Point of View

0:00 So we are continuing in our Luke Series today. in Luke chapter 18 But before I get to Luke chapter 18 A quick refresher for for those of us who need Refreshers. It's been two weeks since we've talked about Luke or perhaps. This is your first time in let me give you a little bit of what we've been talking about. First of all Luke. I mentioned a couple weeks ago maybe a month ago that I've been calling Luke the author and that's fine. You can call Luke the author but in reality if you hold the position that I do Luke is actually really a scribe. Scribing based upon the direction of the holy

0:46 spirit in the inspiration of the word of the of the Living God. So Luke is writing down what the Lord is telling him and but I will also tell you through this Luke has design and purpose. in in his presentation Luke is writing to a particular Well, I guess maybe we should discuss that for moment Luke. He opens up the letter addressing Theophilus. So there are some people who take the awfulness to be a general entity and there are other people who take the office to be a particular person. I will tell you it's my view that Theophilus is a particular person not just that he's a particular person, but he Is a Jewish person? Not just that. He's a particular Jewish person, but

1:33 that he's a former high priest who served in the temple. And happens to be brother-in-law to Caiaphas. That's my position. You can debate me and I'm fine with that. And if you don't agree with me, I'm also fine with that. I still I'm okay with you going to heaven even if you don't believe with me. Thank you for chuckling because that is a joke. Unfortunately in our society today, we we too often. Center on if you don't believe with me, then you're a horrible evil Wicked person. The problem is if I were to apply that. I don't even agree with myself sometimes. Or certainly things I might have said a year or two or

2:18 three years ago or three hours ago. So anyways, we just have to have a position of Grace toward others. Anyways Theophilus. Is this person? Luke is writing tooth Theophilus and he's writing to Theophilus for a particular purpose and we find that in Luke chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 therefore you're Excellency. Again, this is a title for for Theophilus. Therefore you're Excellency since I have carefully investigated all of these things from the beginning it seemed good to me that I too should write you an accurate in ordered narrative. So that so let me translate here. So that is also for the purpose or here's the purpose of everything. I'm giving you so that you might know how well founded or

3:05 how for sure are the things about which you have already which you have been taught. So, let me Let me refresh our memory. It's again, it's my opinion that Not only was Theophilus. The high priest the former high priest, but he's actually already a follower of Yeshua. And the perhaps he's now coming to some some difficulties or some trial. We don't we don't necessarily understand but whatever. It is Luke thinks he needs to write him so that he knows for sure or in other words. He's encouraging the faith in this in this man. What oftentimes in our if we were to read our own setting back upon the text when someone needs encouragement is usually when they're down and out. And they're having some difficulties. That's why we say maybe he's having some

3:51 difficulties. So he's writing to to Theophilus so that he might know for sure what he's already been taught. And then Luke takes us on This Magnificent Journey Through the book and it's in in the book what we see is we see. A focus on the coming kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven. But it's not just a kingdom that comes down. I know I've said this so many times that some of you are probably checking your text messages right now, but that's okay. It's not just the kingdom that's coming down, but it's also us on on in the everyday life and in Luke context also

4:36 coming first in Luke context second in ours, but that everyone who's here. Is bringing their lives into alignment with the coming King. You see every step that we take bringing ourselves into alignment with the king is one step forward and also the kingdom is one step closer. So when this happens at one point the kingdom will meet the subjects in the Kingdom will be here on Earth as it already is in heaven, you know, we talk about this often or maybe maybe you don't but we talk about this concept of the kingdom is But it's not yet. Which is super confusing. It really just means it's

5:22 already in existence in heaven. Let me let me put it in our context. Does anybody know when Moses went up on the on the on the mountain in Exodus? 25? What did he see? He saw the Heavenly Tabernacle. Which was already in existence? and then God gave him instructions to build it here on Earth as it already is in heaven you see and so it's a similar thing. So the Tabernacle or subsequently the temple was was the predecessor and now we're waiting for the Kingdom of Heaven to come and be here on Earth as it already exists in heaven. Okay, so now let's move on We are here in this timeline. We're heading Yeshua is heading from the Galilee if you remember

6:08 as we were covering Luke chapter 9 Yeshua, it says he turned his face and set his face toward Jerusalem. So he's turned his face toward Jerusalem if you guys can put a little pointers. So Yeshua is somewhere up right where the green and orange and purple all in yellow. Yeah kind of right up in there and he sets his face toward Jerusalem and and he's at the outermost edges of Samaria and the Galilee and he comes South along that kind of that green line. If you can see the green red line. Yeah. There you go. Any right now this week he comes to Jared. We're we're approaching Jericho. So Jericho's right there just north of the Dead Sea. And this is where we are. It's helpful for me.

6:53 to remember location when Yeshua is talking about you see so often we we just think oh, we're just go through and we'll just read everything but When we experience the lord, it's an all sensory experience. So it's a site a hearing a smell a touch. So it's helpful to understand what they're experiencing at this point. So they're here in in Jericho. And just as a reminder, let me give you what we led up to today earlier in the chapter. We talked about we opened the chapter with prayer in the kingdom of God. We talked about persistent prayer perceptive prayer and pure prayer. And then we we that was the first 17 verses and then we moved to 18 through 34. We talked about the man who asked what

7:41 can I do to inherit eternal life? Thinking I have these particular five things that I can do and I'll inherit eternal life. As I've said before be careful when you ask Yeshua questions. Yeshua follows that up with explicit details to the disciples about what's going to happen to him in Jerusalem. So you see Yeshua set his face to Jerusalem and now he's tells his disciples. This is what's gonna happen. I'm gonna go up there. I'm gonna be beaten. I'm gonna be eventually killed and and they're all just smiling. Because they have no idea what he's talking about.

8:27 They have no idea what he's talking about because they are expecting as are all of Israel at this point expecting a king to come and instill the kingdom of God and in the process kick roam out. You see when there's a people that's downtrodden. They're expecting a Victorious King to come and liberate them from all of their persecution. What was happening in the first century during the time of Yeshua was far worse than what we certainly in America experience today, but when you go when you go east You know when you go west to Far East? When you go that way. And you go into the Middle East and you go into the Far East

9:14 and you think about the areas that are where it's it's highly High persecution for those who are sharing the gospel. That's probably you're getting close to what was happening during the time of Yeshua. Just in general. So now we come to Luke chapter 18 verses 35, and we're going to cover 35 through 43 today. the last part of the chapter now Yeshua was approaching Jericho. A certain again. He's approaching Jericho. We'll talk about this in a minute a certain blind man was sitting by the road begging. But when he heard the crowd going by he asked what was happening.

9:59 They told him that Yeshua that from Nazareth was passing by and he cried out saying Yeshua Ben David have mercy on me. And those leading the way were scolding him so he would be quiet. But he kept shouting all the more Ben David have mercy on me. So Yeshua stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. And when he came near Yeshua asked him, what do you want me to do for you? And he said master. I want to see again. Yeshua said to him receive your sight. Your faith has made you well. Immediately the man received his sight and began following Yeshua glorifying God and when all the people saw it, they also gave praise to God.

10:45 So we're going to work our way through this passage, and we're going to start here. For those of you who come on Wednesday nights through our Bible study and if you've come on Saturdays, you know, I often get stuck in the first verse. for a long time so we're gonna get stuck in this first verse probably for about half the message maybe a third. So Yeshua is approaching Jericho and we're gonna stop there for the moment. See, I made a five words in we're good. We're doing well five words. Yeshua's approaching Jericho. Now if you guys have popped up map back up for me Jericho is a common point on the road up to Jerusalem. So I want you to note where Jericho is. And so when I'm telling you that you guys

11:33 can leave this map up for at least as well. As long as I'm talking about Jericho. From here. It's a six to eight hour walk. Up to Jerusalem. It's about 13 to 15 miles ish. Yeshua hitting his disciples are going up to Jerusalem for Passover. For peson, why are they going out for Pace off? Because every Jewish male according to Leviticus 23 is required to go up to Jerusalem three times a year. For what we call today pilgrimage holidays. And so the first of those is Passover or pesach the second is Shavuot. Which occurs how many days later?

12:18 50 days later and the third one is is Sukkot which occurs six months? to the day later from Passover So those are the three holidays that they're Jewish men are required to make pilgrimage or to go up to Jerusalem. So it's during these holiday seasons the Jerusalem the population of Jerusalem would swell. So there are some records that indicate. The Jerusalem that estimates the permanent population of Jerusalem at this time period between 10 and 40,000 people. But during these three Feasts. the population would swell to anywhere from 200,000 people to a million people.

13:05 I just want you to think about that for a minute all of us. We live in Texas. Well, I presume we live in Texas. Maybe you're visiting. We live in Texas how many of you know, Sanger, Texas? Yeah up 35 just north of Denton Sanger Texas is a population of 9,000. 380 people just about 10,000. If we're to talk about a population swell in Sanger. That would accommodate the population of anything from Amarillo. to on the low side, Austin The entire population of those cities going up to Sanger. It's not so funny to say going up to Sanger to make pilgrimage.

13:53 Can you imagine every like just a vast swell in population? It's I think I think if 10,000 people decided to go to Sanger on the same weekend. I think it might melt. But we're talking about 200,000 people to a million people every year Josephus. The reason I the reason I give you that Million numbers because Josephus talks about up to half of the population of Israel at this point would go up to Jerusalem in the population of Israel at this point was around two million. So that's where we could get the 1 million number from so Jericho was a common place where people would gather on the way up to Jerusalem. All these people are going up to Jerusalem. You can imagine the crowds going they

14:41 traveled together. Jerusalem, excuse me Jericho was this prosperous area with irrigation irrigation the dated back really by today. Jericho is known as the oldest city in the world. The oldest populated city in the world. So Jericho is one of the earliest what we would call metropolitan areas in the world. And it was one of the first to develop irrigation. And and to be able and it's just beautiful area. Yes, she was approaching Jericho. I just want you to think about this yeshua's come down near the Jordan River. I'll follow the Jordan River come down. He turns and he goes up to up to Jericho. It's like this Oasis that's on the way to Jerusalem,

15:27 which is in mountains and a very rugged territory. But I also want you to not forget. What happened in this area? Yeshua came down here earlier He got immersed in the Jordan River by his cousin. John gilchana and John did most of his ministry in this area. And was subsequently beheaded. Think about Yeshua coming back through this area where he's been immersed. He knows he's on his way to Jerusalem. He's already told his disciples. I'm on my way to Jerusalem, and I'm going to be killed.

16:13 You imagine what's going through his mind my cousin did this in the not-too-distant past? You think about some of the disciples? Perhaps were we're going do you think he remembers John? I don't we don't want to bring it up right now. It's a sore memory. The Mention Of This City should also draw our attention Or remind us of the parable that Luke includes. back in Luke chapter 10 verses 25 through 37 the the parable that we often call the Good Samaritan. What happens in the Good Samaritan? There's someone coming down

16:58 from Jerusalem, and they're going to wear they're going to Jericho. And it's a long this road that that person is beat up and left on the side of the road for dead. Do you see a common thing here? John Yeshua says, I'm going to Jerusalem to die Also. Let's remember last time we were in Jericho we had this Parable and there was this guy coming down. He was left for dead on the side of the road. What we are experiencing here is a closure in the narrative. The first was someone coming down from Jerusalem to Jericho now. Someone is going up to Jerusalem from Jericho that someone being Yeshua. That man was left for dead on the way out of Jerusalem. Yeshua is going to experience death in Jerusalem.

17:46 Do you see how lit in a literary context these two stories are into woven and yet they're bookings and in the Book of Luke if you will. really bookings on the journey From Galilee to Jerusalem this man that was left for dead on the side of the road had an unlikely Return To Life. Through the effort of a Samaritan Yeshua will experience an unexpected Resurrection from his death in Jerusalem. Okay, so now we're we're done talking about Jericho. We've made it past five words. Yeshua was approaching Jericho and a certain blind man. Okay. Let's get to eight words.

18:31 There's a certain blind man who's sitting and begging. Now I just I know we just talked about Jericho. But let's just refresh our minds Jericho is a Gathering Place to where groups would go up to Jerusalem. Why because the road was dangerous going up to Jerusalem, there was robbers and all sorts of things. That's why the parable even works. So there's this Gathering Place of people in Jericho. It makes sense that someone who's asking for alms asking for the for help is going to gather where there's people. Lots of people and also lots of people who are coming up for the pilgrimage Feasts. And so he's out there saying I need some help. He's probably picked this place because it's a good spot to make some money.

19:19 And he hears the crowd going by. it's interesting because I can tell you I mean, I don't have textual evidence. But in my mind it's for certain. This is not the first crowd to go by. It's not the last crowd either the when people go up to Jerusalem, they travel and and family groups and crowds. I don't know. So what is it that draws his attention to this crowd? Perhaps this crowds a little more Rowdy than others or more. Joyful. And so this blind man who we we know from Mark chapter 10 is named, Bartimaeus. by the way this This story occurs in in Mark chapter 10,

20:04 and also let me just look at my notes. Matthew chapter 20 if you if you want some cross-references. Concerning what's going on some slight differences, but I'm not really going to address those differences today. So this blind man sitting there he's inquiring as to who's passing by maybe he's heard that Yeshua is on his way. You ever think about that? News travels fast even when there's no cell phones. It's amazing. How quick. Someone will know what's going on in someone else's life or or as they're walking even without cell phones. You can imagine the countryside would have been abuzz with with

20:51 news of what's going on with Yeshua. Perhaps perhaps he knew that Yeshua was coming down the Jordan River Valley and was going to eventually come through Jericho and maybe this is why he says who's there? And so he says who's there and they're in the in the crowd or those who were there say, it's Yeshua from Nazareth. In his immediate reaction by the way to just one point out his immediate reaction. Is Yeshua Ben David have mercy on me? He's crying out at the top of his lungs. And the people around the right? Keep it down. They're telling them to be quiet and he what does he do? He's persistent. He gets a little louder even Yeshua Ben David have mercy on me.

21:44 So before I get to yeshua's response. I want to talk about his work. this Blind Man's words first of all He calls him Yeshua. And then he gives him a title Ben David. now there's two different things that can be going on here. One of them I pre thought out and the other one occurred to me as I was. Just going back through my notes this morning. If this man's name is Bartimaeus. Bar was the Aramaic word for son. So he was the son of tamias. I wonder if he's shouting out Yeshua Ben

22:31 David and and maybe he's a well-known beggar who stands there on the side of the road. And I wonder if his name is even known to Yeshua. And if he's creating a connection between Yeshua and himself Yeshua Ben David or son of David, I am Bartimaeus son of tamias. You see how there's an instant connection. You see sometimes when we are meeting new people. We try to find a connection in the connection helps us better understand one another. As an interesting thought I had this morning. But I don't think it's the most important because the most important is that Ben David was a Messianic title. That is being applied from this blind man.

23:17 By the way, this is the only time it's applied in the Book of Luke. It's applied from this blind man to Yeshua from Nazareth. the title Comes from the Lord's promise to King David that one of David's descendants would rule on the throne forever. You can see this in second Samuels chapter 7 Isaiah chapter 11 Jeremiah chapter 23 Ezekiel chapter 37 Psalm 89 and Psalm 132, which I purposely read this morning. So there would be on your minds. So I'm 132. We'll get to there in just a second the title Ben David what it does invokes the authority of the son of David over the kingdom. Now this is a title that if that's

24:04 not clear, it's recognizing Yeshua as the king. Presently at this moment now. I just want you to think about that. in a in a society where Rome rules all and you have to Bow Down and Worship Caesar. You have to praise him as if he's God. Then underneath Rome you have. Well you had King Herod and then you have his his sons who they don't ever get to the status of King but their rulers if you will and you have Pontius Pilate when you think about just from a purely physical political standpoint.

24:51 By shouting out Yeshua bendavid. It's an immediate threat to the power that be the the political powers that are ruling at hand. And you'll find out actually. Is it this way? It must be on Wednesday night, or maybe it's maybe it's an extra bot. Yeshua gets into Jericho and ends up with Zacchaeus. Who was a wee little man? Now, I'm just fine. You guys know the nursery rhyme. Anyways, he gets into he gets into the city with Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus. Is this wealthy tax collector? Why is he so wealthy because Jericho is the point where all of the wealth comes into the land of Israel from outside of the boundaries and they take taxes on it.

25:39 Rome takes their share. Jericho is there it's got all of the rulers. It's got all of the religious rulers. It's got everyone possibly that you could threaten at this point. here in Jericho and he this blind man gives this title to Yeshua Ben David this Messianic title about the kingship of the of the Throne of Israel the rulership of Israel. That will forever belong to the son of David. This would have added already to the high expectations of the people that just the regular people concerning a conquering King one that would defeat Rome and establish Jewish

26:24 autonomy over the land. So what we see in Psalm 132 versus 1718. Therefore I will make a horn spring up for David. I have set up a lamp for my anointed his enemies. I will clothe with shame but upon himself his crown will shine you see how there's this expectation with the son of David and shaming their enemies or putting them to death or or destroying the enemies of the son of David. this concept of the coming Kingdom and King was the predominant mindset during that period but also during that perhaps there's this accompanying thought. Concerning Supernatural healing that would

27:12 come with the arrival of the king and the kingdom. How can I say that? Look at Malachi chapter 3 verse 20. It says the son of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings and the wicked will be trampled underfoot. So you can see how the coming King can be associated with with healing. That's gonna it's just going to to Blossom. One of the greatest ironies here is that this blind man sees reality better than everyone else who's around him? He sees the spiritual reality of what's going on. As a blind man. Do you catch the irony there?

27:57 Someone who's unable to see in this world has greater spiritual sight. In the spiritual world at least in this case. It's interesting because let's talk about that for a moment. The removal of a sense be it be it blind be it sight or any of the other senses. It's there's some interesting things to note. perhaps what could be happening is there could be removal of distractions that would potentially present themselves. Perhaps there's a removal of a physical sense and it could force a greater dependence or trust in the Lord. in that particular person

28:44 If it occurs if that trust greater dependence or trust in the Lord occurs, it could lead that person to have greater sight in the spiritual Realm. Because they've lost their sight in the Physical Realm. I'm often reminded of my father in this regard all of a sudden half of you know, what? My dad is blind in one eye. And by the way, if you've ever been offended because you stood up here waiting for him to talk to him for 10 minutes and he never never acknowledge you it's probably because you were on his right side, and he doesn't see anything past. this way unless he turns obviously but I will tell you my dad has some spiritual Insight. They just blows my mind.

29:31 Like how did you even see that? And I don't know. I I think I think it's it comes from his dependence and trust in the Lord maybe that grows from having a lack of physical sight. Maybe it doesn't I don't know. This blind man seems to see what others are missing throughout the Book of Luke. He stands in direct contrast actually in direct contrast to the previous wealthy leader that we talked about a couple weeks ago. This blind man recognizes his need in his own life, and then he went to Yeshua for healing. He asked for physical healing but received much more than that when he began to follow Yeshua. that day So now we come let's keep going through through this

30:17 section starting in verse 40. so Yeshua stopped ordered the blind man to be brought to him. And when he came near Yeshua asked him, what do you want me to do for you? By the way, that's such an interesting question. What I mean. What do you think Yeshua that I went down for me. I don't know. We'll just keep going and he says master. I want to see again and Yeshua said to him receive your site your face has made you well. there's some similarities here that that are occurring in this In this passage that reminds us of other passages. first of all two chapter ago in chapter 17

31:03 we talked about the lepers who who were approaching the city in Yeshua was also approaching the city and they stayed far away and they said Yeshua have mercy on us. You see that you see the common theme Here. Have mercy on us these that's what these lepers at say in chapter 18 verse 13 with the tax collector the tax collectors there praying before the Lord and he says God have mercy on me The Sinner that I am. And we see a similarity between this blind man and the beginning of chapter 18 where there's those Widow who's seeking persistently? Justice she's going back and back and going to the judge over and over and over again.

31:48 You see the blind man has to state his request a couple times. First of all, he says Yeshua have mercy on me twice just to get Yeshua to come and then you show us what do you want? in the blind man says You know the point let me just take them. Let me just take a moment and let's do some self-application here. The blind man could have been like me. And I don't know for those of you who know me. I'm very heavily sarcastic the blind man could have gone. What do you think I want? I mean, he's blind he's asking for. Alms. What do you think? He's gonna want? But Yeshua makes him state. What he wants. It's an important principle for us to remember.

32:36 He says Yeshua says what do you want me to do? In this man says I want to see again. which actually makes me think that he was not a born blind person that he had previously had sight somehow along the way he lost his sight. What do you want? What do you want me to do? I want to see again. Yeshua said see. Your faith has made you well. You know your text may say something like receive your site or something along those lines. Yeshua says see it's like a an imperative command at that moment. He says see. and he sees

33:22 and then Yeshua says your faith has made you well. Immediately this man receives his sight and began following Yeshua. This is verse 43. and began following Yeshua and when all the people saw it they gave praise. to God Yeshua spoke in this passage and four things happened. First the man was healed. second the man began following Yeshua third he glorified God and Fourth yeah, fourth all the people who saw gave praise to God. Those those four things happen. So when we witness something like this. These four things need to occur. It's an important

34:09 Paradigm for us and if we miss something then we miss out on the fullness of the passage. So let's let me ask a couple questions about us today. Who are we in this story? You know, I've asked I asked this question almost every time I get to a passage, who am I in this story? Why and I've told you this multiple times most of us see us as the what's it called. What's he called? The protagonist the hero in the story. That's just kind of the way we view ourselves very rarely. Do we view ourselves as the villain? or the people of doubt So, who are we in this story? Are we the blind man? Who sees the coming Kingdom? Are we like those in the crowd trying to keep those in

34:55 need from experiencing the healing power of the Messiah? If we're like the blind man or those people in either case, why are we in this place? You always have to ask that question the blind man. Why is he there the crowd? Why are they there? Why are we in this place? Why are we in this place in our life? What are we looking for? Do we have a request for Yeshua? And if we have a request, by the way, I think I could ask this and I think I would get a hundred percent a unanimous response. Do you have a request for Yeshua today? I think most everybody would say yes, whether it be small or big in in some persons eyes or

35:42 anybody's eyes all of our requests range from small to big. But we always have requests as the nature of being a human. And not fully in charge of anything. It's like my children. They always have requests Dad. Let's go do this Dad. Let's go that why because they can't drive there yet. So we always have these needs. Do we ever request reassure today? And if you do? Have you vocalized it? You see because Yeshua makes the blind man vocalize his requests. What do you want me to do? Well, duh. What do you think? I will I want you to do. Like this is how most of us including me respond.

36:27 with some heavy sarcasm I'm blind. Duh. What do you think? What are you dumb? No, he doesn't respond that at all. He recognizes who he's addressing the request to and he says I want to see again. And he's very plain. He he does so we could talk about this. This is a totally another message. He doesn't ask for World, Peace. He doesn't ask for the kingdom of Messiah to be here today. He asked for his sight. It's a very tangible need in this man's life. And I I suspect that all of us have those that level of

37:13 tangible needs today. So my question is have you vocalized it? Have you made it known? Or do you just stand there and say well, what do you think I want? You should know you could read all my mind. You can read my mind. You read everybody's mind. You should know everything. You know, sometimes when we vocalize it what it does is actually forces us to Humble ourselves. And to actually speak forth that we don't know everything. That we don't have everything in that we need him. to help us because when he answers known requests what happens by the way, it's not just for the individual, but it's also for everyone else around. You see because when there's a known request when when Yeshua says, what do you want me to do by the way, the whole

37:58 crowd hasn't gone away. It's not like the two of them went into like a little office and and they're off by themselves and everybody's like what's going on in there like they're in the middle of the crowd in the middle of the He says what do you want me to do? Everybody in the road heard him and Yeshua says see. And immediately the man has his sight because his faith has made him well and what happens he gives glory to God. you see Miracles are for the purpose. of everyone else to see pun not intended. But to see what God can do and to draw them. near

38:45 a miracle is great in my own life. That's great, but it's not for me. It's actually for everyone else. Because when I have a known request that everyone else knows, oh, yeah that person there. They got a real problem. In fact, let's go talk about it inside the prayer room. Do you know that that problem that person over there has they got real problem? We should pray for them. But after we talk about them for a little bit. I'm just just playing. kindness But when we have a real problem that's known to others in that problem is answered by God clearly inside of everyone else. It causes or it should cause us all to respond the same way in giving glory and praise

39:32 to the Lord. So my question is is how do we respond to the working of the Lord in our own community in our own lives daily weekly? Monthly yearly. Do we glorify God? Or perhaps do we attribute whatever was accomplished to our own hard work? or to the work of modern medicine By the way, I'm not against the work of modern medicine. But it's still a miracle of God that it works. Matthew says in Matthew Chapter 5 you are the light

40:19 of the world a city set upon a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket instead. They put it on a lampstand. So it gives light to all in the house in the same way. Let your light shine before all men so that they may see your good works and glorify God in heaven in other words. Do we allow others to see what God is doing in our lives today? Because when we are unabashedly come forward and say this was my need and God did this. I couldn't pay my water bill. And I got a random check from some or a random, but we don't do check. I got a random venmo from someone. That's a

41:07 weird thing to get. Yeah, I got a random. Cash deposit from someone I'd never heard of they came up to me. I broke Hashem this week and said the Lord told me this is for you and it happened to be the exact same dollar amount as my water bill. By the way that happened multiple times. I had one occasion here. I guess maybe I should have said something because I didn't I had one occasion here. We were going on a trip. and and I was like man Lord. I know I did this I charge all the things and I think what this is where we're supposed to be but not entirely certain how I'm gonna like pay for the like lunch while we're there. And I'll tell you.

41:53 The sweetest lady came up to me here at brookesham. She's sitting in the second row right now. And comes up to me and goes, you know. The Lord just told me to give you this and I said, thanks so much. I just stuck in my pocket. I forgot about it. I get home. It just so happens that covered the expenses on the trip that I was going for like perfectly. And I was like wow that was. She didn't even know that I had a need. But I'm telling you God, does this all the time by the way? If you don't realize that God still speaks. all the time Now whether we're not we listen, that's the other that's the other side of the coin. But God speaks and and when he

42:40 does it's time for us to listen. And when we listen we can glorify the Lord together in in show everyone else what our God does. because when our God answers man, it's amazing. Now that being said let me this is totally I finished my message now. I'm getting into my third one for the day. We're going to get into this in a couple more weeks as we as we push through Luke a little bit more. But there are things going on in this world today. That astounded me. Things I never thought I would see.

43:27 Unrest that. I never thought I would see. Not just even disunity but active in fighting in in the state of Israel that I never thought I would see. Now I'm I'm doing this on purpose. Because I know I mentioned it during Passover and I think maybe the next Shabbat also. But Israel is in this in this state of existence today that is in a very precarious place. Israel exists as what we we call a democratic state in the Middle East. Now I'm telling you all this I recognize Israel has

44:14 its own problems. Is governed by people people have problems just so everybody understands like I recognize there's problems. But what's going on right now? I've never seen in my lifetime Odette. Have you seen it in your lifetime? I've never seen this in neither one of us in our lifetimes what's going on in the state of Israel? I've seen attacks from outside. Horrific attacks. In fact we we've seen Rockets just in the last two weeks. We've seen something like a hundred Rockets coming at Israel and from the outside. But what's happening inside of Israel is what's tearing her apart today? The people can generally agree on who the enemy is outside.

45:02 But now the enemy has become inside and at this point. I don't know. I I don't see any other path forward. then Yeshua Because unless the unless our people Come to a reconciliation with God. Which happens through Yeshua? what we've seen is really only the beginning of what is bad to come but I think that Yeshua. that our God has the ability to do things that none of us can even think about can even imagine so I just want you during this season because right now Israel is Extreme great experiencing great turmoil. It's

45:49 on Hiatus for you know, the the month break for Passover with the knesset and in the Coalition, but I guarantee you that the the powers that be are not on break. They're beginning they're continuing to to dialogue and talk. So perhaps we can just take this time. Not not today, but we can take a minute today also, but Take this season from Passover to Shavuot. to continue to pray particularly for the Salvation of Israel for the turmoil that is within. Now you can pray for the turmoil. That's without that always exists. I don't mean without but on the outside that always exists.

46:38 But the turmoil that's what this coming up from this arising from within. And they perhaps our people can find Yeshua through this. And if we can take this season because we're going to come together. I think I mentioned this maybe two weeks ago, but we're going to come together on May 28th. Which in the Christian world is Pentecost? In the Jewish world. It's a couple days after Shavuot. If you count according to the Jewish calendar today. I happen to have a slightly different opinion, but it's okay. But that's on May 28th. It's a Sunday. And we're going to spend as a community. I think

47:26 I mentioned this to you guys that that it's not just us but there's other communities around the country around the state around the city around the world that are coming together for the purpose on May 28th to pray for the Salvation of Israel. And I think I shared that it was. Over a hundred million people praying on the same day for the same thing, which is the Salvation of Israel. And I don't know that that many people have ever prayed before on the same day. For the same thing being the salvation of Israel. It's an astounding number when you begin to think about a hundred million people. over a hundred million people praying

48:11 And there's there's more. But anyways, I just maybe we can take this season to do that and and to continue to pray for Israel and and I'll start right we'll start right now and then we'll we'll finish our service. A Venus shabasha Mayim Our Father in Heaven Lord. We thank you for this for the season that we're in Lord. We thank you for pesach and for the counting of the Omer where we are Counting from the season of our deliverance in looking forward in anticipation. Lord to meeting and encountering you Lord and even today I I just come we come together Lord. Even as Israel is all counting the Omer today.

48:59 Lord I just asked that you would begin to prepare the hearts of our people. Lord that you would draw our people to you Lord that you would open up the eyes of the Jewish people both in Israel and and around the world. Lord open up our eyes to see Yeshua as the promised Messiah. Who came and is coming again? Lord and whatever whatever you have to do in terms of the politics of Israel Lord, I don't even know what to request. Lord, you know what the request you know, what's what's the right way? But Lord I ask that.

49:45 that the people Would not look at their brother their sister their families. as the enemy the Lord that the people can come together. And see Yeshua in one another. Learning that we can draw closer to you. through Yeshua Lord we breath we bless you and we praise you today yeshua's name. amen May the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

50:36 if I recognize my yeah, I don't know. He saw tonight. in the name of our Messiah Yeshua Shabbat shalam