Today is the first day of the 8th biblical month.
https://messiahslove.com/alive..../new-moon-watch-2025
Thought for Today: Friday October 24
We should seek to produce the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Or to put it more accurately, we should allow the Holy Spirit to produce His Fruit in our lives. You say: “I am powerless to produce such fruit. You do not know how weak and self-centred I am. It would be impossible for me to do so!” With that I agree. That is, we cannot produce this Fruit in our own strength… Our responsibility is to cultivate the soil of our hearts through sincere devotion and surrender, so He might find favourable ground to produce His Fruit.
Here's this week's Sabbath bulletin for First Fruits Ministries: https://firstfruits.cc/blog/20....25/10/23/sabbath-bul
Then he sent out a raven and it kept going back and forth until the waters were drying up from the land.
Genesis 8:7 TLV
Why a raven first? As a carrion eater, it would be satisfied with any piece of bare ground with something dead nearby, but Noah knew that there was some dry ground outside. Perhaps it was to make sure that all corruption had been washed away? The raven goes first to ensure that death is complete and the ground is ready to begin producing life.
I'm curious what others think.
102325 / 30th day of the 7th month 5786 or 1st day of the 8th month 5786
WORD FOR TODAY “do you deserve mercy”: Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! Rom 9:15 For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." Rom 9:16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
WISDOM FOR TODAY: Pro 21:12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he overthrows the wicked to their ruin.
Ask the LORD how you can serve HIM better
www.BGMCTV.org
BIBLE STUDY --- BOOKS OF THE TANAKH {NEVI’IM}
BOOKS OF 1 & 2 SAMUEL --- PART 3
DAVID {2 SAMUEL 2–24}
Subsequent to Saul’s death, Adonai instructed David to go to Hebron, where the tribe of Judah anointed him as their king.
DAVID, ISHBOSHETH, AND ABNER {2 SAMUEL 2:8–4:12}
Although David became king over Judah, the remaining tribes -- under the influence of Abner, commander of Saul’s army -- recognized Ishbosheth as Saul’s successor {2:8-10}. Ishbosheth was a son of Saul who had survived the battle with the Philistines. Conflict quickly broke out between the men of David, led by Joab, and the men of Ishbosheth, led by Abner. In this conflict Asahel, Joab’s brother, was slain by Abner. As David grew stronger and Ishbosheth weaker, Abner shifted his allegiance from Ishbosheth to David {3:1-21}. Joab however, avenged the blood of his brother Asahel by murdering Abner under the pretence of negotiating with him. Although David detested this act, mourned for Abner, and cursed Joab, the crime was not punished until early in the reign of Solomon {see 1 Kings 2:5-6, 29-34}. Shortly afterward, Ishbosheth was killed by two soldiers, who brought his head to David at Hebron, expecting to be rewarded {2 Samuel 4:1-8}. David however, had them both put to death. The only male survivor of Saul’s line was the crippled son of Jonathan named Mephibosheth.
DAVID KING OVER ALL ISRAEL {2 SAMUEL 5}
After Ishbosheth’s death, David was made king over all the tribes at Hebron. One of David’s first acts as king was to capture the fortress of Zion from the Jebusites. David established Zion as his capital and built a palace there for his residence.
THE ARK BROUGHT TO JERUSALEM {2 SAMUEL 6}
Recognizing the importance of the Ark as a symbol of YHVH’s presence with his people, David determined that it should be brought to Jerusalem from the obscurity of the house of Abinadab in Kiriath-jearim, where it had remained throughout the entirety of Saul’s reign. Violation of prescriptions for handling the Ark led to the death of Uzzah, one of Abinadab’s sons, and delayed the Ark’s conveyance to Jerusalem for three months. In a second attempt David led a joyful procession into the city of Jerusalem, where the Ark was placed in a tent that had been prepared for it.
DAVID, NATHAN, AND THE TEMPLE {2 SAMUEL 7}
It soon became David’s desire to build a temple to house the Ark and provide a centre for Israel’s worship of Adonai. Adonai told David through Nathan the prophet that he was not to build Adonai a house {temple} but that Adonai would build him a house {a dynasty} that would endure forever. Here the line of the promised seed is narrowed to the house of David within the tribe of Judah. This promise finds its fulfilment in the birth of Yeshua, who was the “son of David, the son of Abraham” {see Matthew 1:1}. It would be the task of Solomon, David’s son, to construct the temple {2 Samuel 7:13}.
DAVID’S VICTORIES {2 SAMUEL 8}
David was able to defeat numerous surrounding peoples, to extend Israel’s borders, and to establish a time of prosperity and rest for the nation.
DAVID AND MEPHIBOSHETH {2 SAMUEL 9}
Remembering his Covenant with Jonathan {see 1 Samuel 18:1-3; 20:13-16, 42}, David inquired concerning survivors of the house of Saul to whom he could show kindness. When Mephibosheth was sought out, David brought him to the court to enjoy the honour of eating at the king’s table.
DAVID AND BATHSHEBA {2 SAMUEL 10–12}
During a war with the Ammonites, David committed adultery with the wife of one of his soldiers, Uriah the Hittite. When Bathsheba became pregnant, David attempted to get Uriah to sleep with her. When this failed, David arranged for Uriah’s certain death in battle. These sinful acts provoked YHVH’s wrath {2 Samuel 12:10-12} and David experienced the bitter fruits of his misconduct during the remainder of his life.
AMNON, ABSALOM, AND TAMAR {2 SAMUEL 13}
David’s oldest son, Amnon, feigned sickness in order to arrange for his half-sister, Tamar, to care for him. When Tamar refused Amnon’s sexual advances to her, he raped her. This incident enraged Tamar’s full brother Absalom, who determined to avenge his sister by killing Amnon. Absalom waited two years and then arranged for the murder of Amnon during the festivities of the time of sheepshearing. He then fled to Geshur, a small city-state in Syria, where his maternal grandfather was king.
DAVID AND ABSALOM {2 SAMUEL 14–19}
Absalom remained in exile for three years until Joab arranged for his return by securing a renunciation of blood revenge from David {14:1-27}. Upon Absalom’s return however, David refused to see him for two years, until they were finally reconciled. In this whole episode David sidestepped the issues of repentance and justice and took no effective disciplinary action. In the meantime, Absalom conspired to take the throne from David his father by attempting to discredit his administration of justice, and by seeking to win the favour of the people and members of David’s court. After four years, Absalom proclaimed himself king in Hebron and gathered sufficient military strength to force his father to flee from Jerusalem {chapter 15}. Failure to immediately pursue David led to the defeat of Absalom’s forces and to Absalom’s own death at the hand of Joab, David’s commander. David mourned for his son Absalom {19:1-8}, but he was able to return to Jerusalem and to re-establish his government. David disciplined Joab for killing Absalom by replacing him as commander of his troops with Amasa.
REBELLION OF SHEBA {2 SAMUEL 20}
In the unsettled conditions immediately after David’s return to Jerusalem, another abortive revolt was attempted by Sheba of the tribe of Benjamin. Joab, in defiance of David’s disciplinary action, killed Amasa, pursued Sheba, and crushed his revolt.
DAVID AND THE GIBEONITES {2 SAMUEL 21:1-14}
At some unspecified time during David’s reign, the land suffered a three-year famine. It was revealed to David by Adonai that the famine was due to Saul’s violation of an Israelite treaty with the Gibeonites {see Joshua 9:15, 18-27}. This offense was atoned for by giving seven descendants of Saul to the Gibeonites for execution.
DAVID AND THE PHILISTINES {2 SAMUEL 21:15-22}
In this pericope four episodes of heroic accomplishments by David’s mighty men against the Philistines are recounted.
DAVID’S SONG OF PRAISE {2 SAMUEL 22}
In a beautiful song of praise, David described his deliverance from his enemies and the help with which Adonai sustained him. The same song occurs with minor variations in Psalm 18.
DAVID’S LAST WORDS {2 SAMUEL 23:1-7}
In a brief statement, David acknowledges the work of YHVH’s Spirit in enabling him to speak YHVH’s Word, and proclaims his confidence in the realization of Adonai’s promise to him and his dynasty.
DAVID’S MIGHTY MEN {2 SAMUEL 23:8-39}
This pericope contains a list of 37 of David’s warriors and a description of some of their accomplishments.
THE CENSUS AND DAVID’S PUNISHMENT {2 SAMUEL 24:1-25}
David’s decision to take a census of his fighting men reflected an improper trust in military-political organization and power. Adonai judged him by sending a plague on the land that killed many people. At the Word of Adonai through Gad the prophet, David built an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah, which was later to become the site of the temple {see 2 Chronicles 3:1}. Adonai responded to David’s sacrifices and prayers on behalf of the people; the plague was stopped.
TTN Music 
TTN Promo 
