You shall release all debts in the Seventh Year

Saturday 2020.12.05

Reading from Deuteronomy Chapter 15 

You shall release all debts in the seventh year. In this way, there shall not be a poor person in your midst (15:4).

Then, the Lord will bless you, "then thou shalt lend to many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over thee." (15:5)

Lend to your brother, even if you know he can't pay you back, even if the seventh year, the year of release is around the corner.

"Thou shalt surely open hands to thy poor brother . . . " (15:11)

Deuteronomy 15:1 - 11 LXX

1. Every seven years thou shalt make a release. 

2 And this is the ordinance of the release: thou shalt remit every private debt which thy neighbour owes thee, and thou shalt not ask payment of it from thy brother; for it has been called a release to the Lord thy God. 

3 Of a stranger thou shalt ask again whatsoever he has of thine, but to thy brother thou shalt remit his debt to thee. 

4 For thus there shall not be a poor person in the midst of thee, for the Lord thy God will surely bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God gives thee by inheritance, that thou shouldest inherit it.

5 And if ye shall indeed hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep and do all these commandments, as many as I charge thee this day, 

6 (for the Lord thy God has blessed thee in the way of which he spoke to thee,) then thou shalt lend to many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over thee.

7 And if there shall be in the midst of thee a poor man of thy brethren in one of thy cities in the land, which the Lord thy God gives thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, neither shalt thou by any means close up thine hand from thy brother who is in want. 

8 Thou shalt surely open thine hands to him, and shalt lend to him as much as he wants according to his need. 

9 Take heed to thyself that there be not a secret thing in thine heart, an iniquity, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, draws nigh; and thine eye shall be evil to thy brother that is in want, and thou shalt not give to him, and he shall cry against thee to the Lord, and there shall be great sin in thee. 

10 Thou shalt surely give to him, and thou shalt lend him as much as he wants, according as he is in need; and thou shalt not grudge in thine heart as thou givest to him, because on this account the Lord thy God will bless thee in all thy works, and in all things on which thou shalt lay thine hand. 

11 For the poor shall not fail off thy land, therefore I charge thee to do this thing, saying, Thou shalt surely open thine hands to thy poor brother, and to him that is distressed upon thy land.

Amen, Faithful, True Witness, Head of God's Creation

Monday 2020.11.23

Reading from Revelations Chapter 2 and 3

"The Amen, the Faithful, the True Witness, the Head of God's Creation."

The many Titles of the Lord Iesou the Anointed One as recorded in the letters to the Seven Churches:

• He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. (Rev 2:1, Ephesus)
• The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life. (Rev 2:8, Smyrna)
• He who has the sharp two-edged sword. (Rev 2:12, Pergamum)
• The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass. (Rev 2:18, Thyatira)
• He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars. (Rev 3:1, Sardis)
• He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and that shuts and no one opens. (Rev3:7, Philadelphia)
• The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God`s creation. (Rev 3:14, Laodicea)

Titles of God, Titles of Iesous

Monday 2020.11.16

Reading from Revelations Chapter 1

The Titles of God and of the Lord Iesou: a contrast and a comparison

In Rev 1:8, we read that:

The Lord God is 

- the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (the start and the finish of Creation)

- who is, who was and who is to come (eternal)

- the Almighty (no one is greater than Him)

In Rev 1:17b, 18, we read

The Lord Iesou is

- the first and the last (of God's Creation) (N.B. Iesou is not the Beginning and the End)

- the Living One (he was raised by God from the dead on the third day) 

- alive forevermore (never to die again) (N.B. Iesou is not the one who is, who was, who is to come)

The Lord Iesou has

- the keys of Death and of Hades (given authority over death by God, see Matthew 28:18, "All authority") (N.B. Iesou is not the Almighty)

Revelations 1:8 WEB

8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelations 1:13, 17b, 18 WEB

13 And in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest.

. . . 

17 . . . "Don`t be afraid. I am the first and the last,

18 and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.

A Benediction and A Doxology

Monday 2020.11.16

Reading from Revelations Chapter 1

A Benediction and A Doxology.

(1) A benediction for the disciples

John blesses the readers with this benediction:

- Grace to you.

- And Peace:

- - From God, who is , who was, who is to come

- - From the Seven Spirits before the Throne of God

- - From Iesou the Anointed, the faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, ruler of the kings of the earth.

Revelations 1:4 - 5 WEB

4 Grace to you and peace, from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne;

5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. 

(2) A doxology to the Lord Iesou the Anointed One:

- Iesou the Anointed, 

- - the faithful witness

- - the firstborn of the dead

- - the ruler of the kings of the earth

- To Iesou, 

- - who loves us,

- - and washed us from our sins by his blood

- - and made us to be a kingdom,

- - priests to his God and Father,

- To Iesou be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Such a doxology is rare in the New Testament.

Revelations 1:5 - 6 WEB

5 Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood;

6 and he made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Did tragedy befall them because they had done evil?

Sunday 2020.11.15

Reading from Luke Chapter 13 ASV

Did tragedy befall these people because they had done evil? 

No. If you don't repent, you shall ALL likewise perish . . .

Luke 13: 1-15 ASV

1 Now there were some present at that very season who told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And he answered and said unto them, Think ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they have suffered these things?

3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.

4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them, think ye that they were offenders above all the men that dwell in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

The two "And then . . . "

Sunday 2020.09.13

Reading from Mark Chapter 13 ASV

The two "And then . . . "

Mark 13:5 - 13 Wars and rumours of wars, persecution and betrayal, earthquakes, famine, gospel preached to all nations.

Mark 13:14 - 23 Tribulation, begins with the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be (v 14), never has been, never will be, false Christs, false prophets, their signs and wonders lead many astray

Mark 13:24 - 27 AFTER the tribulation, sun and moon darkened, stars fall from the heavens, powers in heaven shaken, 

The two "and then":

Mark 13:26

"AND THEN shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory."

Mark 13:27

"AND THEN shall he send forth the angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."

Conclusion

The two "and then" in todays passage tells us that the return of our Lord Iesou the Anointed One will take place only 

- after a time of wars, persecution, earthquakes and famine, gospel preached to all nations

- followed by the great tribulation when false Christs and false prophets lead many astray

- which is followed by the sun and moon darkened, the stars falling from the skies, the shaking of the powers in heavenly places.

The Rejected Stone

Thursday 2020.09.10

Reading from Acts chapters 3 and 4 (KJV)

The Rejected Stone.

After the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:1 - 16), the priests, the captain of the Temple, and the Sadducees (who did not believe in resurrection), were upset about Peter and John preaching the resurrection of the Lord Iesou (Acts 4:2).

They detained Peter and John, and on the next day, the rulers, elders and scribes, and Annas the high priest along with his family, were gathered in Jerusalem to interrogate them, asking, 

"By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" (Acts 4:5 - 7)

Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, answered them, that the lame man at the Beautiful Gate was healed by the name (authority) of the Lord Iesou the Anointed "whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead . . ." (Acts 4:10). He went on to quote a well known verse from Psalm 118, likening the Lord Iesou to a stone rejected by builders, which had become the corner stone.

Acts 4:11 KJV

This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Psalm 118:22 KJV

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

This verse is also quoted in three of the four Gospels, as well as in two Epistles,

Matthew 21:42 KJV

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Mark 12:10 KJV

And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

Luke 20:17 KJV

And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

Ephesians 2:19, 20 KJV

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

1 Pet 2:7 KJV

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,