The Word For The Weak
A. D. 2023
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-00-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 15 - 21 October — In The Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “NEW”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
This writing represents a work product from New Orders I received from the Lord Holy Spirit on 16 October of this year. Below is a copy of an email I sent out to select Brothers and Sisters concerning this “New Kingdom Order.”
BEGIN EMAIL:
Brothers and Sisters in Christ - Greetings,
I ask for your prayers.
This Morning I was talking with the Lord. At one point He said that He wanted me to prophesy. Upon further discussions, I learned that no later than next week, and then on a weekly basis after that, Jesus wants me to pray for a “Word For The Week”, and then prophesy (and document) that Word.
I asked Him,
“Do You mean a “Thus Saith The Lord” type of Word?”
“YES”,
the Lord replied.
Please pray for me, that I will have strength to hear clearly, to relay the Word without deviation, and that nothing I say/write/publish will "fall to the ground.”
1 Samuel 3:19
19 So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
Blessings,,,
—R. C. Theophilus
P. S. At one point I protested, saying that Rick Joyner already has a “Word For The Week”. The Lord responded saying that “Rick Joyner is on the East Coast. You’re on the West Coast."
END EMAIL.
When I was beginning to construct the template for this newsletter, the Lord moved me to spell the word “week” as “weak”, changing the title from one of chronology to that of character.
The Lord and I agreed on these specific instructions: on the first day of the week, right before I go to bed, I am to pray for the Word for that week. The Lord will then answer in His own way in His own time.
So, this next Sunday will be the first. The Word for this week (which I am calling Week 0) actually came as I was writing this, not by a specific prayer. All subsequent Words For The Weak will be based on my specific prayer and the Lord’s specific answer.
May our Father in Heaven grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— “VERY GOOD” —
NL-01-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 22-28 October — In The Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “JAMES”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Last night, the Lord Holy Spirit gave me the word “JAMES” for this week’s Word For The Weak.
Within a minute of my hearing that Word, a severe tightness and dull pain began spreading from the center of my chest upward to my neck, downward to my lower sternum, and outward to both shoulders. The sensation became so severe that I thought I might be experiencing a coronary event.
But upon inquiring of the Lord, He explained that the pain was not physiological in nature, but caused by spiritual warfare, with my inner spirit-man experiencing a collateral effect.
Essentially, in the process of my receiving the Word, the Lord was placing me in a position of intercession for those who are weak, with the result of my Breastplate of Righteousness being pushed on by evil forces**.
So I watched some TV for a while, ignoring the pain until it de-resonated and was no more.
Let us now explore the Word of James, and see if we can determine in what way this Word will benefit we who are The Weak.
According to Wikipedia:
James the Great was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was the second of the apostles to die (after Judas Iscariot), and the first to be martyred. Saint James is the patron saint of Spain and, according to tradition, his remains are held in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. He is also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ,[citation needed] Arabic يعقوب; Hebrew בן זבדי יַעֲקֹב,[citation needed] Yaʿăqōb, Latin Iacobus Maior, Greek Ἰάκωβος τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου Iákōbos tû Zebedaíou;[citation needed] died AD 44).
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Great)
James the Less (Greek: Ἰάκωβος ὁ μικρός Iakōbos ho mikros) is a figure of early Christianity, one of the Twelve chosen by Jesus. He is also called "the Minor", "the Little", "the Lesser", or "the Younger", according to translation. He is not to be confused with James the Great (also called "James the Elder"). He is identified by some as James, son of Alphaeus and as James, brother of Jesus, thought of by Jerome and others as really the cousin of Jesus. James the Less has traditionally been commemorated along with St. Philip in the Western Christian calendars.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Less)
According to Scripture:
1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. (Matthew 10:1-4 NKJV)
Psalms 119:105 (NKJV) says that “Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.”
Here are some key verses to help guide our journey.
The Book of James
Chapter 1
Verses 2 Through 8
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Over the years I have heard it stated that the original Hebrew name for James can also be translated as Jacob in the English language.
The Book of Exodus
Chapter 3
Verse 15
15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
The Book of Acts
Chapter 7
Verses 30-32
30 “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 32 saying, I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look.
After looking at these texts, I could see a form of the Godhead being represented in the names and persons, with the life of Abraham revealing the love of Father God, the life of Isaac revealing the sacrifice of the Son of God, and the life of Jacob revealing the work of the Holy Spirit of God.
One thing that became clear to me in studying this Word of James, is that two of the Twelve Apostles are named James. James the Elder, who is the half-brother of Jesus, and who wrote the Book of James, and James the Younger, the son of Alphaeus. This is the first time that I have realized this truth.
So now, a question arises; why did Jesus choose two of His disciples/apostles who shared the same name to become part of the foundation of His Church?
I close with this confession.
One of my favorite movie series is James Bond. And I have often wondered if Ian Fleming was inspired by the opening of the Book of James in verse 1:1 for the name of the lead character in his literary work —
“James, a bondservant of God and
of the Lord Jesus Christ, …”
P. S. ** But this was not the first time I experienced this strange phenomena. See my testimonial Letter 230a (www.letterstodan.com) for more details.
May our Father in Heaven grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— “VERY GOOD” —
The Word For The Weak
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-02-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 29 October - 4 November — In The Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “PEACE”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
This last Sunday night, following the instructions of the Lord Holy Spirit, I prayed for the Word for this week, right before I went to bed. But unlike last week, I did not receive His Word immediately.
The Lord waited until Monday morning to reveal His Word. This occurred as I was sitting at my computer desk, getting ready to start the Day.
While contemplating my upcoming activities, the word “PEACE” came to mind. When I heard that word, I stopped and thought, “that’s probably the Word for this Week.”
And upon my asking the Lord, He confirmed that it was indeed His chosen Word for those of us who are Weak.
This was significant, because I had one primary task to accomplish that morning, a job which I had been dreading to do for many days.
My task was to retrieve a second key for the used car which my wife and I had purchased earlier this month, on the very same day that Israel was attacked by Hamas terrorists - Saturday 7 October 2023.
The cause of the “dread” was delivered by way of a transcript of a voicemail I received by email about two weeks after making the purchase. The message was from the Licensing Clerk at the Dealership.
Here is an edited copy of the email.
BEGIN EMAIL:
24 October 2023 5:10 PM.
Hey (…), this is (…) at (…) Motors. Just calling to let you know that the plates (and the second key) for the Chrysler are in and can be picked up at any time. I also have to let you know that there is a licensing fee left of $144.25 that could be paid at the time of pickup or over the phone.
END EMAIL.
I called back to the Dealership and spoke with the Clerk, informing her that I had already transferred our pre-existing Disability Plates to the car, and that I did not need the new plates. Then I said that I would come by on Monday (30 October) to pick up the second key.
But that meant that I had six days to deal with “what if” scenarios regarding the unexpected additional fee which was supposed to have already been negotiated into the final selling price. In fact there is a line-item on the sales invoice which says “license, title, … fees”, etc. And no less than $150.00 had already been assigned to that line-item as part of the total sales price.
I had asked during negotiations that our pre-existing Disabled License Plates could be transferred to the car were were buying as part of the purchase process. The Sales Manager indicated they could do that, and that it would most likely cost less than the $150.00 estimated title and license fee amount, which was included in the final sales price, possibly resulting in a refund.
So, when I received word that just the opposite was true, that I OWED $150.00 instead, I stated to wonder if I was being scammed into paying more than the agreed upon price.
During the time when I was waiting for the licensing to finalize, I had a dream in which the Lord revealed (and removed) certain elements of Hell’s Resources that had been assigned to the Used Car Dealership in order to inject as much sin as possible into the Sales Relationships between the Dealership and its Customers. This dream was given me right before I woke up on the morning of Saturday, 28 October 2023.
I felt better after having the dream, but was still unsure how to approach this additional fee. At first I thought I shouldn’t have to pay it because it was for license plates I did not need, and $150.00 had already been paid and assigned for that purpose.
But later the Lord led me to the understanding that the Dealership had performed their (legally required) due-diligence in obtaining the new license plates, which cost more than the original estimate for the transfer of existing plates. Furthermore, the Dealership had no knowledge of what I had learned a few days earlier at the Department of Motor Vehicles, that the previous transfer of the Disability Plates to the car we were replacing had been in error, which was caused by the DMV agent who officiated over the previous transfer**.
The Lord then suggested to me that I offer to pay half the cost of the unneeded plates.
So, on Monday, when I heard the word PEACE, I knew that there was nothing to fear, and that all would turn out for the best.
And I was at peace on the one hour drive to the Dealership, and as I waited for the Licensing Clerk to finalize the paperwork.
After some short negotiation, my offer to pay for half of the additional fee was accepted. I received a receipt of the transaction and the second key-fob, and made ready to leave.
But not before the Lord had the Last Word in the matter, when I offered to the Licensing Clerk one of my “Jesus Loves Us” business cards. She received both the Card and Message with a smile, and I thanked her for her Kindness, then departed.
This was the Lord’s way of redeeming the errors of man, so that Jesus would be glorified at that time and place, in the presence of witnesses, which included myself and the Licensing Clerk.
**The Disability License Plates had originally been assigned to my wife’s new 1997 Dodge Intrepid, which was “totaled” in a wreck on 30 January of 2015. Within a week, we found a replacement, a used 2006 Chrysler 300 at a local New Car Dealership (see Letter 355). Then, in February of 2021, that 2006 Chrysler 300 was destroyed in a windstorm from a tree falling on it in our driveway (see Letter 880a). Were able to replace that Chrysler 300 with another, a used 2011 Chrysler 300. Then, in December of 2022, that 2011 Chrysler 300 was also destroyed in the same way, from a tree falling in a wind storm. Then, we found a newer 2012 Chrysler 300 at a Used Car Dealership, which is the same car being described in the body of this document. I pray that the Lord will keep this 2012 Chrysler 300 safe from any further harm and damage. Shalom and Amen.
P. S. The thought occurred to me while I was writing this Newsletter, that the Word PEACE in this context is prophetic, in that the purchase of our 2012 Chrysler 300 Hemi-C began on the same day that the War of Hamas against Israel began.
According to the Lord;
“THE END OF THIS WAR WILL BRING IN GENERATIONS OF PEACE.”
So says the Lord God Almighty, and witnessed thereof by His humble servants.
P. P. S. When I first heard the word “PEACE” I asked the Lord to clarify whether He was saying “PIECE” (as in something that is/was part of another), or PEACE, (as in a cessation of hostilities). He confirmed it was the latter — “PEACE”.
(SPECIAL NOTE 2023-02-03: At Men’s Bible study last night the following Scripture was brought up. As soon as I heard it I knew the Lord was highlighting the verse for me to take note of.
The Book of Colossians
Chapter 1
Verse 19 Through 20
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
May our Father in Heaven grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— “VERY GOOD” —
The Word For The Weak
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-03-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 5 -11 November — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “STAND”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Please permit me to begin with an (edited) transcript of a Field Report I voice recorded yesterday (Monday).
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT.
“OK, today is Monday, the 6th of November 2023, at 6:33AM, and it is presently 48 degrees (DEGF) outside. This is a Field Report.
Last night was Sunday, and I’m supposed to pray and ask the Lord for the Word for the Weak, uhh, Sunday nights before I go to bed. I was really tired last night, and I forgot.
So, this morning as I was, uhh, after I made my coffee and I was sitting watching television, I remembered. So that’s when I prayed and asked what the Word For The Weak/Week was, and the Lord said, within moments of ending the prayer, He said;
“STAND.”
And I asked the Lord, or I repeated after Him, “stand.” And uh, that was His Word to me,
“STAND.”
Ok. So I actually sent myself an email with that word in it. I’ll be writing about it this week.
But then what’s interesting is what happened next.
Now, I did start thinking about a book that I’ve been studying at Men’s Bible Study, and the title of the book is ‘Stand’, and it's a treatise on Ephesians chapter 6, and the “full armor of God”, and then “having done all, to stand”.
And I thought ‘well, OK, that follows a theme’.
But that (the Bible study) is in the past. It’s what happened AFTER I asked for the word for the weak, and the Lord gave me the word “stand”, is starting to be somewhat remarkable.
So, I do what I normally do, I go on Youtube and watch some news. But first I was watching a movie I got from the Library. It’s called Sicario, and it’s about a collaboration of FBI and CIA and DEA to go after drug cartels in Mexico, is essentially what it is.
But I became bored with the movie, so I shut that movie down, to take it back to the Library today.
Then I started watching Youtube videos for news. And, I like Jonathan Choe (youtube channel #choeshow). So he had one video that was showing how there was a group of Christians and Jews that were counter-protesting the protesters that had been in Seattle supporting Hamas.
So this group - they were not protesting, not really protesting. What they were doing was
STANDING FOR ISRAEL.
And so Jonathan Choe’s camera, as he went down the line of marchers, would show, umm, signs that said;
“WITH ISRAEL WE STAND”.
And also, before that, the guy that was talking into the megaphone said;
“WE STAND WITH ISRAEL”.
And uh, so, that was interesting.
And now, right before I started recording this, I was starting to watch a news report on Fox News about (newly elected Speaker of The House) Mike Johnson, that he was saying the same thing, that the first thing that he did when he got into the Speaker of The House position was to send a resolution saying that;
“WE THE UNITED STATES STAND WITH ISRAEL.”
So, right away, I’m getting “pings” out in the field about the word “STAND.”
Yeah, like I say, I was studying the book by Warren Wiersbe uhh, about uhh, you know, with the title “Stand.” That’s about Ephesians 6, and that’s good, but it’s nothing new**.
What I just witnessed today (on TV) is new**; new to me, and very recent.
So…, interesting.
I think we’ll take the word “Stand” from Ephesians and apply it to standing with Israel, and see where else it goes this week.
OK. That is the end of this Report.”
END TRANSCRIPT.
Here are some quotes from the New Testament epistles that have the word “stand”*** within the text.
Romans 5:1-2
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 14:4
4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
Romans 14:10-11
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written:
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD,
EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD.”
Ephesians 6:14
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, …
1 Peter 5:12
12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.
I observe that last week’s word was “PEACE.” And I find it notable that in Romans 5:1, (quoted above) the word ‘peace’ is dominant - “…we have peace with God…”. And so we can already see a harmony of themes from week to week, and from Word to Word. I find this remarkable as well.
Therefore, it is because of PEACE that we are able to STAND.
**This is, after all, a newsletter. And news is a current report of that which is “new”.
***Other texts include the phrase “stand fast” which is worthy of further study.
NOTE: Let us remember that according to John 2:19-21, when Jesus uses words, He sometimes is using a dictionary not of this earth. I have learned from this text to to always ask the Lord for clarification.
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— “VERY GOOD” —
The Word For The Weak
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-04-2023 (PDF Link)
THE WEEK OF: 12-18 November — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “PENITENCE”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Last night before I fell asleep, the Lord Holy Spirit reminded me to pray and ask Jesus for this weeks’s Word For The Weak. I barely had the prayer finished and was saying “Amen” when I began to hear this word:
“PENITENCE.”
After confirming what I heard with the Lord, I immediately sent an email to myself with that word in order to have a record. Then I was able to get to sleep.
This morning I still “penitence” in my memory, and will now begin to analyze why the Lord has chosen that Word for this time.
One of the dictionaries (Oxford) I have at my disposal defines penitence as:
“noun [mass noun] — the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret
for having done wrong; repentance: ‘a public display of penitence.’”
In my Olive Tree Bible (for Mac), the text found in Isaiah 63:15 - 64:12 is described as a prayer of penitence, as follows:
The Book of Isaiah
Chapters 63 and 64
Verses 15 Through 12
(A Prayer of Penitence)
15 Look down from heaven,
And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious.
Where are Your zeal and Your strength,
The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me?
Are they restrained?
16 Doubtless You are our Father,
Though Abraham was ignorant of us,
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O LORD, are our Father;
Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17 O LORD, why have You made us stray from Your ways,
And hardened our heart from Your fear?
Return for Your servants’ sake,
The tribes of Your inheritance.
18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while;
Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled,
Those who were never called by Your name.
1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens!
That You would come down!
That the mountains might shake at Your presence—
2 As fire burns brushwood,
As fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
3 When You did awesome things for which we did not look,
You came down,
The mountains shook at Your presence.
4 For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—
In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.
6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
7 And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have consumed us because of our iniquities.
8 But now, O LORD,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.
9 Do not be furious, O LORD,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!
10 Your holy cities are a wilderness,
Zion is a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful temple,
Where our fathers praised You,
Is burned up with fire;
And all our pleasant things are laid waste.
12 Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O LORD?
Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?
* * * * * * *
I observed that a synonymous word for penitence is “repent”. The Scripture is replete with the Doctrine of Repentance. Here are a few samples.
Matthew 3:7-9
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Mark 2:17
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Luke 24:46-47
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
The word “repent” occurs twelve times in the Book of Revelation. Eight of these occurrences are directed to the Church (see Rev. 2:5-3:19). Does this not show that the Church has the greater burden to repent?
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— “VERY GOOD” —
The Word For The Weak
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-06-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 26 November - 2 December — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “SOUND”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Last night I went to sleep before remembering to pray for the Word. But the Lord woke me up at about 12:30AM and reminded me to ask for His Word, after which He said the word was “SOUND.”
Upon confirming what I heard, I sent myself an email with the word Sound, and then went back to sleep.
There are many uses for the word “sound”. According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “sound” is used as:
a noun - such as a sound one hears; a body of water (i.e. Puget sound), a long surgical probe with a curved, blunt end;
a verb - such as “sound out a word”;
an adjective - such as “in sound condition”, “a sound principle”, etc.
an adverb - such as “sound asleep”.
But let’s see how it is used in Scripture. In the New King James Version, the word “sound” occurs 130 times. Let us take a look at the following samples:
Genesis 3:8
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Exodus 28:34-35
… 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the LORD and when he comes out, that he may not die.
Proverbs 2:7
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
Matthew 24:31
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Revelation 19:6
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— ‘GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU’ —
The Word For The Weak
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-07-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 3-9 December — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “SOON”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
This morning, the Lord revealed that this week’s Word is “SOON”.
No sooner than I heard His Word, that I was reminded of a movie I really like called “Birdmen: The Original Dream of Flight”. This movie is an historical documentary of winged flight suits which are worn by parachutists. The suits have a wing-surface large enough to allow for a gradual descending flight pattern.
One of the para-flyers in the movie is quoted as saying that one must get their wing-suits flying “soon” when jumping from a ledge that is at a certain height from the ground below.
Of course, my next train of thought led me to the doctrine of “The Soon Coming of Christ Jesus” that I have heard preached innumerable times from Church pulpits, and sung in many hymns.
But now, let’s see how Scripture handles the word “SOON”**.
The New King James Version has “SOON” listed as occurring 73 times. The ESV has it listed as 137 times.
Young’s Literal Translation has it at only 2 times.
Psalms 37:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
Psalms 58:3 (NKJV)
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
Psalms 81:13-14 (NKJV)
13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
Mark 9:39
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
END.
I discovered something while researching the word “soon” for this newsletter. My discovery is that I could not find anywhere in the Scripture where “soon” is used to describe either the Rapture, or the Second Coming of Christ. None. Zero. Nada. Zilch.
So, what does this mean?
I will leave the answer to this question for another time.
** The Oxford Dictionary describes “soon” as an adverb:
1. In or after a short time: everyone will soon know the truth | he'll be home soon | they arrived soon after 7.30.
• early: how soon can you get here? | it's a pity you have to leave so soon | I wish you'd told me sooner | it was too soon to know.
2. Used to indicate one's preference in a particular matter: I'd just as soon Tim did it | I'd sooner stay where I am.
USAGE: In standard English the phrase no sooner is followed by than, as in we had no sooner arrived than we had to leave. This is because sooner is a comparative, and comparatives are followed by than (earlier than; better than, and so on). It is incorrect to follow no sooner with when rather than than, as in we had no sooner arrived when we had to leave.
P. S. I performed an internet search for this phrase: “the soon return of Christ”. Here is a link to the results - https://duckduckgo.com/?q=the+soon+return+of+Christ&t=ffab&ia=web
P. P. S. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus is quoted as saying that He is “coming quickly”. He does not say “soon”. Indeed, we now have over 2,000 years of Church History. Could we not just as easily have 2,000 years more, and then the Rapture? But we don’t know, because the Scripture says we don’t have access to that information.
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— ‘GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU’ —
The Word For The Weak
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-08-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 10-16 December — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “SINGULARITY”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Well, I actually remembered to pray for TWFTW last night before I went to sleep. But I did not hear the Lord Holy Spirit say anything pertaining to His Word, until this morning many hours into the day.
I was in the kitchen talking to the Lord when in the course of my monologue I used the word “singularity”.
After a few more comments I asked the Lord if “singularity” was His Word for the Weak.
He responded in the affirmative.
I responded with something like “Cool, it sounds like ‘Star Trek’”.
Therefore, let us seek out what the Lord’s purpose is for giving us the Word “SINGULARITY”.
My first approach is a general search, using the “Spotlight” algorithm feature included with Mac-OS.
The first entry is for a program application that runs under Mac-OS, Singularity App:
• App of the Year in Tagline Awards
• Enjoy planning your life!
Singularity App combines the best techniques for managing tasks, projects, cases, calendars, checklists, and reminders in one tool. We have used the best practices such as time management, GTD and chaos management. All of them are embodied in one great tool: SingularityApp.
The next entry is a dictionary definition:
singularity | ˌsiNGɡyəˈlerədē |
noun (plural singularities)
1 the state, fact, quality, or condition of being singular: he believed in the singularity of all cultures.
• a peculiarity or odd trait.
2 Physics & Mathematics— a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole.
3 (usually the singularity) a hypothetical moment in time when artificial intelligence and other technologies have become so advanced that humanity undergoes a dramatic and irreversible change: maybe the singularity just happened, and we didn't notice.
ORIGIN
Middle English: from Old French singularite, from late Latin singularitas, from singularis ‘alone (of its kind)’ (see singular).
The third entry is from “Siri”, a feature of Apple operating systems:
In mathematics, a singularity is a point at which a given mathematical object is not defined, or a point where the mathematical object ceases to be well-behaved in some particular way, such as by lacking differentiability or analyticity. For example, the reciprocal function f= 1/ x has a singularity at x= 0, where the value of the function is not defined, as involving a division by zero. The absolute value function g=| x| also has a singularity at x= 0, since it is not differentiable there.
Now, one might ask the “So? What?” questions. For those we must turn to the Scriptures.
So far, I cannot find any instance of “singularity” in Scripture, but with the Lord’s express permission, I did find find two instances of the word “singular”, (from which the word “singularity” is derived), in the Bible; one in the King James Bible, and the other in the other in the New King James Version.
Here they are:
Leviticus 27:1-1 (KJV)
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation.
Ezekiel 7:5-6 (NKJV)
5 “Thus says the Lord GOD:
‘A disaster, a singular disaster;
Behold, it has come!
6 An end has come,
The end has come;
It has dawned for you;
Behold, it has come!
OK. So now let’s look at the original language for “singular” in both translations:
(STRONG’S HEBREW - singular)
h0259: אֶחָד echad - Dictionary
Gen. 1:5 - First
Gen. 1:9 - One
Gen. 2:11 - First
h0259. אֶחָד ’eḥâḏ; a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first: — a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,
As we see, the Hebrew word for “singular” is “echad”, which can also be translated into other words that have similar meanings in English.
But the Lord specified “singularity” (from “singular”) as His Word for the week, so we will remain within His parameter of research.
The thought occurs to me that David chose 5 smooth stones when he went out to meet Goliath in the field of battle. But it was a singular stone which dropped Goliath and made it possible for his immediate decapitation.
But I think my favorite singularity is when Jesus says “no” against the Enemy.
His singular use of this single word, like the one stone from David’s sling, puts a full stop to the activities of Hell’s Resources to which Jesus is referring. Then, HR can be decapitated with their own devices by the Body of Christ.
** From the Oxford Dictionary of English
singularity /sɪŋɡjʊˈlarɪti/ ♫
▶ noun (plural singularities)
[mass noun] the state, fact, quality, or condition of being singular: he believed in the singularity of all cultures.
• [count noun] a peculiarity or odd trait: it is a singularity of the book that it contains such a wealth of illustrations.
Physics & Mathematics a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space–time when matter is infinitely dense, such as at the centre of a black hole.
(usually the singularity) a hypothetical moment in time when artificial intelligence and other technologies have become so advanced that humanity undergoes a dramatic and irreversible change: maybe the singularity just happened, and we didn't notice.
– origin Middle English: from Old French singularite, from late Latin singularitas, from singularis ‘alone (of its kind)’ (see singular).
In one of the many Star Trek episodes that I have seen, I remember that one of the Federation’s enemies (the Romulans) powered their star ships by harnessing a quantum singularity. (See this report from https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Romulan_technology): Artificial quantum singularity reactor— In the 24th century, an artificial quantum singularity served as the primary power source for large Romulan spacecraft, such as the D'deridex-class Warbird. Once activated, the singularity core could not be shut down (TNG: "Face Of The Enemy", "Timescape"; DS9: "Visionary”). A relay station network of ancient origin, claimed by the Hirogen, was the only other known example of a race using quantum singularities as a power source. (VOY: "Hunters”))
For those of us who are being saved, Jesus is our SINGULARITY; just as it is written:
The Book of 1 Corinthians
Chapter 8
Verses 5 Through 6
5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— ‘GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU’ —
The Word For The Weak
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-09-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 17-23 December — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “GRACE”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Yesterday evening (Sunday) I drove my wife to a restaurant so she could join a few of her lady-friends from her high school days for a Christmas Dinner.
Being a member of the leading male gender, I was not permitted to attend the dinner.
Instead, I went to a different restaurant, The Outback, within walking distance (next to the same adjacent parking lot), and had a Christmas dinner in the presence of the Lord Holy Spirit.
After being seated, I placed on the table to my right my cell-phone along with three of my “Jesus Loves Us” business cards within plain view, to see if the Lord would provide an opportunity for the Gospel to be shared.
And sure enough, after a few trips to my table, my waitress said she saw my card, and that she agreed with the message. Further words indicated that she and I were indeed one in the Family of Christ Jesus.
Even though I missed my wife’s company, I was pleased to discover that another member of The Royal Family was present.
Right before I departed I wrote and left a note along with the tip and the three business cards, for the waitress.
The words in the note said:
“OUR CONFESSION IS THE GIFT.”
Meaning that our confession about Jesus is His gift to us, and our gift to our Father in Heaven.
And these words were gifted to me by the Lord at that very moment.
This was all a work of the Grace of God.
So now, let’s discover what the internet says about “GRACE”.
From WIKIPEIDA.COM:
“In Western Christian theology, grace is created by God who gives it as help to one because God desires one to have it, not necessarily because of anything one has done to earn it. It is understood by Western Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to people – "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" – that takes the form of divine favor, love, clemency, and a share in the divine life of God. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, grace is the uncreated Energies of God. Among Eastern Christians generally, grace is considered to be the partaking of the Divine Nature described in 2 Peter 1:4 and grace is the working of God himself, not a created substance of any kind that can be treated like a commodity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_in_Christianity”
From BRITANNICA.COM:
1) [noncount] : a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff or awkward She walked across the stage with effortless grace.
2a) [noncount] : a controlled, polite, and pleasant way of behaving
She handles her problems with grace and dignity.
He has shown remarkable grace during this crisis.
People say you have the (good) grace to do something when they approve of what you do and consider it to be polite and proper.
She has the grace [=she is polite/nice enough] to listen to everyone's complaints.
At least he had the good grace to admit that he was wrong.
2b) graces [plural] : skills that are needed for behaving in a polite way in social situations
She is quite lovable despite her lack of social graces.
https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/grace
In performing a word search in the Scripture, I discovered these interesting facts. The very first few uses of the word “GRACE” in the New King James Version are these:
Genesis 6:8
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD (click here for artistic drawing of this verse).
Exodus 33:13
13 Now therefore, I (Moses) pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”
Ezra 9:8
8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.
And the Psalms, speaking of the Messiah, says this:
Psalms 45:1-2
1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
Then, in the New Testament writings we have these:
Luke 2:40
40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
John 1:16-17
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
And finally we have the First and Last occurrences in the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 1:4
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
Revelation 22:21
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
= = = = = = =
All these are but a sample of the total number of occurrences of Grace in the Bible - there are 173 instances in the New King James Version, and 193 in Young’s Literal Translation.
P. S. When I started to write this newsletter, I was reminded of last week’s word, “SINGULARITY," and saw that the first three letters of that word spell the word “sin,” which in turn reminded me of this Scripture:
Romans 5:20-21
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— ‘GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU’ —
The Word For The Weak
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-10-2023 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 24-30 December — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2023 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “SALVATION”
SAYING THESE THINGS… :
As I am sitting at my computer desk, I was just reminded to pray and ask for this week’s Word. Before I was done saying “amen” to my prayer, the Lord Holy Spirit spoke and said “SALVATION.” I asked to confirm what I had just heard, and the Lord again said “SALVATION”.
Today is Christmas Day, when much of the Church celebrates the birth of our Messiah Savior - Christ Jesus. This Day is the revelation of the Gift of Jesus for the Salvation of those who are being saved, about which the totality of Scripture is dedicated.
Therefore, here is a short exegesis and a few samples of the Word that brings Salvation to the Earth, the best Christmas Gift one could ever ask for.
The Oxford Dictionary says:
salvation /salˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ ♫
▶ noun [mass noun]
Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss: they try to sell it to us as economic salvation.
• (one's salvation) a source or means of being saved from harm, ruin, or loss: his only salvation was to outfly the enemy.
Theology - deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ: the Christian gospel of salvation for all mankind. – origin Middle English: from Old French salvacion, from ecclesiastical Latin salvation- (from salvare ‘to save’), translating Greek sōtēria.
The word “salvation” occurs 204 times in the New King James Version (including a few non-scriptural scribal notes).
Here are a few samples from the Word of God:
Genesis 49:16-18
16 “Dan shall judge his people
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse’s heels
So that its rider shall fall backward.
18 I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!
Exodus 14:13
13 And Moses said to the people,
“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,
which He will accomplish for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
1 Samuel 2:1
1 And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
Job 13:15-16
15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
16 He also shall be my salvation,
For a hypocrite could not come before Him.
Zechariah 9:9
9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
Luke 1:67-69
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit,
and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
Luke 19:9
9 And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house,
because he also is a son of Abraham;
Philippians 2:12
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
= = = = = = =
The Book of Revelation contains the final occurrence in the Bible of the Word “SALVATION”.
Revelation 19:1-10
1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Alleluia!
Salvation and glory and honor and power
belong to the Lord our God!
2 For true and righteous are His judgments,
because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication;
and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her (Babylon The Great).”
3 Again they said,
“Alleluia!
Her (Babylon The Great) smoke rises up forever and ever!”
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying,
“Amen! Alleluia!”
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying,
“Praise our God,
all you His servants and those who fear Him,
both small and great!”
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying,
“Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and His wife has made herself ready.”
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me,
“Write: Blessed are those who are called
to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ”
And he said to me,
“These are the true sayings of God.”
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me,
“See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant,
and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Amen.
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON THE SIXTH DAY OF THE WEEK
— ‘GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU’ —