonstrate in His Life that He is IN Christ…He wants others to observe this in his nature not having my own righteousness, ..The idea is not having a righteousness  ANY righteousness that could be called MY own…Paul wanted to completely divorce himself of any thought or effort that he was ‘A LAW Keeper' by his own efforts. He desired for men to see the Righteousness of a Life Hidden in Christ produced by Holy Spirit. 9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;   Romans 10:2-6 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end[a] of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.[b]6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?”[c] that is, to bring Christ down Romans 3:28 28 For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Romans 9:30 30 What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. Romans 4:1-16 Titus 3:5 He saved us— not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 8:3,10:4 faith in Christ, that Righteousness that is authored in Christ, which Paul now nourishes & maintains . This Faith is furnished to All believers & appropriates the Blessings which flow from Grace. I Cor. 1:30 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One.[a] We are in the true One—that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. II Cor. 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things[a] have come. Vs. 10,11) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead. “that I may know Him”  ..that  is to come to know by experience, an experiential knowing, or knowledge….Paul wants to come to a place of knowing Jesus in the FULNESS of EXPERIENCE that only comes by an intimate relationship With Him ..TO FULLY KNOW Him!    I Jn. 3:2 Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.   Vs. 10,11) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead. “the power of His resurrection,” Paul wants to experience the SAME Power which Raised Christ from the dead surging through His whole being, overcoming all sin in his life & showing forth the very nature of Christ for all to see…POWER= DYNAMIS… power, ability, physical or moral, as residing in a person or thing;..power in action, force, a strength, violence, virtue, mighty power, miracle working power. In this context the meaning is a POWER that overcomes resistance. Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel [a]of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 6:4 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way[a] of life. II Cr. 4:10 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. I Peter 1:3 3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1:18-20 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 3:20-21 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 3:20-21 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.“fellowship of His sufferings,” = a joint participation…these refer to the sufferings of Christ for righteousness sake while here on earth….II Cor. 11:22-33 Paul's ‘resume of suffering' 1:24 24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, I Pe. 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. “being conformed to His death,” LITERALLY “ To Bring to the same form with some other person”…we already saw this Grk word Before in Phil. 2:5-8  in the great KENOSIS(an emptying out)passage…Phil 2:6(being in the form of God)= Form(morphe)…here 3:10 ‘made conformable, being conformed' (symmorphizo)…morfe/morphizo are of same root Vs. 10,11) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead. When These  Four Essentials are evident In Our Lives then we will CONSTANTLY be Made CONFORMABLE To Christ's Death : To show evidence by the very life we live To BE IN CHRIST By Coming To KNOW HIM Better All the time, a consistent deepening of relationship with HIM By Experiencing the same Dynamis that raised Christ from the dead surging through our being By Becoming Joint-Participants in Christ's Sufferings for Righteousness sake   **BOTTOM  LINEJ!! Paul's desire was that he might come to KNOW His Lord Jesus so intimately & with such Resurrection DUNAMIS operating  through His Being, along with a joint-participation  in Christ's sufferings that he would become both as to his inner heart  life & & as to His outward expression of just the same, like Jesus in respect to Christ's death , not just physically, but as we already showed in Phil. 2:7a KENOSIS..a death to self & denial of all things selfish …for the Blessing of others…THIS is what Paul strove for!!Paul was laying his life down in conformity& submission to the spirit & temperament of Christ's life, in all manner of lowliness  & meekness…both in Life & eventually in physical death   Vs. 10,11) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead.  “If  By Any Means”  This is not an expression of doubt but rather AUTHENTIC humility…Paul shows a modest yet assured Hope. “May/might  attain” =Greek language means “to arrive at a GOAL” “resurrection” exanastasis….This is the only place in the NT where this word is used…Literally from ‘OUT OF' …translation “Out Resurrection from(among) the dead”. Paul may be referring to the future resurrection of the physical body of the saint (I Cr. 15,Jn. 5:29,Lk. 20:35).However, This  more likely refers to a spiritual Resurrection         10,11)that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead.   2:4-8  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, A resurrection…out from a state of sin where one is dead in trespasses, to a LIFE divinely Empowered motivating our every action Also refers to the Rapture   12 Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. “ Not that I have already attained” The conclusion, here is Paul has experienced to a measure a ‘Conformity To Christ's Death” (see points 1-4 above), yet he has yet to Appropriate= I may lay hold of  these to Their FULLEST MEASURE in His life….He is always looking to increase in these attributes…refers back to vs. 10 (To KNOW Him)   Am already perfected/either were already perfect…Perfect (teleioō) not perfect in the literal sense(sinless), But complete, meaning ‘Spiritually Mature' Paul is stating that he is STILL seeking Spiritual Growth & Maturity, He has not stopped or become stagnant or indifferent spiritually ‘But I press on/follow after' (dee-oko)  TO PURSUE…Paul has in mind. the metaphor of a Greek runner running in a race. He is pressing on to a FIXED Goal, keeping up the chase as it were with much Passion Rendering…Not that I have already (LAMBANO)or am already perfected but I press on that I may but I press on that I may lay hold(apprehend) of  (KATALAMBANO) that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of (Apprehended) (KATALAMBANOED) Me Forceful, passionate language…an INTENSE pursuit Lambano= accept, take, receive, obtain Katalambano = more forceful, to seize to “RUN DOWN”…see football highlight: Dk Metcalf runs down Budda BakerJ 12 Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Good translation” Grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasps me” –JB. Phillips   1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:--- This is what Paul was Apprehended/laid hold of FOR & In turn he wants to Apprehend Christ ( verses Phil. 3:10-11—ABSOLUTE CHRISTLIKENESS) I Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight for the faith; take hold of eternal life that you were called to and have made a good confession about in the presence of many witnesses. II Peter 1:5 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 63:1 God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. 84:2 my heart & flesh cry out for God, Ps. 42:1 as the deer panteth after water so my soul longs for thee Proverbs 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. HEART REFLECTIONS: THOUGHT: Could it be that much of the church today over the last 50 years has been so busy showing the world how much we can do for Christ and lost sight of how the N.T. Church of Paul's day was just content to demonstrate to the world how much He could do through them List out all your positive attributes & gifts today…then get alone with ABBA & examine your heart to see if you are trusting Your Gifts or HIS Power As a Christian today, you have Christ Living in your heart, Have you taken the next step to really GAIN CHRIST fully? THINK: Knowing ABOUT Christ has Value, But Knowing HIM brings Vitality As MINISTERS…..we want /need 3 Things POWER = The Power of the Resurrection that eradicates all worry & despair Compassion =will come through sharing HIS sufferings (I Cr. 13:4) Purity = through Conformity to His Death…to accept the judgment & refuse to let ‘dead things' live any longer in our lives  

Scenes from Paul's Missionary Journey. He was not playing about being used by the Lord. I'm so glad you're here. It's a pleasure to study with you.Subscribe To the newsletter!!Free Bible Study Cardswww.blessed2bs.comInstagram: @Bleesed2bs/ @Legion_loveFacebook: BoujeebiblestudiesSupport the show

The FBI was exposed for their "racial tendencies" in an announcement that the terrorist activity at the Jewish Synagogue in Texas which resulted in kidnappings and subsequent death of the terrorist -- who is Islamic -- were not "antisemitic" actions! Democrats are going insane at the obvious loss of their "big" legislative proposals: Build Back Better, the so-called "Voter Reform" Bill, and the killing of the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. Biden is as lost as ever while Dr. Fauci's personal wealth has been exposed.

Today, we delve into Acts 22 & 23, where we continue in the Movement series.  We pan across the account of Paul, where he is speaking before the Jewish Synagogue in Jerusalem.  He is telling them the details of his story; the actual account of how God has led him from persecuting the church to becoming a promoter of the church to the Gentiles.  He doesn't sugar coat it, but instead he shares the good and bad of his life, leading up to this moment.  The Jewish leaders do not like what they hear, but they cannot debate it.  It is his story!  Likewise, you have your story; life experiences that happened to you.  Your story cannot be debated, because it is your story.  Even if your story sounds unbelievable, it cannot be debated because it is your story.  God asks us to share our story, because he can use it to change people's lives.  Are we willing to share our story?

- with Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

The Jewish leaders in Antioch reject the message of Paul and Barnabas so they turn to the gentiles. This sermon has two points: 1) Preaching to the Jews: Paul preaches a sermon all about Christ and the way he fulfilled the OT promises. Preaching in a Jewish Synagogue he emphasizes OT Scriptures, God’s promises, etc. And he adds how Jesus does what the law could not- brings forgiveness, freedom, justification. It’s good news. 2) Turning to the Gentiles: The Jews by and large reject Jesus and Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles- the Gentiles embrace the message- the gospel spreads, the church grows, etc. This is a significant turning point in God’s plan and it is according to his sovereign design.

Not many people can say they went from an Agnostic/Atheist upbringing, to being married in a Jewish Synagogue, to converting to Christianity, to leaving organized religion altogether. My guest this week, Angela Morris, is truly a gem of a human with an incredibly unique story. She describes herself as a makeup artist, writer, social media manager, coach, and trauma recovery nerd. We chat about everything from the realizations that come from moving cross-country, to the harm Christianity can do to the vulnerable, to what God looks like, to how doing makeup can literally change women, non-binary, and trans folks' lives. Angela's unique faith journey, her resiliency to a patriarchal system stacked against her, and her overall bad assery are sure to inspire you. Listener discretion is advised due to discussion of religious trauma, sexual assault, and adult language.Connect with Angela Morris:Instagram: @thatangelamorrisWebsite: angelamorrismakeup.comFollow the Show:https://linktr.ee/theexistentialginger Brought to you by White Horse Media Grouphttps://therealwhmg.com/"

Emma Lazarus / In the Jewish Synagogue at Newport read along with the episode of The Burning Bush.

The Pico Union Project is the name of an extraordinary community center located in a Jewish Synagogue dating back to 1909, situated in a multiethnic Los Angeles neighborhood of many refugees. The Center is a model of vibrancy that practices responding to the needs of neighbors with determination and imagination. PUP founded by Craig Taubman who worked for years in the music industry, uses his talents to bring people together from all over Los Angeles to a Center created at a time of divisiveness. To make a donation go to www.picounionproject.org or write to PUP 1153 Valencia, Los Angeles, California 90015, USA

As part of our documentary on Otto Jaffe and the history of the Jewish Community in Northern Ireland, we paid a visit to the Belfast Hebrew Congregation on the Somerton Road.   The North Belfast synagogue is the third synagogue built in Belfast, the first one being built by Daniel Jaffe on Great Victoria Street and the second by his son Otto Jaffe on Annesley Street near Carlisle Circus.   While there, we were given a tour by Michael Black: the current chairman of the Northern Irish Jewish community and someone with a lot of knowledge about the history of the building.   We had such a great time with Michael and were so interested in what he had to share that we've decided to release our full rough-cut with you so that you can enjoy a virtual tour of one of Belfast's best-kept secrets.   Enjoy!  

Paul and Barnabas are in Iconium on the First Missionary Journey. As is Paul's custom he goes first to the Jewish Synagogue. There a great company of both Gentiles and Jews embrace the Gospel. However, many of the Jews are not happy and stir up trouble for the Apostles. Join Pastor Ken as he goes through the book of Acts in this series called "Unstoppable"

WEB   IG    FACEBOOK    TwitterWEB – www.lotparty.com  IG - https://www.instagram.com/lifeotheparty/FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/LifeOTheParty Twitter - https://twitter.com/LifeO_ThePartyFor 40 years Mark has been part of the event industry. Founder of Life O' The Party in 1980 (for balloons, decor & party entertainers). President of Balloonacy (balloons retail & wholesale). Co-Founder of The All-Star Revue and founder of the BALLOONstitute, conventions for the balloon industry. Publisher of BALLOONS & Parties Magazine. He was President of the NY Metro ILEA Chapter during its only time as Chapter of the Year. Mark is a part-time musician (percussionist), avid photographer, currently President of his local Jewish Synagogue for 18 years. Proud father of two (Emily & Benjamin) and husband to Andrea.

Over the past few years, I have become consciously aware that some serious challenges and tension are in store for the Messianic movement. We are going through some growing pains, and issues are on the horizon that too many are unprepared for. The world at large is certainly not getting any less complicated, and globalization and the mass market mean that old ways of doing things may not necessarily work any more in the Twenty-First Century. Both the Jewish Synagogue and Christian Church are beginning to recognize this—which means the responsibility for Messianics is twice as high as it is for your average Jew or Christian. We need to be a people stirred to action, and guided by the Holy Spirit as we prepare to enter into a new chapter of our development. The post How Are We to Live as Modern Messianics? – Articles appeared first on Messianic Apologetics.

Here is a copy of my 2020 Vision Bible Reading Plan for you to download.You can take a look at the Learn to Love Again Infographic here.Remember to Love God, love you, and love people!

The ISDA Secure Transportation and Executive Protection News Podcast for Wednesday, November 7, 2018  ======================  In Vehicle News From Wired.Com AUDI'S A8 SEDAN ROLLS WITH THE PUNCHES TO MAKE T-BONE CRASHES SAFER OF ALL THE things that can ruin a nice drive in your brand new luxury sedan, few are as reliably cringe-inducing as failing to notice a speed bump until your front wheels make first contact. The jarring thwack and screeching scrape give way to regret and embarrassment, often underscored by spilled coffee and peeved passengers. If you’re driving Audi’s new A8, though, you need no longer worry about such red-cheeked moments. Even if you don’t see the impending bump, one of the $84,000 sedan’s cameras will. In the space of 300 milliseconds, the car’s optional “Predictive Active Suspension” system uses electric actuators to essentially lift each wheel just as the obstacle arrives. The car itself stays level. Audi created this to smooth the annoying jolts that come with driving on roads that are rarely as smooth as anyone would like. The resulting glide-like ride quality is just one of the tricks enabled by the 24 sensors that Audi’s engineers built into the A8, including cameras, radars, and the first lidar laser scanner to make it into a production vehicle.   https://www.wired.com/story/audi-a8-active-safety-features/   ====================== And from Bloomberg News Rental Cars Are Making You Happier at the Airport When it comes to the travel trio of airports, airlines and rental cars, the latter is the clear consumer favorite these days, according to a customer survey by J.D. Power. Satisfaction with renting a car rose to an industry average of 830 points on the market-research firm’s 1,000-point rating system, a slight increase from 2017, the company said in a statement Wednesday. That was the highest mark ever reached in the survey’s 23-year history, J.D. Power said. The perceived value of the deal—better cars paired with rental costs that haven’t increased much in recent years—appears to be playing a large role in travelers’ improved mood at the airport, said Michael Taylor, J.D. Power’s travel practice lead.   https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-07/rental-cars-are-making-you-happier-at-the-airport ====================== In Security News From the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism Far-Right Fatal Ideological Violence against Religious Institutions and Individuals in the United States: 1990-2018 Following the Oct. 27, 2018 shooting at a Jewish Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, START researchers compiled background information from the United States Extremist Crime Database (ECDB) on ideologically motivated, fatal far-right violence in the United States, generally, and far-right extremist homicides and plots related to religion and religious institutions, specifically.   https://www.start.umd.edu/pubs/START_ECDB_FarRightFatalIdeologicalViolenceAgainstReligiousTargets1990-2018_Oct2018.pdf ==================== In Technology News The Roadside Hero 9 in 1 Multi-Function Solar Powered Car Emergency Flashlight Tool with Window Breaker, Seat Belt Cutter, Compass & Flashlight for Travel and Emergencies The Roadside HERO™ will most likely become the best and most useful tool you've ever owned. Your flashlight collection is not complete without this solar powered multi-function survival flashlight with hammer, belt cutter, magnet, compass, and power bank. It can be used as a regular 3-mode 200 lumen standard flashlight, 10 LED bright white work light light, or red emergency SOS light. The unique tip has a belt cutter, hammer (for breaking glass in case of an emergency) and a magnet to mount the flashlight. The solar panel allows you to get endless power to its built in 2000mah 18650 battery. This flashlight also doubles as a power bank to charge your USB devices. This is the perfect item to keep in the car, home, and go bag. Features: Shockproof Main Light: 200 Lumen Flashlight (3W LED) (High, Low & Strobe) Side White 2835x10 (150 Lumens) (High, Low) Side Red 2835x10 620x625 wavelength (Fast Strobe, Slow Strobe) Emergency Hammer / Glass Breaker Belt / Rope Cutter Magnet for mounting Dual Charging Modes: 5W 50ma Solar Panel & 5V Micro USB (Power In) Compass 5V/1A USB Power Bank (Power Out) 2000mAH 18650 Internal Battery https://amzn.to/2qxXJjl ====================== Links to all news stories mentioned in this podcast are available at the SecurityDriver.Com website. You can also listen to past podcast episodes and leave comments. Thanks for listening to the ISDA Secure Transportation and Executive Protection News podcast.  ====================== This podcast is brought to you by the International Security Driver Association ISDA is a valuable resource for all practitioners working in the protection profession. We offer benchmark educational, networking, and marketing programs. The ISDA Membership ISDA Members represent all facets and levels of the protective services profession. The membership can be defined as a group of practitioners from different disciplines within the profession and with years of experience coming together to assist ISDA Members. Read more about our members Here is a collection of Books, and Articles authored by ISDA Members. Learn More about the ISDA Advantage and Become a Member Today

Episode 22 covers tea like the Jewish Synagogue shooting, Cardi & Nicki still bickering, JD's thoughts on the NFL Boycott and  Joe Budden's Misogynistic ways... **Black Foolishness:** * Door Step Dana Update * Orlando Brown needs help **Dear White People:** * Alabama Man  * Will Ferrell * Necrophiliac Cannibal   **Black Excellence:** * Remy Ma * Police Shooting Survivor Leon Ford **                                            Main Topic** **                                    HALLOWEEN DON’TS** **Trash:** * **DM invaders**

A week of Terror in America. Over the past several days Americans have been unnerved in a rash of pipe bombs being sent to prominent Democrats and critics of Donald Trump. The suspect was apprehended but just when you thought it was all over Saturday morning Americans woke to find that a mass shooter had killed and wounded several people at a Jewish Synagogue in the state of Pennsylvania. With the midterm elections just, days away and the divide getting wider daily among American Citizens what can we expect on election day, and better yet what can we expect in response to Right Wing Terror groups that operate blatantly in America with what many would call the blessing of their patron saint. Donald J. Trump!! Join us Tuesday on Real Talk All the Time as we discuss the real threat of white terror in America. Real Talk All The Time, 100% Real, Unrehearsed, Unpolished, Unapologetic, real talk for real people. The Call in 646-668-2370. Tuesday Nights @7PM on Blog Talk Radio!!!!

On Saturday, October 27, a gunman named Robert Bowers stormed a Pittsburgh synagogue during Saturday services. He killed 11 worshippers and wounded another six at the Tree of Life Synagogue before he was arrested by police officers. Listen to find out what leaders are saying about this story.

Hi Swallowers, the sh*t in this episode will cover: Hot Topics: Gunman murders 11 in Jewish Synagogue, Chelsea Handler appears on Ellen to talk about white privilege and voting, Vogue apologizes for Kendall Jenner's fro pic on IG, Pooch Hall facing 6 years in prison for DUI involving 2yr old son, Tekashi 6in9ine sentenced to 4 years probation, 50 Cent is still petty. Need Some Head recipient: Rihanna! Topic of the Day: Dick almost ruined my life. We discuss personal times and fan submitted experience where a person or great sex almost almost had ruined our lives. All this and more!

Adam Greenman and Rabbi Sarah Mack join the Tara Granahan Show to discuss the shooting at a Jewish Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Brad Sullivan Proper 25, Year B October 28, 2018 Emmanuel, Houston Mark 10:46-52 Isaiah 2:2-4 Out of Anger, Hatred, and Killing, “Let There Be Light” “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3) Bartimaeus, a man who was blind called to Jesus to have mercy on him, and when Jesus asked what he wanted, he said, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said, “Go; your faith has made you well,” and immediately Bartimaeus could see. Where there had been a formless void and darkness for Bartimaeus, Jesus spoke, and there was light. It is no stretch to draw a connection between the light at the beginning of creation and the restoration of sight for Bartimaeus, because there was so much more going on with Bartimaeus than one man getting to see again. The same voice that said, “Let there be light,” said to Bartimaeus, “Go; your faith has made you well.” God was once again bringing light into the darkness. You might think that God would get tired of saying “let there be light” over and over again in the midst of our darkness, but it seems that in God’s love, God never tires of bringing light into the formless void of our darkness. Anger, hatred, killing. “Let there be light,” God says. “Let there be light.” The healing of Bartimaeus was a sign, a reminder that God is always taking the darkness of the world upon himself and bringing light and healing to this broken world. I’m guessing that most people who witnessed Bartimaeus’ healing didn’t think to themselves, “Oh, God is restoring light into the void and darkness of humanity’s sin.” Most probably just thought, “Cool, Barty can see again,” but restoration and healing of creation is what was really going on in the healing of Bartimaeus, and the really cool thing about Bartimaeus is, he got to be a part of Jesus healing and restoring creation. He got to be a part of Jesus’ light casting out darkness. Now, Bartimaeus didn’t do anything great. All he did was ask Jesus for help, but because he did, Jesus got to show that the light of God has not left the world in darkness, but rather God’s light is always with us in this world casting out darkness for those who wish to see. We are here worshipping in a Jewish Synagogue because after Hurricane Harvey flooded our church, the Rabbi and people of Temple Sinai offered their sacred space for us to worship in on Sundays. They were the light in our darkness, and as with Bartimaeus, there was and is now something so much bigger going on than a small Christian community getting a place to gather for worship. In our communities coming together, God is working to heal his world. In our communities sharing Temple Sinai’s house of worship, God is casting out the darkness of anger, hatred, and killing. Now, there was no anger, hatred, and killing between Emmanuel and Temple Sinai, but as we saw yesterday in Pittsburg, there is still plenty of anger and hatred towards and killing of the people of Israel. People at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg were gathered yesterday for a Shabbat service, for Sabbath rest and peace, and a man walked in and killed 11 people simply because he hated wanted to kill Jews. The darkness of anti-Semitism, that anger, hatred, and killing is tragically still with us. So, when I say we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves by gathering here for worship at Temple Sinai, I mean we are a part of God casting out the darkness of anti-Semitism, of anger, hatred, and violence of all kinds. By being here, we are a part of God’s continuing story of taking the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and violence, and saying to that darkness, “Let there be light.” Now, like Bartimaeus, we haven’t done anything. All the work was done by a Jewish rabbi and her congregation saying, “Come, worship, let our house be your house.” All we did was say, “yes please, thank you,” and God said, “Let there be light.” That is the story we are a part of by being here. That is the story we get to tell because we are here. We get to be a part of and tell the story of God healing creation. I hope we don’t miss that. I hope we don’t take this time gathering for worship in this sacred and holy place and simply think, “cool, we got a place to worship.” There is so much more going on here than just having a place to gather on Sundays. Jesus said his followers would be kicked out of the synagogues, and yet here we are. Peace and wholeness in creation is being restored. In Isaiah 2:2-4, we here a vision of peace, of peace in Jerusalem and peace in the world. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:2-4) That is the story we get to be a part of by worshipping here on Sundays, by accepting Temple Sinai’s offer for light in our darkness. People need to hear this story. It’s a story worth telling because it is part of a story that is so much bigger than we. Like Bartimaeus’ story was so much bigger than just him receiving his sight, our being here is part of God’s story of constantly saying, “Let there be light,” to the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and killing. In the wake of 11 deaths at Tree of Life Synagogue, tell this story. Tell the story of Emmanuel at Sinai, the story of this congregation opening up their hearts to us, the story of God saying, “Let there be light.”

What do we know about Robert Bowers? Well, Handel gives you the latest.Handel goes over Gab - the extremely friendly social media site that was used by the Jewish Synagogue gunman.And, Handel discusses how businesses pose an issue for Newsom if he wins!

Adam Greenman and Rabbi Sarah Mack join the Tara Granahan Show to discuss the shooting at a Jewish Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Brad Sullivan Proper 25, Year B October 28, 2018 Emmanuel, Houston Mark 10:46-52 Isaiah 2:2-4 Out of Anger, Hatred, and Killing, “Let There Be Light” “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3) Bartimaeus, a man who was blind called to Jesus to have mercy on him, and when Jesus asked what he wanted, he said, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said, “Go; your faith has made you well,” and immediately Bartimaeus could see. Where there had been a formless void and darkness for Bartimaeus, Jesus spoke, and there was light. It is no stretch to draw a connection between the light at the beginning of creation and the restoration of sight for Bartimaeus, because there was so much more going on with Bartimaeus than one man getting to see again. The same voice that said, “Let there be light,” said to Bartimaeus, “Go; your faith has made you well.” God was once again bringing light into the darkness. You might think that God would get tired of saying “let there be light” over and over again in the midst of our darkness, but it seems that in God’s love, God never tires of bringing light into the formless void of our darkness. Anger, hatred, killing. “Let there be light,” God says. “Let there be light.” The healing of Bartimaeus was a sign, a reminder that God is always taking the darkness of the world upon himself and bringing light and healing to this broken world. I’m guessing that most people who witnessed Bartimaeus’ healing didn’t think to themselves, “Oh, God is restoring light into the void and darkness of humanity’s sin.” Most probably just thought, “Cool, Barty can see again,” but restoration and healing of creation is what was really going on in the healing of Bartimaeus, and the really cool thing about Bartimaeus is, he got to be a part of Jesus healing and restoring creation. He got to be a part of Jesus’ light casting out darkness. Now, Bartimaeus didn’t do anything great. All he did was ask Jesus for help, but because he did, Jesus got to show that the light of God has not left the world in darkness, but rather God’s light is always with us in this world casting out darkness for those who wish to see. We are here worshipping in a Jewish Synagogue because after Hurricane Harvey flooded our church, the Rabbi and people of Temple Sinai offered their sacred space for us to worship in on Sundays. They were the light in our darkness, and as with Bartimaeus, there was and is now something so much bigger going on than a small Christian community getting a place to gather for worship. In our communities coming together, God is working to heal his world. In our communities sharing Temple Sinai’s house of worship, God is casting out the darkness of anger, hatred, and killing. Now, there was no anger, hatred, and killing between Emmanuel and Temple Sinai, but as we saw yesterday in Pittsburg, there is still plenty of anger and hatred towards and killing of the people of Israel. People at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg were gathered yesterday for a Shabbat service, for Sabbath rest and peace, and a man walked in and killed 11 people simply because he hated wanted to kill Jews. The darkness of anti-Semitism, that anger, hatred, and killing is tragically still with us. So, when I say we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves by gathering here for worship at Temple Sinai, I mean we are a part of God casting out the darkness of anti-Semitism, of anger, hatred, and violence of all kinds. By being here, we are a part of God’s continuing story of taking the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and violence, and saying to that darkness, “Let there be light.” Now, like Bartimaeus, we haven’t done anything. All the work was done by a Jewish rabbi and her congregation saying, “Come, worship, let our house be your house.” All we did was say, “yes please, thank you,” and God said, “Let there be light.” That is the story we are a part of by being here. That is the story we get to tell because we are here. We get to be a part of and tell the story of God healing creation. I hope we don’t miss that. I hope we don’t take this time gathering for worship in this sacred and holy place and simply think, “cool, we got a place to worship.” There is so much more going on here than just having a place to gather on Sundays. Jesus said his followers would be kicked out of the synagogues, and yet here we are. Peace and wholeness in creation is being restored. In Isaiah 2:2-4, we here a vision of peace, of peace in Jerusalem and peace in the world. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:2-4) That is the story we get to be a part of by worshipping here on Sundays, by accepting Temple Sinai’s offer for light in our darkness. People need to hear this story. It’s a story worth telling because it is part of a story that is so much bigger than we. Like Bartimaeus’ story was so much bigger than just him receiving his sight, our being here is part of God’s story of constantly saying, “Let there be light,” to the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and killing. In the wake of 11 deaths at Tree of Life Synagogue, tell this story. Tell the story of Emmanuel at Sinai, the story of this congregation opening up their hearts to us, the story of God saying, “Let there be light.”

Introduction: The Valley of Dry Bones As we continue in our study in Romans, we're looking for the second week at Romans 11:11-16, and we're looking at the question of God's purpose in Israel's stumbling, God's purpose in Israel's rejection of Christ. And this morning, I'd like to take you in your mind's eye, by the Spirit and by the Word, to a valley. A valley of vision, through the Spirit. Perhaps it was most terrifying of all the visions that Ezekiel, the prophet, had when the Lord did the same for Him. Took him to a valley and set him in the midst of it, and as he moved through the valley, he saw that it was filled with dead men, the bones of dead men. And the bones were bleached and dry, there was no sign of life whatsoever, they were a slaughtered horde. They've been dead so long that the bones were so dry and bleached in the sun, that there seemed to be no hope whatsoever for their future. And Ezekiel was asked a simple and direct question, "Son of man, can these bones live again?" Ezekiel perhaps felt the sense of both dread and hope at the question. He answered the only way he could, "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know." That's a good answer, don't you think? "Only you know whether these bones can live again." Then the Lord commanded him, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord.'" And while Ezekiel obeyed and spoke the Word of the Lord to those dry bones, he heard a deep and mysterious rattling sound, as bone joined a bone. I can't imagine what that sounded like. Terrifying and amazing, wonderful and dreadful at the same time. And there, after the bones were joined, lay a bunch of dead skeletons. But a moment later, the wind of the Lord blew on those skeletons, and tendons and flesh came upon them. And so they stood, fully formed, but still dead, there was no breath of life in them. Once more the Lord commanded the prophet Ezekiel, "Son of man, prophesy to the breath." And as Ezekiel spoke the Word of the Lord, the sound of the rushing wind came from the four directions of the compass, and breathed life into those dead corpses, and they came to life. Now, what did this vision mean? Now, Ezekiel prophesied at a time when Israel's hopes seemed completely cut off, dead. The national future seemed bleak indeed. Because of their sins, the Lord had raised up Gentile armies, the Assyrians, and then the Babylonians, to evict the Jews from their promised land. Most of them were slaughtered, the few that remained were deported to a foreign land, to Babylon. For most people, this means the end of a national existence. And so, Israel's hopes seemed as dead as those dry bones. The vision ends in this way, Ezekiel 37:11-14, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel." "These bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone, we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them. I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land, then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it,'" declares the Lord. Now the lesson of the vision is the same as the lesson of redemptive history, when it comes to the Jews, and that is that the sovereign God has power to call things that are not as though they were, and has the power to give life to the dead. He can do that. He had the power to do it to Israel's hopes in the Valley of Dry Bones. And frankly, that's how the nation of Israel began, when a 100 year old wandering, desert dwelling Aramean named Abraham, had a miracle worked in his own seemingly dead and dry body. And so he was able to beget a son, Isaac, and thus the Jewish nation began. And Paul commented on this in Romans 4:17, speaking of the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were, that's how it began. How fitting then that Romans 11 says that's exactly how it will end as well. For if you look at verse 15, in Romans 11, it says, "If their," the Jews, "If their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be, but life from the dead." And that's what we're talking about. The Alpha and the Omega of the Jewish nation is life from the dead, it is the power of God to call things that are not as though they were. That's the whole history. And that's the meaning of the vision of the dry bones. I said to my kids I thought it was appropriate for Halloween, they said, "Don't mention it, please don't." But now I've mentioned it. What could be more powerful than skeletons that seem to have no life, coming together with a rattling sound, and bringing not death, but life? God has the power to transform anything, even death to life. Now what is the context here in Romans 11? Well, the context is that Paul is deeply troubled and deeply disturbed by the problem of the Jews rejecting their own Messiah. And he's asking the question, "Does this mean that God's Word has failed, that God is not sovereign and powerful to bring forth these kinds of promises?" And he says, "It is not as though God's Word has failed." And then in Romans 9, he focuses on individual salvation, he talks about unconditional election, he talks about the fact that God has the power before the foundation of the world to choose those who are His, and that they will most certainly come to Him. He also talks about individual responsibility in the end of Chapter 9, and in Chapter 10, saying the Jews stumbled over the stumbling stone, they refused to believe in Christ because they were trying to establish their own righteousness. And they couldn't accept a simple Gospel of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, where Jesus does the work, Jesus gets the glory, we get the salvation. They couldn't accept it, and so they stumbled over Christ. II. Paul’s Question: Have They Stumbled In Order to Fall? But now, in Chapter 11, Paul turns to the issue of the future of the whole nation. What is the future of the nation of Israel? What does God have planned for them as a whole? And we see the grace and mercy of God, even in the midst of a dismal situation there. We've seen already two of the graces in that God had not completely rejected all of the Jews. Paul himself was a Jew, and in every generation there would be a remnant preserved by God's grace, a remnant of Jews who would believe in Christ and trust in Him. Paul, a Jewish believer in Christ, was an example of that. So were all the first generation Jews that believed in Christ. Secondly, we see the mercy and grace of God, in that He uses the transgression of the Jews to save Gentiles. That's what we saw last week. But God has that power to do it. The third grace and mercy we're going to see is, this rejection of the Jews is not permanent, but at the end of the age, there will be a great in-gathering of Jews through faith in Christ. And that's what he gets at in the rest of this section. III. God Has a Purpose in Israel’s Stumbling Now, last week we saw that God has a purpose in Israel stumbling. Some of us stumble over the idea of God having a purpose in human sin, but God does have a purpose. We saw in the example of Joseph and his brothers, how they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. And God has that kind of power to intend and mean things that appear evil, and mean it for good. We see that especially in the cross of Jesus Christ, don't we? The most wicked act in history, but it is my salvation, and yours too, if you trust in Christ. A wicked act, an act of sin. And what their motives were, we talked about last week, they will be judged for it and assessed. Each one of them, Pontius Pilate, and Judas, and Herod, and all of them. But for us, God meant it for good, that we might have eternal life and salvation. IV. God’s Purpose for Gentiles We also saw last week that God's purpose for the Gentiles in Israel's transgression was salvation. Look at Verse 11, it says, "Because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles." It says again in Verse 12, it speaks of riches for the world, it says also there as riches for the Gentiles. In verse 15, it says, their rejection, the Jews' rejection, is the reconciliation of the world. So we have salvation for the Gentiles, riches for the world, riches for the Gentiles, reconciliation for the world. We saw all this last week. One of the good purposes of God in the rejection of the Jews, the transgression of the Jews, is that salvation has come to the Gentiles. V. God’s Purpose for Jews But what we're going to see now this week is that God also has a good purpose for the Jews in all of that. What is God's purpose for the Jews? Well, we see layers of purpose in verse 11. Look at Verse 11. "Again I asked, did they, the Jews, stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? May it never be, not at all," he says. "Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles." He doesn't stop there, "In order to make Israel envious." So God doesn't just stop with the salvation of the Gentiles, He goes beyond that and says the salvation of the Gentiles is going to have an effect on the Jews. So God's purpose then, ultimate purpose for the Jews, in the salvation of Gentiles is the salvation of Jews, that's His ultimate purpose. God intends salvation for the Jews. Now, already we're talking about individual Jews, like Paul, who are saved. But Paul has a vision here of the future, he has a vision here of the future of the nation of Israel. And so he talks about the hopeful words and the hopeful intentions he has for the Jews. Look at verses 11-15, and see all the hope there is for the Jews. In Verse 11 he says, "Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all. Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring." Verse 13, "I am talking to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the Apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them." Verse 15, "For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead." Now, in that section, Paul talks about the fullness of the Jews and of their acceptance. This is referring to their relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This is referring ultimately to salvation for a whole generation of Jews, the final generation of Jews. He speaks of the fullness of the Gentiles at the end of this chapter, he's speaking also the fullness of the Jews. The fullness of the Jews and the fullness of the Gentiles comes together at the end of the world. Well, how will this occur? Salvation Through Jealousy Paul says it's salvation through jealousy, salvation through envy. What an odd thing. Isn't it a strange thing the plans and purposes of God? We would never have come up with a salvation plan like this. God raising up a people, the Jews, making extraordinary promises to them saying they are His peculiar people, putting them under a conditional covenant, watching as they disobey that covenant again and again, ultimately bringing the Messiah, physically descended from the Jews, but they reject Him, and so God rejects them. Turns to the Gentiles, the Gentile saved in large numbers, the Jews become envious and jealous, they turn back to their Messiah and believe, and God gets the glory for all of it. Would you have come up with a salvation plan like that? It's extraordinary, and it is deep it. Look what he says, in Verse 13 and 14, he says, "I am talking to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the Apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them." Paul says, "I magnify my ministry," "I make much of my ministry, I talk about it a lot. I am the Apostle to the Gentiles." Now, don't misunderstand Paul, what he's saying here. He doesn't make much of himself. He doesn't make much of how great a person he is. Not at all, he's very humble about his own sin. He talks about how he was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and a violent man, in 1 Timothy. He doesn't make much of himself. But he does make much of his ministry. Why? Why does he glorify his ministry? Because he wants his own people to be provoked to jealousy, so that they'll say, "Hey, I want some of that. I want to sit at that table, I want to feast with the Gentiles. I'm out, I'm excluded. I want to believe in Christ." Case Study #1: Antioch And so Paul's goal is to make the Jews jealous. How does this work? Well, there are a variety of case studies of this in the Book of Acts. First, in the city in Antioch, in Acts 13. There, Paul and Barnabas are ministering. They go as usual to the Jewish synagogue. They preach the Gospel boldly and clearly using the Old Testament to prove that Jesus is the Christ. At the end they give them a warning saying, "Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I'm going to do something in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you." He gives them a warning to believe in Christ. As Paul and Barnabas are leaving the synagogue, a number of the Jews come up and invite them to speak further on these things the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, the Word of God went out through all that city, and a week later just about everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, were there to hear the Word of the Lord. It says there in Acts 13, "When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy." And now they're at the fork in the road, aren't they? Filled with jealousy and they can either believe in Christ and say, "I want to be part of that," or they can begin to persecute, and that's exactly what they did. They talked abusively against what Paul and Barnabas are saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly, "We had to speak the Word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles." That's Paul making much of his ministry to the Gentiles? Who is he talking to there? The Jews. He's saying, "We're going to go to the Gentiles, for this is what the Lord has commanded us, 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.'" When the Gentiles heard this, they were filled with joy and they honored the Word of the Lord, and all who were pointed to eternal life, believed. So, what does Paul do? He tells the Jews who are becoming abusive, he says, "You reject the Word of God. Guess what we're going to do? We're going to turn to the Gentiles, your Gentile neighbors, and we're going to preach the Word of God." And huge numbers of the Gentiles were saved. Case Study #2: Corinth Second case is in Corinth, in Acts 18:6-8. The Jews began to oppose Paul and become abusive, so Paul shakes out his clothes in protest against them. He says, "Your blood be on your own heads. I am clear of my responsibility. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles." Is Paul really done with the Jews at this moment? He really isn't, he's onto Plan B. Plan A is, whenever he goes to a town, he goes to the Synagogue and openly and clearly reasons with them from the Scripture. But when they oppose, when they become abusive, he goes to plan B. He says, "I'm going to the Gentiles now, you watch and see what's going to happen." So he goes to the Gentiles. Then Paul goes next door to the Synagogue, to the house of Titus Justus, a worshiper of God, a Gentile. He goes literally right next door and sets up shop there, and huge quantities of people come to the house of Titus Justus, and they believe in the Lord. And the Gentiles are saved, huge numbers of them. Crispus, the synagogue ruler, a Jew, and his entire household believed in the Lord and were added to the number, and when they heard him preach, Crispus, a large number of others were saved. You see what's happening? Paul goes and he sets up shop right next door to the Jewish Synagogue, makes much of his ministry as the Apostle to the Gentiles, and Crispus, the Synagogue ruler says, "I want to be involved. I want Christ." Case Study #3: Antioch Third case is at the very end of the Book of Acts, Paul and the Jewish leaders in Rome. Paul's there under house arrest, he's in chains for the Gospel. He wants his audience with Caesar, and he's going to get it. In the meantime, he's got some freedom to preach. The first thing he does is that he sends for the Jewish leaders. Usually he would go to the Synagogue, but he can't do it because he's under house arrest, so they come to him. He begins to explain the Gospel to them, and the same thing happens as always. Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves, and they began to leave after Paul had made this final statement, "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers, when he said through Isaiah, the prophet, 'Go to this people and say, "You'll be ever hearing but never understanding. You will be ever seeing, but never perceiving." For this people's heart has become callous, they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.'" "Therefore, I want you to know," says Paul to the Jews, "That God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen." What is Paul doing there? But what he says here in Romans 11, he makes much of his ministry in the hope to arouse some of them to jealousy, and save some of them. And you might say, "What is this whole jealousy theme? Why would God use jealousy to save people's souls?" Well, they said he was going to do this back in the Song of Moses, back in Deuteronomy 32, which we studied last week. The Song of Moses was taught to the Jews right before they entered the promised land, right before they crossed the promised land, Moses taught them a song. Telling them their pre-history, everything they were about to do before they did any of it. And because it was a song, they would remember it. He said, "The song will testify about you, and frankly, against you, for generations to come." Now this is what the Song of Moses said, this is before any of it happened. Deuteronomy 32:16-21. "They made Him jealous with their foreign gods. And they angered Him with their detestable idols. They sacrifice to demons which are not God, gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared gods your fathers did not fear. You deserted the rock who fathered you, you forgot the God who gave you birth. The Lord saw this and rejected them, because He was angered by His sons and daughters. 'I will hide My face from them,' He said, 'and see what their end will be. For they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. [Listen to this] They made Me jealous by what is no God, and they angered Me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people. I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding." Strategy. The Jews enter the promised land surrounded by pagan worship, the Jews are led astray by pagan gods, they forsake God, they make God jealous and envious, because the relationship's somewhat like a marriage. And so God says, "Since you do this, I will make you envious by those who are not a people. I'll make you envious by the Gentiles." Well, how does He do this? The first thing He does is, He does it militarily. He blesses the Gentile armies who come and invade His people. This happens in the Book of Judges, it happens all through Israel's history. Ultimately, it happens when the Assyrians deport the northern tribes of Israel, and then a 100 some odd years later when the Babylonians deport the rest. God blesses the Gentiles militarily. Habakkuk struggles with this, he can't understand why God would bless such a godless people. He's just saying what He's doing what He said He would do. He is blessing the Gentiles as they come in and militarily defeat the Jews in their own promised land, and take control. It's what Jesus called the 'times of the Gentiles'. And during the times of the Gentiles, the Gentiles are in charge in the promised land. The Gentiles are ruling over the Jews, and so God makes them jealous militarily. But secondly, through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, when Gentiles in large numbers hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and believe. In huge numbers, and that's been going on for 2,000 years, all over the world, in every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, almost everyone. Gentiles are hearing the Gospel, they're responding, they're believing. There's a streaming of the nations, Isaiah 2, to Zion spiritually. They're believing in a Jewish Messiah, they're being grafted into a Jewish olive tree, they're believing in large numbers in Jesus Christ. And as a result of that, Paul says, the Jews get jealous, they're left out, they're on the outside, they're not feasting at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but the Gentiles are. The Gentiles are getting the gifts of the Spirit, they're seeing miracles done, they're seeing the evidence of God, but they are left out. God is not blessing the Jews, He's blessing the Gentiles, and as a result, they're starting to get jealous. And isn't it a beautiful thing how God redeems jealousy? Isn't it a beautiful thing how God uses jealousy? The Jews making God jealous leads to their own condemnation, but God uses jealousy to lead ultimately to their salvation. Look what it says in verse 12 The ultimate end of this is life from the dead. But if their transgression it says, "means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring?" And then again in verse 15, "If their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be, but life from the dead." The ultimate end for the Jews is life from the dead. Now, I believe this means spiritual resurrection, as in Ezekiel. I'm talking about bones that come to life spiritually. We were all dead in our transgressions and sins. When you hear the Gospel and believe, you are resurrected and raised to life spiritually. But I think it also means literal, physical resurrection, that the tombs will be opened. The Jews and Gentiles who believed in Christ will come forth. It will be life from the dead when the Jews at last believe. Now, when will this happen? Well, it'll happen at the end of the world, because what else is left to happen after that? The fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Look at verse 25-27. "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited. Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The deliverer will come from Zion, he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.' And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." So there's a mystery here, when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then the fullness of the Jews will come and join them. And at that point, it will be the end, it will be life from the dead, it will be like resurrection from the dead. VI. God’s Purpose for His Own Glory Now, that is God's purpose for the Gentiles, salvation. That is God's purpose ultimately for the Jews, salvation. But what is His overarching purpose in all of this? It is that God alone will get the glory for salvation, that God alone will be praised when people from both Jew and Gentile alike are saved by mercy. God does all of this that He would get the glory, and He alone. Look at verses 30-32. "Just as you Gentiles who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience," verse 31, "So they now too have become disobedient, in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience, so that He may have mercy on them all." God has sovereignly orchestrated history in such a way, that the Gentiles have a long history of wickedness in pagan idolatry, in selfish empire building for their own glory, in making of themselves idols, or making for themselves idols. That Gentiles have a long history, so that when we are saved out of that, we cannot boast in our national origin, we are humbled we are saved by mercy. And individually, each one of us knows we have sinned greatly, we have broken the laws of God, we are fully aware that we do not deserve salvation. So that when we stand in Heaven clothed in a righteousness that we didn't earn, when we stand in Heaven forgiven of all of our sins, when we get to see God in the face, when we get to live forever and ever in the new Jerusalem, the home of righteousness it's called, when we live there, not one of us will be boasting about ourselves. For God has bound us Gentiles over to disobedience, so that He may have mercy on us and we know we are saved by mercy alone. Well, He's done the same thing now with the Jews. He's bound them into 2,000 years of rejecting Christ, 2,000 years of national blindness, 2,000 years of stumbling at Christ, so that when He takes away the blindness, they will not boast about being Jewish, they will boast in Christ, and in Christ alone. It is a salvation plan that is designed for one thing, to humble human pride and to give God the glory while saving us from our sins. And in the end, God will be glorified. For myself, I think by then I'm going to be tired of talking about myself. Tired of talking about anything to do with me. I know what my history is. And I think each one of you is gonna be tired of talking about yourselves too. You want a better topic, one that will last for eternity, one that's worth talking about for thousands and thousands of millennia. And it isn't going to be you, and it isn't going to be me. What is worth talking about for all that time? Is it not the glory of God in saving sinners like us? In the end that is God's purpose. VII. Application What application can we take from this passage? Well, first and foremost, and we're going to talk about this more God willing in the future, but don't despise in any way the Jewish people in their lostness. Don't look down on them. We'll talk more about this in the future, but what I want to say is instead, can we not reach out to them with the Gospel? Can we not in some way, whatever way Paul means here, make them envious that they're not included right now? How do you do that? Well, first, get to know some Jewish people, reach out to them, with friendship, build some relationships with them. If you don't know any, then pray that God would give you some that you can reach out to. And second of all, don't say, "My goal is to make you jealous of me. I'd really like to make you jealous." Don't do that. God has called on us to be wise, don't do that. Rather say, "Isn't it an incredible thing that sins can be forgiven? Isn't it a marvelous thing that we don't fear death, but we can look forward to something even better? Isn't it a marvelous thing that after we die, we'll get to sit at a table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of Heaven?" Matthew Chapter 8. We get to do that, isn't that wonderful? Using Jewish languages you're saying, "We get to feast with the patriarchs. Isn't it a wonderful thing that we get to know Isaiah who talked about Christ, and predicted His sufferings and the glories that would follow? Isn't it a marvelous thing that that animal sacrificial system has been fulfilled in Jesus, and we don't have to offer animals anymore, but rather it's all been completed, and our sins are forgiven through the blood of Christ?" You're drawing them in, making them thirsty, just like Jesus did with the Samaritan woman at the well, saying, "Don't you want some of this? Don't you want to be included? Isn't it a marvelous thing that the spirit can come into some dry bones and make us come to life? Isn't it a marvelous thing that God has a salvation plan for every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, all around the world?" So in this way, make them envious of the spiritual blessings of the Gospel. Second of all, never doubt that God has power, be confident in God, have power to make even the most dreadful thing, even the most dreadful thing come for His glory. God can use something terrible like the murder of Jesus, and like the transgression of the Jews, to do glorious things. He says, "If God can do that," he uses a logic here, "If God can do all this good thing because the Jews have sinned, how much more glory will come when He turns them around?" You see what God can do? God can take even the most wretched things in your life, even other people's sins against you, even your own sins, and He can work in the midst of all of that for His glory, and for His grace, and for His mercy. Nothing derails the plan of God. Isn't that marvelous? So, give Him thanks and praise and be confident in this God. And finally, simply learn the lesson of Romans 11, and say, "Not to us, not to us, but to Your name alone be the glory. Thank you God, thank you for saving me." Close with me in prayer.