BibleStudyWithJairus

Understanding Jehovah’s Commands Bible Study with Jairus – Leviticus 17 Consuming Blood Leviticus 17 talks about Jehovah’s command against consuming blood. Our discussion focuses on why God does not allow blood to be consumed. Of course, in addition to health and hygiene considerations, there are also spiritual considerations. I was contemplating this question while I watched Sid Roth, an American Christian TV host, inviting Michael Brown, who is Jewish and a doctor of theology, to debate with a Jewish rabbi on his show. This man who had his doctorate in Christian studies tried to prove to the rabbi that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He tried to prove Jesus was sacrificed on the cross once, and He forever satisfied God’s request so we can receive eternal salvation in Him. But the way that this Jewish rabbi understood the Old Testament was different from this man with a doctorate in Christian studies. The Jewish rabbi said that in the Old Testament, Jehovah repeatedly emphasized that one’s own son should not be sacrificed to the idols, and when Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, Jehovah personally stopped him. This shows that Jehovah was very opposed to the sacrifice of sons. Therefore, he believed that the statement that God has sacrificed his son Jesus Christ was unacceptable. This is not what he believes Jehovah would do. We certainly did not agree with this Jewish rabbi, but we did have to think about why Jehovah had repeatedly warned the Israelites not to sacrifice their children to Molek, but He had offered His Son as a sacrifice. We also had to consider why Jehovah prohibited anyone from consuming the blood of any creature, but He prepared the blood of His Son for us to consume. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus clearly stated that “You will eat my flesh and drink my blood” (John 6:54). READ MORE: jbwm.org/

Justification by Faith Bible Study with Jairus – Romans 4 Romans 4 continues the theme of justification by faith, which Paul introduced in Romans 1:17: "The righteous shall live by faith." (ESV) Romans 5 builds on the concepts of justification by faith which are discussed in chapter 4. Romans 5 begins, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1 ESV) Clearly, the theme of Romans 4 is “justification by faith.” Although the chapter tells the story of Abraham and Sarah’s justification by faith, that will not be the focus of today’s discussion. Since Christians are already familiar with Abraham’s story, we will focus our time on the Psalms Paul quotes to uphold justification by faith. David’s Words of Faith In Romans 4:5-8, Paul says, “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.’” (ESV) In this passage, Paul quotes Psalm 32 and Psalm 51. Both Psalms were written by David after God forgave him of his sin with Bathsheba. Psalm 51 focuses on repentance while Psalm 32 focuses on gratitude. Both David and Paul wrote both under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. When Paul and other New Testament authors quote Old Testament authors, they use these Old Testament verses to illuminate New Testament themes. Old Testament truths provide a new angle on New Testament truth. When New Testament authors quote the Old Testament, there are often some small variations between the Old Testament text and the New Testament quote. For example, Psalm 32:1-2 says: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (ESV) Paul's quotation omits the phrase, "in whose spirit there is no deceit.” In addition, there are some translation differences between the two quotations. For instance, where the Psalm says “LORD (Jehovah),” most translations say, “the Lord.” Only some versions such as the Darby Bible and ASV still translate it as “LORD (Jehovah).” READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus – Romans 6 The subject of Romans 6 is about being united with Christ, including the experience of death and resurrection with Christ (Romans 6:1-5). Paul specifically mentioned that our old man was crucified with Christ. The sinful flesh has already been annulled (Romans 6:6-16), so we should consider ourselves alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). Although many Christians know this truth, they often find that their old man and flesh are still very active in their experience. How do we make sense of this? Paul's explanation in verses 12-23 says that we should offer our bodies to God as instruments for righteousness and not offer them to sin as instruments for unrighteousness (Romans 6:13). In other words, as Paul said in Romans 8, "Setting our mind on the Spirit is life and peace, but setting the mind on the flesh is death." (ESV, Romans 8:6). How do we better understand Paul's message in Romans 6? During our meeting, we cited a few examples to help our bible study members understand what Paul meant. First of all, we must know that man is a living soul, and this living soul is the product of the combination of God's Spirit or breath and the body formed by God from dust. Genesis 2:7 (KJB) explains, "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." The "breath of life" here can be translated as "spirit" or "God's breath." So the soul acts as an intermediary when God's breath and man's body of dust are combined. The soul can contact the material world through the body's senses, and it can also contact the spiritual world through the Spirit in a person. For example, I have had many prophetic dreams since 2015. In these dreams, I will go to heaven and paradise to watch various situations. If this is a real experience, then this should be something that happens in the Spirit. It should be an experience of contacting the spiritual world in the Spirit. But I need my soul and mind's function to remember these dreams and record them in time. Therefore, we can see that the soul helps the Spirit or uses the Spirit to contact the spiritual world. The power of the soul is great. For example, before Adam's fall, God asked all animals to come to Adam for him to name them (Genesis 2:20). This shows that Adam's knowledge was very extensive. In the Local Church Movement, they often mention that after man's fall, the body of man will fall into the flesh, the soul will fall into selfish self, and the Spirit of man will die. This is a fascinating thought. Here, we only look at this fallen soul. The Lord Jesus said, "For whoever would save his soul-life will lose it, but whoever loses his soul-life for My sake will save it." (Luke 9:24). According to STEPBIBLE.ORG, the "life" indicated in the original text does have the meaning of "soul." There are two souls here; one is the old, fallen soul-life that must be discarded. The other is the renewed soul-life that must be gained. After man's fall, the body did not immediately die, but the Spirit of man died. The soul of man is continuously dying. At this time, the man's soul-life is no longer the wonderful soul-life that God created. Instead, it is the fallen soul-life that is mixed with the sinful life of Satan. This is the life of the old man mentioned by Paul here in Romans 6. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus – Romans 3 When we first read Romans 3, we felt that there was some confusion in the logic. For example, Paul asked a question in the first verse: "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?" (Romans 3:1, NIV). Then he answered this question in the second verse. He said: "Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God." Logically speaking, we would then expect Paul to say: "second or third" later, but we couldn’t find the second or third in chapter 3, nor in chapters 4 or 5. When I searched online, I saw that it's not until Romans 9:4-5 before Paul talked about other advantages of the Jews. So it's not that Paul's logic is unclear. It's just that we don't understand his reasoning, making it difficult to properly interpret this chapter. Our understanding of the Bible is often influenced by the teaching we receive. Witness Lee, a leader in the Local Church Movement where I was saved, taught that Romans, chapters 9-11 were inserted to teach about the Jews' election. This teaching deeply influenced me, so I didn't see Paul's logic here differently. I'm sure Witness Lee had reasons for teaching this. Paul's question about the advantages of the Jews began in chapter 3, was touched on in chapter 8, and continued in chapter 9. As Paul said in Romans 9:4-5 (ESV), "They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen." Witness Lee may have talked about the other advantages of the Jews in Romans 9, but I rarely heard anyone talk about this during my thirteen years of attending there. Instead, the statement about Romans 9-11 being inserted to speak about the Jews election left a deep impression on me. So the thought came to me that maybe Romans chapters 3-8 in total were added for that purpose. I am not criticizing others here. I am just discussing how we can learn from our predecessors without limitations. In addition to praying for God's revelation, it's important to look at and incorporate teaching from other Bible scholars who have gone on before us. There are two parts to the process of studying other people's interpretations of the Bible. One part is to understand the light that others have received; the other part is to unlearn some of the teachings we have received. We often get some of our understanding of the Scriptures from various Bible teachers. Many of these teachings are rooted in our memories and even our souls. On the one hand, these teachings help us to understand the Bible. On the other hand, they sometimes become concepts, preventing us from further understanding the Bible. When I was in the Local Church Movement, I often encountered Christians from other churches, especially Chinese churches, who condemned the Local Church Movement and Witness Lee of teaching heresy. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

God’s Guidance Bible Study with Jairus – 1 Corinthians 7 Have you ever been in a situation where you faced a tough decision? How did you deal with the ambiguity and uncertainty? Often, when we don’t know what to do, we search for a dogmatic command from God to eliminate all uncertainty. However, God wants us to get to know him personally and accept his unique guidance in each specific circumstance of our lives. Today we are going to discover that God’s word provides unchanging principles, as well as specific guidance that helps us navigate the ups and downs of life. Avoiding Extremes. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul continues his discussion of sexual purity (Ch. 6) by focusing on marriage and singleness. Paul emphasizes the importance of loving God from the heart rather than merely conforming to a rule or imitating a standard. No matter our external circumstances, we must respect God from the heart. Paul explains the dangers of two extremes. On the one hand, immorality is not good, as Paul explained in chapter 6. On the other hand, it is not helpful to completely ban natural desires. In the spiritual experience, we tend towards one of two extremes. Either we indulge the lust of the flesh, or we swing to the opposite extreme of total sexual abstinence. In the Catholic church, we see these two extremes played out. On the one hand, we see the indulgence of clergy in Catholic history, and on the other hand we see the abstinence in the monasteries later in church history. Paul explained that spirituality does not come merely from imitating another believer’s way of life. Believers in the Corinthian church wanted to imitate Paul’s singleness, perhaps in response to the rampant immorality described in chapter 6. But Paul stated that true spirituality lies in learning to live in the Spirit in any circumstances and in always putting God first. Whether we are married or unmarried, circumcised or uncircumcised, slave or free, God does not require us to change our outward experience. Instead, he wants us to honor Him from the heart. Although Paul is single, he does not want the Corinthian believers to automatically imitate him. Instead, he wants everyone to learn to serve God according to God's guidance. Paul’s words were aimed towards specific problems in the Corinthian church. Although God's words transcend time and space, we still must not regard Paul's words as laws and dogmas. Throughout the ages, many Christians took Paul's words as dogma, which caused a lot of harm to the church. For example, when Paul talked about the question of whether slaves should be freed, he was not at all supporting slavery. He was emphasizing that true spirituality does not lie in external imitation or in changing the outward environment, but in finding inner freedom and exalting Christ in all circumstances. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus - Leviticus 16 The man who led our Bible study on Leviticus 16 asked a good question. When the high priest stood before God and used the blood to make atonement, did the Israelites still have sin (verses 14-15)? Clearly, the sprinkling of blood only covered sin temporarily. It didn't take the sin away forever. In the New Testament, our sin was cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus. Why do we still sin then? In the Old Testament, Balaam prophesied that Israel was blameless in his sight (Numbers 23:21). The New Testament also says that the church is holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27). How can we look at the Israelites and ourselves as blameless when we know that the Israelites were full of apostasy and sin, and we in the New Testament church also still sin? How can these two seemingly contradictory truths be explained? This led to a lively discussion. There is a famous Christian song titled: "I'm only a sinner saved by grace." I also mentioned this in a message. A Chinese listener sent a letter telling me that I was wrong. We are no longer sinners; we are saints. I replied to him, saying that this was translated from an English song into Chinese. The English title is: "I was a sinner saved by Grace," so this sentence is correct, but because Chinese has no tenses, naturally, the original meaning cannot be seen. There is nothing wrong with the expression in English. If you search online, there are a large number of articles proving "You Are Not Just a Sinner Saved by Grace." I haven't read each article entirely, but it's clear that we are no longer sinners after we are saved. Peter says we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and his own special people (1 Peter 2:9). But how do we understand Paul's comment about himself being the chief of sinners? Let's look at two aspects of truth. First, I agree that when we are saved, we are no longer sinners but saints. Once we are saved, the Bible says we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. His death on the cross provided freedom from sin for us. We can analyze it from several aspects. 1 John 3:9 (NIV) says, "No one who is born of God will continue to sin." I was saved in the Local Church Movement. We were taught that "born of God" here refers to our spirit. Our spirit is holy and, therefore, cannot sin. But our souls and flesh have not been transformed by the life of God, so we will still sin. Because we are still in the transformation process, our soul or flesh isn't holy, which is why we can still sin. I think this makes a lot of sense. We are composed of 3 parts: body, soul and spirit. As a believer in Christ, God has drawn a boundary that keeps Satan and sin from touching our born again spirits. Even when we sin through our mind, will, or emotions through jealousy, covetousness, etc., our spirit is protected. The same is true when we sin in our flesh, such as stealing, adultery, etc. Nothing can come against our born again spirit, which is sealed by God. When you are born again, you become one spirit with God (1 Corinthians 6:17). An unbeliever committing the same sins does not have that protection, and his spirit can die. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus – Romans 10 Romans 9 talks about the Israelites being temporarily abandoned by God. The Gentiles—who did not pursue righteousness—were instead justified by faith (Romans 9:30). Meanwhile, the Israelites who were pursuing a law that would lead to righteousness failed to reach that law (Romans 9:31). Why? And what warning does this have for Christians today? At the beginning of our meeting, a man asked a question about Romans 10:5-8 where it says, "For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, 'Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down) or 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim)." This man’s question was, "Moses words that Paul is quoting are very difficult to articulate and understand. What exactly is Paul talking about?" First, I shared some of my own Bible reading experiences with this man. When we read a verse in the Bible, we should also pay special attention to the preceding sentence and the following sentence. Usually, the author has his own logic as he writes. The Bible is ancient and translated from other languages, and we sometimes read it with a dull mind and a lack of illumination. We don't often understand the logic behind it. But when you pay attention to the previous and following verses, you will gradually understand what the author is saying. Second, especially when reading the New Testament, pay close attention to the Old Testament verses the author quotes. You need to go back to the Old Testament to see the background and importance of these quoted verses, so you can understand why the author chose these particular verses out of all the verses in the Old Testament. Remember, the New Testament author's train of thought and the verses he quoted from the Old Testament may express the same meaning. Since he can only quote a few sentences and not the entire Old Testament, it is important to pay attention to the background of the Old Testament verses. Third, we should pay special attention to the first sentence of each chapter. Although the Bible was not originally divided into chapters, the translators may have received inspiration from the Holy Spirit as they split the Bible into chapters. I feel these chapter divisions have the intention of the Holy Spirit on them. So, figuring out the first verse can help you understand the main point of the entire chapter. We will apply three principles to answer the question raised by our brother. The first is to pay attention to context. I feel when Paul quoted the words of Moses in verses 5 through 8, it was mainly to illustrate verse 4: where it says, "It turns out that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." To illustrate verse 4, let me give you an example I have used before. When I was young and lighting firecrackers, I always put a piece of paper on the firecrackers because I was afraid to burn myself. I would light the paper, which would light firecrackers' fuse, and then the firecrackers would explode. The law is like that paper, and the people pursuing the law are like lighting the paper, which will eventually bring about an explosion, which in this case would be the coming of Jesus Christ. But if the paper's fire goes out during the burning process, the firecracker will not be ignited. Similarly, the Israelites will be able to find Christ in the process of pursuing the law because the end of the law is Christ. But if they misunderstand the law, they will not be able to find Christ. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus- Romans 11 In chapter 11, Paul focuses on how salvation came to the Gentiles because of the Israelites unbelief. He discussed how God’s salvation would come to the Jews again, and all Israel will be saved when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. A man in our study questioned Romans 11:32, “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” Why did consigning us to disobedience instead become God’s mercy? There are many different beliefs about why the Israelites are consigned to disobedience and what God's plan is for them. There are also many theological controversies about when the full number of Gentiles is and how the Israelites are eventually saved. One of the controversies is whether the Israelites’ unbelief results from them living under a curse. Matthew 27:24-25 records that Pilate refused to be involved in Jesus’ crucifixion because he did not want the man’s blood on him, so he washed his hands and told the Israelites to take care of it. But the people of Israel answered him, "His blood is on us and on our children!" So Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. There has been much controversy over-interpreting the sentence: “His blood is on us and our children.” Some people believe that the tragic fate of the Jews, including the Holocaust during World War II, was brought about by this curse. In the history of Christianity, some believe that since the Jews crucified Jesus, they should be held accountable for their actions. In the second century, this trend of thought appeared among Christians. In the 4th century, the famous "St. John Chrysostom" pushed this discourse to a peak. He said that the Jews murdered Jesus and worshipped the devil. You can find his book "Saint John Chrysostom: Eight Homilies Against the Jews” on the Internet, which carried out severe attacks on the Jews. Under his exacerbation, anti-Semitism in Europe began to take root. Martin Luther, who sparked the Reformation, is also an anti-Semitist. His later work "On the Jews and Their Lies" also expressed serious allegations against the Jews. He encouraged believers to burn down Jewish synagogues and schools, warn people against them, refuse to let Jews own houses among Christians, take away Jewish religious writings, forbidding rabbis from preaching, and offer no protection to Jews on highways. He also wanted to prohibit usury, remove all of the Jew's gold and silver, and set it aside for safekeeping. It was only to be given back to those Jews who truly converted. Young, strong Jews were to be given a flail, ax, spade, and spindle and let them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Dreams of Heaven and the Underworld Preface Is Jesus real? Does God exist? Is the Bible true? Is there really a heaven? Although these are questions people have asked for centuries, they are also relevant questions today because people of every generation continue to ask them. What is the Truth? I once heard a story that illustrates this. When Hudson Taylor, a pastor from England, came to China to preach, he met a Chinese man named Ni Yongfa. After hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ, Ni Yongfa became very happy and accepted it. Ni Yongfa asked Hudson Taylor how long people in England have known about Jesus. Taylor replied, “hundreds of years.” At that moment, the Chinese man became upset with Taylor. Holding him accountable, Yongfa said, "My father sought the truth from Buddhism, Taoism, and other religions all his life, but never found it. Thus, he died in regret. You have known about Jesus Christ for hundreds of years and you have only now come to preach it to us?" It is obvious from this story that only few Chinese people had heard about Jesus Christ at that time. Times are different now. We live in a digital age, an age of information explosion and information overload. Most people around the world can utilize internet search engines like Baidu or Google to find stories about Jesus Christ, God, and the Bible. It is not so much that people have never heard of Jesus Christ, but rather, they do not know whether Christ is a Western myth, religion, or the Truth. The problem nowadays is that people do not know what information is credible and what is false. They are not sure if there really is a God and a heaven. Throughout the ages, however, a lot of people have reported witnessing heavenly scenes like that which was seen by John in the book of Revelation. Many have recorded their prophetic visions, and some are readily available in book format. The world’s disbelief in Christ is no longer a matter of ignorance to the name of Jesus Christ or the concept of God and heaven; rather, people don’t know what is real and what is not, and they are not willing to blindly follow just anything. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Springtime for North Korea by Sean Song Three years ago on June 12, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un historically met in Singapore, and it attracted immense attention from the world. Their summit meeting was the first in history, and Trump became later known for being the first sitting U.S. president to have entered North Korea during his second meeting with Kim. Their meetings gave people hope that the relationship between the US and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) could normalize, and that a solution for denuclearization and peace may be a likely future. Perhaps it could even give way for the Gospel to enter North Korea. Now, three years later, these events seem to be forgotten. People no longer pay attention to North Korea because of COVID and other domestic political matters occurring in the USA. Yet, I have learned that the Lord is always working behind the scenes even when it seems He is not. On the day before Trump and Kim met in Singapore, I was taken by the Lord in a dream to the future embassy of North Korea that stood in the USA. It was a prophetic encounter. I have never shared this publicly until now. I feel it is time to revisit this prophetic dream. I believe it shows God’s heart for the future relationship of these two countries. God plans to do marvelous things with North Korea—things that will bring awe to the world as they see the saving power of Jesus Christ. My impression from the dream was also one that inferred a cleansing and defrosting process to both remove evil and warm the relationship between the DPRK and the U.S. God loves the world and its inhabitants, and if it’s deliverance that is needed to bring North Korea to himself, then let it be. Just as revival will come to China, I believe a massive revival will also come to North Korea with evidence of drastic changes to their country. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus – 1 Corinthians 5 Seeing With Spiritual Eyes We are challenged when reading 1 Corinthians 5 because the Corinthians were arrogant (weak in dealing with the wicked and arrogant towards God) and did not remove the wicked from their midst. Paul’s spirit gathered with them there, and only after Paul judged the wicked in the spirit was the wicked removed. Similarly, today the church is arrogant (weak in dealing with sin and arrogant towards God). The church is accommodating to wicked people and wickedness, so the Spirit of God comes to intervene in order to drive the wicked people and wickedness out. The coronavirus pandemic and the difficulties of this year are all for this purpose. All things work together to drive the wicked people and the wickedness out of the church and other sectors of society so the church can be pure and revival can come. Arrogance and Compromise in the Church In the study of the last chapter, we noted that Paul mentioned three times that the Corinthians were arrogant (1 Corinthians 4:6, 18, 19). They were arrogant towards each other, shown in how they belittled and despised others (4:6); or thought that Paul would not come to the Corinthian church, so they were arrogant (18-19). But Chapter 5 says that the Corinthians were arrogant and did not remove the wicked who were sexually immoral from the church. How are we to understand this arrogance? Let us look at the example of Eli. When God criticized Eli, he said that Eli had more respect for his son than for God, so God had to discipline him severely. From this story, we can see that to respect people more than we respect God is actually a kind of arrogance. Eli didn’t discipline his son severely -- he accommodated his own son in his flesh. The Corinthian church did not drive out the sinners, but also accommodated sin and the flesh in the church, so in the eyes of God and Paul, they were arrogant. Don’t we have similar examples in modern churches? In some churches in the United States, in order to be "User Friendly," they dare not criticize sin. The church has gradually compromised with sin and become like Eli and the Corinthian Church in the eyes of God. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Closeness with God through Prayer Bible Study with Jairus - Numbers 28 Habits of Gratitude and Prayer Have you ever been speeding through a parking lot when your car suddenly jolted, bouncing violently up and down? You hit a speed bump. The purpose of speed bumps is to force us to slow down our vehicle and pay attention to our surroundings. In the same way, God has created rhythms and healthy rituals that help his people slow down and focus on him. That’s the message of Numbers 28. This chapter explains the habit of morning and evening sacrifices, as well as the special offerings during sacred festivals. In the New Testament, believers offer prayers to God instead of sacrifices. Revelation 5:8 says that the elders in heaven were “holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people.” (NIV) In other words, our prayers are the offerings that we present to God each morning and evening. In addition to daily prayers, we may fast once a week or set aside a few days each month to pray. Having special dedicated times to come close to God allows us to offer more to God and maintain an intimate relationship with Him. Believers are not required to observe Israelite festivals, but they may choose to do so if these festivals help them to slow down and focus on the Lord. I believe that the purpose of festivals is to allow us to slow down and focus on God rather than to obey the laws. This is the goal. When we slow down, still our hearts, and draw near to God in silence, our lives are changed. As we offer our prayers to God, we experience the closeness of Jesus Christ our Lord. Numbers 28 gives us details about the Israelites’ offerings (vs 2). The people were to offer regular offerings (verses 3-8), a burnt offering every Sabbath (verses 9-10), a burnt offering at the beginning of each month (verses 11-15), burnt offerings for seven days after the Lord’s Passover (verses 16-25), and a burnt offering at the Feast of Weeks (also known as Festival of Harvest and Pentecost). In Numbers 29, the people were to offer a burnt offering at the Feast of Trumpets (verses 1-6), a burnt offering on the Day of Atonement (verses 7-11), and a burnt offering at the Festival of Booths (verses 12-38). These offerings cover all of Israel's festivals throughout the year. The goal of these offerings is not to cover Israel’s sins, but to offer a pleasing aroma to God. Verse 2 says, “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’” This verse clearly states that the aroma of these food offerings brought God pleasure, just like he was pleased by the aroma of Noah's offerings (Genesis 8:21). In the Old Testament, the pleasing aroma of burnt offerings is always mentioned. But in the New Testament, we no longer offer bulls and lambs. Instead, we rely on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Hebrew 13:15 says, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” This verse clearly states that when we offer our grateful prayers to God through Jesus Christ, they become worthy sacrifices. This kind of praise brings joy to God. Ephesians 5:20 also says, “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Knowing Christ Intimately: The Peace Offering Bible Study with Jairus – Leviticus 3 Have you ever wished you could develop a more intimate relationship with God? Leviticus 3 gives us a tangible example of ever-increasing closeness to God. As worshipers offered their sacrifices--smaller lambs and goats and larger cattle--they depicted the experience of growing closer and closer in our relationship to God. Let’s discover how a deeper understanding of the sacrificial animals can enrich our Christian lives today. The purpose of the peace offering is to allow Man and God to commune and enjoy peace with one another. God enjoys our prayers like a sweet perfume. We enjoy God's presence and gain strength from Him. The Bible tells us that “through Him (Christ) we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:18 ESV). We each attain access to God through Jesus, but each of us experiences a different depth of communion with God. For example, a person who prays briefly for ten minutes a day has a different level of closeness to God than a person who prays daily for two hours. This difference is represented by the different sacrifices brought by the worshipers. People who pray for two hours remind us of worshipers bringing an ox to God, while people who pray for 10 minutes are like worshipers who are only capable of offering a lamb to God. Not only do these different sacrifices (bulls, sheep and goats) represent different depths of communion with God, they also remind us of different levels of enjoyment we have in our relationship with God. The deeper our communion with God, the more joy we will bring to God’s heart. The more we commune with God, the more we will gain strength from God. Just as the worshipers feasted on part of their sacrificial meat, we gain spiritual sustenance and strength from our communion with God. Of course, prayer is just one example of how we grow in our relationship with God. The depth of our communion with God does not solely depend on how long we pray. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus – Romans 9 Referring to the Old Testament, Romans 9:13 says, "As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'” A Christian asked in the meeting, “Why did God hate Esau? Isn’t the word hate too strong in tone? Why did God choose Jacob instead of Esau? How do we understand God's choice? How do we know that we are chosen by God? How do we know which people are not chosen by God?” There seem to be a lot of questions, and these queries are all connected. According to STEPBible.org’s literal interpretation of the word "hate," it is μισέω (miseō), which means "hate." Based on this translation, the literal definition of hate can be understood to be accurate in Romans 9:13. Why did God hate Esau? The common understanding is God hated because Esau chose the flesh. He sold his birthright for a bowl of red bean soup. God hated him; however, God also loved Esau. When the Israelites came from the land of Egypt and passed through the land of Seir, the Lord especially reminded the Israelites not to contend with Esau’s descendants because the Lord gave Mount Seir to Esau as a possession (Deuteronomy 2). Did God not choose Esau? Esau is the eldest son. There is no reason for God not to choose him, but Esau's own choice brought different results. In other words, God choosing us and our willingness to choose him is a dynamic relationship and not rigid or inflexible. This is not to say that only God can choose us, and we are entirely passive in the process. Rather, our subjective and active choice will bring a different result to this dynamic relationship. Once evangelist D. L. Moody was asked by a student, “Since all the people who are saved are people chosen and are predetermined by God before the creation of the world, what will happen if I have mistakenly preached the gospel to people whom God has not chosen?” Moody replied, “If you preach and the person believes, it means that he is one chosen by God before the creation of the world. Before he enters the door of salvation, he will see the words ‘Anyone who is willing can come’ on the door. Once he enters the door and turns around, he will see ‘You are chosen by God before the creation of the world’ is written inside.” This story clearly talks about the dynamic relationship between God and His followers. God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (ESV, 1 Timothy 2:4). This is God's common grace. But God has given us free will, so we have the freedom to choose. God sent the Lamb, His Son Jesus Christ, into the world to take away the sins of the world and bring us back to God. But whether or not a person returns to God is not automatic. It still requires us to make a choice. Although Jesus Christ died for the sins of all, not everyone experiences forgiveness and salvation. You must choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior to receive this kind of salvation. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/romans/

Bible Study with Jairus – Philippians Today’s study will mainly focus on one topic: how to manifest Christ in our lives. What does it mean to manifest Christ? It’s what Paul said in Philippians 1:20-21 (NIV), “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” In other words, manifesting Christ is living and revealing Christ through us in any given situation. When we are saturated by Christ, not only will people see us but like Paul we will manifest Christ to those around us. People didn’t only see Paul at this time, but also Christ Himself. How is this possible? Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV), “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Paul further said in 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV), “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” Paul uses the analogy of a mirror here. To put it in simple terms, I am the mirror. When I follow Paul and do the things he does, I am reflecting Paul. Paul follows Christ and reflects Him and Christ follows God and reflects Him. When people look at me (the mirror) ultimately they should see God reflected in my life. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV), “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” This means that Paul used his unveiled face or mirror to reflect that he has seen the face of the Lord. The face of the Lord is also transparent, a mirror, and a reflection of the glory of God. As Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) says, “Christ is the radiance of God's glory”. So, when I imitate Paul, I look into Paul’s mirror. And then Paul's mirror reflects the mirror of Christ, which reflects the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:6 said, “to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ”. What you clearly saw was my face, but what you actually are seeing is the glory of God through me. This is manifesting Christ, which is, showing the glory of God revealed in our body or in our faces because Christ is in us. No matter what situation we encounter, when others are anxious and worried, we aren’t worried and are able to manifest peace and joy in God. When people see you, they see God and that is a witness to them that God is real. This is our destiny as Christians. Unfortunately many Christians don’t act like or reflect Christ in the world around them. Unbelievers often criticize those who say they are Christians yet act like the world. If you are in the workplace and someone says “I didn’t know you were a Christian,” this speaks loudly that you aren’t reflecting God in your work or relationships. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus - Colossians We are striving to speed read several volumes of the Bible every month. The main consideration is to help some brothers and sisters who aren’t able to read further when they reach Exodus in the Old Testament, and Romans in the New Testament. This will help those new ones to have a rough understanding on the contents of some books in the Bible. We started to speed read the Old Testament, from the first book up to the Book of Ruth. Meanwhile, we have done the opposite in the New Testament. We began to speed read from the Book of Revelation up to Colossians. Although it’s just a passing glance, it might help some of our brothers and sisters who have never read the Bible from cover to cover. This time, the inspiration that I got after speed reading Colossians is how Paul dealt with carnal Christians in the church at Colossae. Originally, we arranged a speed reading of 3 letters: the letters to the Colossians, and First and Second Thessalonians. But because of the rich content of Colossians (one meeting will take up most of the time), we will have one Bible study session on both First and Second Thessalonians later. I had an inspiration after I read Colossians and First and Second Thessalonians. In Colossians, it was dealing more with carnality in the church. While in First and Second Thessalonians, it was dealing more with Christians who are easily deceived in church. As Paul mentioned in Colossians, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (NIV, Colossians, 3:2), and advised Christians in the church at Colossae to forgive each other. In First and Second Thessalonians, it talks a lot about the lessons of the Antichrist which led people to be deceived. What does this mean? Even when people are long time church goers, we find that many Christians may actually possess the knowledge and truths of the Bible, but when something really happens, they still can’t overcome their own flesh. For example, we know that God isn’t happy with the divisions in the church and hopes that all of us can get along with each other, but when something happens, we will still form sects and factions. This is a common situation in churches today. Another situation we find in today’s church is people who don’t have much biblical knowledge and haven’t meditated on the truths of the Bible. They may not have strong fleshly desires but they are easily led astray by wrong teachings leading to greater losses. Both of these situations are ubiquitous in the church. Today, let's talk about Colossians. First of all, we have to clarify that there are fleshly or other problems in the church at Colossae but it isn’t entirely a bad thing. For example, in the church at Corinth, there were also a lot of problems that existed. Thus, Paul wrote two letters to them, revealing many truths about Christ.

Source: https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-mm4w9-1018ca6 Convergence of Two Rivers A Revival Out of Maryland In 2002, I was saved through the Local Church Movement (LCM) associated with Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. The LCM is a Christian movement that originated from China and spread to the world. Both the Plymouth Brethren (PB) and C. I. Scofield’s teachings were strong influences on the formation of the LCM’s doctrine and practice. Although some of the LCM’s practices and teachings are still controversial for Christians today, I learned a lot from them—principally, how to develop and maintain a holy lifestyle and a habit of reading the Word of God. By 2013, I had been part of the LCM for 11 years and married to my wife for 7 years. Sadly, we could not have a baby because of a medical complication concerning my wife. We sought medical help from places all over the world. One day in the summer of 2013, my wife, I and another Chinese believer went to New York to speak with a Chinese herbalist. By that time, my wife had already been preparing for her residence and she received an offer from a university’s medical center in Pennsylvania. On the way to the appointment, we were discussing the possibility of moving from Maryland where we lived to Pennsylvania. Suddenly, I had a vision! I saw a tornado or a whirlwind of sorts. It started out small, but it grew bigger and bigger. I felt the Lord tell me in the Spirit, “Do not leave Maryland. There will be a great revival coming from Maryland, and it will spread all over the world.” Initially I was a bit shocked because this was the first vision I ever received from the Lord. Since the LCM was an evangelical church who did not teach about these things, I was never taught to be prepared to receive any visions. However, my wife and I felt to follow the leading in our spirits from this vision, and we, therefore, gave up the opportunity in Pennsylvania and stayed in Maryland. I felt God was giving a promise that revival would come like a tornado and spread all over. Convergence: Two Lines Crossing Through the Sky In late 2014, I realized we could not solve our infertility problem via medical solutions. Doctors told us that we would not be able to have a baby naturally and we failed to conceive after 4-5 IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) treatments. The Lord even blocked the way for us to use an egg donor. I realized this when our one egg donor suddenly changed her mind last minute. These events pushed me to seek help outside of my evangelical church since they were not able to minister divine healing or prophetic words to us. This is when I started watching teachings on divine healing and the prophetic gifts on Youtube through other charismatic pastors and teachers. In 2015, I also began to travel within the US to join healing revivals and prophetic conferences. One of my trips landed me at All Nations Church in South Carolina. There I received prayers by Mahesh Chavda and his staff. While there, a prophetic member of Chavda’s staff told us he saw two lines crossing several times through the sky and the Lord said “convergence.” He shared with me that he felt it was a divine appointment for me to come to their meeting to receive prayer, and that this was a crossroad moment in my life. He was right on point. What he didn’t know was that I was secretly seeking help from Pentecostal and Charismatic churches while still part of the LCM denomination. Eventually I left the denomination completely and although the process of leaving was very painful for me, I knew it was necessary. I felt like a baby being weaned from its mother. However, I was comforted by the Lord as he continued to speak with me. Not too long after, I had a vision of the Yangtze River in China. The Lord showed me a tributary in both an upper and lower stream. He told me that I was unified with the body of Christ as long as I followed the leading of His Spirit. He reassured me that it was Him who brought me to the upper stream, and now He was leading me to a different stream. The people in the upper stream where I began would join me later, but I would never return to the Tibetan Plateau where I started even though my tributary began there. He encouraged me to follow the flow. I did and haven’t stopped. The Lord said these two rivers will converge… https://jbwm.org/bible-study-with-jairus-convergence-is-coming-to-the-body-of-christ/

God Moves Towards Us Bible Study With Jairus – Leviticus 1 God’s Care for Young Believers. When we read Leviticus, we are often discouraged by its complexity and the excessive details of the sacrificial system. However, if we look at this from another angle, every minute detail is necessary to truly depict the gentleness of God’s character and the depth of his love. When we want to get to know a historical figure, we read his biography. If we only read a few hundred words of the introduction, we will have a limited understanding of this person. However, if we read a detailed biography which contains millions of details about the person's experiences, we will know a lot more about this individual. The same is true for Leviticus. The details of these offerings form a biography and image of God himself. As we read Leviticus chapter 1, we pay special attention to details. For instance, why do sacrificial cattle and sheep have to be male, but sacrificial birds do not specify a gender? Why do all parts of a bird except its crop and feathers need to be burned? Why are they put in the ashes of cattle and sheep? Why did the priests pull the bird’s head off and burn it at the altar until the bird’s blood flowed at the side of the altar? Why do priests have to sacrifice birds, whereas Israelite citizens perform these actions themselves on the cattle and sheep? It is difficult for people to differentiate the sex of the pigeons or turtledoves. Even professional breeders have a hard time differentiating their genders. In addition, those who offer birds as sacrifices are poor people. They symbolize people who do not have enough strength and are poor spiritually. God takes special care of them, giving them a low bar to meet. He does not request special details such as gender specifications. If a poor person finally managed to afford a turtledove, but then found out it was a female one and the sacrifice required a male one, it would naturally cause him a lot of trouble. In addition, God does not require the person to do the slaughtering; the priests help them out. It reminds me of how we treat newcomers in the church. When we invite them to join our services, we do not request them to bring food to a potluck. Instead, we go the extra mile to help them. We may even give them a ride to and from church. We are just grateful they can attend. Their presence in the service is already a sacrifice for them, and we don’t require additional sacrifices. This is a beautiful picture of God’s love, full of gentleness and warmth. When we are young spiritually, we are not yet capable of the discernment necessary to offer sacrifice. We need the help of others. However we should not stagnate here. We can start by offering pigeons and turtledoves, but we need to continually grow spiritually so that we become capable of offering cattle and sheep as well. At first, it’s ok to rely on others (such as a pastor or priest), but as we grow, we will be able to offer more advanced sacrifices all by ourselves. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Dissension in the Body of Christ. Bible Study with Jairus - 1 Corinthians 4 Rivalry in the Church. In 1 Corinthians 4:6, Paul urged the Corinthians not to idolize him or his coworker, Apollos. Paul said, "I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another." As I read this passage, the Holy Spirit highlighted the words puffed up. Why did Paul say that the Corinthians who picked sides, favoring Paul or Apollos, were puffed up? In politics, we often see one politician exalt another for his own personal gain. Those who exalt others usually have ulterior motives. Their purpose is to use the people they exalt to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, such scenarios also exist in the church. People who exalt others in the church often use the people they exalt to increase their own influence. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:11-12, "For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’” Paul pointed out that there was rivalry between the Corinthian believers. These rivalries stem from the flesh. Paul clearly states in Galatians 5:20 that rivalry is an act of the flesh. What is the purpose of a rivalry? The purpose of a rivalry is to pursue leadership, authority and influence. The people who were rivals in the Corinthian church were not really trying to exalt Paul and Apollos, but to gain their own influence. Paul and Apollos were just tools in their hands. READ MORE:

Bible Study With Jairus – Leviticus 2- Grain Offerings, Leaven, and Legalism Leviticus 2:11-12 says: “No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord. As an offering of first fruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma.” Today’s question is, what are the “them” in verse 12? In the part about the grain offerings mentioned earlier, some parts were burned before the Lord. However, it is clearly stated here that no grain offering offered to the Lord is to be made with leaven or honey. They are not to be burned as offerings made by fire. Therefore, to understand this, we naturally assume that God is not pleased with anything related to honey and leaven. The law also stipulates that the Israelites should eat unleavened bread, so it deepens our impression that anything mixed with leaven and honey cannot be offered to the Lord. We recently discussed this in our Bible study group. At first, we did not understand what “them” was referring to. Eventually we realized that it might be “things mixed with leaven and honey” or just “leaven and honey.” Once we figured it out, it seemed more logical, but our minds were hindered by thinking that the Lord does not like honey and leaven in grain offerings. We assumed that God completely dislikes and does not accept honey and leaven. We thought that the “them” in verse 12 was obviously not an offering mixed with leaven and honey. The word of God here, says that an offering mixed with honey or leaven can be offered as a first fruit offering, but not as a grain offering. Some of the grain offerings are to be burned, and things with honey or leaven cannot be burned. But God does not say that they are not accepted at all; He clearly says that they can be offered as first fruits offerings. Leaven is obviously not good since the Israelites were asked to eat unleavened bread. Although it says here that honey may not be offered as a grain offering, the Bible does not say that honey is completely unacceptable. For example, John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey. Isaiah 7:15 prophesied about Jesus Christ the Lord, “he shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.” Israel is also known as “the land of milk and honey.” READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

God’s Perfect Plan Bible Study with Jairus – Acts 9 Peter and Paul In Acts 9, we see an abrupt transition from the transformation of Saul/Paul (vs. 1-30) to the story of Peter’s ministry (vs. 31-32). Why this abrupt transition? Why does the storyline seem incoherent and inconsistent? To answer this question, let’s look back briefly at chapters 7 and 8. Chapter 7 tells the story of Saul guarding the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen to death, and Chapter 8 talks about Philip evangelizing. Chapter 9 tells the story of Saul’s conversion. These chapters introduce Saul (Paul), preparing readers to recognize him as the leading apostle and one of the main characters in the book of Acts. Before Paul’s appearance, Peter is the leading force of the first-generation apostles, along with the twelve disciples he represents. At the beginning of the book of Acts, Jesus tells the disciples to wait at Jerusalem to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter preached a powerful message through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, bringing salvation to 3000 people. The twelve disciples worked together to preach God’s word and bring others to Christ. Later, some widows complained about being ignored in the daily distribution of food. Stephen is introduced as one of the deacons who helped serve meals daily. Writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Luke chose to include the story of Stephen so that he could introduce Saul. After Saul is introduced briefly, we continue to follow Peter’s story. Peter remains the main figure for a few more chapters. The transition between Peter’s storyline and Paul’s storyline has not yet completely occurred. Slowly, the focus will be shifted from Peter to Paul. In Acts 13:2, when the prophets and teachers were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work that the Lord called them to. Paul was officially named an apostle, and from then on, he became the main character in the book of Acts. Paul wrote 14 New Testament letters, over half of the New Testament (27 books in total). Paul was clearly the main figure in the New Testament. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study With Jairus - Leviticus 8- Aaron’s Anointing and The Modern Day Mercy Seat For today’s study, we’re going to look at several questions from a woman who wondered how we are to understand the meaning behind the story of Moses putting the anointing oil on the high priest. To her, it seemed that since the content of this chapter had already been mentioned in the Book of Exodus, why was it being repeated here? Was the anointing oil solely poured on Aaron the high priest? Or was it also poured on his sons? What are the reasons for putting blood on the lobes of Aaron’s and his sons’ right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet after anointing the high priest? We don’t find any verses specifically talking about anointing Aaron’s sons in this chapter. This chapter clearly states that the anointing oil was poured on Aaron. However, it also says that blood was put on the lobes of Aaron’s and his sons’ right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. We think that this is about a transfer of responsibility. This was the very first moment when the Lord gave the Ten Commandments to Moses and met him in glory at the mercy seat where blood was poured (Numbers 7:89). In this chapter, it was Moses who anointed Aaron, and sprinkled blood on the lobes of Aaron’s and his sons’ right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. This was in preparation for them to meet God since meeting with God was based on the atonement of blood. The Offerings and the Mercy Seat As we have already mentioned, the place where God and Moses met was at the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony. The high priest sprinkled blood on the seat once a year. When Moses entered the Holy of Holies where the ark was, God only saw the blood poured by the high priest-- not Moses’ sin. Thus, the problem of sin was solved. God could talk with Moses in glory, as is clearly stated in the Bible. This is the actual implication of peace offerings. Men take a step forward through sin offerings (and guilt offerings). God takes a step from the Holy Place through Christ’s burnt offerings (and grain offerings). As such, God and men meet in the midst of the path where the peace offering is. Jesus is the guarantor between God and men. We must follow Jesus in order to come to God. The righteousness of God allows us to meet God in the salvation of Christ. Why do I say that? Men cannot meet God in glory because men commit sin. Sin is an obstacle between God and men. If God did not love us, that would be fine. But God does love us! So, this is not only a difficult question for us, but for God. Because God loves us, He wants to see us. However, God could not see us in the Holy of Holies. That’s why Christ completed these offerings to overcome this difficulty. When we receive the sin offerings and the guilt offerings that Christ did for us, our sins and guilt are hidden by Christ. As such, we can come to a real peace offering. We have peace with God in Jesus Christ our Lord. God only sees the blood of Christ, but not our sins. That’s our perspective. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

The Mercy and Justice of God Numbers 27 As we consider Numbers 27 today, it may seem puzzling that the story of Zelophehad’s daughters is juxtaposed with the story of Moses not getting to enter the promised land. Why are these stories put together in the Bible? Moses’ Lack of Gentleness Perhaps when dealing with Zelophehad’s daughters, Moses made the same mistake he may have made when striking the rock for the second time: he did not honor the Lord God as holy. What does it truly mean to honor God? It means correctly representing God’s kindness and compassion in front of the second generation of Israelites. Although the Bible does not say that Moses was impatient with Zelophehad’s daughter, like he was when he struck the rock, we can surmise that he may have ignored the daughters of Zelophehad. Both stories reveal the compassion of God. Why do I say that? Let’s look at the second section of this chapter. The Bible says that this decision took place “standing at the door of the tabernacle, in front of Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders and the whole congregation.” This is a very meaningful verse. Let me illustrate with a modern example. In the 2020 US election, the right-wing population in some states believed that the election was unfair. They began to bring charges in the district courts. State courts did not accept the cases, and the cases were brought before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court didn’t take the case, either. Under normal circumstances, all complaints are brought first to the district courts, then gradually move up to the Supreme Court. If Moses truly cared about Zelophehad’s needs, he should have been able to handle this matter before the daughters appealed to the Supreme Court. When Moses first heard that Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh did not get any land, he should have asked God how to deal with it at that time, but he did not. When he finally asked God what to do about it, God immediately raised the matter of Moses' disobedience to God after he clarified how to deal with the matter. Was this happening by chance? Moses also lacked compassion for the second generation of Israelis and said something impatient as he struck the rock. Perhaps his way of handling Zelophehad’s daughters’ needs was not gentle enough, either. Although the leadership responsibility of Moses was transferred to Joshua here, the actual authority was not immediately transferred to Joshua. Moses was still the leader who guided the people’s itinerary. Numbers 27-36 speak of Moses leading the Israelites. The death of Moses is not recorded until Deuteronomy 34, at least 44 chapters later. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Prophetic Dreams About Donald Trump Many Christians who yearn for the return of the United States to its Christian foundations support Donald Trump as a president because they see that Trump acknowledges God and supports and agrees with certain Christian values and principles. However, disheartenment and disappointment swept across believers’ hearts when election results surfaced. I was also very surprised. Yet, some prophets hold to their conviction that God will supernaturally intervene in American politics to bring President Trump back into the White House. I have been following these prophets closely and I believe their words are from the Lord. One such prophet even mentioned that God is confirming these words by giving other believers across the world dreams and visions. I believe I am one of these people whom God is speaking to through dreams about Trump, and that is why I am still standing with the prophets who hold to this view. Read More: https://jbwm.org/

God’s Purification System Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 19 After God’s discipline on Korah and others (Numbers 16), His warning to the Israelites through the budding of Aaron’s rod (Numbers 17), and His command to Aaron and his sons to bear the iniquity involving their priesthood (Numbers 18), we can see that the content of Numbers 19 explains how to use water to cleanse the impurity of the Israelites. The Symbolic Significance of Cleansing Rituals The design and objects of the tabernacle in the Old Testament are very good pictures of our New Testament spiritual experience. For example, we know that the Israelites used the bronze altar to offer sacrifices for their sins. There, in front of the tabernacle, they were forgiven by God. In the New Testament, this represents that Christ is our sin offering to reconcile us with God. Another item in front of the tabernacle was the laver. This is where the priest washed himself so that he could enter and serve in the sanctuary. In the New Testament, this represents our experience of "washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit" (ESV, Titus 3:5) and "washing of water with the word" (ESV, Ephesians 5:26). The symbols in the Old Testament and the reality in the New Testament tell us that after we experience salvation, we must undergo further renewal and changes before we can be priests and serve God. We must reconcile with God, experience redemption, and cleanse ourselves in order to serve Him. Numbers 19 makes this point clear. God’s purpose in leading the Israelites out of Egypt and allowing them to experience trials in the wilderness was not only to save them and free them from Pharaoh's yoke, but also to make them holy. He wanted them to become His royal priests. The Book of Numbers describes how God trained the Israelites in the wilderness. They constantly had to free themselves from the residual impact of Egypt. As they were changed by God’s holy nature, he fashioned them into a holy kingdom of priests. If we understand this background, it will help us better understand the picture in Numbers 19. The Lord told Moses and Aaron to prepare a red heifer without defect, on which a yoke has never come (ESV, Numbers 19:2). Speaking of red heifers, I remembered a story shared by a Christian brother. He read an article saying that the Israelites successfully bred red heifers and offered them according to the requirements of the Bible. The article said that this red heifer has been lost for many years, but has recently been bred successfully. I did not check the authenticity of this story, and this is not the focus here. Read More: