April 25- The person you know that is going through the worst of times

Hey,

I talk to you all of the time. I want to help you, but I have no idea how to. It's not my place, but somehow I am here with you, and I want to take care of you. I have ideas, but I'm such a dreamer.

Praying for you.

April 24- The person that gave you your favorite memory

Dear 11 class.

Does a year count as a memory?

...?

April 23- The last person you hugged

Little sister,

I miss you. i have gotten some questions about our relationship from some of the people who witnessed our farewell hug. I even made a point of call you "little sister" when i hugged you so people would get the point. Owell.

-Aiden.

Holy Week; Part XIX:"What are you willing to give me if i turn Yeshua over to you"

Z'kharyah 11:12 I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; if not, don't." So they weighed out my wages, thirty silver [shekels, that is, twelve ounces].

 

When Yeshua had finished speaking, he said to his talmadim, "As you know, Pesach is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to the execution-steak"

Then the head cohanim and the elders of the people gathered in the place of Kayafa the cohen hagadol. They made plans to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death; but they said, "Not during the festival, or the people will riot."

Yeshua was in Beit-Anyah, ad the home of Shim'on, the man who had tzara'at. A woman  who had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume approached Yeshua while he was eating and began pouring  it on his head. When the talmidim saw it, they became very angry, "Why this waste?" they asked. "This could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor." 

But Yeshua, aware of what was going on, said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. She poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. Yes! I tell you that throughout the whole world, wherever this Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in her memory."

The one of the Twelve, the one called Y'hudah from K'riot, went to the head Cohanim and said, "What are you willing to give me if I turn Yeshua over to you?"

They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to Y'hudah. From then on he looked for a good opportunity to betray him.

 

Yeshua is a jewish Messiah, sent for the whole world. Jewish foundation, Global mission. This story is for everyone. Easter time should be the greatest time of the year for evangelism, and the greatest holiday of the church. How sad it is that we have followed culture into celebrating christmas as a commercial holiday, rather than the resurrection and passover as a true Holy Day.

Yeshua has just finished his last public teaching. We have seen the end of his sermons, parables and lessons to crowds. Now everything is changing gear to his death and burial. Remember this is all happening within the context of passover celebrations. The connotation and connection from the jewish celebrations of the passover lamb to the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world. Yeshua is predicting his crucifixion. The antagonists of the story are becoming clear.

During a dinner a woman comes into the room and anoints Yeshua. She is rebuked by the talmidim, who sound spiritual at first. Remember that they have just come off of the last teaching of Yeshua about giving to the poor as a sign of salvation. But in ther attempt to sound spiritual, they cheapen the value of Yeshua. 

Yeshua checks the priorities of the talmidim. He rightly places himself over the service of the poor. In their attempt to do good works, the talmidim would have taken away from the reason for those works, Yeshua. We place value on works because we value Yeshua, and the two are not of equal importance.

Yeshua is being prepared for burial. He says as much. Don't miss this. He is going to change the entire spiritual landscape of all of creation within the next two days! What is going to happen is the most important event in history! If you get that, then take a look at this action again! Look at the love this woman shows for him. Yeshua is right, this is a beautiful thing!

Moments later, the scripture records the ultimate betrayal. We aren't given a reason for Y'hudah's betrayal, but even if Yeshua were an ordinary person, this is harsh. Thirty pieces of silver is a miniscule sum. The book of Z'kharyah mocks this amount as not even worth working for! Look at the comparison. We have the woman who gives the best she has in honor of Yeshua, then Y'hudah who betrays him for nothing. The amounts involved make it clear how much these people value Yeshua.

The spiritual forces of the world are at war to define in the mind of every individual what the value of Yeshua is. The change of salvation is a change in the value of Yeshua to you on a personal level. Repentance and trust in yeshua require a deep love for him. You see, how you see Yeshua, how much value you attribute to him controls how much you follow him. If Yeshua is only of a value you to you mentally, that is you understand but don't really believe what he did for you, then following him will be hollow and half hearted. Valuing Yeshua means we follow him out of deep love and attraction, and are willing to suffer hardship for him because we love him. 

Holy Week; Part XVII:"Come and join your masters happiness"

"For it will be like a man about to leave home for awhile, who entrusted his possessions to his servants. To one he gave five talents [equivalent to a hundred years wages]; to another, two talents; and to another, one talent -each according to his ability. Then he left. The one who had received five talents immediately went out, invested it and earned another five. Similarly, the one given two earned another two. But the one given one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and his his masters money.

After a long time, the master of those servants retirned to settle accounts with them. THe one who had recieved five talents came forward bringing the other five and said, 'Sir you gave me five talents; here, I have made five more.'

His master said to him, 'Excellent! you are a good and trustworthy servant. You have ben faithful with a small ammount, so I will put you in charge of a large ammount. Come and join your masters happiness!"

Also the one who had received two came forward and said, 'Sir, you gave me two talents; here I have made two more.'

His master said to him, 'Excellent! you are a good and trustworthy servant. Yo have been faithful with a small amount, so I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and join in your master's happiness.

Now the one who had recieved one talent came forward and said, 'I knew you were a hard man. You harvest where you didn't plant and gather where you didn't sow a seed. I was afraid, so i went and hid your talent in the ground. Here! take what belongs to you!'

'You wicked, lazy servant! said his master, 'So you knew, did you, that I harvest where i havent planted? and that i gather where I didn't sow seed? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, so that when i returned, i would at least have gotten back interest with my capital! take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For everyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away. As for this worthless servant, throw him out in the dark, where people will wail and grind their teeth!'

 

Once again, Yeshua uses a parable to make a point, and now he is using parables to explain things about his next coming. The last parable focused on readiness, and a person state of readiness will be a good indication of how important the message is to them. Here we are going to see a similar but different message.

The varying values of the talents given to the servants are, as said, based on "ability". But in spite of the difference in sums, the quantities involved are still vast. a talent was a weight of about sixty pounds. When applied to money or Gold, this can equal sums more than many people might make in a lifetime. THe passage even says "the equivalent of 100 years wages. The value is meant to wow the listener. The point here is, that even the smallest amount given is still an impressive sum. Each servant is entrusted something of great value.

We see that the servants who were given the to larger sums were able to double their take, and were rewarded for it. The story is not about them. It is about the last servant. The one who does nothing. Or, to put it a batter way, the servant who allows his fear to drive him into the ground, literally. For that is the reason for his lack of production with his talent. Think about it; every one of us would do something if given hundreds of thousands of dollars, even if that is to spend it all. But this servant, out of fear does absolutely nothing. He is afraid maybe of his masters disapproval if he lost the money, or simply afraid of the responsibility. Whatever the reason for his fear, he tries to do the safe thing, and in the end the same actions he took to evade fear cause him the result he had been wanting to avoid. It is a bit ironic.

This servant simply returns the initial sum back to his master. The master points out a very interesting flaw in this plan of burial; he didn't even gain interest. This is not just a rebuke, but an observation. Israeli bankers, even in those days, were safe bets. Some historians think that the modern baking industry started with ancient jewish bankers. This servant could have put his money in with them and made even a little interest. He wasn't afraid of the investment declining, there were simple options to improve value. The reason for the servants lack of event he most simple attempt comes from something else. It's not about the money at all, its about the servant looking out for himself. There was no personal risk, no striving for excellence and thus no room for failure the way he planned it.

We have seen in previous parables this week where something was given to a group of people (invites to wedding guests, land to tenants, etc). The point of the parable comes from what those people do with what they are given. In every case we see that there is an expected response, and it is not necessarily a surprising expectation. Wedding guests are expected to attend, tenants are expected to pay, and servants are expected to invest and grow money. The question then is what is the metafor? What have we been given? Don't mistake this simply for a parable about finances, though it could be applied; remember Yeshua is talking about his return. 

There is a very simple possible answer; truth. We as believers and chosen have been shown and given the truth of the gospel. In the previous parable,s pointed at the cohanim, Yeshua makes the point that they have been given the truth, have misplaced it or forgotten it, and become hypocritical. In these parable . s we see examples of people doing the right thing with what they are given, but contrated against those who do not. 

When Yeshua returns, each of us will have to give an account of what we did with what we were given. This is physical, mental, emotional and spiritual in nature. Were we good stewards of our recourses, yes, but more so, did we make progress for the Kingdom. If we are afraid to risk our appearance for the sake of the truth, then we forget that the truth does not come from us; it shouldn't matter how we appear. Those who live for themselves this way are further hypocrites. They have been given a gift by the master, and say that they live for him, but by their life the example that they neither know the master, not really understand or care that he is coming back.

 

 

Holy Week; Part XV: "From the fig tree, Learn its lesson..."

Dani'el 7:13-14 "I kept watching the night visions, when i saw, coming with the clouds of heaven, someone like a son of man. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. To him was given rulership, glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. His rulership is an eternal rulership that will not pass away; and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days

'The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.'

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a great shofar, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.  Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,  the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

After making us aware of what the wold will be like in his absence and in preparation for his second coming, Yeshua turns to the specifics of what his return will be like. This is an exciting passages for believers, or it should be. The chosen should be longing for the day when H'Meshiah returns, because it is the culmination of this Gospel story into which our lives have been woven. This is because this world in which we live, not only is it not our home, but it, like us, is broken. As beautiful as this place can be, it is fundamentally flawed by the curse of sin, which causes death. We should be longing for the day Yeshua returns, not because of a hatred of this world, but because of a hatred of sin. This is a repentant heart, one that has walked away from its sin to the point of hating everything  flawed in sight. When Yeshua returns, the power of sin on this world will be broke, and what we perceive now as beauty will look abhorrent in comparison with the righteousness of our Savior.

Yeshua outlines some things that will signify his coming. He is trying to tell us not when it will happen, but what it will be like. We get a sense of a scientifically cosmic event. Astronomical signs of the sun and moon disappearing or going dar, and stars also vanishing. It affects not only humans, but all of creation. Everything touched by sin would naturally be touched by such a wondrous righteousness returning. We live in a sin-torn world. This world will be shaken and totally transformed as Yeshua returns, as OUR G-D IS A CONSUMING FIRE!

Yeshuas second coming will not be a secret thing either. Not only will creation give witness, but there will be public signs. A trumpet will sound, and the "sign of the son of man" and it will be obvious. Everyone is gonna see this, and will be able to observe his glory and they will mourn. In that moment when the chosen receive the ultimate confirmation of the truth, the rest of the world will see how wrong they were. We can only hope the gospel has been spread across the nations.

For, upon hearing and seeing the signs, and even witnessing the return, the world will see the pure glory of Yeshua himself. He will send out his angels to gather the chosen. See we who have been saved from sin are only partially complete. We have been sanctified and cleansed, but we are still waiting to be glorified. When the trumpet sounds, it says that the chosen will be gathered together into Yeshuas glory and will be glorified with him, as the sin and corruption is removed. Not only is this a chance for the world to see and be redeemed, but this will be the final piece of our redemption as believers, when all sin is ripped away, and we see Him as he is. We get to watch Yeshua take all this mess of our world and our lives and fix it and put all back the way he intended it to be. 

We are getting an image of the vastness of Yeshua. The presence of this G-d man is enough to shake the entire creation. THe world, every person, and every place will be aware and enamored with Him.

So be aware! Be watchful! This spectacular event is wonderful, but your perspective of it is shaped by your relationship with the savior now. There is no other option, either you are in or you are out. Either you will be transformed and glorified with Him, or you will be destroyed. That is the fundamental difference of repentance and trust in yeshua. In that moment, when put before him, all sin and evil being burnt away, the only question that matters will be what you belong to. Either you belong to sin, or you belong to Yeshua. If you belong to sin, in that moment, you will be destroyed by the fire of his holiness. If you belong to him, then that fire will burn away anything else and you will be like Him.

So what do you belong to?

Holy Week; Part XIV: "Look! Here is the Messiah!"

Yo'el 2:2 "Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Sound an alarm on my holy mountain. let all living in the land tremble, for the Day of Adonai is coming! It's upon us!-
Dani'el 12:11 "From the time the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that causes desolation is set up there will be 1290 days."
"So when you see the abomination that causes desolation spoken about through the prophet Dani'el standing in the Holy Place" (let the reader understand the allusion) "that will be the time for those in Y'hudah to escape to the hills. If someone is on the roof, he must not go down to gather his belongings from his house; if someone is in the field, he must not turn back to get his coat. What a terrible time it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers! pray that you will not have to escape in winter or Shabbat. For there will be trouble then worse than there has ever been from the beginning of the world until now, and there will be nothing like it again! Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited.
At that time, if someone says to you, 'Look here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!' don't believe him. For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets perfomring great miracles -amazing things!- so as to fool even the chosen, if possible. there! I have told you in advance! So if people say to you, 'Listen! He's out in the desert,' don't go; or 'Look! He's hidden away in a secret room!' don't believe it. For then the Son of Man does come, it will be like lightning that flashes out of the east and fills the sky to the western horizon. Wherever there's a dead body, thats where you'll find vultures.
As Yeshua continues the Olive Discourse here, there is an interesting theme that develops, which we will see both now and in parts to come. That theme is pretty simple, but pretty profound if you think about it. The theme and message is this; Yeshua is coming back. Simple for many of us who have been in the church for a long time, but how much does it really affect our lives.
Indeed this is, in essence, what the believer lives for, this moment when our Savior returns. Yet so many believers are not prepared and are wrapped up in this world. They have become lazy and set in this world. This world is not our home. We live for a kingdom not yet come, and so we must live. Not merely being good cause Yeshua might come and judge what we are doing at that moment, but being watchful and expectant that he is coming soon!
This is, in fact, what Yeshua is warning about in this passage. He warns that whatever situation people are in, that they should immediately flee from the coming disaster. Don't be so caught up in the things that tie you to this world that you have to run and get them when the trouble begins.
As to what Yeshua actually says and quotes, the message is somewhat clear. The passages in Dan'el refer to an invading power turning the temple into an abomination. This has happened many time throughout history since Yeshua said this. The only proof that this brings out is that there is no human way of knowing when this will happen beforehand.
Because of the warning Yeshua gives, though, those who are watchful should be able to see it and be ready for it. There will be a sense of urgency. This urgency will primarily be for Israel and Yerushalayim, but we are still to be mindful of it. It will also be dangerous, and perilous. Yeshua says to pray that this will not fall on times where working and running would be difficult, and has pity on the women in labor at the time. There will be suffering, but G-d will protect His people.
A big sign of prparedness will be how easily led astray the chosen are. Yeshua warns of many false Messiahs and many signs. believers must not be led astray. Don't be naive and follow others who say they have him. Wait for it, because Yeshua said he will return noticeably, and until then, we are to be mindful only for his return.
The most important part, the theme as I mentioned before, is to be prepared. Many of us know we are not ready for Yeshua to return. Whether that is un-repentance, or simply clinging onto this life, we know that if he were to return, we would not be able to run to him. Maybe we would be caught offguard by the false messiahs.
The gospel is G-d providing a way for us to come to Him, and to not be ready when he comes for us is more than shameful, it is an abomination.
If Yeshua returned today, would you be ready?