“Land of Z’vulun and land of Naftali, toward the Lake, beyond the Yarden, (Jordan) Galil-of-the-Goyim–The people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the land that lies in the shadow of death, light has dawned.”CJB

This prophecy of Yesha’Yahu (Isaiah), found its fulfillment in the ministry of Yeshua, for Matthiyahu (Matthew) stated in chapter 4, that after Yeshua’s temptation in the wilderness by Satan, when He had heard of Yochanan’s beheading, He left Natzeret and came to a lake shore town between Z’vulun and Naftali. And Mattiyahu says in verse 17: “From that time on, Yeshua began proclaiming, ‘Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near’.”

The Galil-of-the-Goyim means the land of non-Jews (Gentiles), beyond the Sea of Galilee. Those outside of Israel were to be included in the message of salvation. It was always in God’s Plan that Israel be a light to the nations. And, although that light dimmed after the scattering of the first Jewish Believers (Christians or Christ-followers), it is once again shining through Messianic Jews. Like their ancestors, they must contend against the darkness in their religious counterparts who, to this day, still reject their suffering Messiah. We need to keep them in prayer, for their persecution is very real and physical.

How privileged are we to walk in the Light of the Truth! There should never be any shadows of doubt in our minds or hearts, when such a great Light has dawned upon us!! And how like the Lord to now send us, who once lived in the land of darkness, to be Lights in Israel and minister right along side His people!

When I posted last time about Trust, a friend mentioned my study coincided with a discussion she was having with others about the Hebrew word, ‘emunah. So I looked it up and found it takes us deeper into the meaning of batakh-trust or faith in God.

‘Emunah (‘e-moō-na) אמונה can be translated as faith in the Hebrew language. But as we learned before, faith goes deeper than just believing in God, it involves trust: believing God.

Ya’akov (James) 2:19 says the demons believe and tremble. Obviously, their faith failed them, because they didn’t really believe to the point of trusting their Creator above the lies put forth by Lucifer or Satan, against God.

To have faith means to trust. ‘Emunah goes beyond just believing and trusting…it involves an unmoving, unwavering, steadfast commitment to what one believes in or has faith for. When a person attains this aspect of a solid, steadfast belief, God is not only pleased, He imputes righteousness to us, or counts us as being righteous. B’resheet (Genesis) 15:6 “He (Avram) believed in Adonai, and He (God) credited it to him as tzadiqah (righteousness).”

This is where the study gets exciting to me, for, the root word from which ‘emunah comes is aman אמן. Aman means to be true, steadfast, sturdy… it is an affirmation, a confirmation, and thus translates into Amen, so be it…or, it is true. Avram didn’t just believe IN God… he believed God to the point of having a complete, steadfast knowing that God was who He said He was and could do what He said He would do.

‘Emunah then transcends our finite definition of faith and trust. It is an understanding that goes beyond reasoning. Having ‘emunah means you are convinced of what you believe to be true, beyond any doubt to the contrary…convinced to the point of dying for what you believe. (Revelation 20:4)

I love how these three aspects interact with each other. It’s not a circle, where one simply comes back to where he or she started. It is a triangle of relationships. To have faith, one must trust-batakh, and when one trusts to the point of having an ‘emunah kind of faith, God counts that person as tzadiq (righteous)!

‘Emunah is the connecting line! And this kind of deep, abiding faith and trust will take us to a level of belief that will sustain us in every aspect of our lives, even to the point of martyrdom…

In the picture of the Piney Squirrel above, I chose Tehillim (Psalms) 56 verse 3, which reads: Most High, when I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”

King David trusted God completely. He wrote Tehillim 56 after God rescued him from the Philistines, who had captured him in Gath. And while this isn’t going to be an exhaustive study on the word, trust, I want to point out something that caught my attention.

Trust doesn’t come easily. The rule being, it must be earned. In other words, for someone to trust another, the latter must prove they are trust-worthy by their actions…not by their promises (unless they consistently fulfill their promises, which reverts back to actions.)

Like David, we have every reason in the world to trust God. He keeps His promises. One of His characteristics (that by which He describes His nature of being) is faithfulness. In D’Varim (Deuteronomy) 7 verses 6-9, Moses exhorts the children of Isra’el: “For you are a people set apart as holy for Adonai, your God. Adonai your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His own unique treasure. Adonai didn’t set His heart on you because you numbered more than any other people–on the contrary, you were the fewest of all peoples. Rather, it was because Adonai loved you, and because He wanted to keep the oath which He had sworn to your ancestors, that Adonai brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from a life of slavery under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. From this you can know that Adonai your God is indeed God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and extends grace to those who love Him and observe His mitzvot (commands), to a thousand generations.”

Even our Lord, Yeshua-Jesus, is called Faithful and True, when He returns to avenge His enemies in Revelation 19 verse 11.

In the Complete Jewish Bible, the word trust is used instead of faith in the famous 11th chapter of Hebrews. Why? Because faith is just that ~ Trust!

Verse one of the book To a Group of Messianic Jews (Hebrews) reads: “Trusting is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we do not see.” Verse 6 reads: “And without trusting, it is impossible to be well-pleasing to God, because whoever approaches Him must trust that He does exist, and that He becomes a Rewarder to those who seek Him.”

Batakh is the verb form of trust in the Hebrew (בטח) This is an action verb meaning to rely on, place ones confidence in. It is the visual word for feeling secure and safe, knowing one will be taken care of and protected.

This makes verse 6 of Hebrews 11 especially important. If we don’t trust God, we are essentially telling Him we don’t believe He exists or that He cares enough for us to protect us and provide for us. And the clincher is: If we don’t trust God, we can’t please Him.

End of study…but the beginning of much contemplation and soul searching, at least for me!

Scriptures are from the Complete Jewish Bible

Have you ever experienced mesmerizing splendor and wonder and held your breath, willing the moment to stand still so you could step inside and explore its every facet for as long as you wanted? Imagine an endless walk through a scene that, in our realm of time and space, happens and then fades, moving beyond our desire to grasp it and never let go.

We can take a photograph, but it doesn’t capture what we experience, when it soaks into the very fabric of our being and surges through our heightened senses, melding them together into one breathless sparkle, like the glint in a diamond’s brilliance. We marvel at the pulsating vibrancy of the setting or rising of the sun, the blurred hovering of a hummingbird’s wings, the sight of a doe with her fawn.

Just imagine the essence of a rainbow’s luminance wrapping around you… feel the warmth of each droplet of moisture as it captures the ultraviolet rays of the sun, then watch them explode into dazzling colors that dance in, around and through you. Listen to the harmonics of the vapors as they pulsate through the atmosphere and breathe in the fresh scent of earth through the spray of water falling from the heavens or cascading over the sides of a mossy cliff.

Could it be with each incident, we are graced with a brief glimpse of Eternity? And could it be that if we were to experience these precious moments for longer than we are given, it would be beyond our mortal frame’s ability to process? We would cease to be, for we are but made of dust.

Ah, but one day, soon, this mortal body will put on immortality, and when we finally cross the threshold and enter God’s realm, our senses will reach out and embrace what once was too much for us to comprehend.

And yet, I believe we still will be overwhelmed by all the wonders, and our hearts will explode with praise unending for the Lord’s creative masterpieces.

Imagine… an eternity to explore a moment of time!

Originally, I was born into the human race, but I was supernaturally transformed into an alien when I put my faith and trust into this fearless leader. And I’m not the only one. There are many of us living among you, eager to tell of our conversions and desire to leave this darkened realm so choked with anger and hatred.

Earth has lost its beauty and light, its luster growing dim from age and abuse. It trembles, weakened from within. Underground explosions to test destructive weapons, constant drilling into Earth’s veins to satisfy human lust for oil and power have sent the planet reeling with catastrophic results. Disastrous changes in weather patterns combined with humans slaughtering each other have caused world wide famines. It’s not global warming…it’s global greed, and it cannot go on this way much longer.

Supernatural beings of unparalleled evil roam this sphere as well, seeking converts of their own. Unseen to human eyes, except on notable occasions, they engage in an ongoing battle with our leader’s own forces, sent here to protect us. These creatures once pledged their allegiance to our king, but broke rank and staged a coup d’etat. Their defeat and subsequent invasion into this realm has thrown Earth into utter chaos, for they enticed the humans, created by the king, to join their revolution. Little wonder they are obsessed about superheroes and other-worldly beings coming to rescue them.

Sad…for superheroes have always lived among us, their deeds recorded for all to read, but only one has ever had the power to save us…our king! And yet, he was rejected and despised when he made known his intentions to come only as a servant and offer forgiveness and restoration. For that he was put to death. But the story doesn’t end there. You see, our leader’s supernatural abilities are so powerful, he conquered the grave and ever lives back in his realm. That’s why we are awaiting his return. There will be counterfeits, but those of us who know him, will not be deceived. And one day… well, let’s just say, we won’t be here anymore.

What will you do then? I hope before that happens, you will consider our cause and join us. When you believe in him and pledge your love and allegiance to him, he will transform you and make you one of us… an alien in a world dying to be rescued.
Think about it…it’s your only hope of escaping what’s coming…

Perfection from: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary a : being entirely without fault or defect : flawless b : satisfying all requirements : accurate c : corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract

Purity from: www.dictionary.reference.com and www.thefreedictionary.com a: the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc. b. Freedom from sin or guilt; innocence; chastity

The world hears “Christian” and thinks a person must be perfect and pure. But when we don’t add up to their expectations~when they scrutinize our lives and find faults, they mock and condemn. Unfair? Yes. But you’d be surprised how many professing Christians feel the same way about others and about themselves. It stems from un-Scriptural teachings.

When Yeshua said we were to be perfect like His Father, He was summing up Chapter 5 of Matthew. We are to “satisfy all the requirements” of the Torah (Law-first 5 books of Moses) in our actions and attitudes, both of which originate in the heart. He, of all people, knew the improbability of our being “entirely without fault or defect”. That was the very reason He became flesh, lived among us, and died for our sins.

His actions mended our broken fellowship with God, but it in no wise made us sterile and “free from anything that debases or contaminates” our beings. No… the result of His intervention on our behalf enables us to be free from sin and guilt, and as we strive to be more like Him, we become more pure in our heart-driven actions and attitudes. We aren’t instant saints when we believe in Him and ask for forgiveness. It is a WALK.

Purification is a process toward becoming perfect. Psalm 12:6 “The words of Adonai are pure words~silver set in a melting pot in the earth, refined and purified seven times over.” Complete Jewish Bible

It doesn’t happen in an instant. It takes many attempts to refine silver until it has no impurities. It will take us a lifetime of refining, over and over, until we come to that point of perfection and purity. It WILL happen, but only on the day we see Yeshua face to face, and we are transformed into His perfect image!

The most important aspect of our Christian walk is to submit to the refining fire of the Lord, and to continue the process of becoming more like Him. So when it’s back into the fire you go, remember: it’s for the purpose of making you shine!

The word, God, has come to be rather common place, not just in general use around the world, but sadly, also among Christians. It is rarely spoken with awe or reverence.

I’d like to show just how magnificent His Name is…to the extent that we begin using it with the respect it is due.

Many are familiar with the (tetragrammaton or 4 letter writing) YHVH – Yah Heh Vav Heh or Yahweh ~ spoken to Moshe (Moses) when he asked God what he should call Him. Exodus 3:15. But in verse 14, God first said, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh”  (I Am/will be that I Am/ will be) and added: “Here’s what to say to the people of Isra’el: Ehyeh ( I Am or I will be) has sent me to you.” In verse 15: God said further to Moshe, “Say to this people of Isra’el: ‘Yud Hey Vav Hey’ (YHVH), the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya’akov, has sent me.”
This is from the Complete Jewish Bible

Jews feel the tetragrammaton is too sacred to pronounce out loud, and use several other names for God in its place. The most common is HaShem ~ the Name ~ III John 7. They also leave out the “o” in G-d so they aren’t fully writing out His name.

Yah is an abreviation for the tetragrammaton

Adonai literally means ~my Lord. It represents the tetragrammaton ~Matthew 1:20
Adonai Elohei Tzvaot ~Lord God of Hosts
Adonai Elohim Tzvaot ~the Lord God of Hosts
Adonai Elohim, Elohei-Tzvaot ~the Lord God, God of Hosts
Adonai Tzvaot ~the Lord of Sabaoth-Lord of heaven’s armies~ Lord of Hosts ~Samuel 17:45-Romans 9:29
Adonai Eloheinu ~Lord our God ~Mark 12:29
Adonai Elohim ~the Lord God
Adonai Nissi ~the Lord my banner/or miracle ~Exodus 17:15
Adonai Rapha ~the Lord heals ~Exodus 15:26
Adonai Shalom ~the Lord of peace ~Judges 6:24
Adonai Shamah ~the Lord is there or the Lord is present ~Ezekiel 48:31-35
Adonai Tzidkenu ~the Lord our righteousness ~Jeremiah 23:6
Adonai Yireh ~the Lord will see (to it) ~Genesis 22:14

El Elohei Yisrael ~ God of Israel
El Elyon ~God Most High ~Genesis 14:18-22-Mark 5:7
Ha Elyon ~the Most High-the Highest (speaking of God) ~Numbers 24:16
El Gibbor ~Mighty God ~Isaiah 9:6
El Ro’i ~You, God, see me or God of seeing ~Genesis 16:13
El Shaddai ~God Almighty ~Genesis 17:1

Ha G’dulah ~the Greatness-the Majesty (YHVH) ~Hebrews 8:1
Ha G’dulah Ba M’romim ~the Greatness on High (YHVH) ~Hebrews 1:3

I’ll do a study on our Lord’s Name, but just briefly: Mashiach (Messiah-Christ) Literally it means anointed or an anointed one. It is transliterated into English as Messiah. It is equivalent to the Greek Christos, which also means anointed and in English means Christ.

Yeshua ~ Jesus. It is a variant of Y’hoshua (Joshua) which means YHVH Saves, YHVH Delivers ~Matthew 1:21

The term or name, God, just doesn’t cover it all, does it? Each one of the above is a study in itself… which I’m going to do from time to time. But regardless, when we speak His name, which ever one we use, it should always be with respect. Amen?

I am struck by the warning to not be deceived in the Last Days before Christ’s Return. In my mind it is quite clear who Yeshua-Jesus is ~I know Him, and I can’t think that an imposter could ever fool anyone. But the key to not being deceived is in the knowing. To me, it’s black and white, but to many, their spiritual vision is blurred, because they’ve not taken the time to establish an intimate relationship with God through His Son. They know about Him ~ they attend churches and speak, sing and write about Him ~ they go on mission trips…their intentions are lofty. But, they haven’t allowed the Holy Spirit to penetrate their very beings and remove the subtle gray film blinding them to the truth. For then they would have to give up their lovers: traditions, their church’s theology, material possessions, ambitions, family…they want the benefits of being called a Christian without paying the price to obtain them.They have not fallen in love with and committed their lives to Jesus Christ/Yeshua Messiah…they love in name only.

Are we really supposed to give these things up in order to be a part of God’s Kingdom? Yes. Sometimes physically, but always in our hearts.  Those who don’t, won’t be able to tell the counterfeit Christ from the true Messiah.

II Peter 2:1-3 … there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words;

II Peter 3:3… scoffers will come in the Last Days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

II John 1:7  For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

II Peter 3:17-18 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;  but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding (or discernment), that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Search your hearts and ask yourself these hard questions. The Lord may never require these things, BUT… Are you ready to walk out of your church, leaving friends, and perhaps even family in order to search out the Truth in the Bible? Are you confident enough to submit yourself to the Holy Spirit and listen to what He says about certain passages in the Bible? Are you willing to give up your home and all your possessions, if the Lord calls you to do so?  Are you so focused on the Lord that you could leave your own ambitions and careers behind and simply go where He leads you, even if it’s in a totally different direction from what you had planned for your life? Don’t follow the easy road often labeled as “Christianity“, today. You just might encounter a black creature you naively think is a harmless squirrel…and end up as the deceiver’s “snack“…

Our freedoms are being taken away by stealth and deceit, and America is on the verge of collapse as a World Power. But it must come to pass, as the nations cry for a deliverer to step up and bring peace and harmony to a war-torn, hunger, poverty, and natural disaster-wreaked earth.  Many, who do not know God, and have not studied His warnings written in the Bible, will be deceived and bow down to this imposter known to Christians as the Anti-Christ. Those who resist his powers and totalitarian rule will be persecuted and destroyed. It will take a wise person to discern the agenda hidden behind this man’s empty promises…someone who is strong in his or her faith and knowledge of the Scriptures.

Take an honest look around you…even Hollywood sees the desire written on mankind’s faces for a deliverer and is responding with alien, occult and super hero movies. Allow the Lord to open your eyes to the shortness of the hour. Now is not the time to make long term plans for your temporal needs here on earth, but to invest in eternal treasures by wholly giving yourself to God through His one and only Son, Jesus-Yeshua Messiah, the Light of the world. Only then will the night shadows of what’s to come have no power over you.

³⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them.

That “light” is Jesus!  John 8:12 and 9:5.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Romans 8:18-39

I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future.

The creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed; for the creation was made subject to frustration-not willingly, but because of the one who subjected it. But it was given a reliable hope that it too would be set free from its bondage to decay and would enjoy the freedom accompanying the glory that God’s children will have. We know that until now, the whole creation has been groaning with us as with the pains of childbirth; and not only it, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons–that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free. It was in this hope we were saved. But if we see what we hope for, it isn’t hope–after all, who hopes for what he already sees? But if we continue hoping for something we don’t see, then we still wait eagerly for it with perseverance.

Similarly, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we don’t know how to pray the way we should. But the Spirit Himself pleads on our behalf with groanings too deep for words; and the One who searches hearts knows exactly what the Spirit is thinking, because His pleadings for God’s people accord with God’s will.

Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with His purpose; because those whom He knew in advance, He also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom He thus determined in advance, He also called; and those whom He called, He also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom He caused to be considered righteous, He also glorified!

What, then, are we to say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare even His own Son, but gave Him up on behalf of us all–is it possible that, having given us His Son, He would not give us everything else too?

So who will bring a charge against God’s chosen people? Certainly not God–He is the one who causes them to be considered righteous! Who punishes them? Certainly not the Messiah Yeshua, who died–and more than that–has been raised, is at the right hand of God and is actually pleading on our behalf! Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah? Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger? War? As the Tenakh puts it,

“For Your sake we are being put to death–all day long, we are considered sheep to be slaughtered.” (Psalm 44:22(23)

No, in all these things we are super-conquerors, through the One who has loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord!  From the Complete Jewish Bible