Prayer – Lord, I’m digging deep into Your word and searching for Bible truths that I can apply to my life…and seeking to understand prophecy in both the Old and New Testaments. Please give me insight—to understand and share. If I don’t understand it, how can I explain it to others?
"Be watchful, and strengthen the things which
remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before
God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.
Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will
not know what hour I will come upon you. ... "I know your works, that you
are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because
you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
... "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and
repent.” Revelation 3:2-3, 15-16, 19 NKJV
Meditate. Keep your
eyes and ears open.
 |
| Mezuzah - hiding God's word. Search the scriptures for yourself. Be prepared. |
Although this letter was written primarily for the
Jews—specifically the 144 thousand—we can apply these principles to our lives. Be
watchful. There may be some people studying the end times who are predicting a
rapture this year during the Feast of Tabernacles. Revelation and Thessalonians
use the “like a thief in the night” phrase, but what does that mean to you?
Thieves break into homes and businesses unannounced…and often in the nighttime.
Lately, thieves plunder stores right in broad daylight, knowing that they won’t
get prosecuted, and then the stores are going broke, closing, and our economy
is struggling from this wanton, evil looting. No respect.
Will we be respectful of God’s request to “be prepared” or
are we focusing on our own desires—thinking that it could be a thousand years
until he comes for us. After all, people for the last two thousand years have
thought that Christ was going to return in their lifetime. There have always
been wars and rumors of wars…but so much more is falling into place to fulfill
prophesies—like the Jews returning to their homeland. What will it take to
convince you that we are living in the End Times? How about a war in or
involving Israel? Will that be the “travail” that is described in the passage below?
For you know quite
well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in
the night. When people are saying, "Everything is peaceful and
secure," then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman's
labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren't in the dark
about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when
the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4
If you knew that a thief was coming to your home would you
leave the light on for him, leave your door unlocked, and have an empty bin
sitting there for him to fill up with your earthly treasures? Some thief might
be able to steal your stuff—but he can’t take away your spiritual treasures.
I heard some good advice this week from Dr. John Barnett on YouTube about being spiritually prepared.
Start some healthy relationships with
other Christians where you hold each other accountable, sharing weekly “What is
God doing in your life this week?”
Memorize healthy scripture verses (I
wondered if there were any other kind!?) using a topical memory system, like
the Navigators, so that you memorize one verse a week for a year.
Read a good, healthy study Bible like the
MacArthur Study Bible. Be a Berean, rightly dividing God’s word (see Acts 17:11.)
Don’t take someone else’s word for what the Bible says, read and study it for
yourself in a systematic way.
Pray for others, as well as for yourself.
Verse of Salvation ~ This is all the more urgent, for
you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is
nearer now than when we first believed. Romans 13:11
Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table
When we went to Israel several years ago we came back with
a little container of a great spices used by cooks in Israel, Palestine, and Arab
homes and restaurants. They use it on everything—hummus, bagels, yogurt, chicken,
salad, vegetable side dishes, flatbreads, and as our Israeli guide showed us,
pizza. On-line I discovered several recipes for combining herbs to create this
herbal seasoning. Recently, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw some for sale
at a local Arab bakery and restaurant, Somer, in Kennewick, Washington.
They also had terrific pita and naan breads and good breakfast and lunch menus.
Za’atar Spice – a flavorful Middle
Eastern Spice
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried crushed thyme or oregano
1 tablespoon cumin (see
instructions about whole or ground)
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sumac
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon or
more Aleppo chili flakes - optional
Instructions
·
For the most flavor,
toast whole seeds (cumin seeds and coriander seeds)
until fragrant, then grind. This will make the most flavorful za’atar. If
you don’t have whole seeds, use ground spices.
·
Mix all the
ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
·
Enjoy on a variety of
entrée dishes.
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture
taken from the New King James Version (NKJV).
Copyright
© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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