In His Dust – 10. Parables
Their Uniqueness and Beauty
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One third of Yeshua’s teaching was in parables. The English word parable comes from the Greek parabolé meaning that which is cast alongside, a comparison, analogy, or metaphor. The underlying Hebrew word is mâshâl from the root that means shadow. Mâshâl means a story that teaches a lesson. As you can see in the picture above of the shadows on the snow in my front yard, the shadows are not the real mounds of snow; they are evidence of the mounds. You only see them when the sun shines on the mounds.

In His Dust 
Binding and Loosing
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John’s Lesson on the Mountain
Listen to Him.
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An Imaginative Interpretation of John’s experience on the mountain when Yeshua was transformed before him taken from the accounts of Matthew 17:1-8, Luke 9:28-37, Mark 9:2-9, John 1:4, 14, and Ezekiel 37:26-27 using the Hebrew names – Yeshua (Jesus), Yochanan (John), Kefa (Peter), Ya ’akov (James), Moshe (Moses), Eliyahu (Elijah), Yechezk’el (Ezekiel), and Adonai (Master)

Yeshua took the three of us up a mountain to a secluded place surrounded by tall trees. He had asked if we would accompany Him for a time of prayer. Of course! Father had revealed to us that our Friend was the Messiah! His teaching had penetrated our souls every day as we listened to the life-giving grace that came from His every word. What a privilege that He would ask us to go anywhere with Him! We were eager for each purposeful adventure!

Yeshua's Yoke 
An Invitation to Rest
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Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest. 
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart, 
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Yeshua (Jesus), Matthew 11:28-30

The Torah is the Law (the first five books of the Bible) or God’s 613 Instructions for Life. Learning and following Torah was an arduous task and responsibility and, therefore, was called The Yoke of Torah.

Guiding Quotes
Florence Allshorn
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After I was born again in April 1980, my heavenly Father began to shape my life in the Spirit. Along with my new-found love of the Scripture (born of His life in me), I read every Christian biography or autobiography I could get my hands on. It is impossible to comprehend the impact these stories had in steering my path.

One very strong influence came from a thin, stained, blue-green linen book called Florence Allshorn by J.H. Oldham. Florence (1887-1950) was a missionary from Great Britain. She not only spent time abroad in Uganda, but she later focused on training young women. Her teaching was nothing less than the most resolute, persistent making of disciples for the King, Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

Rewards?
He Remembers
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When I was little, I was a Camp Fire Girl. We would earn varied-colored, wooden beads for successfully completing tasks like community service, self-improvement, and learning. The brown, log-shaped beads represented outdoor accomplishments, and the orange, cylindrical beads were given for domestic endeavors. There were red beads for health, blue beads for nature learning, and green beads for handiwork and crafts. Each spring, our leader conducted a ceremony around a campfire where she passed out plastic eggs filled with the beads we had earned. The girls would string the beads and loop them around their necks. Sometimes, when I didn’t earn many beads, I compared myself to others and felt inadequate and behind in the race. Have you ever felt like that?

Trumpets, Cymbals, and Shouts of Praise!
On Yom T'ruah and Every Day, We Celebrate our God and His Return!
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Dear friends,

This year of 2024 the Feast of Trumpets or Yom T'ruah begins at sunset on October 2 and ends at nightfall on October 4! Later tradition recognizes two days for the celebration; however, the Bible mentions only one day in Leviticus 23:24.

Yom T’ruâh can also be called The Day of Loud Sound according to the original Hebrew word t’ruâh.
In the list of God’s Appointed Days in Leviticus 23, verse 24 reads, “Speak to the sons of Israel saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by t’ruâh, a holy convocation.’” Some versions italicize the words shofar or trumpets in place of t’ruâh to signify that these words are not actually there in the original text but only implied. T’ruâh actually means sound or loud noise. The sound can be made in many ways and for many reasons:

• In Numbers 10:5-6, it was the t’ruâh of silver trumpets signifying the time to break camp and move on.
• In Numbers 31:6, it was the t’ruâh of an alarm calling the people to battle.
• In Psalm 150:5, it was the t’ruâh of the crash of cymbals in praise to the Lord!

But most often in Scripture, t’ruâh refers to loud shouting made with our lips, vocal cords, and lungs:

• In 1 Samuel 4:5, it was the t’ruâh of all Israel shouting when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came into the camp. It was such a great, collective shout that “the earth resounded.”
• In Ezra 3:11-13, it was the t’ruâh of the shouts of joy at the re-laying of the foundation of the Temple – “and the t’ruâh was heard far away.”
• In Joshua 6:20, it was a great t’ruâh of the Israelites that felled the walls of Jericho.

Yom T’ruâh is a day of loud, raised, sustained sounds – shouting that is raised to the King of Kings filled with praise, thanksgiving, and great joy using voices, lyres, shofars, and every instrument possible!  

Whatever our earthly heritage, we are children of our heavenly Father because we have received His Son Yeshua Who gave His life to pay the debt of our gross wrongdoing. Out of His kindness and love, He delivered us from the domain of darkness, gave us a new identity as His sons and daughters, and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son! So, we have a lot to shout about!

Yom T’ruah falls on Elul 29 on the Hebrew Calendar which usually puts it very near our first day of Autumn. Like a marker in time, this Day raises a banner between the end of summer and the approaching winter. It is a day for us to pause in remembrance and praise to Him! Let us praise Him with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength! Even in hard times, let us offer a “sacrifice of praise” together:

And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord!
Psalm 27:6

Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy!
Psalm 33:3

Clap your hands, all you peoples; Shout to God with a voice of joy!
Psalm 47:1

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You, and my soul that You have redeemed!
Psalm 71:23

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation!
Psalm 95:1

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Be cheerful and sing for joy and sing praises!
Psalm 98:4

With trumpets and the sound of the horn, shout joyfully before the King, the Lord!
Psalm 98:6

They shall praise His name with dancing; They shall sing praises to Him with tambourine and lyre!
Psalm 149:3

Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute!
Psalm 150:4

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey!
Zechariah 9:9

The wilderness and the desert will rejoice, and the desert will shout for joy and blossom like the crocus!
Isaiah 35:1

And the redeemed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with joyful shouting, and everlasting joy will be on their heads! They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away!
Isaiah 35:10 

Yom T’ruah is also called The Ingathering, because trumpets (or shofars) are blown to gather the people in from their fields into the temple for accountability and preparation as they look toward the Day of Atonement that comes ten days later.

The Ingathering foreshadows the return of Yeshua the Messiah when He will gather His bride (all those who believed in Him) at the end of the age: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory, and He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Matthew 24:30-31

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Let us worship the Lord with whole hearts and voices as we await His return!

Shalom, blessing, and joy in His love,
Beth Ann

The Shout joyfully art card is available in the Thanksgiving Collection at Flower Girl Greetings.com

The Feast of Trumpets Art Card is in the Feasts of Israel Fulfilled Collection at Flower Girl Greetings.com

Flower Girl Greetings, magnifying the beauty of God's Word! ©2020, All Rights Reserved.
Shale Fragments™ - devotionals by Beth Ann Phifer is a division of Flower Girl Greetings, LLC. ©2020, All Rights Reserved.

Triumphant in Weariness
His unfailing, nonstop, conspicuous life in us
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Strong friendship in the Spirit is a fuel that the Apostle Paul recognized as necessary for his healthy functioning in God’s purposes. And yet, in the absence of it, he was assured of God’s triumphant presence. In 2 Corinthians 2, the Apostle Paul expresses the sorrow and pain of his ministry. He finally writes, “Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Messiah and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but saying goodbye to them, I went on to Macedonia.” (2 Corinthians 2:12-13)

Revelation Pieces – Who we are
Seeing the main elements of the Apocalypse
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Sometimes in the winter I like to put puzzles together. There are complicated puzzles with 1,000 pieces, less complicated with 500 pieces, and easy puzzles for children with 5 or 10 pieces. Let’s consider three puzzles all the same size with the same image. One has 1,000 pieces, one has 500 pieces, and one has 5 pieces. The puzzle pieces will be larger the fewer pieces you have.

Engrossing myself in the study of the book of Revelation seemed at first like a puzzle with thousands of pieces. How did they all fit together, I wondered? As I spent more time analyzing the parts, the number of pieces kept decreasing as the size of each piece expanded.

3. Outline - Scene 4 - A High Mountain (21:9 - 22:21)
The Messianic Kingdom
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• Characteristics
• Charges
• Comfort
• Challenges
• Benediction

3. Outline - Scene 3 - The Wilderness (17 - 21:8)
Justice Comes
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• Five Windows of Judgment Closed
• Yeshua Comes – The Conquering Lamb
• Visions and Images of the New Kingdom

What is the Wrath of the Lamb?
Love that Conquers
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There will soon be full vindication of all the evil, oppression, and injustice that has been perpetrated on the earth. The wrath of the Lamb will come, but what does His wrath look like? Join me in reading the full definition and nature of the wrath of the Lamb, the clash of light and darkness, and our future hope! Our understanding will teach us how to walk during difficult days.

Behold, He is Coming in the Clouds!
The Context
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In Scripture, we see two aspects or purposes of Yeshua’s return in the clouds –

• to complete judgment, and
• to gather together His believers to be with Him

Many of the prophecies of His coming, as well as His own accounts given to His disciples, overlap with multiple meanings, echoing in and out in nuances that are sometimes difficult to understand.

3. Outline - Scene 2, Part 3 - An Open Door into Heaven (4 - 16:21)
Yeshua and the kingdoms of the world
How the First-Century, Asia Minor, Jewish Christians Understood the Book of Revelation
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• The Political, Economic, Religious Cult of the Roman Empire (12-13)
• Yeshua in Contrast as the Slaughtered Lamb, King (14-15)

3. Outline - Scene 2, Part 2 - An Open Door into Heaven (4 - 16:21)
Yeshua and the Kingdoms of the world
How the First-Century, Asia Minor, Jewish Christians Understood the Book of Revelation
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• The 7 Trumpets, 7 Thunders, and 7 Bowls
• Three Roles of Faithful Witness 

3. Outline - Scene 2, Part 1 - An Open Door into Heaven
Yeshua and the Kingdoms of the world (4 - 16:21)
How the First-Century, Asia Minor, Jewish Christians Understood the Book of Revelation
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• The Door – An Invitation into the Worship of Yeshua (Jesus) Alone
• Into the Door – The Heavenly Court in the Temple
• The 7 Seals  

3. Outline - Scene 1 - The Island called Patmos (1:9 – 3:20)
The Real-Life World of Revelation 
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• The Historical Context of the Asia Minor Communities
• Descriptions of Yeshua
• The 7 Messages to the 7 Churches

From Passover to Pentecost
A Celebration of His Presence
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All over the world in this year of 2024, Pentecost (Shavuot) is being celebrated in the traditional church on Sunday, May 19, 2024 and in the Jewish community beginning at sundown on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (These days differ because of the use of different calendars.) So, what does this holy day represent?

The chart below shows the Passover-Pentecost connections and how they foreshadow Messiah’s life. For more understanding, please keep reading below the chart.

Symbols and Numbers in the Book of Revelation - A List
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The Book of Revelation is apocalyptic literature. This genre of writing was pioneered by the first-century Jewish community during Yeshua’s (Jesus) time. We must understand its nature, characteristics, and symbology to interpret the text responsibly. For an overview of this genre, please see my writing The Book of Revelation – 2. Overview - Statements and Sources.

Apocalyptic literature includes symbolic elements that would have been readily understood by the first-century, Asia Minor, Jewish, Christian audience to whom it was written. Following is a list of some of the symbols and their meanings found in the Book of Revelation. You will see that the numbers are not literal but representative.

1b. Table of Contents for the Book of Revelation Shale Fragments Study
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This document is only available as a PDF at this time. It may include more additions as the study unfolds.

3. Outline - Overview of the 4 Scenes or Movements
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The following scenes are sections of the book of Revelation that are separated by one literary signal – the author’s words “I was in the Spirit” said four times. They signal a new location and how John received the material. They were auditory and oral signals to the hearers and readers that a new scene was beginning.

2. Overview – Themes
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Two Core Themes, Four Theological Themes, and Four Themes in Yeshua's Teaching Reflected in Revelation:

1a. Preface
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After completing a long but delightful lecture series on the book (scroll) of Revelation, words cannot express how excited I am to share it with you. As I soak in the truth of all I have learned, I realize I have only touched the very tip of a very large iceberg of understanding, and I continue to find connecting echoes throughout Scripture that further deepen the insights. My goal is to share what I’ve learned about the life-changing messages of this book in a way that brings hope, rest, comfort, and challenge as the original author intended.

Because lectures are different than books, I have taken notes, pared them down, and reordered the learning in a way that I could grasp it. First, I would like to share with you The Credentials, The Reason for the Study, A Key Verse, and A Summary of the purpose of the book.

2. Overview – Statements and Sources
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The book of Revelation or John’s Apocalypse (Unveiling) is a promise of blessing with the purpose of comforting and challenging the First Century, Asia Minor, Jewish Christians (FCAM JC) whom John pastored. It is the announcement and promotion of the gracious salvation of Yahweh’s Kingdom of Shalom meant for those who follow Yeshua (Jesus), the Slaughtered Lamb. In it, God’s Kingdom collides with the kingdom of chaos and darkness, and we learn what it means to live as His Faithful Witnesses (FW) in this world.

Map
The 7 Christian Communities in Asia Minor (modern western Turkey) and the Island of Patmos in the mid AD 90s
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His Table
An Unsurpassed Invitation
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Yeshua (Jesus), the Only Begotten of the Father, our Bridegroom, has come and secured our intimate union with Himself by His blood. By His suffering and death, He has covered our debt of sin and waywardness that kept us from Him. We stand in His presence forgiven and beloved!

Listening
A Personal Story and Devotional
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Years ago, I was asked, “What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?” The answer that came immediately to my mind shocked me. It also gave me a new focus. The answer – I would like just one person at my funeral to say, “She heard me.” In other words, “She listened and valued me.”

I never thought of myself as a good listener. Because of my visual nature, I take in a lot of information in my environment and find myself working hard to focus away from the details of my surroundings to assimilate the words of others. And so, along the way, I gathered listening tips that resonated with me. I even made a bookmark to remind myself of them. Although I still rush in to get a word in edgewise, I find myself calmer and more interested in others than in being heard. But I still have a long way to go! Here is my list on how to be a good listener along with other thoughts and Scripture.

Songs of Heaven
Worship Before His Throne
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My desire was to create a song sheet so we could join with the voices of Revelation in heaven in worship to our King. We could push our voices out with a new melody that may form a song to Him! We could sing the words or say them out loud, wrapping our hearts around Him in devotion!

The song sheet is on the next page. Each song is prefaced with the ones who are singing it. But first, here are brief notes to give understanding. It is important to note that apocalyptic literature includes many symbolic elements that would have been readily understood to the first century Asia Minor audience:

Abiding Tools
A Scripture Study in John 15:1-17
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Written September 2004, revised August 2020 and January 2024

Hudson Taylor was the founder of the China Inland Mission. At his death in 1905, there were 125,000 Chinese Christians in the mission – a fruitful life! But Hudson writes about a time in the early years of his ministry when his life was marked by exhaustion and deadness in his spirit. He belonged to God, but he was not experiencing the joy and rest God promised. He said, “I prayed, agonized, fasted, strove for faith, read the Word more diligently, sought more time for meditation, but all with no benefit.”

Is My Light Bright?
You are the light of the world!... Let your light shine!... (see Matthew 5:14-16)
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In my writing Anchor Awareness, I shared this prayer from a friend who is going through a huge trial: 

“God, use this difficult event to bring glory to Your Name. I pray that people would see things in us that would point them to You, that Your light would shine so brightly in us that people are blinded by Your majesty, and that You would take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it to good.”

Then, a brother read the prayer and responded with these words and question. I think this is a common question among believers, and so I asked for his permission to share it:

Anchor Awareness
Our Sure Hope
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Yeshua (Jesus) said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” (John 3:7)

When we receive Yeshua, we are born again (see John 1:11-13). God creates a new heart in us. (2 Cor. 5:17)

Through our new birth, He seals us in Him with an imperishable seed by the Holy Spirit. (1 Peter 1:23)

We are anchored in God. He is our Anchor.

We are in Him (Colossians 3:3), and He is in us (Colossians 1:25-27), and He is with us (John 14:16-17).

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us...” (Hebrews 6:19)

Hanukkah, Blossoms, and Yeshua 
Let us hear His voice
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The menorah (or lampstand) that was in the Tabernacle of the Lord is described in Exodus 25. It was created of solid, poured gold with gold almond blossoms for the cups of the candlesticks. For our Hannukah art card, I painted the almond blossoms to be alive – white with pink hues.

Almond trees bloom in the late winter in Israel and are the first blooms of the year. They signal the celebration of Passover which occurs on the first full moon of spring. The Hebrew word for almond means eager anticipation, wakeful hastening, and readiness – all descriptions the Israelites needed at the first Passover when the Lord delivered them from their enemy.

His Name 
Why is it so important?
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People in the Bible have called God by many names that express the aspect of His character they experienced. They are beautiful names and are the reason I created The Hebrew Names of God Collection of art cards. God’s three most used names in Scripture are Yahweh, Adonai, and Elohim. The translators of my Bible (NASB) use the uppercase GOD and LORD to designate His Name Yahweh. They use the lowercase Lord to designate Adonai and the lowercase God to designate Elohim. I love this tool because it informs me of the aspect of His character the author is expressing. Today, I want to focus on His Name Yahweh.

A History of Israel and the Palestinians
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I transcribed this message from a portion of a message by Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia entitled Israel, Hamas, and End Times, October 15, 2023. To listen to his entire message, click here https://cornerstonechapel.net/teaching/20231015/

Clear Vision
Our Critical Need
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Yeshua (Jesus) gives us clear vision to navigate the maze of influences and information that surround us. He intimately knows our unique personalities, emotions, and responses (Psalm 139:1-4). He is the Light of the world! His word is a lamp to our feet and a sharp, two-edged sword that distinguishes between what is pure and what is evil, between truth and subtle lies, between the excellent and the unimportant, and between pure and impure motives. In His light, truth stands out starkly in our field of vision.

Our Banner Who Gathers Us 
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Dear friends… beloved of the Lord,
We grieve together for our brothers, sisters, and all people in the land of Israel. The depth of evil that took place on October 7^th is incomprehensible. We pray together for the survivors to be protected and, if they do not know Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), that they would come to know Him during this time. May they see Him in dreams and visions and in the pages of Scripture. May they be drawn to Him by the Father and see Him clearly as their Savior with spiritual eyes and receptive hearts. He is the Only One Who can save them now and for eternity. We pray for a spiritual awakening and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit across the land of Israel!

Intimate Counselor 
Our Exquisite Time with Him
I will counsel you with My eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8b)
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There is something about a thing being common that takes away from its exquisiteness. In nature, there are no two things alike. The examination of every flower presents a breathtaking unique capsule in time. This fall, the butterflies, praying mantis, bees, and grasshoppers were fascinating in their detail.

The Day of Loud Sound
Yom T’ruah and why I love it!
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As I write today, I am aware that excellence and accuracy were instilled in me, and I’m thankful for that. But we know that life is most-often not accurate; we can only do our best and then rest in Him – Best then Rest, how is that for a motto!? So, I offer this writing, not to be accurate, although that would appear to be my intent, but to simply share the joy that came as I studied these things; my study left the picture in my mind of us praising our King, dancing with all our might! And so, I will dive in…

He will Draw, Reveal, Save, and Seal 
4 ways to pray for those who don’t know Him
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Dear friends,

The news that is mostly hidden from the public air waves is scary this morning. I shudder once again as the new realities threaten to crush my emotions and render me useless for this gorgeous, 63-degree day in central Ohio. But… then… the words of the Apostle John pierce the atmosphere –

        “And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:5)

In His Dust – The Parable of the Lavish Father 
He is eager to love us!
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Yeshua’s (Jesus) parable traditionally called The Prodigal Son, I have renamed The Parable of the Lavish Father, after studying with Dwight Pryor. Yeshua paints a beautiful portrait of the nature of God’s inviting love that ministers to our deepest need! I will start with a quick summary about Jewish parables.

In His Dust – 8. The Explosive Power of the Kingdom 
His power in gentleness
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Revised 9/2024
The verse, the context, the interpretation, the application, a prayer, and discussion questions.

As we look at the parables of Yeshua (Jesus), we see what the kingdom of God is like, and we know how to advance as the darkness increases. Our advance will not be like the armies of the world but will come explosively and powerfully in unassuming ways.

The Everlasting Covenant 
An Old Covenant Foreshadow of The Best News Ever!
A Short Scripture Study in Genesis 15
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Dearly beloved of God, we are ambassadors of the Gospel (the Good News). In these last days, our clear understanding of this news is critical! So, why is it the best news ever?! And why is it important to understand it? Because “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”[1]

Dr. Dwight Pryor wrote, “Our salvation began when the High and Holy One made an everlasting covenant with Abraham.” Chills of awe ran through me as I read these words in a recent email sent by The Center for Judaic-Christian Studies. I went back in my mind to what I had learned in Genesis 15 years ago. I would like to take you back there to share a nugget that confirms the true nature of the Gospel!

The Preface to our Haggadah 
(with simple instructions)

The booklet called The Feast of the Lamb - Past, Present, and Future, A Passover, Resurrection Devotional Haggadah is available for purchase at Flower Girl Greetings here. This 48-page booklet was born out of my desire to gather with others and remember our Savior during these difficult times. It is loaded with vibrant art and a thorough study of the timeline of Yeshua's last days. 

I am sharing the Preface of the booklet here so you can see how you would prepare for your gathering before purchasing it.

In His Dust – 7. Immersion and the Spirit 
How Jewish Immersion foreshadows our New Birth!
The meaning, the context, a personal story, and a prayer
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Preface
The rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC after the victorious Maccabean revolt[i] birthed a fresh loyalty among the Jewish people and a resurgence of writing in the Hebrew language.[ii] In the first century A.D., the followers of Yeshua (Jesus) recorded His words in Hebrew with the exception of Luke who was Greek. The New Testament was soon translated into Greek, the spoken language of the ruling Roman empire. Although the earliest known manuscripts were transcribed in the Greek language, the original Hebrew words and idioms lay underneath. I love to search for these underlying Hebrew gems sparkling beneath the surface. 

Beautiful Progressions of Repentance, 2 of 3 
Psalm 139, Philippians 3, 1 John 1, Romans 8
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Print the 1-page PDF Handout for your study group.

• The Progression from Brokenness to Wholeness
• The Progression of Abiding in Humility
• The Progression of Abiding in Contentment

We follow God’s ways, not because He needs our subjugation, but because He created us to walk in freedom. He established His precepts for our highest good. The result is God’s delight and our joy!

Sin is simply walking in our own ways, not God’s. The Bible often says, “They did what was right in their own eyes” and “They did not inquire of the Lord to understand His ways.”

By a Roman Soldier 
An Imaginative Interpretation
Written in the 1980s by my friend De Gaskins
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        It was another execution day. Three men charged with felonies were to be crucified. The execution squad is selected on a rotating basis from among the Roman soldiers stationed under Pontius Pilate. It was my turn, along with three of my companions, to perform the execution.

In His Dust – 6. The Role of Women in the First-Century Church 
Restoring her calling and gifts
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In His Dust is a series based on my notes from Dwight Pryor’s teaching. For details, please see In His Dust – A Quick Recap.

Outline

• Introduction Points
• Examples of the roles women assumed in the first-century church
• The beautiful, breath-taking meanings of “head” and “submission”
• Conclusion

In His Dust - 9. The Breathtaking Beauty of True Submission 
Loving Each Other
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In His Dust is a series based on my notes from Dwight Pryor’s teaching. For details, please see In His Dust – A Quick Recap.

This writing was extracted from a previous writing called In His Dust - 6. The Role of Women in the First-Century Church. I added more detail and emphasis on the definitions of the words head and submit because they are so beautiful.

The I AMs of Jesus Collection 
A Story
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After the Hebrew Names of God Collection was printed in 2014, The I AMs Collection was created and printed in 2015. It is shown on Page 2 of our new catalog. It contains 12 “I AMs” spoken by Jesus (Yeshua) from the books of John and Revelation. The back of each card includes Scripture and devotional thoughts. I have loved these breathtaking declarations and painted them many times. Jesus declared Himself to be:

The Hebrew Names of God Collection 
A Story

The Hebrew Names of God Collection is shown on Page 1 of our new catalog. It contains 12 art cards, each with a different Name of God. The back of each card includes Scripture references, devotional thoughts, and connections to both Testaments.