The Word For The Weak
A. D. 2024
— Weekly Newsletter —
By R. C. Theophilus
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
NL-2024-01 (PDF link)
FOR THE WEEK OF: 30 December 2023 - 6 January — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “LATE”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Last night I was asking the Lord for this week’s Word. I actually remembered to do so even before I was ready to sleep. But the Lord delayed revealing His Word until this morning.
We were in the TV room, when at about 6AM I remembered that I had prayed for His word, but that I had not heard His answer. So I asked again, and He replied that He would reveal his Word no later than 7AM.
It is now 7:06 AM and I am at my desktop computer. At about 6:68 I looked up at the clock from the computer screen and was startled at the time, and that I had not yet heard His Word yet. I then remarked in sort of a humorous fashion that it was getting “late”.
Then I began to wonder, and asked the Lord if the word was indeed “late”.
He replied “yes”, the Word is “LATE”.
Ok. So now, let’s see what Jesus is saying with His word of LATE.
Here are some phrases that I have heard over the years that include the word “late”:
1) one can be a “late-comer”.
2) one can be “late” to the party.
3) one can be “late”, as in dead, i.e. “The Late, Great, Planet Earth” (by Hal Lindsay)
4) “better late than never”
5) “The day is far spent, and the hour is late”
I’m sure there are more, but one gets the idea.
But now, let’s see if “late” is in Scripture.
According to the Olive Tree Bible NKJV, “late” occurs ten times.
Here is the complete list (I recommend the reader look up and see the verses in their more complete context):
Exodus 9:32
32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops.
2 Samuel 21:10
10 Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.
Job 30:3
3 They are gaunt from want and famine,
Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste, (see larger context)
Psalms 127:2
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
Amos 7:1
1 Thus the Lord GOD showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings.
Matthew 14:15
15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
Mark 6:35
35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.
Mark 11:11
11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Jude 1:12
12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
Revelation 6:13
13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
“Late” according to Roget’s Thesaurus II:
Not being on time:
behindhand, belated, overdue, tardy.
See: time
Having been such previously:
erstwhile, former, old, once, onetime, past, previous, quondam, sometime, whilom.
See: precede
No longer alive:
asleep, dead, deceased, defunct, departed, extinct, gone, lifeless.
Idioms: at rest, pushing up daisies.
When I was in grammar school, I learned that the english language has many features. One of these is “root” words. For instance, the root word of “singularity” is singular.
So now, I am wondering if the word “late” is a root word for any other words. “Latent” and “Latency” both come to mind.
In my Boiler Operator’s class, the Instructor taught about a concept he called “the latent heat of enthalpy”. I will leave the discovery of the meaning of this and other related terms to the reader.
P. S. As an avid Football Fan, I am also reminded of the penalty “delay of game”, which is what happens when the ball is snapped after the play clock runs out. In this case, the quarterback hikes the football too late to avoid the penalty. The operative Word used to avoid being late, is to be punctual. When one is punctual, one is being faithful to their word to be someplace or do something at a time agreed upon with another party.
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’ —
NL-2024-02 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 7-13 January — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “COURT”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Well, I was praying just a few minutes ago what the Word for this week is, and the Lord indicated that He would reveal it in a few minutes.
Then, as I was sitting at my computer watching a YouTube video, the narrator used the phrase “small claims court”, upon which the Lord said that His word for this week is “COURT”, and of which I then confirmed.
Immediately the thought of this Scripture came to mind:
Psalms 100:4
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
As I was retrieving this verse, I noticed that the NKJV lists the word “court” as occurring a little over 100 times, with “courts” at 32 times.
Here are some of the verses:
COURT-
Exodus 27:9
9 “You shall also make the court of the tabernacle. For the south side there shall be hangings for the court made of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long for one side.
Leviticus 6:16
16 And the remainder of it Aaron and his sons shall eat; with unleavened bread it shall be eaten in a holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of meeting they shall eat it.
Leviticus 6:26
26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of meeting.
Proverbs 25:8
8 Do not go hastily to court;
For what will you do in the end,
When your neighbor has put you to shame?
Galatians 4:17
17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. (Please see the greater context of the whole of Chapter 4).
Revelation 11:1-2
1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
COURTS-
Psalms 65:4
4 Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
Psalms 135:1-2
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!
2 You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God,
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
James 2:5-7
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
Now, as we read in Galatians, “court” can also be used as a verb. Let’s see what the dictionary declares about the word “court”.
▶ noun
(also court of law) a body of people presided over by a judge, judges, or magistrate, and acting as a tribunal in civil and criminal cases: she will take the matter to court | [as modifier] a court case.
• the place where a court meets: everyone in the court knew he was going down, innocent or guilty.
A quadrangular area, either open or covered, marked out for ball games such as tennis or squash: a squash court.
• a quadrangular area surrounded by a building or group of buildings: the map showed the crescents and courts of recent urban sprawl.
• (Court) used in the names of large houses or blocks of flats: Hampton Court.
The courtiers, retinue, and household of a sovereign: the emperor is shown with his court.
• a sovereign and his or her councillors, constituting a ruling power: relations between the king and the imperial court.
• a sovereign's residence: he lived for four years at the court of King Philip.
The qualified members of a company or a corporation.
• a meeting of the members of a company or a corporation.
▶ verb
[with object] dated be involved with (someone) romantically, with the intention of marrying: he was courting a girl from the neighboring farm | [no object] we went to the cinema when we were courting.
• (of a male bird or other animal) try to attract (a mate).
Pay special attention to (someone) in an attempt to win their support or favor: Western politicians courted the leaders of the newly independent states.
• try hard to win (favorable attention): he never had to court the approval of the political elite.
• risk incurring (misfortune) because of one's behavior: he has often courted controversy.
(Oxford Dictionary of English)
P. S. Does anyone remember The Courtship of Eddie’s Father? Or Night Court? Or of course, Perry Mason?
P. P. S. Also, please remember that one of the Supreme Court Justices, Amy Barrett, was at the time of her confirmation by the U. S. Senate a member of the Church group People of Praise. This is prophetically significant because of Psalm 100, quoted above. (See https://peopleofpraise.org.) Justice Barrett represents Praise Unto Yahweh in the Supreme Court.
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’ —
NL-2024-03 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 14-20 January — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “GREAT”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
This week, the Lord Holy Spirit indicated that He wanted me to pick the Word for the Weak. At first I chose “Hebrews”, in honor of the Book that we are now studying at Home Group.
But, as I looked and thought, it occurred to me that another Word was a better fit for the flow which the Lord had already established. And that Word is — “GREAT.”
Already I can think of many quotes that I have heard which use “great”. My favorite as a kid is from Tony The Tiger, who, speaking of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal in a TV commercial, said in a booming bass voice -
“… THEY’RE GREAT!”
And then there is this phrase often used as an exclamation: “Great Scott!”
But who is Scott? And why is he so great? So far no one has told me, so I’ll take Tony The Tiger over Great Scott any day.
This Word also brings to mind the words of a song- “Great Are You Lord.”
Here are the lyrics to that song:
(Listen to the song at this link.)
You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore every heart that is broken
And great are You, Lord
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore (You restore)
Every heart that is broken
And great are You, Lord
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
All the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord
All the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord
All the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will say
Great are You, Lord
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
Written by: Jason Ingram, David Leonard, Leslie Jordan
Album: All Sons & Daughters
Released: 2014
(Listen to the song at this link.)
“Great” appears over 1,000 times in the NKJV Bible. Here are the first and last instances in both of the Testaments.
Genesis 1:16
16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
Malachi 4:5-6
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
6 And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
Matthew 2:10
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
Revelation 21:9-27
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
P. S. It is also important to remember that ‘great’ is the root word of ‘greater’, which is another study in its own right. These two verses contain the Word “greater”:
John 1:50-51
50 Jesus answered and said to him (Nathanael), “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Hebrews 9:11
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
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’ —
NL-2024-04 (PDF link)
FOR THE WEEK OF: 21-27 January — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “GREATER”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Last week I was pondering whether the next word might be an extension of the word Great. While so engrossed in my preponderance, the Lord indicated to me that I could pick this week’s word. So, I did and chose the word “GREATER”, in keeping with an already established theme.
It made sense, since it is the second word in a series of three which all have “great” in them.
Many years ago, I was thinking about Scripture, and these three words came to my mind,
“GREATER, STRONGER, SHARPER.”
All three words come from a several Bible verses. Here is a sample:
GREATER
John 1:50-51
50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
STRONGER
Luke 11:21-22
21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.
SHARPER
Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Of course, we know that Scripture testifies of Jesus, who is the embodiment of God’s Word.
Jesus is the one Who is GREATER, STRONGER, SHARPER.
But let’s no find out how many times “greater” occurs in Scripture.
NKJV reports “GREATER” as occurring about 90** times in the Old and New Testaments combined. Here are the first and last words in both.
Genesis 1:16
16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
Zechariah 12:7-9
7 “The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Matthew 11:11
11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
3 John 1:1-4
1 The Elder,
To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Additionally, in 2019, I wrote a short treatise on what I call The Doctrine of Greater Things. See Letter 814a at this link.
** The reason I say “about”, is because the total word count also includes word occurrences in both front and end matter, such as prologue and epilogue descriptions of the related books. I chose not to count them, nor do I want to spend the time isolating each occurrence. The reader is free to do so at their own discretion.
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’ —
NL-2024-05 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 28 January - 3 February — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “GREATEST”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
The Scripture says all there is needed to say about the word “GREATEST.”
Jonah 3:5
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
Matthew 18:2-5
2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Matthew 23:11
11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
1 Corinthians 13:13
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
Hebrews 8:11
11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
P. S. The word “greatest” occurs over 20 times in the NKJV.
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’ —
NL-2024-06 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 4-10 February — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “FAITH”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
It seemed fitting then that we should continue on the same track that got us this far. Therefore, let us proceed from “faith to faith”.
Over the years, I have heard many different explanations and definitions of the word “Faith”. But most of what I heard did not agree with one another. Therefore, let us turn to the “… more sure word of prophecy …” in order to understand what Faith is all about.
The first instance of faith in the (NKJV) Bible is found in this verse:
Deuteronomy 32:20
20 And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
Children in whom is no faith.
This does not paint a very pretty picture. How is it that children have no Faith?
The next instance of Faith is found here:
Habakkuk 2:4
4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
Ahh. Now we are entering into familiar territory. But let us continue on our journey.
Matthew 6:30
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Well. At least this is a step in the right direction. We go from having “no faith”, to living “by faith”, to having a “little faith”.
But wait. There’s more!
Matthew 8:10
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
From little faith, to great faith. Is it true then that things only get better when Jesus shows up?
Now, let’s keep going, right into the Book of Acts.
Acts 3:16
16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
The writer of Acts is speaking of Jesus, and having faith in His Name. Since the Scripture has now established Who the object of our Faith is, let us see how the Apostle Paul takes his stand on Faith.
Romans 1:5-6
5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
The Book of Romans is chock full of Faith. Might we then consider that Romans is a good source of “Vitamin F”?
Since there are 229 instances of faith in the NKJV, let us speed ahead toward the end of the Testaments in order to save time.
Revelation 14:12
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Hmmm. Please observe with me that Scripture begins with children who are faithless, but ends with those who keep the faith of Jesus.
That really is Good News. But now let us close with these two verses.
Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1 Corinthians 13:13
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
How great then is the Faith the Saves us from our sins. Can it even be quantified?
Is it not true that the Faith which Jesus has in His Father, this same Faith He shares with us so that we are saved by His Grace? As it is written: “… by grace are we saved through faith…”
Thank You Jesus.
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’ —
NL-2024-07 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 11-17 February — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “HOPE”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Hope is the next corresponding word in our brief series which corresponds with the 3 words revealed in Newsletters 4, 5, and 6; Great, Greater, and Greatest respectively.
Great Faith therefore has led us to Greater Hope.
Out of curiosity, the first thing I did after I sat down to write this Newsletter was to perform an internet search for the phrase “greater hope”.
And I found it rather interesting that the top search results on the first page all led to an adoption agency in Colorado named “Greater Hope.”
Isn’t the point of the “blessed hope” of God to bring sons and daughters into adoption in the Family of Yahweh?
Let’s see what Scripture has to say about this. Incidentally, Hope occurs 122 times in the NKJV. What follows is a small sample.
HOPE #1
Ruth 1:11-13
11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!”
This is the first use of Hope in the Bible. It appears that Naomi is in distress, and wondering if she should even have Hope.
HOPE #2
Ezra 10:1-2
1 Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this.
Here, Ezra is informing us that there is Hope in spite of sin.
HOPE #3
Psalms 16:9
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
According to the Psalms, it looks like we can put our flesh to rest in Hope. Does this mean we no longer need to struggle against the flesh, if we put it to rest?
HOPE #4
Psalms 147:11
11 The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.
This is the final Word on Hope in the Book of Psalms. According to this text, we give Yahweh a source of happiness when we put our Hope in Him.
HOPE #5
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Here we see that Hope in Jesus is special. It is called Blessed.
HOPE #6
1 Peter 3:15
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
The last Word on Hope in the Bible is in 3 John.
HOPE #7
3 John 1:13-14
13 I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
These are but 7 of the 122 instances of the word Hope in Scripture.
And to quote 3 John again, “Greet the friends by name.”
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’ —
NL-2024-08 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 18-24 February — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “LOVE”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
This is the First Love recorded in Scripture.
(“… you have left your first love …”)
Genesis 22:1-2
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
This is the Second Love recorded in Scripture.
Genesis 27:1-4
1 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” And he answered him, “Here I am.” 2 Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”
This is the Third Love recorded in Scripture.
Genesis 29:20
20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
Here is the First Love recorded in The New Testament.
Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Here is the Second Love recorded in The New Testament.
Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
Here is the Third Love recorded in The New Testament.
Matthew 6:24
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Here we see a Greater Love.
John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
And now we see the Greatest Love.
Matthew 22:34
34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Here, we discover that Love is still the greatest.
1 Corinthians 13:13
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
And here, we find out WHY Love is the greatest.
1 John 4:8b
8 … for God
is love.
Is there anyone or anything greater than the God Who is Love?
Hebrews 6:13
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham,
because He could swear by no one greater,
He swore by Himself, …
Amen.
P. S. Regarding the previous Newsletter #2024-07, in one of my testimonial Letters I document how I see in real time the actual application of Hope.
Please see Letter 390 for this account.
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’ —
NL-2024-09 Part 1 of 3 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 25 February - 2 March — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “DREAM” (Part 1 of 3)
SAYING THESE THINGS:
There are at least 60 occurrences of Dream in the NKJV of the Bible. And this does not include variants such as “dreams, dreamed, dreamer,” etc.
The one verse that comes to mind about Dream is this one:
Acts 2:17
(Quoting Joel 2:28)
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
The western mindset pertaining to Dream has been corrupted by the influence of the atheistic doctrine of Sigmund Freud, which says that dreams come from something he called “the unconscious.” For more details, click here for a Wikipedia article, and this article on the “subconscious.”
In order to regain the clear understanding of what Dream actually is, we of the West must purposefully discover and jettison (out the nearest airlock) from our minds, any and all Freudian influence, and only adhere to Scripture and the Witnessing Voice of the Lord Holy Spirit.
We discover in Scripture how God uses dreams to communicate with individuals.
The first use of Dream in Scripture is in this verse:
Genesis 20:3
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him,
“Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
The last use of Dream is here:
Matthew 27:19
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”
And there are a whole lot of other Dreams in-between the first and the last in Scripture.
I personally have documented hundreds of dreams of my own which the Lord has given me. Some are personal in nature. Some were for purposes of clarification of current events, some are a form of Kingdom military intelligence, and others that I have yet to categorize.
My best dreams of course, are the ones in which Jesus Himself or His Voice is personally present. Here is a link to the first dream I remember in which Jesus is with me. Letter 07a- DREAM Jesus Today.
(See other dreams here: http://www.letterstodan.com/Volume00/)
As there is more to be said about Dream, this newsletter is written in at least two parts. This is part 1.
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’ —
NL-2024-09 Part 2 of 3 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 25 February - 2 March — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “DREAM” (Part 2 of 3)
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Dream is a big topic. But it occurs to me as I write that one of the best applications of Dream for those of us who are Weak Americans comes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who gave a speech titled “I Have A Dream.”
This speech was delivered on Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
(Begin speech.)
“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check.
When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.
We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 1963 is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.
And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, when will you be satisfied? We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: for whites only.
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right down in Alabama little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.
(End speech.)
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’ —
NL-2024-09 Part 3 of 3 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 25 February - 2 March — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “DREAM” (Part 3 of 3)
SAYING THESE THINGS:
In this third part in a series about Dream, the Lord indicated that it would be good to quote and link to a few of the many dreams I have had, as part of an example of the fulfillment of Acts 2:17.
07a===1==DREAM - Jesus Today=2017-09-24
“Jesus was there too, seated in a Rocking Chair.”
09c===1==DREAM - The Obelisk=2017-09-30
“At that point I realized that I needed to get out of the car and preach The Gospel as a Witness, which I did.”
09f===1==DREAM - The Tribunal=2017-09-30
“My only defense was that “... Jesus is my Lord", and that “... I serve Him, and not man.””
09g===1==DREAM - The Fishing Lodge=2017-09-30
“The Fish was still alive, but covered with various worms, maggots and insects.”
10a===1==DREAM - In Iraq=2017-09-30
“The facing enemy soldiers were too surprised to react as we wrestled their own firearms away and begin shooting.”
12b===1==DREAM - Demon Ship=2017-09-30
“The demon slowly turned away with his head down in defeat and sulked through the door.”
172===4==DREAMS (2 Each) - Badger Man AND “The Best Is Yet To Come”=2013-03-04
“It kept struggling to get away, but my grip was STRONGER, so I maintained control.”
““THE BEST IS YET TO COME”.”
323===5==DREAM-VISION - Creation Eagerly Waits=2015-03-09
“The creature was so happy to be close to me that it jumped up and down and ran around in circles in my hand, …”
513===6==DREAM - Bright Light Beacon=2016-09-19
“As soon as I saw this Beacon, I woke up.”
892==11==DREAM - “Use The .50 Cal.”=2021-10-08
“Jesus immediately answered me by saying: …”
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’ —
NL-2024-10 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 3-9 March — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “VISION”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Vision is mentioned in both Acts 2 and Joel 2 in the same breath and verse as Dream, with Vision preceding Dream.
Vision can be found in 71 verses in the NKJV Bible. The first occurrence of Vision in Scripture is in Genesis:
Genesis 15:1
1 After these things the word of the LORD
came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
And in The Psalms it says:
Psalms 89:19
19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,
And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
Later on, Peter has his own vision (within a trance) which is documented in the Book of Acts.
Acts 10:10-13, 17
10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” … 17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate.
And then Paul has his own visions:
Acts 16:9
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
Acts 18:9
9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”
Finally, the entire Book of Revelation was given to John in a vision:
Revelation 1:10-11
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
Revelation 9:17
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.
I myself have also had a number of visions. Here are links to five:
09h===1==VISION - Seattle Dumpster=2019-04-03
09i===1==VISION - Wolves & Lambs=2019-04-03
09j===1==VISION - Smith River=2019-04-03
09l===1==VISION - Living Newborn=2019-04-03
09m===1==VISION - The Eagle, The Dove, and the Sparrows=2019-04-03
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’ —
NL-2024-11 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 10-23 March — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
(SPECIAL NOTE: This Newsletter covers a two-week period)
THE WORD IS: “KIND”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
When I first heard the Lord Holy Spirit say that this week’s word is “KIND”, I had to ask for some clarification.
I asked Him if He meant “‘KIND’, as in species?” (i.e. ‘… each after their own kind’), or “‘KIND’, opposite of ‘mean’”?
He said:
“‘KIND’, OPPOSITE OF ‘MEAN’”.
Therefore, let us search the Scripture to find out how Kind is used.
Much of the time in the Bible, Kind is used to mean “species” or “kindred”.
But here is what I discovered. The first instance of Kind that I can find in accordance with the Lord’s meaning is here:
Psalm 145:17 (NASB)
17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways,
And kind in all His works.
And these follow in the New Testament.
Luke 6:35 (NASB)
35 “But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people.
Acts 10:33 (NASB)
33 So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 13:4 (NASB)
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
Ephesians 4:32 (NASB)
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
2 Timothy 2:24 (NASB)
24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
Titus 2:5 (NASB)
5 (3 Older women are …) to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
These are all the instances of Kind in the Bible that I could find. But then there is “Kindness, Kindly, Kind-hearted” etc., which the readers can discover for themselves.
As we see from 1 Corinthians 13, Kind is a word that describes one of the expressions of Love; “love is kind.”
But now let’s see how Webster (or in this case the Oxford Dictionary) defines Kind in the way the Lord is using it in this Newsletter.
▶ adjective
having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature: she was a good, kind woman | he was very kind to me.
• [predicative] used in a polite request: would you be kind enough to repeat what you said?
• [predicative] (kind to) (of a consumer product) gentle on (a part of the body): look for rollers that are kind to hair.
• archaic affectionate; loving.
– origin Old English gecynde ‘natural, native’; in Middle English the earliest sense is ‘well born or well bred,’ whence ‘well disposed by nature, courteous, gentle, benevolent.’
I think that to me, being kind is possible with help from the Lord, Who is Himself Kind, and is encapsulated in the Words of Jesus:
John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
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’ —
NL-2024-12 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 24-30 March — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “KIND”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
In Newsletter #2024-11, we explored the word Kind as it relates to a demeanor of the Heart. In this Newsletter, we will consider the Word Kind as it relates to various kinds of things or species.
I have learned a great deal about this kind of “Kind” over the years, just by hearing when the Lord brings up the Word, and then Him showing me various uses in Scripture, along with juxtaposing those uses against some of the World’s use.
Let’s now see how Kind is used in the Bible, beginning with Genesis.
Genesis 1:11
11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
Genesis 1:21
21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Genesis 1:24
24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 6:20
20 Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
Genesis 7:13
13 On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark— 14 they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.
So far, we can see that our Creator God establishes in Scripture that He creates things after their own Kind; trees after trees, plants after plants, birds after birds, and so on.
This is also true with man. Male and Female are both human, and are thus born after his or her own kind.
Let us now take a look in the New Testament, starting with one of the temptations that Satan used against Jesus.
Matthew 4:3
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Here, not only is Satan tempting Christ to eat before his fast was over, but also to make stones turn into bread. Bread is a substance made with grain, which procreates after its own kind. Stones do not procreate, but are produced by mechanical and chemical reactions found in the earth. Nor are they edible in their typical form. If Jesus had succumbed to this temptation, He would have violated His own previously established order of creation, (i.e., each after its own kind), since rocks are not an edible food source.
(When Jesus multiplied the Fish and the Loaves, it was after two Kinds of edible foods, fish and bread, therefore replicating each after its own Kind).
Also in like fashion, when one is saved, that person has been born (again) after the spiritual “genome” of the Messiah. We then go on to multiply as we spread the Seed of the Gospel, with each new Believer being born (again) after our own Kind, Who is Messiah Jesus.
The clearly demonstrates the Kindness of our Father, Who brings to birth new Sons and Daughters after the Kindness of His only begotten Son Jesus.
Would it not be true to say that the Church is a New Kind of Being, with Jesus being our Head?
Of course, we are also referred to as Rocks (lively stones). Rocks do not procreate, but we do fit together next to each other when properly placed by the Master Builder.
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’ —
NL-2024-13 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 31 March - 6 April — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “RESURRECTION”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
Today is the Day when much of the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus our Messiah, without which all of the Scriptures and the entire Christian Faith would be a fraud. But there are many Witnesses who have testified that Jesus is alive, well, and presently ruling as King of Kings both in Heaven and on earth.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
The Testimonies of these Witnesses both corroborate and substantiate the verity of the Word which says:
Job 19:23-27
23 “Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
Psalms 16:10
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
Isaiah 26:19
19 Your dead shall live;
Together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;
For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead.
Daniel 12:2
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
Mark 16:5-7
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-57
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER
IS PUBLISHED AT THE END OF EACH WEEK
— ‘GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU’ —
NL-2024-14 (PDF link)
THE WEEK OF: 7-13 April — In The Acceptable Year of Christ Jesus Our King 2024 A.D.
THE WORD IS: “REDEMPTION”
SAYING THESE THINGS:
From Resurrection in the previous Newsletter, let us now proceed to Redemption. Using e_Sword X in the NKJV, we find that Redemption occurs 23 times in as many verses. The first verse is here:
Leviticus 25:23
23 ‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. 24 Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land.
And here is how one American english dictionary (provided by Apple-MacOS) defines Redemption.
noun
1 the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil: God's plans for the redemption of his world.
• [in singular] a thing that saves someone from error or evil: his marginalization from the Hollywood jungle proved to be his redemption.
2 the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.
• archaic the action of buying one's freedom.
And now the Psalms:
Psalm 111:1-10
1 Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the LORD;
They are studied by all who delight in them.
3 Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are truth and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
8 They are upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;
His praise endures forever.
The final passage where Redemption can be found is in Hebrews.
Hebrews 9:11-12, 15
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Please permit me to end this Newsletter with these words about our Redeemer.
Job 19:25-27
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
P. S. The Word For The Weak is taking a month off to wait upon the Lord, and renew our strength. Look for the next edition in about 30 days.
Many Blessings and Much Shalom.
May our Father grant us His Light to Know, Live, and Love His Word.
Amen.
THE WORD FOR THE WEAK NEWSLETTER
IS PUBLISHED AT THE END OF EACH WEEK
— ‘GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU’ —