New Video: Drawing Closer to YHVH Before the Fall Feasts & the Second Coming
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Category Archives: Scripture
Blog Scripture Readings for 9-3 Through 9-9-17
Aside
THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION:
Parashat Ki Tavo — Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:8 (9)*
Haftarah — Isaiah 60:1-22
Prophets — Amos 6:1 – 9:15; Obadiah; Jonah 1:1 – 2:10
Writings — 2 Chronicles 1:1 – 8:18
Testimony — Hebrews 1:1 – 7:28
Our full Scripture Reading Schedule for 2016-2017 is available to download and print.
Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.
The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day. One each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle..
* Verse numbers in parenthesis refer to the verse number in Christian English Bibles when they differ from Hebrew Bibles or the Tanakh.
Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 9/3/17 through 9/9/17.
Sometimes YHVH Doesn’t Hear or Answer Prayer
Under what circumstances does YHVH not answer prayers? Whose prayers does he not hear much less answer? The answers to these questions may shock some people who have been misled by the mainstream church to believe that YHVH Elohim is their divine sugar-daddy in the sky who is like a cosmic vending machine—every time you put in your coin and push the button, you’re automatically guaranteed to get something yummy in return. In reality, the Bible teaches us to view Elohim very differently. The Scriptures have a lot to say on this subject.
Before sharing what the Scriptures have to say about answered and unanswered prayer, consider this. YHVH Elohim is holy (Heb. kadosh) or set-apart and totally righteous. By his mercy and grace we exist. He doesn’t need us; we need him. He’s not obligated to do anything for us. To think that he is duty-bound to bless us by hearing, much less answering our prayers is presumptuous at the least, and arrogant and self-centered at the most, and it doesn’t line up with what the Scriptures say on the subject. If we have been guilty of this erroneous belief, it is time to repent and to line up our hearts and minds with what the Word of Elohim teaches us on this subject. If we operate within the perimeters of YHVH’s Word, we’re more likely to have our prayers answered. YHVH Elohim follows his own word, and so should we.
Remember these wise words from Solomon:
Walk prudently when you go to the house of Elohim; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before Elohim. For Elohim is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few.… a fool’s voice is known by his many words.…For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed…Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of Elohim that it was an error. Why should Elohim be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear Elohim. (Eccl 5:1–4, 6)
There is a severe dearth of the fear of Eohim in the modern church, and this is contrary to what the Scriptures reveal should be our approach to the Almighty Creator and is thus offensive to him. It is time that the saints had a higher, more respectful view of Elohim and a lower view of themselves, and this has to do with our approach to prayer as well.
The “Phone Lines” to Elohim Are Not Always Open
Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not come near him. (Ps 32:6)
This infers that sometimes YHVH may be found when his people seek him, and sometimes he may not be found.
Give ear to my prayer, O Elohim, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy. (Ps 55:1)
This teaches us that sometimes YHVH hides his face, even from his people who seek him in prayer.
It’s Not Guaranteed YHVH Will Hear All Prayers
O YHVH Elohim of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O Elohim of Jacob! Selah. (Ps 84:8)
If David had to cry out to Elohim to hear his prayers, then this indicates that he was humble enough to admit that YHVH wasn’t obligated to hear his prayers, or that Continue reading
When Confronting Our Spiritual Enemy: Battlefield or Throne Room?
When engaged in spiritual warfare prayer, consider this. Yeshua only addressed demons or Satan directly when the demon or Satan were actually manifesting. The same is true with Paul when dealing with the python spirit in the slave girl in Philippi, or with Peter when dealing with Simon the Magician. This is because at that moment they were on the spiritual battlefield, and direct confrontation with the enemy was unavoidable.
When not on the battlefield, we need to go through the courts of heaven when dealing with our spiritual enemies. To wit, I can think of no examples in the Bible of the saints speaking to Satan or his demons directly unless engaged in direct battle with them when evil spirits were actually manifesting.
Therefore, when engaged in spiritual warfare and not on the battlefield and in direct confrontation with the demonic element, we need to address our spiritual warfare issues and make our petitions known before the throne of the Almighty in the courts of heaven. It is also there that we will be given divine guidance to formulate our battle plans when the time comes to directly engage the enemy on the battlefield. We must communicate with Elohim in a way that the enemy will not overhear these strategic plans and thus be able to thwart them by mounting a defence against them ahead of time.
Yeshua instructed his disciples to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matt 10:16). He also declared that, “the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). Therefore, we need to engage the enemy prudently, shrewdly and intelligently following strict biblical protocols if we want to experience more victories.
Unanswered Prayers? Consider This
Ecclesiastes 10:20 warns us, “Do not curse the king, even in your thought; do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; for a bird [Heb. owf] of the air may carry your voice, and a bird [Heb. baal] in flight may tell the matter.” This verse is very revealing regarding what goes on in the unseen spiritual realm where Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2) and the ruler of this world (John 16:11).
The phrase in this verse is a parallelism—a form of Hebrew poetry where two phrases are juxtaposed and appear to be saying the same thing, but, in this case, a subtle spiritual truth is be being revealed in the second phrase. In the first phrase, the word for bird is a generic Hebrew word meaning “bird, winged creature, winged insect.” The second phrase reveals the subtle truth. It is telling us to be careful what you say or even think—even in private, for a god (or demon) might reveal it to it’s lord or king. In other words, a false god or demon spirit might convey what you’ve thought or said to its demon master, or even to Satan, who is the god of this age (2 Cor 4:4).
With regard to prayer we must remember this: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:1). In light of this reality and with regard to prayer, it is vital that we remember this: When making intercession for situations or people or praying against the enemies of Elohim or engaging in spiritual warfare against Satan and his plans, ask YHVH to cover your prayers under the blood of Yeshua (Rev 12:11), to bind the (demonic) strong man (Matt 12:29; Mark 3:26–27 cp. Rev 20:2), to send his angels to protect you against the enemy’s plans to thwart your prayers (Ps 91:11–12; Heb 1:14), and to send confusion to our spiritual enemies (Ps 35:4, 26; 40:14; Jer 20:11).
It is essential that we employ this strategy against our spiritual adversary, so that he won’t be able to hear our prayers and thus be able to prepare a defensive plan or a punishing backlash against us to prevent our prayers from being effective. When he succeeds in this, the result is often unanswered prayers causing the saint to become discouraged, so that he prays less rather than more—a victory for the evil one.
Perhaps this is why some of our prayers go unanswered or seem ineffective; it is because we are inadvertently revealing our plans to the enemy thus allowing him to thwart them.
Some Thoughts on Marriage
This past Sunday, my eldest child and daughter got married. I was privileged to be both give her away and to be the wedding’s officiant. This was the first of of our four children to get married. Needless to say, it was a joyous day in the Lawrence family!
Here is what I said in my opening homily of the wedding ceremony. Maybe this will bless someone.
Natan
What is more beautiful than a family? Dad and mom and the kids playing, working, being together. In my mind, I’m picturing a family picnic in a bucolic setting, or a dad and mom pushing a baby stroller down the sidewalk, or a family bike ride with dad leading the way and mom and the kids following. Add to that loving and supportive grandparents along with the rest of the extended family, and you have a little bit of heaven on earth! When I see such a sight, I pause for a moment to savor it, and then reflect on it and then I look upward to thank the Almighty Creator for this loving institution that he has created called marriage and the family. This all starts with a man and a woman uniting in holy matrimony before YHVH Elohim, the Creator of marriage.
Marriage is a divine institution established by YHVH Elohim, the Creator at the very beginning of time. We read in Eph 5:22–33,
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
The higher ideal of marriage remains a mystery to the average person. To most people, it is simply a physical institution. In reality, it’s much more than that! It is Elohim-ordained, and even more importantly it is a picture of the Godhead on the earth. In the institution of marriage, heaven and earth meet. When this happens, children are born and the family of Elohim is potentially perpetuated. Moreover, marriage and the family helps show the world the way to Elohim. For it is Elohim-ordained responsibility and privilege of the husband and wife, and father and mother to perpetuate the light of Elohim’s truth and the principles of Continue reading
New Video: Galatians 3:19–25 & Colossians 2:16–17 Explained
Is Galatians chapter three saying that all the laws of Elohim were added only until Jesus/Yeshua, and that Christians are now free from them? What law was added, who/what is the tutor to lead us to Messiah and how does the Torah-law of Elohim affect us today?
Is Colossians 2:16–17 speaking for or against the biblical feasts and dietary laws?
This video explains these difficult passages of Paul the apostle.