Jimmie
Active
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2005
- Messages
- 862
ISAIAH 43:21-44:23
YHVH speaks through the Prophet Isaiah and states that Israel has forgotten God; they no longer bring sacrifices, but are engrossed in sin. He explains that craftsmen will use their skill to make idols that have no value; what a waste of craftsmanship! They can take iron and make a plowshare, swords, and even an idol. Is the fault in the iron? Or in the craftsman? Iron is just a material from the ground; the craftsman can turn it into something useful or for idolatry.
The worker in wood can cut down trees, make perhaps a plow, a wheel, use the wood for fuel for fire, or make a wooden idol. Is it the wood’s fault? Or does the fault lie with the craftsman? Even today, we can use money either to buy food for our family, pay our bills, or buy and sell drugs! Does the fault lie in the money? Or the use of it?
We can use money to honor or dishonor God and those around us; the choice is ours. God has entrusted to us material things and time. Well, I'll go a step further. Time, Talent, and Treasure! How much "time" do we have? Consider this: we are all only ONE HEARTBEAT from being ushered into eternity. The other side of the grave is permanent. It is "forever". We can not fathom "forever" because we have "finite" minds. Yet time is precious, and God has given us time to serve HIM on this planet called "Earth." We cannot return in time to "do it over." So, we must take advantage of the "now." How much time do we give to serving the LORD? Is it only on the Shabbat or Sunday? or do we put aside time every day for ministry?
Consider "talent." What spiritual gifts has God given to you? Are you using them to further the kingdom? Are we teaching others "His WORD?" Teaching HIS WORD is also TIME spent wisely . Whatever your spiritual gifts are, you should be using them to give glory to God, and to store up "riches in Heaven."
Consider treasure. Money should be like a faucet; it should flow freely. I believe it is for saving, spending, and investing. We can save for a rainy day, spend it wisely and not foolishly, and invest in the Kingdom of God through tithes and offerings. Do not forget God. Let us not live our lives as if there is no tomorrow. Do not leave God out of the equation. Israel forgot about God and reaped the whirlwind. Israel went into idolatry, and idolatry is the same as "adultery." Do not forget God's love and sacrifice for sin. The prophet told his people about God's love and forgiveness;
“I SHALL WIPE OUT YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS LIKE A CLOUD, AND YOUR SINS LIKE A MIST, RETURN TO ME, AND I SHALL REDEEM YOU” (44:22).
The promise still stands. If we return to HIM, HE will forgive us.
MARK 11:1-12:44
There are several themes in these verses. Yeshua is in all of them. One theme is that when he went into the temple in Yerushalayim, he threw over the money tables and chased out the money changers, saying, “My house is a House of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”
There are many synagogues and some churches that refuse to conduct business on the Sabbath or on the day of worship because they are reminded of that verse. However, Yeshua called them “thieves.” These money changers were exchanging foreign money, such as Greek “drachmas” and Roman “Denarii,” for Israeli “Shekels” to buy sacrifice animals.
Many times, the money changers would not honor the exchange rate and would “cheat” the clients. If 12 Mexican pesos equaled 1 US dollar, it would be like accepting the 12 pesos and giving the person 75 cents! Perhaps these money changers were cheating in this way.
In 12:29-31, Yeshua quotes the “Shema” Hear O Israel YHVH is our Elohim, YHVH is ONE (Echad), and he continues, Love Elohim with all your heart, being, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Yeshua just summed up all the 613 commandments in two verses! Because all the commandments have to do with our relationship with YHVH and our relationship with our fellow man. If we honor and love our fellow man, our neighbor, we will not cheat him or her. We will be conscious of what the scripture teaches us and be reminded that God sees all things. We may do things in secret, but God sees all. A thief or a cheat may look around to see who is watching, but never looks UP!
That is the purpose of Bible study: to learn of these commandments and put them into practice, to deepen our relationship with Messiah Yeshua and to be a good witness to our fellow man, and…bring lost mankind to a saving relationship with Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ)
and this requires our "time" to spend with others who are "open-minded to "discover" the TRUTH!.
YHVH speaks through the Prophet Isaiah and states that Israel has forgotten God; they no longer bring sacrifices, but are engrossed in sin. He explains that craftsmen will use their skill to make idols that have no value; what a waste of craftsmanship! They can take iron and make a plowshare, swords, and even an idol. Is the fault in the iron? Or in the craftsman? Iron is just a material from the ground; the craftsman can turn it into something useful or for idolatry.
The worker in wood can cut down trees, make perhaps a plow, a wheel, use the wood for fuel for fire, or make a wooden idol. Is it the wood’s fault? Or does the fault lie with the craftsman? Even today, we can use money either to buy food for our family, pay our bills, or buy and sell drugs! Does the fault lie in the money? Or the use of it?
We can use money to honor or dishonor God and those around us; the choice is ours. God has entrusted to us material things and time. Well, I'll go a step further. Time, Talent, and Treasure! How much "time" do we have? Consider this: we are all only ONE HEARTBEAT from being ushered into eternity. The other side of the grave is permanent. It is "forever". We can not fathom "forever" because we have "finite" minds. Yet time is precious, and God has given us time to serve HIM on this planet called "Earth." We cannot return in time to "do it over." So, we must take advantage of the "now." How much time do we give to serving the LORD? Is it only on the Shabbat or Sunday? or do we put aside time every day for ministry?
Consider "talent." What spiritual gifts has God given to you? Are you using them to further the kingdom? Are we teaching others "His WORD?" Teaching HIS WORD is also TIME spent wisely . Whatever your spiritual gifts are, you should be using them to give glory to God, and to store up "riches in Heaven."
Consider treasure. Money should be like a faucet; it should flow freely. I believe it is for saving, spending, and investing. We can save for a rainy day, spend it wisely and not foolishly, and invest in the Kingdom of God through tithes and offerings. Do not forget God. Let us not live our lives as if there is no tomorrow. Do not leave God out of the equation. Israel forgot about God and reaped the whirlwind. Israel went into idolatry, and idolatry is the same as "adultery." Do not forget God's love and sacrifice for sin. The prophet told his people about God's love and forgiveness;
“I SHALL WIPE OUT YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS LIKE A CLOUD, AND YOUR SINS LIKE A MIST, RETURN TO ME, AND I SHALL REDEEM YOU” (44:22).
The promise still stands. If we return to HIM, HE will forgive us.
MARK 11:1-12:44
There are several themes in these verses. Yeshua is in all of them. One theme is that when he went into the temple in Yerushalayim, he threw over the money tables and chased out the money changers, saying, “My house is a House of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”
There are many synagogues and some churches that refuse to conduct business on the Sabbath or on the day of worship because they are reminded of that verse. However, Yeshua called them “thieves.” These money changers were exchanging foreign money, such as Greek “drachmas” and Roman “Denarii,” for Israeli “Shekels” to buy sacrifice animals.
Many times, the money changers would not honor the exchange rate and would “cheat” the clients. If 12 Mexican pesos equaled 1 US dollar, it would be like accepting the 12 pesos and giving the person 75 cents! Perhaps these money changers were cheating in this way.
In 12:29-31, Yeshua quotes the “Shema” Hear O Israel YHVH is our Elohim, YHVH is ONE (Echad), and he continues, Love Elohim with all your heart, being, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Yeshua just summed up all the 613 commandments in two verses! Because all the commandments have to do with our relationship with YHVH and our relationship with our fellow man. If we honor and love our fellow man, our neighbor, we will not cheat him or her. We will be conscious of what the scripture teaches us and be reminded that God sees all things. We may do things in secret, but God sees all. A thief or a cheat may look around to see who is watching, but never looks UP!
That is the purpose of Bible study: to learn of these commandments and put them into practice, to deepen our relationship with Messiah Yeshua and to be a good witness to our fellow man, and…bring lost mankind to a saving relationship with Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ)
and this requires our "time" to spend with others who are "open-minded to "discover" the TRUTH!.
