Welcome to The Crimson Thread. the teaching web site of Jon Behrens, pastor of Restoration Messianic Fellowship in the Boulder/Longmont area of Northern Colorado. You will find here articles on various Scriptural subjects as well as Bible studies that have been recorded at RMF.
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After the death of Darius, his son Artaxerxes continued in his father's benevolence to the Jews. He sent Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem with the brief to establish judges and magistrates in Israel, Syria and Phoenicia, teaching all people the law of Moses. In aid of this, the king provided him with a vast amount of silver and gold to be used in temple worship.
The Day of Atonement is perhaps the most Christian of the Torah's appointed times. On that day, the High Priest goes into the presence of God and obtains atonement for Israel and cleansing of their sins. Other than being present for the ceremony, the people do nothing. This should also be a day when one examines his life and begins the process of teshuvah or repentance.
Quarantine or separation from the community is, short of death, the most severe punishment that can be inflicted on a person. Biblically, quarantine is only prescribed for leprosy and must be ordered by a priest. In all things God is righteous and just, so what could His reasons be for atomizing US society. In effect quarantining everyone from all others? The speaker is Matthew Behrens.
Paul and Barnabas separate in a dispute over John Mark. Paul and Silas carry the Jerusalem Council's letter to the churches in Asia. They travel to Macedonia. The Philippian jailer is saved.
God has always been involved with His creation, but effective human liberty requires that He give us room to grow. Biblically we can discern four distinct levels of God's intervention in human affairs.
After the hiatus caused by the Samaritan's letter to Cambyses, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah received word from God that they should resume. Simultaneously, half a continent away, Zerubbabel was given permission and resources by Darius.
There is some confusion in Christian/Messianic circles about the status of the Aaronic priesthood and our status as priests.
Yom Teruah can be translated as a day of cheering. In Revelation when the seventh trumpet sounds there is cheering in Heaven because "the kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ." At that time Christ will begin purging the world of His enemies, those who worship false gods. The impulse to idolatry has not gone away. What does it look like today when people in the church turn to other gods in the same way that Israel did in the past?
In Mark the disciples do not understand the feeding of the multitude or the calming of a storm because of their hard hearts. A hard heart causes one to see what he expects to see instead of what God wants him to see. A hard heart makes one vulnerable to a spirit of fear.
Standards for gentile behavior and salvation were burning questions in the early Church. The Council of Jerusalem debated and answered those questions.
Exodus 33:12—34:26
Numbers 29:17-25
Ezekiel 38:18—39:16
Thus said the Lord:
"Stand by the crossroads
and consider,
Inquire about ancient paths:
Which is the road to happiness?
Travel it, and find tranquillity
for yourselves."
(Je 6:16)