Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.
(John 4:14)


(LIVING WATER)
ISSUE: #156

MEM

(Messianic Email Message)
Psalms 119:97 - 104
Seeking The Truth
MEM Index
Article Index

And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb
(Rev 22:1)

For His Glory!

Message

Light

Why is light so significant in Scripture?

Yeshua (Jesus) said He is the light of the World

John 8:12 (NAS unless indicated; bolding by MEM) Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Light has a purpose

John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 12:46 "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.

Isa 42:16 "And I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains…"

Isa 51:4 "Pay attention to Me, O My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples.

Yeshua said we are to be lights also.

Matt 5:14 "You are the light of the world

So if we are to be a light we must also have a purpose and come to know the Light.

Matt 5:14 "... A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Isa 58:10 And if you give yourself to the hungry, And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness, And your gloom will become like midday.

In many Scriptures darkness or night, represent evil, or the absence of life. We have been called out of a kingdom of darkness into YHVH’s Kingdom of light. Now darkness (absence of life) cannot abide when there is light because the light represents life.

John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

In the beginning light had a purpose

Gen 1:2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

The heavenly lights have purpose

Gen 1:14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

A darkness that was in the form of a plague

Exodus 10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days…

But…

Exodus 10:22 …but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Supernatural Light (one huge night light)

Exodus 13:21 And the LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light

****

And Woe to those…

Isa 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

But for the wicked

Job 18:5 "Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out, And the flame of his fire gives no light.

Job 24:13 "Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways, Nor abide in its paths.

John 3:20 "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

However …

Job 22:23 "If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent, 27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you…And light will shine on your ways. 29 When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence And the humble person He will save. "

Job 33:28 'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.'

****

Mysteries brought to light

Job 12:22 "He reveals mysteries from the darkness, And brings the deep darkness into light.

Dan 2:22 "It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.

****

The Psalms portray the Eternal One as the source of light and life:

Ps 36:9 For with Thee is the fountain of life; In Thy light we see light.

Ps 56:13 For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living.

His words are light – (Revelation, understanding, truth…)

Ps 119:105 Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.

Ps 119:130 The unfolding of Thy words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life,

Eccl 2:13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

Come

Isa 2:5 Come, … let us walk in the light of the LORD.

The Messiah – The Promised Light

Isa 9:2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. (See Matthew 4:14)

Isa 42:6 "I am the LORD … And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations,

Dan 10:6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze…

Matt 28:3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow;

For the disciples of Yeshua…

Luke 12:35 "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight.

John 12:36 While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light."…

Thy Kingdom to Come

Rev 21:24 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it.

Isa 60:3 "And nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isa 60:19 "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. 20 Your sun will set no more, Neither will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be finished.

Rev 22:5 And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.

Jeremiah 31:35 Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day, And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: - Amen

Learn more about our responsibility, see section - Our Lesson in Light From His Word


Proverbs

A Lesson in Light – From the Proverbs

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

Proverbs 13:9 The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked goes out.

Proverbs 29:13 The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light…


Saying(s)

"Light means nothing to a blind man." - A.W. Tozer

Matt 13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them.'


Simple Bible Quiz
J. Vernon Jacobs

True or False

  1. The tabernacle was located at Shiloh
  2. There was a man who never had a mother
  3. Mahalalel was the oldest man mentioned in the Bible
  4. Noah’s ark came to rest on Mt. Sinai
  5. Abram was a half-brother of Sarah
  6. Joseph was the youngest son of Jacob
  7. Aaron made a brazen serpent for Israel
  8. The Israelites crossed the Dead sea on dry land
  9. Moses wrote the Ten commandments on Mt. Sinai
  10. Samuel anointed the first king of Israel
  11. Jeroboam made some golden calves for Israel
  12. David and Jonathan were twins
  13. Jonah was one of the twelve apostles
  14. Jeroboam commanded the sun to stand still
  15. Samson set fire to the tails of three hundred foxes
  16. Gideon won a battle without striking a blow
  17. Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife
  18. Jesus walked on the waters of the Jordan
  19. Elijah had a contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel
  20. Jesus was transfigured with Noah and Elisha



  1. True
  2. True—Adam
  3. False—Methuselah
  4. False—Mt. Ararat
  5. True
  6. False—Benjamin
  7. False—Moses
  8. False—Red Sea
  9. False—God wrote them
  10. True—Saul
  11. True
  12. False—The were good friends
  13. False
  14. False—Joshua
  15. True
  16. True
  17. False—Cities
  18. False—Galilee
  19. True
  20. False—Moses and Elijah

Lighter Side

So, there I was ...

just relaxing

and then the kids yelled,

'Hey Dad, come see the kittens.'


A Retired Person's Perspective

1. I'm not saying let's do away with all the stupid people. I'm just saying let's remove all the warning labels and let the problem work itself out.

2. I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds. People move out of the way much faster now.

3. You can tell a lot about a woman's mood just by her hands. If they are holding a gun, she's probably not happy.              

4. I don't like making plans for the day. Because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around in the courtroom.

5. I didn't make it to the gym today. That makes 1,500 days in a row.

6. I decided to change calling the bathroom the John and renamed it the Jim. I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.

7. Dear paranoid people who check behind shower curtains for intruders: If you find one, what's your plan?

8. Everyone has a right to be stupid. Some just abuse the privilege.

9. Old age is not as bad as I thought. It's a good feeling when you just don't worry anymore and you feel blessed just to wake up in the morning.


Our Lesson in Light From His Word

For the Saints

2Cor 4:6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Out of Darkness into The Light

Acts 9:3 And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;

Acts 13:47 "For thus the Lord has commanded us, 'I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.'"

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'

1Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Rom 13:12 The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Satan – A false light

2Cor 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

2Cor 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2Cor 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

The Apostle Paul’s Prayer

Eph 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Eph 3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things;

Eph 5:8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

Eph 5:13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

Sons of Light

Col 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

1Thess 5:5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

Phil 2:15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

Our Savior – Our Light

1Tim 6:16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

2Tim 1:10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

Father of lights

Jas 1:17 Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.

1John 1:5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

1John 1:7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1John 2:8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

1John 2:9 The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

1John 2:10 The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.


Life in Messiah

Light

Do you know that God’s Spirit indwells you? Yeshua (Jesus) declared that your body is His temple. This should not make you arrogant, but you should view it as a tremendous responsibility. All your thoughts and actions should be considered in the light of the fact that you are His dwelling place. Yet Yeshua does not want you to think of this as a burden, but rather as an opportunity. Saying that you are the light of the world, conduct yourself with a conscious awareness that He is in you to help you respond accordingly in every situation. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and hear your good words and glorify Him.

(Adopted from a blog post by Dale Cresap)


Cause and Effect

Whom Shall We Believe

1Thess 5:21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;

Why is it that we take so little interest as to whom it is that offers us spiritual succor? Why is it that we would rather spend more time contemplating what brand of clothing or shoes we want to wear than what the intentions of the smiling face before us truly are? Although we are quick to roam the supermarket looking for organic produce and cosmetics that don’t perform animal testing. But as far as spiritual nourishment is concerned, we are more like a trash compactor taking in anything offered us and waiting mouth agape for the next batch of fresh baked lunacy to be shoveled therein.

What’s worse is that every new fad, every new wave, every new doctrine, teaching or theory, no matter how unscriptural and absent any Biblical foundation, becomes gospel to us, and if anyone dare point out the inconsistencies, we are quick to lash out, smearing them, their families, their loved ones, their ancestry, and throwing in an Ichabod or two just to be safe.

Consequently, you never see these people come back to apologize or repent once the fad implodes, once their new messiah turns out to be anything but, and once the date that was set or the theory that was put forth is annihilated by none other than time itself.

I’m still amused at seeing what I’ve deemed prophetic or revelatory sparring going on among believers, wherein one ‘prophet’ gives one word, another ‘prophet’ gives a word negating the word of the other ‘prophet’ gave, as though God is divided, double-minded, or just likes to sow confusion among His children.

A true word from God will stand the test of time. A true word from God will not seek to elevate the man delivering it, but the Lord Himself, stirring people to repentance and intimacy with God rather than to digging hovels in the earth and learning to live without indoor plumbing.

It would seem the prophetic landscape is abuzz with new words, with dates being thrown about, and with events which will happen on those dates. I’m getting more and more correspondence from individuals asking me to either confirm or deny these dates, and I will say publicly what I’ve reiterated privately that each man is accountable to God for the words he gives, and he is likewise accountable to confirm that said words did originate from God.

If there is any lingering doubt, keep silent.

If there is one thing I would love to see as pertains to the prophetic, is that we hold our ‘prophets’ accountable for the words they speak, the dates they set, and the events they foretell will occur during any given time frame.

Between swallowing everything wholesale and being skeptical, I would rather the household of faith be skeptical during these days, because Jesus Himself warned of false prophets, false teachers, and false Christs, who would deceive many. We’re not talking about a handful of people here; we’re talking about a large swath of what we deem to be the Church being deceived by these ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing.

What can one do when the sheep prefer the wolves over the shepherds? What can be done when the church honors deceivers and vilifies preachers of righteousness?

Some are still waiting for a great sweeping revival. They are waiting for the light to come on, for the church to have a collective eureka moment, but those who would wait for such a thing have chosen to forget that salvation is not collective, but rather an individual endeavor.

Indifference is killing us ever so slowly. From indifference as to whom we choose to listen to, to indifference as to whether or not the individual is Biblically sound. We have more important matters to tend to; we have more important things to worry about. That is until we find ourselves far from the light, surrounded by wolves, with no one to come to our aid.

2Pet 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

With love in Christ
Michael Boldea Jr.
www handofhelp.com


Psalm Promise

Ps 119:105, 130

Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.

As your word unfolds it gives light, and even the simple understand. (NJB)

Blessed be YHVH (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High…)


Bible Trivia Challenge

The Rogues' Gallery

The Devil, You Say

He goes by many names in the Bible—Satan, the devil, the evil one, etc. Jesus made it clear that the devil and a horde of demons had dedicated themselves to making human life unpleasant (not to mention to kill and destroy). As nasty as Satan is, however, the Bible makes it clear that human beings are responsible for their own sins. The devil does tempt people, but people themselves choose to do wrong. (Part two)

  1. Which Old Testament book depicts Satan as a kind of prosecutor in the heavenly court?
  2. In the book of Zechariah, where did the prophet see Satan standing?
  3. Satan offered to give Jesus power over all the world's kingdoms if he would do what?
  4. What often-used prayer mentions Satan?
  5. In which Epistle does Paul tell Christians, "Do not give place to the devil"?
  6. What common word in our language is rooted in the Greek word translated "devil"?
  7. Who promised Christians that "the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet"?
  8. What affliction did Paul attribute to the power of Satan?
  9. Where were Jesus and Satan when Satan suggested that Jesus test God and the angels?
  10. In Ephesians 2, Paul referred to Satan as the "prince of the power of the _____."
  11. Which disciple was Jesus speaking to when he said, "Get thee behind me, Satan!"?
  12. Which apostle described the "whole armor of God" that would protect Christians against the wiles of the devil?
  13. What book of the Bible refers to an earthly city "where Satan's throne is"?
  14. Which Epistle divides the human race into "the children of God" and "the children of the devil"?
  15. In Revelation, what angel leads the fight against Satan?
  16. Which Epistle says that the devil has the power of death?
  17. Complete this verse from the Epistle of James: "Resist the devil, and he will _____ from you."
  18. Which Epistle warns people against being "puffed up" with pride as Satan is?
  19. In 1 John, we are told that the Son of God was manifested so that he might destroy the _____ of the devil.
  20. The book of Revelation refers to a "synagogue of Satan" existing in what two cities?
  21. When Satan is in the form of a great red dragon, how many heads does he have?



The Devil, You Say (Answers)

  1. Job. In chapters 1 and 2, Satan plays the role of one who likes to test righteous people (like Job) to find out if they're really as virtuous as God believes they are.
  2. At the right side of Israel's high priest (Zechariah 3:1)
  3. Fall down and worship Satan (Matthew 4:8-10). Jesus refused, of course.
  4. The Lord's Prayer. Though most Bible versions have "deliver us from evil, the original Greek words can also mean "the evil one," which would obviously be referring to Satan (Matthew 6:13).
  5. Ephesians (Ephesians 4:26-27)
  6. Diabolical, from the Greek word diabolos, which literally means "slanderer" or "accuser" or even "opponent"
  7. Paul (Romans 16:20)
  8. A "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). We don't know exactly what this "thorn" was.
  9. On the highest point of the Temple. Satan suggested that if Jesus threw himself down, God's angels would protect him (Matthew 4:5-7).
  10. Air (Ephesians 2:2)
  11. Peter (Matthew 16:23). Jesus didn't mean that Peter was literally Satan, but that Peter was (at that moment) acting as an adversary, which is what the word Satan literally means.
  12. Paul (Ephesians 6:11-18)
  13. Revelation (2:12-13). This is a reference to the city of Pergamos. It may mean that persecution of Christians was taking place there.
  14. 1 John (3:10)
  15. Michael (Revelation 12)
  16. Hebrews (2:14). It is probably referring to the fact that death was brought into the world by the serpent's tempting of Adam and Eve.
  17. Flee (James 4:7)
  18. 1 Timothy (3:6)
  19. Works (1 John 3:8)
  20. Smyrna and Philadelphia (Revelation 2:8-9; 3:7-9). We aren't sure just what a "synagogue of Satan" was.
  21. Seven heads (Revelation 12:3). This is an interesting case of the "good" number seven being connected with a very evil person.


The Complete Book of Bible Trivia: Bad Guys Edition.



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