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: #101

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

Restoration

What is restoration? Does restoration have anything to do with you or me? Is restoration a part of God’s plan for man? Did restoration have anything to do with why Yeshua (Jesus) had to come and die for you and me?

In MEM issue 99 we wrote about "Words"; the goal was to select a word that best fits the overall message of Scripture. That applies to what YHVH is doing and why Yeshua had to come and why He preached the Kingdom of God. That word is Restoration; now the story.

It all started "In the Beginning":

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…"

Gen 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

What a paradise - fellowship and instruction from the Creator - just take care of the garden; freely eat - except of one tree:

Gen 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."

The Adversary steals God’s supreme creation:

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

Gen 3:6 … she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Mankind did have access to the Supreme Creator; a personal relationship:

Gen 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Man sentenced (to death row) to live outside the Kingdom of God; Without a relationship, without access to Paradise, without the tree of Life:

Gen 3:22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" -- 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life.

The curse of the serpent and the promise of a Redeemer:

Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; … 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

For Restoration a Redeemer was necessary [Hence the promised Seed]:

REDEE'MER, n. Webster 1828:

1. One who redeems or ransoms.

2. The Savior of the world, JESUS CHRIST.

The Rest of the Story is all about the Restoration:

Webster 1828:

RESTORA'TION, n. [L. restauro.]

1. The act of replacing in a former state.

2. Renewal; revival; re-establishment; as the restoration of friendship between enemies…

3. Recovery; renewal of health and soundness…

4. Recovery from a lapse or any bad state; as the restoration of man from apostasy.

5. In theology, universal restoration, the final recovery of all men from sin and alienation from God, to a state of happiness; universal salvation.

Acts 1:6 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" (Israel was a type of the restoration process for all of mankind.)

Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing (a recovery of breath - revival) may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration (of a true theocracy - of the perfect state as before the fall) of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

ISBE:

res-to-ra'-shun: The idea of a restoration of the world had its origin in the preaching of the Old Testament prophets. Their faith in the unique position and mission of Israel as the chosen people of God inspired in them the conviction that the destruction of the nation would eventually be followed by a restoration under conditions that would insure the realization of the original divine purpose. … in which the consequences of sin would no longer appear was a prominent feature of the Messianic conception. In the teaching of Jesus and the apostles such a restoration is taken for granted as a matter of course.

We are probably expressing the full warrant of the Scripture when we say that the reconstruction mentioned in these passages contemplates the restoration of man, under the reign of Christ, to a life in which the consequences of sin are no longer present, and that this reconstruction is to include in some measure a regeneration of both the physical and the spiritual world.

Thus the Kingdom of God spoken of by John and Messiah:

Daniel 7:27 (ESV) ​​​​​​​​And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’

Ezekiel 37:26-27 (ESV) I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

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Start with Restore:

Lam 5:21 Restore H7725 us to Thee, O LORD, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old,

H7725 - Definition: to return, turn back; to turn back (to God), repent, turn back (from evil) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) - to reverse, revoke

TWOT:

2340 (shûb) (re)turn.

For better than any other verb it combines in itself the two requisites of repentance: to turn from evil and to turn to the good.

To be sure, there is no systematic spelling out of the doctrine of repentance in the OT. It is illustrated (Ps 51) more than anything else. Yet the fact that people are called "to turn" either "to" or "away from" implies that sin is not an ineradicable stain, but by turning, a God-given power, a sinner can redirect his destiny. There are two sides in understanding conversion, the free sovereign act of God’s mercy and man’s going beyond contrition and sorrow to a conscious decision of turning to God. The latter includes repudiation of all sin and affirmation of God’s total will for one’s life.

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A Promise:

Acts 15:16 'After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it,

(The restoration of Israel as intended by YHVH Exodus 19:6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' ...")

Poole:

After this; in the days of the Messiah.

I will return: the word may be taken in both voices. If actively, it signifies God’s returning unto them ... from whom he had departed. If passively, it foreshows their returning unto God, whom they had forsaken.

The tabernacle; the house … and here for the throne of David, who was a type of Christ, whose kingdom is over all. God does promise less than he does perform, for he did not only restore the tabernacle of David, in Christ, but raised it to a far greater splendor and glory ...

Isa 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Matt 1:20 ... "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins."

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Thy Kingdom Come:

Acts 3:21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

Gill:

until the times of the restitution of all things: … and will be in the spiritual reign of Christ; but of the accomplishment of all promises and prophecies concerning the bringing in the fullness of the Gentiles, and the conversion of the Jews, and so the gathering in all the elect of God; and concerning all the glorious things spoken of the church of Christ in the latter day…

JFB:

until the times-- the whole period between the ascension and the second advent of Christ.

restitution of all things-- the rectification of all the disorders of the fall.

Poole:

Until the times of restitution of all things; or restoration of all things, when all things shall be restored to that condition from which sin put them: for the fall hath maimed and disordered the whole universe; … by his (man’s) sin brought death to himself… But the end of the world will be a time of restitution of all things unto man especially, who shall be then restored unto God, and to a blessed immortality: for unless this be granted, all their preaching and prophesying was in vain, 1Co 15:14.

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So we have the promised seed of Genesis 3:15 that came preaching "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!" Where there is no death. Man was cast out of the presence of the Creator because he gave allegiance to the Deceiver. Man can, thru repentance, be restored to a relationship with our Creator because of The Lamb of God - The Restorer, The Deliverer, The Redeemer, The King of kings, Yeshua The Messiah. Repent (turn) with your whole heart to the Eternal Life Giver - Seek Him first.

In the beginning, man lost the right of the tree of life and in the end [the restoration] we will again have access to the tree of life.

Re 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life...

Prepare to reign with Him in the great restoration of all things.

As we were taught by Yeshua, "Thy Kingdom come…" Amen


Proverbs

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

Proverbs 8:32 (Wisdom speaking) "Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. 33 Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. 35 For he who finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD. 36 "But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."

Because of our inherited state (by nature cut off from the presence of Elohim [God]) we are headed for death and do not naturally seek wisdom or discipline. To be restored to our intended created position with the Creator we need to realize the way to life is to listen - take heed to and obey the ways of Wisdom. Reading all of chapter 8 will impress on the mind the magnitude of our call to wisdom.

Almighty One of Israel hear our prayer - give us ears to hear and the Spirit to seek life with You.


Saying (s)

"Choice not chance determines your future."

We naturally wonder what the future holds for us. When things do not turn out the way we like we often want to blame something or someone. In most every case, if we are honest, it is because of what we chose to do without foresight. Simple daily choices will bring a blessing or a curse, sooner or later. The Great Elohim, in His divine providence, has given us ‘free moral agency’ allowing us to make choices. He does not force us to walk in His way - yet this is His desire. The whole of Scripture shows what happens when we follow man’s way as opposed to YHVH’s instruction (His Word). From the beginning He wanted us to choose life; instead we chose to follow the serpent and chose to eat of the forbidden tree.

Moses says:

Deut 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

Joshua’s Choice:

Josh 24:15 "… but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

It is a choice - YHVH says:

Isa 56:4 For thus says the LORD, "To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, 5 To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.

As for me and my household we choose to obey YHVH, the One who has promised life eternal.


Bible Quiz
  1. Which Gospel book does not record Yeshua (Jesus) calming the storm?
  2. To what individual did Paul write two epistles?
  3. Where did Pharaoh’s daughter discover Moses?
  4. What was the occupation of the man with whom Peter stayed in Joppa?
  5. What did Joseph say was the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream?
  6. Who promised the Lord that if He would give her a son, she would give him back to Him?
  7. Who said, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he"?

Humility

In our pursuit of humility:

(Lessons from humility and holiness.)

"Pride can lift its head in the very temple of God and make His worship the scene of its self-exaltation. Since the time Christ so exposed his pride, the Pharisee has put on the garb of the tax collector. The confessor of deep sinfulness and the professor of highest holiness must both be on the watch. Just when we are most anxious to have our heart be the temple of God, we will find the two men coming to pray. And the tax collector will find that his danger is not from the Pharisee beside him, who despises him, but the Pharisee within, who commends and exalts himself. In God’s temple, when we think we are in the holy place, in the presence of His holiness, let us beware of pride. " Andrew Murray

Pride - the very thing that destroys, tears down, and puts us in bondage to the fallen prince of this world. In humility, this pride must be rooted out of our heart to make room for the Spirit of Yeshua and the restoration; a genuine relationship with the Almighty and our Redeemer.

Humbly we yield to the Master potter; mold this vessel for Your glory; restore us to Your plan.


Prayer

Understanding the precepts of prayer.

YHVH gave Moses instructions about a prayer (blessing) to be pronounced over the Israelites (this picture is for all of Elohim’s people).

Num 6:22 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

24 The LORD (YHVH) bless you, and keep you;

25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;

26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'

27 "So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them."

We, as priests of God, can pronounce this blessing upon others. The purpose is to focus attention on the One True God, our Father. This is what our High Priest did - read John 17 and you will see Yeshua’s purpose was to reveal the Father to us.

John 17:6 "I manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything Thou hast given Me is from Thee; 8 for the words which Thou gavest Me I have given to them; and they received them, and truly understood that I came forth from Thee, and they believed that Thou didst send Me.

YHVH be gracious unto us - Restore us and we will be restored - Your Kingdom come.


Heart of God

How does God feel about issues we face today?

Get back up, follow Him

Proverbs 24:16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

To do wrong is not shameful - to continue to do wrong once we realize that something is wrong and not repent - that is shameful. Everyone will sin and fall short of God’s glory. It is when we stay there that it is an issue. God does not demand perfection; He demands perfect hearts that desire Him. Perfect in seeking after Him. He knows our struggles. He sees our faults. He sees our strengths. When we allow Him to lead - He blesses. He blesses us, everything our hand touches and the people we speak to, interact with and come in contact with. He blesses - we are just a vessel He uses to pour out that blessing. He can only use those who are clean though.

Sometimes we get dirty in the use - contact with the world, temptations rub off on us. So after we use a dinner plate do we throw it away? No we clean it off and it is ready for the next meal. So let’s clean ourselves off - repent continually and be prepared to be used for the next meal. We can’t be perfect. He can perfectly use us though when we are seeking Him with our whole heart

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times; you people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Proverbs 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Material in this section is based on various prayer diaries.


Did you know:

This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years.

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Florida Court Sets Atheist Holy Day!

       In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover Holy days.  He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days.  The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. 

       The case was brought before a judge.  After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!" 

       The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, How can you possibly dismiss this case?  The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others.  The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays." 

       The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant." 

       The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists." 

       The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.'  Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned…"          

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In the Restoration the atheist will be outside the Holy City:

Rev 21:23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. …25 its gates shall never be closed; …27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Some of the material contained in this section is for informational purposes only and has not been verified by us.


Lighter Side

Enjoy Growing Older

There is a Reason:

A senior citizen said to his eighty-year old buddy:
'So I hear you're getting married?'
'Yep!'
'Do I know her?'
'Nope!'
'This woman, is she good looking?'
'Not really.'
'Is she a good cook?'
'Naw, she can't cook too well.'
'Does she have lots of money?'
'Nope! Poor as a church mouse.'
'Why in the world do you want to marry her then?'
'Because she can still drive!'  
 

Background noise:
Three old guys are out walking.

First one says, 'Windy, isn't it?'

Second one says, 'No, it's Thursday!'
 
Third one says, 'So am I… Let's stop and get some coffee.'  
   

Perfect timing:
A man was telling his neighbor, 'I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it is state of the art… It's perfect.'
 
'Really,' answered the neighbor. 'What kind is it?'
 
'Twelve thirty…'  
 

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Have a good day!


The Modern Church

95 Theses to the Modern Evangelical Church

by Greg Gordon - (founder of SermonIndex.net)

17. Modern Christians often find Jesus’ command to sacrifice and serve abhorrent. (Phil 2:21; Jam 3:16; Rom 12:1-2)

18. Self disciplines in the Christian life such as fasting and praying are considered legalistic. (2Tim 2:21; 2Tim 1:8; Mt 6:17)

19. Little thought and contemplation is put towards the lost-ness of men, the seriousness of the Gospel. (Phil 3:8; Gal 2:20; Heb 10:34)


Cause and Effect

Scribbles

(By Michael Boldea Jr.)

"We cannot be so consumed with the prophetic that we miss out on knowing the giver of prophecy; we cannot be so consumed with end time events that we miss out on a relationship with the One who is to return in these end times."

"…my primary concern is to be faithful to Jesus, not to prophecy."


Consider

If I could reinvent the alphabet, I would put U and I together.

People who believe that the world owes them a living usually spend a lifetime waiting to collect.

People like melons, become sweet and mellow as they reach proper growth.

The trouble with most of us is that our necessities are too luxurious and our luxuries are too necessary.

Remember to forget the things that made you sad, but don’t forget the things that made you glad.

If you have not left a little sunshine where you’ve been, what did you do?


Psalm Promise

Psalm 1:1-3

You Shall Know Them by Their Fruit

Ps 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

We cannot read this Psalm too often. The promise of blessing is to those that delight in Elohim’s instruction. Here we see what Yeshua was referring to; a tree bearing good fruit.

Matt 7:20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Luke 6:43 "For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 "For each tree is known by its own fruit…

John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…

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


Quiz Answers

1. John

2 Timothy

3. Among the reeds of the Nile river - Exodus 2:5

4. He was a tanner - Acts 9:43

5. Seven good years would be followed by seven years of famine - Genesis 41:25-27

6. Hannah - 1Samuel 1:9-11

7. Yeshua (Jesus) - Matthew 22:41-42



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