The Crimson Thread - May I Gently Suggest?

Looking in Exodus at the sequence of events by which God took Israel away from Egypt and brought them to Mt Sinai, it becomes clear that, having once freed them, He did not want them again to descend into slavery. Thus we can regard Shabbat and the Torah as His prescription for their continued liberty and prosperity.

After the death of Gideon, Abimelech, one of his sons by a concubine, conspired to murder the rest of his brothers in order to become king. His sole surviving brother gave an eloquent parable about a bramble bush becoming ruler over the trees. It is timeless and very much applicable to today.

The Bible urges us to become more like Christ in our character. Like His Father, Christ was patient. Like all disciplines, developing patience is unpleasant, but the fruits are sweet.

After driving the Midianites from the Jezreel valley, Gideon pursued them across the Jordan to finish the defeat. In that process he had to deal with two Israelite cities who refused to give him aid and with the tribe of Ephraim whose noses were out of joint.

The president resembles the biblical Samson to an uncanny degree. Several times in his tenure the Philistines believe that they have him cornered only to find that that is not quite the case. Even when they finally do shave and mock him it is to their ultimate defeat. The speaker is Matt Behrens

With Israel once again in apostasy, the Midianites spread across the Jezreel valley during the harvest. They plundered Israel's crops and oppressed her people. God called Gideon to drive the Midianites from the land.

The Gospel is not a New Testament concept. Rather is it fundamental to God's plan for humanity. As an example, Genesis 5 contains a clear statement of the Gospel. It is laid out in the names of the descendants of Adam.

The Canaanites held the fortress city of Hazor and controlled the Jezreel valley which was ideal chariot country. Israel was mostly dismounted infantry. So the problem was how to overcome the tactical advantage of Canaanite army. In this, God lent a hand by bringing rain.

In a sense, the earth is one battleground in a much larger war that rages in heaven. As such, evil is very much a part of our world. We, as believers, have an advantage in that the sources and methods of evil can be understood, they can be defended against and they can be defeated. The readings mentioned are Genesis 3, Ezekiel 28 and Luke 2.

One of the things Y'shua came to do was to set the captives free. Two thousand years later, there are still captives who need to be freed. The problem is that, although He has opened the prison doors, they either don't see it or they are afraid to leave their cells.

The Bible gives us four case studies on how God's people conduct themselves in Exile: Joseph in Egypt, Moses in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon and Mordecai in Persia. From these examples we can learn how effectively to serve God and protect our people when the surrounding culture becomes hostile.

Having failed to follow God's commandments and destroy the inhabitants of the land, Israel would never fully enjoy peace. They intermarried, followed other gods and reaped the consequences. Since they would not know peace, God set them up to study war.

The time between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur is known as the Days of Awe. It is a time for reflection and repentance. Considering the events of 2020, it seems that God is calling us, both individually and nationally, to stop our wickedness and seek forgiveness. He who has an ear should listen.

Judges begins with Israel failing to obey God. They were instructed to wipe out the inhabitants of the land yet they took Adoni-bezek captive and humiliated him. This sets the tone for the entire book. Israel was not willing to carry through with the destruction of the Canaanites et al, so they were never to have peace nor were they able to have all the land that God wanted them to possess.

The time between birth and natural death is a journey with a purpose. It is a path leading toward a goal. For the believer, both the path and the goal are life. Because the way is difficult, it is tempting to focus on the path and neglect the goal, or on the goal at the expense of the path. Either of these strategies is a mistake. A successful journey requires keeping both in focus.

One of the beliefs of those against whom Peter is warning is a lack of historical perspective. Their attitude seems to be that, since God has not moved within living memory, He is unlikely to care much about what people do with their lives - hence the appeal to sensuality. Peter says that God's perspective is historical, not immediate and that He does not miss anything.

In every human enterprise it is good periodically to pause and take stock of where you are, what you did poorly, what you did well and what you could improve. God provides such a pause in the Fall Feasts and specifically on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur all work ceases and the day is devoted to prayer, fasting and seeking God's forgiveness and guidance. The speaker is Matt Behrens.

In describing those who creep into the congregation and lead others astray, Peter says that one of their lures is the promise of freedom. This has always been the case with sin. In promising freedom from the restrictions of God's law, it holds out the promise of being a law unto oneself. While this is tempting, it eventually leads to ruin and death.

During the 40 days before Yom Kippur, it would be wise to review Biblical wisdom on proper speech. Words are the basis for all creation and our ability to speak sets us apart from God's other creatures. If we use our voices well we become what He desires us to be; if not, we become agents of destruction. The talk refers to a book by Chofetz Chaim on the laws of proper speech. During the early part...

The first paragraphs in the chapter parallels Jude speaking of false teachers who infiltrate the body and entice the gullible into some sort of sexual sin. Their motivation is greed either for money or for influence.

The month of Elul begins the 40 day count down to Yom Kippur. It is a time to take stock of ourselves and prepare for a meeting with the King. What have we accomplished during the past year? What are our hopes and plans for the coming year?

Starting from a position of faith in Messiah, Peter urges believers to work on the content of their character. It is a strong character that will keep the believer from falling into worldliness and so becoming unfruitful. It is character that makes one's election sure.

The whole Bible is concerned with slavery. The Torah is the account of God's redeeming Israel from slavery. The New Testament is the story of Christ's redeeming the world from slavery to sin. That being the case, why does the Bible allow slavery to continue?

As an elder, Peter exhorts the elders who receive his letter to be faithful in tending God's flock. In this he is echoing Y'shua who gave explicit instructions and dire warnings to those He would leave in charge of His servants. Specifically, He warns them not to use their positions for personal enrichment at the expense of the flock.

The world is a difficult place in which there are trials and suffering. When the trials are for the sake of your faith, you share in Christ's suffering. This is far better than suffering because you deserve it.