DEVOTIONAL
Changing Our Perspectives

Have you ever found yourself tasked with doing something that was boring, uneventful, uncomfortable, or difficult? When we find ourselves in those situations, our first reaction might be to complain or quit trying. Sometimes, mundane jobs and everyday responsibilities don’t feel like worthwhile investments of our time and energy.

But the truth is: everything we do matters to God and is used by Him.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
-Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

Whatever you do. Whether you’re in your dream career or working for someone difficult, whether you’re taking care of your house, or organizing a business—everything we do is an opportunity to worship Jesus.

It’s just a matter of perspective.

If we view life through a lens that is only concerned with ourselves, we will quickly grow tired of our circumstances and disappointed by our striving. But if we view life through a lens of worship, nothing in this life will give us more joy than serving Jesus. If everything becomes about Him, then everything is worth doing well.

If we’re Christians, then our lives belong to Jesus. As Paul put it, Jesus is now our “master.” Our whole world becomes about Him, His purposes, and His glory.

When we do everything with Him in mind, He never fails to bless us with His presence, love, and grace. And one day, He will also give us an eternal reward for our faithful service.

So as you think about the work God has put in front of you, consider what it would mean to do everything for the Lord. And then ask yourself: “in what ways will I honor God and inspire others today?”

?Num 24:16
the saying of him who hears the Words of Ěl, and knows the Knowledge(science) of the Most High, who sees the Vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes opened wide:

https://bible.com/bible/316/nu....m.24.16.TS2009https:

Gives a new perspective on this verse, nê.
??️Shalom

 

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"A righteous man falling down before the wicked, is a troubled well and a corrupt spring."

Pr 25

Since we've been away all day, this'll be brief. :)

If the passions of humanity are a tree, the trunk is the passion they all should share: Morality, Reason, the Scriptures, and such; each branch has branchlets from it, but has a central trunk of its own: which the appropriate passion an individual person's life, which all their other passions feed out of for them, as all of humanity's individual passions feed out of the great trunk.

The central passion of my individual life is: the Strange.

From a conversation:
I gradually came to the full realisation that everything I was ever personally interested in came from a certain aspect of it: the Strangeness of it. Once I looked at my life and finally fully realised this and began exploring it, I have had an unquestionable vision of what my life will and is meant to be. ?

#sabbathposts 2023/07/01

Thought for Today: Sunday July 02:

Live for Adonai Elohiym... Write your name in kindness, love and mercy on the hearts of thousands you come in contact with... You will never be forgotten.

BIBLE STUDY LESSON 12

SERIES T --- THE ADONAI OF LIFE

DEATH!

YESHUA IS JUDGED BY HEROD AND PILATE

From Matthew 27:12-26; Mark 15:3-15; Luke 23:6-25; John 18:39-19:16

When Pilate returned to the chief priests and elders and told them that he had found Yeshua not guilty, they began to accuse Yeshua of many things. But Yeshua refused to answer their charges. [Do You not hear all that these people are saying about You?] Pilate asked Yeshua. But Yeshua was silent, so that Pilate was amazed. The chief priests and elders became more insistent. [He stirs the people from Galilee to Judea with His teaching,] they charged. Pilate asked if Yeshua was from Galilee, and when they said that He was, he ordered Yeshua taken to Herod, who ruled Galilee, for he was in Jerusalem at that time. Herod had been hoping to meet Yeshua for some time, to see some miracle performed, for he had heard much about Him. Herod asked Yeshua many questions, but He answered nothing, even though the chief priests and elders stood there shouting accusations. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed Yeshua, put a kingly robe on Him, and sent Him back to Pilate. From that time on, Pilate and Herod became good friends, for they had been enemies. Pilate summoned the chief priests and rulers of the people and said to them, [You brought this Man here with the charge that He has been starting a rebellion against the Roman government. Both Herod and I find Him innocent. Since He does not deserve to die, I will have Him beaten with leaded whips and set free.] During each Passover, Pilate had a custom of releasing one prisoner to the chief priests and rulers. He asked them if they would rather have Yeshua released, or Barabbas, who was imprisoned with a gang of men who really had started a rebellion against the Roman government, and had even committed murder. The chief priests and other leaders stirred the crowd to ask for Barabbas, not Yeshua. [Away with this Yeshua,] they cried. [Release Barabbas to us.] Pilate was convinced that these people had brought Yeshua to him because they were jealous of His popularity. Furthermore, while he was sitting there, judging Yeshua, he received an urgent message from his wife. [I have had a terrible dream concerning that good Man,] she said. [Leave Him alone!] Hoping to build sympathy for Yeshua, Pilate had Him beaten with leaded whips. His soldiers placed a crown of thorns upon His head and clothed Him with a purple garment. Then they mocked Him. [Hail, King of the Jews!] they sneered, hitting Him with their fists. Pilate went out to talk with the chief priests and rulers once more. [I am bringing this Man out again,] he said. [But I want you to know that I find Him innocent.] Pilate then brought Yeshua out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe which the soldiers had placed upon Him. [Behold the Man!] Pilate told them. Instead of having sympathy for Yeshua, they cried out even louder. [Crucify Him! Crucify Him!] [Why? What has He done to deserve death?] Pilate asked. [You crucify Him.] [He claims to be YHVH’s Son,] they argued. [By our Law He should die]. Pilate was even more afraid when he heard that. Then he took Yeshua into the Praetorium again. [Where have You come from?] he asked Yeshua. But Yeshua was silent. [How dare You refuse to speak to me,] he said. [Don’t You know that I have the power to set You free or to crucify You?] [You have no power over Me, except that which YHVH permits you to have,] Yeshua replied. [So those who brought Me here have greater sin than yours.] Pilate was even more anxious now to release Yeshua, but the leaders cried out, [If you do, you are not Caesar’s friend! Whoever claims to be a king is an enemy of Caesar.] Pilate brought Yeshua out again and sat down on his chair of judgment at a place called Gabbatha, which meant, {The Pavement.} It was about six o’clock in the morning and he told the people, [Behold your King!] But they kept on demanding that Yeshua be crucified. [Shall I crucify your King?] Pilate asked. [Caesar is our only king,] they answered. Pilate was afraid that a riot was about to start, and that he would be responsible for it. He took some water and washed his hands before the crowd. [I am innocent of this Man’s blood,] he said. [The guilt is yours.] [We accept it!] the crowd shouted. [His blood is upon us and our children.] Then Pilate released Barabbas to them, but he delivered Yeshua to them to be crucified.

COMMENTARY

THE TOWER OF ANTONIA

After being built and destroyed at least two times in the centuries before, the Tower of Antonia was rebuilt by Herod the Great. The foundations were laid on the northwest corner of the temple mount -- the highest site in the city. It was meant to guard the northern wall of Jerusalem. Herod had named his fortress {Antonia} after Mark Antony, his friend and ally. Its high stone walls held spacious apartments, baths and courtyards, and served as a barracks for over five hundred soldiers. In Yeshua’ time, the tower served constantly to remind Jews of their Roman conquerors while they worshiped at the temple. It was directly connected to the temple and was continually patrolled by the Roman guard, for Antonia had become a garrison for Roman troops. Herod’s private quarters were reserved for Pontius Pilate. the Roman governor. Pilate came to Jerusalem during the Passover feast because he feared a Jewish uprising at that time. It was during this period that the Jews brought Yeshua to the tower and demanded His death. The angry crowd waited outside in the courtyard, probably because they did not want to enter a Gentile building before the Passover and defile themselves. Pilate took Yeshua inside the Antonia. After questioning, he could find Him guilty of no crime. He ordered Yeshua whipped, thinking perhaps that would satisfy the crowd. But they continued to demand Yeshua’ death. Feeling he had no choice as the governor of Jerusalem, Pilate agreed to the crowd’s wishes. Sitting in the seat of judgment, he condemned Yeshua to death by crucifixion. Then he washed his hands. This was a Roman way of showing that business was finished, but the gesture was understood by the Jews to mean that he had washed his hands of the whole affair and took no responsibility.