MyTestimony

       "And He (Jesus) said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs shall follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents (ophis - snake, serpent, sly and cunning deception, artful and malicious person like Satan, the devil, hypocrite); and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mk. 16:15-18).

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled B'shallach, which means "When he let go." This title is taken from the first verse of the reading portion, Exodus 13:17: "Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-people go (shawlakh - send forth, send away, send out, loose, cast out, stretch out, shoot forth as a weapon, set free, let go, let depart, send/drive to pasture, send a messenger), that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines (pelisti/palas - descendants of the Egyptians who migrated to the western seacoast of Canaan, strangers/to roll in ashes and dust, to wallow, to dig a hole, to roll oneself), although that was near; for God said, 'Lest perhaps (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-people change their minds when they see war (milhama/laham - war, battle, fight, warriors, warfare/devour or eat as food, make war, overcome, prevail, to fight, to battle), and return to Egypt."

     After the last plague of death to the first born of Egypt, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, let the people of God go (shawlakh, see above) . The LORD led His people, not by the nearest route which would take them through the land of the Philistines but led them by the longer route through the Red Sea wilderness. He did not think that they had the fortitude to face battle with the Philistines yet. The Israelites would not face the Philistines until later in time.

     After the Israelites left Egypt, they began to face continual challenges. Pharaoh decided to pursue them and trapped them by the Red Sea. They were terrified. They cried out to the LORD and said to Moses: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?...Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." (Ex. 14:11-12). At that point, the LORD delivered the Israelites from the Egyptian army by dividing the waters of the Red Sea so that they could cross to the other side: "So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left." (v. 22, see also Ps. 78:13). The sea water was so thoroughly removed that the ground underneath the waters was not muddy but dry.

    As the Israelites were trapped before the Red Sea, Moses had promised them: "Do not be afraid. Stand still and see (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-salvation (yesua - Jesus' Hebrew name, salvation, help, deliverance, welfare, victory) of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today....". (Ex. 14:13). After the LORD parted the waters of the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to pass through it and then released the waters of the sea in order to drown the pursuing Egyptian army, Moses and the Israelites celebrated this great miracle with a joyous song. Part of this song included: "The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation (yesua - see above); He is my God, [and I will prepare Him a habitation (nava - abide, adorn, beautify, celebrate with praise)]/and I will praise Him; my father's God, and I will exalt Him." (Ex. 15:2).

     Immediately after this celebration, however, (*aleph-tav/Alopha and Omega)-Israel came to a place of undrinkable, bitter waters, and they complained. The LORD made the bitter waters sweet by having Moses cast a certain tree ('es - tree, gallows, carpenter) into the waters. At this place, the LORD revealed His name, "I AM the LORD who heals you." (see Ex. 15:22-26).

     Then the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-whole-assembly began to make (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-murmurings against Moses and the LORD over not having meat and bread. Then the LORD heard their (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) murmurings and sent them quails for meat in the evenings and bread from heaven in the mornings. (Ex. 16:1-13). Their "murmurings" have the written Hebrew *aleph-tav before them because the murmurings were against the Messiah/Christ.  Generations later, Jesus would solve this mystery by comparing Himself to the manna bread in the wilderness, calling Himself the Bread from heaven of eternal life as the Israelites of His day murmured and complained against Him, as specifically worded in the verses from The Gospel of John. (see Jn. 6:41-43, 48-51). The exact repetition of the wording between Exodus 16 and John 6 is no coincidence.

     As believers in Jesus Messiah/Christ, when we murmur and complain about anything, who are we really murmuring against but the One who is the Lord of our lives, Jesus? Murmurings and complaints become our testimony to others of who Jesus is, or is not, in our lives.

     Psalm 78 is another portion from this week's B'shallach, "When he let go" Sabbath reading. This psalm recounts the kindness and miracles that the LORD showed to Israel even though they continually rebelled against Him and complained against Him.

     The psalmist, Asaph ('asap - "gatherer", "collector", assemble together, to gather and take away, gather the harvest, to take in, to receive into), wrote of the wonders that God did for His people to deliver them from slavery in Egypt, and afterwards, to give them the provision that they needed in the wilderness. However, Asaph wrote, His people were stubborn and rebellious and "whose spirit was not faithful to (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-God." (v. 8). The psalmist said that he wrote this psalm as a testimony for future generations: "We will not hide them (referring to the sayings of old from the fathers) from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony ('edut/'ed/'ud - testimony, witness, holy rites, revelation, "the Holy Ghost saith"/prince, recorder, emphatically affirming/testify, record, surround, restore, say again and again, affirm solemnly, exhort solemnly, give warning) in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel...that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise (qum - arise, establish, stand, confirm, continue, abide, accomplish, perform, endure, prove) and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." (v. 4-7).

     The power contained in the testimony given to Israel praising the wonderful works of God kept generation after generation alive and preserved them through danger, even the danger of their own rebellion, and sorrow. As we see the Hebrew meaning connected to the word "testimony", we can see that it is powerful, inspired and appointed by the Holy Spirit.

      When Pharaoh the king of Egypt let the people go (see B'shallach and shawlakh above), he would be sending them out to encounter an eternal testimony.

     Similarly, in verses from Mark 16 shown at the top of this page, Jesus, the King of Kings, sent His believers out with a testimony, the Gospel, commanding them to take that testimony of His suffering, death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and the glory of God, to every creature. It is also an eternal testimony leading the hearer to salvation and eternal life. It is a testimony so powerful that it overcomes Satan, himself: "And they overcame him (referring to the accuser of the brethren, Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Rev. 12:11). This testimony contains the power of "salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ" (see Rev. 12:10). As the verses from Mark 16 at the top of the page tell us, miracle signs and wonders follow the believers with this testimony in their mouths.

     Rather than the testimony of murmuring and complaining, we have been entrusted with this amazing testimony, the Gospel, not only for our own sakes but for the sake of every creature.

     If you would like to learn more about our testimony, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you can join my prayer: "Heavenly Father, You have given to us the most amazing and powerful testimony to bring to future generations and to every creature! By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Lord, keep this testimony in my heart, mind and mouth, rather than the testimony of murmuring and complaining, which testifies against You. Forgive me, Lord, when my words and testimony have robbed You of glory. Let this testimony that You have given to me glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always, as well as testifying to life, even eternal life gained for us by Christ. As the song says, "O how marvelous! O how wonderful! Is my Savior's love for me!" These are the wonderful works of God. This is my testimony in Jesus' name. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

Giving

This entry is for "the givers", and you know who you are. Many of us give faithfully to a ministry, a church or a synagogue, a leader of a congregation, a building fund, a denomination, a critical need, an emergency, a church program such as "missions", or the church food pantry, and so on. The needs are very real for ministries, but the "supply" often seems to fall short of the need. I think that in the times ahead, economic pressures on ministries may even increase. It is time to examine our giving.
For some of us perhaps, as conscientious as we try to be regarding the giving of tithes and offerings, we can often leave out the most important factor. Although we are sincerely trying to fill a need with what we have in our pocket, we are leaving out the Miracle Worker, the Multiplier, our Father in heaven. This is about the heart of the one who gives. We don't want to be like ones who honor God with their lips, but who have removed their hearts far from Him (Isa. 29:13, Mt. 15:8).
Paul said:
"Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus ("lovely, "devoted", root meaning-superimposition of time, place, order, etc.) the things sent from you, a sweet smelling aroma (fragrance of incense or the pleasing smell to God of sacrifice), an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches (root-to fill, to be filled) in glory (good opinion concerning (God) resulting in praise, honor, and glory, judgment, splendor, belonging to God) by Christ Jesus."   Phil. 4:18-19
Our offering is made not to a church, or to a need, or to a leader, but to God. His riches in glory in this case, as Paul describes, are created from praise, honor, glory given to Him with our offerings. He then supplies us from those riches. This is a supernatural conversion of an act of loving worship from a giver's heart, into a miraculous supply. Our Father certainly knows when we have bypassed Him, and have tried to supply the need from our own natural riches, whether large or small. These needs cannot be met by natural wealth. These needs are met when we give in glory, honor and praise to the One who turns natural wealth into supernatural abundant provision. Natural wealth is depleted. The supernatural wealth of God in Christ never runs out. Give to God with all praise, honor, thankfulness, gratitude, love, devotion, loveliness, holiness, glory, and He will abundantly supply from the riches in His glory created by what our heart offers to Him. We make a great mistake when we leave our Father out of the picture of giving, when we leave Him out of our hearts in this activity of worship. He is the whole, miraculous, vital ingredient. Giving in God's kingdom is not about what is in your wallet, but about what is in your heart. The sweet savor that comes up to Him doesn't come from the smell of our money when we offer it. It comes from the sacrifice of love from the soul that should be offered to Him with and through that giving. 
When even something meant for good, like giving, comes out of our own strength, it is limited by the flesh through which it was given. Giving out of our own strength is giving without Spirit, without the miracle life that it was created to have. In another place, the scriptures say, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."  Col. 3:23-24
It is also interesting that God, according to the Philippian scriptures, supplies us with His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. When Jesus performed the miracles of the multiplication of the fish and the loaves, He offered them first to God with a blessing to Him: "And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed (to give thanks) and broke and gave..."  also, "Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them...and likewise the fish, as much as they wanted."   Mt. 14:19, Jn. 6:11
I know Jesus did not offer empty words and feelings to His Father, but heartfelt thanks. From that kind of heart of giving, came the miracles of loaves and fishes by which He fed thousands, to be forever remembered throughout the earth. We also know the attitude and heart with which Jesus gave with thanks and love to His Father, even in the giving of His own life. In the breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine that represented His own body broken, and His own blood poured out for us, He gave thanks (1 Cor. 11:24, Mt. 26:26). The term, Eucharist, which we use in connection with communion, means "thanks". This is the heart that Jesus had toward the Father in giving, that He could give heartfelt, miracle working thanks to Him even in His own death. That very love and thankfulness assured the miraculous multiplication from the giving of Christ in His death, burial and resurrection that no man could have anticipated. That multiplication of souls and lives continues today, and will continue past the end of this age, and past the end of measured time itself. If I reduce my own giving from this height of glory to God, into an exercise of duty, or natural effort, thought and expectations, I remove it from the realm of exponential multiplication power in God's riches in glory.
When we are first saved, many of us are thrilled to be able to give something back to God. I couldn't wait to give. I would search for things to give, even after I had given in the form of money. All I wanted to do was to express my gratitude and love, even in this small way, for the supernatural thing He had done in my life. Have we lost that precious love and appreciation in our giving?
To one of the churches, Ephesus, Jesus said this:
"...and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love....repent and do the first works..."  Rev. 2:3-5
From these verses, and from looking at my own experience, I can clearly see that the works we do out of our first love, are different than the works we do without that earnest love. This would include our giving as well. While Jesus recognized the natural, even obedient efforts that the church at Ephesus made for His name's sake, He warned them and us to return to our first fresh love and gratitude to Him, and the resulting works we had previously done. This is where the life is. This is where the miraculous is. This is where God's riches in glory are. Jesus said that the failure to restore that first love in Him would cause our lampstand to be removed from us (v. 5). What is a church or a believer without the lampstand of Christ in the midst? It is not much at all.
To all of "the givers" out there: If you can relate to what I am talking about, join me, and together we will stir up our first love in every work of faith, especially our giving, bringing us into the miraculous realm of our Father's riches in glory.
"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
                                                                                                              2 Cor. 9:7-8

Our Father is calling us back to our first love in our giving.

The Doxology

The Doxology (Another Version)

Inheritance

My Mom repeatedly told me over the course of many years of her concern to leave something for her kids after she was gone. She didn't have much in life, but she wanted to leave something for her children, to be divided equally. The Bible also talks about the desire to leave an inheritance:
"A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous."  Prov. 13:22
When we were kids, my Mom went to church and was a participant in the church activities, and we kids went to the traditional Sunday School. After we became adults, she no longer attended church regularly, but she certainly believed in God and Jesus.
Later in her life, I would sometimes bring my Mom to church with me, and she always enjoyed it, especially the music. She loved the pastors and congregation.
One year, shortly before Mother's Day, my Mom had a brain aneurysm that ruptured. It left her in a coma, with the doctors telling me that there was no hope for life or recovery. They sometimes showed their annoyance with the family's decision to give Mom every opportunity to recover. They viewed these decisions as being unrealistic, and prolonging of my Mom's suffering. My pastors and church faithfully prayed for her, and made trips to the hospital. The rest of the family were also always very supportive of Mom throughout the situation, and were involved in the medical decisions. 
After six weeks, my Mom miraculously woke from the coma, but the doctors now informed me that all tests and scans showed that my Mom was irreversibly brain damaged. In fact, they actually used the distasteful term "vegetable" to describe her. The hospital lawyers went to court to have my father made her legal conservator, since she was mentally incompetent. Contained in the hospital's documents to the court were the doctors' sworn affidavits attesting that the extensive brain damage they had discovered in my Mom was permanent and irreversible. My Mom, by necessity, went into a nursing home, where she began to show slow improvement. The staff there, who thought she would not live long when she first came in, called her their Christmas miracle.
About three years later, my Mom appeared before the same court and judge that had established the conservatorship. Throughout her life she had always been well groomed when she went out in public, and this occasion was no exception. There she sat, with her make-up on, her hair done, wearing her jewelry, dressed immaculately, having a conversation with the judge. She told him about her daily routine, how she lived independently, and did all her own cooking, and housework. The judge listened in amazement, and asked her many questions. He said that in his career he had sadly signed many conservatorships for unfortunate people, but this would be the first time that he had the happy privilege of ending a conservatorship. He could see that my mom had recovered, and no longer needed it.
The doctors were right in one small way- my Mom did pass away, but it was twenty years later at the age of 91. She had lived to see three great-grandchildren born.
So did my Mom leave that inheritance that she had always wanted to give to her children? Well, probably not the kind of inheritance she had been picturing. It wasn't an inheritance of money and possessions, but she left an even greater inheritance. She left an inheritance of miracles. Her husband, her children, her grandchild, and her great-grandchildren, witnessed with their own eyes that God does perform miracles. Hopefully this legacy of miracles will continue to be told to many generations yet to come. It cost Mom a lot of hardship to leave us with that inheritance, but our experience that nothing is impossible with God (Lk. 1:37), and that God heals, saves, and delivers from trouble (Ps. 34:17), is an inheritance more valuable than gold or silver (Acts 3:6). Money gets spent, possessions wear out, but the first-hand knowledge of God's unlimited love and power towards us, will never fade away, and will be treasured forever:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Mt. 6:19-21
Scripture teaches this also about our special inheritance:
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."   Rom. 8:14-18
Like the good man spoken of in Proverbs, our Father has prepared an inheritance for us. It is the same great inheritance that He has given to His Son, because we are His children also.

"You are the God who performs miracles; You display Your power among the peoples." 
                                                                                                         Ps. 77:14

If you have not yet had a miracle experience, I'm sure my Mom would be happy to let you believe and be encouraged by hers, until you get a miracle of your very own.

Our inheritance from our Father is one of miracles!!


"God of Miracles"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpdGTzRXk64