Thought for Today: Friday May 30
Love is not the whole of our spiritual life because it is only ONE of the virtues YHVH wants us to have. If we ignore the other virtues – such as Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, and Self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) – our lives will be unbalanced and incomplete. Why are these virtues so important? One reason is because these virtues were part of our Moshiach’s Character – and YHVH’s will is that we would become more like the Moshiach. In addition, as apostle Peter said: “If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive” (2 Peter 1:8)
READINGS FOR OMER COUNT – DAY 41
Behold, I am about to fulfill the affirmative precept of the counting of the Omer, as it is written in the Torah:
“And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Shabbath, from the day that ye brought the Omer of the wave-offering, seven complete weeks they shall be; until the morrow of the seventh Shabbath shall ye number fifty days.”
Blessed art Thou YHWH, our Elohym, King of the universe, who hast set us apart by Thy commandments and hast given us command concerning the counting of the Omer.
This is the forty-first day, making five weeks and six days of the Omer.
May the All Merciful restore the service of the Temple to its place. May it be Thy will, YHWH our Elohym and Elohym of our fathers, that the Temple be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant our portion in Thy Torah. And there we will serve Thee with awe, as in the days of old and as in ancient years.
May Elohym be favorable unto us and bless us. That Thy way may be known upon the earth, Thy salvation among all nations. Let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, Elohym; let all the peoples give thanks unto Thee. Let the nations rejoice and exult: for Thou wilt judge the peoples with equity and lead the nations upon the earth. Let the peoples give thanks unto Thee, Elohym; let all the peoples give thanks unto Thee. The earth hath yielded her increase: Elohym, even our Elohym, shall bless us. Elohym shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
READINGS: TEHILLAH 109
Do not be silent, O Elohim of my praise!
For the mouth of the wrong And the mouth of the deceiver Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a false tongue.
They have surrounded me with words of hatred, And they attack me without a cause.
In return for my love they accuse me, While I am in prayer.
And they repay me evil for excellence, And hatred for my love.
Appoint over him one who is wrong, And let an accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is judged, let him be found wrong, And let his prayer become sin.
Let his days be few, Let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow.
And let his children always wander and beg, And seek food out of their ruins.
Let the creditor lay a snare for all that he has, And let strangers plunder his labor.
Let him have no one to extend mercy, Nor any to show favor to his fatherless children.
Let his descendants be cut off, Their name be blotted out in the next generation.
Let the crookedness of his fathers Be remembered before YHWH, And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
Let them always be before YHWH, And let Him cut off their remembrance from the earth; Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man; And the broken-hearted, to put to death.
He also loved cursing, so let it come to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
And he put cursing on as with his garment, So let it enter his inward parts like water, Into his bones and like oil.
Let it be to him like a cloak he wraps around him, And as a girdle that he always girds on.
This is the reward of my accusers from YHWH, And to those speaking evil against my being.
But You, O YHWH, Master, Deal with me for Your Name’s sake; Because Your mercy is excellent, deliver me.
For I am poor and needy, And my heart is pierced within me.
I have gone like a lengthening shadow, I have been driven away like a locust.
My knees are weak through fasting, And my flesh grows lean from fatness.
And I, I have become a reproach to them; They see me, they shake their heads.
Help me, O YHWH my Elohim! Save me according to Your mercy, And let them know that this is Your hand. You, YHWH, You have done it!
Let them curse, but You bless. They shall arise, but be ashamed, And let Your servant rejoice.
Let my accusers put on shame, And be wrapped in their own confusion as in a cloak.
I greatly thank YHWH with my mouth, And I praise Him in the midst of the throng.
For He stands at the right hand of the poor, To save from those judging his being.
READINGS: TEHILLAH 110
YHWH said to my Master, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
YHWH sends Your mighty sceptre out of Tsiyon. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Your people volunteer in the day of Your might, In the splendors of set-apartness! From the womb, from the morning, You have the dew of Your youth!
YHWH has sworn and does not relent, “You are a kohen forever According to the order of Malkitseḏeq.”
YHWH at Your right hand Shall smite kings in the day of His wrath.
He judges among the nations, He shall fill the nations with dead bodies, He shall crush the Head over the mighty earth!
He drinks of the stream by the wayside, Therefore He does lift up the head!
READINGS: TEHILLAH 111
Praise Yah! I thank YHWH with all my heart, In the company of the straight, and of the congregation.
Great are the works of YHWH, Searched for by all who delight in them.
Splendor and greatness are His work, And His righteousness stands forever.
He has made His wonders to be remembered; YHWH shows favor and is compassionate.
He has given food to those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever.
He has shown His people the power of His works, To give to them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of His hands are truth and judgment, All His orders are trustworthy, They are upheld forever and ever, Performed in truth and straightness.
He sent redemption to His people, He has commanded His covenant forever. Set-apart and awesome is His Name.
The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom, All those doing them have an excellent understanding. His praise is standing forever.
READINGS: MISHLE 25:1-14
These too are proverbs of Shelomoh which the men of Ḥizqiyah king of Yehuḏah copied:
It is the esteem of Elohim to hide a matter, And the esteem of kings to search out a matter.
The heavens for height and the earth for depth, But the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Take away the dross from silver, And a vessel comes forth for the refiner.
Take away the wrong from before the king, And his throne is established in righteousness.
Do not exalt yourself before a king, And do not stand in the place of great men; For it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower Before a noble whom your eyes have seen.
Do not go forth to strive in haste, For what would you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame?
Plead your case with your neighbor himself, And do not disclose the secret of another; Lest he who hears it put you to shame, And your evil report turn not back.
A word spoken at the right time Is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
A ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, Is a wise one’s reproof to an ear that hears.
Like the cold of snow in time of harvest Is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the life of his masters.
He who boasts of his gifts falsely Is like clouds and wind without rain.
READINGS: AVOTH 5:10-11
There are seven marks of an uncultured, and seven of a wise man: the wise man does not speak before him who is greater than he in wisdom, and does not break in upon the speech of his fellow; he is not hasty to answer; he questions according to the subject matter, and answers to the point; he speaks upon the first thing first, and the last last; regarding that which he has not understood he says, I do not understand it; and he acknowledges the truth. The reverse of all this is to be found in an uncultured man.
Seven kinds of punishment come into the world for seven important transgressions: if some give their tithes and others do not, a dearth ensues from drought, and some suffer hunger, while others are full. If they all determine to give no tithes, a dearth ensues from tumult and drought. If they resolve not to give the challah bread, an exterminating dearth ensues. Pestilence comes into the world to fulfil those death penalties threatened in the Torah, the execution of which, however, is not within the function of a human tribunal, and for the violation of the law regarding the fruits of the seventh year. The sword comes into the world for the delay of justice, and for the perversion of justice, and on account of the offence of those who interpret the Torah not according to its true sense. Wild beasts come into the world for perjury, and for the profanation of the Divine Name. Captivity comes into the world on account of idolatry, immorality, bloodshed, and the neglect of the year of rest for the soil.
Today is the 40th day of the Counting of the Omer, meaning that it was on this day in AD 30 when Yeshua ascended into the Heavens to sit at the Right Hand of God.
Acts 1:1-3, indicates that from the Firstfruits Resurrection of Yeshua until the day Yeshua was taken up into Heaven, He "through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles" and "presented Himself alive by many infallible proofs" during a period of 40 days. The number 40 usually represents a time of transition, judgment or testing in Scripture, and indeed there was a major transition occurring as God's time on the Earth in the flesh was ending and the New Covenant was ready to be poured out by the Holy Spirit upon all who believe. It would be just 10 days later that the Holy Spirit would descend upon "all flesh," so that God would next dwell in the hearts of all believing men and women who follow Yeshua's Way, but on this day the LORD had ascended and the messengers in white apparel said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Yeshua, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into Heaven?" This is a calling on us as much as them to not just stand still waiting for the Day of the LORD, but to go out and live out the LORD's will in our lives. As we wait for the day and hour of the LORD's return that no one knows, what kind of person ought we be in holy conduct and godliness, making disciples for Yeshua, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them the commandments of God? For those of us who believe and have received the Holy Spirit, today is the day to do the LORD's will in our lives, for who knows what tomorrow brings!
For more thoughts on this day of recognition, the 40th Day of the Omer, Ascension Day in common understanding, please also consider Pastor Mike Sutcliffe's devotional for the 40th day following Firstfruits:
https://majimart.us/
In case you are interested in Incense, we sell high quality resins and powders. Praise His Name and burn incense to help fulfill prophecy!
Malachi 1:11
11 “For from sunrise to its setting[a] My Name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to My Name with a pure grain offering, for My Name will be great among the nations,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
Ooof its been 10 weeks since I was here? That is a long time. Speaking of Time, here is an interesting piece I made based on Solomons Temple Laver. Inspired by an old picture of the High Priest I realized something. Looking at the Laver from a birds eye view the horns of the Bulls would look like New Moon, from a night perspective. In the day it would have looked like the sun. Here we have the basis for the calendar. The old picture of the priest had a New Moon sliver on the forehead. Everything clicked into place.
Ooof its been 10 weeks since I was here? That is a long time. Speaking of Time, here is an interesting piece I made based on Solomons Temple Laver. Inspired by an old picture of the High Priest I realized something. Looking at the Laver from a birds eye view the horns of the Bulls would look like New Moon, from a night perspective. In the day it would have looked like the sun. Here we have the basis for the calendar. The old picture of the priest had a New Moon sliver on the forehead. Everything clicked into place.
Ooof its been 10 weeks since I was here? That is a long time. Speaking of Time, here is an interesting piece I made based on Solomons Temple Laver. Inspired by an old picture of the High Priest I realized something. Looking at the Laver from a birds eye view the horns of the Bulls would look like New Moon, from a night perspective. In the day it would have looked like the sun. Here we have the basis for the calendar. The old picture of the priest had a New Moon sliver on the forehead. Everything clicked into place.
Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.
Romans 16:13 ESV
Rufus is a common Latin name, but there is a Rufus mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. The Gospels tell of how the Roman soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene to carry Yeshua’s cross. Mark 15:21 adds that this Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. It seems strange to mention the two sons if Mark didn’t expect that other followers of the Way would know of them. We can’t know for certain that this is the same Rufus, but it seems possible.
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