Feb 29, 2,020. God’s 12th Month, Adar 4, year 5,789

To: 23,908 family units, gifted with a desire to be ‘at-One’ with God.

The same Lord God saying “don’t eat from a particular tree” is Mediator of the New Covenant. See John 1:1-4, Col 1:15-20 and Heb 1:.

Called to follow Jesus people are heirs with Abraham, spiritual Israelites who’re supernaturally born from above. After Jesus’ told Nicodemus about being born again, He concluded with (John 3:8; “The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”) His Holy Spirit of truth, inscribing the spiritual intent of God’s laws to the mind. From Jer 31:31-34, the Hebrews writer quotes. (Heb 8:10; “For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be My people.” (His View Assemblies)

(Hebrews 9:15-28; “And so He ‘Jesus’ is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance He has promised, since He died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant. (16) For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven. For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive. So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. For when Moses had spoken every command to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.” And both the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship he likewise sprinkled with blood. (22) Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. So it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves required better sacrifices than these. (24) For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation of the true sanctuary – but into heaven itself, and He appears now in God’s presence for us. And He did not enter to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own, for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by His sacrifice. (27) And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, (28) so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await Him He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation.”)

“Sketches? Or “prototypes,” “outlines” referring to the earthly sanctuary. See Heb 8:5 for the prior use of this term.

(Hebrews 8:1-6;” Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We have such a High Priest, One who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. So this One too had to have something to offer. (4) Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For He says, “See that you make everything according to the design shown to you on the mountain. But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that He mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.”

(Heb 8:7-9; “For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one. But showing its fault, God says to them, (“Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. “It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in My covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord.”

(Heb 8:10; “For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be My people.”

Greek: “I will be to them for a God and they will be to Me for a people,” following the Hebrew constructions of Jeremiah 31.

Future knowledge when Satan is bound.

(Heb 8:11-13; “And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest.” “For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.” (Quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34.) When He speaks of a new covenant, He makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear.”)

Everything in the old tabernacle looked forward to the new covenant.

The old couldn‘t perfect the conscience of the worshiper, as can the new.

(Hebrews 9:8-10; “The Holy Spirit is making clear (to the called and selected) that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle was standing. This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper. (10) They served only for matters of food and drink and various washings; they are external regulations imposed until the new order came.” Greek; “until the time of setting things right.”)

It’s the mystery of God’s Spirit living in people, “circumcision of heart gifted miraculously to the called Believers IN.” The law isn’t abolished; its spiritual benefits are stamped in the minds of spiritually Believing IN people. I will put My laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be My people.”

People gifted to understand Jesus’ deity, as Creator, re-Creator, Sustainer, law giver and now Mediator for their understanding His purposes in the old and new covenant. The old covenant was with a specifically called out people “Israelites” by promise to Abraham. The New Covenant is with a specifically called people “Spiritual Israelites” by promise to Abraham. (A people to whom are gifted with “God’s laws imputed to their minds and inscribe in their hearts, making each God’s people and He their God.”)

With A CALLED OUT people.

His New Covenant isn’t with a “deciding for self “ people. Parallel understandings of the two covenants are gifted to spiritually called out from the world people. Consider Jesus’ revelations to us through Isaiah.

(Isaiah 51:1-5; “Listen to Me, you who pursue godliness, who seek the Lord! Look at the rock from which you were chiseled, at the quarry from which you were dug! Look at Abraham, your father, and Sarah, who gave you birth. When I summoned Abraham, he was a lone individual, but I blessed him and gave him numerous descendants. Certainly the Lord will console Zion; He will console all her ruins. He will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the Garden of the Lord. Happiness and joy will be restored to her, thanksgiving and the sound of music. (4) Pay attention to Me, My people! Listen to Me, My people! For I will issue a decree, I will make My justice a Light to the nations. I am ready to vindicate, I am ready to deliver, I will establish justice among the nations. The coastlands wait patiently for Me; they wait in anticipation for the revelation of My power.”) Study the whole.

The same Lord that called and made promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,

Moses and each apostle is Jesus, now servicing as our Mediator before God

Our Father in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

(Hebrews 9:11-12; But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, and He entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, and so He Himself secured eternal redemption.”)

(Heb 9:13-15; For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. (15) And so He is the Mediator of a New Covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance He has promised, since He died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.”)

(Heb 9:16-23; “For where there is a will, ‘covenant’ the death of the one who made it must be proven. For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive. (18) So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. For when Moses had spoken every command to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.” (21) And both the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship he likewise sprinkled with blood. Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. So it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves required better sacrifices than these.”)

Let‘s repeat. (Heb 9:24-28; “For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation of the true sanctuary – but into heaven itself, and He appears now in God’s presence for us. (who are waiting on His appearance) And He did not enter to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not His own, for then He would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by His sacrifice. (27) And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await Him He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation.”) (For those who’re called to persevere to the end and wait on His appearing.)

 Feb 27, 2,020. God’s 12th Month, Adar 2, year 5,789

To: 23,865 family units, gifted with a desire to be ‘at-One’ with God.

A short conversation began with a family member; “why don’t God and why hasn’t God he asked? “Without success, I attempted to explain that all things are exactly on God’s schedule as preplanned.” (Consider; “imagine a Creator of anything not preplanning the result of his creation?”) We Believers know Jesus as, Creator, Re-creator, Sustainer, Savior, Deliverer, Mediator and our coming king of kings. (See Col 1:15-20) He’s all knowing and preplans exactly. Satan and his manifest themselves as angels of light. (See Col 1:15-20) Jesus identifies Satan as “god of this age.” He and his confuse and divide the world and are serving Gods ultimate purpose.

God reveals that He preplans the future and He’s in the process of revealing that, “mankind don’t have, ‘in and of himself’ the ability to rule himself.” (The Holy Scriptures teach, “without God giving the law and individual revelation” people don’t know what’s right, wrong, good and evil.) Until God calls and reveals Himself, He classifies people as unbelievers, ‘as gods to themselves,’ rationalizing how a god of their imagination should perform.” So it is with all who question God.

(After revealing His plans for Israel’s future God had Isaiah write at 14:24; “The LORD who commands armies makes this solemn vow: “Be sure of this: Just as I have intended, so it will be; just as I have planned, it will happen.” After giving like perpetual promises through Zacharias God says at; (8:13-15; “And it will come about that just as you (both Judah and Israel) were a curse to the nations, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid! Instead, be strong!’  “For the LORD who rules over all says, ‘As I had planned to hurt you when your fathers made me angry, ’says the LORD who rules over all, ‘and I was not sorry, so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah — do not fear!) The point? Jesus’ return with power is preplanned. Resurrections are preplanned and Satan’s ultimate demise is preplanned.

God’s called out people are gifted to understand the holy scriptures.

God’s Church is “called individual recipients and temples of His Holy Spirit.” A set aside for His purpose people. (In, but not of the world) People lovingly, joyfully and willingly submitting to all Jesus’ commands, attributes and oracles. Mindful; “they’re branches of the Vine” “Jesus” through whom all spiritual discernment is revealed. People are spirit led to depart pagan practices, study, meditate and wait on God’s revelations. Knowing, “Jesus established “His Churches of God” through His Apostles and they’re organisms of Jesus, not organizations. Unlike worldly denominations seeking their truth through their schools of theory and fleshly intellectual.

Paul wrote; “people comparing themselves

among themselves are not wise.

Politicians, nations and denominations do compare themselves with one another, “do they not?” People think themselves superior to one another, but where does such divisionary philosophies originate? From Satan, the god of this age! He deceived Eve and Adam into deciding for themselves regarding “right, wrong, good and evil.” The serpent said to the woman “Surely you’ll 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.” (Genesis 3:4-5) With Satan’s deception Adam and Eve wanted to be divine; “thus be gods to themselves.” Choosing “what to believe regarding what’s right, wrong, good and evil is idolatry.” Trusting intellect rather than God’s original word is idolatry and makes people think themselves as little gods “which is idolatry.” People have been idolatrously yielding to Satan’s play book since creation.

God sent His spirit to dwell in people, to make them At One with Himself. Then followers of Jesus, become spiritual Israelites (a set aside people God fights for) specifically chosen to be His people. A peculiar to the world “believing IN people” and misunderstood by the world as was Jesus. Jesus told us “if the world hated Him it’ll hate us too.”

Lets review Paul’s teaching regarding division.

(2Cor 10:12-17; “For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. But we will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us, that reaches even as far as you. (14) For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ. Nor do we boast beyond certain limits in the work done by others, but we hope that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded among you according to our limits, so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person’s area. (17) But the one who boasts must boast in the Lord. For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends.”)

We should not boast of our understandings except in the Lord and only then to other like minded people. People who love to debate and question God on anything are without understanding. Evil people like to turn our words back on us when we affirm that our beliefs are revealed. Thus they like to say, “our beliefs are revealed too.” Relying on God to opening minds can’t be overstated.

(Paradise is mentioned three times in the New Testament. In Luke 23:43 it refers to the abode of the righteous dead. In Rev 2:7 it refers to the restoration of Edenic paradise predicted in Isaiah 51:3 and Ezekiel 36:35. The reference in 2Corinthians 12:4 is probably to be translated as parallel to the mention of the “third heaven” in v. 2. Assuming that the “first heaven” would be atmospheric heaven (the sky) and “second heaven” more distant stars and planets, “third heaven” then would refer to the place where God dwells. This is much more likely than some variation on the seven heavens mentioned in the pseudepigraphic book “2Enoch and in other non-biblical and rabbinic works.”)

God is permitting Satan to divide the world for his short term purpose and God’s own ultimate long term purpose. Satan wants individuals to think of themselves ‘as divine’ and thus decide for themselves, “what’s right, wrong, good and evil.” It’s prophesied; “as Satan’s demise approaches he and his followers will become more ruthful toward every entity that teaches God’s truth.” However God is going to bind and ultimately destroy him and his followers. Satan will be bound for one thousand years and afterward allowed to deceive again, “all for God’s ultimate purpose.” Knowledge of God’s truth will cover the earth as water the sea. Ultimately people will see Satan for what he is. “The deceiver that desires each person‘s destruction.”

God had His reason for not wanting Adam and Eve partaking from “the tree of life and knowledge of good and evil.” Today, knowledge has increased as prophesied and we now know “when fleshly people intellectually choose for themselves, they are rejecting God and yielding to demonic influences.” Worldwide demonic division is the result. (From God’s point of view, “He gave us individual talents to help us complement one another,” not to intellectually decide for ourselves what’s right, wrong, good and evil which causes chaos to erupts.”

Prayerfully think through the foundational reason for division.

(Gen 2:9; God made every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.) (Gen 2:16-17; “Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.”)

(The Hebrew? “IN dying you will die?”) The imperfect verb form here has the nuance of the specific future because it is introduced with the temporal clause, “when you eat you will die.” That certainty is underscored with the infinitive absolute, “you will surely die.”) Whether vegetation, tree, mammal, animal, fish or human species, “every physical living thing is in the process of dying.

Because God is love and for His purpose; He made The Way to eternal life.

Genesis 3:4-5; “The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it ‘tree of knowledge’ your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil.”) Satan lied and called God a liar.

Satan knew God planned “the way” “the new covenant way.”

So people could practice truth through a love of God

and become “God and Abraham‘s heirs.”

(John 3:16; “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.“) (Perish, can mean either, 1. to be lost OR 2. to perish or be destroyed, depending on the context.) The alternatives presented are only two (for this to be presented in terms of polar opposites: “perish or have eternal life.”

(John 3:17-18; “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. The one who believes IN Him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed IN the name of the one and only Son of God.” (John 3:19-21; Now this is the basis for judging: that The Light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than The Light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For everyone who does evil deeds hates The Light and does not come to The Light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. (21) But the one who practices the truth comes to The Light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.”)

(If there’s a twofold reaction to Jesus in John’s Gospel, it should be emphasized that reaction is very much dependent on a person’s choice regarding deeds, a choice that is influenced by his desired way of life, (whether his deeds are wicked or done in God.)

(John 3:20-21)  For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.  But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.

For John’s intent there is virtually no trace at the surface. Only when we look beneath the surface do we find statements like “no one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44).

Deeds done in God are from His perspective, “it’s His prerogative as Creator” to say what’s right, wrong, good and evil.” Review verses 20-22 above. When Adam and Eve disobeyed “their deeds were self serving, not done in God.” Satan caused them to question why and be suspicious of God’s motives, “they thought perhaps God held something back.” Asking why don’t God and why hasn’t is without knowledge.

Feb 25, 2,020. God’s 11th Month, Sh‘vat 30, year 5,789

To: 23,818 family units, gifted with a desire to be ‘at-One’ with God.

God’s Church is family, called individual recipients and temples of His Holy Spirit. A set aside for His purpose people. (In, but not of the world) A people lovingly, joyfully and willingly submitting to all Jesus’ commands, attributes and oracles. Mindful of being branches of the Vine “Jesus” through whom all spiritual discernment is revealed. Spirit led to depart pagan practices, study, meditate and wait on His revelations. Unlike denominational groups who seek their truth through schooling and intellectual theory.

Jesus established His Churches of God through His

Apostles. They’re organisms of Jesus, not organizations.

(2Cor 10:1-18; Now I, Paul, appeal to you personally by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I who am meek when present among you, but am full of courage toward you when away!) — now I ask that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that (I expect) I will dare to use against some who consider us to be behaving according to human standards. For though we ’apostles’ live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments, and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.”)

(2Cor 10:6-11;  We are also ready to punish every act of disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: Just as he himself belongs to Christ, so too do we. (8) For if I boast somewhat more about our ‘We apostles’ authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of doing so. I do not want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters, because some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak and his speech is of no account.” (11) Let such a person consider this: What we say by letters when we are absent, we also are in actions when we are present.”)

(2Cor 10:12; For we ‘apostles’ would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.”) (This is what denominations do, they compare and debate from fleshly minds.)

(2Cor 10:13-16; But we ‘apostles’ will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us, that reaches even as far as you. For we weren’t overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ.  Nor do we boast beyond certain limits in the work done by others, but we hope that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded among you according to our limits, (16) so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person’s area.”)

(2Cor 10:17; But the one who boasts must boast in the Lord. For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends.)

(Note: Paul don’t mind demonstrating his humanity.) (2Cor 11:1-3; I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me! For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to One husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”)

(What was the treachery Satan used on Eve? He proclaimed another way to obtain knowledge of what’s right, wrong, good and evil and he called God a liar, “saying God knows you won’t surely die.)

(There‘s only One God and one truth.) (2Cor 11:4-6; For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus different from the One we ‘apostles’ proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel ‘message’ than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough! For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.” And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.”)

(2Cor 11:7-12; Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you! When I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. (10) As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.”)

All who don’t teach this same message?

(2Cor 11:13-15; For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions. Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.”)

Paul gets facetious while sharing His suffering as an apostle.

(2Cor 11:16-20; I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness. Since many are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast. For since you are so wise, you put up with fools gladly. For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.”)

The fleshly nature we inherited is such that we like someone else taking responsibility for their lives. Like Israel in Samuel’s day, the many prefer a king. The many prefer popular fleshly comfort zones, but the called like Paul are gifted with perseverance.

(2Cor 11:21-33; (To my disgrace I must say that we were too weak for that!) But whatever anyone else dares to boast about (I am speaking foolishly) I also dare to boast about the same thing. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times. Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with a rod. Once I received a stoning. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea. I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers,  in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing. Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me, but I was let down in a rope-basket through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands.”) (See this account in Acts of the Apostles.)

Paul’s thorn in the flesh should help us see some of our own,

his revelations are similar to our own and some of John’s.

(2Cor 12:1-9; It is necessary to go on boasting. Though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. And I know that this man (whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up into paradise and heard things too sacred to be put into words, things that a person is not permitted to speak. On behalf of such an individual I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. For even if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I would be telling the truth, but I refrain from this so that no one may regard me beyond what he sees in me or what he hears from me, even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me — so that I would not become arrogant.)

Hopefully we’re thankful for Paul’s NOT wanting people thinking higher of him than an apostle.

(2Cor 12:8-10; I asked the Lord three times about this, ’thorn’ that it would depart from me. But He said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me.”)

Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”) Paul was perhaps more conscious than most about NOT projecting arrogance of any kind. Sharing his fleshly weaknesses and yet teaching absolutes.

Feb 22, 2,020. God’s 11th Month, Sh‘vat 27, year 5,789

To: 23,737 family units, gifted with a desire to be ‘at-One’ with God.

God counts genuine loyalty as righteousness. The Christian example is Abraham’s believing IN faith that God counted as righteousness. All who believe IN God as did Abraham are righteous in His view, but “is one a believer IN God who isn’t obedient?” Absolutely not. (Teaching the “just believe and be saved doctrine” is fleshly methodology, “not a believing IN God through grace and gifted faith like Abrahams.”) Let’s examine God’s relationship with Abraham.

(Genesis 15:1-6; After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” But Abram said, “O sovereign LORD, what will you give me since I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram added, “Since you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” (4) But look, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but instead a son who comes from your own body will be your heir.” The LORD took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars — if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.” Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty.) (Always study the whole.)  (Do we sometimes think to help God?)

Sarah and Abraham didn’t wait but thought to help God. When Abram was 86 years old, Sarah gave Abram her maid “Hagar” to wife and she gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. (Gen 16:15) God promised Hagar Ishmael’s descendents would also be numerous.

God changed Abram’s name to Abraham “meaning father of many” then imposed the covenant of circumcision on all Abraham’s descendents. Abraham loved Ishmael and said “O that Ishmael might live before You.” God said: (Gen 17:20-22; As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes; I will make him into a great nation.) But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” When He finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.)

In route to observe Sodom’s wickedness, the Lord and His angel stopped in on Abraham and Sarah to announce Isaac’s future birth and share Sodom’s plight. (See Gen 18:) Abraham Knowing his nephew Lot was at Sodom he made his plea on Lot’s behalf. (See Gen 18: & 19:) Before Isaac’s birth Abraham passed Sarah off as his sister and a ruler “one Abimelech” took her but God revealed Abraham and Sarah’s relationship to him. (See Gen 20:)

(Gen 21:2-7; So Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. Abraham named his son, whom Sarah bore to him “Isaac.” When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” She went on to say, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”)

God chose and gave perpetual promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David through whose line The Descendent “Jesus the Messiah” would be born and through whom His New Covenant would be administered with Himself the Mediator for all who’d believe IN Him.

Lot, Ishmael and Jacob’s twin brother “Esau” were also recipients of promises, territory and like all gentles who’re chosen, “are spiritual Israelites - Christian’s - heirs with Abraham. Jesus’ apostle Paul explained.

(Galatians 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. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to “The Promise.” (“The promise” always refers to the perpetual promises God gave Abraham and his descendents.)

Let’s repeat; God counts genuine loyalty as righteousness. Abraham’s believing IN faith was counted as righteousness. All who believe IN God as did Abraham are righteous in His view, but “can one believe IN God and not demonstrate obedience? Can a person be righteous in God’s view and not be clothed and immersed in Jesus’ loving commands? Is Godly faith and genuine loyalty one and the same? (Gen 1:6; The LORD considered Abraham’s response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty.)

Speaking of plagues, war and etc. God says that each person’s righteous behavior is their’s alone. (Ezekiel 14:20; “Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, they could not save their own son or daughter; they would save only their own lives by their righteousness.”)

The Old Covenant was through God the Son

and administered by angels. The Old Covenant

and All things were Created and still Sustained by

God the Son whose death made way for the

NEW COVENANT.

(Galatians 3:15-29; Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, “and to the descendants,” referring to many, but “and to your Descendant,” referring to One, who is Christ.

(Gal 2:17-18; What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later (after promises to Abraham) does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate The Promise. For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.

(Gal 3:19-20; Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of ‘The Descendant’ to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary is not for one party alone, but God is one.

(Gal 3:21-22; Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given — because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ — to those who believe.

(Gal 3:23-25; Now before ‘Jesus’’ faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed. Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. But now that faith ‘in Jesus’ has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

(Gal 3:26-29; For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith “in Jesus.” 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. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.)

Instituting the New Covenant’s could only take place after the testator “Jesus’” death. “Jesus is the Lord God who contracted with ‘made a will with’ Israel regarding keeping of the law in order to receive blessings etc. Jesus’ cleansing of sin could only be through His shed blood.

Jesus called His apostles to have them administer His New Covenant’s spiritual components that parallel the law. His new has the image of the old, likened to and even more binding as we‘ll see explained.

(Hebrews 1:1-14; 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. 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. (4) Thus He became so far better than the angels as He has inherited a name superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are My Son! Today I have fathered You”? And in another place he says, “I will be His father and He will be My son.”

(Heb 1:6-8; But when He again brings His firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him!” And He says of the angels, “He makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire,” but of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of Your kingdom.”

(Heb 1:9-14; “You ’Jesus’ have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed You over Your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” And, “You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. They will perish, but You continue. And they will all grow old like a garment, and like a robe You will fold them up: and like a garment they will be changed, but You are the same and Your years will never run out.” But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?”)

Feb 20, 2,020. God’s 11th Month, Sh‘vat 25, year 5,789

To: 23,682 family units, gifted with a desire to be ‘at-One’ with God.

We Holy Spirit recipients know we’re called for God’s purpose. A set aside to separation from this world people. (In but not of the world.) We’re led to joyfully and willingly submit to all God’s commandments, oracles and attributes, knowing we’re branches attached to The Vine “Jesus” and can only discern truth through His revelations. Worldly religious anxiously seek to know truth through intellectual theory, thus all the division.

Paul deliberately wrote strong words to ‘God’s church of Corinth’ about the sexual sins a man in the Corinth church did, to spiritually sadden the church to repentance.

Remember God does the selecting, calling out and growing people in the grace and knowledge of Jesus in this age, “to be in the first resurrection and serve in His millennial kingdom.” Jesus also said, there’re others I must bring along who aren’t of this fold.

(John 10:16; I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to My voice, so that there will be one flock and one Shepherd.”) (Remember there’re physical and spiritual resurrections prophesied and another deliverance likened to Israel’s from Egypt.)

A New Covenant for the selected as promised Abraham.

(Jeremiah 31:31-35; Indeed, a time is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” says the LORD. (33) “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the LORD. “I will put My law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be My people. (34) “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know Me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know Me,” says the LORD. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

The LORD has made a promise to Israel. He promises it as the one who fixed the sun to give light by day and the moon and stars to give light by night. He promises it as the one who stirs up the sea so that its waves roll. He promises it as the one who is known as the LORD who rules over all.

(Jer 31:36-38; LORD affirms, “The descendants of Israel will not cease forever to be a nation in My sight. That could only happen if the fixed ordering of the heavenly lights were to cease to operate before Me.” The LORD says, “I will not reject all the descendants of Israel because of all that they have done. That could only happen if the heavens above could be measured or the foundations of the earth below could all be explored,” says the LORD. “Indeed a time is coming,” says the LORD, “when the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt as My special city. It will be built from the Tower of Hananel westward to the Corner Gate.

(Jer 31:39-40; The boundary line will extend beyond that, straight west from there to the Hill of Gareb and then turn southward to Goah. The whole valley where dead bodies and sacrificial ashes are thrown and all the terraced fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far north as the Horse Gate will be included within this city that is sacred to the LORD. The city will never again be torn down or destroyed.”) (Promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are perpetual, as sure as God sustains the heavens.)

There’s always been self called preachers

(Jer 23:16; The LORD who rules over all says to the people of Jerusalem: “Do not listen to what those prophets are saying to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They are reporting visions of their own imaginations, not something the LORD has gven them to say.) (Called preachers deliver the message of truth so it’s recipients turn and are gifted with the Holy Spirit.)

Back to the reason for Paul’s strong words.

(2Cor 7:11-16; For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God. (13) Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit. For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus about you has proved true as well. And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. (16) I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you.”) (Paul’s confidence in the Corinth church of God must have been spirit gifted because the sin he spoke of was horrific.)

Paul’s concern a collection to Jerusalem be on the first day

was that the Saints avoid work on the Sabbath.

(2Cor 8:1-9; “Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia, that during a severe ordeal of suffering, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in the wealth of their generosity. For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily, begging us with great earnestness for the blessing and fellowship of helping the Saints. (5) And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God. Thus we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun this work, so also he should complete this act of kindness for you. (7) But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you – make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too. I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although He was rich, He became poor for your sakes, so that you by His poverty could become rich. “

(2Cor 8:10-15; “So here is my opinion on this matter: It is to your advantage, since you made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give, to finish what you started, so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly, you can also complete it according to your means. For if the eagerness is present, the gift itself is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have. (13) For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality. At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”) Quote from Exodus 16:18.) (Note: As an apostle and overseer, Paul didn’t command but gave opinion.)

(2Cor 8:16-24; “But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you, because he not only accepted our request, but since he was very eager, he is coming to you of his own accord. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in spreading the gospel. In addition, this brother has also been chosen by the churches as our traveling companion as we administer this generous gift to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show our readiness to help. (20) We did this as a precaution so that no one should blame us in regard to this generous gift we are administering. For we are concerned about what is right not only before the Lord but also before men. And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times and found eager in many matters, but who now is much more eager than ever because of the great confidence he has in you. If there is any question about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; if there is any question about our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. Therefore show them openly before the churches the proof of your love and of our pride in you.”)

Paul’s associates were called out messengers. There is no good reason why scribes would change the imperative into a participle. Thus, “messenger” is almost surely the wording of the original text.

(2Cor 9:1-15; For it is not necessary for me to write you about this service to the saints, because I know your eagerness to help. I keep boasting to the Macedonians about this eagerness of yours, that Achaia has been ready to give since last year, and your zeal to participate has stirred up most of them. But I am sending these brothers so that our boasting about you may not be empty in this case, so that you may be ready just as I kept telling them. (4) For if any of the Macedonians should come with me and find that you are not ready to give, we would be humiliated (not to mention you) by this confidence we had in you. Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift and not as something you feel forced to do.

My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work. Just as it is written, “He has scattered widely, He has given to the poor; His righteousness remains forever.” (10) Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow. You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, because the service of this ministry is not only providing for the needs of the Saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God. Through the evidence of this service they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing with them and with everyone. And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”) (God’s gift is His Holy Spirit of truth which energizes, gives desire and effort. See Phil 2:13)

Feb 17, 2,020. God’s 11th Month, Sh‘vat 22, year 5,789

To: 23,547 family units, gifted with a desire to be ‘at-One’ with God.

Before Isaac Abraham questioned the Lord “who’d be my descendants?”

(Gen 15:5-6; “The LORD took Abraham outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars — if you are able to count them!” Then He said to him, “So will your descendants be.”) Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty.”) This was before God’s command to circumcise.

(Gen 17:9-11; “Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep the covenant 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.”) To Jacob also God promised numerous heirs.

(Gen 32:9-12; “Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, You said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ I am not worthy of all the faithful love You have shown your servant. With only my walking stick I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. But You said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’ ”

Sons born to the Israelites in the desert after leaving Egypt, were uncircumcised. So God had Joshua circumcise. See Joshua 5:2)

(Joshua 5:2-3; At that time the LORD told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites on the Hill of the Foreskins.”)

Organized Christianity don’t understand that Jesus is the One who made the old covenant promises. Until a new blood covenant was dedicated through Jesus’ faith, Israelites needed the physical reminder, we still do and there’s still benefit. However as we’ll see, a spiritual circumcision of heart is the intent and superior.

The new covenant could only be inaugurated

after the Testator of the old “Jesus” died, Paul explains.

(Hebrews 9:15-18; “And so He ‘Jesus’ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance He has promised, since He died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant. For where there is a will, the death of the One who made it must be proven. For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the One who made it is alive. So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.”)

(Heb 9:19-23; For when Moses had spoken every command “Jesus gave” to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.” And both the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship he likewise sprinkled with blood. Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. So it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves required better sacrifices than these.”

(Heb 9: 24-28; “For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands — the representation of the true sanctuary — but into heaven itself, and He appears now in God’s presence for us. And He did not enter to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not His own, for then He would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by His sacrifice. And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await Him He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation.”) (Now let’s back up.)

The Earthly Holy Place

(Heb 9:1-5; For the first covenant, in fact, had regulations for worship and its earthly sanctuary. For a tent was prepared, the outer one, which contained the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; this is called the holy place. And after the second curtain there was a tent called the holy of holies. (This is the curtain that split when Jesus died.) (4) It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this ark were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. And above the ark were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail.

(Heb 9:6-9; So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tent as they perform their duties. But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. (8) The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle was standing. This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper. They served only for matters of food and drink and various washings; they are external regulations imposed until the new order came.”)

After Israel’s scattering, the dedication to God

symbol of circumcision was still practiced.

(Luke 1:59; On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, “John” and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father.”)

God So Loved the World

(JOHN 3:16-22; For this is the way God ‘the Father’ loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. Now this is the basis for judging: that the Light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates The Light and does not come to the Light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.”)

Synagogue authorities were not ready for the Messiah then, nor today.

Jesus said; (John 7:17-19; :If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from My own authority. The person who speaks on his own authority desires to receive honor for himself; the one who desires the honor of the One who sent him is a man of integrity, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (19) Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law! Why do you want to kill Me?”

(John 7:20-24; The crowd answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus replied, “I performed one miracle and you are all amazed. However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath. But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment.”)

The spiritual intent of the law still isn’t recognized

nor is circumcision of the heart understood.

The Pharisees like methodologist in each age thought surely the letter of the law must be the saving factor. (Acts 15:7-12; After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, has testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and He made no distinction between them and us, cleansing their hearts by faith. So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.”

(Acts 15:13-19; After they stopped speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has explained how God first concerned Himself to select from among the Gentiles a people for His name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written, (16) ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be My own,’ says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.”)

(Quote from Amos 9:11-12)

(Acts 15:19-21; “Therefore I conclude that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God,  but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, because he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

Holy Sprit revealed.

James and the apostles agreed to send a letter to the gentiles, attempting to clear the matter about circumcision and law keeping because they knew the gentile customs that must be abandoned. (Acts 15:28-29; “For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from doing these things, you will do well. Farewell.”) The apostles aren’t saying “believe our message and abstain from these four things and you’re okay. (They are saying in the whole context; “we believe that we and you are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus to practice His commands. The church does need evidence that people aren’t practicing the abominable to God things you gentiles were accustomed to.

Feb 16, 2,020. God’s 11th Month, Sh‘vat 20, year 5,789

To: 23,598 family units, gifted with a desire to be ‘at-One’ with God

All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved, but Paul adds, “how do we call on God except He be revealed?” How revealed without the hearing and seeing? How do we love God without knowing He loved us first? (1John 4:15-21; “If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God. And we ‘followers of Jesus’ have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in ‘Godly’ love resides in God, and God resides in him. (17) By this ‘Godly’ love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we ‘His followers’ in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. (19) We love because He loved us first. If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And the commandment we have from Him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too.”) (Legitimate questions - yes?) (John isn’t speaking of a “worldly - fleshly or animalistic’ love, but a love likened to Jesus’.)

The holy scriptures abound with knowledge about what God loves and hates. He hated what the age had become before Noah. He destroyed that age and began over, promising not to destroy with water again: ‘the rainbow being our reminder of that promise.’

(God began choosing a people who He’d ultimately make ’at-One’ with Himself by believing in faith, beginning with Abraham, Isaac and particularly Jacob.) It’s through Jacob whose name God changed to Israel ’meaning God fights or fights for’ that the circumcision, “cutting back of the foreskin covenant - symbolizing dedication to God” was carried through in large measure. Heir ship to the world was promises Abraham and carried over to the twelve tribes as preplanned by perpetual physical and spiritual promises. (Promises were made to Israel’s ancestors that’ll unfold after Jesus’ return and even when New Jerusalem comes down.” Jesus revealed to John and other followers about New Jerusalem’s coming.

(Revelations 21:10-12; So He ‘God’ took me away in the Spirit to a huge, majestic mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. The city possesses the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It has a massive, high wall with twelve gates, with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel are written on the gates.”) (Study the whole.)

Promises perpetual

(Heb 1:1-3; 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. 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.”) (Future planning is certain.)

After Jesus’ millennial rule, New Jerusalem and a final judgment, all people are ultimately going to be heirs with Abraham “who inherits the world.” All will be God’s people “spiritual Israelites” through Jesus who is “Re-Creator, Creator, Sustainer, Deliverer, Mediator, Savior and coming king of kings” who’ll ultimately deliver a believing in by faith predestined people to God the Father through spiritually conversion. That’ll make all who overcome “at-One” with Himself and God the Father. All people will ultimately love God with knowledge that He loved them first. 1John 4:19)

The second set aside holy season for God’s set aside people is ‘Feast of ‘first fruits - Pentecost’ and always looked forward to people being made ‘spiritually ‘at-One’ with God.’ When a love for God would be spread abroad by believing faith. A love of God faith love superseding commandments.

(Romans 5:1-6; Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by Jesus’ faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we ’followers of Jesus’ 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.”)

The Abraham covenant of circumcision ‘cutting back the foreskin’ is a symbol of complete dedication to God. It was made with Abraham and all his descendents “after Abraham’s believing IN faith.” Circumcision always looked forward to ’a dedicated to God heart - mindset.’ People dedicated to the God of Abraham ‘are a chosen people and keep times God made holy for His people‘s “remembering God’s past deeds and future plans.” (Remember Israel was scattered because of their turning to manufactured gods) Then, today and forever, followers of Jesus are heirs with Abraham.

(Gal 3:28-29; “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. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.”)

During Jesus’ fleshly life and His apostle’s time; Israelites from distant lands kept coming to Jerusalem for the three planned holy seasons.

Acts 2:5-13; “Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem. When this sound occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Completely baffled, they said, “Aren’t all these who are speaking ? (8) How is it that each one of us hears them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!”

People were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others jeered at the speakers, saying, “They are drunk on new wine!”)

Feb 13, 2,020. God’s 11th Month, Sh‘vat 17, year 5,780

To: 23,573 family units, gifted with a desire to be atOne with God.

Jesus was keeping the seventh of seven annual Sabbaths “end of Feast of Tabernacles” when He 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.’ ” (See John 7:37-38) (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.)

The third annual Sabbath “Pentecost” represents ‘first fruits’ of the spring harvest and the first fruits among God’s chosen who receives the Holy Spirit. The Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension was the first fulfillment but a larger fulfillment is prophesied by Jesus’ through His prophet Joel. It’ll be after Jesus’ kingdom on earth is established.

(Joel 2:28-32; After all of this I will pour out My Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. I will produce portents both in the sky and on the earth — blood, fire, and columns of smoke. (See Matthew 24: also)The sunlight will be turned to darkness and the moon to the color of blood, before the day of the LORD comes — that great and terrible day! (32) It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive, just as the LORD has promised; the remnant will be those whom the LORD will call.”)

The prophecy; (Joel 2:1-2; Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm signal on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear, for the day of the LORD is about to come. Indeed, it is near! It will be a day of dreadful darkness, a day of foreboding storm clouds, like blackness spread over the mountains. It is a huge and powerful army — there has never been anything like it ever before, and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come! (Jesus had Joel describe His take over.)

(Joel 2:11;The voice of the LORD thunders as He leads His army. Indeed, His warriors are innumerable; Surely His command is carried out! Yes, the day of the LORD is awesome and very terrifying — who can survive it?)

Planned but there’s pity when people Return to the Lord

Joel 2:12-16; “Yet even now,” the LORD says, “return to Me with all your heart — with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!” Return to the LORD your God, for He is merciful, compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love — often relenting from calamitous punishment. Who knows? Perhaps He will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, and leave blessing in His wake — a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the LORD your God! (15) Blow the trumpet in Zion. Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly! Gather the people; sanctify an assembly! Gather the elders; gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroom and the bride from her private quarters. Let the priests, those who serve the LORD, weep from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. Let them say, “Have pity, O LORD, on your people; please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked, to become a proverb among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, “Where is their God?”)

The Lord’s Pity

(Joel 2:18-27; Then the LORD became zealous for His land; He had compassion on His people. The LORD responded to His people, “Look! I am about to restore your grain as well as fresh wine and olive oil. You will be fully satisfied. I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations. (20) I will remove the one from the north far from you. I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place. Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise up as a foul smell.” Indeed, the LORD has accomplished great things. (21) Do not fear, My land! Rejoice and be glad, because the LORD has accomplished great things! Do not fear, wild animals! For the pastures of the wilderness are again green with grass. Indeed, the trees bear their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield to their fullest. (23) Citizens of Zion, rejoice! Be glad because of what the LORD your God has done! For He has given to you the early rains as vindication. He has sent to you the rains — both the early and the late rains as formerly. The threshing floors are full of grain; the vats overflow with fresh wine and olive oil. (25) I will make up for the years that the ‘arbeh-locust consumed your crops — the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust — My great army that I sent against you. You will have plenty to eat, and your hunger will be fully satisfied; you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has acted wondrously in your behalf. My people will never again be put to shame. (27) You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel. I am the LORD your God; there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.”) (Chapter 3 is about Israel’s restoration agreeing with Ezekiel, Isaiah and Jeremiah. Study the whole.)

Jesus’ apostle Peter was mindful of Joel’s prophecy. When the Holy Spirit came liken to the wind and the people began speaking in languages not foreknown to them, some accused them drunk. Peter proclaimed; (Act 2:16  But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it will be,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out My Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. And I will perform wonders in the sky above and miraculous signs on the earth below, blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will be changed to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. (21) And then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through Him, just as you yourselves know — this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. (24) But God raised Him up, having released Him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held in ’death’s’ power.”

(Acts 2:25-41; For David says about Him, ‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, for He is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body also will live in hope, because you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor permit your Holy One to experience decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of joy with your presence.’

(29) “Brothers, I ‘Peter’ can speak confidently to you about our forefather David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. So then, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, David by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay. (32) This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. So then, exalted to the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you both see and hear.

For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to My lord,: “Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.” (37) Now when they heard this, they were acutely distressed and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” With many other words he testified and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse generation!” So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added.”) (Paul too later showed himself mindful of Joel’s prophecy.)

Romans 10:11-21;

For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

How are they to call on One they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in One they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.” (16) But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report ?” (17) Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.” And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I became well known to those who did not ask for Me.” But about Israel He says, “All day long I held out My hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!”)

Remember Jesus ascended to be glorified after resurrected, returned and appeared over about forty days. His Apostles were commanded to wait in Jerusalem until what God had promised would come.

Pentecost the third of seven annual Sabbaths.

(Leviticus 23:15-17; “‘You must count for yourselves seven weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the wave offering sheaf; they must be complete weeks. You must count fifty days – until the day after the seventh Sabbath – and then you must present a new grain offering to the Lord. From the places where you live you must bring two loaves of bread for a wave offering; they must be made from two tenths of an ephah of fine wheat flour, baked with yeast, as first fruits to the Lord.” (21) “‘On this very day you must proclaim an assembly; it is to be a holy assembly for you. You must not do any regular work. This is a perpetual statute in all the places where you live throughout your generations. When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.’”)

(Acts 2:1-4; “Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. (4) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.”)

(John 3:7-8; Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”)

Feb 11, 2,020. God’s 11th Month, Sh‘vat 15, year 5,780

To: 23,536 family units, gifted with a desire to be atOne with God.

Dr. Luke addressed ’Acts of the apostles’ and ‘Gospel of Luke’ to one Theophilus. Only these two accounts name him. In those days knowledge about Israel’s restoration was rehearsed in the Synagogue each Sabbath; was the good news from their point of view then and now. (Luke quotes Jesus’ apostles asking, “Lord, is this the time when You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. (8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”) Jesus’ answer acknowledges God the Father’s kingdom plan is still in tact at His appointed time, but emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s imputation in this age before Israel’s restoration and power. Indeed God’s kingdom family began with “His New Covenant giving people ‘a circumcised heart’ ’a new nature’ which is ‘God in people’ making them temples of His Spirit.

Physical circumcision is the ‘cutting back of fleshly foreskin’ and always foreshadowed replacing a chosen people’s fleshly nature with Jesus’ spiritual nature. Paul understood and explained, (Rom 2:28-29; 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.)

Remember God doesn’t change and while prophesying about Israel’s future had Moses write; (Lev 26;40-42; However, when they confess their iniquity and their ancestors’ iniquity which they committed by trespassing against Me, by which they also walked in hostility against Me (and I myself will walk in hostility against them and bring them into the land of their enemies) and then their uncircumcised hearts become humbled and they make up for their iniquity, I will remember My covenant with Jacob and also My covenant with Isaac and also My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.”)

Jesus’ apostles and Judaism today are still expecting another deliverance likened to the one from Egypt. (Always study the whole.) Genuine followers of Jesus are about the business of “putting on Jesus” “being clothed and immersed in Jesus” having God’s praise.

(Deut 10:14-18; 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 He show his loving favor, and He chose you, their descendants, from all peoples — as is apparent today. Therefore, cleanse ‘circumcise the foresking of’ your heart’ and stop being so stubborn!  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.)

Though commanded in Moses’ day, “spiritually cleansing the heart became possible through Jesus’” after His ascension and the inception of His Life. Jesus revealed through Jeremiah.

(Jeremiah 4:4; Just as ritual circumcision cuts away the foreskin as an external symbol of dedicated covenant commitment, you ’Israelites’ must genuinely dedicate yourselves to the LORD and get rid of everything that hinders your commitment to Me, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you do not, My anger will blaze up like a flaming fire against you that no one will be able to extinguish. That will happen because of the evil you have done.”)

Now through the imputation of the Holy Spirit’s energizing, “believers in Jesus’ shed blood for the remission of sins, makes it’s recipients genuinely dedicated to and ‘at One with God.’ (Circumcision of heart is to be rid of everything that hinders worshiping God in spirit and truth.)

(Ezekiel 44:9;This is what the sovereign LORD says: No foreigner, who is uncircumcised in heart and flesh among all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, will enter into My sanctuary.)

God’s New Covenant in this age is with a selected called out people of promise as was Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who are made aware that they are at One with God.

Abraham’s believing God was credited for righteousness before the covenant of circumcision and the law. Paul explained.

(Rom 4:7-12; “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin.” (9) Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision? 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! (11) 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 he is 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.

The Promise Realized Through Faith

(Rom 4:13-16; 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.  For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either. For this reason it is by faith so that it 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.

(Ultimately all promises to Abraham will be kept and his descendants will inherit the world.)

(Rom 4:17-25; (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”.) (See Gen 17:5) He 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. 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, he 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. (20) He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do. So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. 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 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.”)

Hostile minds cause people to take sides on the issue of law and grace.

(Rom 6:15-23; What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. (I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.) For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.

Rom 6:21  So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”)

Jesus’ ascension recorded by Luke.

(Acts of the apostles 1:1-4; “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.

(Acts 1:5-11; For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had gathered together, they began to ask Him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. (8) 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 He had said this, while they were watching, He was lifted up and a cloud hid Him from their sight. As they were still staring into the sky while He 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.”)

“During forty days?” The phrase “over a forty-day period” is used rather than “during forty days” because (as the other New Testament accounts of Jesus’ appearances make clear) Jesus was not continually visible to the apostles during the forty days, but appeared to them on various occasions.” Seemingly Jesus ascended about seven to ten days before Pentecost.

 Feb 9, 2,020. God’s 11th Month, Sh‘vat 12, year 5,780

To: 23,496 family units, gifted with a desire to be atOne with God.

Worshiping in spirit and truth is to know God’s awesomeness and that He reveals knowledge and truth. He makes people members of His family, “His church” gives eternal life and a circumcision of heart to His people; gifting them with belief IN Jesus’ faith saving. Jesus does say; “this is eternal life - that they know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom You sent.

(John 17:3; Now this is eternal life — that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You sent.) Knowing God is only through His revealing Himself. We can’t know Him through denominational devotionals, church attendance, hearing preachers or scripture readings. God the Father calls, gives desire and effort. (Phil 2:3; ‘KJV’ “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.) (’Net Bible’ “For the One bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort — for the sake of His good pleasure — is God.) Brain power, smarts, intellect, theology training nor work of any kind can make one a believer IN God as He manifest Himself to be through His prophets and apostles.

Concluding Jesus’ third day in the tomb, He was spiritually resurrected to His former position “the spiritual likeness of God His Father.” Because of fear of the temple authorities His apostles had gathered in a locked room when Jesus appeared saying “peace be with you.“ His disciples understood none of these things until He blew on them, saying ‘receive the Holy Spirit.”

(John 20:20-23; On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together and locked the doors of the place because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And after He said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.”)

Days before Jesus had told them what was going to take place, but they understood none of these things. (Luke 18:31-34; “Then Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For He will be handed over to the Gentiles; He will be mocked, mistreated, and spat on. They will flog Him severely and kill Him. Yet on the third day He will rise again.” But the twelve understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what Jesus meant.”)

The significance of these things are still hidden from the world and is the reason Jesus spoke in parables. (See Matthew 13:10) Understanding the Holy Scripture is spiritually gifted to those who’re born again, as Jesus explained to Nicodemus. The spiritual principle of Jesus blowing on or breathing on; so they’d understand is explained in relationship to people’s  being ‘born again’ at John 3:8; “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above. The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”)

Matthew and Luke recorded Jesus’ emotion over Jerusalem.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He thought about the end of this age’s destructions. (Matt 24:15; “So when you see the abomination of desolation – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand.) (Abomination of Desolation? Such was the actions of Antiochus IV in 167 B.C. who did abominable things regarding sacrifices. (A future representative type is likely to do similar abominations.) The words of Jesus seem to indicate that Antiochus was not the final fulfillment, but there’d (from Jesus’ perspective) still be another fulfillment. Specifically to the Antichrist and not likely fully realized until the period of the great tribulation at the end of this age. (See Mark 13:14, 19, 24; Rev 3:10).

(Matt 24:16-22; Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. The one on the roof must not come down to take anything out of his house. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the Elect those days will be cut short.”)

(Luke 19:41-44; “Now when Jesus approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “If you had only known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. (43) For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. They will demolish you and your children within your walls – and they will not leave within you one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”) (Remember Jesus is doing the prophecy, so we do expect it’s fulfillment

Jesus revealed His deity but the experts didn’t understand.

(Luke 20:41-44; “But He said to them, “How is it that they say that the Christ ‘one who has been anointed’ is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to My lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be his son?”)

(It was a common belief in Judaism that Messiah would be David’s son in that He would come from the lineage of David. On this point the Pharisees agreed and were correct. But their understanding was nonetheless incomplete, for Messiah is also David’s Lord. With this statement Jesus was affirming that, as the Messiah, He is both God and man.)

Don’t follow the majority; endure to the end.

(Luke 21:5-7; “Now while some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said, “As for these things that you are gazing at, the days will come when not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!” So they asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that these things are about to take place?”

(Luke 21:8-9; He said, “Watch out that you are not misled. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He and, ‘the time is near.’ Do not follow them! And when you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be afraid. For these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once.”

(Luke 21:10-19; Then He said to them, “Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven. But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and governors because of My name. (13) This will be a time for you to serve as witnesses. Therefore be resolved not to rehearse ahead of time how to make your defense. (15) For I will give you the words along with the wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will have some of you put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.”)

Morning of the eighteenth day of Nisan; which would arrive

at the next sunset; “falling on the first day of the week that year.”

(Luke 24:1-11; “Now on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood beside them in dazzling attire. The women were terribly frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? (6) He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then the women remembered His words, and when they returned from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. (11) But these words seemed like pure nonsense to them, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb ‘on the morning of the eighteenth day of Nissan.’ He bent down and saw only the strips of linen cloth; then he went home, wondering what had happened.”) (Ask yourselves, why were they not already believers?)

(John 21:1-14; “After this Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. Now this is how He did so. “Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael (who was from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of His were together. Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. (4) When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?” They replied, “No.” He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they threw the net, and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish. (7) Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), and plunged into the sea. Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards. When they got out on the beach, they saw a charcoal fire ready with a fish placed on it, and bread. (10) Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you have just now caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three, but although there were so many, the net was not torn. “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said. But none of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. (14) This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.”)

(John 21:24-25; This is ‘John’ the disciple who testifies about these things and has written these things, and we know that His testimony is true. There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”)