"Thus saith Yahweh, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and withdraweth his heart from Yahweh."

Je 17

2 Samuel 7:22, “How great You are, O Lord GOD! For there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.” David would repeat this thought often in the Psalms he would write. This may be the closest way we have for us to express how great our Creator is.

#standstrong #persecutedbelievers

(Not New Moon date this Year)

https://youtu.be/_1XRu_euqFE?si=URQi5gESjytYC8rs

Thought for Today: Sunday May 04

Make peace with the problems in your life. Though many things feel random and wrong, remember that YHVH is Sovereign over everything. He can fit everything into a pattern for good, but you will have to trust in Him. Every problem can teach you something, transforming you little by little into the masterpiece He created you to be. The choice is up to you and you may have to choose many times a day whether to trust Him or defy Him. Choose wisely.

https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/how-to-know-i

Today is day 15 of 50 days to Shavu'ot Countdown!

READINGS FOR OMER COUNT – DAY 15

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 fifteenth day, making two weeks and one day 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 38

O YHWH, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chastise me in Your hot displeasure!

For Your arrows have pierced me, And Your hand comes down on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your rage, Nor peace in my bones because of my sin.

For my crookednesses have passed over my head; Like a heavy burden, too heavy for me.

My wounds have become stinky, festering Because of my folly.

I have been bent down; I have been bowed down very much; All day long I have gone mourning.

For my loins have become filled with burning, And there is no soundness in my flesh.

I have become weak and greatly crushed; I howled from the groaning of my heart.

YHWH, all my desire is before You; And my sighing has not been hid from You.

My heart is throbbing, my strength has forsaken me; And the light of my eyes also is not with me.

My loved ones and my friends stand back from my plague, And my neighbors stand far away.

And those seeking my life lay a snare; And those seeking my evil have spoken of destruction, And utter deceit all day long.

But I, as one deaf, do not hear; And as a dumb one who does not open his mouth.

I am like a man who does not hear, And who has no rebukes in his mouth.

For on You, O YHWH, I have waited; You do answer, O YHWH my Elohim.

For I said, “Otherwise they would rejoice over me, When my foot slips they would exalt themselves over me.”

For I am ready to fall, And my pain is always with me.

For I confess my crookedness; I am sorry over my sin.

But my enemies are alive; They have become strong; And those hating me falsely are many.

And those who repay evil for excellence, They oppose me, because I follow what is excellent.

Do not forsake me, O YHWH; O my Elohim, be not far from me!

Hasten to help me, O YHWH, my deliverance!

READINGS: TEHILLAH 39

I have said, “Let me guard my ways Against sinning with my tongue; Let me guard my mouth with a muzzle, While the wrongdoer is before me.”

I became dumb, keeping still; I was silent, from excellence; And my pain was stirred.

My heart was hot within me; While I was meditating, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

“YHWH, let me know my end, And the measure of my days, what it is, Let me know how short-lived I am.

“See, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime is as non-existence before You; Only, all men standing, are all breath. Selah.

“As but a shadow each one walks; They busy themselves, only in vain; He heaps up wealth, But knows not who gathers them.

“And now, YHWH, what do I wait for? My expectancy is in You.

“Deliver me from all my transgressions; Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.

“I was dumb, I did not open my mouth, Because it was You who did it.

“Turn aside Your stroke from me; I am overcome by the blow of Your hand.

“When You chastise man for crookedness with reproofs, You consume what he loves, like a moth; All men are but a breath. Selah.

“Hear my prayer, O YHWH, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

“Look away from me, That I might brighten up, Before I go away and am no more.”

READINGS: MISHLE 12:1-14

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.

The excellent obtains favor from YHWH, But the man of wicked devices He declares wrong.

A man is not established by wrongness, But the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

A capable wife is the crown of her husband, But one causing shame is like rottenness in his bones.

The thoughts of the righteous are judgment, The counsels of the wrong are deceit.

The words of the wrong are, “Lie in wait for blood,” But the mouth of the straight delivers them.

The wrong are overthrown, And are no more, But the house of the righteous stands.

A man is praised according to his wisdom, But the perverted of heart becomes despised.

Better to be lightly esteemed and have a servant, Than the highly esteemed who lacks bread.

The righteous regards the life of his beast, But the compassion of the wrong is cruelty.

He who tills his land is satisfied with bread, But he who pursues vanities is lacking heart.

The wrong shall covet the catch of evil-doers, But the root of the righteous yields fruit.

In the transgression of the lips is an evil snare, But the righteous gets out of distress.

From the fruit of his mouth one is filled with excellence, And the work of a man’s hands is given back to him.

READINGS: AVOTH 2:18-19

Rabbi Shim’on said, be careful to read the Sh'ma, and to say the Amidah; and when thou prayest, regard not thy prayer as a fixed mechanical task, but as an appeal for mercy and grace before the Temple (as it is said, for He is gracious and full of mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness, and relenteth Him of the evil); and be not wicked in thine own esteem.

Rabbi Elazar said, be eager to learn Torah; know what answer to give to the unbeliever; know also before Whom thou toilest, and who thy Employer is, who will pay thee the reward of thy labor.