To: “In Resident Churches of God, all Saints” grace and peace from our God. 9/29/18, Tishrel 21, 5779,

      Today is called “Sukkot vii” on the Judean calendar, it’s the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Today and the previous six foreshadowed the kingdom of God on earth. Through Moses, Jesus had the Israelites live in temporary booths demonstrating that their fleshly bodies were temporary. Foreshadowing peace, righteous judgment and another deliverance of Israel to the boundaries promised Abraham. It’s THE Good News!

       The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is Creator, Re-Creator and Sustainer, “He is the only truth.” He’s the One God, One Way and One Life. Because of Israel’s covenant breaking, “ten tribes were dispersed first” then  at God’s designated time, the tribe of Judah was dispersed among the nations. They and the ten tribes are still scattered and were when Jesus sent His apostles out, demonstrating Himself “Son of God and gave them powers to perform miracles.”

      (Matt 10:5-8; “Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: “Do not go to Gentile regions and do not enter any Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”)

The kingdom of heaven was near because the Creator and King Himself was near. The gospel’s thrust has always been about Jesus’ return as king of kings. (James, “Jesus’ brother” wrote his revealed letter to these still scattered tribes. Its about knowing by faith who Jesus is and His message.

       (James 1:1-7; “From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the TWELVE tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings!’ (My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.”)

       A major part of Jesus’ good news is; “Israel will yet be delivered to the borders Jesus promised Abraham.” This good news is revealed through Jeremiah for Israel and we followers of Jesus.

      (Jeremiah 30:1-7; “The Lord spoke to Jeremiah. “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Write everything that I am about to tell you in a scroll. For I, the Lord, affirm that the time will come when I will reverse the plight of My people, Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘I will bring them back to the land I gave their ancestors and they will take possession of it once again.’” Israel and Judah Will Be Delivered after a Time of Deep Distress. So here is what the Lord has to say about Israel and Judah. (5) Yes, here is what He says: (“You hear cries of panic and of terror; there is no peace in sight. Ask yourselves this and consider it carefully: Have you ever seen a man give birth to a baby? Why then do I see all these strong men grabbing their stomachs in pain like a woman giving birth? And why do their faces turn so deathly pale? Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is! There has never been any like it. It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob, but some of them will be rescued out of it.” (Compare with Matthew 24:)

      (Jer 30:8-12; When the time for them to be rescued comes,” says the Lord who rules over all, “I will rescue you from foreign subjugation. I will deliver you from captivity. Foreigners will then no longer subjugate them. But they will be subject to the Lord their God and to the Davidic ruler whom I will raise up as king over them.

       So I, the Lord, tell you not to be afraid, you descendants of Jacob, My servants. Do not be terrified, people of Israel. For I will rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land where you are captives. The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace. They will be secure and no one will terrify them. For I, the Lord, affirm that I will be with you and will rescue you. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will indeed discipline you, but only in due measure. I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.”

      Jer 30:12-15 Moreover, the Lord says to the people of Zion, “Your injuries ‘deceptions’ are incurable; your wounds are severe. There is no one to plead your cause. There are no remedies for your wounds. There is no healing for you. All your allies have abandoned you. They no longer have any concern for you. For I have attacked you like an enemy would. I have chastened you cruelly. For your wickedness is so great and your sin is so much. Why do you complain about your injuries, that your pain is incurable? I have done all this to you because your wickedness is so great and your sin is so much.

      (Jer 30:16-17; But all who destroyed you will be destroyed. All your enemies will go into exile. Those who plundered you will be plundered. I will cause those who pillaged you to be pillaged. Yes, I will restore you to health. I will heal your wounds. I, the Lord, affirm it! “For you have been called an outcast, Zion, whom no one cares for.”

      (Jer 30:18-20; The Lord says, “I will restore the ruined houses of the descendants of Jacob. I will show compassion on their ruined homes. Every city will be rebuilt on its former ruins. Every fortified dwelling will occupy its traditional site. Out of those places you will hear songs of thanksgiving and the sounds of laughter and merriment. I will increase their number and they will not dwindle away. I will bring them honor and they will no longer be despised. The descendants of Jacob will enjoy their former privileges. Their community will be reestablished in My favor and I will punish all who try to oppress them.”

      (Jer 30:21-24; One of their own people will be their leader. Their ruler will come from their own number. I will invite Him to approach Me, and He will do so. For no one would dare approach Me on his own. I, the Lord, affirm it! Then you will again be My people and I will be your God. Just watch! The wrath of the Lord will come like a storm. Like a raging storm it will rage down on the heads of those who are wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has fully carried out His intended purposes. In days to come you will come to understand this.”)

      Jacob’s descendents are still scattered in a bondage likened to Israel’s enslavement to Egypt. The bondage is Satan’s doings, promoting “sin” lawlessness in God‘s sight, Satan is the god of the whole world, deceiving in various and many ways. The Psalmist shared revelations like Jeremiah’s.

      (Psalms 96: “Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord! Praise His name! Announce every day how He delivers! Tell the nations about His splendor! Tell all the nations about His amazing deeds! (4) For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise; He is more awesome than all gods. For all the gods of the nations are worthless,

but the Lord made the sky. Majestic splendor emanates from Him; His sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. (7) Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations, ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the splendor He deserves! Bring an offering and enter His courts!

(9) Worship the Lord in holy attire! Tremble before Him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! The world is established, it cannot be moved. He judges the nations fairly.” Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy! Let the sea and everything in it shout! Let the fields and everything in them celebrate! Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord, for He comes! For He comes to judge the earth! He judges the world fairly, and the nations in accordance with His justice.”)

      Final Judgment

      Tomorrow is the seventh of seven annual Sabbaths and looks forward to righteous judgment. (Lev 23:23:39 “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you must celebrate a pilgrim festival of the Lord for seven days. On the first day is a complete rest and on the eighth day is complete rest.”)

      Jesus Kept the Sabbaths He Himself set aside for the good of the people. Sabbath keeping keeps God’s people attuned to His plan of salvation, peace, His millennial reign, judgment and New Jerusalem’s coming with God the Father. It was on the eighth day of the feast that Jesus stood and proclaimed.

        (John 7:37-39; On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) It’s a summation of Jesus’ good news, proclaimed from the foundation of the world.

More Judgment and resurrections before New Jerusalem’s coming

        (Rev 20:1-6; Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. He seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and tied him up for a thousand years. The angel then threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.) (4) Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years.”) A second death is alluded to four times in Revelations.

      (Rev 21::5-8; And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new!” Then He said to me, “Write it down, because these words are reliable and true.” He also said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water free of charge from the spring of the water of life.  The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My Son. (8) But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.”)

       Jesus’ good news isn’t about bad people going to an ever burning place and good folks going to heaven. The good news is about Believers IN Jesus being resurrected to serve Him and live forever in the family of God. About demonically led people’s destruction.

To: “In Resident Churches of God, all Saints” grace and peace from our God. 9/29/18, Tishrel 20, 5779, happy Sabbath.

       The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” Our English dictionary erroneous declares; 1. “A set of beliefs held strongly by a group or person: 2. Absolute truth: unquestionably true.” Thus Christendom groups claims to tell the gospel. Technically the gospel is “Jesus’ good news about His coming kingdom.” This gospel was revealed to His chosen in the book of Genesis. When Adam was created Satan began distorting Jesus’ good news regarding life. First he calling God a liar twisted His command, “that they not partake of the fruit nor touch the tree in the middle of the orchard, less they die.”

      (Gen 3:1-5; Satan said to the woman, “Is it really true that God said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” (2) The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.’” (4) The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil.”)

       Satan is saying, “God knows you won’t die” rather your eyes will open and you’ll be like divine beings knowing good and evil.” God don’t want you knowing this.

      From Re-Creation of earth and the creation of Adam and Eve, Satan knew God’s plan for peace on earth and to grow His family. This Good News, “gospel” is preserved for us in the holy scriptures by Jesus, through Moses, the prophets and apostles. They all wrote and looked forward to Jesus’ kingdom on earth, His power, bringing peace and ruling altruistically. Moses shared with the Israelites, “that One like himself would come and that One must be obeyed.” Through their covenant with their Deliver, “Israel could have been God’s model for His future millennial kingdom.” Through Moses God told the Israelites; “these nations you are about to dispossess listen to omen readers and diviners, but the Lord your God has not given you permission to do these things.” (Deut 18:14) Then God led Moses to prophesy about Jesus’ future reign on earth. Which is the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

      (Deut 18:15-19; ““The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you – from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to Him. This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the Lord your God: “Please do not make us hear the voice of the Lord our God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die.” (17) The Lord then said to me, “What they have said is good. I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put My Words in His mouth and He will speak to them whatever I command. (19) I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the Words that prophet speaks in My name.””) Review Hebrews 12:14-24 and consider Jesus’ saying that He only spoke according to the authority given by His Father.

      Demonically led religions don’t understand that the Son of God, “Jesus” was with His Father long before Satan was removed from heaven. He is Re-Creator, Creator, Sustainer, Savior, Deliverer, our Mediator before the Father and coming King of Kings.

       (Hebrews 1:1-4; “After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, in these last days He has spoken to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He created the world. (3) The Son is the radiance of His glory and the representation of His essence, and He sustains all things by His powerful Word and so when He had accomplished cleansing for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Thus He became so far better than the angels as He has inherited a name superior to theirs.”)

       God’s kingdom’s coming was preached by Enoch during Adam’s life. Our Lord’s brother “Jude” describing the characteristics of unbelievers before the flood and had the following to say about what was known.

       (Jude 1:14-16; Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, even prophesied of them, saying, “Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict every person of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds that they have committed, and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” (16) These people are grumblers and fault-finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain.”)

      As we know from God’s genesis account, preserved for our learning and example, “people became vile when allowed to go the way that seemed right to their fleshly nature.” So God called righteous Noah, had him build an ark, preserving him, his family and animals by kind, when He flooded this earth a second time. Speaking of wayward people’s example future, before the flood and at present, Jesus speaks through Peter.

      (2Peter 2:1-3; But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves. And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation pronounced long ago is not sitting idly by; their destruction is not asleep.”)

      (2Peter 2:4-10; For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment, and if He did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world, (6) and if He turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when He condemned them to destruction, having appointed them to serve as an example to future generations of the ungodly, and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless men, (8) (for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) – if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment, (10) especially those who indulge their fleshly desires and who despise authority.”)

      Brazen and insolent, they are not afraid to insult the glorious ones, yet even angels, who are much more powerful, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. (12) But these men, like irrational animals – creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed – do not understand whom they are insulting, and consequently in their destruction they will be destroyed, suffering harm as the wages for their harmful ways. By considering it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight, they are stains and blemishes, indulging in their deceitful pleasures when they feast together with you. (14) Their eyes, full of adultery, never stop sinning; they entice unstable people. They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!”)

      (2Peter 2:15-16; By forsaking the right path they have gone astray, because they followed the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, yet was rebuked for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the prophet’s madness).

      (2Peter 2:17-22; These men are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm, for whom the utter depths of darkness have been reserved. For by speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error. Although these false teachers promise such people freedom, they themselves are enslaved to immorality. For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved. For if after they have escaped the filthy things of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again get entangled in them and succumb to them, their last state has become worse for them than their first. (21) For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them. (22) They are illustrations of this true proverb: “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and “A sow, after washing herself, wallows in the mire.”)

       Jesus’ apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians and we followers of Jesus.

       (Col 1:15-20; “He, “Jesus” is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by Him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things and all things are held together in Him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that He Himself may become first in all things. (19) For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in the Son and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross – through Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”)

       The same is revealed through Jesus’ apostle John. (John 1:1-5;” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. In Him was, “is” life, and, The Life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.”)

      Worldly religions in this so called Christendom time attempt to worship a Jesus of their imagination, “a dead image on a cross” “the image of a baby in a crib” and one giving  powers to organizations of men.

       Followers of Jesus worship our heavenly Father, His Christ our Mediator, our Creator, our coming Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

       After scattering Israel because their disobedience and through the use of a gentile king, boasting of his successes in the name of his god it‘s written.

      (2 Kings 19:14-37; “Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: “Lord God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubs! You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky and the earth. Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to the message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God!

       Hezekiah goes on to say, “it is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed the “gentile” nations and their lands. They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. (19) Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that You, Lord, are the only God.” (God revealed Hezekiah’s prayer to His prophet, Isaiah.)

       Isaiah 37::20-31; Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I have heard your prayer concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria. This is what the Lord says about him: (“The virgin daughter Zion despises you, she makes fun of you; Daughter Jerusalem shakes her head after you.”) Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at? At whom have you shouted, and looked so arrogantly? At the Holy One of Israel! Through your messengers, “from Sennacherib” you taunted the Sovereign Master, ‘With My many chariots I climbed up the high mountains, the slopes of Lebanon. I cut down its tall cedars, and its best evergreens. I invaded its most remote regions, its thickest woods. I dug wells and drank water in foreign lands. With the soles of My feet I dried up all the rivers of Egypt.’ (25) Certainly you must have heard! Long ago I worked it out, In ancient times I planned it; and now I am bringing it to pass.”

      The plan is this: Fortified cities will crash into heaps of ruins. Their residents are powerless, they are terrified and ashamed. They are as short-lived as plants in the field, or green vegetation. They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind. (27) I know where you, “Sennacherib“ live, and everything you do. Because you rage against Me, and the uproar you create has reached My ears; I will put My hook in your nose, and My bridle between your lips, and I will lead you back the way you came.” This will be your confirmation that I have spoken the truth: This year you will eat what grows wild, and next year what grows on its own from that. But in the third year you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce. Those who remain in Judah will take root in the ground and bear fruit. For a remnant will leave Jerusalem; survivors will come out of Mount Zion. The intense devotion of the Sovereign Lord to His people will accomplish this.

      Isa 37:32-34; So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city, nor will he shoot an arrow here. He will not attack it with his shield-carrying warriors, nor will he build siege works against it. He will go back the way he came. He will not enter this city,” says the Lord. (34) I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of My reputation and because of My promise to David My servant.’”

      35-37; That very night the Lord’s messenger went out and killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When they got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses. So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh. One day, as he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. They escaped to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.”)

To: A people being made temples of God’s spirit” God’s Church  9/28/18, God’s 7th month, Tishrel 19/5779 until sunset.

       God the Father’s New Covenant through God the Son isn’t with the world at large, nor with an ethnic group of people, but with “a called out selected beforehand people of His choosing.”

       God’s historical Genesis account demonstrates to Believers IN, that we like fleshly Israelites “can’t of our own accord” overcome our inherited from Adam sin nature.” We’re unable to lovingly keep covenant promises from within our fleshly nature outlook. (So God planned and gifting His spirit to those He called, “gave a new nature and eternal life through His Son.” (Demonstrating eternal love, “Creator Jesus gave His life for the remission of sin” and gifted like minded teachers with understanding of the scripture.) Jesus’ apostle Paul was gifted to understand, and teach converted people about love and their place in God’s family.

       (Romans 15:1-6; “But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak. For even Christ did not please Himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on Me.” (4) For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”)

       By presenting himself as an angel of light, Satan is allowed to deceive an unsuspecting world in many diverse ways. Always attempting to distort God’s plan as foreshadowed through His Sabbaths. Ultimately, after God takes him out, many people will remorseful repent for having yielded to Satan’s deceptive practices. Then realizing, “what seems right to the fleshly inherited from Adam nature leads to death.”

       Like Joseph’s brothers’ intending him harm, God used their deeds for His purpose. So it will be with Satan’s desiring to do us harm. Israelites were told to wait on God’s promised deliverance, “so too, we followers of Jesus told to trust Him for deliverance. We’re gifted with faith like Abraham’s and the spiritual power imputed by God through His spirit. A faith the Israelites didn’t have, because Messiah “Jesus” hadn’t came and been glorified.

      (John 7:39; (“Now Jesus said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed IN Him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”)

       As we close this Genesis and New Covenant study, consider Doctor Luke’s witnessing of Jesus’ teachings through His apostles and their travels. He and Jesus’ apostles witnessed Jesus’ ascension. Consider his spiritually inspired words.

      (Acts 1:1-11; “I wrote the former account, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up to heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. To the same apostles also, after His suffering, He presented Himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God. (4) While He was with them, He declared, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what My Father promised, which you heard about from Me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (6) So when they had gathered together, they began to ask Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Those whom God fights for.) Jesus told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.” After Jesus had said this, while they were watching, He was lifted up and a cloud hid Him from their sight. (10) As they were still staring into the sky while Jesus was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw Him go into heaven.”)

      God’s promises are absolute, His Ways righteous and holy. We Believers IN, “Christians” aren’t above our master.

       (John 15:18-27; “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed My word, they will obey yours too. But they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. The one who hates Me hates My Father too. (24) If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both Me and My Father. Now this happened to fulfill the Word that is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without reason.’ When the Advocate “Holy Spirit’ comes, whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – that spirit will testify about Me, and you also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.)

       Hate ME without reason? (As a technical term this is usually restricted to the Pentateuch (The first five books of the Old Testament.) but here it must have a broader reference, since the quotation is from Psalms 35:19 or Psalms 69:4. The latter is the more likely source for the quoted words, since it is cited elsewhere in John’s Gospel. (See John 2:17 and John 19:29) In both instances in contexts associated with Jesus’ suffering and death.

This and like studies are to  help Believers IN Jesus retain joy, hope and knowing faith, while causing unbelievers to scoff.

      The whole world’s spiritual condition is much like the Israelites’  whose practices became much like the Egyptians. They were segregated, jealously treated etc, Joseph’s saving reputation was soon forgotten. Over time the Israelites were corrupted with paganism, “as the world is today.” Their populations grew so much that the Egyptian rulers became fearful of them. Finally taking their resources and making them slaves, was the Egyptian remedy to their fears.

      As preplanned, God miraculously delivered the Israelites, by calling and training Moses to be His servant, deliverer and savior to the Israelites. They were so deceived and corrupted with paganism that God only allowed Joshua and Caleb of the original group cross over the Jordan river to the promised to Abraham lands.

To: A people being made temples of God’s spirit” God’s Church  9/24/18, God’s 7th month, Tishrel 15/5779 until sunset.

      Today is the sixth of seven annual Sabbaths, for reflecting on the fact that our fleshly bodies and physical dwelling are temporary and “a spiritual resurrected everlasting body.” For that reason God named the seven day festival “Festival of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles.” Today and the following six look forward to peace on earth, “Jesus at the helm.” A greater deliverance than that from Egypt, “Israelites form around the world being miraculously delivered to the borders promised Abraham.” (See Isaiah 22:, 35:, 51:,53: and 65: Ezekiel 20:, Jeremiah 31: and Amos 9:11-15 for starters.) (Isaiah 11:10-12; At that time a root from Jesse will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to Him for guidance, and His residence will be majestic. At that time the Sovereign Master will again lift His hand to reclaim the remnant of His people from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the seacoasts. He will lift a signal flag for the nations; He will gather Israel’s dispersed people and assemble Judah’s scattered people from the four corners of the earth.)

      The Lord God Jesus led the Israelites from sinful Egypt, through Moses “an example and encouragement to all Believers IN.” The same Jesus will deliver as promised through His prophets again. 

      (Romans 15:1-21; “But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not just please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up. For even Christ did not please Himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on Me.” (4) For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

       7-13; Receive one another then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers and thus the Gentiles glorify God for His mercy. As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.” (Quote from Psalms 18:49) And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” (Quote from Deut 32:43) And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him.” (Quote from Ps 117:1. (12) And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the One who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in Him will the Gentiles hope.” (Quote from Isa 11:10) Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe IN Him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

      14-21; But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I serve the gospel of God like a priest, so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. So I boast in Christ Jesus about the things that pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, but as it is written: “Those who were not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” (Quote from Isa 52:15, latter part) Consider more of Jesus’ prophecy through Isaiah.

       (Isaiah 52:1315; “Look, My servant will succeed! He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted – (just as many were horrified by the sight of You) He was so disfigured He no longer looked like a man; His form was so marred He no longer looked human – so now He will startle many nations. Kings will be shocked by His exaltation, for they will witness something unannounced to them, and they will understand something they had not heard about.)

       Genesis and God’s New Covenant with Believers IN, “is about a calling to righteousness” compelling individual to seek and practice God’s Way. Separating the called, “Jesus’ followers” from unbelievers, “yet a call to love unbelievers and foreigners.” We’re to remember, “Israel - those God fights for, were foreigners in Egypt. Jesus taught it.

      (Matt 5:43-48; You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”) From our fleshly inherited from Adam nature, we instinctively love our own. Through God’s gifted spirit in us, “we love our enemy!”

      The Patriarchs, Joseph were and God’s church are made righteous in His View. Calling each for His purpose, revealing Himself and leading. They and “we each are put on God’s preverbal potters wheel for training, “made to realize that He’s the Potter and we the clay.” Individually we’re called and made to realize our unworthiness. Made to know that by God’s mercy and grace, “His choosing” we understand, “in our fleshly nature we contributed nothing.”

      Joseph likely knew the prophetic word given to Abraham regarding his descendents being in bondage 430 years; “before being miraculously delivered.” They looked forward to when their descendents would be delivered. Followers of Jesus’ look forward to being resurrected to Jesus’ likeness. As the tradition set by Abraham and Isaac, “Joseph too ask that his bones be buried with Abraham, Isaac and Israel’s. Joseph and the Patriarch’s calling, “life practices” parallel the calling of Jesus’ apostles and each Believer IN, “Christian.” Actions and practices of Believers IN Jesus are parallel to The Way, the Patriarchs counted righteous. Believers IN, “as were the Patriarchs” are led to spiritually separate from this world’s system of things, “unbelievers.” Jesus’ apostle Paul instructed as follows.

       (2 Cor 6:15-18; “What does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we “Christians” are the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters,” says the All-Powerful Lord.”) Likewise Jesus inspired His apostle John to write.

       (1John 2:15-17; “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.”) Jesus prayed to His Father for His followers, saying in part.

      (John 17:15-17; “I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but that You keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. Set them apart in the truth; Your word is truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I set Myself apart on their behalf, so that they too may be truly set apart.”) Remember, Joseph and Jacob’s family made such an impact on the Egyptians and Canaanites that they mourned Jacob’s death.

       (Gen 50:10-21; “”When they “Israel’s mourners” came to the threshing floor of Atad on the other side of the Jordan, they mourned there with very great and bitter sorrow. There Joseph observed a seven day period of mourning for his father. When the Canaanites who lived in the land saw them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a very sad occasion for the Egyptians.” That is why its name was called Abel Mizraim, (Meaning, mourning of Egypt) which is beyond the Jordan. (Less than 400 years later, God would miraculously lead the Israelites across the Jordan under Joshua)

       50:12-21; So the sons of Jacob did for him just as he had instructed them. His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the field Abraham purchased as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. (14) After he buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to bury his father. (15) When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repay us in full for all the harm we did to him?” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave these instructions before he died: (17) ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept. Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him; they said, “Here we are; we are your slaves.” (19) But Joseph answered them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so God could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindly to them.”) God was taking away their stony hearts and shaping them.

      (Gen 50:22-23; “Joseph lived in Egypt, along with his father’s family. Joseph lived 110 years. Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation. He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; they were given special inheritance rights by Joseph.”) A parallel to followers of Jesus being gifted with eternal life.

       (Gen 50:24-26; “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to you (your descendents) and lead you up from this land to the land God swore on oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.” So Joseph died at the age of 110. After they embalmed him, his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.”) Joseph’s knowing faith was gifted. By revelations He knew God’s promises would be kept. We‘re to wait on God’s deliverance.

      In time, Israelites’ practices became much like the Egyptians, they were segregated, jealously erupted and Joseph’s reputation was forgotten. Over time the Israelites were corrupted with paganism, “as the world is today.” Their population grew so much that Egyptian rulers became fearful of them. Finally took their resources and made them slaves was the remedy to their fears.

      God miraculously deliver the Israelites by calling and training Moses to be His servant, deliverer and savior to the Israelites. They were so deceived and corrupted with paganism that God only allowed Joshua and Caleb of the delivered to cross Jordan river “to the promised to Abraham lands.”

To: The Family of God, “people being made temples of His spirit” God’s Church  9/21/18, God’s 7th month, Tishrel 12/5779 until sunset.

      Spiritual understanding is gifted, as is a spiritual rebirth. We can’t be begotten of God, “born again” by choice nor by having the wit to join the right denomination: “anymore than we could have chosen our parents.”         

Christian example to family and community is to practice Christ like ways. That is, Christians can’t go along to get along for advantage in worldly communities. People gifted to understand must follow Jesus’ examples, “or remain cowards.” Two such cowards repented and came forward to care for Jesus’ body after His death.

      (John 19:39-40; “After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus at night, accompanied Joseph, carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about seventy-five pounds. Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, in strips of linen cloth according to Jewish burial customs.”)

      Satan has convinced denominations and individuals that it’s okay to practice “their own faith - what’s truth to themselves” which is one of his lies. (All left to themselves without God’s revelations, “practice what seems right to their fleshly minds.”) It’s idolatry to choose your religion, as is bowing to statues. Whole people groups and nations are victims of Satan’s divisionary deceptions. (Jesus used and inspired His prophets to use water “as a metaphor for spiritual truth” AND milk for His truth’s simplicity. Consider Isaiah 55: compare with Jesus’ Words recorded in the gospels and Revelations.

      (Isa 55:1-13; “Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost! Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food! (3) Pay attention and come to Me! Listen, so you can live! Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. Look, I made David a witness to nations, a ruler and commander of nations.” (Prophecy are so sure, they’re stated in the past tense.)

      5-13; Look, you ‘Israelites’ will summon nations you did not previously know; nations that did not previously know you will run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for God bestows honor on you. (6) Seek the Lord while He makes Himself available; call to Him while He is nearby! (7) The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle and sinful people their plans. They should return to the Lord, and He will show mercy to them, and to their god, for He will freely forgive them. (8) “Indeed, My plans are not like your plans, and My deeds are not like your deeds, for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so My deeds are superior to your deeds and My plans superior to your plans. The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat. (11) In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to Me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend.” Indeed you will go out with joy; you will be led along in peace; the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you, and all the trees in the field will clap their hands. Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes, firs will grow in place of nettles; they will be a monument to the Lord, a permanent reminder that will remain.”)

      David has not, nor we in this physical life, inherited all God’s promises. Long before David, God preplanned Jacob’s heirs life and revealed the future of his descendents. One of Israel’s descendents is David.

      (Genesis 49:1-27; “Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you what will happen to you in the future. “Assemble and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father.

      (3) Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power. You are destructive like water and will not excel, for you got on your father’s bed, then you defiled it – he got on my couch!

      (5) Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their knives! O my soul, do not come into their council, do not be united to their assembly, my heart, for in their anger they have killed men, and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their fury, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel!

      (8) Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father’s sons will bow down before you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches and lies down like a lion; like a lioness – who will rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him. Binding his foal to the vine, and his colt to the choicest vine, he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be dark from wine, and his teeth white from milk.

      (13) Zebulun will live by the haven of the sea and become a haven for ships; his border will extend to Sidon.

      (14) Issachar is a strong-boned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees a good resting place, and the pleasant land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and become a slave laborer.

       (16) Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. May Dan be a snake beside the road, a viper by the path, that bites the heels of the horse so that its rider falls backward. I wait for your deliverance, O Lord.

      (19) Gad will be raided by marauding bands, but he will attack them at their heels.

      (20) Asher’s food will be rich, and he will provide delicacies to royalty.

      (21) Naphtali is a free running doe, he speaks delightful words.

      (22) Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough near a spring whose branches climb over the wall. The archers will attack him, they will shoot at him and oppose him. But his bow will remain steady, and his hands will be skillful; because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of the God of your father, who will help you, because of the sovereign God, who will bless you with blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and womb. The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the eternal mountains or the desirable things of the age-old hills. They will be on the head of Joseph and on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

      (27) Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning devouring the prey, and in the evening dividing the plunder.”)

       Many try to decipher these prophecies, I won’t unless they’re revealed. Israel’s  prophesies characterize the strengths and weaknesses of his descendents. Some are playing out already: others after Jesus’ return. It isn’t likely that Israel understood that the twelve gates of New Jerusalem was already named for his sons.

      (Gen 49:28-33; “These are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each of them an appropriate blessing.”) Appropriate blessings - judgment, await each of us.

      (Gen 49:29-33; “Then Israel instructed them, “I am about to go to my people. (Hebrew; be gathered) Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. It is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave in it were acquired from the sons of Heth.” When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last breath, and went to his people.”)

       Followers of Jesus are called, “as was Jacob” we too will be given new names. God also called David, made him a king and prophet, giving him insight about the future and judgment. David writes as we should think.

      (Psalms 28:1-9; “To you, O Lord, I cry out! My Protector, do not ignore me! If You do not respond to me, I will join those who are descending into the grave. Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to You for help, when I lift my hands toward your holy temple! Do not drag me away with evil men, with those who behave wickedly, who talk so friendly to their neighbors, while they plan to harm them! (4) Pay them back for their evil deeds! Pay them back for what they do! Punish them! For they do not understand the Lord’s actions, or the way He carries out justice. The Lord will permanently demolish them. (6) The Lord deserves praise, for He has heard my plea for mercy! The Lord strengthens and protects me; I trust in Him with all my heart. I am rescued and my heart is full of joy; I will sing to Him in gratitude. The Lord strengthens His people; He protects and delivers His chosen king. Deliver Your people! Empower the nation that belongs to You! Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in Your arms at all times!”)

       (Genesis 50:1-9; “Then Joseph hugged his father’s face. He wept over him and kissed him. Joseph instructed the physicians in his service to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel. (3) They took forty days, for that is the full time needed for embalming. The Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s royal court, “If I have found favor in your sight, please say to Pharaoh, ‘My father made me swear an oath. He said, “I am about to die. Bury me in my tomb that I dug for myself there in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go and bury my father; then I will return.’” So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father, just as he made you swear to do.” (7) So Joseph went up to bury his father; all Pharaoh’s officials went with him – the senior courtiers of his household, all the senior officials of the land of Egypt, all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. But they left their little children and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. (9) Chariots and horsemen also went up with him, so it was a very large entourage.”)

      These are the Lord God Jesus’ inspired Words, “recorded by Moses.” His callings and covenant promises are living truths that fits “square with” Jesus’ teaching and the New Covenant. We plan to consider Jesus’ word through Paul on this subject, next study.

To: The Family of God, “people being made temples of His spirit” God’s Church  9/19/18, God’s 7th month, Tishrel 10/ 5779 until sunset.

      Almighty God our Father and Lord God Jesus: please give us the love and patience we need for steadfastness to the end; knowing You’re not slack in keeping promises. Make us continuously mindful that our bodies are temples of Your Holy Spirit. Bless us with knowing faith in Your promises, planning and to live Jesus’ example. We ask in Your holy name. AMEN.

      This world’s populations are kept spiritually ignorant by Satan’s influence on religions and educators. Knowledge of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, major and minor prophets and Jesus’ apostles being chosen for God’s purpose isn’t acknowledged. In this age of spiritual ignorance God’s promises to spiritual and physical Israelites are forgotten. God will yet resurrect His chosen, “they will be examples to the world and inherit the lands promised Abraham. Unbelievers aren’t yet led to consider God’s awesomeness and preplanning because He hasn’t revealed Himself. They don’t understand because as Jesus said; “you aren’t My sheep.” Believers IN God know He is the Alpha and Omega.

      How long prior to Joseph’s birth, “do you think God planned his Egyptian adventure?” Could He have planned it before the foundation of the world? He did! Proving Himself, God planned and announced Israel’s stay in Egypt to the very day! (“Now the length of time the Israelites lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, on the VERY day, all the regiments of the Lord went out of the land of Egypt. It was a night of vigil for the Lord to bring them out from the land of Egypt, and so on this night all Israel is to keep the vigil to the Lord for generations to come.” Exodus 12:40-42)

      (Remember “Israel means, God fights or God fights for”) Their preplanned departure was on the 14^th day of God’s first month “Nisan” and before the foundation of the world. Likewise Jesus would shed His blood on the 14^th of Nisan. Thus Jesus’ tomb was found empty, “morning of the 18^th.” How awesome to be gifted with the desire to believe IN our Creator! To think puny mankind would make and use a different calendar than the one holy to God is without question the height of hostile arrogance! To believers this “proves the degree folks will go to honor pagan gods.”

      Jacob and Joseph knew that they were chosen servants of the Most High. Tools in His hand, as are all who are led to be Believers IN.

      (Genesis 47:5-10; Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” (7) Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All the years of my travels are 130. All the years of my life have been few and painful; the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.” (10) Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.”) Israel and Joseph were God’s witnesses to Pharaoh and Believers IN.

      (Jacob could have told the Pharaoh of his being a deceiver in his youthful years, about God revealing Himself and his experiences. About Esau’s forgiving and how God allowed him to learn from his deceiving father in law. Jacob considered his length of life, “few and painful.”

      (Genesis 47:11-19; So Joseph settled his father and his brothers. He gave them territory in the land of Egypt, in the best region of the land, the land of Rameses, just as Pharaoh had commanded. Joseph also provided food for his father, his brothers and all his father’s household, according to the number of their little children. (13) But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was used up, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die before your very eyes because our money has run out?”

     16-19; Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for livestock. (18) When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our lord that the money is used up and the livestock and the animals belong to our lord. Nothing remains before our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed that we may live and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.”)

       TOTAL reliance on Joseph as a physical savior became the Israelites & Egyptians only choice. Believers IN are led spiritually to yield totally on Jesus as our Savior, Creator and Sustainer; mindful that only in Him can we be saved.

      (Genesis 47:20-26; “So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. So the land became Pharaoh’s. Joseph made all the people slaves from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. (23) Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate the land. When you gather in the crop, give one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” (25) They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” (26) So Joseph made it a statute, which is in effect to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.”)

       Joseph was allowed to make this statute, as he was spirit led. (20% should be enough for any government to provide lawful protection and administer the needed services to it’s populations.) For our learning; “God allowed the Pharaoh to be as God and Joseph as their redeemer.”

      (Genesis 47:27-31; Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number. (28) Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the years of Jacob’s life were 147 in all. The time for Israel to die approached, so he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their “my father’s” burial place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you say.” (31) Jacob said, “Swear to me that you will do so.” So Joseph gave him his word. Then Israel bowed down at the head of his bed.”) ISRAEL, was mindful that he represented a “set aside” sanctified people. Asking to be taken to Abraham’s burial place demonstrates it.

      (Genesis 48:1-4; After these things Joseph was told, “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has just come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed. (3) Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. (4) He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and will multiply you. I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants as an everlasting possession.’”)

       We know much of that land was given to Israel when God led Joshua to be Israel’s leader and much later under David and Solomon, “but Israel is yet to occupied all the borders promised to Abraham’s heirs. (The question. “Was God leading Jacob and giving him authority to bless; was God blessing and prophesying through him?” Absolutely.

       (Genesis 48:5-16; “Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are. Any children that you father after them will be yours; they will be listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. But as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died – to my sorrow – in the land of Canaan. It happened along the way, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).

      8-16; When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these?” Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” His father said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph brought his sons near to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. (11) Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see you again, but now God has allowed me to see your children too.” So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. (13) Joseph positioned them; he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel’s right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father. (14) Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger. Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, for Manasseh was the firstborn. (15) Then Israel blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked – the God who has been my Shepherd all my life long to this day, the Angel who has protected me from all harm – bless these boys. MAY MY NAME BE NAMED ON THEM and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”)

      Israel is mindful of God’s promises to Abraham and Isaac as well as to himself. NOTE that Israel is also mindful that God used an Angel to protect him. The world has a problem accepting the principle that God chooses whom He will for His planned purpose. Descendents from Ephraim and Manasseh are primarily God’s physical Israel! Followers of Jesus are God’s spiritual Israel.

       Genesis 48:17-22; “When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.” (19) But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” (20) So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you will Israel bless, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you “YOUR descendents” back to the land of your fathers. (back to Bethlehem area) (22) As one who is above your brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”)

      CONSIDER the time - the number of years that would pass before God made MOSES, their deliverer under Jesus.

       We Believers IN, “Christians” need to encourage one another as we remember “a thousand years is as one day with God.” He kept His promise to Abraham and delivered the Israelites; demonstrating His power and that He keeps promises. Remember Paul’s words; “Christians are heirs with Abraham.” Galatians 3:29.

To: The Family of God, “people being made temples of His spirit” God’s Church  9/17/18, God’s 7th month, Tishrel 8/ 5779 until sunset.

      Tomorrow at sunset begins the Day of Atonement; Jews call it the “Eve of Yom Kippur” ending at sunset the tenth day of Tishrel. Christians fast on Atonement in keeping with the Lord God Jesus’ command.

      Lev 23:26-32; The Lord spoke to Moses: “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must humble yourselves and present a gift to the Lord. You must not do any work on this particular day, because it is a day of atonement to make atonement for yourselves before the Lord your God. Indeed, any person who does not behave with humility on this particular day will be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this particular day, I will exterminate that person from the midst of his people! You must not do any work. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live. It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves on the ninth day of the month in the evening, from evening until evening you must observe your Sabbath.”)

      The Lord God Jesus gave the annual Sabbaths through Moses to His people as another statute demonstrating to whom they belonged. We perpetual keep them today, “showing to whom we belong.” 

      God uses the number seven in multiple ways; “has to do with perfection and completion for the most part.” Four of God’s seven annual holy days are in His seventh month; each foreshadowing His planning for our good. The 1^st day of His seventh month is Trumpets, 10^th day of His seventh month is Atonement, the fifteenth day begins His Feast of Tabernacles, the 22^nd day concludes and the 23^rd or eighth day is “The Last Great Day.” (See Lev 23:)

      The Lord God Jesus Re-Created planet earth from its being “without shape, empty and with darkness over the surface of the watery deep. (See Genesis 1:22, John 1:1-5, Col 1:15-20, Hebrews 1: and 3Peter ) Speaking of later day scoffers Peter writes; (3Peter 3:5-7; For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the Word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water. Through these things the world existing at that time was destroyed when it was deluged with water. But by the same Word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”)

      The Lord God Jesus has spoken through many: Through Enoch, the “seventh from Adam” Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, His prophets and His apostles.” 

      Hostiles to God’s righteous decrees have always preferred yielded to demonic deceptions; thinking as Cain, “surely this other way will be okay.” Hostiles to God’s Way aren’t mindful that God is allowing Satan to be the god of this world until a set time. They prefer yielding to this world’s system of things, evolution of things, religions, traditions and passions.

       Believers IN trust Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph’s God. Who teaches His people through revelation, “revealing His characteristics, loving attributes, mercy, grace, knowledge and His plans.” He opens minds, fathers with His spirit, making people AT ONE with Himself. (His spirit, “the holy spirit” is His people’s teacher.) Study John 14:, and for the purpose of this “Genesis and the New Covenant study” let’s consider verses 25-26.)

      (Jesus said; “I have spoken these things while staying with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.” God put in our minds, to love one another with pureness, remembering that He first loved us.”)

       People who aren’t called, make God fit their imagination.” It was pagan influence that caused the Romans to name weekly days for their imaginary gods. If we could see inside the minds of people and put their imaginations in form; “we’d see many imaginary gods.”

      The holy scriptures teach, “Jesus was sent by His Father, prayed to His Father and the two are ONE in purpose and characteristically.” Restudy John 1:1-4, Colossians 1;15-20 and let’s read Rev 21:22-23; “Now I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful – and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb.”)

       God the Father and God the Son - are all Powerful  “Omnipotent” One. God the Son is the Lamb of God. (God’s Way is that we be at one with Him and one another.) Our believing IN relationship to Jesus should be; “looking to Him as friend, Provider, Deliverer, Mediator and Savior.” He is as a Husband to His church. Jesus’ relationship with God the Father is as One and is the same pattern for His church’s relationship to Himself.

       God isn’t divided; He revealed, “manifested Himself to” Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph as the One who blesses. He creates and gives Life. (His promises, so certain that, “yet to be events” are written as already past. New Jerusalem’s gates were named for the twelve tribes and the foundation for the twelve apostles before the foundation of the world. Example: In our “Genesis New Covenant study” we see God’s prophecy regarding Abraham’s heirs being in bondage 430 years, long before the event. (Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, “For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.” Rom 15:4)

      This latter age, “span of time since the Father sent His Son” is identified as the “last days.” (God the Father identified and Jesus Himself proclaimed Himself, Savior, Deliverer and coming King of Kings.”)

       Characteristically and similarly, Joseph’s life foreshadows the life of all called out Believers IN. (We’re able to look back; “recognize spiritual deliverance, God’s gifting us with a desire to overcome our old sin nature and see or understand the reason to work at overcoming to the end.”)

       Joseph’s legacy is one of dreams, hope, faith, steadfastness, love, overcoming and yielding to his Creator. (God made Joseph a savior, shepherd and deliverer to his brothers and Jacob.) Some 400 plus years later God would send another deliverer “Moses.” Joseph and Moses are types of the prophesied Messiah “Jesus.” God the Father has made Jesus, “the Son of God: our Savior, Shepherd, Deliverer and coming King of Kings.” In our Genesis historical account, God has made Joseph, savior and sustainer of his family. We’re at the point of Joseph’s delivering Israel.

      (Genesis 46:1-4; So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. When he came to Beer Sheba he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!” He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt and I Myself will certainly bring you back from there. Joseph will close your eyes.”) This promise is much more than “taking Jacob’s bones with them, some 400 years later” and the Patriarchs, Joseph and all called out Believers IN being resurrected to a spiritual everlasting life. All will each serve in the coming Kingdom of God.

       (Gen 46:5-7; “Then Jacob started out from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him. Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt. He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters – all his descendants.

       (Gen 46:26-27; “All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.) Counting the two sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, all the people of the household of Jacob who were in Egypt numbered seventy.”) Read verses 8-25 for the list.

       (Gen 46:28-34; “Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. So they came to the land of Goshen. Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When Joseph met Israel, he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time. (30) Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. (32) The men are shepherds; they take care of livestock. They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ (34) Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle from our youth until now, both we and our fathers’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting to the Egyptians.”)

       Remember also, the Egyptians would not sit and eat with Joseph and his brothers because they didn’t think the Hebrews were their equal. Because of Satan’s divisionary demonic deceptions, “the nature in fleshly man has not changed.” Still in this age, Many Egyptians and Arabs in general think of Israelites and Christians as infidels: “to kill is to do their god honor.”  

To: The Family of God, “people being made temples of His spirit” God’s Church  9/14/18, God’s 7th month, Tishrel 5/ 5779 until sunset.

       God revealed Himself and Abraham believed IN, “moved from family and acquaintances to the lands provided.” God was making a new beginning through Abraham, “setting Him and his descendents apart from the world.” Imposed circumcision as a sign of belonging. (Jesus’ apostles, “to whom He breathed on and gave understanding of the scriptures to” understood what God did and more particularly what He was going to do.  (Abraham’s descendents were going to inherit the world through faith.)

      (Romans 4:9-14; “Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the un-circumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them. (By the gift of believing IN.) And Abraham also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised. (13) For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified.”)

       God’s promises and His preplanning cannot be nullified. If they could, He would not be “Lord of Lords.” If the law could change our inherited from Adam nature; ’that is, make us righteous in His view” there would be no need for creator Jesus’ sacrifice. 

      (Rom 4:15-16; “For the law “of works” brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either. For this reason it is by “believing IN God” faith, so that it “faith” may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations.”)

       17-22; Abraham is our father in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. (18) Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, “so will your descendants be.” Without being weak in faith, Abraham considered his own body as dead (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. He was fully convinced that what God promised He was also able to do. So indeed it “believing IN faith” was credited to Abraham as righteousness. (23) But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham’s sake, but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe IN the One “God the Father” who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He “Jesus” was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.”)

      The Lord Jesus who  communed with the Patriarchs looked forward to these latter days when people would be “called and led to believe IN His saving grace.” Believing IN Jesus “changes one’s nature from the way of get to the way of give.”

      (Rom 5:1-11; “Therefore, since we “Believers IN” have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, (uncircumcised of heart) Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from God’s wrath. (10) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by His life? Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.”)

    (Reconciliation? “The making of two or more “apparently conflicting things” consistent or compatible”) By revealing Himself, God reconciles Himself with those He chooses.

      (Rom 5:12-17; “So then, just as sin entered the world through one man “Adam” and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned – for before the law “of works” was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law “of works.” Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming One) transgressed. But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, “Adam” how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the One man Jesus Christ multiply to the many! And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, (“Adams‘”) led to condemnation, but the gracious gift from the many failures led to justification. (17) For if, by the transgression of the one man, “Adam” death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in “eternal” life through the One, Jesus Christ!”)

       God makes these promises through the gift of His spirit and ultimately the resurrections. Understanding this grace is an emotional thankful heart change. When Joseph made himself known to his brothers, an “emotion thankfulness overcame them all.”

      If God’s Word doesn’t convict a person to turn from the traditions of this world’s system of things, “to the traditions Jesus lived and taught through His apostles” likely that one isn’t called to “Believe IN at this time.” Jesus’ Words don’t penetrate the minds of hostile persons. He didn’t waste words on unbelievers, saying, “you don’t understand because you aren’t My Sheep,”

      (John 10:25-30; Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in My Father’s name testify about Me. But you refuse to believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from My Father’s hand. The Father and I are One.”) We can’t Believe IN God and practice paganism.

      God is working all things out according to His will and timetable. He preserves the called and unbeliever’s historical records for our learning in this latter age. Whether provable science, “a tried and proven system or personal invention;” believers IN are gifted to recognize God’s revelations. Consider Jesus’ teaching, “after He miraculously re-created food and fed many.”

      (John 6:25-29; When they found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for Me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. “Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life – the “spiritual” food which the Son of Man will GIVE to you. For God the Father has put His seal of approval on Him.” (28) So then they said to Him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires – to believe IN the ONE whom He sent.”)

       The accusation is; “you folks are only looking for Me for self serving reasons.” Many join religions for self serving purposes. In the minds of many, “it’s to avoid punishment and to earn salvation as a result of their action.” Why do the same percentages of church folks divorce, commit crimes and fill prisons as do the un-churched?

      The definition of a believer IN Jesus is; “one who obeys, worships in spirit and truth the One who is; “Creator, Re-creator, Sustainer, Deliverer, Mediator and coming King of Kings. Understanding; “we love Him because He first loved us” shedding His blood that our sins may be forgiven. “Thus, worshiping Jesus is to yield to His Way and put on His characteristics as revealed is the holy scriptures.” We have Joseph’s example in Genesis.

       Joseph stayed true to his revealed understanding, “believed IN the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He could speak confidently to the Pharaoh and forgive his brothers. We have another example in the New Testament.

       A man Jesus healed was thrown out of the Synagogue: “Jesus heard they had thrown him out, so He found the man and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man replied, “And who is He, sir, that I may believe IN Him?” Jesus told him, “You have seen Him; He is the one speaking with you.” The healed man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Jesus. (Jesus also said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.” John 9:35-39)

       DO we understand Jesus’ point? He opens understanding to whom He will and allows unbelievers to remain in their state of being. It was God that caused the Pharaoh to believe in Joseph’s words.

      Joseph was spiritually trained, he and Jacob received revelations. Joseph’s brothers were taught family heritage, “but as a Believer IN, Joseph didn’t need knowledge of the families heritage to accomplish God’s will. All Believers IN are gifted with these principles; “it’s what makes us at one with God the Father, God the Son and each other.”

      Paul wrote; (“Finally then, brothers and sisters, we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) that you do so more and more. For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles “unbelievers” who do not know God. In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly. For God did not CALL us to impurity but in holiness. Consequently the one who rejects this is NOT rejecting human authority but God, who gives HIS Holy Spirit to you. Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, to ASPIRE to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.”1 Thess 4:1-12)

      As was God’s covenant with Israel, “our New Covenant is NOT with the world at large” but with God. Our New Testament Covenant is not with a fleshly governed nation, nor a denomination, but with God. His church is scattered individuals to whom He has chosen, “set aside and fathered with His spirit.” His New Testament Covenant is one of promise, “likened to that with the Patriarchs.” (Jesus’ apostle Peter explains to Christians.

       (1Peter 2:9-10; “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. You once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy.”)

To: The Family of God, “people being made temples of His spirit” God’s Church  9/13/18, God’s 7th month, Tishrel 4/ 5779 until sunset.

      The Patriarchs and apostles looked forward to the resurrections. Jesus apostles expected that God’s kingdom was about to be instituted through Him at that time. They were all correct except for the timing. The Lord God Jesus gave the Israelites His calendar of annual Sabbaths and festivals that looked forward to His return, peace on earth and judgment. The seventh day Sabbath “after six days of work” looks forward to Jesus’ millennial rule. The seven annual Sabbaths looks forward to the unfolding. The Sabbaths are strong indications of when the Kingdom of God is to be established. As with the six day work week, “six thousand years are set aside for man’s work.” (If our guided assumption is true “six thousand years is allocated for man’s mismanagement under the guise of Satan.) But Jesus did promise “time would be cut short for the Elect’s sake.” The creation account as recorded in Genesis is a “Re-creation of this pre-flooded earth” and “a first Creation of animals and mankind as we know them. The first creation of beings made in God’s image and for His loving purpose.

       There’s much to consider; Jesus’ apostle Paul did indicate, “prophecies may be set aside.” Seemingly that’s because, “time is to be cut short for the Elect‘s sake.” (1Cor 13:8-13; Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when what is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside.”) We like all who have gone before, must patiently wait and pray that His Kingdom soon come.

       Many prophecies aren’t going to be set aside. Promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are as sure as Creation itself. Additionally two witnesses are prophesied to proclaim God‘s message from Jerusalem before Jesus‘ return. (See Revelation 11:3-13; And I will grant My two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth. (These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth.) If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and completely consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way. These two have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time they are prophesying. They have power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want. When they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the street of the great city that is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. For three and a half days those from every people, tribe, nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and tremendous fear seized those who were watching them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” So the two prophets went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies stared at them. Just then a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”) We see mankind’s hostile nature in full display here.

      Back to the beginning of Israel’s 430 years in Egyptian bondage. That bondage is a physical parallel to the spiritual bondage the whole world is in today.

      (Gen 45:13-15; When Joseph made himself known to his brothers, emotion overcame them all. (“Then Joseph threw himself on the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After this his brothers talked with him.”

      (Gen 45:16-24; “Now it was reported in the household of Pharaoh, “Joseph’s brothers have arrived.” It pleased Pharaoh and his servants. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go to the land of Canaan! Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you the best land in Egypt and you will eat the best of the land.’ You are also commanded to say, ‘Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come. Don’t worry about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours.’” (21) So the sons of Israel did as he said. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, and he gave them provisions for the journey. He gave sets of clothes to each one of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of clothes. To his father he sent the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, food, and provisions for his father’s journey. Then he sent his brothers on their way and they left. He said to them, “As you travel don’t be overcome with fear.”)

      Today’s descendents of Abraham, “physical and spiritual;” have a Provider, Deliverer and Sustainer in Jesus. He is likened to Joseph and the Pharaoh.” Abraham’s spiritual descendents, “whether Israelites or non-Israelites” are the called, “Elect” and given to understand spiritual teaching. The Elect will not be deceived.

     (Matt 24:24; “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the Elect.”)

With Jesus returns, “a spiritual resurrection awaits all who belong to Him.” According to God’s plan and timing, “Israelites from around the world will be miraculously gathered to the borders outlined to Abraham.” Lets review.

       (Isaiah 27:12-13; “At that time the Lord will shake the tree, from the Euphrates River to the Stream of Egypt. Then you will be gathered up one by one, O Israelites. At that time a large trumpet will be blown, and the ones lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as the refugees in the land of Egypt. They will worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.)

       Remember the Lord God Jesus had a reason to rename Jacob “Israel” meaning “God fights.”

      (Isaiah 49:5-13; “So now the Lord says, the one who formed me from birth to be His servant – He did this to restore Jacob “Israel” to Himself, so that Israel might be gathered to Him; and I will be honored in the Lord’s sight, for my God is my source of strength – He says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be My servant, to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and restore the remnant of Israel? I will make you a light to the nations, so you can bring My deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.” (7) This is what the Lord, the protector of Israel, their Holy One, says to the one who is despised and rejected by nations, a servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise in respect, princes will bow down, because of the faithful Lord, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.” This is what the Lord says: “At the time I decide to show My favor, I will respond to you; in the day of deliverance I will help you; I will protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, to rebuild the land and to reassign the desolate property. You will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those who are in dark dungeons, ‘Emerge.’ They will graze beside the roads; on all the slopes they will find pasture. (10) They will not be hungry or thirsty; the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, for One who has compassion on them will guide them; He will lead them to springs of water. I will make all My mountains into a road; I will construct My roadways.” (12) Look, they come from far away! Look, some come from the north and west, and others from the land of Sinim! Shout for joy, O sky! Rejoice, O earth! Let the mountains give a joyful shout! For the Lord consoles His people and shows compassion to the oppressed.”) The Patriarchs and all Believers IN, “Christians” are waiting for this time. Praise God. Oh, the awesomeness of God’s promises and planning.

      (“The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. For this reason the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”) God’s rested and reflected on His creative work the seventh day and commanding His people do the same was preplanned. Not a worship of the day as Pharisee types are prone to do, “but to lovingly and respectfully recognize and reflect on God’s creation and our own work.” When Creator, Re-Creator and Sustainer Jesus returns the whole world will ultimately begin to recognize Him. Satan is to be bound and knowledge of Jesus will covers as water the sea.

      Satan has led the whole world from Sabbath observance. Leading the Moslems to select the sixth day and professing Christians the first. When we recognize Jesus as our Creator, we should observe His Sabbath.

      The Lord God Jesus’ old covenant with Israel, had to do with setting aside a chosen people and circumcision a token of belonging. Abraham believed IN God before He commanded circumcision as a seal of belonging.

      Lets review: (Gen 17:9-14; “Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep the covenantal requirement I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder of the covenant between Me and you. (your descendents) Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants. They must indeed be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of My covenant will be visible in your flesh as a permanent reminder. Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off from his people – he has failed to carry out My requirement.”)

       Slaves also were to be regarded as family in this respect, Males purchased with money were to be set aside. Taught that physical circumcision was a token of respect for the God of Abraham. Physical circumcision looked forward to a circumcision of the heart. (The act of fleshly circumcision was never intended to change the inherited sin nature in people as does “being born from above.”) Paul explained. (“For a person is not a Jew “Christian” who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew “Christian” who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.” Rom 2:28-29)

       Respect for the God of Abraham, Moses taught the circumcised Israelites the meaning of belonging to God; “to love one another and strangers.” Lets review.

      (Deuteronomy 10:12-22; “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere Him, to obey all His commandments, to love Him, to serve Him with all your mind and being, and to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes that I am giving you today for your own good? The heavens – indeed the highest heavens – belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it. However, only to your ancestors did God show His loving favor, and He chose you, their descendants, from all peoples – as is apparent today. Therefore, cleanse (circumcise) your heart and stop being so stubborn!” (Cleanse: Hebrew “circumcise the foreskin of” ( KJV, ASV, NRSV all agree). Reference to the Abrahamic covenant prompts Moses to recall the sign of that covenant, namely, physical circumcision (Gen 17:9-14). Just as that act signified total covenant obedience, so spiritual circumcision (cleansing of the heart) signifies more internally, a commitment to be pliable and obedient to the will of God.) (See Deut 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:26)

       17-22; For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe, who justly treats the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing. So you must love the resident foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Revere the Lord your God, serve Him, be loyal to Him and take oaths only in His name. He is the one you should praise, He is your God, the one who has done these great and awesome things for you that you have seen. When your ancestors went down to Egypt, they numbered only seventy, but now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.”)

      See the spiritual, New Covenant principles the old is looking forward to?

To: The Family of God, “people being made temples of His spirit” God’s Church  9/10/18, God’s 6th month, Elul 28, 5778 until sunset.

      Few professing Christians seem to grasp, “the Lord God Jesus” is the Alpha and Omega. He within God our Father’s will is the “Architect, Creator, Re-creator, Planner and through whom is eternal life. Believing IN God’s prophecy through Ezekiel chapter 20: regarding Israel’s future and this understanding dispels many demonic notions. Writing to Believers IN Jesus, Paul was inspired to explain: “Gal 3:26-29; “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.”) Understand; “the Lord God Jesus is the one who directed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” making promises to be carried out according to Ezekiel 20:.

      (Gen 17:9-14; “Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep the covenantal requirement I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder of the covenant between Me and you. (your descendents) Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants. They must indeed be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of My covenant will be visible in your flesh as a permanent reminder. Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off from his people – he has failed to carry out My requirement.”)

      A notable requirement was a perfect welfare system: (Jeremiah 34:13-16; “The Lord God of Israel has a message for you. ‘I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt where they had been slaves.’ It stipulated, “Every seven years each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you for six years, you shall set them free.” But your ancestors did not obey Me or pay any attention to Me. (15) Recently, however, you yourselves showed a change of heart and did what is pleasing to Me. You granted your fellow countrymen their freedom and you made a covenant to that effect in My presence in the house that I have claimed for My own. But then you turned right around and showed that you did not honor Me. Each of you took back your male and female slaves whom you had freed as they desired, and you forced them to be your slaves again.

      Slave servants were to be regarded as family and circumcision a token of respect for the God of Abraham. Physical circumcision looked forward to a circumcision of the heart. (Circumcision was never intended to change the inherited sin nature in people.) Paul explained. (“For a person is not a Jew “Christian” who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew “Christian” who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.” Rom 2:28-29)

       Respecting God and Abraham, Moses taught the circumcised Israelites the meaning of belonging to God was; “to love one another and strangers.”

      (Deuteronomy 10:12-22; “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere Him, to obey all His commandments, to love Him, to serve Him with all your mind and being, and to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes that I am giving you today for your own good? The heavens – indeed the highest heavens – belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it. However, only to your ancestors did God show His loving favor, and He chose you, their descendants, from all peoples – as is apparent today. Therefore, cleanse (circumcise) your heart and stop being so stubborn!”)

      Cleanse: Hebrew “circumcise the foreskin of” (All translations agree). Reference to the Abrahamic covenant prompts Moses to recall the sign of that covenant, namely, physical circumcision (Gen 17:9-14). Just as that act signified total covenant obedience, so spiritual circumcision (cleansing of the heart) signifies more internally, a commitment to be pliable and obedient to the will of God (see Deut 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:26)

       (Deut 10:17-22; For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe, who justly treats the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing. So you must love the resident foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Revere the Lord your God, serve Him, be loyal to Him and take oaths only in His name. He is the one you should praise, He is your God, the one who has done these great and awesome things for you that you have seen. When your ancestors went down to Egypt, they numbered only seventy, but now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.”) Is this not New Testament doctrine as well?

      (Romans 4:9-14; “Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the un-circumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them. And Abraham also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised. (13) For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified.”) God’s promises and His preplanning cannot be nullified. If they could be, He would not be Lord of Lords.

      (Rom 4:15-26; “For the law “of works” brings wrath, because where there is no law “of works” there is no transgression either. For this reason it is by “believing IN God” faith, so that it “faith” may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations” Abraham is our father in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. (18) Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, “so will your descendants be.” Without being weak in faith, Abraham considered his own body as dead (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. He was fully convinced that what God promised He was also able to do. So indeed it “believing IN faith” was credited to Abraham as righteousness. (23) But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham’s sake, but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe IN the One “God the Father” who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He “Jesus” was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.”)

      Jesus who communed with the Patriarchs looked forward to these latter days when people would be called and led to believe IN His saving grace. To believe IN Jesus changes one’s nature from the way of get to the way of give.

      (Rom 5:1-11; “Therefore, since we “Believers IN” have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, (uncircumcised of heart) Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from God’s wrath. (10) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by His life? Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.”)

      (Reconciliation? “The making of two or more apparently conflicting things consistent or compatible”) By revealing Himself, God reconciles Himself with those He calls.

      (Rom 5:12-17; “So then, just as sin entered the world through one man “Adam” and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned – for before the law “of works” was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law “of works.” Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed. But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, “Adam” how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the One man Jesus Christ multiply to the many! And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, (“Adams”) led to condemnation, but the gracious gift from the many failures led to justification. (17) For if, by the transgression of the one man, “Adam” death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in “eternal” life through the One, Jesus Christ!”)

      God promises are founded on the prophets, apostles and Jesus the foundation. Through the gift of His spirit we have knowing faith and ultimately the resurrections.