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At Faith for Tomorrow we explore the entire Judeo-Christian landscape.

 



 
And he saith unto them,
 

Be not afraid: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
Mark 16:6


 


 

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
 Mark 11:15


And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:

and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth

shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth

shall be loosed in heaven.

Mathew 16:19

 


Hear O'Israel ...

Go to the King James Bible

and open it to Deuteronomy 6:4-9

for a powerful Scripture ...



 

I am the resurrection and the life:
He that believeth in Me, thou he were dead,
yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.

John 11:25&26



 

Beloved, now are we
sons of God,



and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that,
when he shall appear,
we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
John 3:2



 



 

The Assemblies of God is a Protestant fellowship.  As a result of Christ’s death and resurrection, the AOG believes each person can directly fellowship with God through His Son Jesus without any human intermediaries. This provides a personal and meaningful relationship with Him.  While the AOG may be less formal and more lively in worship than some other Protestant denominations, the AOG overflows with Faith.

Sha'aloo shalom Yerushalayim



ISAIAH 60:1-3

 

Arise,

Shine;

for thy light is come,

and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

and gross darkness the people:

but the Lord shall arise upon thee,

and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,

and kings to the brightness of thy rising


THE CHOSEN  

A Television Series  

 



 

From Calvary to the Rapture; from Abraham, Isaac,  

and Jacob; to Peter, Paul, the Magdalene, and Jesus.
From the Old Covenant to the New Covenant;
From Jerusalem to Megiddo. 
At Faith For Tomorrow, we explore the entire
Judeo-Christian landscape.
He has Risen!



 


THE SERMON ON THE PLAIN

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This written description is a dramatization IN WORDS of the great Sermon on the Plain.  Did events unfold exactly this way?  Probably not.  Is this written description in the spirit of what happened that day beside the Sea of Galilee?  Faith For Tomorrow believes it well may be, but in any case, we certainly HOPE so.  For the Holy Spirit’s description of what happened and what the Lord said, go to the Bible (KJV, Luke 6). 

 

Foreword … The great Sermon on the Plain may be one of the most influential sermons ever preached in the history of the world.  The words the Lord spoke there on that plain two thousand years ago were words no one had ever heard.  They were concepts of humanity that no one had ever given voice to; they seem old hat to us now because they have gripped the spirits of men and women worldwide for two thousand years.  In countries where the gospel of Jesus Christ is barely ever heard, these concepts first spoken out loud by Jesus of Nazareth have influenced human interactions in ways we will never fully understand, even in countries where the Messiah’s glorious name has not yet fully penetrated. 

 

There came a Sabbath Day when Jesus and several of his disciples were walking through a cornfield recently harvested, while unbeknownst to them, they were being followed by some Pharisees (religious authorities) who hoped to see something unlawful with which they might accuse Jesus.  The Galilean Sanhedrin was extremely suspicious of the Nazarene, whom people talked about as a miracle worker.  

The Galilean Sanhedrin was the local religious tribunal for the Galilee Region; the Sanhedrin consisted of twenty-three men with religious, civil, and criminal jurisdiction.

 So, when some of the Lord’s disciples plucked ears of corn from stalks that the harvesters had missed and proceeded to eat the kernels, one of the Pharisees trailing the group shouted, “Look to your followers, Nazarene!  Why do you allow them to harvest corn on the  Sabbath Day?” 

To pious Jews, it was unlawful to perform work on the Sabbath, and these religious bureaucrats said that plucking ears of corn from the stalk on the Sabbath was a violation of religious Law.

 But Jesus answered the religious bureaucrats right back, saying, “Have you not read in the scriptures what King David did when Saul was pursuing him, and David’s loyal men were starving?  Do you not recall the scriptures?  There were many men with King David, and he went into the House of GOD, took the shewbread from the altar, and gave it to his men to eat.  So, answer me this … Is it possible that King David, GOD’s anointed, broke the Law?  We all know that eating the shewbread from the altar was unlawful.  Because under the Law, it was only lawful for the priests to eat that bread.” 

Jesus knew no one there would accuse David the KING of breaking the Law, an inner knowledge that brought a knowing smile to his lips

After the Nazarene asked the question, there was a long pause, during which the religious bureaucrats remained stonily silent, causing Jesus to nod knowingly.  And that was the end of that.  Or was it? 

Before turning away, Jesus (fixing his intent gaze upon the Pharisees) said, “The Son of Man IS Lord ALSO of the Sabbath.”

And as that last word, Sabbath passed the Nazarene’s lips, one of the religious bureaucrats tore his robe and screamed, “Blasphemy!  Blasphemy! 

 Did the Nazarene just say that he was the Messiah?

Then, along with his cohorts, the distraught Pharisee scurried away to report to the leaders of the local Sanhedrin what the Nazarene had said and done. 

 

Now, it came to pass; even before that Sabbath Day, the local religious authorities had been highly irritated with the Nazarene; members of the Capernaum Sanhedrin had first become aware of the Nazarene because he preached repentance for sin and turning back to GOD—just like that fanatic John the Baptist—but later, there were rumors about miracles and healing associated with his ministry that men and women were speaking about, out loud, everywhere.  Which incensed the religious authorities; they were the sentinels over people’s souls around Galilee,  not some bumpkin from the wilderness.  And, supposedly, the Nazarene had cured a leper by his word and caused a man paralyzed from birth to be made whole.  A stranger coming to Capernaum, healing diseases, and preaching redemption without their approval would have been enough to provoke the religious authorities, but that was not all; there was a rumor the Nazarene was a common laborer, a mere carpenter.  The local authorities did not appreciate some outsiders (from among the laboring classes) coming into their area and stirring up religious fervor among the inhabitants.  Besides, as the saying went … Nothing good ever comes from Nazareth. 

 

After the cornfield incident, the Lord became concerned because so much was yet to be done; he recognized how powerful the religious leaders were and, for a time, considered whether he should leave a smaller footprint on the land.  Yet, even though concerned, the Lord’s heart was so perfect, his love so strong, he could not bring himself to stop the healing and miracles even though he realized they were bringing him too much attention, too soon.  He could not; after all, Jesus WAS a miracle sent from GOD.  

 

The people considered members of the Pharisee Sect to be the religious authorities; the Sect started and maintained the synagogue system, which was very popular.  Pharisee means “The Separate Ones.”  Scribes, however, were government bureaucrats and members of a select profession who obtained their office because of their community status and skills (Scribes had to be able to write).  Although to hold any official office within Judea, both Scribes and Pharisees had to get approval from Judea’s Roman Overlords. 

 

The following Sabbath, the Nazarene, with several of his disciples, went into the Synagogue at Capernaum, where he intended to worship and preach.  And, as was common, some Pharisees (members of the local Sanhedrin) and some Scribes were in attendance.

Originally, GOD created the Law through His ten commandments, which He wrote in stone with a finger of fire and gave to Moses, the Lawgiver.  The eighth commandment is to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  So, the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees was that they were keepers of the Law. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now it came to pass, in the Synagogue that Sabbath Day, there was a man whose right hand was withered from birth, which caused the religious authorities spasms of delight; all of them sensing that the Nazarene (brimming with righteousness) would have no choice other than to heal the infirm man’s hand, thereby giving them an excuse to accuse him of violating the Sabbath (e.g., breaking the Law). Inwardly, the Scribes and Pharisees were ecstatic; one of them, unable to control his glee, was smirking, his pious eyes fixed on the Rabbi from Nazareth, anticipating that soon enough, there would be an actual crime of which the Nazarene might be accused.  Many there that day, among the Pharisees and Scribes, wondered whether the Nazarene would dare heal the man on the Sabbath Day.  If he did heal the man, they would have something they could use to accuse him, and many maliciously corrupt religionists were already plotting how they might kill him. 

As the worship service went on with selections from the sacred scrolls being read aloud to the congregation, soon enough, one of the chief priests of the Synagogue looked at Jesus and said, “Nazarene, we all here have heard of your ministry; Would you please read to us from Isaiah?” 

Jesus nodded and stood to read, but before opening his mouth, he spotted the man with the withered hand and felt compassion in his heart.  All about them, the men and women of the congregation looked on with breathless anticipation as if sensing the man with the crippled hand and the Nazarene were about to come together.  The atmosphere was tense; most everyone there was hoping to witness a miracle; not so, however, with the Scribes and Pharisees, their hearts began beating faster; they were like wolves catching the scent of a lamb. 

Jesus knew the thoughts of the Scribes and Pharisees, but the Lord’s instinct for mercy and healing was more powerful than the envy and malice of the religious bureaucrats, so he said to the man with the withered hand, “Rise and stand here before GOD’s people.” 

The man had heard about the Rabbi from Nazareth and the miracles associated with him; he believed the Nazarene had been sent from GOD and hoped for healing.  So, taking a step of Faith, the man rose, moved to the center, and stood before the assembly. 

At this point, Jesus looked the local Sanhedrin leaders straight in the eyes and said, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath Day to do good, or is it lawful to do evil?  Is it lawful to save, or is it lawful to destroy?” 

Chagrined, the Scribes and Pharisees did not answer him a word; they merely looked away from the Nazarene, avoiding eye contact. 

Jesus smiled and said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch forth your hand.”  

After which, the man held out his withered extremity, which was transformed from gray and wrinkled and worthless to healthy and pink and useful; within a heartbeat, the useless extremity doubled in size and became as whole as his left hand. 

The assembly erupted; some rubbed their eyes, finding it hard to believe what they had just seen.   

Simultaneously, the Scribes and Pharisees—the voices of praise and thanksgiving ringing in their ears—stormed out.

And when the religious bureaucrats were around the corner and out of sight, they stared into each other’s hate-filled eyes—they were filled with madness—they could still hear the muffled sounds of celebration coming from behind the stone walls of the Synagogue.  And, like blackened clouds of doom, they began shouting to each other how they could accuse Jesus and possibly put him to death; not one considered the great miracle GOD had just performed in the midst of them. 

Later, the Nazarene pondered the day’s events; he, of course, was aware that the leaders had a blood hatred for anything related to the Sons of Abraham that did not begin and end with them, that they saw him as a threat to their wealth, privilege, and power.  Jesus knew the leaders hated him and wanted to destroy his ministry, which caused him some amount of anguish.  But, of course, it was the Nazarene’s very nature—embedded within him—to heal everyone who asked of their diseases and to cast out demons everywhere, but he understood the evil forces against him.  He knew that his mission, the very mission GOD, the Father, had given him, was at stake, so he gathered his disciples about him, and they all began walking toward the nearby mountains. 

There was a refuge near Capernaum, where devout Jews (needing solitude) often went to be alone and pray; an area somewhat close to the village where believers had erected a small building of stone (an oratory) on the mountain-side near a running stream; this particular prayerful refuge, nestled within the foothills, was surrounded by wild fig trees. 

Jesus decided to go up to the mountain to pray.

Upon reaching his destination, Jesus entered and stayed within the stone shelter for one night in prayer, while in the meantime,  dozens of the Lord’s disciples gathered about—all of them were aware the hatred of the religious authorities had become intense—waiting for the Nazarene to tell them what would be next for his ministry.  So, when it became day, Jesus went out and called unto him all his disciples who had gathered there, and from among them, chose twelve, whom he named Apostles.  First, he chose Simon (whom he called by his Greek name, Peter) and Andrew, his brother; days before, by the shore of the Inland Sea, Jesus had called Simon and Andrew to be disciples (fishers of men).  Then, after his first two choices, Jesus named ten others to be Apostles; he named James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon called Zelotes, Judas the brother of James, and finally, Judas Iscariot.  And these were to be the final twelve.  

 

The illustration above is a photograph of a fresco within the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican in Rome, Italy.  The fresco was painted by the Italian Artist Domenico Ghirlandaio, who lived in the 15th century.  The rendering was completed in the years AD1481-82 and is called … The Calling of the First Apostles

 

Continued on another page  Click Here  

 



Faithology…?  

    The Question… What is Faithology?    The Answer: How do you discover the meaning of any word… break it down. Take the word Faith… According to the bible, Faith is the ultimate creative power of the cosmos. So, now take the word ology; what is the meaning? Ology comes from the Greek suffix -logia which means the study of; therefore, Faithology is the study of the cosmos’ ultimate creative power.

What do we know about Faith? We know that God’s Faith called the cosmos into being. God said, “Let there be light!” And, there was light. God had absolute Faith that there would be light in a cosmos that had never experienced light before He spoke light into being. And we human beings are created in the image of God. Therefore, the great creative power of Faith in us as well.

God created us to be creatures of Faith. We all have Faith. The question is, what kind of Faith?

Put it another way, (Faith + the Word of God) = Substance (of things hoped for).

Fh + Wd = Sb

This formula summarizes the essence of all good things, the building blocks of everything in the world that is worthy.

Faith + Anything Else = Decay

For example, Faith + Lust = Sin

Sin is separation from God.

Separation from God is decay, and destruction, and turmoil, and chaos. Separation from God is the weak side of the force.

In the 3rd Century AD, there lived a man named Augustine (who eventually became Saint Augustine). Saint Augustine (see the note below) hinted that all men and women have a large God-shaped hole at the center of their being that they are driven to fill.

That hole will be filled with something.

We are the descendants of Adam and Eve, and like them, we have two legs, two eyes, two hands, and that God-shaped hole at the center of our being.

We also inherit from Adam and Eve the will to separate ourselves from God just as they choose to do; the will to separate from God is passed down to us in our spiritual genes. At one time, this was a pretty hopeless situation, but no longer. God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son on our behalf. Now we have a choice. We can fill that God-shaped hole with the love of Jesus Christ and be redeemed and set free from the choice made by our careless ancestors.

If the gospel were preached throughout the world and everyone accepted Jesus as their redeemer and were all set free from the will to separate from God, what a world they would create. There would be no war, nor murder, nor theft. It is Faith in the Word of God that makes all things possible. Mountains would be moved. Addictions would be broken, and men and women would find comBrethren in Christ:

I am eighty years of age, and in 1986AD, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.  In my older days, I developed COPD, which seems to have worsened in the past decade; I was a heavy smoker inpleteness. They would gain an understanding of the meaning and the purpose of life. They would become whole.

Through the Lord God Almighty, the Lord God of Israel, the Lord God of Peter and Paul, the Lord God of Creation, through Faith in His Word, men and women all over the world would obtain everything they need for this life and the next. The world as we know it would be changed forever.

But that might not happen in our lifetime, so do not wait for all mankind to accept Jesus. Every journey begins with a single step. Jesus loves you, and the world needs you. Bring the love of Jesus into your life.

Be the first on your block to move a mountain.

Call upon the name of Jesus, believe in your heart, speak his name with your mouth, and be prepared to see the world differently. SO, GO AHEAD... UNLOCK THE GREAT CREATIVE POWER OF THE COSMOS IN YOUR OWN LIFE.

Note: Saint Augustine was a citizen of the Roman Empire from a family of note, living in a region of the Empire located within Africa’s northern coast in what is now Algeria. Augustine eventually became a bishop in the Christian Church and was considered a great thinker of the early Roman church. He was very influential, leaving behind thousands of writings. Eventually, Augustine was named to sainthood in the Roman church, leading some to say he was as influential in the early Roman Catholic Church as Saint Paul was in the early Evangelical Church.


Genesis the Beginning

The short video just below depicts the Days of Creation accompanied by some particularly uplifting (befitting) music.  The music comes from a Depression Era Orchestra that (perhaps) played in small towns throughout the USA in the late 1930s, bringing a little bit of culture to a starving (in more ways than one) Depression Era Populace.  The Orchestras were part of government programs attempting to deal with the Depression; perhaps this was a session wherein your grandparents in, say, Old Town, Maine, or San Bernardino, California were present.  Enjoy!

 



 

THE CHOSEN RETURNS  

The third season of the television series, The Chosen, is running now on Freebee (for free) and other streaming services.  FFT recommends this series.  It follows the scriptures spiritually and, most of the time, literally.  No Harvard Religion professors appear on screen to attempt to explain that miracles are not miracles.  And there is a back story for many of the Apostles you won't see anywhere else.  Watch The Chosen.  You will be glad you did.  There's a website associated with this series; go to https://www.angel.com/watch/the-chosen.   

   

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