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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On Shavuot, God gave his people instructions on how to live. At Sinai, it was a book, the Torah. At Pentecost it was a person, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit and the Scriptures are intended to work together yet large numbers of God's people neglect one or the other. The Jews neglect the Spirit and the Sunday Church neglects the Torah. This causes God's people to be less effective than they could be.
At the end of the letter, James returns to the theme that great wealth is dangerous. Here he speaks against the one who has accumulated wealth by oppression, withholding the wages of those who labor in his fields. The letter concludes with a call to prayer and helping one another stay on the path.
This recording is a part of the series: "James 2021"You may also listen on iTunes
Patience is a virtue that you don't need until you're ready to lose it. The alternative is generally anger which doesn't make things better at all.
Saul's paranoia was so severe that his own people could see it. He accused the priests of conspiring with David against him and ordered them killed. The Israelites would not do it, so it fell to an Edomite. David had to constantly stay on the move in southern Judah to avoid being trapped and killed by Saul. Yet for all that, when presented with the opportunity to kill Saul as he was relieving himself in a cave, David did not raise his hand against the Lord's anointed. If he could stay alive, that decision would pay dividends when David united the nation after Saul's death.
This recording is a part of the series: "Samuel 2023"You may also listen on Stitcher
Hebrews 9 discusses the death of someone who has made a will as being necessary to obtain the inheritance. This is a poor translation as it does not fit with Hebrew culture.
The world lately has become a very unstable place. This past week 3 major banks have failed; government and major institutions are no longer able to recognize the difference between men and women; there are 'wars and rumors of wars' throughout the world. In the face of this shaking, God represents Himself as a rock; the ultimate earthly symbol of stability, He wrote His commandments in stone. He is our strong fortress. In Him we can stand fast even on quivering ground.
This recording is a part of the series: "Sermons"You may also listen on Stitcher
Messianic believers are often suspected of being Judaizers or legalists by their Sunday Church brethren. This comes from a misunderstanding of the NT passages where Y'shua calls out the Pharisees for their strict observance of parts of the Torah while neglecting others. It is more useful to describe legalism as twisting the words of Scripture to justify following the evil desires of the heart.
The tongue reveals the contents of the heart. In Scripture, God does not have a high opinion of man's heart. Accordingly James counsels keeping the tongue under control to avoid being consumed by the fires it can start.
This recording is a part of the series: "James 2021"You may also listen on iTunes
Gratitude requires seeing the good in every situation. Because we are unable to see the future, this is not always obvious, but it is usually there.
Leviticus 1:1-6:7
Acts 9:32-43
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)