The world and the devil are in an all out battle to the death against Bible believers. This was prophesied to occur in the last days before the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah. This video gives tips on how to survive this onslaught of evil against the saints of YHVH Elohim.
Numbers 25:17, Harass … and smite them. Midian is symbolic of the immoral pleasures of the society that surrounds the people of YHVH and that will subvert and overtake the righteous if left unchecked. YHVH commanded Israel to constantly harass and attack the Midianites for their subversion of Israel sexually.
The best defense is a strong offense.
As The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash points out, harassing the Midianites was to be an on-going state of mind (p. 877).
Likewise, fighting the sin that would attempt to gain entrance into our lives must be a constant state of mind. YHVH commanded Israel to harass the Midianites and then to smite them. When sin arises, because our offensive and defensive positions against sin are secure, we will be ready to smite the sin that dogs us.
What are you (especially you men) doing to combat the sexual enticements of the surrounding wicked and perverse generation? What do you watch on television or view on the internet? Do you listen to sexually suggestive or downright immoral music? Are your conversations with your friends and coworkers always clean and pure? Do you allow your eyes ever to see anything that is sexually explicit? Do you vigorously and aggressively confront it for the evil that it is and take a stand against it both in your heart and mind and do so openly?
As YHVH commanded Israel to view Midian as the enemy because of their lust for immoral pleasure, so we must despise the world around us as our enemy in this regard for its debauchery and idolatry. (Read 1 Cor 10:3–5.)
In reality, we need to come to hate and despise sin at all times (as does YHVH) rather than to toy with it. (See Pss 45:7; 97:10; 101:3; 119:104 ; Prov 8:13; Amos 5:15; Rom 12:9 cp. Ps 34:4;Heb 1:9.)
It’s time to break YHVH out of the religious boxes we’ve confined him to and make him a part of our daily lives continually. In so doing, we’ll experience his Presnece and life-giving spiritual river of life. Here are some practical steps how to accomplish this.
Numbers 25:1, Commit whoredoms. Sexual immorality is the downfall of many who consider themselves to be strong and righteous, and there is a terrible price to pay for it as the Israelites found out.
The enemy (the world, the flesh and the devil) knows our weaknesses and will do what its most to capitalize on them for our destruction. Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Master Yeshua Messiah, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”
What doors of immorality have you kept open in your life to gratify the immoral cravings of the flesh? What spiritual stronghold exists in your life that the enemy can use to keep you under its thumb and from walking in the joy and freedom of the will of YHVH? It is time to cry out to YHVH for help and deliverance and to repent.
Setting immovable boundaries in one’s heart ahead of time is a major key to resisting sexual temptation successfully. It’s important to decide how far we can go without violating the spiritual guidelines the Scriptures lay out for us to stay righteous sexually, and then not allow ourself too get too close to those limits.
If you find yourself in a potentially compromising situation, flee that situation to alleviate the possibility of falling prey to moral compromise (2 Tim 2:22). Young people who are endowed with strong sexual urges need to bathe their minds in the godly admonitions found in Proverbs chapters one through nine (also note Eccl 11:9–10 and 12:1–14).
Learning the ways of wisdom and the fear of Elohim as revealed in these chapters in Proverbs is a vital component to staying strong morally and being triumphant over the wicked temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil.
Parashat Pinchas — Numbers 25:10 – 30:1 (29:40)*
Haftarah — 1 Kings 18:46 – 19:21 | Jeremiah 1:1 – 2:3**
Prophets — Ezekiel 16:1 – 20:49
Writings —Ezra 1:1 – 7:28
Testimony — 2 Corinthians 2:1 – 8:24
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 Bibles when it differs from the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh.
** A different Haftarah is read when it is a special sabbath in Jewish tradition. This week is the Parasha following Tzom Tamm*z.
Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 7/5 through 7/11/15.
Standing Like a Rock in the End Times!
Presented to you by Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Discipleship Resources www.hoshanarabbah.org
In these increasingly dark and evil days in which we are now living where evil is made to appear to be good, down is up and black is white, and where YHVH’s people are being increasingly marginalized, persecuted and even killed, what should we be doing in the face of evil’s onslaught against us? The following list provides the answer from the Scriptures.
Stand like a rock against evil!
- Watch and pray (Matt 26:41; Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 21:36).
- Pray that you might be counted worthy to escape YHVH’s judgments that will be coming on the earth because of wickedness (Luke 21:36).
- Endure to the end (Matt 24:13; Mark 13:13).
- Keep your eyes on Yeshua the Lamb and follow him wherever he goes (Rev 14:4).
- Occupy until Yeshua comes (Luke 19:13). Be busy doing what Yeshua has called you to do.
- Engage in intercessory prayer, though at this time, it may not do much good, since biblical prophecy has to be fulfilled as end time events occur. This means that things will be getting worse and worse until Yeshua returns and destroys Babylon the Great New World Order.
- Be an overcomer in every way possible. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Those who overcome spiritual evil will experience great rewards (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21)
- Be prepared to engage in civil disobedience as a last resort, if necessary. If civil laws violate YHVH’s laws, the Bible tells us to obey YHVH’s laws over men’s laws (Acts 4:19; 5:29; Ps 94:16).
- Be prepared to help persecuted brothers and sisters in any way possible. You might be next the next one to be persecuted!
- Continue to be salt and light to those around you in every way possible (Matt 5:13–16).
- Don’t expect things on earth to get better. Yeshua never said it would get better, but only darker before his return. He’s coming at the midnight hour when evil will be the most pervasive and rampant on the earth.
- Expect intense persecution of Bible believers (2 Tim 3:12; Matt 5:10–12; 10:22–25; 23:34; Mark 10:30; John 15:19–21; 16:2, 33; 17:14; 1 Thess 3:3–4; 1 Pet 4:12–16; Rev 7:14). Yeshua and the Book of Revelation prophesy this will occur in the end times.
- Be wise as serpents (Matt 10:16). Find ingenious ways to circumvent Caesar’s evil and unbiblical mandates without getting caught, while at the same time being obedient to YHVH’s higher laws.
- Love not your lives unto death (Rev 12:11). Be willing to lose some or all of yourself for Yeshua including your material possessions. Greater rewards await you for your faithful obedience to Yeshua (Matt 10:39; 16:25).
- Be inspired by the great faith heros of the Bible and the Christianity (Heb 11).
- Come out of Babylon more completely (Rev 18:4) starting with the spiritual aspects of this evil and ungodly worldwide system. Eventually, this may mean leaving the cities and going into communal situations into the wilderness with others like-minded believers. Some of the Roman Catholic monasteries were started by those fleeing the corruption of Rome.
- The more evil intensifies against you, love the light of YHVH’s truth, love Yeshua more and run to and hold on to him — the Rock of your salvation — more tightly.
- Love your enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you and pray for them (Matt 5:44).
- Finally…Put on the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of Elohim; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints… (Eph 6:11–18)For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in Elohim for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Cor 10:3–6)
(From Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Discipleship Resources at www.hoshanarabbah.org.)
It’s time to extricate YHVH Elohim from the religious boxes we all too often have confined him to in our lives. These boxes are times and places we do our “God-thing.” This can be church or other religious services, grace at meals, and even or personal devotional times. After having thrown a bit of religiosity at Elohim, we then go our way as if he weren’t much of a part of our lives. In this way, we keep Elohim confined to a few boxes labeled “religion.” We keep him trapped in these closets when he wants and demands to be part of every aspect of our lives.
Here are 22 practical tips for bringing YHVH into every aspect of your daily life.