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Why Physically Meeting Together Critical

Spring has already passed! One Thursday, we explored the profound difference between factually knowing and personally knowing . English, for all its richness, is surprisingly limited in expressing this distinction. In Spanish, the contrast is clear: conocer versus saber . Conocer is always used when referring to knowing a person—implying relationship, experience, and intimacy—while saber refers strictly to factual knowledge. English lacks a direct equivalent for conocer ; the closest we come is “to know personally.” In Genesis, when Adam knew his wife Eve, the context reveals a deeply intimate knowing—not merely physical, though that may be included—but a knowing that transcends facts and enters the realm of shared life. John’s relationship with Jesus offers a vivid picture of this kind of personal knowing. He felt so at ease with Jesus that he leaned against Him during meals. In that culture, meals were shared reclining on rugs, with people circled closely around the food. I...
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Is God at Home in You?

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February 6 we had a fantastic discussion of many things which challenged various aspects of each of our belief systems. Some high points include passages from John 14:15-24 and John 17. Jesus promised a Helper or Comforter he would send to us in his place, or rather, not in his place as though he would no longer be present, but in a different capacity he and Father God would come. Lets read it directly: John 14:16-17 I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever,- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive; for it does not see him, neither knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. John 14:23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that ...
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Promise of the Father vs Promise to Abraham

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Acts 1:4 mentions a promise of the Father which Jesus also speaks of, see Luke 24:49; John 14:16-19, 26, 15:26-27. That promise has been fulfilled, Holy Spirit has been made available according to Acts 2:33. Have you been baptized by the Spirit or by water only? 15“ If you love Me, [d]keep My commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [e]Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. [John 14:15-18] This promise of the Holy Spirit is a completely different promise than that promise made to Abraham and Sarah, although it can also be seen as a continuation or enablement promise of the first. The Abrahamic Covenant originated when God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation and his descendants would be as numerous ...
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Our Father Contemporary Prayer

Papa in the holy Sky, to Thee lift we our hands up high! In reverence to your only Son, may Lordship of Yashua come. Perfect Heaven into earth align, daily needs met right on time. Forgive Lord our every error, releasing other’s we do endeavor We choose removal of all sin to join together with our holy kin Direct us now in the right way, and take us not into worldly fray To Thee all praise and honor is due, glory and power we imbue. A King and Ruler of all wise, Jesus redeemer comes with no disguise! Amen. (c) 2024 all rights reserved. Permission is denied to republish. Permission is granted to use privately in home solely.
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Not a hair lost vs Persecution

The phrase “not a hair of your head will be lost” can be found in Luke 21:18. It’s important to interpret it in the context of the surrounding verses. In Luke 21:16-17, Jesus speaks about the persecution that His followers will face: “ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. ” Then in verse 18, He says, “ But not a hair of your head will perish. “ The phrase “not a hair of your head” is idiomatic to Greek and is not intended to be taken literally as though there were a threat to one’s personal mane. Here is one of several other examples in Scripture: Acts 27:34 : “Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head. ” No immediate impending threat to any of their heads existed (e.g. no one was being threatened with beheadment). In all likelihood many of the prisoners who swam ashore after the...
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Why Did Jesus call himself Son of Man?

The term “Son of Man” is one of the most frequently used titles Jesus used to refer to Himself in the New Testament. Here are a few reasons why He might have chosen this title: Messianic Identity : The title “Son of Man” has roots in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Daniel. Daniel 7:13-14 describes a vision of “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven and being given authority, glory, and sovereign power by God. By using this title, Jesus was identifying Himself with this messianic figure who is both divine and human. Humanity : “Son of Man” emphasizes Jesus’ humanity. It highlights that He is truly human, experiencing the same struggles, emotions, and temptations that other humans face. This makes His teachings, sufferings, and sacrifices more relatable and significant to believers. Divine Authority : At the same time, the title also points to Jesus’ divine authority. The “Son of Man” in Daniel’s vision is given dominion and a kingdom that ...
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What is a prophet?

  What is a prophet? This question fits into the teaching about the multi-fold gifts of ministry. There are corollary questions to consider that go into the answer: Is a prophet in the OT different from a prophet in the NT? Many of the ministries mentioned in the NT were not known in the same manner in the OT. This ties into the reality of the reconciliation through the Atonement of Christ of whomsoever will into the family of God in Christ. The brief answer to the original question is that a prophet is one who speaks forth the message he hears from God. This answer is rather shallow. In the OT, God chose to speak through certain individuals because the congregation as a whole rejected hearing HIM for themselves. https://biblehub.com/exodus/20-18.htm It was originally Yahweh’s plan that all people be directly ruled by HIM. https://biblehub.com/1_samuel/8-6.htm Yahweh thus mercifully chose a limited number of individuals to speak out what HE desired to say to HIS...
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