Wedding Song - God Knew That I Needed You

Thursday, June 30, 2022

GALATIANS ~ Chapter 2/Thursday Bible Study

Galatians 2 is the second chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Christian Believers in Galatia. The Epistle was most likely written between 49 and 58 *CE.

Galatia was a region in north-central Anatolia (modern day Turkey) settled by the Celtic **Gauls, 278-277 BCE. Galatian is an extinct language once spoken by the Galatians in Galatia, in central Anatolia (Asian part of modern Turkey), from the 3rd Century BC to at least the 4th Century AD.

Location of Biblical Galatia - modern day Turkey.

In this chapter of Galatians, Paul twice emphasizes that salvation comes through faith in ***Yeshua Ha’Mashiach only – and that no one will be justified, or declared saved – by works of any kind.

Also, in this chapter we will read that the meeting account of Paul, Barnabas, and Christian Leadership in Jerusalem resulted in one of the most momentous events in the early foundation of Christianity; which started with the dispute between the Apostles Paul and Peter.

The Council of Jerusalem was the Name given to the Meeting of leadership delegates from the Church of Antioch – led by Paul and Barnabas, and the Apostles and Elders of the Church of Jerusalem, led primarily by James the Just (actual earth brother of Yeshua) … to discuss doctrinal problems arising from differing leadership viewpoints concerning the influx of Gentile converts.

The Council met around 50 AD; and declared with the support of James towards Paul, that Gentile Christians – grafted into Messianic Faith in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah – do not have to observe The Mosaic Law concerning circumcision and diet, relating primarily to Jews.

It may seem a small thing … but in many Christian circles today where undiscerning leadership mixes the Old Covenant with the New Covenant … it is still very much a big thing. And it is just as out of place today, as it was in Paul’s Day.

With this in mind, let us begin today’s Study ๐Ÿ˜Š 

**********

GALATIANS ~ Chapter 2

Paul’s Authority Confirmed by the Council at Jerusalem

Paul said, “Then, after 14 years, I went again to Jerusalem, together with ****Barnabas, and I also took *****Titus with me. What made me go this time was a revelation that I had had. I laid before them the Gospel as I preached it to the Gentiles, after having first presented it privately to their leaders, for fear that what I was doing, or had done, was misspent energy. But they did not even compel my companion Titus, who was a Greek, to be circumcised. This question came up because some false brethren who had been smuggled into the meeting secretly, and who had slipped in to spy on the freedom that we have in #Christ Jesus (Yeshua Ha’Mashiach), so as to bring us into bondage again. But we did not yield to them even for a moment, in order that the Truth of the ##Gospel might remain yours.

Then, with respect to those who were considered the leaders at the Council – it really makes no difference to me what rank they held, and even ###Elohim is not accepting a man because of his office – they did not contribute anything new to me. Rather, they recognized that I had been commissioned to bring the Gospel to the uncircumcised, even as Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, had also worked through me in behalf of the Gentile. And then, because James, ####Cephas and #####John, all reputed pillars of the Church, now all recognized the grace that was given to me, they gave to Barnabas and to me the right hand of fellowship, with understanding that we should go to the Gentiles – and they to the Jews. They made only one request of me: that we should remember their poor, and that very thing I have diligently tried to do. (vv. 1 – 10)

Maintained in Dispute with Peter

Christian confrontation in right Spirit.

Later, when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he was in the wrong. For before the arrival of some persons who were with James, Peter used to take his meals with the Gentiles (accepting whatever was placed before him to eat); but when they came, he withdrew from the Gentile tables and kept aloof, for fear of judgment of those circumcised. And the rest of the Jews (immature Messianic Believers among the Gentile Believers) joined him in this pretense – and even Barnabas was carried away by this insincerity (hypocrisy). When I saw that their actions were contradictory to the teaching of the Gospel, I spoke to Peter before them all. I said, “If you, a Jew, live like the Gentiles, why do you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (vv. 11 – 14)

Justification by Faith Defended

We are Jews by birth; we are not sinful Gentiles. Yet, because we know that a man is not justified by obeying the Law – but by Faith in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, therefore have we believed in Christ, in order that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of The Law. Observance of The Law will not bring justification to any human being.

So, if we seek justification through Christ, we find that we ourselves are sinful … but does that mean that Christ becomes a servant to sin? Absolutely not! I prove that I am a sinner when I try to build up again things that I had pulled down. And, through The Law, I become dead to The Law, so that I may now be living for Elohim.

And, I (the old me = old man/flesh) have been put to death with Christ on the cross – and yet I am alive; although really it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me. The life which I now live in human state is by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me – and gave Himself for me, that I might be saved. I refuse to ignore the grace of Elohim, and therefore say: If justification is through The Law, then Christ died needlessly.” (vv. 15 – 21)


*CE = ‘Common Era’; which is the secular equivalent to AD (anno domini), which in Latin means ‘in the year of our Lord”.

**Gauls: (Latin, Galli; Ancient Greek, ฮ“ฮฑฮปฮฌฯ„ฮฑฮน, Galatai) were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age, & Roman period – roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD. Their original homeland was known as Gaul, and they spoke a continental Celtic language known as ‘Gaulish’.

Ancient Gaul; modern day layout of what used to be Gaul region.

***Yeshua Ha’Mashiach = Jesus (Greek), the Messiah (Hebrew): “Mashiach” is simply the Hebrew word for “Messiah”, which means, the ‘Anointed One’. “Yeshua Ha’Mashiach” written out in Hebrew looks like this: ื™ืฉื•ืข ื”ืžืฉื™ื—.

****Barnabas: Friend and companion of Paul. Barnabas – whose Hebrew name was Joseph, and was a Levite whose home was in Cyprus. Highly respected by Christian leaders, Barnabas was instrumental in bringing the newly converted Saul (aka Paul) from tarsus to Antioch; and influential in having Paul received by the apostles in Jerusalem. Later, the two were commissioned by the Church at Antioch to conduct a missionary tour. After returning and reporting to Antioch and Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul began a second trip, but separated after arguing whether or not to take along Mark (Barnabas’s nephew), who had deserted them on their first journey. The friendship, however, continued. Paul speaks warmly of Barnabas in his letters. Acts 4, 9, 11 thru 15; 1 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2, & Colossians 4:10

*****Titus: A Greek who was converted to Christianity by Paul. Titus became one of Paul’s most trusted and able assistants. Although Paul earlier had insisted that Timothy be circumcised, he refused to allow Titus to be circumcised in order to demonstrate once and for all to the Judaistic party (then undermining Paul’s ministry) that it is by Faith in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach alone that saves. Paul presented Titus as living proof of this declaration, at the Jerusalem Council. Titus continued to serve as Paul’s preaching companion (mate, friend, buddy, confidant) and troubleshooter (mediator, consultant, problem solver). Titus was particularly useful in straightening out problems in the churches of Corinth after Timothy had failed, at Ephesus – and later, at Crete. The last mention of him in the New Covenant (New Testament) is in 2 Timothy 4:10, where Paul states that he planned to send him to Dalmatia. The early church leadership linked Titus closely to Crete, where he was to have served as Bishop (one who determines/appoints Christians to leadership position), and died. 2 Corinthians 2:13, 7:6 & 13-14; 8:6, 16, & 23; 12:18; Galatians 2:1 & 3; 2 Timothy 4:10; and Titus 1:4

#Christ (from the Hebrew word, Ha’Mashiach ื™ืฉื•ืข ื”ืžืฉื™ื— & the Greek word, Christos/khris-tos) = The Anointed, Yeshua the Messiah, in both languages.

##Gospel: the word is derived from the Anglo-Saxon term, god-spell, meaning “good story”; Biblically speaking, gospel is a rendering of the Latin evangelium and the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news” or “good telling”.

###Elohim (Hebrew: ืֱืœֹื”ִื™ื, romanized: สพฤšlลhฤซm: [(eloหˆ(h)im]) is a Hebrew word meaning "Gods – Father, Son, & Holy Spirit". Although the word is plural in form, in the Hebrew Bible it usually refers to a single deity “Behold, the Lord – the Lord is One”, particularly the at God of Israel.

####Cephas = Simon, son of Jona (aka Peter): The Galilee fisherman who with his brother Andrew, became a follower and believer of Yeshua’s 12 Disciples. Yeshua Himself gave the Name “Peter”, which Yeshua declared in Aramaic, to mean “Rock”. Both Andrew and Peter were originally from Bethsaida, and were living in Capernaum when called by Yeshua to join Him. Peter, and enthusiastic, positive man, quickly became one of Yeshua’s closest associates. Peter immediately and accurately answered Yeshua’s query, ‘Who do you think I am?’ with the ringing affirmation at Caesarea-Philippi, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Yeshua’s comment to Peter’s quick, astute reply, was to commend his unshakable faith in Him: ‘You are now Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church (aka: foundation for my Bride).” Peter’s human qualities are well-known, and pointed out by Christians as foundational endearments: he protectively tried to talk Yeshua out of going to Jerusalem to die – and received Yeshua’s curt scolding; he swaggeringly (strutting bluster) promised Yeshua at the Last Supper, that he would never leave nor forsake Him – and then promptly fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, instead of covering Yeshua’s back in constant prayer during that prayer time; in the high priest’s courtyard, he loudly denied knowing Yeshua during Yeshua’s interrogation inside. Peter, the fickle loudmouth was, however, transformed (strengthened and rock steady) by Yeshua’s resurrection – and he took charge of the frazzled (stressed) group of Believers, and boldly preached the news of the Resurrection on the streets of Jerusalem. Peter was one of the most prominent of the Early Church leadership. Peter had been born and bred an orthodox Jew, which led to conflict in his own reasoning, as well as Christian outlook: this conflict was resolved when Paul took him to task in Galatia. Peter was married, and took his wife with him on missionary travels. Some church histories relate Peter as the first Bishop to Antioch – others, to Rome; he had a close relationship with the Roman congregation, and most certainly lived there for some time in his later years. For a time, Mark was his companion and secretary. Peter authored several correspondences of the New Covenant. Peter’s martyrdom during Nero’s persecutions, is widely accepted in all Church Histories; archeological work done under St. Peter’s Church building conforms that his body was buried at that place. Peter is spoken of in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts. Galatians, 1 & 2 Peter

 

**Galatians 1: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/06/galatians-chapter-1thursday-bible-study.html

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

COLORFUL THONGS & POTATO-BEEF CASSEROLE Recipe

Grabbed your attention, right?

The thongs I am referring to, are rubber flip-flops ๐Ÿ˜‰

And I am working a crocheted post cover around them so they don’t rub my toes the wrong way ๐Ÿ˜Š

Of necessity, I designed and crafted my first crochet toe guards on July 4th, 2018 – a few weeks before my world would be irrevocably shaken and forever changed.

Rubber Thongs w-MOD Easy-Peasy Crochet Toe Post Cover: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2018/07/rubber-thongs-w-mod-easy-peasy-crochet.html

Today, I am repeating that process with new thongs in a New Life. It’s warming up, and my feet like to be free to enjoy the caressing sunray warmth and frisky river breezes ๐Ÿ˜‰

Assorted thongs, size #10 cotton thread, & crochet hook.
Very small hook ...
Carefully pull toe post out of thong sole.
Make a series of sc rows up the toe post ...
7 ch st to anchor front sc covering to toe post; make 1 sc in front st, turn and repeat 7 ch st + sc into back of toe post covering.
Toe Post Cover finished.
Weave in loose ends securely. Cut LO ends.
Carefully push toe post button back onto place.
Done ... repeat with matching thong.
Ready to wear without fear of sweat blister.

I also like quick and easy meals when the weather turns the kitchen into an oppressive space rather than an enjoyable place to be while pulling Supper together; so, I prepared this easy-peasy meat and potato casserole early in the morning – refrigerated it – and baked it while finishing up the last pair of thong footwear.

I baked a slice of foil-wrapped-garlic toast alongside the casserole, during the last 5 minutes of baking time ๐Ÿ˜Š

==Potato - Beef Casserole  ~serves 6

1 small Onion, chopped * 1-lb. ground Beef * 1 tsp. Salt * ¼ tsp. ground Black Pepper * 1 can (14½ oz.) Green Beans, drained * 1 can (10½ oz.) Tomato Soup * 2 cups mashed Potatoes

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Break hamburger up and cook with onion until meat is browned. Add seasonings, green beans, and soup. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish, and spoon mashed potatoes over mixture.

Cheat-style potatoes ๐Ÿ˜‰

Bake 30 mins if cooking immediately – bake 45 mins if refrigerated ahead of time.

Oven ready.

Monday, June 27, 2022

SUNBURN

MPO is that sunburn isn’t a do or die situation – at least it has not been for me … or for Bob when he walked Earth as my man. And we both burned when outdoors in the sunshine all day long. I freckled; Bob did not. I got lobster red: Bob turned a beautiful, rich, chestnut brown.

Sunlight is important for whole-body-wellness. Sunlight boosts a chemical in your brain that gives you more energy, a positive attitude, and keeps your calm and focused. Aside form kicking the serotonin into high gear, sunlight also generates vitamin D, which is vital for bone health, lower blood pressure (aim to get at least 10 to 30 minutes of midday sunlight – several times a week), disease prevention, and balanced mental health. When exposed to high doses of sunlight, our skin turns cholesterol into Vitamin D; regular sunlight exposure is the most natural and best way to get enough Vitamin D to keep our bodies functioning properly. From March to September is the best time to help your body make Vitamin D from direct sunlight, outdoors. Optimal Vitamin D synthesis at minimal risk of CMM (skin cancer), falls between 10 AM to 1’noon.

I determined to get a light sunburn this afternoon. Why? Because yesterday, after watering the garden area, I came inside and started a New Read …

New Read; the book is humorous ... and takes place in the PNW; places I can easily visualize as I read along.

… and fell asleep at some point in Bob’s recliner – when I woke up (not sure how long I was cutting z’s), my right side was a little pink where the sunlight shone on it through the windows. I didn’t want to look sun-kissed on the right side, and buttermilky on the left side … so, I determined to even things up this afternoon ๐Ÿ˜‰

Temp was in the 70’s when I prepared to leave the house this morning; these shorts get to stay in my clothes cache ๐Ÿ˜‰
Didn't bother getting gussied up - the plan is to go hiking.
Buttermilk color - definitely NOT {white}.

And I knew just where to go: Riverside Park in Lexington ๐Ÿ˜Š

Along the route from my carport to the Park parking slot, the radio taking heads gave me good news ๐Ÿ˜‰

First thing I noticed was that the soccer field is now surrounded by a fence.
Fenced and newly seeded with grass seed; getting a good watering as I drove by.
Fishermen are staking out their claim to beachfront; all the comforts of home ...
Another Supreme Court WIN! Christian coaches and players have just as much right to 'kneel;' as the islamic blm players.
USA Supreme Court Rules on Field Prayers:
Shameless pelosi met her match in a little girl who refused to be shoved aside. GO GIRL!
hag pelosi tries to shove little girl out of picture moment:
No child in sight - it was still in the same place half and hour later, on my backtrack to the parked Highlander ...
Last year's pool is gone, but there is more yard decor added ...
Westside Highway & Cowlitz River.
Sunburn on my shoulders is making an appearance ... and it looks like the left side of my face is matching the right in sunburn hue ;-)
A quick sunburn was 'in the day's Plan', from the get-go.
A surprise atop the fencepost I stopped by to retie my ponytail scrunchie ...
A cute sunburned painted rock. Signed by the artist. LOL
Lexington Bridge & freight train.
Freight train & I-5 Freeway.

Pretty, big, yellow butterflies were everywhere – down on the river beach, fluttering along the dike trail; they were darting everyplace! They were so fast, I couldn’t get a picture of them – not even a video shot

Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (Internet pic). They are the size of a Monarch Butterfly; about 3- to5-inches. Big for a butterfly.

I admit my skin hurt (back, back of legs) when I slid into the Highlander driver’s seat … but, everything settled down eventually ๐Ÿ˜‰

I regret nothing.

I had planned on watering my gardens (flower and veggie beds) around 6 PM; and needed more plastic forks to ward of free-roaming cats: so I drove to the Dollar Store to get some, cheap.

Along the route, I topped off the gas tank. It was not cheap.

THIS alone will carry the Day when Elections roll around again ... The People are fed up.

Paying for the plastic forks, I found that they too, were not cheap – ended up paying $2.50 extra, plus 8-cents for the bag. I was not happy about the bag fee. I was not happy about the false store price advertising.

The $-Store no longer the $-Store.
Obamanite mathenomics ... will be another voting issue come Election Day 2024.

I got a phone call inviting me to Supper in the country – I went after the dollar store purchase.

Switched hiking shoes for these before driving to Supper in the country; they remind me of my King Bee's "up" attitude: Bob was always positive.

And, the radio talking heads kept giving me good news reports; the good news reports are welcome after all the negativity the obama-biden-harris cartel have been flogging The People with ๐Ÿ˜Š

Second WIN of the day - the Supreme Court has struck down n.y.'s illegal alien vote {law}; YES!
Supreme Court strikes down n.y. attempt to gather illegals votes:
American Rights are FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS. End of debate ... CIVICS #101

Thank the Lord for Reality Emergency Brakes in black robes!

Now, I’m going to make crochet post covers for my new flip-flop-thongs (pulling up an old Blog Post of mine); so they don’t bite the tender skin between my toes, while I cool my heels in this hot weather ๐Ÿ˜‰

Varied hues to match the colors in my closet ๐Ÿ˜Š

Rubber Thongs w-MOD Easy-Peasy Crochet Toe Post Cover: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2018/07/rubber-thongs-w-mod-easy-peasy-crochet.html

And I’m going to finish my new read before dawn ๐Ÿ˜Š