Podcasts about Messianic Age

The Messianic Age offers us the freedom from the slavery and bondage of sin to live a life pleasing to God. A life of peace and rest where we help others to have peace and rest in the Lord. But, we cannot do that if the enemy has anyplace in us or we have picked our chains of bondage again.  Firefall Talk Radio is archived, and you can download the episodes to listen to again or share with others. Feel free to share them with others as the Lord leads. Please help us get The Word out.  If our teachings bless you, please let us know by using the contact button on the website.  If you would like to support what we do, there are ways to do so on the main page for Firefall Talk Radio.  We appreciate your support and encouragement. Follow us on YouTube at The Firefall Network.    Links for all social media and streaming platforms can be found on the main page at firefalltalkradio.com.

The Cross set us free to live the lives God always intended for His children. We've been given the authority over the enemy and the ability to overcome the evil of this world. That was the intent of the Messianic Age. And yet so many Believers live in bondage with no victory in their lives. Why aren't they living in the freedom of the Messianic Age?   Firefall Talk Radio is archived, and you can download the episodes to listen to again or share with others. Feel free to share them with others as the Lord leads. Please help us get The Word out.  If our teachings bless you, please let us know by using the contact button on the website.  If you would like to support what we do, there are ways to do so on the main page for Firefall Talk Radio.  We appreciate your support and encouragement. Follow us on YouTube at The Firefall Network.    Links for all social media and streaming platforms can be found on the main page at firefalltalkradio.com.

The arrival of the Lord brought the onset of the Messianic Age. Yeshua's death and resurrection began the flow of blessings and anointing needed to build the Kingdom of God. The Church has been shown the way forward until His Return. Firefall Talk Radio is archived, and you can download the episodes to listen to again or share with others. Feel free to share them with others as the Lord leads. Please help us get The Word out.  If our teachings bless you, please let us know by using the contact button on the website.  If you would like to support what we do, there are ways to do so on the main page for Firefall Talk Radio.  We appreciate your support and encouragement. Follow us on YouTube at The Firefall Network.    Links for all social media and streaming platforms can be found on the main page at firefalltalkradio.com.

There are red heifers in Israel just waiting for the third temple to be built. They are without blemish and have only been used nine times throughout history according to sources.Will the red heifers ceremony signal the "end of days", the rapture, the Messianic Age? Let's look into the Red Heifer prophecies and see what this is all about.Email us at: downtherh@protonmail.com

The Catechism concludes the section on The Son with an examination of the final trial and judgment that will happen before Christ's Second Coming. This final trial will involve the "supreme religious deception" of the Antichrist, a deception that has already been present at various times in human history. Fr. Mike emphasizes that apostasy is a dramatic turning away from what we hold to be true. He reminds us that no other person can usher in the Messianic Age other than Christ. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 675-682. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

There are red heifers in Israel just waiting for the third temple to be built. They are without blemish and have only been used nine times throughout history according to sources. Will the red heifers ceremony signal the "end of days", the rapture, the Messianic Age? Let's look into the Red Heifer prophecies and see what this is all about.Email us at: downtherh@protonmail.com

John Series

Take a look with us at prophecies about the Messiah. In this episode we also discuss what modern day Jewish people say they belive about the Messiah.

October 1, 2024Today's Reading: Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 2:16-37; Matthew 6:16-34“And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.' And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them.' But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!'”(Numbers 11:27-29)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You don't have to be around Lutheranism very long before you start to hear arguments about who can do what in the church. You might even hear references to the fourteenth article of the Augsburg Confession. We even speak about it in shorthand, saying simply, “AC XIV.” We even say it in such a way that you can hear the Roman numerals. The Confessions are clear in this matter: no one is to preach or teach in the church without a proper call. Unfortunately, this has become overinterpreted to mean that only the pastor can speak the gospel or that only the pastor can speak in a theological way. This is simply not what the article says. While there are things that are reserved only for the office of the ministry, there is plenty of theological speaking that any Christian can do. The Spirit is not given only to pastors. You can see this in our reading from Numbers. Moses refuses to punish Eldad and Medad for prophesying in the camp when they were supposed to be with the rest of the elders. Instead, he says, “Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them.” Other Old Testament passages will speak about the Spirit being poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28). In fact, the Spirit being poured out on all people was one of the signs that would signal the arrival of the Messianic Age. This is the pouring out of the Spirit that took place on the first Pentecost that resulted in a large number of people hearing the mighty works of God in their own language. This is the same Spirit that is given to all Christians. This is the same Spirit that you received in your Baptism. This is the same Spirit that allows you to hear His Word, receive His Gifts, and proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. This is the same Spirit that allows you to speak the gospel to your friends, family, and anyone that God has placed into your life. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O Christ, our true and only light, Enlighten those who sit in night; Let those afar now hear Your voice And in Your fold with us rejoice. (LSB 839:1)-Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church Modesto, California.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Embracing Your Lutheran Identity, Author Gene Edward Veith Jr. will guide readers through that heritage, starting with the Early Church and moving through the Reformation to Lutheranism today. Readers will learn about key people in the history of Lutheranism, from two teenagers who were the first martyrs of the Reformation, through the Saxon immigrants who left everything behind so they could practice Lutheranism freely, to the Lutherans who have stood strong for the faith in our own day.

God's people are named “The prosperous of the earth” in Psalm 22:29, yet there is no mention of financial or material gain in that passage. This verse speaks prophetically of the New Covenant and the Messianic Age to come, so this status definitely belongs to us—but why did God use such a controversial term? Follow the concept of prosperity throughout the Bible and pull back the veil on truth.Ministry website: www.shreveministries.org Comparative religion website: www.thetruelight.net The “Catholic Project” website: www.toCatholicswithlove.org Video channel: www.YouTube.com/mikeshreveministries All audio-podcasts are shared in a video format on our YouTube channel. Mail: P.O. Box 4260, Cleveland, TN 37320 / Phone: 423-478-4843Get Mike Shreve's book revealing the spiritual identity of God's people: WHO AM I? Dynamic Declarations of Who You Are in ChristMike Shreve's other podcast Revealing the True Light—a study on comparative religion themes, as well as mysterious or controversial biblical subjects: https://www.charismapodcastnetwork.com/show/revealingthetruelight

The Catechism concludes the section on The Son with an examination of the final trial and judgment that will happen before Christ's Second Coming. This final trial will involve the "supreme religious deception" of the Antichrist, a deception that has already been present at various times in human history. Fr. Mike emphasizes that apostasy is a dramatic turning away from what we hold to be true. He reminds us that no other person can usher in the Messianic Age other than Christ. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 675-682. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

The biblical offerings of Israel always were intended as shadows of heavenly truth (substance), teaching eternal lessons through rituals subject to the ravages of temporal humanity. As the Temple Institute now aims to resurrect the ancient offerings, starting with the red heifer, this study of Torah reading צו Tzav ("command," Lev. 6:8–8:36) and of readings for Shabbat Parah (Sabbath of the Red Heifer) explores how only Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) perfectly "fleshes out" — fills full — what these patterns prefigured. While some view restoring Temple worship as contradicting the gospel, others understand these shadows simply are a continual memorial to Messiah's ultimate atoning work. When the time comes to reinstitute the prophesied Temple service, the Messiah's key role in consecrating and offering the pure red heifer may resolve the two-millennia dilemma of who can inaugurate God's eternal kingdom.

Messianic Apologetics editor John McKee reviews the controversial issue of how various non-Israelites or non-Jews will be granted territorial inheritance in the Promised Land, in the Messianic Age. Is this something to be experienced by all of the righteous, or limited as a unique gift for a select few?

JUDAH AND TAMAR - PART 2 What is going on?  Joseph is nearly killed by his brothers, saved by Rueben, and Judah suggests they sell Joseph to a group of Ishmaelite traders.  They sell Joseph and the caravan carries Joseph as a slave to Egypt.  The story is just beginning and then out of nowhere comes Genesis 38 and the saga of Judah and Tamer.  Why did God cause this baffling interruption to the Joseph story?  Perhaps one reason is when we return to Joseph we will see that Joseph will not see his brothers, specifically Judah, for 20 years.  In those 20 years Judah has his encounter with his daughter in law, Tamar.  So, the Lord may have interrupted the Joseph story to do a kind of “meanwhile back at the ranch” side story.  But, this is God's word!  His written word, especially His Torah, is said to be the Way and the Truth and the Life.  From the face of it, the Judah and Tamar story, though interesting in itself, is still baffling.  There must be something else going on.  The great scholar Nahum Sarna, the author of the JPS Torah Commentary – Genesis, says there must be more to the Judah and Tamar saga since this saga is closed up in scriptural bookends.  Here's the verse just before the Judah and Tamar event … Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, the captain of the bodyguard. (Gen 37:36) After this verse is chapter 38 or the Judah and Tamar saga.  Then we read the verse in chapter 39:1 – the verse immediately following the Judah and Tamar story … Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. (Gen 39:1) These two verses are almost identical repeats of each other. It is as if God packed in the Judah and Tamar story between these verses as to say that He engineered it, designed it exactly as is, so as to seemingly tell us this event, the saga of Judah and Tamar is a “big deal” and it critically related to the Joseph story.  Now, the Torah itself does not tell us why God inspired Moses to write it tis way.  All we can do is guess and speculate.  Dr. Sarna is a brilliant mind and awesome scholar and he thinks the story packed in between Gen. 37:36 and Gen. 39:1 is done on purpose to shake up our minds to really focus on Judah and Tamar.  There must be a significant reason why God is seemingly calling attention to this interruption.  In this podcast we will consider the possibilities.  We'll find it seems to be a story that is intimately connected to the Joseph story and, on top of that, the coming of Jesus!  Just wait till you study along with me.  The Judah and Tamar saga is a story that gives us insights that God is designing amazing events.  He is behind it all.  Through all this we see the Cross of Christ in the distant horizon of time being planned by יד האלוהים Yad Eloheim - the hand of God.   The rabbis have a saying for this ... חיי האבות הם סימנים לבנים HaYay HaAvot Hem Seemaneem Lay Baneem The Lives of the Fathers are Signs for the Sons In light of this the rabbis early on connected Joseph to the Messiah.  They said Joseph was a prototype of the Messiah.  For us that means Jesus.  Over and over again as we see Joseph we see the Messiah, our Jesus.  Joseph is God's model of what a savor of the world should be like.  We will continue to see these unbelievable connections of Joseph and Jesus.  God designed it this way so that Joseph is a picture of the coming Messiah.  And, the Judah and Tamar story adds to God's engineering for Jesus, His birth, and His mission.  Here are some resources to study that will add to your knowledge of these awesome and critically important last chapters of Genesis. Link 1 - a great article from the awesome website, Hebrew4Christians, focusing on one title of the Messiah the rabbis used in the time after the 3rd century A.D., "Maschiach ben Yosef," or Messiah the son of Joseph.  This has to do with the fact the rabbis recognized that the Messiah had to suffer and even die.  They also recognized that the Messiah would also be victorious as well and establish the throne of Israel in Jerusalem in the days called "The Messianic Age" or the day Messiah comes to rule and reign - https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html Link 2- a second article written by my lead teacher in my graduate program, Dr. Ron Mosely that discusses Joseph is a prototype of the the suffering Messiah just like David is a prototype of the conquering Messiah - https://www.academia.edu/3796976/Twice_Rejected_Mashiach_Ben_Joseph Link 3 - a link to Netivyah ministries in Jerusalem.  This is a Messianic Jewish ministry founded by Joseph Shulam, an amazing Jewish scholar who helps us reconnect to our Jewish roots of our faith.  This link is to a book written by one of their resident scholars, Elhanan ben Avraham, "Moshiach ben Yosef" (Messiah the Son Of Joseph).  I highly recommend you get this book and all the books you can buy from this ministry - https://netivyah.org/product/mashiach-ben-yoseph/ Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0  

Why the Hasmonean Era wasn't the Messianic Age

THE STORY OF JOSEPH - lesson 4 GOD'S PARADIGM OF SALVATION OF THE WORLD As we see in lessons 1-3 Joseph is 1) hated by his brothers and 2) they are jealous or envious of Joseph and 3) the plot to kill him.  But remember the rabbis of old recognized something truly amazing.  The Lord is uses PARADIGMS or patterns, templates, or models.  It is the Lord taking a person or event that becomes a prototype (synonym for paradigm) for another person in the future or an event in the future.  The rabbis have a saying for this ... חיי האבות הם סימנים לבנים HaYay HaAvot Seemaneem Lay Baneem The Lives of the Fathers are Signs for the Sons In light of this the rabbis early on connected Joseph to the Messiah.  They said Joseph was a prototype of the Messiah.  For us that means Jesus.  And just as we will see in this podcast that Joseph is sold for 20 pieces of silver as suggested by Judah (his name in Hebrew is Yehooda), his older brother.  We also see that Jesus was betrayed by Judas for 30 pieces of silver.  Judas' name in Hebrew is Yehooda or Judah.  Amazing.  Over and over again as we see Joseph we see the Messiah, our Jesus.  Joseph is God's model of what a savor of the world should be like.  Joseph was born of Rachel in a miraculous birth and grew up and saved the world with the bread of the earth.  Jesus was born of Mary in a miraculous birth an saved the world with Himself and through Himself with the bread from heaven. For more resources to study this in more depth check the links below. Link 1 - a great article from the awesome website, Hebrew4Christians, focusing on one title of the Messiah the rabbis used in the time after the 3rd century A.D., "Maschiach ben Yosef," or Messiah the son of Joseph.  This has to do with the fact the rabbis recognized that the Messiah had to suffer and even die.  They also recognized that the Messiah would also be victorious as well and establish the throne of Israel in Jerusalem in the days called "The Messianic Age" or the day Messiah comes to rule and reign - https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html Link 2- a second article written by my lead teacher in my graduate program, Dr. Ron Mosely that discusses Joseph is a prototype of the the suffering Messiah just like David is a prototype of the conquering Messiah - https://www.academia.edu/3796976/Twice_Rejected_Mashiach_Ben_Joseph Link 3 - a link to Netivyah ministries in Jerusalem.  This is a Messianic Jewish ministry founded by Joseph Shulam, an amazing Jewish scholar who helps us reconnect to our Jewish roots of our faith.  This link is to a book written by one of their resident scholars, Elhanan ben Avraham, "Moshiach ben Yosef" (Messiah the Son Of Joseph).  I highly recommend you get this book and all the books you can buy from this ministry - https://netivyah.org/product/mashiach-ben-yoseph/ Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0  

THE STORY OF JOSEPH - lesson 3 GOD'S PARADIGM OF SALVATION OF THE WORLD In this lesson we continue on with the events in Joseph's life leading up to his brothers nearly trying to kill him.  Judah saves Joseph and the brothers decide to sell Joseph to the Midianite or Ishmaelite traders. There is a question any of us would ask if we read the story carefully.  For example check out Gen. 37:36 and Gen. 39:1.  Who sold Joseph to the Egyptians?  In one verse it says the Midianites and in the other verse it says the Ishmaelites?  What is going on?  Does this mean the Bible is a book with error and irreconcilable issues?  NOPE.  We will see the Bible actually helps us with the solution to this supposedly impossible issue. So, Joseph is 1) hated by his brothers and 2) they are jealous or envious of Joseph and 3) the plot to kill him.  But remember the rabbis of old recognized something truly amazing.  The Lord is uses PARADIGMS or patterns, templates, or models.  It is the Lord taking a person or event that becomes a prototype (synonym for paradigm) for another person in the future or an event in the future.  The rabbis have a saying for this ... חיי האבות הם סימנים לבנים HaYay HaAvot Seemaneem Lay Baneem The Lives of the Fathers are Signs for the Sons In light of this the rabbis early on connected Joseph to the Messiah.  They said Joseph was a prototype of the Messiah.  For us that means Jesus.  And just as we will see in this podcast that Joseph is 1) hated by his brothers and 2) they are jealous or envious of Joseph and 3) the plot to kill him.  We also see that Jesus was 1) hated by his brothers (fellow countrymen) and 2) they were jealous of Him and 3) they met in secret to plot how to kill Him.  Joseph is a paradigm of the coming Messiah, our Jesus.  Joseph is God's model of what a savor of the world should be like.  Joseph saved the world with the bread of the earth.  Jesus saved the world with Himself and through Himself with the bread from heaven. For more resources to study this in more depth check the links below. Link 1 - a great article from the awesome website, Hebrew4Christians, focusing on one title of the Messiah the rabbis used in the time after the 3rd century A.D., "Maschiach ben Yosef," or Messiah the son of Joseph.  This has to do with the fact the rabbis recognized that the Messiah had to suffer and even die.  They also recognized that the Messiah would also be victorious as well and establish the throne of Israel in Jerusalem in the days called "The Messianic Age" or the day Messiah comes to rule and reign - https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html Link 2- a second article written by my lead teacher in my graduate program, Dr. Ron Mosely that discusses Joseph is a prototype of the the suffering Messiah just like David is a prototype of the conquering Messiah - https://www.academia.edu/3796976/Twice_Rejected_Mashiach_Ben_Joseph Link 3 - a link to Netivyah ministries in Jerusalem.  This is a Messianic Jewish ministry founded by Joseph Shulam, an amazing Jewish scholar who helps us reconnect to our Jewish roots of our faith.  This link is to a book written by one of their resident scholars, Elhanan ben Avraham, "Moshiach ben Yosef" (Messiah the Son Of Joseph).  I highly recommend you get this book and all the books you can buy from this ministry - https://netivyah.org/product/mashiach-ben-yoseph/ Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Are we witnessing the beginning of the Messianic Age? Watch Hope for Our Times with host Tom Hughes and guest Tim Moore to find out!

Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston,or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com. Heavenly Father, as we come to you on this communion Sunday and we will remember the sufferings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we come to you with hearts full of gratitude. We thank you for the salvation that you offer us. Each one of us has broken your holy law, the 10 Commandments. We have transgressed the commandments, and the penalty for our transgression is banishment from your kingdom for eternity. Therefore, we're so thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ, who came and lived perfectly according to the commandments and taught the people what your word is, what you expect, what the duties and the obligations are. As they recognize that they haven't fulfilled the commandments, they sought grace, they sought forgiveness by repenting of sin. Lord, that's what we do today. We repent of our sin. We repent of our self-righteousness. If there's anyone here who thinks that they don't need grace, if they are like the Pharisees who consider themselves healthy, why would they need the great physician Jesus Christ, I pray today show them that every single one of us has sin and every single one of us we need grace, and every single one of us is sick in our souls and we need the healing of Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you for the gift of a new birth, the gift of a new heart regeneration. When we repent of sin, you give us that new heart. You write your laws upon our heart, and you imprint them on our minds. And then you give us the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit is placed in that new Holy Spirit. Today, empower us and we pray convict us where we need to be convicted to live a life of faith and obedience to our Lord and Savior. Bless our time, the Holy Scriptures, Lord. We pray all this in Christ's name, amen. We're continuing our sermon series in the Gospel of Mark called Kingdom Come, the Gospel of Mark and the secret of God's kingdom, and the title of the sermon today is Seek First the Kingdom of God. How often do you think about food? How often do you think about clothing? How often do you think about money, material things? To think about physical things is human. We need food to live. However, you can be full and live life to the full, materially speaking, and still not experience the fullness of life. You can be full, yet empty in your heart. Jesus Christ said that he came to offer us life and life to the full. It's not that Jesus doesn't want you to eat, drink, relax, and enjoy life. He doesn't want you to live primarily for those things. He doesn't want you to be ruled by your appetites. He doesn't want your stomach to be your God. He doesn't want money to be your God. He doesn't want your appearance to be your God. He doesn't want your job to be your God. None of these things satisfy the soul. Only he does and only he can fill your heart with joy and joy unspeakable. Matthew 6:31, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Therefore do not be anxious saying, 'What shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear?'. For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you." In our text today, we see Jesus Christ, the king of kings, King Jesus bringing joy into the world. His kingdom is a joyful kingdom. His followers rejoice in his presence. Would you look at the text with me? We're in Mark 2:13-28. He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. The scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why did John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sows a piece of shrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from old, and a worst tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins." One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath." This is the reading of God's holy and unfathomable authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our hearts. Three points to frame up our time. First, King Jesus heals sin-sick sinners. Second, King Jesus serves new wine, and third, King Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. First, King Jesus heals sin-sick sinners. As was Jesus' way, as was his mission, he comes teaching and preaching the word of God. He said earlier that that's why he came to teach people God's word and to teach them that we have broken God's law and to show them that we are under condemnation, that we need grace. He's the only one who can offer that grace as the one who fulfilled the law perfectly and then offers his substitutionary atonement on the cross for us, for our lawbreaking. He's teaching them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. He said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. Levi, whose name is changed to Matthew later, he actually wrote the Gospel of Matthew and he does not introduce himself as Levi. He introduces himself as Matthew. That's what he calls himself. The name Matthew means a gift of Yahweh, a gift of God. He wanted everyone to know that when he followed Jesus Christ, Jesus changed him. Jesus changed his heart. Jesus changed his purpose. Jesus changed his whole life, his whole identity. Therefore, Jesus gave him a new name, not Levi, but Matthew, the gift of God. Well, the gift of God before he met Jesus Christ was not a gift to most people as a tax collector. Anyone named Levi at this time most likely came from the tribe of the Levites and their hereditary job was service in the temple as priests. But the life that Levi chose, it was diametrically opposed to being a priest in the temple. Instead of choosing to serve God, he chose to serve money. Money was his true God. No matter the cost, he followed the money. In passing by him, Jesus fastens his eyes on Levi. It doesn't say that he saw a tax collector. That's what everyone else saw. A man judges by appearance. Jesus Christ, God judges by the heart. It says he saw Levi, he saw the person, he saw the eternal soul, and he saw what he could do with him if Levi followed. Tax collectors were collectors of indirect taxes, especially in the transport of goods. That's why he's sitting at a toll booth. The Roman Empire was in charge at this time, and what they do is they look at a district and they would assess how much money they could get from that district doing as little work as possible. They assess how much, and then they would sell a license to collect taxes to whoever the highest bidder was. This was a farming system to the highest bidder. Whoever paid for that license, they gave Romans the money. Romans took that money, and then it was the job of the tax collector to get his money back and more, and overcharging was the usual. The buyer had to hand over the assessed figure at the end of the year and keep any extra for himself. There was ample opportunity for extortion, for exploitation. Obviously the locals and the people of that region did not like tax collectors. They hated them. These were corrupt lackeys of the hated imperial presence. They were traitors' turncoats. They collaborated with the Romans, the oppressors, and fleecing their own people. Usually to be a tax collector, you were involved in some criminal activity. Most likely you had friends who were thugs and gangsters and enforcers to get your money back. The religious people of the time hated tax collectors, viewed them as unclean, wouldn't even allow them in the synagogue or the temple. They were excommunicated by default. Jesus comes to this guy Levi that everyone absolutely hates because of his chosen path in life. Jesus looks at him and commands him, "Follow me." He says he rose and followed him. Something happened in his heart where he realized, you know what? I have been transgressing God's law and there is one that has come that said he's the Son of God, that he is the king of kings. I'm going to follow him. He does that. In following Jesus Christ, he had to make a decision that was a little different from the other apostles. The other disciples, Peter, Andrew, John, and James who were previously called by Jesus, they were fishermen. They could keep their fishing business on the side as they follow Jesus Christ. They even used their boats in the ministry of Jesus. In the next text, they provide a boat pulpit, so to speak. Jesus was on the boat and he was preaching to the people. No, for Levi to follow Jesus Christ, Levi has to leave this job. He has to leave this corrupt path that he had chosen. For Levi, it meant leaving behind his thieving ways. He's no longer to follow money, but Jesus. In Matthew 6:24, no one can serve two masters, for either he'll hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. When Levi broke the command, thou shall not steal by taking from people more than he should have, the reason why he broke that commandment was because he broke the first commandment, and the first commandment was thou shall not have any gods before me. Levi, his God was money. Jesus comes displaces money on the throne of Levi's heart and Jesus now is king. Now, where did they go? Jesus says, "Follow me." We saw this with Peter. Jesus told Peter, "Follow me." And then the next text, they end up at Peter's house. Follow me. Where are we going, Jesus? We're going to your house. And all of a sudden, Peter's house became a place of ministry and his roof got disassembled. That was last week. Same thing here with Levi. Levi, you have wealth. Levi, you have a home. Levi, you have friends from your former life. Now, what are we going to do? We're going to go to your house and you're going to throw a feast, and you're going to invite all of your former colleagues to come and meet me. That's exactly what happened in Mark 2:15. As he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. Is this clear evidence that this was Levi's house? We get the clarity of the evidence from the parallel passage in Luke 5:27. After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with him. Levi understood that to follow Jesus Christ wasn't just to join a Bible study or to study theology. He understood that to follow Jesus was to enter the work of Christ. What was the work of Christ? He said, "I've come to fish for men, to save people from the nets of captivity and sin of Satan." That's what Jesus has been doing and this is what he called Peter James and John to do. This is what he called Levi to do. Follow me and I will make you become a fisher of men. This is what Levi is already doing. He's fishing for sinners to free them from the nets of Satan and sin. It's not just random people that he's never met. Who's he invite? It's people who knew him, who knew him inside and out, who knew his heart, who knew his whole past, his old business acquaintances, and he gets them together for a party. He doesn't know much theology. He just knows that this one Jesus has come. He's claimed to be God. He's claimed that we've transgressed his law, and he's claimed that if we repent, he gives us forgiveness of sins and welcomes us into his kingdom. The lesson here for us is when you come to faith, when you come to faith for the very first time in Jesus Christ, don't just cut off all of your social network. Don't just cut off all of your former friends. If Jesus has saved you, he saved you for a reason. He saved you to impact people that know you. You share your testimony. You get them together. You throw a party. You have a little feast and you say, "Look, I might not know everything there is to know about Jesus, but I know Jesus. I know that I've broken the commandments, the 10 of them, and Jesus Christ is the only one who offers me forgiveness. What's stopping you from trusting in Jesus Christ now?" They're reclining at table. That means this was a big feast. This was the posture of dining at feast in the Greco-Roman world. Regular meals, people would just sit at tables. Luxurious meals, they would sit back and enjoy themselves. What we see here is they're relaxed. Their guards are down. They're having a good time. There's food, friendship, fellowship, and Jesus is at the center and he's teaching them the word of God. There's tax collectors and they're sinners. What's the religious establishment do? They get worried. On Mark 2:16, and the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" The scribes of the Pharisees, these are the people who are in charge of religion. They're in charge of who's in and who's out, who's clean and who's unclean, who's righteous and who's unrighteous. They don't view that Jesus is following their traditions. He's not following their traditions. In their traditions, you don't hang out with tax collectors and sinners. Those people are sinners. We are the righteous. We're better than they are. They don't belong in our presence. The New Living Translation that translates the tail end of verse 16, why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners, it puts it like this. Why does he eat with such scum? It brings out the hatred that they experienced toward these people. Why does he eat with such scum? They didn't view these people as in need of righteousness. They view these people as people that could never receive forgiveness, could never be entered into the kingdom of God. I wonder if you have people in your life that you categorize in this category. You might not say they're scum, but they're like people that even Jesus couldn't save them. Do you have people like that in your mind? For me, I got a love-hate relationship with tow truck drivers. Tow truck drivers, they're number one. Number two is parking enforcement. But tow truck drivers, I view them as tax collectors because they can charge whatever they want. If they got your car, they take it to their lot and they charge you for the towing fee, the parking fee, all their fees, and then you pay for the ticket on top of that. Jesus said we got to love everyone, but he also said you are to love your enemy. They've been kind of my enemy camp, like tow truck drivers, and they're in that camp until you need them. A couple of weeks ago, I shared that I had issues with my car, with my Suburban, battery problems. We fixed the battery. Friday I drive. For two weeks I was good. Friday I drive home, park the truck, then I go later, restart it. I put it in my parking spot, dead, dead. All the lights are on but won't start. Click, click, click. I tried to do everything I could, and in the morning I went to the mechanic. The mechanic's like, "You got to bring it here." I don't know what to do. He's like, "Here's a phone number." I was like, "Of who?" He's like, "A tow truck driver." I was like, oh no. Cassidy Towing pulls up. I like that little motto, the small business, their motto is Don't Cuss, Call Us. A gentleman comes out of the tow truck and he's like, "What do we got here?" Thick Boston accent. I'm like, yeah, I love these people, but love-hate relationship. I was like, "It's not the battery." He's like, "It's the battery. Trust me." I was like, "It's not the battery." He slams his hand in my door and then he just started cussing really loud. It's Saturday morning. I was like, dude, come on. I got to live with my neighbors. I was like, it says right there, don't cuss. So then we got to talking and there's a car behind my truck. He's like, "We got to get this car moved if we're going to tow." I was like, all right, I guess we'll wait. And then immediately at that moment a lady comes down and she's like, "Oh, you need to move my car?" I'm like, yeah. I told him, "I guess God hasn't forgotten us yet." He's like, "You think so?" I was like, oh, that's my in. Great. His name's Matt and he let me drive in his truck as he's taken to the mechanic. And then we got to talking and got to talk about his family, got to talk about the fact that he grew up in Brookline. His grandma's been here since '77. He went to Devotion School, formerly known as Devotion School, and we got to talking. He's like, "What do you do?" I was like, "I'm a pastor." He's like, "You're a pastor." I was like, "You should come to our church." He's like, "Oh yeah." We got to talk about the Lord. I'm praying for Matt. I pray for people like that where it's like, you know what? Probably not welcome anywhere, but they're welcome here. We welcome sinners because Jesus welcome sinners and we're all sinners. This posture of the Pharisees of they're scum and we're not, that's what actually kept them from salvation. That's what kept them from knowing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Jesus Christ is savior. They thought that if we spend time with sinners, we are going to be infected with their sin. What Jesus Christ is telling them is everyone's infected with sin. Everyone's soul is sick with sin. If you think that you're healthy, you're never going to go to Jesus the physician to ask for healing for your soul. But if you know that you're unhealthy, if you know that you're sick, that's the first step to being healed. That's what Jesus tells them in verse 17. When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Jesus came not to call the righteous. What's he mean? He means self-righteous. He means people who think I don't need God because they measure righteousness according to their own standards. That's what the Pharisees did. By what standard do we figure out if we're righteous? By the standard of God's 10 Commandments. Did the Pharisees fulfill the 10 Commandments from the heart all of their life? Of course, they didn't. They themselves were sinners. They themselves were unrighteous, but they didn't see that. Pride was in the way. This is how we are to do evangelism and share the good news of Jesus Christ. Invite sinners into your home. The way we do church at Mosaic is we simplify the church. We expect that you come to worship gatherings, and we expect that you come to a community group during the week, but we don't want you to spend much more time with just believers. Hanging out with believers is fun. Bible studies is fun. Studying theology is fun. We can't forget we have a mission. In a place like Boston where everyone's really busy, everyone's got a lot of stress in their life, we have to carve out time to spend with those who are far from the Lord to get to know them, to invite them to your house, to have a meal, to practice hospitality, and to introduce them to Jesus Christ, the great physician of our soul. Your soul, dear friend, is sick apart from Jesus Christ. It's sick with sin and Jesus is the only one who can heal you. He heals you at the very moment that you ask for him to forgive you, you repent and you say, "Lord Jesus, I want to follow you. I want to follow you like Levi no matter what's keeping me back from you. I want to leave the sin. I want to leave anything that easily entangles and follow you." In John 17:15-17, Jesus prays for his disciples. He says, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." Jesus saves us in the world. We are not of the world, so we're not like the world, but we're in the world. As saved sinners, as sanctified sinners, we are to do everything possible to be sanctified by the word of truth and then to share that same word with those who are far from the Lord. Point two is King Jesus serves new wine. In verse 18, now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why did John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" A fasting in holy scripture is abstaining from food for spiritual reasons. The Pharisees, they saw in scripture that there is fasting. People of God do fast, abstain from food for prayer and for proximity to the Lord. There was one day that was commanded for fasting, that was a day of atonement for everyone once a year. But what this passage is concerned with is not the annual fast, but the additional voluntary fast that were practiced by the Pharisees. This is how they wanted to show the people around them how fastidious they were in their spirituality, just how religious they were. They assumed that Jesus Christ did not fast because his disciples didn't fast. Did Jesus Christ fast? Yeah, he fasted for 40 days. They just didn't know about it because he didn't fast to be seen by people. But Jesus does tell us that in the Sermon on the Mount we are to fast. In Matthew 6:16, when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. The disciples of John fasted. The disciples of the Pharisees fasted. But Jesus says, while I'm here in my physical presence, my disciples do not need to fast. Because what's the point of fasting? The point of fasting is to come closer to the Lord. The word says, if you come close to God, he will come close to you. If the point of fasting is proximity to the Lord, when the Lord is with the disciples, they don't need to fast because they already have his physical presence. Jesus says, "When I do leave, then my disciples will fast." Well, why didn't the disciples need to fast? Because Jesus answers in verse 19, Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast." In Jewish law, wedding guests were freed from certain religious obligations in particular because of the wedding. If there was a day of fasting, they were not obligated to do it. Why? Because what's the point of a wedding? It's to rejoice. Jesus says, "I am the groom. And in my presence, we are not a fast but feast." Imagine going into a wedding. It's a good wedding where they've got appetizers. The best weddings, the appetizers are the scallops wrapped in bacon. If you see one of those coming out, that's a good wedding. Imagine there's a plate they bring you and you're like, "Oh, no, thank you." What? And then the next waiter comes with the lamb chops. Oh, that's next level. You're like, "Oh, no, thank you." Why aren't you? I'm fasting. You're fasting on a feast day? That doesn't make any sense. Jesus, he is the bridegroom, John the Baptist in John 3:28, the text says, you yourselves bear me witness, that I said, "I'm not the Christ, but I've been sent before him." The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease. Here, Jesus by invoking the wedding imagery, he's saying that the Messianic Age has arrived. In Isaiah 62, the future redemption is compared to a wedding feast. Isaiah 62:4, you shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight is in Her, and your land Married, for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you. And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Jesus is the bridegroom. He's the groom. Everything he did, he did in order to redeem a bride. That was the point of his whole life. That was his goal. That was the goal of the sacrifice on the cross. The bride is the church. The bride is all the redeemed. The bride is us. Verse 20, the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. Jesus here by using the phrase taken away, that's a phrase from Isaiah 53:8. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? He's alluding here to the fact that he will be taken away, his physical presence will be taken away through the crucifixion, resurrection, and then ascension. And then when he is physically taken away, we are to fast. Fasting from food for the purpose of drawing closer to the Lord should be a regular rhythm of our lives as followers of Christ. Verse 21, no one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, and the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. Here he's talking about a new cloth was not pre-shrunk and the process of washing and drying the garment would cause it to shrink. What he's saying is you can't just come to Jesus and say, "Jesus, I need a new patch of grace. I need a new patch of forgiveness." He's saying that when you come to the Lord, he doesn't just patch you up. When you come to the Lord, you become a new creation. You are regenerated from the inside out, and that's how God's kingdom grows from the inside out. You get a new heart and that new heart is filled with the Holy Spirit, and then Jesus Christ clothes you with the robes of his righteousness, not just he patches up areas of your life. In the old garment, that imagery is used in Hebrews 1, where Christ rolls up this old world garment and unfurls the new cosmos. Hebrews 1:10-12, and you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you'll remain. They will wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end. Jesus is saying something brand new is here. He is bringing in the new covenant, ushering in the new covenant. The new covenant is different from the old covenant because the old covenant did not give us internal power to fulfill the law. A lot of people think that the new covenant abrogates or gets rid of the 10 Commandments. It does not. The new covenant actually, it says in the new covenant, it says God will give you a new heart and he will write his laws upon your heart, imprint them on your mind, where you want to do the will of God, the 10 Commandments, from your heart because you love God and you love people. And then finally, you have the power to do it because of the Holy Spirit. That's why he brings in the wine imagery in verse 22. No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins. The new wine was a symbol of the new age, like in John 2, or Jesus at the wedding in Canaan in Galilee turns 180 gallons of water into wine saying that the new Messianic era is here. Jesus doesn't just pour in the Holy Spirit into our hearts. No. First, he regenerates our hearts, that's the changing of the wineskins, and then brings in the new wine. The imagery there is that wine was kept in leather skins and old skins were less flexible and fermenting wine kept inside of them would expand and sometimes burst the skins. If you put new wine into old skins, it's going to burst and you ruin both the old and the new. You need new wine for new wineskins. What he's saying here is don't just come to the Lord with your preconceived human traditional categories and say, "How does God fit into my categories? How does God fit into my manmade humanistic paradigms?" No. When you come to the Lord, you say, "Lord, obliterate any paradigm that is not from you. Build up your paradigms in my mind and heart, and then give me the power to live according to them." Whenever the fresh life of the spirit breathes into the church new life, paradigm shifting category, destroying life comes in. Christianity with all its outward differences was not a breach of Judaism, but its fulfillment. And now with the Holy Spirit offered to us, and when you come to the Lord, you repent of your sin, he gives it a new heart to house the Spirit of God. Jesus has been physically absent since his ascension, but that absence is paradoxically the means by which his presence is achieved. And then we see in the text following an escalation in the tension between Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus' disciples are implicitly accused of breaking the pharisaic traditions first of the table fellowship and now of fasting. But now the Pharisees are like, okay, it's not just our traditions. Now he is breaking, they are breaking our interpretation of the law. And that's point three, King Jesus's Lord of the Sabbath. One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields. And as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to them, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" The disciples are a little hungry. Perhaps all the fasting talk got them are really hungry. They want a little snack and they're making a little snack in the grain field. The Pharisees, who've been spying on them, by the way, it sounds like a lot of work that they're doing spying on them, but they come to Jesus and they're like, "They're breaking the law." That's why they use the word lawful. They're doing what is not lawful. Jesus dining with the tax collectors and sinners, they couldn't say that was not lawful. They said that he's breaking our traditions, he's breaking public spiritual decorum, religious decorum. And now here they are accusing them, the disciples and Jesus, of breaking the fourth commandment, the commandment requiring the keeping of the Sabbath Day. They knew that this was an important commandment. It's the longest of the commandments. It's the only one that hearkens back to creation. It's the only one in which we are commanded actually to imitate God himself. They noticed that among the 10 Commandments, this one receives special attention. Exodus 20:8- 11. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea in all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and made it holy. Is this commandment relevant to us today? Well, of course, all 10 Commandments were given to all people that lived in all places at all times. This is how God decrees how he wants us to live. This is how King Jesus rules his kingdom by the 10 laws. They're commandments. They're not just recommendations. This is the law of God. This commandment, number four, is part of the first four that show us how we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. If you love God because he has first loved you, you devote a full day, every seven days you devote a full day of the week totally to God. God, this day is holy. You made it holy. God, I want to bless you on this day, and I pray this day is a blessing. Do you want the fullness of life that King Jesus offers? Keep the Sabbath. This, of course, includes gathering with the people of God to worship God. We worship God because that's his due, and God commands you to attend church. We are to gather with the people of God, and we do it on Sunday because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday and the church was birthed on Pentecost Sunday. Obviously we are to go to church on a Sunday. By the way, if you notice how Jesus operates, he's in synagogue on every Sunday. This is where the Pharisees get him. Whenever there's a Sabbath, he's in the synagogue and he's teaching the word of God. What's he teaching? He's teaching them that we've transgressed the 10 Commandments. And by the way, the 10 Commandments, this is where you show people their need for grace. In evangelism, a lot of people want to talk about Jesus and grace first, which doesn't make much sense to people who think that they haven't broken any commandments. God has given us the 10 Commandments. You show people where they've transgressed commandments, and that the penalty for sin is death for eternity in a place called hell. We need Jesus Christ. This is how I share the gospel. Whenever I see someone breaking a commandment in my presence, I've gotten to the point where I just call them to repentance right then and there. With a smile and loving, I just call them to repentance. I was at the boxing gym this week and we're doing grueling workout on Thursdays. It's me and my friend Billy. Billy and I are brothers in big arms. That's what we call each other. Billy is next to me. The grueling part of the workout, the first 20 minutes we're just dead, and I sat down for a sip of water. He comes up to me and he says, "Jesus Christ!" He said it like that. I said, "Is king, Billy." I was like, "You transgressed the third commandment, Billy." He's like, "Oh yeah, I used the Lord's name in vain." I said, "Billy, you need to repent. "He said, "I repent." I was like, "King Jesus forgives you. Now follow him." And then we continued the rest of the workout. I planted the seed. We're going to continue the conversation, but that's what transgression, you broke the law, which shows you your need for Jesus Christ, the only one who lived according to the law perfectly. Therefore, he could represent us on the cross. The Pharisees are spying on Jesus here. They're waiting to catch him in some transgression. If they had caught him in transgression, they would have presented that as evidence at his trial before the Sanhedrin. They had no evidence to present. Therefore, they knew that he did not break the commandment. He broke their interpretation of the commandment, which would not hold up in the Sanhedrin. Jesus could not be accused of breaking any of the commandments at his trial. That's why they had to bring in false witnesses, and we see that later on in the text. Jesus isn't breaking their commandments. The Pharisees aren't breaking their commandments. The Pharisees viewed this as work because they viewed it as a subset of reaping which is prohibited on the Sabbath. That's how they operate. That's how they built their rules. They said, okay, here's the 10 Commandments, but then how does that work out in real life? They would add their own interpretations, and then their interpretation distorted the word of God because their interpretations were more important than the word of God in defining what is sin and was not. How does Jesus respond to this in Mark 2:25? And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priest to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" First of all, just notice how Jesus argues with them. He says, "Have you never read?" He counters their misinterpretation of God's word with God's word. In the story of David and Abiathar the high priest, David and his soldiers are exhausted and they enter the house of God. They're hungry. They're famished. He said, "Do you have any bread?" They said, "We have bread, but this is bread that's only allowed for priests to eat." They would bake 12 loaves, and on the Sabbath they would leave it on the table and then wait for a week. And then next week, those 12 pieces of bread... What's the word? Those pieces of bread were then replaced, and then the priests would eat that bread. The issue here is that the ceremonial law, that's the law that Jesus is referring to with Abiathar the high priest. That's part of the ceremonial law. If you study God's law, the 10 Commandments, that's the moral law. That's for everyone. The ceremonial law, that was how you are atoned before God, made righteous before God. David comes in and says, "God's law, the 10 Commandments, is more important than the ceremonial law. Because if we don't eat, my soldiers are going to die. The word says thou shall not kill." That's the issue that's going on. That's why Jesus goes to this example of the loaf. What Jesus is saying is if David could say that the moral law was higher than the ceremonial law, how much higher is God's moral law over human interpretation and the rabbinic traditions, et cetera? Jesus here trumps their human traditions with God's law with the 10 Commandments. I saw a clip of a famous podcaster, and he was just talking about... He's like, "Human existence is the greatest thing in the universe." He said, "I wish we had a manual for how human existence could be best done. What's the optimal way of living? What are the hazards that we are to stay away from?" I'm like, this is it, bro. That's what the 10 Commandments are. This is why Jesus said, this is for life. This is the fullness of life. The commandments are given to us as a manual. It shows us how we best operate. It shows us how we can be connected with God, how we can love one another, and it shows us that when we break the commandments, there's grace that we can access. Thanks be to Jesus Christ. And then Jesus says that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. Why? Because the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, is king of kings and the 10 Commandments is his 10 Commandments, and the fourth commandment is ruled under Jesus Christ. He says that Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Pharisees, they lived for the Sabbath. Fulfilling the Sabbath was so much work that it wasn't restful for people, and Jesus restores the compassionate aspect of the original Sabbath, which in the interim was effaced by the hardheartedness of the Pharisees. Have you always kept the fourth commandment from the heart all of your life? No, you have not. You have transgressed that commandment. I have transgressed that commandment. What is Jesus telling us today? We are to repent, and we're to ask for forgiveness and make the Sabbath a priority. Jesus obeyed it, all of the law, to forgive us for disobeying the law. Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and then he said with his last breath, "It is finished." And then his body rested in a tomb on the Sabbath, and Jesus rose victoriously on Sunday in order to give us power to devote every Sunday to him. This is how you and I follow the risen, ruling, and reigning king. This is how we begin to live life to the full by saying, you know what? Every start of the week, the first day, I'm going to devote to the Lord, and this is how I'm going to seek first the kingdom of God. And everything else shall be added onto you. Today is Holy Communion Sunday. We talk about bread, the loaves of the Presence, and we talked about the new wine. Jesus Christ gave us Holy Communion and he gave us the symbols of bread and wine in order to turn our attention, to focus our attention and our memory on the suffering of Christ on the cross. I'm going to read 1 Corinthians 11:23-32. For whom is Holy Communion? Holy Communion is for repentant followers of Jesus Christ. If there is unrepented sin in your life that you know of, right now is an opportunity for you to repent and trust in Jesus Christ to receive grace. If you do not repent, we ask that you refrain from this part of the service. But if you today repent of sin and turn to Christ, you're welcome to partake. I'm going to read 1 Corinthians 11:23-32. For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also, he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. If you'd like to partake in communion and you have not received the elements, please raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring them to you. With that, I will pray over Holy Communion. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of salvation that was purchased for us on the cross by Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, you were absolutely without sin. You had never sinned, not even once. There was not one commandment that you broke. You gladly lived a life of obedience to God the Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus today, we remember your sufferings on the cross. We remember that your body was pierced with nails as you were crucified to that tree. Lord, your blood was poured out so that we could be forgiven. We remember your body that was broken so that we could have healing from the great physician. We remember your blood, which removes our guilt and shame. Lord, today we come to you with contrition of heart. We come to you with humility, recognizing that we are not righteous, recognizing that we are like the tax collectors and the sinners. We are like the scum of this earth. And yet, Lord, you chose to love us, you chose to pour out your love for us, and you chose to call us to yourself. Lord Jesus, as we partake in Holy Communion now, I pray that this will be a blessing for us. I pray as we receive the bread and the cup and as we internalize these physical symbols, I pray that we also receive your grace, and that by your grace we are transformed from the inside out. We pray all this in Christ's holy name, amen. There are two lids, one at the top, which opens the cup, and one at the bottom, which opens the bread. On the night that he was betrayed, Jesus Christ took the bread. And after breaking it, he said, "This is my body broken for you. Take, eat, and do this in remembrance of me." He then proceeded to take the cup and he said, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant of my blood, which is poured out for the sins of many. Take, drink, and do this in remembrance of me." Lord Jesus, we thank you that you came with power, and we thank you that your word is effectual. That when you tell us to repent, you also give us the power to repent. When you tell us to follow you, you give us the power to do it. When you tell us to believe and trust in you, you give us the gift of faith. I pray that you, Lord, continue to draw us closer to yourself, continue to sanctify us from sin, and continue to empower us to be witnesses of your grace, witnesses of salvation to all those around us. I pray that we follow the example of Levi, who threw a great feast for all his tax collector and sinner friends, and invited you to be the center of this so they can meet you, so they could have their sins forgiven, so they could follow you and be transformed from the inside out. I pray, Lord, that you empower us to do the same with our friends, with our neighbors, with everyone around us, Lord, who is far from you. Lord, continue to draw them to yourself and continue to miraculously build up your kingdom here in Brookline and Boston, Massachusetts and beyond. We pray all this in Christ's holy name, amen.

This beautiful chapter depicts an utopian, unwordly, and idyllic scene as Jerusalem is bathed in a divine light, acclaimed by the world, and filled with peace, wealth and prosperity. Is this what the Messianic Age looks like?

In the second part of our study we look in more detail at the timing of the instruction to build the Temple and begin to examine the lineage of Zerubbabel and how he fits a picture of Messiah and the hope of the Messianic Age. Notes are available at www.mbmukfamily.com

he Month of Av – The Sign of LEO The Month of Leo – Av is a month of contradictions, strength or weakness, building or distraction, love or hate – a month of challenges and hard work. Within this month there is the secret of the future society of the Messianic Age. Read & learn some more: https://livekabbalah.org/av-leo Support our efforts to provide you with more materials, donate to Live Kabbalah: https://livekabbalah.org/donations https://livekabbalah.org/astrological-charts

From genealogymeditations.com. Read and Written by Bruce McClellan. ©️2023. http://genealogymeditations.com/2021/07/03/the-coming-messianic-age-isaiah-2/

Bad ideas are like the many-headed hydra. When one head is cut off, two more spring up. Just when Arianism is getting cured, Nestorianism boils over, and when that pimple is taken care of, Monophysitism appears on the body of Christ, and when the ointment for that is applied, a side effect called Monothelitism develops. And even after resolving these things, they come back, but at least the Church has a cure on the shelf for each of these conditions. They come back in odd and interesting ways, and some heresies like Arianism or sola scriptura take many centuries to fade out. Sorry, did I say fade out? They never fully disappear. Arianism was addressed in 325 at the Council of Nicaea, and a modern version of it is visible in humanism. Sola scriptura was addressed in the Council of Trent in the 1500s, yet the circular logic of that idea keeps every dog chasing its tail. Today, a person could spend every waking minute refuting heresies because it's all over in the language of believers and non-believers. Arguing over these errors make little impact, since those who openly reject official Church teaching have adopted their own authority, either in scriptural interpretations, or in their own mind. The old errors are so commonly held and pronounced, that I can't listen to modern music for an hour without recognizing at least one heresy. I think Luke Bryan is the Pelagius of Country Music, but he is just one of many. A good series would be doing a close-reading of errors in Luke Bryan's greatest hits, because you can find so many heresies passed off as wisdom or truth in his lyrics. It's not just him, so I don't mean to single him out. But we live in an age of various common errors, most commonly, Protestantism, Gnosticism and Pelagianism, which are big words, but with basic problems when we examine them as practiced in the real world. This is why the word “Christian” is so smashed up, misused, and abused that it now looks like the car in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles at the end of the movie. If you think this is false, check out /r/Christianity on reddit.com. It is chaos. That subreddit should be changed to /r/tohu-wa-bohu, which is the Hebrew word for chaos before God created order in the universe. Pope Pius X famously called modernism “the synthesis of all heresies,” and the Protestants posting on social media does us the favor of proving it beyond the shadow of a doubt. You could play Heresy Bingo and have a winner before finishing the first post's comment section. Reddit's generic /r/Christianity feed is like a slop bucket. It's remarkable to read comments there from self-professed Christians, because few seem aware of the first fifteen centuries after Christ's death, and it's not clear they realize that there was a Church operating before the year 2020. So there are many bizarre versions of Christianity floating around, and I used to think that nothing could outdo the “snakes and orgies” crowd that 60 Minutes did a show on many years ago, but I've been proved wrong repeatedly in recent years, as the heresies have erupted in denominations that once seemed to have a reasonable grip on doctrine. But churches like the ELCA and Methodists and even the “cool” Catholic churches have been caught up in the spirit of the times, and thus they will die like dandelions when the autumn of this culture comes, which is always sooner than we think. You cannot get to liturgies featuring drag queens or celebrating the worst sin of Pride without first abandoning Christ and the faith of the apostles. However, the long labor of creating and carrying the church through the gauntlet of time has happened, and for the Church that sticks to those teachings, it will outlast this current chaotic summer, and in the autumn and into winter, the redwood will outlast them all once again and arrive in spring stronger still. So while this makes a lot of people feel worried and lost, or scared that the Catholic Church will fall into error, it should actually give much hope. Because the only Church that will last is the one which remains in full orthodoxy with Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. The only Church that is interesting or compelling is the one that keeps the Deposit of Faith and rejects all doctrinal errors from 33 A.D. until today, because it is the only Church led by the Holy Spirit. When the breathless apostles first came to Jesus and reported error being used in Jesus' name, he said, “It's ok.” Well, he actually said:John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. (Mark 9:38-41)To break that down a bit, Jesus was telling the apostles that the others may cast out demons in Jesus' name. That's wonderful. He didn't say, “Go out and club them until they stop.” The Church has occasionally errored in that. But Jesus also didn't say, “Terrific, bring in these outsiders as the new teachers.” They did not become apostles. Jesus didn't adapt his teaching to the outsiders. The thing about Jesus is that you don't get to tell him what to do (unless you are Mary), you come to him on his terms and surrender to him. Pride need not apply. Jesus didn't declare one of these other healers to be “the rock” on which he founded his church. He didn't make these others the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. He allowed other interpretations, but he didn't say they were correct. All directions and corrections are provided to the apostles, which is why they were the chosen ones and the leaders. Even when I was fallen away and considered myself atheist, I knew that if I ever returned it would only be to the Catholic Church (with Greek Orthodoxy as a dark horse in that race), because the only Church that made sense historically, logically, physically, or spiritually was the one that Jesus founded on the rock of Peter, because it was the only one that had fought and outlasted the intellectual, physical, and spiritual march of empires and ideas, and it was clearly different from all other Johnny-come-lately denominations. The non-Catholic denominations may heal people and cast out demons, and that is truly wonderful, but they are wildly prone to poor theology, teaching, and lack the all-important taproot of Tradition to the person of Jesus himself. The original, the real deal, actually still exists if you look for it. I was quite surprised to find holy people still striving for holiness. It may have been the biggest shock of my life when I returned. The first time I saw a grown man kneel for communion and receive it like his life depended on it, I knew I'd been missing the point. When I started meeting with people that studied and strived for holiness, I realized that the lukewarm representations that I had held as standard was a very low standard indeed. Like General Motors, modern Christianity built a lot of models that didn't last. We had spinoffs of spinoffs so that most of those claiming the label “Christian” today would confuse the heck out of Peter, Paul and the apostles. Dostoyevsky famously wrote in the Grand Inquisitor that if Jesus came back to life, the Catholic Church would kill him again to retain its power. But as the Church lacks the power today that Dostoyevsky imagined, the story has not aged well, despite being a terrific read. It's more likely that if Jesus returned as Dostoyevsky imagined (which didn't match anything that Jesus actually said), Jesus would see that most of Christianity outside of the Catholic Church has turned into Imagination Land from Disney's movie Inside Out, starring Bing Bong, the pink elephant, as the high priest. Fortunately, the original model is still in storage and is ready to roll. It has some dents in it, for sure, but it runs fine and those scratches can be repaired. The apostolic Church, the body of Christ, that has had plenty of fallen leaders and brokenness over the years, but the heart is alive. The deposit of faith remains, and as long as the head is Christ, it cannot bless sin, because he did not bless sin. He said to “Go and sin no more.” The faithful cannot elevate the self or feelings in replacement of God. The denial of sin is a no-go in the driver's manual on how to go to heaven. Embracing orthodox belief is how we answer the question, “What is truth?” It is also how communities and individuals get restored to health. From the Body of Christ, life springs forth, age after age. We will not find salvation in heresy any more than we will in our youth sports teams or in a Tinder tryst or in an online mob or in our endless entertainment options. Restoration and the path to salvation will come back from where it began, through the Real Presence in the Eucharist, in gatherings of prayer, in speakers witnessing their conversion stories, in Bible studies, in adoration chapels, in Mass, in retreats, in recovery meetings, and anything that forges community away from the false gods propped up by modernism. To be awakened, we need a massive Ezra moment of deprogramming and teaching, where someone breaks open the scrolls to remind the lost people of a past they know nothing about. In Nehemiah, the people hear the word and understand, and know their sins, and know how they fell into the state of sin, little by little, by departing from orthodoxy. Ezra opened the scroll so that all the people might see it, for he was standing higher than any of the people. When he opened it, all the people stood. Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, “Amen, amen!” Then they knelt down and bowed before the LORD, their faces to the ground. (Neh 8:5-6)When the people bow their faces to the ground, they have surrendered. But we have not done so yet. We are still in full competition, both with one another, and even more so with God. And this is what every heresy in history does: it competes with God. Most heresies, from Simon Magus to Nestorius to Henry VIII, had a person with a large ego, often a king, who wanted to hammer the Church into his image and likeness, instead of making the Body of Christ in the image and likeness of God. How are we going to solve this competition problem? How can a culture built on competition, capitalism, winning, and getting whatever we want possibly break that addiction? How can we possibly turn away from serving our desires? That's the easy part. You win that game by not playing. You win in the same way Jesus won it the first time. You win by living in the culture while still being set apart from it. You win by being “called out” of the culture. You go to the desert. You pray, fast, and help the poor, like Jesus. You leave the place of idolatry, like Abraham. You exit the corruption, like St. Anthony to the desert. Like St. Benedict, you reset, apart from the world in the wilderness. Like St. Cyprian, like St. Augustine, like St. Ignatius, like St. Francis, like St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross - you swim against the current, because the current is taking you the wrong way. You reset and then re-enter the fray, washed anew in the blood of Christ.You win by accepting this sinful world as it is, and while still living in that world, but not being a player in its game. You win by entering into the suffering of others, with love, not affirming their sin, but by witnessing another way. Stop honoring and envying what other people hold as worthwhile. Money, houses, luxuries, sex, entertainment, food, alcohol, cars, boats, drugs, vacations. Stop wanting what the world wants. The entire problem is that you want the wrong things, and this is what leads to every error. How do you step out of this culture? How do you stop wanting garbage in favor of the Bread of Life? We follow the advice of the Truth himself. Jesus said, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off…And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.” (Mk 9:42-47) The good news for us about this brutal metaphor is that we have something we can rid ourselves of without actual amputation. What causes our sin in most cases today is what sits between our hands and our eyes. The phone. Our culture is the phone, and envy, lust, pride, sloth, greed, and wrath all reach out to your throat through that device. We can cut off the source of at least half of our most common ways of straying with not a single drop of blood spilled. But few of us will choose this, because hugging our sin is the easier path. Narcissus dies by staring into the mirror, forever, in love with himself. The easier path is always the one that doesn't pay off with interest. The easy path is that chosen by Lot, it is the path chosen by those Israelites wanting to return to Egypt in the desert, it is the path chosen by Peter when he denies Jesus, the path chosen by Judas in betraying him, it is the path today of affirming sin rather than fighting it. It is the path chosen by Marcion and Arius and Nestorius and Luther and Calvin and Henry VIII and Joel Osteen. The easier path is always the road to ruin. And who wants to be part of a religion that demands nothing of us, that demands too little, when Jesus has given all to his bride, the Church? We must surrender to win. You certainly do not win by joining the side that appears to winning, or that you think will win, because even if you win, you are still stuck in the game. In fact, if you win, you may be more stuck in the game than before, like how the proverbial quicksand pulls you deeper the more you struggle. How many aspiring employees who climb to Vice President suddenly find that their wealth and prestige now “require” a bigger house and a finer car and better schools for their kids? How many French and Germans and Russians traded in the humble truths of Jesus Christ for the toxic truths of a political party? How many Democrats and Republicans are doing the same in America right now exactly as they were in Dante's Florence so many centuries ago, or in Rome during the glory days of Caesar, or in the last days when the collapse of the Bronze Age? All of these past peoples have turned to dust, but the living God remains, and the Holy Spirit carried the Church along in this final Messianic Age. You do not win by surrendering to the bulldozer of earthly power, on either side. You win by surrendering to the power of Jesus. He is the real ruler over all things. Your way of life will need to change. Your life itself may need to be given up in professing the Truth. But the only way to win at this most important thing is to surrender everything. Ego, pride, self-elevation. Let it go. Otherwise, if your game is here on this earth, whatever you win today, you will need to defend tomorrow, and someday in the future after long years of fighting, you will turn around and see that you have been defending a pile of rubble. When you reach that moment, know that the one Truth is waiting for you to turn your face all the way to look at his sacrifice on the Cross. Rather than dishearten you, this should ignite you. You have been wanting the wrong things. Desires that you had, items that you wanted to own, experiences that you sought to remember - these were the distractions from the real answer to the one test question. How strange I thought it was for Jesus to say, “Rejoice, for the kingdom is among you.” But it is here. It's here, but it's the opposite of the competitive nonsense and little trophies we have been seeking all our lives. This is an incredibly exciting time to be alive, because once again, the world has regressed into the same shape as in the first century, when the apostles lit the fuse for the dynamite of the Gospel. The fuse is once again just waiting to be lit with the fire of the Holy Spirit. The kingdom is here among us, and it is the Catholic Church, with all its flaws. The Church: founded on a rock called Peter, the sinner and the saint, the fallen one transformed into a bold healer. The same answer to “Why did Peter sink?” for an individual is the same answer for the Church founded on the rock called Peter: taking the focus off of Christ and the fullness of him is to sink. To look at him constantly in trust is to experience the unending miracle of walking with God. The kingdom is here, the Church - in the world but not of the world - defending the faith from errors until he comes again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.whydidpetersink.com

The Bible is jam-packed with God's promises to Israel. However, traditional Christian theology appropriates these promises for the church, thereby denying that the Jewish people have the glorious future the prophets foretold for them. The mission of First Fruits of Zion is to reconcile the disciples of Jesus to these prophetic promises. Our guest is Boaz Michael, the founder of FFOZ. Our conversation centers on understanding the intentions and impetus behind our new mission statement, how to understand these promises better, and how their fulfillment through the Jewish people will bring unique blessing for the whole world. – Episode Highlights – • The humble origins of First Fruits of Zion in 1992 with the publication of “Israel Today.” • Formulating the commentary and theological framework that would become Torah Club. • The Four Restorations that have been the driving force behind First Fruits of Zion. • Coming to understand the gospel of the kingdom from Messianic Jewish disciples of Yeshua from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries. • Reconciliation takes place when Gentile Christians around the world move closer to the Jewish people by learning the historical Jewish interpretations of the Bible through Torah Club. • The systemic presence of anti-Semitism and supersessionism within Christian theology. • Reframing the words of the prophets to the Jewish people. • How do God's promises to the Jewish people affect Gentile Christians? • The practical impact that First Fruits of Zion and our message is having around the world. • Bringing Jews in Israel to a reconciliation with the gospel of the kingdom through the Bram Center. – Related Resources – Love In the Messianic Age, Paul Philip Levertoff ffoz.com/love-and-the-messianic-age-book.html Tent of David, Boaz Michael ffoz.com/tent-of-david-book.html Messiah Magazine: messiahmagazine.org First Fruits of Zion: ffoz.org Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (ffoz.org) in conjunction with Messiah Magazine (messiahmagazine.org). This publication is designed to provide rich substance, meaningful Jewish contexts, cultural understanding of the teaching of Jesus, and the background of modern faith from a Messianic Jewish perspective. Messiah Podcast theme music provided with permission by Joshua Aaron Music (JoshuaAaron.tv). “Cover the Sea” Copyright WorshipinIsrael.com songs 2020. All rights reserved.

Rabbi Jeremy Rosen shares his unique perspective on the balance between rationality and mysticism growing up in a Litvish and Hassidic household. He discusses the trend in the frum world where religious observance is becoming stricter and stricter, and how this phenomenon can be attributed to the Holocaust and Israeli politics. As we delve deeper into the conversation, Rabbi Rosen speaks about the current mood in the Haredi and Hassidic communities and how he sees the "tail wagging the dog." He explains why things are getting more extreme and how change happens very slowly, but also why he is optimistic that things will improve. He points out that the secular part of society has gone off the rails, which has led to reactionary fundamentalism in these communities. We then shift our focus to the cultural and political changes that are occurring in Israel and the world, including the controversial judiciary reform that has split the nation and the nature of political corruption. Moving on to the Jewish approach to dealing with tragedy and grief, Rabbi Rosen highlights the superstitions and social miscues that are unfortunately common responses. He presents a way to educate people on how to respond to another's tragedy, as Jews often turn to “hocus pocus” in desperate times and incorrectly conflate the Messianic Age with Olam Haba (the Afterlife). We briefly touch on the Book of Job and the fact that each person responds differently to grief, emphasizing that there's no cookie-cutter approach. We also discuss the concept of reincarnation being a new addition to Judaism and how Kabbalah can get out of hand, especially as it relates to the human response to tragedy. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/judaismdemystified/support

The wool has been pulled over our eyes for about seventy years now (or maybe 500 years), where we think that we have liberated women, but really we have walked into a trap. I'm not talking about women's sports or women having careers traditionally held by men here, I'm talking about the real things that separate men from women. Men have walked into the trap as well. We've all walked into the trap, each into our own separate trap, claiming freedom while the snare tightens around us in our solitary “liberty” cages. Yes, there is a well-known trap, called the “Two Income Trap,” but there is a worse trap, called the gaping maw of the underworld (better known as hell). The trap is that we think we can hammer morality into any shape we like, but we can't. The trap is that we think motherhood and fatherhood are not particularly important, and that men can be women and women can be men, but they can't. Some things are not changeable. When balancing a wheel, the more we try to hammer a wheel into the shape we'd like, the more unbalanced the wheel becomes. The more you hammer, the worse it gets and whole wheel eventually throws the bearing and destroys the machine. We've seen this movie before and Catholics are always the “jerks” that stand athwart certain truth claims made by voices in the culture. But Catholics are only jerks in this case because they must teach what was handed down. It's either abandon the faith and bow to the Golden Statue, or set your face like flint against the world, the flesh, and the devil and continue to preach what Christ and the Apostles taught. What is a sin has been defined since before Jesus taught the Apostles, and then Jesus clarified and refined it. It cannot be changed. When people get angry at the Church, it is solely because the Church repeats what Jesus said and the Apostles taught. This is why the church that Christ founded is the one with authority, which really makes people bristle. But the fact is this: morality cannot be legislated, it cannot be papered over, it cannot be coerced, and it cannot be softened to fit the mood of middle-schoolers, no matter what kind of emotional hostages they try to take. What is sin and what is not sin, is not up for debate. There are Cardinals in the Catholic Church today who do not understand this, and they certainly do not understand Matthew 5:17-19. But the teaching of the Apostles is as timeless as God in heaven. Our own consciences can inform us that the natural law is right if we could only sit in a room quietly and listen to that small voice without reaching and scrolling on the phone. Our smartphones today make us less wise than ancient people, who were more likely to understood their need for a savior far better than we can, because they understood suffering, and they knew what Jesus' redemption meant for their bodies and souls. Americans today don't like this idea of rules set in stone, such as Commandments, which is why we continually try to interpret the Bible on a personal basis, which twists all into destruction. Personal interpretation of the Bible is precisely how the devil re-crafts the bad sale from the beginning of human history to infect the Messianic Age that we are living in now. The devil has lost the war, but he can win some battles along the way and take souls, and he does this by twisting morality and re-naming sins as holy things. Throughout American history, from supporting slavery to selling consumerism to pushing the various evils of the Sexual Revolution, sola scriptura has been used to give sin a divine mandate, and thereby entrench it ever more securely in the culture. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, provides a solid foundation for doctrine and morality and has stood strong in the face of each attack. (from Don Johnson at Catholic Answers. For insight into our current fiasco of Biblical interpretation, read Don's book: Twisted into Destruction.)Without a doubt, men failed women before seventy years ago, but because of that failure that started in the 1960s with the lies of the sexual revolution, men have failed women even worse by allowing the current mania to thrash about so wildly. I realize that sin has been around since the Fall in the Garden, but the sixties gave it a boost, like a five-hour energy drink that lasted nearly a century. What's funny is that having received this unbridled, bursting sense of liberty, depression has hit an all-time high. But how can that be? I say it's funny, but it's not. It's sad, because we are sad. We are reliving these Garden stories, over and over. When Eve took the fruit, men followed, and both ended up sad as they were cast out of the garden, keeping God's image but losing his likeness. (For a good read on the fallout from the sexual revolution, read Adam and Eve After the Pill.)The initial lie from the devil led to a bad relationship. And the lie started with a false sense of food security, leading to curiosity for knowledge, working against trust in the Creator, all of which preceded the sexual fall and made the people believe that they no longer needed God, or each other (much more on this in an upcoming series on food and sex). Since the Fall, we just can't learn. Men refuse to love women properly, and the mess begins all over. The enmity between man and woman repeats, and it only is combatted by humility and submission of husband and wife to each other. The backlash against toxic masculinity is appropriate, because the cartoonish ignorant version of manliness that marketing departments preached to men was an absurdity, and it was the least Biblical idea in history. Trucks, sports, money, and sex do not make a man “manly.” A man driving a truck in a lift-kit doesn't look manly, he is just wearing a giant fig leaf. And a man who kowtows and removes himself from all responsibility to defer to women is pathetic. Healthy masculinity buys a truck if he needs to haul stuff around. Healthy masculinity doesn't buy extra horsepower just to bark his tires at a stoplight, he buys extra horsepower because his job is pulling heavy things. Material things, when presented as necessities to manliness, make him into a buffoon. Do you know what actually makes a man “manly”? This will come as a shock, because it's the same thing that can make a woman “womanly”.Acting like Jesus makes a man. Imitating Christ is how you become a father, a son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, or a friend. Likewise, imitating Christ is how you become a better mother, a daughter, a sister, a niece, a cousin, or a friend. Dying to self makes a man manly. Dying to self makes a woman womanly. There is right masculinity, and Jesus exemplified it. He lives it. He did not take a wife, but he shows us how to live whether we are single or married, man or woman, rich or poor, Jew or non-Jew. And although he did not marry, he made it utterly plain that having a wife, one wife, through all the hard times, makes a man masculine. Gathering notches on your truckbed can only make a man into a fool and an enemy of God. But the backlash against the absurd form of macho manliness has swung the pendulum into what girls today are told is liberation, where they are essentially being taught to act like men and want the things that men want. I have not seen any ads teaching girls to desire a family and loving husband, but I have seen many holding up sports glory, money, and sex as the highest goods. The funny thing is that many boys are now realizing that sports glory and money will not bring happiness, and are pulling away from those pursuits. The false idols are showing their sandy bottoms. They are washing away and will continue to erode over the next generation. However, in telling girls they can be men, we declare they have been empowered, but have they? Mocking motherhood and marriage has not been empowering, and since women cannot actually be men, but can imitate them, they have shunned their nature for man's nature. And once again, due to this disorder, God will allow us to be taught by disorder, by our own choice. When the formless void that God created and filled is not filled in the way he designed, disorder erupts. But we have done more than mock motherhood and the family unit. We have spent the past forty years mocking fatherhood, with sitcoms fathers, particularly Homer Simpson, leading the charge. Now the latest fad is to replace fatherhood with the government, the State, and we'll learn that social workers make for an even worse husband than Homer Simpson in the long run. The Soviet Union discovered this and the fallout from that was worse than ten Chernobyl incidents. At least radiation poisoning only affects the body, not both the body and the soul. The United States has a long stretch of disunity ahead, and we have chosen it. C.S. Lewis once said that hell is always locked from the inside, and people who choose to live in hell, in sin, merely refuse to turn the lock, because they think sin will make them happy. This is especially true in a marriage that is viewed as a temporary contract rather than covenantal joining of two people into one flesh. If marriage is not a fully binding and joining of the flesh, then why bother? This is the same argument that we have for the Eucharist. If it's just a symbol and not the Body and Blood of Christ, then who cares? If marriage is just a symbol of the State, of a legal contract, then who wants it? We want the sacred, and that's what Sacraments are, and sacraments are the path to God, to uniting our will and lives and marriages to God. In marriage, a man submits to his wife and his wife submits to him. This is the least anti-woman idea in human history. If the Woman at the Well doesn't tell the story of an awakening by turning away from sexual sin, then I don't know what does. New life comes when the Woman at the Well rejects her personal sin and understands God's forgiveness. She realizes that men have used her as an object, and perhaps she has used men in the same way. Leaving the well, drunk on the living water, she knows that sex is a bad substitute for God in the temple of her heart. She is suddenly unshackled from her own past and the identity lies she has been led to believe. She is healed after meeting God. Coming to know God's will for her, her brokenness is suddenly made sense of. All is clear. She was blind but now can see. The vice that she pursued, her weakness, is the very thing that purifies her in the end into holiness. We are a world of individuals, sad and depressed like the Woman at the Well just gasping for thirst, to taste this living water and return to a life of virtue. The Apostles had a group of women in the center of Church formation. Mary, the Mother of God, and Mary Magdalene could not have more important roles in the founding of Christendom, and they still hold those roles. Martha, Joanna, Photini…there are hundreds upon hundreds of women saints that are venerated, with buildings and churches and feast days named after them. There is no Church without women, because without Mary, the Mother of God, we have no incarnation, and without Mary Magdalene and the other women, no one is at the tomb on Easter morning when they first discover that Jesus is risen. To this day, it is more likely women that hear the voice of the living God. They are the ones that often lead men to this glorious mystery. Go to any parish and take a look around. Who is leading the Rosary before Mass? Who is managing the office and records? Who is organizing faith formation? Who is prepping the altar for Mass? Who is leading the choir? Women are everywhere in the Church. They are valued far beyond what the secular world tells you, because the secular powers doesn't want you to know this, and they certainly do not want you setting foot inside a Parish, lest you might become a Catholic. That is why the drumbeat of oppression and “Dark Ages” talk never ceases. There is an old saying among lawyers: “If the facts are on your side, pound the facts. If the law is on your side, pound the law. If neither is on your side, pound the table.” That is the game being played whenever you hear that the “Church hates women.” It is neither a fact nor a doctrine. It is a fabrication. Here's an excerpt from an article called “Does the Catholic Church Really Hate Women?”Apparently the justice of Christian morality offered a refreshing perspective to women in the ancient world accustomed to husbands who cheated and left at will. The number of women who converted to Christianity in the early centuries after Christ indicates that women were attracted to this new way of life. Indeed, they were among the most zealous converts and defenders of the faith:Christianity seems to have been especially successful among women. It was often through the wives that it penetrated the upper classes of society in the first instance. Christians believed in the equality of men and women before God and found in the New Testament commands that husbands should treat their wives with such consideration and love as Christ manifested for his Church. Christian teaching about the sanctity of marriage offered a powerful safeguard to married women (Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, Penguin, 58–59).In light of this history, does anyone seriously believe that the Assyrian or Greek or Roman or Mesoamerican world respected women more than followers of Christ did? Can people argue that position with a straight face? Does anyone really think that the long era before Christ, and further back, before Abraham, was a “better” time for women? Aside from Christianity, did any other religion take over the world in this way, where women and marriage sounded the battle cry into the culture? The answer is a simple but loud, “No.” This is exactly why marriage is the hill to die on for Catholics, and I'm referring to Sacramental marriage, not courthouse contractual marriage, as deemed to be marriage by the U.S. Government. Government marriage is as meaningful as an Apple end user license agreement. It does nothing spiritual, it's only legal. Unjust laws do not change God.And frankly, why would anyone care what a government thinks of marriage? Every government in history falls into the abyss of after a few hundred years. Is that really the arbiter of truth? Jeffersonian Democracy will not outlast God, so whatever is decreed from Congress is utterly useless for eternal life, which is what the concerns of the body and soul need to be aimed toward. What is the point of religion? It's eternal life. It's rebirth here and being raised to heaven hereafter. It's not getting a legal document. It's not winning power from a Supreme Court that will be a rusted out ruin, a weathered artifact, or a tourist stop in a hundred or a thousand years. The only marriage that matters is that which is eternal in the eyes of God, in which two people become one flesh. All others are just certificates of participation and “pieces of paper,” as modern people like to call it. Marriage defined by government is meaningless, because government is not God. Men today will say, “Why do I need a piece of paper to prove my love?” The answer is: “You don't.” The piece of paper isn't a Sacrament. The Sacrament is the Sacrament. For this reason, whenever someone says, “I don't need a piece of paper to prove I love you,” they are right, because a government piece of paper not only proves nothing, it does nothing. It should be called Garriage, for “Government marriage.” Or Narriage, for “Not Marriage.” Sacramental Marriage changes two people into one. Two bodies become one, and two souls are bonded, which are only parted at death, as Jesus said there is no marriage in heaven. “When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” (Mark 12:25).You can hold this belief that the Church hates women only if you choose to completely ignore the actual facts of pre-Christian society and the incredible spread and long-lasting nature of Christ's message and his Church. Christian marriage has outlasted empires, fads, intellectual movements, cosmic models of the universe, and it will outlast all versions of “government marriage” we currently pretend are real. After all of the current fads of open marriage and same sex marriage and polygamy fail, as they always have failed, the value of Sacramental Marriage will still be with us. It is not by accident that the Commandments are what they are. They were not invented at all, they were arrived at. They were not set forth to control people, they are what sets you free. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.whydidpetersink.com

The Catechism concludes the section on The Son with an examination of the final trial and judgment that will happen before Christ's Second Coming. This final trial will involve the "supreme religious deception" of the Antichrist, a deception that has already been present at various times in human history. Fr. Mike emphasizes that apostasy is a dramatic turning away from what we hold to be true. He reminds us that no other person can usher in the Messianic Age other than Christ. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 675-682. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy If you have found this podcast to be helpful in your faith life and would like to help us continue bringing this Catholic media to as many people as possible, please consider making an ongoing financial gift at ascensionpress.com/support Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB.

On this edition of Parallax Views, scholar, international speaker, and Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, host of the Committing High Reason podcast, joins us to discuss his book The Empty Wagon: Zionism's Journey from Identity Crisis to Identity. Rabbi Shapiro is an opponent of Zionism from an Orthodox Jewish perspective. From his purview, Zionism represents a hijacking of Jewish identity or, as he puts it, a theft of the that identity that is not in line with his religion. The conversation begins with Rabbi Shapiro explaining the Orthodox perspective on Judaism. In this regards he discusses the Torah, the seven Noahide Laws, fulfilling religious commandments, and what the Jewish people are definitionally from the perspective of an Orthodox Jew. He explains that from an Orthodox point of view the Jewish people are defined by their religion rather than national characteristics or other traits. Orthodox Jews, he argues, wish to be allowed to practice their faith and be left to their devices doing that. This leads us into a discussion the Orthodox Jewish opposition to Zionism, or, from Rabbi Shapiro's perspective, the Zionist opposition to Orthodox Judaism. We delve into the history of friction between Orthodox Judaism and Zionism as well as how the history of antisemitism, in both it's religiously-driven and racially-driven forms including pogroms and the Dreyfuss affair, plays into this story. In regards to all this we also discuss the idea of strength in Jewish thought, the era of nationalism and the birth of Zionism, Bolshevism and Communism, Hitler and the Holocaust, assimilationism and Zionism, Theodor Herzl, the Jewish language, Rabbi Shapiro's view that Zionism created a synthetic history of the Jewish people, and the success of Zionism in the 20th century. As the conversation goes deeper we discuss: - Israel as the Holy Land rather than a temporal, secular nation-state; the Holy Land is holy regardless of who has political control of it - The Messianic Age; the Orthodox idea that the state of Israel is not allowed to exist as a Jewish state before the coming of the Messiah; Rabbi Shapiro's argues that opposition to Zionism is not simply about the Messianic Age and that the difference between Zionists and Orthodox Jews on Israel is an obfuscation and that the difference goes beyond the question of the Messianic Age - Israel as the Jewish state or the nation-state that represents all Jews; why Rabbi Shapiro takes issue with this and the logic of it - The Jonathan Pollard spying case; the "dual loyalties" trope that has been used against Jews, Japanese-Americans in WWII, and Italian Catholics in the era of JFK; Pollard's claim that all Jews have dual loyalties whether they realize it or not; how that particular claim by Pollard bolsters antisemitism - Zionism, violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and antisemitism - Rabbi Shapiro's responds to the argument that the creation of the Israel was necessary to prevent future pogroms and horrors like the Holocaust; the ideology of Zionism vs. the idea that Zionism is just a safe haven for Jews from gentile violence - The traditionally anti-Zionist Haredim Jews who live in Israel; the cultural tensions between the Haredi and other Israeli citizens; Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, and the Religious Zionism coalition; why do some Orthodox Jews support Israel or live within it if they claim to oppose it? - The argument that anti-Zionism is the new antisemitism; the idea that anti-Zionism is antisemitic as itself a form of antisemitism; the Israel-Palestine conflict as being a question for Zionists rather than Jews - 

Join Grace Fellowship Church as the text of Mark 2:18-22 directs our attention on our Lord and Savior

I bought into a kind of mentality for a few decades where I would shake my head at the portrait of the faithful Christians as a bunch of superstitious, inbred fools. For quite some time, I could not revert to belief, because it meant letting go of many of my assumptions and biases. I wanted certainty. I had ingested from years of education, television, and gobs of self-help new-age fluff. Having lived some forty years, it became increasingly clear that a long campaign to bash and re-write Christian history has been the motive of many of my educators and most of the media that I've consumed. There was a clear villain, especially in public school and (oddly enough) the Catholic university I attended for one year before transferring to a public university. I lost my faith at a Catholic university. Today I feel like I paid $14,000 in my freshman year to have my soul amputated, which was an unexpected surgery. The enemy in classrooms was the Church. It wasn't always said directly, and was often more like a flank attack on every single teaching of the Church. But behind the “teachings” was always the Catholic Church. I put “teachings” in quotes because most of what I was taught turned out to be very loose on details and often directly dishonest. The accusation was not always made directly at the Church, but when the direct inverse of faith and morals was being taught, the wind from my professors, which I was paying for, was set on full sail toward anti-religion. Honestly, I have to wonder for a few if it wasn't kind of a thrill to teach history or philosophy at a Catholic university and actively try to kill a student's faith. Everything that the Church held sacred was discarded, and seemed almost a part of the core curriculum, literally, on nearly every doctrine of faith and morals. This may sound like exaggeration, but if I have enough time I will go into it further, and I have covered it in some degree in prior posts. Obviously it wasn't only the college experience, but television and the internet as well, and my own need to rebel and get buck-wild as much as possible, from Thursday to Sunday night if I could swing it. Four dollars bought a plastic cup at “all you can drink” house-parties, and with a fake ID, three beers for a buck at the bars. I could get hammered on the cheap. I took school seriously, but the extra-curricular of drinking was a close second. I often wonder why I even went to college because I could have learned to program and code myself, but instead I paid a lot of money to read books (that I could have read at home) and lost my faith and meaning in life. But I do love learning and reading, so I lapped it up, but the fruit of my education was full of worms for a long, long time, until I finally slipped on my own rotten banana peel and hit bottom.Somehow I was seeking answers and oblivion at the same time, and by the end of my freshman year, I had all the answers I needed. There was no God. Jesus was just a human teacher, like Buddha, or Bill Nye. The divine never broke through into our world. Miracles were ludicrous. The universe has always existed, and evolution explains it all. Now it was time for Metallica and shots of Blue 100 and Aftershock, Jag-bombs, straight whiskey. Eat, drink, and get wrecked, for tomorrow we die! Oh - and make money. Everyone assured me that money was very important, and that my American pursuit of happiness really, really needed money. So I really only saw oblivion and self-determination as the road ahead to any kind of meaning. And that is how I purchased the product that the culture and college were selling. There was a sales pitch happening with much fanfare and intellectualizing and it felt a lot like how I came to take my first drink, which was by peer pressure and wanting to be cool and counter-cultural. While the cheerleaders of the modern world assured me that “justification by STEM alone” and the unending song of “Believe in yourself” promised a glorious future kingdom on earth, the progress toward the utopia, whether by science, humanism, capitalism or socialism, didn't match the sales pitch. In the end, the shiny product I bought to be cool turned out to be Ford Pinto that exploded when life rear-ended it. When you are selling a product, you craft a story. This is critical in sales, and academics and business people have gone to great lengths to craft and hone their tales, and if you don't think so, if you turn on a radio, TV, or open your phone, within seconds you will be ingesting a crafted story, professionally made just for your eyes, ears, tongue, and stomach to desire. However, the crafted sales pitch is only one-third of making a sale. The second part is the demonstration, and the third part is proving it. Now, a “demo” can be every bit of smoke and mirrors as the pitch, and often is. For a company I once worked for, I was tasked with creating a “demonstration” for a keynote speaker for our companies largest annual event. To show how great our software was, we created an app that showed meters and gauges wobbling and measuring temperature and wind speed. It looked amazing, useful, cutting-edge. And it was all fake. We used fake data and the app was connected to no real world hardware, no wires, no live data. For another demo, I had to create a long series of click-through screens to show how well our product worked, with transitions to mimic a mouse click, so that the presenter could appear to be using the actual app. But there was no app. It was all just images appearing to look like the application. The demo was a magic trick. But it looked good. When a keynote speech is delivered, nothing can go wrong in the slides or demonstration. That was made clear to me, hence the need for the fake app and the click-through images. Nothing could go wrong. Even with the fake data, I was assured that if the demo errored or failed somehow, I would be looking for a new job. When I left that company, I joined one that didn't play the same games and it felt much more authentic, because we were showing and selling the actual product, without smoke and mirrors, or as little smoke and mirrors as possible. Customers appreciated this. Employees appreciated this. Being a “demo-dawg” means having to dance in front of the customer, but it's far more enjoyable when what you are showing actually exists and if it fails, you speak honestly about the problem. Authenticity: that is what people really want today, but the smoke-and-mirrors of the screens attract us like moths to the bug zapper. The third part of selling is the proof that it works. This is of course the most important part of all, because repeat sales do not happen with this piece, because in the end it's the only thing that really matters. A good salesperson can sell a piece a junk one time, but then he had better move on to the next town, because the jig is up when the product fails. Charlatans get caught, because reality always test and proves out the claims of both the story pitch and the demonstration. Remember the old Castrol GTX oil commercials? They showed engines running at high RPMs with a low quality oil. Of course, the engine with the lesser oil seized up in a dramatic clunk (while an engine with Castrol oil clearly would have kept hammering the piston like a sewing machine). The story was that Castrol protected your engine “from viscosity and thermal breakdown", which turned on every car guy and armchair engineer, and presumably even men who had no idea what those terms meant. (These were shown during NFL football games, as the target audience was men and boys who liked gladiator games and powerful engines as a substitute for their own insecurities and feelings of powerlessness…but I digress.) The demonstration in the commercial recorded engine breakdown at high RPMs, which made for a compelling story for the Castrol claim, which was: “Our oil is high quality and performs under pressure.” But the real test was always in the real world, not the advertisement or the demo. No one knows what engine was used, or if the gauges were even real. In other words, to keep selling a product, there has to be something more than words, more than just the demo. It must actually do what is promised. Marketing acts as the prophet, demonstrators (a.k.a. “demo-dawgs”) perform the sign, and the usage is the proof, the fulfillment of the prophecy. If the ball is dropped anywhere along the way through this gauntlet of sales, you don't make the second sale. Sure, for a while you can fool people, because companies can and do step up their marketing and sales games, but it cannot last forever. The cracks eventually show. We consumers may be stupid, but we are not completely stupid. Sometimes a failed idea that sold well can even take a few centuries to play out, as the marketing story sounds so good you just can't believe your eyes that it failed. (Here I am alluding directly to the stories and pitches of Karl Marx, the absurd demonstrations of Potemkin Villages, and the proof of the utter and complete failures of organizing a society around anything that even touches his ideas. Yet, we want to try it again…but I digress.) We are seeing the cracks today in four ideas that have dominated the past two centuries: socialism, capitalism, humanism, and scientism. All four of these, in their actual testing, have proven flawed beyond repair. The reason is simple. They all push God off the stage so that the sacred Self can be the center of all things. That alone is the flaw. These ideas in these ideologies alone are not bad, but anything that fails to include God as the highest good will fall into disorder. There is no other way. Order and disorder come from a cosmic, theological law of spirituality. There are laws of physics, yes. Then there are the higher laws: the laws of spirits. God is the author of life, of this book, so he chooses the ending, and any mere mortal that fails to follow the Greeks advice to “Know thyself” is writing himself clear out of the book. Knowing thyself means knowing humility before God, and as I've said before, most people don't seem to have a problem with that idea. Humility before God and thanksgiving to God is the point of religion, the purpose of all prayer, but we so easily forget that. Most people today would say I'm wrong. They would say that the one thing that has proven flawed is Catholicism. It's backwards, they say, forgetting that universities and hospitals came to be without it. It's sexist, they say, ignoring that women make up more of the Church and had more to do with starting the Church than any other religion in history. It's racist, they say, while it is in every country with every type of person imaginable who join together daily worldwide for Mass. They accuse it of many things. Its enemies are everywhere. But what I've come to learn is that few people, not even most Catholics, understand Catholicism very well. Much of what is known covers only the scandals of the church itself, which it certainly has its share of. Most people think it's just a list of rules, for a bunch of guilt-ridden fools. But by far the most divisive and false beliefs about the Church come from active campaigns of misinformation, libel, and slander. And lastly, millions of fallen away Catholics had a bad example as their icon of faith, who screamed and hollered and obviously misunderstood the whole thing, too. The common chorus is “I am a victim of Catholic Guilt.” Dear readers: Catholic guilt is not a doctrine of the Church. Joy, however, is. What a shame that no one knows this. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the word guilt appears four times. The word joy appears forty-six times. Something has been lost, or misinterpreted, in the translation and delivery of the Church teaching. Here's my point: no one ever built a cathedral out of guilt. No one ever did the unnecessary toil of lugging massive amounts of stone across the ground in order to hang up a set of rules on the wall. No one built statues or made sacred art or wrote hymns because of their guilt. All of these things were done for the joy that Christ gives to his followers. This association of guilt with the Church is the greatest tragedy of modern times, because it's so utterly incorrect, and it is largely a manufactured fib that has now been passed down generations. People who treat the faith like just another Elk's Club or Costco membership have completely missed the point. Costco followers have not yet built a Notre Dame or Salamanca Cathedral. It's far more than an identity, it's salvation, rest, peace, joy. (And by the way, feeling guilty is the correct emotion if you did do something wrong. It's appropriate. But if that's all you learned about Catholicism, you know nothing, just as I did not.)Now what floors me, over and over, as you comb through the history of the Church, is that through all of the persecutions and attempts to stifle it, it does not die. It returns. This is maddening to its enemies. Every earthly kingdom that has put resources into destroying it, whether by sword or tongue (which are often used as synonyms) have failed to complete the job. Why? How can the nearly unlimited resources of emperors and kings, with their armies of soldiers and intellectuals, fail to destroy the Body of Christ? I can tell you why. It's because they already tried it once on the Cross, and the same resurrection that happened with Jesus happens with those that he calls. It cannot be killed. But why? The reason is joy. The reason is that once you are lost and found again, the joy cannot be replaced by anything else in this world. For those who God calls, there is no replacement, no backup plan, no second option. All of what was desired before becomes absurd once Jesus finds his chosen followers. The question of “why?” doesn't have an answer beyond “joy.” The rest is the mystery, and the mystery is glorious.So the reason that it has lasted is because orthodox Christianity is the one thing that has worked for bringing joy to the world. It has worked for 2,000 years. It will work for as long as God keeps our story in the Messianic Age that we are now in, the third act, as we await the return. It has been proven to work. This is the product that has reviews from every generation, shouting that “This Jesus really does what he promises!” Tested repeatedly through the centuries, the results show through clearly. For those announcing its demise today, they will be disappointed just as every other group or king that tried to kill it by violence, propaganda, mockery, and indifference, and there have been many: Napoleon, Nero, Diocletian, Julian the Apostate, Suleyman, the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Visigoths, the Vikings, Henry VIII, Marx, Stalin, Lenin, Pol Pot, Hitler, Mao, Robespierre, and even Thomas Jefferson. That's just a short list of names. Christianity has been pronounced dead before. During the siege of Constantinople (A.D. 674–678), some were crying that the last days of Christian Rome had come, and that the armies of the Prophet would soon wipe out Christendom, as they had already destroyed Sasanian Persia and its ancient religion. In the thirteenth century, as Machiavelli observed, trust in the Catholic Church, mired as it then was in corruption and infested with heretics, only survived thanks to the holiness of Sts. Francis and Dominic. Prognosticators foresaw the collapse of Christian Europe after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, but two centuries later, following the Battle of Vienna in 1683, it was the Turks who were driven out of Europe. The French Revolution tried to de-Christianize France, but that campaign lasted less than a dozen years. (First Things)Nothing lasts like faith in Jesus. We know this God can't be killed. From history alone we know this is a fact. From the Cross to the tomb, we know this. It is a repeated and ever-present truth of The Way, with the uncomfortable reality being that Jesus isn't dead. God is a living God. So even though many today like to point to the flaws alone, the scandals, and call that the totality of Catholicism, there is something far more going on. At some point it doesn't even make sense that this thing would continue given all of the energy put forth to snuff it out. If that seems like I'm generalizing, read about the martyrs and the saints. Read about how the Church nearly died, time and again, only to re-emerge again. In real time today, I'm witnessing the onslaught of the world against the Church, from professors to internet atheists to national governments, all who go out of their way to attack and blame Christianity for all the world's ills. It almost feels like a game, or a joke, as the blame and accusations pile up. At some point, when considering it all, I even laugh, because the dogpile is so uneven and absurd. And that absurd imbalance leads to questions, as the resilience of this Church surpasses any other institution in human history. The big question that began to stick out like a sore thumb had less to do with the Church than with its enemies. The more you see a someone or something being attacked, the more you start to wonder about the attackers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.whydidpetersink.com

The entire Old Testament after Babel is the preface to God's return, with the pivot point being Mary. Through the Incarnation, we learn that God will restore his rule, and remove the evil powers. Tolkein fans should recognize this immediately because we are living in part three, “The Return of the King.” We are living in the Messianic Age now. Also, for anyone who wonders why Mary is such a big deal to Catholics and Orthodox folks, it's because without her there is no return of the king. She is the turning point in this story, the Mother of God. She's kind of a big deal, as in, the biggest deal ever, as she is the true gate that brings God to us. Christ came to do several things: to take away our sins, transform our suffering, destroy death, and ultimately defeat the demonic powers. He came to wrest power away from those spirits that rule our lives and the nations. Again, he did not come to remove all suffering. We still have to deal with that for now. As for the pain and suffering that doesn't make sense, the only God that ever came down and suffered with his subjects is the God of Israel, the God who came to us. This is how and why suffering is transformed in Christ. A common question is: How can God allow suffering? How could he do this to me? That is exactly when we can look to Jesus, to God himself, who came here in the flesh and suffered a brutal and terrible death on the cross. Until you understand this, and how Christianity works, suffering will probably never make sense to you. You will cry out, “Why, God, why?” even as you stare at a crucifix with Jesus looking right back at you. Not only Christ suffered, but his own mother did as well. Those closest to him suffered. His immediate followers, his chosen twelve, almost all suffered horrible deaths. They were so hungry that they ate barley right out of the field. Mocked and scorned, they had to hide and endure prison. Millions of his followers have suffered, not in fear or self-pity, but with strength, and some even with joy. All of them have imitated Jesus and experienced profound meaning in that suffering, giving incredible hope and rebirth to people who were once spiritually dead. That is why Christianity does not die, nor will it ever. The only God of any religion that came here to suffer like one of us is that of Jesus Christ who voluntarily carried his cross and showed us the meaning of redemptive suffering. This is the only religion that even makes sense when we can see how much pain is in the world. It is only the person of Christ who can turn a cross into a gift. Self-salvation is a fool's game. The Under Armor marketing team almost has it right, even though they just shoplifted their slogan from Christianity. The t-shirt and shoe company assures us that “The only way is through.” The way to what, Under Armor? A trophy? A scholarship? Forget such trifles. If you want to get to heaven stop trying construct a gate or a tower of yourself. Stop chasing drugs and sex. Quit wasting your time on something that will impress your peers or massage your lonely ego for a few hours. The original saying is from St. Rose of Lima and a hundred other Christian writers. The only way is through the cross. Says St. Rose of Lima: “Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” (CCC 618) We will all get to learn on the last day where the gate we are looking for is located, and it is not a gate or a ladder or a tower. The cross is the narrow gate, and following Christ is the way. The spiritual rebirth found in Christ happens every day. These are modern miracles. You can watch it happen when the penny finally drops and everything connects. Our modern mental health crisis has a single cause: it is taking the exit off of the Via Dolorosa to hit the drive-thru at McDonalds. The cure is to be re-enchanted with life, with struggle, with purpose, and the therapist needed is available for free, any time, any where, and so is his mother, who can take notes for you and deliver them to the therapist for you. When people are released from their bondage of self, something happens, and you can hear the reborn person tell you, “Something was lifted off me,” or “I don't know how to explain what happened to me, but I am no longer the same.” What they are describing surpasses science, as no pill or therapy can explain what has happened. But once you see it enough times, you know there is something spiritual happening, and when these miracles occur, a prisoner is being released from the enemy, returned from exile to the side of God. What we don't realize in our day to day movements is that we are in the middle of a war. This is difficult to accept for modern people because much legwork has been done to confuse and steer us away from this fact. We are in a war. This is a war far bigger and longer-lasting than any human war. And this war has claimed billions of people already. We have been in a war our entire lives, just as your parents were in the same war, and your parents' parents were as well. The sooner you recognize this, the sooner you can do something to change not only your life, but your entire “language” of life. Once you recognize this war, the lens through which you see everything changes dramatically. This war is not with people. In other words, people are not the enemy. If you were lucky enough to be baptized, you are already armed for this battle. But the battle is not against other people. In fact, if you think the war is against other people, like Democrats or Republicans, or Packers fans versus Bears fans, you don't yet understand how this war works. You are still in the darkness, being distracted, diverted, divided, and deceived by a spirit. The prison still has you. Consider this question: When and why does Jesus get angry in the Gospels? He does not show anger at the lost, the mentally ill, the blind, the diseased, the fools, or the poor. For us today (take note Republicans) that means: Jesus shows no anger at the crazy, the ignorant, the legitimate people in need, the immigrants, the addicts, the prostitutes, and the working poor. But notice (take note Democrats) that Jesus also doesn't get mad at the middle-class, nor does he talk down to the uneducated, or those who carry swords, or those who work in construction. Even if no one wore collars in those days, we know that Matthew maps to a businessman today while Peter maps to a tradesman. Jesus lives among both the wealthy and the poor, the soldiers and the pacifists, all within his Chosen twelve apostles. That alone should speak to you. The women of his inner circle - take Joanna, Martha, and Mary for instance - were all different, with varying personalities, wealth, and backgrounds. Jesus shows sadness for those who suffer. But he only shows anger at certain people. Most obviously, he shows anger at the religious hypocrites who love their self and reputation over God. He gets angry at the money changers who defile God by using the Temple like a Wal-Mart. He also tends to scold the wealthy often. And he shows anger at Peter, even calling him Satan, when Peter tries to stop Jesus' from going to the Cross. In light of this, it's not surprising that Jesus doesn't get mad at Judas when he learns of his betrayal. I guess it should go without saying that Jesus, fully divine and fully human, knew everything that would happen. Given that he knows everything, and reads everyone's heart, when Jesus gets mad at someone, he is sending a message. Notice that he doesn't stay mad at anyone either, but only rebukes them. So what is it that Jesus gets angry at? Is it the people? Does the Pharisee, who is a body and a soul, anger him? No. He is angry at their failure to fight the spiritual combat. He expects more of them because they have been given much, but have been led astray, blinded by worldly things. First, he wants them to love God, as they do strive for, and second, he wants them to help the orphan and the widow, to care for the weak and the poor. They have caved into pride, and pulled the old trick of worshipping the self while calling it God. It's so easy to do, and most tempting for those in the elite or wealthy classes of society. Here's the thing: God loves the Pharisee just as much as the tax collector and the prostitute, but he expects the educated and comfortable Pharisee to do more, to reach out, to go all-out Mother Theresa on this world. The spirit of darkness has overtaken those at whom he expresses anger. They have failed to convert daily to God in their Spiritual Combat. Jesus does not mince words in saying that those who are given much will have much demanded of them. The Pharisees are those blessed with intellect, education, and the ability to interpret scripture and preach God's word, but they have forgotten their own orders: to be servants. That is the problem. They serve themselves under the guise of loving God. They are Ben Franklin saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” That is the spiritual lie whispered in their ear that they have not rebuked and cast out. The Pharisees can cast demons out of others, but the ones that Jesus' scolds have not yet cast the demons out of the themselves, because they are not fighting the spiritual fight. Jesus can tell immediately who is lying, because he knows their hearts. He knows all hearts. Those who have not been given much - the poor, the refugee, the addicts, the mad - don't have the capacity to serve, because they can barely survive with what they have. But the Pharisees and the wealthy have the capacity to serve, and choose not to. The people that Jesus scolds are supposed to know they are living in a combat zone. He gets angry at those who have been granted the gift of faith, but do not share it with others. They reject their duty as servants, trading up for the fool's jewels of ambition, reputation, honor, and glory. Pride is the root cause of everything that goes haywire in the Bible, from the Garden to the Cross. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whydidpetersink.substack.com

In Matthew 24:4-28, Jesus lays out an overview of the Tribulation, which occurs after the Rapture. In verses four through fourteen, He provides various signs during the Tribulation's first half. Jesus notes the midpoint of the Tribulation in verse fifteen, explaining that an Abomination of Desecration occurs. That event sets off the Tribulation's second half, which Jesus explains in verses sixteen through twenty-eight. The Tribulation serves as the birth pangs or labor pain leading to the birth of the Messianic Age. However, for the Messianic Age to begin, the Messianic King must return. Hence, Jesus sets forth the return of the King in Matthew 24:29-31.

in Matthew 24:4-14, Jesus begins answering the disciples' second question. He provides seven birth pangs to announce Jesus' return to establish His Kingdom. A woman's birth pangs or labor pains do not occur at conception or during pregnancy but just before the delivery of the child. In this context, the child to be born is symbolic of the birth of the Messianic Age. Hence, “all these things” — false Christs, wars, rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes — will not begin until just before Jesus' return and will, like the contractions of labor pains, increase in intensity.

In today’s passage the prophet provides the people with five snapshots of what life looks like during the reign of the Messiah. Believers can be confident that though we are beset by many struggles, the outcome is sure!

Once upon a time, in the dark ages before the singularity, there was a fox who, while walking its way along a riverbank, saw a great big bevy of catfish fleeing in a panic this way and that. Curious, the fox called out to the fishes, saying, “Good fishes of the stream, I see you fleeing in a panic this way and that. I do not wish to interrupt your suffering, but I am curious and as a fox I must follow my curiosity: Surely, there must be some great evil from which you are fleeing?”

Once upon a time, in the dark ages before the singularity, there was a fox who, while walking its way along a riverbank, saw a great big bevy of catfish fleeing in a panic this way and that. Curious, the fox called out to the fishes, saying, “Good fishes of the stream, I see you fleeing in a panic this way and that. I do not wish to interrupt your suffering, but I am curious and as a fox I must follow my curiosity: Surely, there must be some great evil from which you are fleeing?” | Copyright 2022 by P H Lee. Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki.

Does God always give us what we deserve? Thankfully, no! Jeremiah chapters 30 to 33 are often called “the Book of Consolation.” Pastor and author Dane Ortlund explains this is “because God reveals to his people in these chapters his final response to their sinfulness, and it is not what they deserve. Expecting judgment, he surprises them with comfort. Why? Because he had pulled them into his heart, and they cannot sin their way out of it.” Despite their repeated sinful behavior, God tells them, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3). Even though Jeremiah delivered chapter after chapter of judgment of sin, our God is ever faithful! He was not faithful in the way the people of Judah assumed. They thought they could presume on their “chosen” status and escape the consequences of their sin. Instead, God is ever faithful in His own way and in His own time. Israel’s sin would indeed lead to judgment, but God promised to one day restore them to the land. Even with Jerusalem and the Temple lost, He would be their God and they would be His people (v. 1). Even while disciplining them, He never stopped loving them, just as He does with us today (Heb. 12:5–11). Today’s passage paints a beautiful picture of what Israel’s restoration will be like. God will provide for them and give them rest (vv. 2, 9, 12–14). They will again experience His love and kindness (v. 3). Cities will be rebuilt, the land will flourish (vv. 4–5). They will dance and sing as they worship Him (vv. 4, 6–7, 12–13). These images look forward not only to the return from exile (starting in 538 B.C.) but also to the Messianic Age. >> From all of us on the Today in the Word team, Happy Resurrection Sunday! What was good news for Israel is good news for us as well. God loves you. Please accept His gift of salvation today! Extended reading: Jeremiah 30–31

“Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. In a dispute they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My sabbaths” (NASU).

Sermon by Rev. Dr. Rhonda Lee on 1/23/22

Science of Kabbalah started with a show on creation so it makes sense that on this our final show we talk about the end of days or what we classify as the Messianic Age in Judaism. The Kabbalist's as well as our other Jewish sources had much to say about the coming of Messiah and what that meant for the world. Almost all of them agree that the six days of our week that culminate in Shabbat is not just a physical concept, but the 6000 years of this worlds existence will culminate in the ultimate and final Shabbat, or what we call the World to Come. The Science of Kabbalah 14DEC2021 - PODCAST

In biblical times, the holiday of Sukkot—which began for us this week—was THE major holiday. There was a large gathering of crowds and, in a time before mass communication, it would have been an ideal time to try to get information to the most people.  Over time, people used this time as a time to declare themselves the ones to usher in a messianic age. Using the research of Dr. Malka Simkovich, Rabbi Jaech led us on an exploration of three such declarations.

Beginning at Sunset on Monday, September 20, 2021 starts the Feast of Tabernacles which shall run to September 27.Must show to listen to! Why? Because I go into the Birth of Yahshua Messiah/Jesus ChristAnd guess what He wasn't born on December 24!The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) points to the final phase of Yahweh's plan of redemption for mankind—the Second Coming of Yahshua Messiah and the MillenniumUniqueness of the Feast of TabernaclesThe Feast of Tabernacles is unique in two ways. First, it is unique in that among the Festivals of the Lord it specifically invites the Gentile nations to participate. (Deuteronomy 31:10-12) Second, the Feast of Tabernacles is unique in that the Bible tells us, that it will be celebrated throughout the Messianic Age. Zechariah 14:16-19 makes it clear that during the Millennium, all the nations of the earth will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.Before I begin this study, let's read what the apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Yahshua Messiah.”Luke 1  5)    Zacharias = “Yah has remembered           Elisabeth = “”God/El of Oath”. Her son being that oath and promise          Zacharias is a Levite Priest. Note that his wife Elizabeth is also a Levite or from the tribe of Aaron. For a Priest must marry within his tribe.          Abijah = “My Father is Yahweh” What is this course? This is the 8th course of 24. In which King David set up at his time of rule. Read 1 Chro. 24, especially verse 10. According to custom, each of the Priests must officiate for one full week in the Temple of Yahweh. The courses started at the first New Moon of the first month of the Jewish Civil Year. Now knowing this, Zacharias course fell on our June 13-19. This period of time important, for this sets the time of the birth and conception of John and His cousin Yahshua, our Savior. [Note the course run form Sabbath to Sabbath]8        that's to say the week of June 13 to 1913      John = “Yahweh sheweth favor”.  23      days = his week of June 20th. Note Zacharias lived app. 30 miles from the Temple. For a man his age, it took him 2 days to walk home, therefore making the date around June 22-2324    conceived = possibly June 23 or 24          five months = Nov. 2426      sixth month = Dec. 25 (true conception of Yahshua Messiah)           Gabriel = What is he up to now?57      full time = a perfect 280 days, March 28-29Luke 21        in those days = 2 thoughts on this, 1) the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles and 2) the coming of the Blessed event on our Lord's birth. 7        On that 1st day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Tishri 15th. This is why Yahshua is our true Tabernacle [Hebrews 8:2]. Now, this would have been on our Sept. 29, 4 BCHave any questions? Feel free to email me at utwoy@netzero.net

A discourse by Paul Philip Levertoff on the subject of God's love through the Messiah as expressed in the Gospel of John. Excertped from Levertoff's book Love in the Messianic Age. See the attached PDF below for a print copy.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.Observations about demonsNo clear instance in the entire Old Testament.Yet stories of the demonic were common in surrounding lands.There may be a connection between idolatry and the demonic in Deuteronomy 32:17.Was the Lord protecting his people? Or were those outside the covenant people of God merely superstitious.In the New Testament, possessions appear only in the early decades.Thus exorcism was part of the apostolic mission (Mark 3:13-14).No instructions are given in the letters, which deal with practical Christian living. (Were there no longer any active demons in the 50s or 60s?)Did the apostles succeed in "mopping up"?Could a Christian be possessed? How does that square with 1 Corinthians 10:13?Sloppy demonology todayFalse personifications of sin. ("A demon of laziness," for example.)Details of possessions and exorcisms do not match what is found in the N.T.N.T. exorcisms were highly public, not staged or ambiguous.Exorcisms took place immediately; they were not multi-stage events.Blaspheming demons? In the N.T., the spirits were respectful.The possessed did not acquire Satanic or miraculous powers.The demons recognized who Jesus was, but not why he had come to earth (Mark 1:24, 3:11, 5:7; Luke 8:21).God concealed his plans from these malevolent powers. His wisdom was hidden (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:9): the evil powers orchestrated Christ's crucifixion (1 Corinthians 2:6-8; John 13:27), yet this was the means by which these same evil powers effect their own ruin (Colossians 2:14-15; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8).Some early Christians believed the demons were fallen angels. Others held different views. In the same way, there are many opinions today.For a good book to stimulate your thinking, consider F. LaGard Smith, Angels, Demons, and the Devil: A Conversation with Michael the Archangel about Celestial Beings. ISBN 13-978-0-9660060-6-3.Further and thorough material will be found in two of the appendixes of Craig Keener's magisterial Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts.The Guardian article is also interesting, even though it seems to dismiss biblical theology.Zech 13:1 speaks of a day, in the Messianic Age, when a fountain would be open for cleansing from sin and uncleanness. If demons are unclean spirits, then one might reason that demons were all removed. However, this verse refers to Jerusalem--not necessarily to the land of Israel, let alone the entire planet.We must approach this subject with biblical caution and in a spirit of humility.Much of what passes for possession or exorcism today diverges radically from what we read about in the 30s and 40s AD, and in fact has much more in common with the occult aspects of pagan religions, shamanism, voodoo, and so forth.Let's keep a healthy distance between ourselves and the Enemy and his agents.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://genealogymeditations.com/2021/07/03/the-coming-messianic-age-isaiah-2/

Listen!!!!

The Messianic Age - Rabbi Akiva Tatz

For 40 Days After the Resurrection, Jesus Opened the Scriptures and He Opened His Disciples' EyesThe Bible … a “Closed” Book?Have you ever felt as if the Old Testament is ...a "closed" book for you?daunting, overwhelming, confusing, strange, irrelevant, inaccessible, unnecessary, beyond comprehension?for pastors and professors BUT NOT for me?If you have ever felt that way, take heart. The disciples felt the same way.All of the Scriptures Point to JesusFor forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and taught them about the Kingdom of God. He opened up the Old Testament (the Books of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms) and "eXPlained" to them that all of the Scriptures foretold, foreshadowed and revealed His suffering, death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins.As We Open the Scriptures, Jesus Opens our EyesWhat Jesus did with His disciples, He also wants to do with us.When we open up the Scriptures, He will open our eyes to see and our hearts to believe, that His death and resurrection give to us the greatest gift, the forgiveness of sins.And when you have the forgiveness of sins in Jesus, you have ... everything!If you have not yet signed up for the 40 Day "eXPlain it" Challenge, you can enroll here ...The 40 Day "eXPlain it" Challenge and Friends and Daggers Daily Vlog(Sign Up Here)The 40 Day "eXPlain it" Challenge Starts, Monday, April 5thIn order to help us open up the Scriptures and understand the person and work of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, I'd like to offer the following:40 days of Friends and Daggers ("eXPlain it" edition) daily vlogs that highlight a small portion of the Old Testament and show how Jesus is foretold, foreshadowed and revealed (starts Monday, April 5th)Sunday Vlogcasts that highlight the appointed Scripture readings for each Sunday of the Church YearDaily Scripture Reading Plans that follow the appointed Scriptures for each day of the year (bundled inside of the Sunday Vlogcast page)Live Weekend ZOOM Workshops that walk you through Christ centered, Biblical interpretation principles and offer opportunities for you to ask specific questions, Saturdays at 9 am EST (the live workshops will be recorded for those who cannot attend in person)Weekly "OnePagers" that provide reviews, guides and worksheetsAccess to the "eXPlain it" digital online portal ... (the virtual home of the 40 Day "eXPlain it" Challenge)A private FaceBook Group for community, comments, sharing and discussionYou can find a "OnePager" of the 40 Day Challenge ... here.All Scripture quoted on this site  (or in the podcast) is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

3 This World, the Messianic Age, and the World to Come

The coming of the Messiah (Mashiach) will be a game-changer. In addition to peace on earth, the return of the dead, and our reunion in Israel, the Messianic Age will bring specific aspects of halachah (Jewish law), including pigs becoming kosher: Imagine that! This lecture was delivered at the 14th annual National Jewish Retreat. For more information and to register for the next retreat, visit: Jretreat.com.

Attempts to hasten the Messianic Age, what Moshiach actually is about, and how it can be a diversion from the authentic life. (The Quest for Authenticity- 7)

Isaiah 60-64 We are in the Prophetic Stream today getting close to the end of the book of Isaiah. We are using the Good News Translation this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis The section today bursts forth as a song of the Messianic Age.  The Lord is here and in full and good news is spreading over all the earth and the illustration spills right into being the glory of heaven. 60 - Isaiah is one of the greatest writers that ever lived and this is certainly among Isaiah's sections. It's even among the most wonder-filled chapters in the whole Bible.  It talks of a grand gathering, people and wealth are coming to Jerusalem, the testifying, the sacrifices, it's the homecoming of history and "the LORD will make His Temple more glorious than ever " v. 7. There will be great service in Jerusalem. When the chapter morphs into talk that can only be interpreted as paradise itself with unimpeded access to God it is altogether a marvel. 61 - What we read in the first three verses of 61 is Isaiah talking of Jesus.  Jesus knows it is Him and quotes this when He is speaking in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:18f).  This is prophecy fulfilled 700 years later.  This is a time of great restoration.  The Messianic theme that actually started in Isaiah 59:20 is still proceeding.  Israel will have servants, and wealth, and joy.  The praises to the LORD will be coming from all nations - the testimony of what God has done in this one nation will amaze the whole earth that much. 62 - The splendor here is the imagery of a wedding.  It is enchanting as a wedding also. The symbolism is matched in ways by John's writing at the end of Revelation when "the New Jerusalem" is coming down like a bride preparing to meet her husband. The surprises and excitement of a reunion also come into play too. There is food; bread and wine in abundance and phenomenal worship.  Is it fine to call this a dinner/theater gone into a colossal mode?!  And most of all the LORD is coming to save. 63 - there is a peculiar insertion here - a mentioning of Edom; it could be a reference to all the enemies of God and Jerusalem who will be trampled and defeated permanently. It is certainly a break in the literature to interrupt all the glory and worship and celebration to put this in such a run of wonderful things.  However it is part of celebrating to defeat an enemy, and revel with our victorious LORD.  Isaiah resumes abruptly; talking of the goodness and love of the LORD and his precise care and provision. The chapter ends with a prayer for mercy; beseeching God to treat them according to God's goodness v.s. their character and lack thereof. This is a theme we have seen before in Isaiah. 64 - and Shazzam, 64 arrives and we are not looking way forward to glorious things and themes and events. Isaiah just wants God to show and make himself known.  Things are difficult; attitudes across the nation are crass, the city is in ruins, beautiful places have been deserted and Isaiah is pleading for the LORD to come to them.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.What about survivalism? Are these people on the right track biblically? Can Christians be "survivalists”?Survivalism as a popular movement is well worth understanding, especially as some Christians are attracted to it. This attraction is increasingly common in society at large; think of the many TV programs, like Survivor, or movies, like The Book of Eli, or video games, like Fallout.Survivalists believe that the responsible thing to do before the inevitable breakdown of society is to become self-sufficient. One will need adequate supplies of food and water to last for months (if not years) of anarchy and chaos. People need to provide for their families. Those who fail to take measures should not count on hand-outs. "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty" (Prov 22:3).Further, one would be foolish to trust that normal human civility will suffice to maintain possession of one's cache. It may be necessary to defend it with force. Further, the time to load up on ammunition is now—before gun stores close.It would be foolish to stay in or near a city. Better to plan on surviving in a rural and (preferably) isolated area. A sturdy shelter will be needed (underground is best -- maybe a luxury doomsday condo, if finances allow), and a generator may also prove helpful if and when public utilities are completely disrupted.AssumptionsWhat are the fundamental components and assumptions of survivalism?Things are going to get bad. (Even if they don't, it's wise to be prepared.)God wants us to stay alive. Injury and death must be avoided (at all costs).We should stockpile water and food so that we have enough to survive until such time as things are safe again. (Think Old Testament siege conditions, as in 2 Kings 6 and 2 Kings 18.)A cache of weapons and ammunition is crucial. If someone trespasses onto my property I am justified in using lethal force, especially if he is attempting to raid my provisions.Since society will be in a state of chaos, we should plan to live in a secure shelter (amply furnished and supplied).Since money will lose its value, wealth should be converted to gold, silver, or other intrinsically valuable media of exchange.We shouldn't count on rescue. Normal disasters elicit assistance from the government; this time the cavalry won't be coming to save us. In effect, God helps those who help themselves.These, then, are the fundamentals of survivalism and the assumptions on which it is based. Now it's time to evaluate. Survivalists make some good points, a number of which resonate with thoughtful Bible readers.Society may well collapse one day. No empire lasted forever, after all.The prudent take this into account. He or she prepares. One should not bank on rescue."Paper money" is arbitrary. Banknote values depend wholly on the strength of the government backing them.Wicked men will try to rob us. This is already the reality, and crime only tends to increase in times of civil chaos.It is right take up arms to defend the innocent, like oneself and one's family..Let me respond to the previous 5 points. After that we will examine the teachings of Jesus and Paul with implications for survivalism. As we will see, there are numerous fundamental problems with survivalism.Indeed, empires come and go. Even Rome fell (as intimated in Revelation); we should pay attention and learn. A breakdown of society, perhaps a massive technological failure or terrorist attack, is not a possibility to be dismissed. I recently read Marc Elsberg's novel Blackout. Although it is a work of fiction, even since it was originally published there have been attacks on the electrical power grid (in Europe) that demonstrate the plausibility of the scenario he envisions.Preparing for contingencies is biblical. Yet we are not our own saviors; as much as we like to be in control, Jesus is the Savior. Yet that hardly means he shields us from hardship, suffering, or persecution. Romans 8 is no promise of peace and prosperity. There the only guarantee is that nothing, however horrific, can separate us from God's love.This point doesn't go far enough. If we "cash in" our paper money for gold, silver, etc., these too are arbitrary. They have no intrinsic value (apart from, say, industrial applications). Further, the Bible warns us not to love money or allow it to become an idol. See Luke 16:13-15!Since thieves break in and steal, we had best store our treasure in heaven (not in a bunker). Not fair that the evil men succeed? Relax; one day there will be a Day of Judgment. (See Psalm 73.)Defending the innocent in court is a strong prophetic theme. Yet while the OT allowed limited violence in self-defense, in the NT we are told to relate to enemies in a different way. The use of lethal force was unacceptable even in the case of Christ—and no one was more innocent than he.Jesus and Paul on SurvivalismTo embrace survivalism as normally conceived requires a rejection of the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, as well as of Paul's teaching in the epistles. Please take a moment to read over three passages, two from Matt 5-6, and one from Rom 12. They are somewhat lengthy, but if we want our convictions to come from scripture, we need to engage. Take your time; digest them.“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt 5:38-48).“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:25-34).Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:17-21).Jesus gave us the formula for surviving in any situation: Seek first the kingdom.Rather than hoard food and refuse it to one who is hungry, we are to feed him—even if he is our enemy! Further, hospitality is one of highest biblical virtues, including taking the stranger into our home. Recall the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24).As my friend David Berçot observes, "Survivalism is kindred to the spirit of the man Jesus described in the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21). The rich fool was hoarding his goods so that he could later take life easy. The survivalist hoards his goods to make sure he will have something for tomorrow, in case calamity comes. Neither person really trusts in God’s provident care. Both types of persons are focused on themselves (and their families), instead of others."Jesus forbade all forms of violence. "Put your sword away. He who draws the sword will die by the sword" (Matt 26:52). Now that we live in the Messianic Age, swords have been beaten into plowshares (Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3). We don't "study" (prepare) for war any more. No more killing.Interestingly (Berçot again), "Jesus told His followers that a horrible calamity was coming on Jerusalem in the near future (Matt 24), and indeed the calamity came with the Roman army (70 AD). Yet he didn’t advise his followers to start building up a survival cache; he said just the opposite! Once the calamity was at the door, he told them to leave everything behind and flee. That’s exactly what the Christians in Jerusalem did. God provided for their needs, and they all survived by fleeing to Pella (a town across the Jordan)."Biblical Christians do not choose life over faithfulness. We do not have to survive some coming apocalypse, but we do need to remain obedient to God's commands.Thus we see that even a cursory reading of the NT scriptures reveals that survivalism as commonly presented is un-Christian on multiple fronts. If you are reading this article and have been attracted to this position, I urge you to rethink your position.*          *          *          *          *          *If you'd like to explore the topic in more depth, this will get your started:The website of Modern Christian Survivalist, which attempts to combine survivalism (as I have delineated it above) and the Bible.The article by Focus on the Family: A Biblical View of Survivalists and Preppers fear—"sanctified paranoia." This is a nice introduction to the issue.The Survivalism page at Rational Wiki. The article is very well done. "Meet Your Neighbor, The Survivalist" (CNBC, 29 May 2009), about someone who has stockpiled far more food than he could ever eat, so there's plenty to share with others.

Satisfied with Less In recognition of Tu Beshevat, The Issur Ben Tzvi Hersh Tshuvos and Poskim Shiur presented a lecture that probed the essence of the Mitzvah of Birchas HaMazon as it relates to Bariatric Surgery patients with their decreased appetites and narrow threshold of satiety and the promises of the Messianic Age. The recording features readings in the responsum of Rav Moshe Sofer ZT"VKL and a recent psak of Rav Yehudah Aryeh Halevi Dinur Shlita. This podcast is powered by JewishPodcasts.org. Start your own podcast today and share your content with the world. Click jewishpodcasts.fm/signup to get started.

Jan 24 2021 - Sunday AM Bible Class   JOHN, THE GOSPEL OF BELIEF, CHAPTERS FOURTEEN thru SIXTEEN (Comfort for the Disciples, Jesus Responds to Phillip, The Promise of the Holy Spirit, The Vine and the Branches, The World will Hate Disciples, The Work of the Holy Spirit, The Grief of the Disciples Would be Turned to Joy)   CHAPTER FOURTEEN VERSES ONE thru SIX (Comfort for the Disciples)   In a general sense Jesus’ mission was one to rescue the lost both in this life and for the life to come. The Spirit would reveal all needful things for the Messianic Age and these three chapters have that as an overarching emphasis. The Holy Spirit would allow the essence of Jesus to return through the seed of the word to live in the hearts of Christians. Loving obedience is at the heart of Christianity. Encouraging words were commonly given by God at times of trial (cf. Deut. 1:21; Josh. 1:9; II Kgs. 25:24; Isa. 10:24). The “heart” represented to a Jew the center of both the will and the emotions. The translation “believe” in verse one carries the idea of trust, always a vital component of believing. The familiar “many mansions” is actually a poor translation; literally the thought is “many rooms.” As families grew in Jewish culture, rooms would commonly be added to homes to accommodate the additional family members. A compound around a courtyard would have been an idea understood by most. Additionally, the Greco-Roman culture had similar constructions where rooms were built within terraces and pools with beautiful flowers and trees added for additional enjoyment. There would be plenty of room in the Father’s house for all His children, and Jesus would personally prepare each place (cf. Deut. 1:29-33). Jesus would come back to gather His own (cf. Jn. 21:22-23; I Thess. 4:16-17). If these things were not so, Jesus would never have given such a hope (cf. Mk. 12:14). Jesus emphasized three important characteristics of His essential relationship to salvation: the way, the truth, and the life. Early Christians were said to be followers of the “way,” indicating the manner of life that defined them (cf. Jn. 13:34-35). “Truth” speaks to the point of a standard that sets Christians apart (cf. Jn. 17:17). “Life” indicates that Jesus is the only source of eternal life (cf. Jn. 11:25-26). As in the pluralistic climate of Jesus’ world, so also in our day, exclusivity is a stark, unpopular thing (cf. Acts 4:12).   CHAPTER FOURTEEN VERSES SEVEN thru FOURTEEN (Jesus Responds to Philip)   Knowledge of God and the intimacy it allowed were highly valued among the Jews (cf. Ps. 46:10; 100:3). Jesus associated knowing God with eternal life (Jn. 17:3). Seeing God was tied to the greatest of blessings (cf. Ex. 33:18; Isa. 6:1; 40:5). Philip had missed the point, but he was not alone; few of the disciples came to see the point quickly. To imagine God standing before them as a man was astounding! o To define God in such a practical, earthy manner as the word that became flesh, this was amazing. Such a definition demanded much—life could now be seen in an everyday reality, the application of which could hardly be ignored or avoided. Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Moses to raise up a prophet in whom God would place the completeness of His word (Deut. 18:18). The acts Jesus preformed in His life could be interpreted no other way but that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him. Those who followed Jesus would, according to Jesus, do even greater works than He had done—but how could this be? For one thing, following work would be based of the finished work of Christ on the cross, thus allowing advanced achievements (cf. Jn. 12:24; 15:13; 19:30). Additionally, subsequent accomplishments would come within the context of the Messianic Kingdom, the most significant earthly age (cf. Matt. 11:11). Jesus intersession in prayer would be another benefit. Also, the spiritual union Jesus speaks of in John 15:1-11 would only be possible in the age to come. All of these “greater works,” we must also remember, are accomplished only by Jesus working in Christians—He remains the power (Eph. 3:1921).   CHAPTER FOURTEEN VERSES FIFTEEN thru THIRTY-ONE (The Promise of the Holy Spirit)   The key ingredient in all that Jesus would project into the coming age centered on the implications of love (cf. Jn. 13:34-35). To love Jesus is the surest guarantee of our following His will (cf. Jn. 14:21, 23; 15:10; I Jn. 5:3; II Jn. 6). Thus, if Christianity is to succeed, Jesus must be known so He can be loved so He will be obeyed. In addition to Himself (cf. I Jn. 2:1-2), Jesus would send another “Comforter.” The term “Comforter,” could also be translated by words such as, “counselor, advocate, and helper.” o It comes from the Greek parakletos, literally meaning “One called beside.” Commonly the word would have been used in the context of a legal assistant. The verb form of the word was used in the Septuagent rendering of Isaiah 40:1 where the Messianic era is addressed. The Rabbis made strong association between obedience and advocacy. This Comforter would also be known as the “Spirit of Truth.” These words were familiar among the rabbis in first century Judaism, “Two spirits await an opportunity with humanity, the spirit of truth and the spirit of error … (Testament of Judah 20:1-5). Nevertheless, while the words had a familiar ring, the concept intended by Jesus was different in intention The Jewish idea was one expressing the dualism existing between good and evil choices. For Jesus, these words referred to deity, to a manifestation of God. A most intriguing statement is found in John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” o Compare to the parting words of Moses (Deut. 31:6; cf. Josh. 1:5; Heb. 13:5). The term “orphan” could actually be applied in Jesus’ culture to a disciple left without a master. The followers of Socrates expressed his passing in terms of being left as orphans. Here, however, there is a very interesting twist. Jesus is not simply speaking of His departing and sending them the Comforter. Jesus said He would come back to them! This could not mean His resurrection since He would stay with them but forty days. His intention is to let them know that He will return to abide with them through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn. 14:23; Jn. 15:1-11). o Unlike some of the promises made in John 14-16 that apply only to the Apostles, this one is for all believers—all who lovingly obey the words of the Spirit of Truth. Jesus’ disclosure would be only to the people who would know, love, and obey Him—the world would never see Jesus in this way (cf. I Cor. 2:10-16). John 14:23 is the only place where Father and Son are combined in indwelling. o Jesus is mentioned on other occasions (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:17). o The Spirit also is referenced (Rom. 8:9, 11; I Cor. 3:16). In the Old Covenant God dwelt with the people in the tabernacle and the temple (Ex. 25:8; 29:45; Lev. 26:11-12; Acts 7:46-47). In the New Covenant God dwells in believers (I Cor. 6:19; II Cor. 6:16; cf. I Pet. 2:5)! Jesus phrase “These things I have spoken to you,” from John 14:25 is repeated in 15:11; 16:1, 4, 6, 25, 33. He draws on the trust He had developed with them. His word can be fully accepted and relied on. All things needful for the Christian Age would be revealed by the Holy Spirit as well as recalling things that might have been forgotten (cf. Jude 3; cf. Neh. 9:20). This promise was for the Apostles and the Apostolic Age as the Apostles were subject to forgetting their experiences with Jesus. Succeeding generations would have no such experiences to forget. Jesus promises to leave the Apostles with His “peace.” o The word for peace in Greek is eirene, a word with a primarily negative meaning—the absence of war. However, a Hebrew idea is behind this word when spoken by Semitic people—positive blessings and brotherhood (cf. Jud. 3:11, 30; 5:31; 8:29; Num. 6:24-26; cf. Ps. 29:11; Hag. 2:9). The idea of peace was prominent in the Old Testament prophets (Zech. 9:10; cf. 14:9; Isa. 52:7; 54:13; 57:19; Ezek. 37:26; cf. Acts 10:36). Jesus’ peace is not what the world commonly covets (cf. Matt. 10:3439). Jesus’ peace is grounded in the hearts of believers and is secured in the unshakable courts of Heaven itself (Heb. 12:28; Eph. 1:3; cf. Rom. 8:31-39). Jesus declared, “The Father is greater than I,” what did He mean? o Jesus had emptied Himself to come to earth as a man (Phil. 2:6-7). o Also, even in Jesus’ return to Heaven with His full attributes of divinity restored (cf. Jn. 17:5), He was still submissive to the Father (I Cor. 15:25-28; 11:3). There is a hierarchy in the Godhead that is not of superiority (cf. Col. 2:9; Jn. 10:30), but of place (Jn. 13:16). In this the Father occupies the first place. I do not understand all there is to this, but then I really don’t ever expect fully to understand God. Satan has no claim on Jesus—Jesus never sinned! As we are found in Jesus, Satan has no claim on us (Rom. 8:31-39)! Now Jesus will leave the upper room and journey out of the city of Jerusalem.      CHAPTER FIFTEEN VERSES ONE thru SEVEN-TEEN (The Vine and the Branches)   A disciple’s life is tied to Jesus for all things he or she needs. If we live like Jesus lived, the world will react to us as it did to Jesus—this will result in a general hatred from all those who do not want to come to the light. The Holy Spirit supplied all truth for all earthly time. The death of Jesus in His crucifixion led to great gain, as true peace can come only from Jesus. The imagery of vine and branches was common in the secular world as well as in the religious metaphors of Judaism (cf. Isa. 5:1-7; 27:2-6; Jer. 2:21; 6:9; 12:1013; Ezek. 15:1-8; 17:5-10; 19:10-14; Hos. 10:1-2; 14:7). Whereas in Israel’s past they had commonly born bad fruit, Jesus was the true vine who produced what the nation had failed to produce (cf. Ps. 80:14-17). Jesus intends to establish an intimate relationship with all His followers (cf. Jn. 10). In Intertestamental Judaism, the vine had become a symbol of wisdom. The significant rabbinic school of R. Yohanan ben Zakkai was known as the “vineyard.” The Father is the “gardener,” the one who tends the vineyard through all stages of development. “Pruning” would involve cutting the vine back in winter so that it might grow more rapidly in the spring. Additionally, the branches that did not produce would be removed to allow those producing to get more nourishment. One thing we learn from this is that unproductive Christians hold back the growth of the church. This entire process of spiritual growth in a disciple cannot occur unless the disciple and Jesus are closely linked together. Christians can be removed from Jesus if they are unfaithful (cf. Ezek. 15:1-8; 19:12); we can fall from grace (Gal. 4). True joy is found only in Jesus (cf. Acts 13:52; Rom. 15:13; II Tim. 1:4). The true test of friendship in the various cultures of Jesus day was said to be found in the giving of one’s life for a friend. Jesus went beyond the accepted standard of love by dying for even His enemies (cf. Rom. 5:6-11). Jesus had a very practical way of defining His friends, they did what He said (cf. Jn. 14:15). Friendship goes beyond being a servant by adding a dimension to a relationship that is deeper and more satisfying—this allows for a greater degree of sharing. The choice of friendship with God is ultimately a matter of God’s doing; apart from His grace their can be no relationship. With the privilege of friendship goes the responsibility of being productive. It is in the context of loving, knowledgeable service God hears and answers our prayers.   CHAPTER FIFTEEN VERSES EIGHTEEN thru CHAPTER SIXTEEN VERSE FOUR (The World will Hate Disciples)   Since the world will largely reject Christianity, it is imperative that Christians love each other. Early Christians we accused of being insurrectionists (claiming there is only one way), cannibals (eating the body and blood of Jesus at Communion), immoral (love feasts and the “holy” kiss), arsonists (teaching the world would be burned up), and disruptive in family relationships (when a family member became a Christian despite family opposition). The words of those who follow God are to bring a response similar to if God Himself had spoken (cf. I Sam. 8:7; Ezek. 3:7). Jesus name would be preached in opposition to Roman Emperors (i.e., Domitian required being addressed as “dominus et dues,” Lord and God, yet there was no true cause for hating Jesus (cf. Ps. 69:4). The Helper, or Holy Spirit, would be sent to assist the Apostles in a special way as they stood up to those who would try to stop their message. They had no choice but to speak boldly for Jesus (cf. Acts 4:17-20). Jesus’ comforting assurances to His Apostles would be especially helpful in the coming times of persecution. Discipleship, especially with such visible men as the Apostles, was a dangerous thing. The actions of the persecutors would be because they did not know God; this was particularly amazing when the persecutors were Jews.   CHAPTER SIXTEEN VERSES FIVE thru SIXTEEN (The Work of the Holy Spirit)   The coming of the Spirit was strongly tied to the beginning of the Messianic Age (e.g., Isa. 11:1-10; 32:14-18; 42:1-4; 44:1-5; Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 11:17-20; 36:24-27; 37:1-14; Joel 2:28-32; cf. Jn. 7:37-39). The teaching of the Jews at the time of Jesus evidences striking statements quite similar to Jesus’ words, “And when He comes, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The Spirit would convict of sin due to unbelief (possessing faith is the only way to find forgiveness in Jesus), of righteousness as it would reveal the manner in which Jesus had lived, and of judgment because Satan would be judged and found wanting. The final word on the subject of truth would come by the “Spirit of Truth” to the Apostles within the context of their first century ministry (cf. I Cor. 13:8-13; Eph. 4:11-16). Additionally, the Spirit would reveal things yet to come. Death would not be the end of the Apostle’s relationship with Jesus; through the ministry of the Spirit and because of the Resurrection, Jesus would renew His relationship with them.     CHAPTER SIXTEEN VERSES SEVENTEEN thru THIRTY-THREE (The Grief of the Disciples Would be Turned to Joy)   Mourning, in the Jewish context, was very loud and demonstrative. God alone is able to turn mourning into true joy (cf. Est. 9:22; Jer. 31:13; Isa. 61:2-3; Matt. 5:4). The Messianic fulfillment of the “Day of the Lord” was predicted to be a time of distress (Dan. 12:1). Intertestamental Jews used a phrase, “the birth pangs of the Messiah,” to describe the distress to come before the consummation of the Messianic Age. This language and concept are common to the New Testament (cf. Matt. 24:8, 21, 29; Rom. 2:9; Acts 14:22; I Cor. 7:26; II Cor. 4:17; Rev. 7:14). True rejoicing is only found in the Lord (cf. Ps. 33:21). Compare John 1:1, 14 with Isaiah 66:14 to see how Jesus was the embodiment of God’s word. Jesus’ ability to know answers to questions before they were asked was convicting to the Apostles that Jesus was from God. Jesus knew that all the Apostles would desert Him (cf. Zech. 13:7; Matt. 26:31). Even though the Apostles would never find earthly peace in the tribulations of the world, they could be courageous and of good cheer because of the peace they would find in Jesus. Jesus was always straightforward with the Apostles, even when the truth was distressing.     Edwin     Duration 38:01

If you hang around Jesus long enough, you'll realize that He isn't interested in a popularity contest. He's not a politician, and He doesn't play by their games. It’s one of the things that enraged the religious leaders. No matter how much pressure they put on Him, He wouldn’t back down.   In fact, this passage has a shocking ending: “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him…” What pushed them over the edge? These four shocking elements: The intractability of the disease The controversy of the Sabbath The superficiality of the healing The audacity of the Son   The intractability of the disease: Jesus comes upon a man with a disease by the pool of Bethesda. The man asks not for healing, but to be brought to the healing pool. And instead of bringing him to the healing, Jesus brings the healing to him. Jesus commands him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” Not only does the man stand, he hoists his bed and walks. Jesus is once more wielding the power of the Messianic Age, because in Jesus the Kingdom of God is at hand. You'd think this was something to be celebrated by the religious leaders, but the opposite happens.   The controversy of the Sabbath: The religious leaders' response to the healing of Jesus missed the forest for the trees. In their zeal for obedience to the law of God, they were oblivious to the Son of God in their midst. But what's also shocking is how quickly the man who was healed walked away from Jesus.   The superficiality of the healing: What could be worse than decades of misery as an invalid? Sitting feet away from the healing you need, but knowing you’re powerless to reach it on your own? Day after day, having your hopes dashed again and again; what could possibly be worse than that? Just this: if the man's sin runs unchecked, a worse fate awaits. His physical ailments were just the tip of the iceberg. He thought his biggest problem in life was his crippled limbs. But Jesus showed him the deeper problem, the real disease that lies within each of us. Sin cripples our souls, and if it’s not dealt with, it will cripple us for eternity, far from the presence of Jesus, who is the only one who can truly heal us. By calling out this man's sin, Jesus invited him to deal with the deeper disease and illness within. Unfortunately, he wasn’t ready to go receive Jesus' offer. So he closed off, ran away, and turned Jesus in.   The audacity of the Son: The religious leaders accused Jesus of working on the Sabbath. Jesus could have responded a number of ways, but He said something shocking: “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” In essence He said that God the Father works on the Sabbath, and so Jesus does too. He said that the exceptions that apply to God also apply to Him. Jesus ultimately claimed the prerogatives of Deity for Himself. Not only was He the Messiah, He was claiming to be the Son of God, with all the rights and privileges thereof.   What's our takeaway? Jesus is our Healer, our Sabbath, and our God.   The reason so many of us find ourselves sitting by the pool, so close to -- and yet so far away from -- the healing we desperately need, is because we cannot bring ourselves to look to Jesus and in surrender, vulnerability, and desperation say: “I have no one to help me; I can’t get there on my own; would you help me, Jesus?”   Jesus has never left that prayer unanswered.   John 5:1-18   Click here for the sermon Q&A.  

The Rev. Canon George Maxwell The Cathedral of St. Philip Atlanta, GA

S2 E3 Ever wonder how to make it without making it at all? Now more than ever we shall take a closer look at the wonders of the eternal and Great Power of the Almighty YHWH to root out counterfeit agendas for our benefit and the benefit of all humanity. In this episode we take a look into the unknown with a convenient scripture tour through the ages. Come join us for this inclusive talk on life, liberty, and the pursuit of sustainable joy. Truth Matters... 2000 years ago the Hebrew People were looking for a LION and got a LAMB. 2000 years later Christians Are looking for a LAMB and shall get a LION. When the Messianic Age ensues (Yahusha Ha'mashiach) Jesus Christ shall no longer just sit on the heavenly throne of mercy, but one of JUSTICE!

 Daniel 7: Why will the Messiah Come with the Clouds of Heaven? Although the phrase “son of man” appears more than 100 times in the Jewish Scriptures, in one striking passage it is describing the Messiah coming with the clouds of Heaven to the Ancient of days. Rabbi Tovia Singer explains, this is mentioned in Daniel 7. Why does the Messiah appear in Daniel’s dream “like a son of man”? Why is he arriving with the clouds of Heaven? Who is the Ancient of Days? Why do Christians argue that this verse refers to Jesus? In this provocative broadcast, Rabbi Tovia Singer illuminates one of the most provocative and least understood passages in the Hebrew Scriptures. He illustrates that this enigmatic text describes an epic event that will unfold in the Messianic Age. https://outreachjudaism.org/ http://www.toviasinger.tv/

We've been doing weekly Q/A on the Bridges of Meaning Discord server. Next week we're going to be trying a new format. We start by talking about that. You'll hear how that goes. 0:00 Randomized Randos format 13:00 would love to know if eschatology is something that you ever think about - as a believer or theologically? 20:00 Martyrdom 33:25 Any thoughts on the value of rest in Christianity? Taking a break, kicking back with a nice beer... It's easily viewed as a waste of time, but it seems to be an essential activity. 48:20 Messianic Age? Already not/yet too fudgy, Did Jesus kick it off? 1:02:00 To what extent does faith in the concrete details of the gospel accounts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection play a critical role in one's salvation? 1:13:30 I wonder does the notion of death acquitting sinners from their sins mean they would have nothing to answer for if the judgement happened right after their death? 1:18:45 Two questions. First, what are your thoughts on new age beliefs/religions (crystal healing, occult practices, sage, witchcraft etc), are they comparable with Christianity? Second, (perhaps I shouldn't ask because it's politically incorrect?), why women, in general, are attracted to these types of beliefs and practices? Thank you for your time! 1:31:00 I had a thought I'd like you to critique: we are each possessed by some idea/feeling/thought at any given time. Possession becomes problematic when it inherently prohibits us from breaking free and choosing a new master. Even Christianity itself seems to have built into it the freedom to turn one's back on God, thereby choosing a new possessor. To me, perhaps paradoxically, this helps keep me from shrugging off Christianity any time I hit a bump in the road. Does this, in your opinion/frame, cheapen/water-down Christianity? I'm worried that it's indicative of an incomplete view of God's sovereignty, but then again I suppose an earthly father is no less a father just because his child rebels. 1:36:30 book recommendations? 1:39:00 the transcendental argument. What is it that allows me to make an intelligible thought? 1:43:30 Bible reading 1:50:00 IDW is over. 1:54:50 How should someone approach a new priest or a new preacher? Click here to meetup with other channel viewers for conversation https://discord.gg/jdVk8XU If you want to schedule a one-on-one conversation check here. https://paulvanderklay.me/2019/08/06/converzations-with-pvk/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333 If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/ All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos. To support this channel/podcast on Paypal: https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin (BTC): 37TSN79RXewX8Js7CDMDRzvgMrFftutbPo To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) qr3amdmj3n2u83eqefsdft9vatnj9na0dqlzhnx80h To support this channel/podcast with Ethereum (ETH): 0xd3F649C3403a4789466c246F32430036DADf6c62 Blockchain backup on Lbry https://lbry.tv/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Join the Sacramento JBP Meetup https://www.meetup.com/Sacramento-Jordan-Peterson-Meetup/ Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A    

Dr. Benjmain speaks to us on the subject of prophecyScriptures: John 4:16-19,  1 Corinthians 13:8-12

Rav Dror speaks about how to embody our true selves and how to reach our spiritual potential. He teaches simple steps every person can take to shift the world closer to its destined perfection and much more. Welcome! Subscribe, Like, Share, write Rav Dror a Comment, and stay tuned for more! The Messiah is a future Jewish king from the Davidic line, who is expected to be anointed with holy anointing oil and rule the Jewish people during the Messianic Age and world to come. The Messiah is often referred to as "King Messiah". Judaism maintains the 13 Principles of Faith as formulated by Maimonides in his introduction to Chapter Helek of the Mishna Torah. Each principle starts with the words Ani Maamin (I believe). Number 12 is the main principle relating to Mashiach. Orthodox Jews strictly believe in a Messiah, life after death, and restoration of the promised land. About Rav Dror: https://emunah.com/about-rav-dror Rav Dror's Books: https://Emunah.com/store Donations are Greatly Appreciated: https://emunah.com/donate Rav Dror's Exclusive Learning Program: https://emunah.com/elp Jewish Conversion: https://emunah.com/convert To Contact Rav Dror or join his Whatsapp Broadcasting List, send a WhatsApp to +972528443917. We would love to hear from you! For all questions, concerns, or comments, email: info@emunah.com.

Rav Dror teaches the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit and how it will be fixed with the coming of the Messiah in the Final Redemption. Forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden which God commands mankind not to eat. In the biblical narrative, Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and are exiled from Eden. In Abrahamic religions, a messiah o is a savior or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of Mashiach, messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible. The Messiah, 'the anointed one'), often referred to as King Messiah, is to be a human leader, physically descended from the paternal Davidic line through King David and King Solomon. He is thought to accomplish predetermined things in only one future arrival, including the unification of the tribes of Israel, the gathering of all the Tribes of Israel to Eretz Israel, the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, the ushering in of a Messianic Age of global universal peace, and the annunciation of the world to come. Please remember to support these teachings. Welcome! Subscribe, Like, Share, write Rav Dror a Comment, and stay tuned for more! About Rav Dror: https://emunah.com/about-rav-dror Rav Dror's Books: https://Emunah.com/store Donations are Greatly Appreciated: https://emunah.com/donate Rav Dror's Exclusive Learning Program: https://emunah.com/elp Jewish Conversion: https://emunah.com/convert To Contact Rav Dror or join his Whatsapp Broadcasting List, send a WhatsApp to +972528443917. We would love to hear from you! For all questions, concerns, or comments, email: info@emunah.com.

Christ has called us, through his own example, into a greater love. This new commandment is the ushering in of a new Messianic Age, an age of the Holy Spirit. We are each called to live and work in this new world. Today is also the feast day of St. Isidore. A farmer and a lay man, Isidore was devoted to prayer and to charity towards his neighbor, often giving them more than he gave himself. He embodied for us this new commandment that Christ has given us, this law of charity. How do we love with this greater love of Christ? How do we follow the example of the St. Isidore the Farmer? For the daily readings, see the USCCB.

Glorification is the restoration of all creation back to the way God intended it to be. It is the consummation of our salvation and then we enter the Messianic Age to rule and reign with Jesus (the Millennium). What will it be like during the Millennium and what is its purpose?

During the First Sunday of Advent, we focused on the second coming of Christ at the end of time, his second advent. Now, the Church draws our attention to his first advent, the first coming of Christ, as the Messiah, King of the Jews, and the long-awaited Savior. St. John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, the forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In this podcast we examine the preaching of the Baptist, and how his preaching plays out in the Gospel of Matthew. We will look at the Baptist in history, scripture and the Old Testament. Finally, Level 1, Stage 24 courtesy of Loops by Monplaisir licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.

Revelation 5 Two whole chapters are given us by the Apostle John in order to prepare the reader for the awesome events that are to follow, when in chapter 6 a scroll is opened which sets in motion a series of cataclysmic events known as the Tribulation period which culminate in the closing out of this present age and the bringing in of the Messianic Age.  Chapter 4 prepared us for what we have now come to in chapter 5, and chapter 5 will prepare us for the opening of the seals in chapter 6.  Chapter 4 was a chapter of magnificent worship around the throne of God and in the chapter before us, this scene of heavenly worship is set to intensify as One is found worthy to open the book and to loose the seals.

At Christmas we celebrate the coming of the Messianic Age. This means the end of old mythologies and the beginning of a new story. At the center of this new story, which is rooted in God’s Kingdom Come , is diversity, as Jews and Gentiles are brought together. This story of diversity continues through the age of the Church, and in this message we explore some aspects of Biblical diversity, how Jesus leads us into it, and how we can follow him wholeheartedly.

The post Farming In The messianic Age, John 4:35-38 appeared first on Upland Community Church-Upland,IN.

There is no separation between working for social justice and practicing our faith, no separation between standing up for the poor and marginalized and being a disciple of Jesus.

Playing off of unbelievable teachings from the Talmud and Zohar about the times before the coming of the Mashiach (Messiah), Rabbi Aaron opens us up to one of the major mysteries of the Messianic process that is happening right now! How is it that such a spiritual process can look so materialistic and un-spiritual?

In the Person of Jesus Christ, the Messianic Age has come, and with it, salvation is available to all people, Jew and Gentile, who recognize their humble state. Have you come to see your humble state?

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kaufman's January 18, 2018 class on the concepts of the Messiah and Messianic Age in the Jewish tradition.

There are 3 prophetic camps depending on one's view of the Millennium (Pre-, A-, or Post-Millennial). Literal Interpretation requires Premillennialism, for both the Old and New Testaments teach a future Messianic Age, when Christ will reign on earth for 1000 years, after a time of Tribulation (Birthpains).

There are 3 prophetic camps depending on one's view of the Millennium (Pre-, A-, or Post-Millennial). Literal Interpretation requires Premillennialism, for both the Old and New Testaments teach a future Messianic Age, when Christ will reign on earth for 1000 years, after a time of Tribulation (Birthpains).

(John 7)(Series: High Holy Days 2017)

Jewish Faith & Jewish Facts Rabbi Steven Garten Aired: September 17th, 2017 on CHRI Radio 99.1FM in Ottawa, Canada. For questions, email Rabbi Garten at rabbishg@templeisraelottawa.com For more CHRI shows, visit chri.ca.

Get yourself ready for a massive dose of encouragement. As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, it’s amazing to me how a couple of significant storylines are coming full circle with Jesus’ words John 15. Specifically, last week we saw how Jesus’ assertion, “I am the vine,” is final of Jesus’ seven “I Am” statements recorded in the Gospel of John. Now, for this discussion, here’s a Bible Trivia Question for you: What was the very first parable that Jesus taught as recorded in the Gospels? I’ll give you a couple of hints: 1. It’s found in Mk 2. 2. It’s a parable about a new day coming, the Messianic Age dawning, a day that began in Bethlehem, a day filled with bright hopes and blazing anticipation. A part of that first parable goes like this: Jesus said, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” New wine, symbolic of a new day, a great day, a beautiful day, a day of God’s bountiful blessing. A day of God’s abundant blessings of which you, and all of God’s people, are now the recipients. How appropriate then that Jesus’ teaching ministry was bookended by two parables, both of which centering upon that singular Scriptural image: the fruit of the vine. That first parable coming, in Mark 2, at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. This final parable, here in John 15, that Jesus began with the word, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” As you are about to hear, that metaphor, the fruit of the vine, was not chosen arbitrarily. It is loaded with copious amounts of Scriptural significance that speaks directly to your life today. Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to begin to play. God bless you richly as you listen.

Kabbalah is one of those threads of esoteric wisdom that is congruent with all the other secret traditions. Each thread is essential to understand in its relation to the others if we are to perceive the Great Tapestry of cosmic manifestation in its totality and merge with the ineffable mind of God. The accurate understanding of the deep knowledge carried by Kabbalah enables one to be fully aligned with the Supreme Will and not only live in perfect peace in this period of massively accelerating transformation, but function as a catalyst for the emergence of the world to come. Read More: http://bit.ly/2c9fz76 -- A week-long retreat with Shunyamurti is a powerful and life-changing event. Spontaneous, inspired, and always unique – Shunyamurti’s presence and teachings have the uncanny power to address your deepest questions, to free your mind from its most painful fixations and to open your heart to its ultimate fulfillment. If you have always wanted to join Shunyamurti for one of his extraordinary 7 day retreats, now is the moment! Sat Kabbalah: Tradition of Ecstasy Sat Yoga Ashram, Costa Rica - October 1 - 7, 2016  Discover the true Kabbalah and its profound significance for the  human soul in this unique moment of planetary change. For more details about this retreat and to book, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/2c9fz76 -- Get all the latest teachings from Shunyamurti, including exclusive content unavailable anywhere else. Subscribe to our free Teaching Newsletter: http://bit.ly/20vWZVA WATCH / LISTEN / READ follow the link and gain access to a carefully curated collection of Shunyamurti essays, audio teachings and videos: http://bit.ly/1saSGUs  To learn more about retreats with Shunyamurti please visit the Sat Yoga website: http://www.satyogainstitute.org/ Like our Facebook page to stay in touch and receive regular teachings from Shunyamurti and news about our wisdom school and transformational community: https://goo.gl/iY0qNM Namaste, Sat Yoga Sangha

Teacher: John Schoenheit  There are a few things in the Bible that everyone seems to be aware of even if these subjects are misunderstood in many ways. One such topic is the banquet mentioned in Isaiah 25:6, which is a feast with the best of meats and the finest of wines which God will host in the Messianic Age. Just as with other biblical subjects, there is a lot of confusion and misinformation about this great banquet. Today, in Christian circles, this feast is called “the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9 KJV). There are a number of things that keep people from understanding the great wedding banquet, which is part of the celebration of the inauguration of Jesus Christ as king over the earth. In this teaching, John Schoenheit covers the prophecy in Isaiah of the feast, and follows it through the Scriptures, showing what all saved people will enjoy in the future—a great celebratory banquet with the King of Kings.

(Acts 3:17-26)(Series: Yeshua's Promise to Return) Now is the day for salvation.

(Hebrews 4:1-3) The demonstration of one's faith is through one's gratitude.

If a panoramic view of history is your cup of tea, then you're going to love this lesson. Starting in eternity past, see how God created angels and learn about the subsequent fall of Satan. With God's restoration of planet Earth and the creation of mankind came the Age of the Gentiles which ended with the Tower of Babel. Continue to the Age of Israel beginning with Abraham through the coming of Christ and completed in the future Tribulation. Stop and observe the great parentheses that takes place called the Church Age where we are today and look forward to the Messianic Age and Christ's thousand year reign on the earth. Examine the unique characteristics of each dispensation that demonstrate God's loving care for mankind.

Does ancient Jewish tradition support the idea of a divine Messiah who would suffer and die for the sins of mankind? Our guest today, Rabbi Itzhak Shapira claims that a divine Messiah was clearly in Jewish thought 2000 years ago and yet modern Judaism rejects the concept of a divine Messiah. In fact, many Jews no longer believe in a literal Messiah at all and have replaced this idea with the concept of a Messianic Age, a utopian society brought about through good deeds.

Classes in "The Acts of the Apostles" for the students in YOUTH CALL.

Classes in "The Acts of the Apostles" for the students in YOUTH CALL.

Blessing or Judgment When the Messianic Age Comes (Luke 3:15-22)