Donate

God's Spiritual Provisions

Our Jewish Roots

February 11, 2021

27:29

Bible teaching with an emphasis on Israel; prophecy and the Jewish roots of Christianity.

Closed captions

God's Spiritual Provisions

Show timecode

Hide timecode

♪♪♪
00:00:01.785 --> 00:00:04.354
male announcer: Welcome to "OurJewish Roots," with insightful
00:00:04.387 --> 00:00:06.689
Bible teaching from Israelby Dr. Jeffrey Seif.
00:00:06.723 --> 00:00:09.225
This week, we continue lookingat Jesus' teaching as he calls
00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:12.062
us to walk the narrow path andbear fruit, coming up on "Sar
00:00:12.095 --> 00:00:15.532
Shalom, Prince of Peace."
00:00:15.565 --> 00:00:18.301
♪♪♪
00:00:18.334 --> 00:00:26.876
[vocalizing]
00:00:41.091 --> 00:00:43.693
♪♪♪
00:00:43.726 --> 00:00:50.467
David Hart: We're so gladyou joined us today.
00:01:14.657 --> 00:01:16.092
I'm David Hart.
00:01:16.126 --> 00:01:17.794
Kirsten Hart: I'm Kirsten Hart.
00:01:17.827 --> 00:01:19.129
Dr. Jeffrey Seif:I am Jeffrey Seif.
00:01:19.162 --> 00:01:20.697
And I've got a game to play.
00:01:20.730 --> 00:01:22.031
Kirsten: Okay.
00:01:22.065 --> 00:01:23.600
Jeffrey: I say, "knock-knock,"and you say--
00:01:23.633 --> 00:01:25.301
both: Who's there?
00:01:25.335 --> 00:01:26.736
Jeffrey: Yes, it's a child'sgame, but it's not really
00:01:26.769 --> 00:01:28.538
childish when you think about itbecause Yeshua wants us to go,
00:01:28.571 --> 00:01:32.308
"knock-knock."
00:01:32.342 --> 00:01:33.943
Jesus wants us to knock, and hesays he'll open the door, that
00:01:33.977 --> 00:01:36.179
there really is afuture out there for us.
00:01:36.212 --> 00:01:38.915
There's heavenly resource.
00:01:38.948 --> 00:01:40.817
There's help.
00:01:40.850 --> 00:01:42.452
If we seek, we'll find.If we knock, he'll open.
00:01:42.485 --> 00:01:45.255
Many don't, yes?
00:01:45.288 --> 00:01:46.823
David: Many don't.
00:01:46.856 --> 00:01:48.158
Kirsten: But it's good becauseknocking is--right there, I can
00:01:48.191 --> 00:01:49.959
do it right here.
00:01:49.993 --> 00:01:51.528
It's not that hard.
00:01:51.561 --> 00:01:52.896
It's a common thing, andhe's not saying, "Push down
00:01:52.929 --> 00:01:54.731
the doors.
00:01:54.764 --> 00:01:56.232
It's gonna be so hard, you'renever gonna get in," and he just
00:01:56.266 --> 00:01:58.001
says, "Simply call on myname, and I'll be there."
00:01:58.034 --> 00:02:01.304
It's easy.
00:02:01.337 --> 00:02:02.805
Jeffrey: There'sjust some exertion.
00:02:02.839 --> 00:02:04.407
Lift the finger.
00:02:04.440 --> 00:02:05.875
He'll come to the door.
00:02:05.909 --> 00:02:07.343
Not only would theLord come to the door.
00:02:07.377 --> 00:02:08.912
He says he is the door.
00:02:08.945 --> 00:02:10.647
"I am the door,"in John chapter 10.
00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:12.048
"If anyone enters byme, he'll be saved.
00:02:12.081 --> 00:02:13.716
The Greek word " saved," "sozo,"means "to be healed, made whole,
00:02:13.750 --> 00:02:16.553
put back together again."
00:02:16.586 --> 00:02:18.388
And a lot of people need to behealed, made whole, and put back
00:02:18.421 --> 00:02:20.290
together again.
00:02:20.323 --> 00:02:21.824
That's what hedoes for a living.
00:02:21.858 --> 00:02:23.660
Kirsten: He offers a lot forjust a simple--just a little bit
00:02:23.693 --> 00:02:26.596
that we have to give.
00:02:26.629 --> 00:02:28.131
Jeffrey: Yes, and we're notasking anybody to take our word
00:02:28.164 --> 00:02:30.400
for that.
00:02:30.433 --> 00:02:31.935
We're gonna go to a biblicaltext, and we're going to see
00:02:31.968 --> 00:02:34.604
that the Lord is therefor the knockin'.
00:02:34.637 --> 00:02:37.440
David: That's right.Take your Bible right now.
00:02:37.473 --> 00:02:40.476
Open to Matthew 7, as we takeyou to the Galilee for
00:02:40.510 --> 00:02:42.145
today's teaching.
00:02:42.178 --> 00:02:43.713
Jesus: [speaking Hebrew]
00:02:46.449 --> 00:02:48.451
male narrator: A woman stands atan unopened door, not lifting
00:03:01.397 --> 00:03:04.234
a finger.
00:03:04.267 --> 00:03:06.903
"Knock, and it will beopened," says the Lord.
00:03:06.936 --> 00:03:10.707
"Seek, and you will find."
00:03:10.740 --> 00:03:14.210
It seems she has theseeking part just fine.
00:03:14.244 --> 00:03:18.448
She looks through the window,behind the house, and then
00:03:18.481 --> 00:03:21.985
retraces her steps, stillunable to find an entrance.
00:03:22.018 --> 00:03:28.057
Could it be she hasoverlooked one admonition?
00:03:28.091 --> 00:03:32.595
Simply, knock, andit will be opened.
00:03:32.629 --> 00:03:36.966
♪♪♪
00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:41.070
Jeffrey: Anxious, are we?
00:03:41.104 --> 00:03:43.406
A little restless, perhaps?
00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:46.442
If not now, have you ever beenat a place in your life where
00:03:46.476 --> 00:03:51.547
you were looking foranswers to question?
00:03:51.581 --> 00:03:54.784
You have a need.
00:03:54.817 --> 00:03:56.119
You had a problem.
00:03:56.152 --> 00:03:57.954
Or to use the Jewish expression,you had, quote, "tsuris,"
00:03:57.987 --> 00:04:01.157
"troubles," troubleslike ya wouldn't believe.
00:04:01.190 --> 00:04:06.262
If so, you'll be pleased toknow that I'm coming to you from
00:04:06.296 --> 00:04:09.799
Bethsaida in the Galilee.
00:04:09.832 --> 00:04:13.536
Bethsaida is from an Aramaicterm, meaning "the house
00:04:13.569 --> 00:04:16.306
of fish."
00:04:16.339 --> 00:04:19.075
It's an old fishing village,populated by the likes of
00:04:19.108 --> 00:04:21.811
Philip, Andrew, Peter, andother of Jesus' disciples.
00:04:21.844 --> 00:04:26.749
When Jesus told the story onceabout "Seek, and you'll find,
00:04:26.783 --> 00:04:32.221
knock, and it will be opened," Ican't help but wonder if maybe,
00:04:32.255 --> 00:04:35.625
just maybe, he was alluding toexperience here in Bethsaida,
00:04:35.658 --> 00:04:40.963
perhaps a woman, perhaps a man,someone, going house to house,
00:04:40.997 --> 00:04:44.734
looking for a need?
00:04:44.767 --> 00:04:47.403
I think we all have a need,and so we're gonna look in the
00:04:47.437 --> 00:04:50.173
Scriptures and see this famousstory and how it might apply to
00:04:50.206 --> 00:04:53.209
us today.
00:04:53.242 --> 00:04:56.979
I want you to look withme--don't get comfortable with
00:04:57.013 --> 00:04:59.582
me, but look with me here,please, in Matthew chapter 7,
00:04:59.615 --> 00:05:02.819
verse 7, and the reason why Isay, "Don't get too comfortable
00:05:02.852 --> 00:05:06.389
with me" will becomeapparent in a moment.
00:05:06.422 --> 00:05:09.826
Jesus says, "Ask, and itwill be given to you."
00:05:09.859 --> 00:05:13.496
You go, "Yeah, that's what Iwant, God, to give it to me."
00:05:13.529 --> 00:05:16.599
Okay, he says, "Seek,and you will find."
00:05:16.632 --> 00:05:20.670
"Yeah, there you go,God, yeah, hook me up."
00:05:20.703 --> 00:05:24.540
"Knock, and it willbe opened to you."
00:05:24.574 --> 00:05:27.610
Sounds good, doesn't it?
00:05:27.643 --> 00:05:29.812
God is there, and we just takeour prayers to him, and he's
00:05:29.846 --> 00:05:32.382
like the pizza delivery manwho'll get it to ya quick.
00:05:32.415 --> 00:05:37.286
In verse 8, "For everyone whoasks receives, and he who seeks
00:05:37.320 --> 00:05:41.124
finds, and to him whoknocks it'll be opened."
00:05:41.157 --> 00:05:46.028
Someone can go, "Yeah, that'swhat I'm talkin' about.
00:05:46.062 --> 00:05:48.364
I can use somereligion like that.
00:05:48.398 --> 00:05:51.000
Here I am down here, all messedup, and God's willing to
00:05:51.033 --> 00:05:53.569
show up."
00:05:53.603 --> 00:05:56.672
Well, for you, I've got somegood news and some bad news.
00:05:56.706 --> 00:06:00.510
The good news is he means whathe says, and he does show up.
00:06:00.543 --> 00:06:04.847
He will show up.
00:06:04.881 --> 00:06:07.083
That's the good news.
00:06:07.116 --> 00:06:09.352
The bad news is that this storyisn't about what he'll do as
00:06:09.385 --> 00:06:13.189
much as it's aboutwhat he wants us to do.
00:06:13.222 --> 00:06:18.995
The reason why I say that, hesays, "Yeah, God's gonna hook
00:06:19.028 --> 00:06:21.898
ya up.
00:06:21.931 --> 00:06:24.033
God's gonna help ya," realizingthat what sort of men and women
00:06:24.066 --> 00:06:29.672
ought we to be?
00:06:29.705 --> 00:06:32.141
This is the point in verse 12.
00:06:32.175 --> 00:06:34.577
Mindful that we have a lovingGod who's gonna take care of us,
00:06:34.610 --> 00:06:36.879
Jesus says, "Therefore, whateveryou want men or women to do to
00:06:36.913 --> 00:06:41.584
you, do also to them," whichis the point of the story, "for
00:06:41.617 --> 00:06:47.223
this is the Torah," or thelaw or the teaching, "and
00:06:47.256 --> 00:06:51.527
the Prophets," the "Nevi'im."
00:06:51.561 --> 00:06:55.731
If one looks at Jesus' point,never mind our own wanting the
00:06:55.765 --> 00:07:01.170
Lord to show up and be ourSanta with presents in hand.
00:07:01.204 --> 00:07:05.241
That being true, he'swilling to do that.
00:07:05.274 --> 00:07:07.910
What he wants from us is hewants us to do unto others the
00:07:07.944 --> 00:07:12.515
way that we would haveGod to do unto us.
00:07:12.548 --> 00:07:16.352
Now let me ask you a question:In your heart of hearts, do you
00:07:16.385 --> 00:07:19.889
have that message, "Whatever youwant men to do to you, do also
00:07:19.922 --> 00:07:25.127
to them"?
00:07:25.161 --> 00:07:29.065
Inasmuch as you wanna beserviced by God and others, be
00:07:29.098 --> 00:07:32.068
of service yourself to others,and you'll see the Lord coming
00:07:32.101 --> 00:07:35.805
through for you in waysyou can only imagine.
00:07:35.838 --> 00:07:41.477
Jesus: [speaking Hebrew]
00:07:41.511 --> 00:07:51.387
narrator: It's a narrow,precarious pathway.
00:07:55.858 --> 00:07:59.629
Some have found their way to thetop successfully, while others
00:07:59.662 --> 00:08:03.199
have not.
00:08:03.232 --> 00:08:05.701
There's little questionthat the way is difficult.
00:08:05.735 --> 00:08:09.005
Little question the obstaclesare real, but the goal is worth
00:08:09.038 --> 00:08:13.476
the prize.
00:08:13.509 --> 00:08:16.746
Waiting just ahead at the end ofthe path is life eternal and the
00:08:16.779 --> 00:08:22.518
kingdom of heaven.
00:08:22.552 --> 00:08:24.854
♪♪♪
00:08:24.887 --> 00:08:31.561
Jeffrey: And Jesus said, "Enterby the narrow way, the way that
00:08:31.594 --> 00:08:36.599
leads to life."
00:08:36.632 --> 00:08:39.602
He spoke of the other way asa way that leads to death.
00:08:39.635 --> 00:08:48.244
I've discovered, by the way,that people can lead themselves
00:08:48.277 --> 00:08:52.148
to ruin very easily.
00:08:52.181 --> 00:08:55.585
Jesus says the way to lifeis rather hard to find.
00:08:55.618 --> 00:08:58.688
It's a narrow way, and thosethat make their way to it
00:08:58.721 --> 00:09:01.624
are few.
00:09:01.657 --> 00:09:05.094
The broad way, the wide wayis the easier way, is
00:09:05.127 --> 00:09:07.897
rather simple.
00:09:07.930 --> 00:09:10.333
It's rather naturalat one level.
00:09:10.366 --> 00:09:13.102
You can go the way of ruin, oneforkful at a time, one soda pop
00:09:13.135 --> 00:09:16.305
at a time, eating the wrongfood, drinking the wrong drink
00:09:16.339 --> 00:09:19.642
could just bring you down.
00:09:19.675 --> 00:09:23.079
It can be your addiction,your love of alcohol.
00:09:23.112 --> 00:09:25.881
You can just drinkyourself into ruin.
00:09:25.915 --> 00:09:28.384
You can eat yourself into ruin.
00:09:28.417 --> 00:09:31.053
You can just follow the naturalinclination of sexual appetites
00:09:31.087 --> 00:09:33.756
gone awry and bringyourself into ruin that way.
00:09:33.789 --> 00:09:37.259
And we live in a world today,don't we, where there is so much
00:09:37.293 --> 00:09:39.462
pain, so much despair, so muchdisorientation, so much ruin,
00:09:39.495 --> 00:09:44.934
we do well to look and see whatJesus says about that narrow way
00:09:44.967 --> 00:09:48.004
and that broad way.
00:09:48.037 --> 00:09:50.439
Jeffrey: And he said, "Enter bythe narrow gate, for wide is the
00:09:52.441 --> 00:09:57.413
gate and broad is the way thatleads to destruction, and there
00:09:57.446 --> 00:10:00.883
are many who go in by it."
00:10:00.916 --> 00:10:04.353
You know, the pathway tohell is the highway to hell.
00:10:04.387 --> 00:10:08.557
Conversely, he says, "narrow isthe gate and difficult is the
00:10:08.591 --> 00:10:12.094
way which leads to life, andthere are precious few who
00:10:12.128 --> 00:10:16.032
find it."
00:10:16.065 --> 00:10:19.301
"The way is narrow,it's hard, few find it."
00:10:19.335 --> 00:10:22.872
This sounds verychallenging, to me.
00:10:22.905 --> 00:10:26.475
When the Lord talks aboutwalking on the path to life,
00:10:26.509 --> 00:10:30.012
he's harkening to aJewish expression.
00:10:30.046 --> 00:10:33.282
Rabbinic theology speaksof "halakha," which is the
00:10:33.315 --> 00:10:36.419
Torah-observant way towalk for observant Jews.
00:10:36.452 --> 00:10:40.389
There's what's called"midrash halakha."
00:10:40.423 --> 00:10:43.325
The word "halakha," inHebrew, comes from "halak."
00:10:43.359 --> 00:10:46.529
It's a verb whichmeans "to walk."
00:10:46.562 --> 00:10:49.632
The journey with Godis called a walk.
00:10:49.665 --> 00:10:53.035
The Lord beckonedAvraham to walk with him.
00:10:53.069 --> 00:10:57.106
Others walked with God.
00:10:57.139 --> 00:10:59.608
It says, I believe, that Enochwalked with God, step by step,
00:10:59.642 --> 00:11:02.645
deliberately going downa path with the Maker.
00:11:02.678 --> 00:11:06.182
It's incumbent upon disciplesto be thus-minded, to be
00:11:06.215 --> 00:11:09.418
thus-oriented.
00:11:09.452 --> 00:11:11.454
In fact, "disciple,""discipline," the words are cut
00:11:11.487 --> 00:11:13.789
from the same clothbecause there's a kind
00:11:13.823 --> 00:11:16.459
of deliberateness.
00:11:16.492 --> 00:11:19.095
There's a decision.
00:11:19.128 --> 00:11:21.430
The Lord says, "Broadis the other way."
00:11:21.464 --> 00:11:23.833
It's easy by nature justto be led away from God.
00:11:23.866 --> 00:11:26.836
I believe it's Job who says thatman is inclined towards sins
00:11:26.869 --> 00:11:29.672
just like the sparks fly upward.
00:11:29.705 --> 00:11:32.541
The natural inclinationof things is to go awry.
00:11:32.575 --> 00:11:35.478
It's easy.
00:11:35.511 --> 00:11:37.780
One can eat themselves todeath with all the wrong food.
00:11:37.813 --> 00:11:40.282
They can drink all the wrongdrink and just be miserable
00:11:40.316 --> 00:11:43.219
inside because they're notlooking good, they're not
00:11:43.252 --> 00:11:45.654
feeling good, and they'renot thinking good.
00:11:45.688 --> 00:11:47.857
People's eyes can lead themastray off the path and lookin'
00:11:47.890 --> 00:11:50.059
for love.
00:11:50.092 --> 00:11:52.228
It's all about lust, it's allabout consumerism, and people
00:11:52.261 --> 00:11:54.463
spend themselves for their ownpleasures and treasures and
00:11:54.497 --> 00:11:56.966
destroy themselves and otherpeople around them in
00:11:56.999 --> 00:11:59.168
the process.
00:11:59.201 --> 00:12:01.403
It's easy to go that way, butJesus beckons disciples to
00:12:01.437 --> 00:12:04.206
be disciplined.
00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:06.809
He said, "Narrow is the way thatleads to life," and he's not
00:12:06.842 --> 00:12:09.712
talking about drivinginstructions to First Baptist
00:12:09.745 --> 00:12:12.414
Church or First Methodist Churchor First Assemblies of
00:12:12.448 --> 00:12:14.850
God Church.
00:12:14.884 --> 00:12:17.653
The way that leads to life,hopefully, is told in a church,
00:12:17.686 --> 00:12:20.623
but it's the way of life that'slived outside of the church.
00:12:20.656 --> 00:12:24.393
In the Sermon on the Mount, theLord talked about the tending to
00:12:24.426 --> 00:12:27.363
our business, brothers learningto dwell together peaceably, men
00:12:27.396 --> 00:12:30.166
and women learningto come to terms.
00:12:30.199 --> 00:12:32.868
One's holding their sexualappetites in check, their
00:12:32.902 --> 00:12:35.437
angers, what to do with themoney, what to do with various
00:12:35.471 --> 00:12:38.073
energies, et cetera.
00:12:38.107 --> 00:12:40.442
It's all there in the sermon.
00:12:40.476 --> 00:12:42.878
Hear Jesus' words.
00:12:42.912 --> 00:12:45.147
It's a way that leads to life,and your life will be better by
00:12:45.181 --> 00:12:47.583
virtue of your so doing.
00:12:47.616 --> 00:12:49.151
announcer: For many, a trip tothe Holy Land is the dream of
00:12:50.452 --> 00:12:52.254
a lifetime.
00:12:52.288 --> 00:12:53.789
♪♪♪
00:12:53.823 --> 00:12:55.391
announcer: The Bible truly comesalive as you see the sites where
00:12:55.424 --> 00:12:58.027
so many biblicalevents happened.
00:12:58.060 --> 00:13:01.096
Come on a Zola Tour tosee Israel and Petra.
00:13:01.130 --> 00:13:04.033
♪♪♪
00:13:04.066 --> 00:13:06.402
announcer: See the landof the Bible for yourself.
00:13:06.435 --> 00:13:10.873
Contact us to reserveyour dream of a lifetime.
00:13:10.906 --> 00:13:14.210
♪♪♪
00:13:14.243 --> 00:13:17.279
David: There's so muchthat we do.
00:13:19.081 --> 00:13:20.783
Actually, we spent about fourdays in the Tiberias Sea of
00:13:20.816 --> 00:13:23.719
Galilee area, and from beginningof the day, early that morning,
00:13:23.752 --> 00:13:28.490
we get on the bus, and wego to wonderful places.
00:13:28.524 --> 00:13:31.260
One of those places is a placethat we love to go is the
00:13:31.293 --> 00:13:34.230
baptismal site.
00:13:34.263 --> 00:13:36.031
It's the highlight, one ofthe--okay, every day is a
00:13:36.065 --> 00:13:38.133
highlight, right?
00:13:38.167 --> 00:13:39.702
It is one of the highlights foreveryone to get robed and to be
00:13:39.735 --> 00:13:44.340
baptized in the Jordan River.
00:13:44.373 --> 00:13:47.509
It's just amazing isn't it?
00:13:47.543 --> 00:13:49.211
We sing worship when everyonegets baptized, and, for me,
00:13:49.245 --> 00:13:52.915
Israel is so muchabout the food.
00:13:52.948 --> 00:13:54.984
I just want you to know, "Ifyou go with us, there's a great
00:13:55.017 --> 00:13:56.952
smoothie stand, and there'swonderful ice cream."
00:13:56.986 --> 00:13:59.622
So you can get baptized inthe Jordan River and get a
00:13:59.655 --> 00:14:01.991
great snack.
00:14:02.024 --> 00:14:03.525
We go two times a year.
00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:04.927
We'd love to haveyou go with us.
00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:06.462
Walk in the Holy Land, the placethat God created for his people.
00:14:06.495 --> 00:14:10.032
David: You'll find all theinformation on levitt.com.
00:14:10.065 --> 00:14:12.434
Right now, let's go back tothe Galilee for more of
00:14:12.468 --> 00:14:14.937
our teaching.
00:14:14.970 --> 00:14:16.739
Jesus: [speaking Hebrew]
00:14:18.340 --> 00:14:25.547
♪♪♪
00:14:36.792 --> 00:14:40.262
Jesus: [speaking Hebrew]
00:14:40.296 --> 00:14:48.938
♪♪♪
00:14:50.005 --> 00:14:53.142
Jesus: [speaking Hebrew]
00:14:53.175 --> 00:15:01.850
Jeffrey: Jesus' saying that"You'll know them by their
00:15:10.426 --> 00:15:12.761
fruits," to my way of thinking,beckons to a theme that's
00:15:12.795 --> 00:15:18.233
repeated over and again in thissermon, and that is that there's
00:15:18.267 --> 00:15:21.370
a lot of pretense going around.
00:15:21.403 --> 00:15:24.707
Later on in the next littleteaching moment here, Jesus is
00:15:24.740 --> 00:15:28.377
gonna say, you know, "Many ofyou say, 'Lord, Lord, and cast
00:15:28.410 --> 00:15:31.180
out demons and all the rest, butthe truth is I really don't
00:15:31.213 --> 00:15:34.984
know you.
00:15:35.017 --> 00:15:38.053
Here again, there's pretenseof religion and faith, but it's
00:15:38.087 --> 00:15:41.056
really not there.
00:15:41.090 --> 00:15:43.625
Previously, Jesus' went on therecord, talking about how some
00:15:43.659 --> 00:15:45.861
people, they're all pietisticin their prayers for show.
00:15:45.894 --> 00:15:48.664
They're charitable, yes, but forshow, and they go through the
00:15:48.697 --> 00:15:53.302
motions of having somekind of biblical faith.
00:15:53.335 --> 00:15:58.140
But the truth be known, it'smore shallow than substance.
00:15:58.173 --> 00:16:01.944
And in the middle of that,Yeshua is on record saying
00:16:01.977 --> 00:16:04.913
"You'll know them by theirfruits," not just that "You'll
00:16:04.947 --> 00:16:09.585
know them by their toots."
00:16:09.618 --> 00:16:14.089
You know as well as I do thatsome people can talk a good
00:16:14.123 --> 00:16:17.059
talk, but they reallydon't walk the walk.
00:16:17.092 --> 00:16:21.597
It's not beyond the pale ofreason to look to consider what
00:16:21.630 --> 00:16:24.500
does Jesus actually mean when hesays, "You'll know them by
00:16:24.533 --> 00:16:27.903
their fruits"?
00:16:27.936 --> 00:16:31.006
If one looks at this Sermonon the Mount, therein he talks
00:16:31.040 --> 00:16:34.209
about a number of things thathe's looking to see manifest
00:16:34.243 --> 00:16:36.979
over time, a genteel kind ofseeking after God, difficulties
00:16:37.012 --> 00:16:40.949
notwithstanding, aprivate prayer life.
00:16:40.983 --> 00:16:44.887
Personal piety is manifested incharity, the just and equitable
00:16:44.920 --> 00:16:50.092
employment of financial resourcefor God's good purposes, not
00:16:50.125 --> 00:16:53.862
just one's own.
00:16:53.896 --> 00:16:56.598
In different ways individualsare beckoned to cultivate this
00:16:56.632 --> 00:17:00.502
which is the kind of lifethat the Lord's looking for.
00:17:00.536 --> 00:17:03.872
It's not just a question ofshowing up at First Baptist
00:17:03.906 --> 00:17:05.908
Church or First Whatever Churchand singing the hymns and
00:17:05.941 --> 00:17:09.244
speakin' the right kind oflanguage, havin' the right kind
00:17:09.278 --> 00:17:12.648
of talk because you can recallperhaps the Lord who says, and I
00:17:12.681 --> 00:17:16.151
quote, "They profess me withtheir lips, but their hearts are
00:17:16.185 --> 00:17:20.089
far from me."
00:17:20.122 --> 00:17:23.058
The way to have a heart that'swith him is through deeds, not
00:17:23.092 --> 00:17:26.095
just creeds.
00:17:26.128 --> 00:17:28.831
Look with me here as Jesus talksabout it, and we'll consider
00:17:28.864 --> 00:17:31.333
more deliberatelywhat he has to say.
00:17:31.366 --> 00:17:33.969
In chapter 7, verse 15, he says,"Beware of false prophets, who
00:17:34.002 --> 00:17:38.874
come to you in sheep's clothing,but inwardly are
00:17:38.907 --> 00:17:42.144
ravenous wolves."
00:17:42.177 --> 00:17:45.581
They have the pretense of beingamong us, but truth be known,
00:17:45.614 --> 00:17:48.217
they're bent on devouring us.
00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:51.253
And have you evermet such people?
00:17:51.286 --> 00:17:53.822
I have, and it's not pleasant.
00:17:53.856 --> 00:17:57.092
It's in the wake of this morningwhen Yeshua, when Jesus, again,
00:17:57.126 --> 00:17:59.761
weighs in forcefully, saying,"Listen, you'll know them by
00:17:59.795 --> 00:18:02.731
their fruits."
00:18:02.764 --> 00:18:05.968
He says as much in verse 16,"You'll know them by their
00:18:06.001 --> 00:18:08.770
fruits," and he goes on toexplore that a little, and then
00:18:08.804 --> 00:18:11.773
he repeats it again in verse 20,"Therefore by their fruits you
00:18:11.807 --> 00:18:14.843
will know them."
00:18:14.877 --> 00:18:17.346
I mean, guys, listen, he said ittwice in just a few sentences,
00:18:17.379 --> 00:18:19.815
and that causes me to believethat he's serious about it.
00:18:19.848 --> 00:18:22.751
There are other reasons that Ibelieve that he's serious about
00:18:22.784 --> 00:18:25.120
us bearing the kind of fruitsin our life and temperament.
00:18:25.154 --> 00:18:28.757
Keep in mind, if you will,please, that while he'll know us
00:18:28.790 --> 00:18:32.394
by our fruits, know that it'snot for everybody else in the
00:18:32.427 --> 00:18:36.131
world to be judging our fruits,and for the rest of us know as
00:18:36.165 --> 00:18:39.001
well that fruit doesn'talways appear right away.
00:18:39.034 --> 00:18:43.305
On more than one occasion, I'vetried to lose weight, and I get
00:18:43.338 --> 00:18:45.707
up in the morning and weighmyself and look for the fruits
00:18:45.741 --> 00:18:48.010
of my labor.
00:18:48.043 --> 00:18:50.245
It doesn't happen right away,but the right kind of decisions
00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:52.915
eventually lead to theright kind of manifestation.
00:18:52.948 --> 00:18:56.151
Let's make sure we makedecisions for Jesus and trust
00:18:56.185 --> 00:18:58.587
that we will, in fact, bearfruit as a result of our
00:18:58.620 --> 00:19:00.856
so doing.
00:19:00.889 --> 00:19:03.158
Kirsten: Dr. Seif was talkingabout false prophets in sheep's
00:19:03.192 --> 00:19:06.562
clothing, and we just want youto know, yes, we're a Christian
00:19:06.595 --> 00:19:11.166
television program, but I hopeyou can tell who we are and what
00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:16.104
our essence is from the fruitthat we bear, and we just want
00:19:16.138 --> 00:19:19.107
you to know, when youdonate to this ministry, so much
00:19:19.141 --> 00:19:23.045
of that money and yourdonations goes back to Israel.
00:19:23.078 --> 00:19:27.683
We are a ministry that desiresto bless the people in Israel,
00:19:27.716 --> 00:19:30.852
so many differentways, right, Jeff?
00:19:30.886 --> 00:19:32.988
You've been with thisministry for years.
00:19:33.021 --> 00:19:35.257
Jeffrey: To your point, I thinkyou're kind of tapping into the
00:19:35.290 --> 00:19:37.459
fact some people think, "Oh,they're all a bunch of gonifs,"
00:19:37.492 --> 00:19:40.095
which is a Jewishword for thieves.
00:19:40.128 --> 00:19:41.830
"You can't trust those, youknow, religious people."
00:19:41.863 --> 00:19:44.266
"Religious television, they'reall a bunch of thieves."
00:19:44.299 --> 00:19:46.635
Well, there's good and badin everything, but goodness
00:19:46.668 --> 00:19:48.503
gracious, there's so much moregood than bad, and, with you, I
00:19:48.537 --> 00:19:53.342
do hope people--I hope yousee that, you know, we're good
00:19:53.375 --> 00:19:56.511
people, by the grace of God,that to Kirsten's point, that
00:19:56.545 --> 00:20:01.683
we're trying to serve the Lord.
00:20:01.717 --> 00:20:03.819
None of us here on thisset are getting rich.
00:20:03.852 --> 00:20:05.354
I can assure you.
00:20:05.387 --> 00:20:06.955
And when you make a donation tothe ministry, you're not putting
00:20:06.989 --> 00:20:08.790
us in Rolls-Royces.
00:20:08.824 --> 00:20:10.359
If someone has a Rolls-Royce,God bless if they get it
00:20:10.392 --> 00:20:12.294
honestly, but that's not us.
00:20:12.327 --> 00:20:14.630
You know, we're notpulling large salaries.
00:20:14.663 --> 00:20:17.165
We're just trying to promotea big God, and so I just wanna
00:20:17.199 --> 00:20:20.335
thank you for those ofyou that believe in us.
00:20:20.369 --> 00:20:23.972
You know, we don't wanna--Imean, there's bad stuff in the
00:20:24.006 --> 00:20:25.907
world, that's true, but I thinkit's better to light candles
00:20:25.941 --> 00:20:28.076
than it is to curse thedarkness, and we wanna be good
00:20:28.110 --> 00:20:31.246
fruit and bear good for thekingdom, and thank you for
00:20:31.280 --> 00:20:33.148
helpin' us do it.
00:20:33.181 --> 00:20:35.017
Kirsten: And you were talkingabout today--and we've talked
00:20:35.050 --> 00:20:36.551
about this together too--thatyou were talking about the
00:20:36.585 --> 00:20:38.453
Torah-way of walking isstep-by-step, day by day with
00:20:38.487 --> 00:20:42.257
God, and that was just abeautiful teaching segment that
00:20:42.291 --> 00:20:45.994
you brought up today.
00:20:46.028 --> 00:20:47.629
I just appreciate that.
00:20:47.663 --> 00:20:49.231
Jeffrey: Well,you're kind to say.
00:20:49.264 --> 00:20:50.632
Of course, it comes from theLord's teaching, but to "walk
00:20:50.666 --> 00:20:52.134
with the Lord," it's poeticlanguage, and life, in so many
00:20:52.167 --> 00:20:54.069
ways, it's one step at a time,and we don't always see well
00:20:54.102 --> 00:20:57.239
into the future, one step ata time, and God walks with us.
00:20:57.272 --> 00:21:02.210
David: What would you say thatthe connection to fruit is with
00:21:02.244 --> 00:21:05.447
this teaching?
00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:08.116
Jeffrey: Well, the Lord says,"You'll know 'em by their
00:21:08.150 --> 00:21:09.885
fruits," not you knowthem by their toots.
00:21:09.918 --> 00:21:12.120
You know, my kids get married,and I don't go, "Oh, my, there's
00:21:12.154 --> 00:21:15.223
a baby."
00:21:15.257 --> 00:21:17.125
One would expect that to come asa result of people that are in
00:21:17.159 --> 00:21:18.994
love and marry, that havingchildren, there's results of
00:21:19.027 --> 00:21:24.700
those affections, similarly,with the Lord, that there should
00:21:24.733 --> 00:21:29.638
be things coming out ofour relationship with him.
00:21:29.671 --> 00:21:33.775
An attestation of increasedgenerosity should be there as an
00:21:33.809 --> 00:21:37.179
evidence of our love for theworld and others, as evidence of
00:21:37.212 --> 00:21:40.615
our trusting him, but there'sdifferent ways on different days
00:21:40.649 --> 00:21:44.953
that there's different fruitsthat emerge in us because
00:21:44.986 --> 00:21:47.222
something is within us.
00:21:47.255 --> 00:21:49.257
David: Well, Jesus taught withthings going on right around
00:21:49.291 --> 00:21:51.793
him, like the mustard seed.
00:21:51.827 --> 00:21:53.862
He taught with the mustard seedright there, and the fruit was
00:21:53.895 --> 00:21:56.264
all around.
00:21:56.298 --> 00:21:57.766
Kirsten: His examples were justthings that they could see and
00:21:57.799 --> 00:21:59.401
touch right there.
00:21:59.434 --> 00:22:01.002
Jeffrey: Yes, to be sure,absolutely, and I think an
00:22:01.036 --> 00:22:02.871
agrarian culture, the expression"fruits" mean a lot more than
00:22:02.904 --> 00:22:05.440
moderns because they see thisstuff growing out of the earth,
00:22:05.474 --> 00:22:08.777
and it's God's blessings,all the variety of fruits and
00:22:08.810 --> 00:22:11.513
everything, andthey're all beautiful.
00:22:11.546 --> 00:22:13.248
David: That's good.
00:22:13.281 --> 00:22:14.583
We'll be right back.
00:22:14.616 --> 00:22:16.151
♪♪♪
00:22:16.184 --> 00:22:17.586
male announcer: Our resourcethis week, the music CD,
00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:19.788
"Zion Song."
00:22:19.821 --> 00:22:21.690
During his lifetime, ZolaLevitt composed over 200
00:22:21.723 --> 00:22:24.793
Spirit-filled songs.
00:22:24.826 --> 00:22:26.962
Now David and Kirsten Hartprovide fresh interpretations to
00:22:26.995 --> 00:22:30.198
11 of Zola's compositions.
00:22:30.232 --> 00:22:32.868
Enjoy this beautiful musicyourself, or share the CD with
00:22:32.901 --> 00:22:36.705
a friend.
00:22:36.738 --> 00:22:38.407
Contact us and askfor "Zion Song."
00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:42.344
announcer: If you only watch uson television, you're missing
00:22:44.379 --> 00:22:46.248
additional content availableonly on our social media sites,
00:22:46.281 --> 00:22:50.419
Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
00:22:50.452 --> 00:22:52.954
You can always visit ourwebsite, which is home base for
00:22:52.988 --> 00:22:55.757
all of our ministryactivities and information.
00:22:55.791 --> 00:22:59.161
There, you can sign up for ourfree monthly newsletter, watch
00:22:59.194 --> 00:23:01.730
the TV program, orvisit the online store.
00:23:01.763 --> 00:23:05.834
Join us as we tourIsrael and Petra.
00:23:05.867 --> 00:23:09.204
Please contact usfor more information.
00:23:09.237 --> 00:23:11.139
We would love to hear from you.
00:23:11.173 --> 00:23:13.008
♪♪♪
00:23:13.041 --> 00:23:19.681
Sarah Liberman:Shalom Haverim.
00:23:19.714 --> 00:23:21.416
One of the more common wordsyou're gonna hear in Israel and
00:23:21.450 --> 00:23:24.052
use in Hebrew is the word"beseder," which means, "Okay."
00:23:24.085 --> 00:23:28.423
So if somebody asks you,"How are you?" you can
00:23:28.457 --> 00:23:30.892
say, "beseder."
00:23:30.926 --> 00:23:32.828
Now, the funny thing is thatit actually means "in order."
00:23:32.861 --> 00:23:36.698
So when you say, "I'm okay,"what you're actually saying is
00:23:36.731 --> 00:23:39.468
"I'm in order."
00:23:39.501 --> 00:23:41.570
Now, you can alsouse it as a question.
00:23:41.603 --> 00:23:43.939
"Are you okay?"
00:23:43.972 --> 00:23:45.974
So if you're gonna aska guy, you would say,
00:23:46.007 --> 00:23:48.410
"[inaudible]* beseder?"
00:23:48.443 --> 00:23:50.145
And if you ask a girl, you wouldsay, [inaudible]* beseder?"
00:23:50.178 --> 00:23:54.115
So check around, look around.
00:23:54.149 --> 00:23:56.184
Make sure everything isin order, and you can say,
00:23:56.218 --> 00:23:58.720
"[inaudible]* beseder.
00:23:58.753 --> 00:24:00.922
David: We're so glad that SaraLiberman is on our team, and we
00:24:00.956 --> 00:24:04.559
love learning Hebrew every week.
00:24:04.593 --> 00:24:06.828
Kirsten: We do.David: We do.
00:24:06.862 --> 00:24:09.431
Kirsten: It's okay, "beseder."
00:24:09.464 --> 00:24:10.966
David: Yes.
00:24:10.999 --> 00:24:12.334
Kirsten: It's all right.How are you?
00:24:12.367 --> 00:24:14.269
Jeffrey: You know, "beseder" isan interesting word in Hebrew.
00:24:14.302 --> 00:24:15.804
It comes from "everything's inorder," "everything's okay," you
00:24:15.837 --> 00:24:18.173
know, and it's like thiswith the Prince of Peace.
00:24:18.206 --> 00:24:21.309
He can put things in order,and all of us can say with
00:24:21.343 --> 00:24:23.578
him, "beseder."
00:24:23.612 --> 00:24:25.614
Kirsten: Beseder.
00:24:25.647 --> 00:24:27.382
David: We've been in awe thiswhole series of the
00:24:27.415 --> 00:24:29.117
dramatic reenactments.
00:24:29.150 --> 00:24:31.386
Where you've been onlocation, just gorgeous.
00:24:31.419 --> 00:24:34.422
Kirsten: It's quality.
00:24:34.456 --> 00:24:36.458
And I hope you, our viewer,realize all the work that's been
00:24:36.491 --> 00:24:39.261
put in to re-creating thetime of when Jesus was here.
00:24:39.294 --> 00:24:44.533
It's not cheap,it's expensive.
00:24:44.566 --> 00:24:47.002
I mean, we had a set designer.
00:24:47.035 --> 00:24:48.937
You knew him personallywho built all these sets.
00:24:48.970 --> 00:24:51.706
Jeffrey: We built a littlevillage of the Sea of Galilee
00:24:51.740 --> 00:24:53.675
and a boat and hired Israeliactors to do these dramatic
00:24:53.708 --> 00:24:58.613
vignettes in conjunction withour wanting to offer a telling
00:24:58.647 --> 00:25:01.983
of the essence and substance ofYeshua's principal teachings in
00:25:02.017 --> 00:25:06.955
the Sermon on the Mount, and itwas quite an endeavor, and it
00:25:06.988 --> 00:25:10.392
didn't come on the cheap, toyour point, and so thank you for
00:25:10.425 --> 00:25:13.228
helping us tell it.
00:25:13.261 --> 00:25:15.263
There are otherstories in the Bible.
00:25:15.297 --> 00:25:16.798
We wanna tell 'em too, and weneed your help, and please be
00:25:16.831 --> 00:25:19.100
gracious, be liberal.
00:25:19.134 --> 00:25:21.136
If you find value in what we'redoing, I'm not asking to give
00:25:21.169 --> 00:25:23.572
us anything.
00:25:23.605 --> 00:25:25.473
I'm asking you to invest inthe kingdom through us, and God
00:25:25.507 --> 00:25:27.409
knows those that are puttingmoney into his portfolio and
00:25:27.442 --> 00:25:29.778
knows how to returnin those investments.
00:25:29.811 --> 00:25:32.414
David: We have one moreprogram on this series of the
00:25:32.447 --> 00:25:34.482
beatitudes, but we end witha song from our founder
00:25:34.516 --> 00:25:38.186
Zola Levitt.
00:25:38.219 --> 00:25:39.921
Jeffrey: And a word from theScripture in Hebrew,
00:25:39.955 --> 00:25:41.823
shaalu shalom Yerushalayim.
00:25:41.856 --> 00:25:44.693
David: Pray for thepeace of Jerusalem.
00:25:44.726 --> 00:25:47.062
♪♪♪
00:25:47.095 --> 00:25:49.631
♪ You're King,who came before ♪
00:25:49.664 --> 00:25:53.902
♪ You're King forevermore ♪
00:25:53.935 --> 00:25:58.540
♪ A thousand years ♪
00:25:58.573 --> 00:26:00.775
♪ A thousand years ♪
00:26:00.809 --> 00:26:02.978
♪ You're King forevermore ♪
00:26:03.011 --> 00:26:11.953
♪ Forevermore ♪
00:26:11.987 --> 00:26:15.957
♪♪♪
00:26:15.991 --> 00:26:20.061
announcer: Join us right now foradditional content that is only
00:26:21.663 --> 00:26:23.665
available on our social mediasites, Facebook, YouTube,
00:26:23.698 --> 00:26:26.801
and Twitter.
00:26:26.835 --> 00:26:29.070
Visit our website, levitt.com,for the current and past
00:26:29.104 --> 00:26:31.272
programs, the televisionschedule, tour information, and
00:26:31.306 --> 00:26:35.210
our free monthly newsletter,which is full of insightful
00:26:35.243 --> 00:26:38.313
articles and news commentary.
00:26:38.346 --> 00:26:40.582
View it online, or we can shipit directly to your mailbox
00:26:40.615 --> 00:26:43.151
every month.
00:26:43.184 --> 00:26:44.986
Also, on our websiteis the online store.
00:26:45.020 --> 00:26:47.355
There, you can order this week'sresource, or you can always give
00:26:47.389 --> 00:26:50.759
us a call at 1-800-WONDERS.
00:26:50.792 --> 00:26:53.995
Your donations to Our JewishRoots help us to support these
00:26:54.029 --> 00:26:57.599
organizations asthey bless Israel.
00:26:57.632 --> 00:27:00.535
Please remember we depend ontax-deductible donations
00:27:00.568 --> 00:27:03.505
from viewers like you.
00:27:03.538 --> 00:27:07.409
♪♪♪
00:27:09.210 --> 00:27:19.220

Menu Top

God's Spiritual Provisions

God's Spiritual Provisions

Video Keywords

Menu Top

God's Spiritual Provisions

God's Spiritual Provisions

Video Keywords

Stay Up to Date With Our Newsletter