READINGS FOR OMER COUNT – DAY 32
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 thirty-second day, making four weeks and four 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 86
Incline Your ear, O YHWH, Answer me, for I am poor and needy.
Guard my being, for I am merciful; You are my Elohim; Save Your servant who is trusting in You!
Show favor to me, O YHWH, For I cry to You all day long.
Bring joy to the being of Your servant, For to You, O YHWH, I lift up my being.
For You, YHWH, are excellent, and ready to forgive, And great in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Give ear, O YHWH, to my prayer; And listen to the voice of my pleadings.
In the day of my distress I call upon You, For You answer me.
There is none like You among the mighty ones, O YHWH; And like Your works there are none.
Let all nations You have made Come and bow themselves before You, O YHWH, And give esteem to Your Name.
For You are great, and are doing wonders; You are Elohim, You alone.
Teach me Your way, O YHWH; Let me walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name.
I praise You, O YHWH my Elohim, with all my heart, And I esteem Your Name forever.
For Your mercy is great toward me, And You have delivered my being From the depths of She’ol.
O Elohim, the proud have risen against me, And a band of dreaded men have sought my life, And have not set You before them.
But You, O YHWH, Are a compassionate Ěl and showing favor, Patient and great in mercy and truth.
Turn to me, and show favor to me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your female servant.
Show me a sign for excellence, And let those hating me see it and be ashamed, For You, YHWH, have helped me and comforted me.
READINGS: TEHILLAH 87
His foundation is In the set-apart mountains.
YHWH loves the gates of Tsiyon More than all the dwellings of Ya‛aqoḇ.
Esteemed matters are spoken of you, O city of Elohim: Selah.
“I mention Rahaḇ and Baḇel to those who know Me; See, O Philistia and Tsor, with Kush, ‘This and that one was born there.’”
And of Tsiyon it is said, “Each one was born in her; For the Most High Himself does establish her.”
YHWH does write, In the register of the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah.
And the singers and the players on instruments – All my fountains, are in you.
READINGS: TEHILLAH 88
O YHWH, Elohim of my deliverance, By day I have cried out, In the night also before You, Let my prayer come before You, Incline Your ear to my cry.
For my being is filled with evils, And my life draws near to She’ol.
I have been reckoned among those Who go down to the pit; I have become like a man Who has no strength, Released among the dead, Like slain ones lying in the burial-site, Whom You have remembered no more, And who have been cut off from Your hand.
You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths.
Your wrath has rested heavily upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your breakers. Selah.
You have put away my friends far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut in and do not go out; My eye grows dim because of affliction. YHWH, I have called upon You, all day long; I have stretched out my hands to You.
Would You work wonders for the dead? Would the dead rise to praise You? Selah.
Is Your mercy declared in the burial-site? Your trustworthiness in the place of destruction?
Are Your wonders known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of no remembrance?
But I, unto You I have cried, O YHWH, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
YHWH, why do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
I am afflicted and dying from childhood; I have borne frightening matters from You; I am in despair.
Your fierce wrath has gone over me; Your onslaughts have cut me off.
They surrounded me like water all day long; They close in upon me altogether.
You have put loved one and companion far from me, Darkness is my close friend!
READINGS: MISHLE 20:16-30
Take the garment of one who is guarantor for a stranger, And hold it as a pledge when it is for foreigners.
Bread gained by deceit might be sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth is filled with gravel.
By counsel plans are established; And by wise guidance wage a battle.
He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with him Who speaks smoothly with his lips.
Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp is put out in deep darkness.
An inheritance obtained with greed at the beginning Is not blessed at the end.
Do not say, “I repay evil.” Wait for YHWH, and He saves you.
Differing weights are an abomination to YHWH, And a false scale is not excellent.
The steps of a man are from YHWH; What does a man know about his own way?
It is a snare for a man to say rashly, “It is set-apart,” And only later to reconsider his vows.
A wise king winnows out the wrong, And turns the wheel over them.
The spirit of a man is the lamp of YHWH, Searching all his inmost parts.
Mercy and truth watch over the king, And he shall support his throne by mercy.
The comeliness of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their grey hair.
The blows that wound cleanse away evil, And strokes the inner parts of the heart.
READINGS: AVOTH 4:13-15
Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’aqov said, he who does one excellent deed has gotten himself one advocate; and he who commits one transgression has gotten himself one accuser. Repentance and deeds of charity are as a shield against punishment.
Rabbi Yochanan the sandal maker said, every assembly which is in the name of Heaven will in the end be established; but that which is not in the name of Heaven will not in the end be established.
Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua said, let the honor of thy disciple be as dear to thee as thine own, and the honor of thine associate be like the reverence for thy master, and the reverence for thy master like the fear of Heaven.
Everyone will be judged for his own sins regardless of rank, wealth, or accomplishments (Isaiah 24:2), however the consequences of our sins go far beyond ourselves. For example, sin causes the land to be cursed and unproductive (Isaiah 24:5-6).
Consequences aren't always obvious, but are still real. Many things that we often call "victimless crimes" aren't victimless at all. Of course, many things that we often call "crimes" aren't crimes at all either.
Another Fischer book Review worth checking out: https://thekingdomnetwork.us/2....025/05/15/book-revie
Today is day 31 of 50 days to Shavu'ot Countdown!
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 24:33-34 ESV
Every slide into poverty begins with one small, easy decision and then another and another. Choose to do the hard thing today and your life will be better tomorrow.
SOCIAL MEDIA
PART 4
A SOCIAL MEDIA THAT INVOLVES YOU
Sometimes I wonder how many believers are acting as spectators of the Gospel, when YHVH has called them to be participants. Have you ever wondered what would happen if every member, of every faith-based social media platform, was fully involved in the work of spreading the truth? The results would be phenomenal. A true faith-based social media platform should want to involve every member in the work of ministry. Because when you discover what your purpose is and begin doing what you should do in your local social media platform context, you will find more fulfillment than you have ever known before. Let me give you four basic reasons why each of us needs to be involved:
1. I AM CREATED FOR SPREADING THE GOSPEL:
Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Why did YHVH put me here on earth?” If so, you are not alone; most people that I meet seem to have a real lack of direction, a need for purpose but no real sense of what it should be. The good news is that YHVH is very clear that each of us have been created or perhaps I should say recreated in Yeshua Moshiach specifically to do works of ministry. “For we are his workmanship, created in Moshiach Yeshua unto good works, which YHVH hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) There are two fundamental truths in this passage that are important for us today: 1.) You are YHVH’s Masterpiece (YHVH has fashioned you) 2.) You are a Moshiach follower (YHVH has empowered you). Once you understand that these two truths apply to your personal situation you begin looking at yourself and your calling a little bit differently. If you run from these two truths, you will find yourself becoming increasingly uncomfortable with your faith, with your Gospel spreading social media platform and with your faith-based relationships. Why? Because you are trying to be a person that YHVH has not created you to be; you are putting a square block in a round hole. This is not something to run away from, but to run to, because it is in the discovery and implementation of these truths that I finally find fulfilment.
2. I AM GIFTED FOR SPREADING THE GOSPEL:
Not only does YHVH create us to spread His Word, He also gives us at least one spiritual gift so that we can function in that context at the highest and best level. “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of YHVH. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of YHVH; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which YHVH giveth: that YHVH in all things may be glorified through Yeshua Moshiach, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11) Now this is not an exhaustive list of the spiritual gifts that YHVH gives, it is given to us as an example of the variety of ways that YHVH gifts His children. The emphasis here is that each of us needs to be fully involved in the area of the Word that YHVH has gifted us for. When we are not each using our spiritual gifts in the work of the faith-based social media platform you are part of, that platform suffers and those that are not using their gifts suffer too. Think about it this way: What happens in your life when one part of your body stops functioning? You get sick and you may die if one part of your body does not function. If you are a true believer, that means you are part of the body of Moshiach. If you are not functioning it makes the rest of us sick. It makes an unhealthy body. What if one day you receive a phone call from your liver? And your liver said, "I do not feel like functioning this year. I just want to be fed." You would say, "What kind of liver are you? Get back to work!" What if your heart called up or your gall bladder or spleen and said, "I don't feel like functioning in the body this year. I just want to be fed." You would say, "You get back to work!" A non-functioning body part is not doing its job, not pulling its weight, not serving its function. The strength of any faith-based social media platform is not the leaders or owners of that platform. It is in the members of that platform that understand the necessity of using their spiritual gifts in ministry.
3. I AM NEEDED FOR SPREADING THE GOSPEL:
In a part of New York City that has been rated the "most likely place to get killed," pastor Bill Wilson has been stabbed twice, shot at and had a member of his team killed: He tells this story of a remarkable person that grew to understand that she was needed in spreading the Gospel on her social media platform. "One Puerto Rican lady, after getting saved on that platform, came to pastor Wilson with an urgent request. She did not speak a word of English, so she told him through an interpreter, 'she want to do something for YHVH.' " He answered that he does not know what she could do,' The lady then asked him. “Please, let me do something”. Pastor Wilson answered: “Okay I will put you on a bus. Ride a different bus every week and just love the kids.” "So, every week she rode a different bus and loved the children. She would find the worst-looking kid on the bus, put him on her lap and whisper over and over the only words she had learned in English: 'I love you. Yeshua loves you.' "After several months, she became attached to one little boy in particular.’I do not want to change buses anymore. I want to stay on this one bus,' she said. "The boy did not speak. He went to Sunday school every week with his sister and sat on the woman's lap, but he never made a sound. Each week she would tell him all the way to Sunday school and all the way home, 'I love you and Yeshua loves you.' "One day, to her amazement, the little boy turned around and stammered, 'I-I love you too.' Then he put his arms around her and gave her a big hug. "That was 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon. At 6:30 that night, the boy was found dead in a garbage bag under a fire escape. His mother had beaten him to death and thrown his body in the trash. "I love you and Yeshua loves you.' Those were some of the last words he heard in his short life, from the lips of a Puerto Rican woman who could barely speak English. "Who among us is qualified to preach the Gospel? Who among us even knows what to do? Not you; not me. But this woman who could not speak English received some holy fire. And so can you. “Now ye are the body of Moshiach, and members in particular.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) The issue surrounding involvement is not how much Bible training you have or whether you were raised in any faith-based upbringing or what your social standing is in the community. The issue here is a realization that no matter who you are you are needed in the work of the Gospel. There is going to be some little boy or little girl or some confused soul coming across the platform you are part of, that is going to have his/her life changed because you came to the realization that YHVH needs you to have an active role in His work. Do not let anybody ever tell you that you are not needed in following Yeshua Moshiach to spread His Word. You are an integral part of what a truthful fait-based platform do and you are needed.
4. I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR SPREADING THE GOSPEL:
The fact is that nobody is responsible for every work of ministry, but every faith-based platform should be responsible for the area of ministry that YHVH has given to them. “I therefore, the prisoner of Adonai, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1) Imagine that you were the first one to get this letter from Paul and you had slacked off in your responsibility of involvement. He is writing you from a prison cell where he is doing time because of his involvement in ministry and he bids you to be willing to give your life to the cause. -- I have tried, but it is really hard for me to work up a bunch of sympathy for people that tell me they are too busy to get involved in the work of spreading the Gospel. I am not saying that just because I am a believer, I felt the same way when I gave lectures on university and attended social media platform. Here I have Paul going to prison and eventually being executed for His involvement; I see the example of the early churches in Acts laying it all on the line in the same way; I see that men, women and children for thousands of years have given up everything they had to serve Yeshua Moshiach and it is very hard for me, looking at them to say, “Sorry, I just cannot get involved,” or “I worked hard for years, now it’s my turn to sit back and let others spread the Gospel.” “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” (Mark 8:34-35) True faith-based social media platforms are not supposed to apologize for asking people to give their all to the cause of Yeshua Moshiach; if we were to do that, we would cease being true followers of Yeshua. Yeshua says that true life is only experienced when we fulfil our calling to serve. It is only when we give our life as an offering of service that we begin to understand what the Kingdom of YHVH is really all about. You are responsible before YHVH and I am responsible before YHVH, for what we do with the responsibility of spreading the Gospel that He has given to us.
When Rosina Hernandez was in college, she once attended a rock concert at which one young man was brutally beaten by another. No one made an attempt to stop the beating. The next day she was shocked to learn that the young man had died as a result of the pounding. Yet neither she nor anyone else had raised a hand to help him. She could never forget the incident or her responsibility as an inactive bystander. Some years later, Rosina saw another catastrophe. A car driving in the rain ahead of her suddenly skidded and plunged into Biscayne Bay. The car landed head down in the water with only the tail end showing. In a moment a woman appeared on the surface, shouting for help and saying her husband was stuck inside. This time Rosina waited for no one. She plunged into the water, tried unsuccessfully to open the car door, then pounded on the back window as other bystanders stood on the causeway and watched. First, she screamed at them, begging for help and then cursed them, telling them there was a man dying in the car. Then one man, then another, finally came to help. Together they broke the safety glass and dragged the man out. They were just in time; a few minutes later it would have been all over. The woman thanked Rosina for saving her husband and Rosina was elated, riding an emotional high that lasted for weeks. She had promised herself that she would never again fail to do anything she could to save a human live. She had made good on her promise.
Like Rosina, we see people perishing around us with very few people who are able to help willing to get involved enough to save them. They are dying without a relationship with Yeshua Moshiach and they are dropping like flies. It is not that they cannot be saved or that we do not have the means to save them; what determines whether they make it or not is many times dependent on whether we are willing to get involved. If you are involved in the work of a faith-based social media platform today, I want to encourage you and praise YHVH for you because you have answered His call. There is nothing else that you will ever experience that will give you greater satisfaction. If you are a member of truth-based platform today and you are not involved in debates or giving your views or even asking questions, why not? What is holding you back?
SOCIAL MEDIA
PART 3
A SOCIAL MEDIA THAT INVESTS IN YOU
It seems like almost anyone you talk to these days is involved at some level in investing. Not so many years ago it would have been unusual to hear many people that were middle class or below that had any money invested in anything other than a savings account. But today it is common to hear these same people talking about investments and paying very close attention to their portfolio. The faith-based social media platform is also in the business of investing; of course, our main investment is not in the stock market, but in people. A truthful faith-based platform wants to invest in you the things that will help you to become a fully devoted follower of Yeshua Moshiach and they are expecting a return on that investment. Let us take a look in exactly what it is the faith-based social media is investing in people and what type of return they should expect. When I say “they” invest, I mean the faith-based social media as a whole, not just the leaders, in fact, as a member of that platform, you are one of the ones investing in other people, while at the same being invested in yourself. First of all, let’s talk about…
The Investment…:
There are four main ways that they invest in people; we could list some others, but I believe these four cover most of the territory. I realize that most faith based platforms are not perfect in all of these areas, but this is what they need to strive for.
1. Love: First and foremost, the faith-based social media platform should be a place where you can experience the Love of YHVH from the people of YHVH. They do not love you because you are such a lovable person, they do not love you because you have done something for them and they owe you and they do not love you because they want to get something from you, a true faith-based platform’s motive is supposed to be pure. They should love you because they have been loved by YHVH and they want you to share in that experience with them. “Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” (Romans 12:10) This is exactly what they need to accomplish; they must no desire to be fake or pretend to be something that they are not. A faith-based social media platform simply needs to genuinely love and honour you as a fellow human being. Their love that is invested in you is an extension of the love that has been invested in them by YHVH Himself. Admittedly, this is not something that is always easy, but it is something that a true faith-based platform makes a concerted effort at accomplishing. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” (Hebrews 10:24) Notice that he says to “think of ways” to do this; the idea is that as a faith based social media platform, are to actually plan and discover ways of loving each other better. How would you like to be on a committee like that? Your job is to find out how to love people in the way YHVH loves them. The truth is, we are all on that team on such a platform and they want to invest in you with the love of Yeshua Moshiach.
2. Time: Maybe you heard about the guy that wanted to go to a Time Management seminar once, but he could not fit it into his schedule. The truth of the matter is we all need to value the time that we have. We need to make sure that we are making good use of it, as we really do not know how much time we have left. When I say we need to make good use of it, sometimes that good use is relaxing, spending time with your family or going on holiday. As said in part 3, it is of utmost importance that we are each involved in the work of your faith based social media and that takes time. Many, many people are investing their time in your life through a truthful faith-based platform because they care about your soul and what YHVH wants from us. Why do they do that? Why do people spend hours preparing Bible teachings each week? Why does worship teams spend so much time rehearsing? Why do volunteers in many different areas spend so much time doing what they do? Is it that none of these people have anything else to do? Is it because they have no other demands on their time? No, they do what they do because they care about you and to spread the Gospel and they believe that the time they invest in their various faith-based platforms is time well-spent because it will have a positive impact for the Kingdom of YHVH. Now you might spend your time in one area and I spend mine in another, and in doing so we are investing in each other the way YHVH wants us to.
3. Guidance: At a 1999 conference, a missionary to Africa, told of bringing some African pastors to gather for a big meeting. During their free time, these Africans wanted to go shopping. Even though they were in a small town, the organiser knew there was a chance someone might have difficulty or get lost. So, she gave them her phone number for such an emergency. In less than an hour the phone rang and the African said, "I am lost." The organiser said, "Put the phone down, go to the street corner, find out the names of the two streets at the corner, come back and tell me and I will come and get you." In a few minutes the lost pastor returned to the phone and reported, "I am at the corner of 'Walk' and 'Don't walk.'" Sometimes in life many people feel like they are at the same corner. A faith-based social media platform is supposed to help guide you toward making the right decisions that will impact your life in a positive way. They should do that through teaching, through discussions, through Bible study, through personal counsel, through notifications and many other ways. They should invest what YHVH has taught us into your life so that you can invest it into other people’s lives. “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Moshiach Yeshua.” (Colossians 1:28) That is exactly how a true faith-based platform should invest in the lives people. Warning and teaching with the wisdom that YHVH has given to each participant and member. Is it for personal benefit? No, it is so everyone they are in contact with can be presented to YHVH perfect in their relationship to Moshiach.
4. Support: “as also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of Adonai Yeshua.” (2 Corinthians 1:14) What troubles does YHVH comfort us in? All of them! Why does He comfort us in our troubles? So that we can comfort others! A true faith-base platform are supposed to invest in you by giving you the support you need when trials and tribulations come into your life. They should have other believers on their prayer chain that are ready to pray for you as soon as they know about your need. They should have believers that is designed specifically to help those in various social media platforms who have various needs. They should have people that are more than willing to talk with you, comfort you, pray with you, encourage you or do whatever else is necessary. They should want to invest in you by supporting you in the best way that they know how. These are four ways how a true faith-based social media platform should invest in each other’s lives. These are ways that members should invest in each other’s lives. They should not make investments to gain anything personally, but at the same time they must realize that when an investment is made, there is going to be some kind of return. Biblically speaking, when a faith-based platform invest in the way I have described, something good is going to happen in everybody’s lives and is also going to happen to the social media platform as a whole.
The Return…:
Just like the four ways that a faith-based platform should invest in people’s lives, there are four returns or expectations that such a platform should have for each and every member and visitor. In other words, when you have been loved, had such platforms giving their time to you and had them guide and support you, these four qualities will be part of your life.
1. Unity: The monks at a remote monastery in England followed a rigid vow of silence. Their vow could only be broken once a year, on fellow monks, by one monk. That monk could speak only one sentence. One monk, Brother Thomas had his turn to speak and said, "I love the delightful mashed potatoes we have every year with the roast!" Then he sat down. Silence ensued for 365 days. The next monk, Brother Michael got his turn and said, "I think the mashed potatoes are lumpy and I truly despise them!" Once again, silence ensued for 365 days. The following monk, Brother Paul rose and said, "I am fed up with this constant bickering!" Some people just cannot get along, can they? When you tell other people about all that true faith-based platforms are doing, and at the same time tell them that the platform you use is united, they find that sometimes hard to believe. They are so used to hearing about fights and splits and bickering between believers, that they have trouble comprehending how any faith-based platform can be moving forward, making changes and demonstrating believer’s unity at the same time. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:21) I am not surprised by the unity in some platforms, because I know that if they are truly investing in people the way as described, this is going to be the natural result. This is a return on our investment that we cannot do without.
2. Devotion: The book of Acts gives us the history of the early gatherings. Acts 2 gives us an account of the very first church gathered together in worship. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42) These early believers were devoted to four basic things: Apostle’s teaching, Fellowship, Adonai’s Supper and Prayer. Why were they devoted to these things? Because they had been experiencing what it meant to be invested in by YHVH and by each other. That investment led them to pour out their hearts to YHVH and to fellow believers. When people are being invested in, they will begin to have a deeper level of commitment to both our YHVH we worship and to their fellow members on their faith-based social media platforms.
3. Growth: Unlike the stock market, when you are investing in people, you are going to see them going up and not down. They are going to grow to heights beyond your expectation. Sometimes the people which faith-based social platforms invest in will grow beyond their spiritual journey. When the members of such platforms invest in each other, spiritual growth is a sure result. “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.” (Romans 1:11-12)
4. Fulfilment: Here is the last return on our investment; when we are ministered to by a true faith-based social media platform; we begin to live a life of satisfaction. We know that we are in the right place, doing what YHVH has called us to do, ministering to others and being ministered to ourselves. Learning from each other. We have found what it is we were looking for.
SOCIAL MEDIA
PART 2
A SOCIAL MEDIA THAT INSTRUCTS YOU
In part 1, you read about inclusion; that we want to be on a social media where people know that they belong, that they are a part of the group and that they are loved and cared for. This is an important facet in being on a social media where you can learn about YHVH, but remember, a faith-based social media platform, must be more than just a place to belong, the faith-based social media must also be a place where we receive instruction for a better life. The faith-based social media platform must reach out and bring people into a relationship with Yeshua, but once those people are reached, this faith-based platform needs spiritual food to train them in the things of YHVH. The biblical word for this is discipleship. For discipleship to be effective we have to have disciples that want to be instructed and a place for them to receive the instruction they need. In other words, both you as an individual and the social media as a whole, have the responsibility to see that you grow in your relationship with Yeshua Moshiach. “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8) This is our personal responsibility; each of us must see to it that we are willing to spend the time and effort to become spiritually fit. We can have the best teaching, preaching, worship and programs, but unless you are willing to take personal responsibility in the area of spiritual growth, it is not going to happen. At the same time the social media is responsible to provide a place for you to grow in this way. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Moshiach until we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of YHVH, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Moshiach.” (Ephesians 4:11-13) So if you take your responsibility to learn seriously and the leaders of your social media take their responsibility to equip seriously, we will have the kind of social media that does discipleship the way that YHVH will be glorified and we will all benefit from that.
1. A PLACE TO GROW:
My desire is that social media platforms be the kind of places where you know that you can visit and experience the type of growth that you need whether you are a brand-new believer or have been a believer for years. A social media platform need to help you fulfil the following verse in your daily lives: “rooted and built up in him, and stablisheth in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7) There are three specific areas of growth that a social media needs to offer.
A. IN KNOWLEDGE: It is quite impossible to live out my belief system if I do not have a good grasp on just what it is that I believe. The more that I know about YHVH, the more I love YHVH and the more dedicated to YHVH I become. When I am talking about knowledge here, I am talking about learning the facts that have to do with YHVH and the Bible. It is being able to answer questions like, who is YHVH? What is He like? Where did the Bible come from? Who wrote the books of the Bible? Who is Yeshua? Who is Ruach HaKodesh? What does Ruach HaKodesh do? What is heaven and hell? How can I be in a right relationship with YHVH? What is the function of a social media platform? And many, many, more that is foundational to our understanding. Our job on a faith-based platform, is to make sure these facts are being taught. In other words, it is every social media member’s job to make sure you have the opportunity to learn, it is your individual responsibility to make sure you take advantage of the opportunities that are offered. So, if you come to me and say, “This platform just is not feeding me,” and I ask you, “Are you involved in giving your opinion? Are you reading to what is being said and studying the Bible on your own? Do you read the comments?” If you can answer “Yes, I am doing all those things” then it is the platform’s problem, but if you answer “No, I am not doing those things” it is your problem.
B. IN CHARACTER: Knowledge by itself can actually be more of a problem than it is a help. There are people that know many facts about the Bible, but they have not allowed that knowledge to get into their hearts and change their character. A faith-based social media platform needs to help you grow in such a way that you take the knowledge through the teachings and discussions of others, and apply it to your everyday life. A faith-based platform needs to show you what YHVH has to say is relevant and that if you follow His direction you will grow in character as well as knowledge. “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Adonai Yeshua Moshiach.” (2 Peter 1:6-8) You see, there is a goal to all of this; A faith-based platform needs to help you become a productive person, one that knows Yeshua Moshiach and is becoming like Yeshua Moshiach. This happens when you take what you have learned and ask the question, “What do I need to change in my life as a result of what I have learned?” If you are like me, you will find many things that need changing and with each change that we make we find ourselves becoming more like Moshiach.
C. IN RELATIONSHIP: An increase of knowledge in the things of YHVH properly applied, leads to a change of character wherein we become more like YHVH. The more we become like YHVH in the way we think, the way we feel and the way we act and react to life’s circumstances, the closer to YHVH we become. “And they that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Adonai, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” (Psalms 9:10) “I have set Adonai always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalms 16:8) Now where does the Psalmist find this type of confidence in His relationship with YHVH? He finds it in the same place we all find it. He finds it through learning more about YHVH, living more like YHVH and spending more time with YHVH. A faith-based social media is supposed to help you grow in your relationship with YHVH through their posts and discussions BUT you as reader needs to compare any and everything that is placed on a social media platform, against the Bible. That is where Bible study comes in.
2. A PLACE TO GIVE:
Not only is a faith-based social media supposed to be a place to grow and give to you, it is fully expecting all of the members to find joy in giving back. Many, many times there are people who are already believers who are looking for a social media platform, contact other members wanting to know what this platform have to offer them. It is a valid question, but it is almost always a one-way street. The question they should be asking along with what the faith-based platform have to offer is; what can we offer to your platform. In other words, it is wrong for a believer to ask “what do I get?” without also asking the question “what can I give?” A true faith-based platform needs to fully expect every member to be involved in giving to the platform in a variety of ways and make no apology for it. In fact, if the platform did not instruct you in giving in these areas, they would be neglecting what YHVH has clearly given us to teach. Remember, the faith-based social media is not for spectators; it is for people involved in spreading the Word of YHVH. If you do not get anything out of your social media platform, it is probably because you are not giving much attention to that faith-based platform of the social media. On the other hand, I have found that those that are most enriched by the social media, are those that are the most involved in it. There are three ways that you can give back to the social media that will help you tremendously in your spiritual walk.
A. SERVICE: “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Moshiach.” (Ephesians 4:12) Somewhere along the line many faith-based social media platforms forgot this passage of Scripture. They taught that the leaders of a faith-based social media were put into place to do all the work of the social media, but nothing could be further from the truth. The leaders of a faith-based social media are put in place to equip the members of that social media to do the work of that social media. When you are equipped to serve and you begin to serve in whatever capacity, you are the one that will receive the blessing for it. There are many ministries in social media platforms and we are gifted in different ways, but there is at least one area of service for each and every one of us. If I were to ask you today, “What is your ministry at your social media?” you should be able to answer with out any hesitation whatsoever. We need each of us doing our part to fulfil the task that YHVH has set before us.
B. SACRIFICE: There are many areas that we are called to sacrifice in, but I am speaking here specifically of sacrificing financially. We do not talk a whole lot about money, but sometimes I think we should talk a little bit more about it. It never occurred to me that YHVH expected more out of me in this area. BUT there are costs to host a social media platform where we can learn from. It does not come for free and we cannot expect leaders to have this debt so that we can have a free system. We all need to contribute to meet the costs. I could bring one person after another that could give you their testimony of how when they began contributing to spreading the Word of YHVH that began to bless them. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith Adonai of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10). The faith-based social media platform is not supposed to make an apology in following YHVH’s will in this area; if you have not yet begun to help maintain your platform that spread Yeshua’s love, you are the one that is missing out on YHVH’s blessing.
C. SUPPORT: “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serves one another.” (Galatians 5:13) The faith-based social media platform is supposed to be a place where we support each other; if I fall, I do not need you to hold me down, but to lift me up. A trueful faith-based social media platform is supposed to be a place where we encourage, bring healing and love to each other. It is a place where you can be prayed for, cared about and know that we are all pulling for you in both good times and bad. This is something we can all give to one another.
3. A PLACE TO GATHER:
A faith-based social media platform, is simply where we have a place to do the works of spreading the truth of YHVH and encourage each other. It is important that we continually instruct each other in the importance of frequently interact with each other. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) I believe there are three basic reasons we need to meet on a platform on a regular basis and I want to write them to you in short.
A. FOR WORSHIP: I know that you can worship on your own and I hope that you do, but nothing can take the place of logging into, as the body of Moshiach, and learning and discussing articles of faith in a faith-based social media. We need to pray for each other, encourage each other and to glorify the Name of YHVH Elohiym, not just as individuals, but as the body of Moshiach.
B. FOR FELLOWSHIP: To help each other in our faith walk, we need to know each other. “When so ever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thither ward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.” (Romans 15:24) The time that we spend to learn YHVH’s Word is a precious commodity; it is a time on a faith-based platform to simply enjoy each other’s opinions and your social media is the place where that can happen.
C. FOR STRENGTH: Sometimes you are going to be the strong one that is able to help others out, to be an encouragement to them, to let them know that you care. But there are going to be other times in your life when you find you are the one in need; your faith-based social media is there to give you strength when you feel week. “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” (Romans 12:13) We need to give each other strength through life’s journey. We go to faith-based social media platforms not only to read the posts but also for each other, to hold each other up and to point the way to victory. We are living in an age when many of the fundamental areas of instruction are being forgotten. We choose to continue to stress and live out these fundamental areas of instruction so that we can each live our lives to the fullest in Yeshua Moshiach.
SOCIAL MEDIA
PART 1
Churches is not what it was and the attendance is reducing at a fast rate. More and more people turn to social media where they can read or listen to a debate or idea and then give their opinions. Social media is a comfort zone in your own home where you can relax and interact at your convenience. Let us then take a look how we can be a value to this phenomenon of the computer world.
A SOCIAL MEDIA THAT INCLUDES YOU
The need to belong is perhaps the most powerful emotional need experienced in modern times. Society continues to fragment, families disintegrate and technology isolates until the opportunities to truly belong become more and more limited. But the need to belong has not diminished. Individuals today are seeking those things where they can belong to and then giving themselves fully to the relationships they find. It is by targeting inclusion, that social media can establish its ministries. By becoming a place of belonging, your local social media opens itself up to ever-broadening opportunities to proclaim its message, a message of love and belonging in the family of YHVH. How does the social media establish this kind of ministry? Many times, Yeshua provided the example through His own ministry of including people. Let us take a look at one such occasion: “And it came to pass afterward, that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of YHVH: and the twelve were with Him, and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto Him of their substance.” (Luke 8:1-3) There are few people that we read about in the Bible who evidence more commitment to Yeshua than Mary Magdalene who is mentioned here as one of Yeshua' companions. Such commitment does not just happen; it must be carefully cultivated and developed. Yeshua the Master shows us the way to include those who have a need to belong in his treatment of Mary.
1. WE MINISTER TO PEOPLE'S NEEDS:
We just read the names of three women that followed Yeshua as a direct result of Him meeting their needs, along with other women not named. We specifically want to focus on Mary Magdalene as we know more about her than the others. “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils.” (Luke 8:2) Here is a lady who had a very serious need that was met by Yeshua Moshiach. There are at least three areas of meeting Mary's need that we can examine and see how they stand as an example of how we can meet people's needs today.
A. Her Need Was Identified: Yeshua saw Mary as an individual, not just as part of the crowd. He did not just see her as a generic human being but as an individual person with her own experiences, history, intellect and emotions. Mary was distinctly Mary and there was no one else like her. Yeshua recognized this and treated her as a person created in the image of YHVH. He does the same for each of us. He calls us by name; He sees us for who we really are and He cares about us as individuals. And this is what we are called to do as in a social media set-up. Oftentimes when we talk about growth, outreach and numbers, it can all sound so impersonal, can it not? But behind every number is a name, a history and a person for whom Yeshua died for and a person that has specific needs that we can meet. We want everyone we try to reach to realize that we do not think of them as a number on the attendance board; but that we recognize their individuality and that we love them for who they are.
B. Her Need Was Prioritized: The needs of the people that we meet on social media, oftentimes must be met before we share the Good News of the Gospel with them. Yeshua prioritized the need of the individual first and then He shared His heart. While the most intrinsic need of us all is to come into a relationship with Moshiach, sometimes the other needs that people have must be met first. If I talk to a person that is starving and say to them, "I have this Gospel newsletter that you need to read" I do not think I am going to get very far. But what if I give them some food first, then begin to get to know something about them and let them know that I value them as a person first? What happens then? They see that I am not just out to win converts, but to take care of real physical, emotional and spiritual needs. They see that I am not out to gain money or to become famous or to just get another member for a social media ministry, but that I am really there for them, even if they never respond to Yeshua Moshiach. Before Yeshua shared the Gospel with Mary, He prioritized her need. If we expect people to open their hearts to the message we bring, we must first open our hearts in prioritizing their needs.
C. Her Need Was Met: Yeshua cast seven demons out of this woman. We do not have all the details of this encounter, but it is evident that Yeshua took care of her problem. I am well aware that we cannot fix every problem that every person has. I also know that we do not have every material resource at our disposal. Some needs we can meet immediately; some we can meet by networking with other people and some needs will never be met completely. But those facts cannot be legitimately used as an excuse to not at least try to meet the needs that are out there. The biggest need of most people that we come across can be met. It is the need to know that you are loved and cared for. This has always been true, but is perhaps truer today than at any other time in history is that people are lonely, confused and have lost direction. They need us to show that we care and are willing to assist them on their journey to fulfilment in Yeshua Moshiach.
2. WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS:
I need to ask you a question and I want you to just keep the answer in your own head; it would be a great thing to discuss with others later, but for now, just think about it on your own. Here is the question: “How many unsocial media people are you in a relationship with?” I can already tell you that most of us that have been in a social media for a while would have to answer "None." It seems that the longer we are Moshiach followers the more disconnected we get with those that are not and that is a real problem. The problem is that I cannot possibly hope to reach people for Moshiach if I am not in a relationship with them. If I do not have any non-believer friends, how can I tell anyone about Moshiach? This is the biggest detriment to fulfilling the Great Commission that we have today, we do not know any non-believers well enough to share the Gospel with them. Yeshua went out of His way and we must go out of our way, to build real friendships with people outside of the social media. By building a relationship with a Mary Magdalene, Yeshua was able to change her life.
A. Yeshua Gave Her New Identity: Tradition holds that Mary made her living as a prostitute. There is no biblical text that completely supports that, but many times these traditions are true. Even if she was not a prostitute, we do know that she would have been an outcast from society based on the fact that she had been demonized by either seven demons or had demons cast out of her seven different times. Once Yeshua met her need by casting these demons out of her, He was able to show her how she could be a brand-new person. He taught her how she could move from being a sinner to being a saint; how she could change from demonized to being filled with the Spirit of YHVH; how she could go from being an outcast to being adopted into the family of YHVH. Our job is to build relationships with un-social media people and show them the same. We have the greatest job in the world. We get to tell people and show people that they can be remade and transformed into the image of YHVH. Some people say they do not like who they are or what they have become. I have great news; they can be made new and be identified as a child of YHVH.
B. Yeshua Gave Her Purpose: He showed Mary that there was more to life than getting up, going to work, taking care of the kids, paying taxes, watching TV or being occupied by a computer. He showed her that she could have an impact on the world around her, that YHVH could use her as a warrior-servant in His Kingdom that she was significant in the eyes of YHVH and could do significant things that would last for eternity. Concerning these women that were following Yeshua, our text says that: “and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.” (Luke 8:3) She learned that she could make a lasting contribution to her world. Formerly she was despised and rejected, but now, as a remade human being, she found purpose in this life that would drive her until she experienced the life yet to come. This is the message that we bring; that there is more to life than what you think; that you were made for a purpose; that you can contribute; that YHVH views you as a significant person made to serve Him and experience His blessings. We build relationships by sharing and living out this truth.
C. Yeshua Gave Her Love: Jason Tuskes was a 17-year-old high school honour student. He was close to his mother, his wheel-chair bound father and his younger brother. Jason was an expert swimmer that loved to scuba dive. He left home on a Tuesday morning to explore a spring and underwater cave near his home. His plan was to be home in time to celebrate his mother's birthday by going out to dinner with his family that night. Jason became lost in the cave, then in his panic, he apparently got wedged into a narrow passageway. When he realized he was trapped, he shed his yellow metal air tank and unsheathed his diver's knife. With his tank as a tablet and the knife as a pen, he wrote one last message to his family: "I love you Mom and Dad." Then he ran out of air and he drowned. A dying message, something communicated in the last few seconds of life, is something we cannot ignore. YHVH's words to us are etched on a Roman Cross, they are blood red, they scream to be heard and they too, say: "I love you." These are the words Mary knew to be true when she met Yeshua. His words, His actions, His caring, all were a demonstration of His love. When He died on the Cross, Mary stood there and watched Him die. “Now there stood by the cross of Yeshua His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.” (John 19:25) Here again, she saw the ultimate demonstration of love. It is this kind of love, authentic, caring and willing to go to the ultimate extreme, this kind of love that shows people that we really care about them. It is this kind of love that we must demonstrate on a social media platform or ministry to those we are trying to reach. Again, Yeshua has set the example.
D. Yeshua Gave Her Belonging: Mary the outcast, Mary the possessed, Mary the one on the outside looking in, is now an integral part of Yeshua' band of disciples. She is listed here in our text, along with the 12 and the other women, as one Yeshua has chosen to announce the coming of the Kingdom of YHVH. She now belongs to something greater than herself. Yeshua has shown her what it means to be a part of a group that is on a mission from YHVH. That is what social media are supposed to be here for, to let people know that they belong, that they are a part, that they are included as an integral part of what YHVH is going to do through us, this is how we build relationships!
3. WE SHARE THE GOSPEL:
Sharing the Gospel means letting people know about the Good News that Yeshua, YHVH in the flesh, has come to this earth, has died for our sins on a Cross, has risen from the dead and that He wants to be in relationship with us. It is our great privilege, as a ministry, to have this message to share with all those around us. When Yeshua shared the Gospel, two amazing things happened.
A. Yeshua Revealed His Power: When Yeshua cast the demons from Mary he revealed that He had a power that was beyond that of the evil forces in the world. He showed her and us that His power was supernatural, that He could bind the forces of darkness and that He could heal the sick, that He could forgive sins and that He could grant to us eternal life with Him forever. Yeshua revealed that there was nothing beyond His power and in doing this He showed us that He had the power to save us. When we have met people's needs and are building relationships with them, we share with them the awesome power of Yeshua Moshiach Himself. Our job is to reveal to them what Yeshua revealed to Mary and what He has revealed to us; that He has the power to fulfil all of the promises that He has made, that He can make us whole and that we will be empowered ourselves to become His new creation.
B. She responded with passion: No one mattered more to Mary than this One who had loved her so. She responded to Yeshua' love with an undying loyalty to Him and His cause. When Yeshua was nailed to the Cross, Mary was there, after He was placed in the tomb, Mary went to visit His grave and found that His body was missing. “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Yeshua had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, because they have taken away my Adonai, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Yeshua standing, and knew not that it was Yeshua. Yeshua saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Yeshua saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” (John 20:11-16) Mary was the first of His disciples that Yeshua appeared to and she responded to Him again, with joy and love. The result of inclusion in the way that we have described in this newsletter is an undying passion for Yeshua Moshiach and His Kingdom. This is what happens to people when we share with them the Gospel of Moshiach. This is what happens when we are living out what we are called to be as a faith filled social media platform. Reaching out to the world around us is not an exact science, but we know that the need to belong, I widespread. As believers we are compelled to meet the un-social media people at their point of need and show them the way to true life. The faith in our Moshiach is more than a commitment to belief, it must also include the opportunity to belong.
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