worship Call 0810

Friends, our prophetic marker has been set! Isaiah 11:11‭-‬12 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. Jeremiah 31:37 Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD. Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. In 70 AD Jerusalem finally fell to the mighty Roman army led by Titus after a long siege. To commemorate the Roman victory over the Jewish rebellion an arch was erected in Rome known to this day as the Arch of Titus. This famous arch depicts the fall of the Temple and its artifacts paraded in a processional described by the historian Josephus' in his account, "The Jewish War." The arch of Titus stands to this day, a horrific monument to the defeat of the Jewish people. Yet history and God have a way of inverting such things, since when the nation of Israel was reborn in 1948, the exact depiction of the Menorah on the arch of Titus was used as a symbol of Israel's rebirth. While the Roman empire has long been vanquished the nation of Israel has remained and been resurrected despite utter defeat and decimation. How could this tiny nation survive 2,000 years of dispersion and persecution? A promise (Jeremiah 31) and a prophetic sign are indicated by this "banner to the nations" of Isaiah 11. And just as the symbol of the menorah on the Roman victory arch has been resurrected to symbolize Israel's rebirth, this little nation of Israel is also a banner and a sign for us. Israel is a monumental marker indicating our time in history (God's story) and the absolute surety of God's promises. Her resurrection signals the time of the end, the last of the Last Days, and the soon coming of Messiah for His Bride. Friends, the Roman empire expressed terrible power and pretension with persecution and plunder, appearing victorious for a season. In these days of the final "Beast" system the enemy of our souls is also marching triumphantly corrupting culture and government and destroying righteous foundations. Persecution of God's saints is increasing greatly and we may need serious endurance. But we also have a "banner". His banner over us is love, which endures all things, and never fails. Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Going to Christian College in Dallas, Texas) Thomasville, Georgia

And this is another fine day in the Lord

this week bible study and prayer meeting on Thursday starting at 6:30 prayer

§ 51. A Third Sabbath Controversy With the Pharisees Over the Healing of a Man With a Withered Hand in a Synagogue

ON three other Later occasions controversies arise with the Pharisees concerning Sabbath observances.

John 9:1-34

Luke 13 10-21

Luke 14:1-24

John 7:20-24 Jesus refers to the miracle in John 5 and adds another arguments (circumcision on the sabbath) for his conduct on the sabbath

In that argument circumcision was to be performed on the eighth day and what happens if it falls on the sabbath? Which law is to be broken? The Law of the Sabbath or the Law of circumcision?

Mark 3:6 Here at some point near the sea of Galilee, there is already a plot to kill him, as some had wished to do in Jerusalem

The very prince of peace the one who is the Lord of the Sabbath the Religious leaders seek to destroy.

Mark 3:1–12 (ESV) — 1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

They followed to get an indictment. But who was on trial here and who will ultimately have stand accused?

Luke 6:8 (ESV) — 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there.

There is a wider audience then just Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus knew their hearts even while others were aware of the their presence but may not be so aware of the why the Pharisees were there. Almost like a conflict within the unseen realm.

Maybe the audience thought that the question was directed at them as they pondered but certainly the Pharisees knew that they themselves were being question and put on trial. And as they stood in silence, the rage within their hearts were increasing with every word that Jesus spoke.

Matthew 12:11–12 (ESV) — 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

καλόςa, ή, όν; καλῶςa: pertaining to a positive moral quality, with the implication of being favorably valued—‘good, fine, praiseworthy.’

Could it be that work is planting and harvesting a field? Could it be that work means conducting business for a profit? And could it be that the moral code of loving your neighbor and going the extra mile supersedes the restrictions placed upon each one.

Mark 3:4 (ESV) — 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.

Mark 3:5 (ESV) — 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

This is righteous indignation. That is when and while there is that which seeks to suppress the truth and good and righteousness there is a moral outrage to those who Love God’s righteousness. They don’t look and see that which is ugly and distasteful and disagreeable and seek to find the good in it.

This is the problem with the church in our day. We have bought into the thinking of the world. We have as a church confused Love with accepting people as they are, and to be the least bit offended of the sins they practice is discrimination against them.

How many times have you heard.

“Judge not lest ye be not judged,” thrown in your face, for standing on that which is right and honorable before God.

While others are allowed to flaunt evil, the Christian is made to shut up and accept it.

The Heart of the Lord saw the vileness of those he stood before, not only against his person which is the very nature of God but against all that God is.

“Oh, we should live and let live.”

Would you stand for someone coming into your house who dishonors your father and your mother?

Would you carryon with an attitude that everyone has a right to their opinion.

Of course not! That is if you truly love your parents.

And don’t buy into the argument that no one is perfect! God’s integrity is perfect and when God’s integrity is attacked, there is moral outrage of those who love God’s righteousness and justice.

God loves his own integrity and those that Love God’s integrity, hates that which defames it.

But with the flash of anger from the Lord there is also grief.

Mark 3:5 (ESV) —grieved at their hardness of heart,

συλλυπέομαι: to feel sorrow or grief together with someone or at the same time—‘to feel sorry for.’ συλλυπούμενος ἐπὶ τῇ πωρώσει τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν ‘at the same time he felt sorry for them because of their willful stubbornness’ Mk 3:5

27.52 πώρωσις, εως f: stubborn unwillingness to learn—‘unwillingness to learn, mental stubbornness, closed mind.’ πώρωσις ἀπὸ μέρους τῷ Ἰσραὴλ γέγονεν ‘the stubbornness of Israel is for a time’ Ro 11:25.

Hardness of heart is locked in negative volition. Evil does not repent. We see that within the world today. We see it with evil politicians. It is never their fault that their demented policies fail. When they fail, they do not repent or change their minds, they double down on the same failed policies.

This is the Pharisees. With the hardness of hearts they had no capability of repentance and with each failure they will not repent but double down on their own evil way.

There is anger on the Lord’s part against the evil displayed in their hearts and at the same time grieving that the man whom he had created could be so corrupt.

It was Jesus who wept outside of the tomb of Lazarus not for his friend but for the hearts so much in need that stood around him.

And it was the same Lord in Genesis 6 who grieved over the hearts of men.

Genesis 6:5–6 (ESV) — 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

Mark 3:5 (ESV) — 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

The Law of Love superseded the Pharisaical law. The authority of Jesus once again conquered the schemes of evil men who seeks authority for themselves.

The Pharisees were threatened for they see their own power dwindling.

There are two kinds of selves in this world.

There is the self of the one who seeks to surrender to the Lord. and to his authority. that self may be great or small but what he has he gives it to the Lord.

There is the self that seeks to maintain its own right to rule. The master of one’s own identity. The great wishes not to surrender his throne to no one but self. The least may not have so much of influence but it will not allow no other including god to claim its soul.

The Least will be first in the kingdom and it is the least who have surrendered all to jesus.

The Pharisees were not going down without a fight.

Mark 3:6 (ESV) — 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

The Herodians were a political group loyal to Herod.

So now you have the combination of Church and state scheming together to prevent the Kingdom of God being established.