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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Each of us has an unique voice. So when we sing the music God has written into His Scriptures, each will sound different. Each will approach situations differently.
As construction of the wall progressed, the common people complained that they were unable to feed their families because the Jewish elites were loan sharking. Since this sort of practice was one of the major reasons for Judah having gone into exile, Nehemiah put a stop to the practice and made the elites pledge to return all of the interest and collateral that they had gained. Also, as with Ezra, the Samaritans and the Amorites tried to stop the wall building project
Historically the United States has gotten things done via ad hoc groups which come together when there is a need and then disband. This only works for a church-going people.
Over the years, Christianity has become less and less effective in shaping the culture and effecting national politics. This is largely because the church has ignored or deprecated those parts of Scripture that it finds 'inconvenient'. Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is a unified whole and avoiding parts of it robs it of power and influence.
Prayer may be thought of in two forms, relational and functional. In functional prayer you want something to happen: someone healed, a demon cast out, a peril averted, etc. In relational prayer you want to spend time in God's presence getting to know His heart. Successful functional prayer depends on consistent relational prayer. The Scripture referred to is Mark 9:14-29.
On his way to Jerusalem for the final time, Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian church. The subject of his remarks echoes the first of the Kingdom Parables in Matthew. They also presage his pastoral Letter to the Ephesians as well as Y'shua's Letter in Revelation 2. These four passages of Scripture address the same subject from different time perspectives.
In Scripture, prophets do certain specific things. In this, they prefigure and authenticate Y'shua. The things He did were prefigured in Scripture.
Having received permission and resources from the King, Nehemiah proceeded to Jerusalem with an armed guard. After secretly surveying the state of the city, he gathered the returned exiles and set them to building the wall. The opposition to the project from the nations around him was so fierce that he was compelled to sacrifice some efficiency in building to obtain military security.
Elijah had just defeated the prophets of Baal when God took him back to Sinai. There God performed the same signs that He had for all Israel but said that He was not in those signs. So where is He?
Having travelled secretly to Jerusalem for Succot in order to avoid arrest, Y'shua made a very dramatic appearance on the last day. The high point of the day was the water pouring ceremony at the altar. There He announced that those who believed in him would have rivers of 'living water' flow from their hearts. He so startled everyone that the guards didn't arrest Him. He went on the following day to announce that He was the light of world. Both water and light are consistent themes beginning in Genesis. They also figure prominently on the last day of the feast.
Genesis 12:1—17:27
Isaiah 40:27—41:16
Matthew 20:17-34
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)