Author: John J Parsons

Assured by Love’s Promise…

John J Parsons

Right now, if you are seeing this, affirm that the Lord Yeshua is your deliverer and that you trust in Him for eternal life. As he promised: “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes in the One who sent me has (i.e., present active indicative) eternal life and will not be condemned, but has passed over (literally, “crossed over”) from death to life” (John 5:24).  Note that the verb translated “has passed over” is “perfect active” that expresses completed action: “this one has already crossed over from death to life.” In other words, the gift of eternal life is an accomplished reality (though it is only experienced as we truly surrender to the love and grace of God from a heart of faith). The “basis” of life is now radically new and of a different order. As the apostle Paul later summarized: “For it is by grace you have been saved (i.e., a perfect passive participle that denotes completed action done on your behalf with effects that continue to the present) through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:9-10). I’m so glad it’s not the strength of my grip that keeps me holding on to God, but the strength of His…

 

I’m so glad it’s not the strength of my grip that keeps me holding on to God, but the strength of His…

So “be strong and of good courage” – chazak ve’ematz! The Lord our God promises “never to leave you nor forsake you” and to be with you wherever you go (see Josh. 1:5,9; Heb. 13:5, Psalm 139; Matt. 28:20). In the Greek New Testament, the wording of Hebrews 13:5 is highly emphatic: Οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ, οὐδ᾽ οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλείπω: “Not ever will I give up on you; no, not ever will I leave you behind.” May you hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling you, and may He forever keep you under His watchful care. Amen.

 

 

Faith in Perilous Times…

John J Parsons

[ Back in March of 2020 — over 18 months ago now — I had forewarned of the danger of the rise of fascism based on the engineered threat of Covid-19, and here we are today, with the stage set for rise of the “Man of Sin” and the advent of the End of Days….  ]
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Shalom friends. For the last year and a half we have seen the world in a state of confusion and even dread over of the Coronavirus (i.e., Covid-19), particularly because of the mixed messages and disinformation propagated by the mass media about its “polymorphous” threat. Because of this uncertainty, however, various governmental agencies have arrogated dictatorial powers, and such overreach has resulted in forced lockdowns of various public places, the suspension of civil liberties, massive unemployment, the implosion of the private sector economy, among other things. In a matter of months a radical revolution has taken place, wherein the once great United States of America has devolved into a fascist state that surveils not only the behavior of its “citizens,” but now their very biochemistry as well… In today’s climate of irrational fear, you can be labeled an “enemy of the state” simply for asking for justification regarding the latest “official edict” handed down by unaccountable overlords. The relentless propaganda campaign has had a “totalizing” effect on the culture: those who dare to question the efficacy of masks or the safety of untested mRNA vaccines, for example, face social ostracism (“banning”), job loss, and even threats of violence. The chill of political suppression and tyranny is in the air.

In light of this political situation – and the cultural rot that marks the thinking of the world today – we need logical clarity and courage to face reality. As I have said many times over the years, the important thing is not to “lose your mind” by forgetting what is real… In this audio podcast (recorded back in March of 2020) I discuss the struggle of faith and how we find peace by accepting the sovereignty and greatness of the LORD. I hope to remind you that Adonai Tzeva’ot, the LORD over all, has matters completely in hand, and to find faith that He will help you persevere in these days of testing.

God allows the wicked to rise in order to test his people… God’s strength however, is made perfect in weakness, and therein lies the paradox: “Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chron. 20:12). The battle belongs to the Lord!

Podcast:

 

Love from Beginning to End…

John J Parsons

It is vital to affirm your identity as a beloved child of God… You may not always feel the connection, but you must choose it regardless of your present emotional state, because your place in God’s heart is a matter of truth, not sentimentality. Who you really are is grounded in the Reality and power of the LORD God of Israel.

God our Savior loved you before you were born (Jer. 1:5; 31:3); he loved you from eternity itself, and there never was a time when God did not love you (Jer. 1:5; 31:3). The LORD “wove you together” in your mother’s womb (תְּסֻכֵּנִי בְּבֶטֶן אִמִּי) and brought you into being from nonexistence (Psalm 139:13-16). This is the precious gift of life itself (מַתַּת הַחַיִּים מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם). In Him you “live and move and have your being” (Acts 17:28). Moreover, the LORD gives you life from above and adopts you as his own (John 1:12; Rom. 8:15); he knows the number of the hairs on your head and every thought and word of your heart (Matt. 10:30; 12:26; Psalm 139:4); he directs every step of your journey throughout this life (Psalm 37:23; 139:3; 23; Prov. 16:9); he foresaw you when he offered up his life in redemption for your healing (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:4; 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Cor. 5:18); you are briah chadashah, a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15); you are always welcome in his presence (Eph. 1:6; Heb. 4:16); he will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5); he prepares a place for you in the world to come (Jer. 29:11; John 14:1-3); and one day he will wipe away every tear from your eyes (Rev. 7:17; 21:4).

In short, you belong to God from eternity: you were loved of God before you were born, and you will be loved by God after you die. From eternity unto eternity you are part of God’s heart and plans…

When you are tempted to feel badly about yourself, then, take a moment to reaffirm who God says you are. Know yourself as accepted and beloved. Don’t allow your past to hold you in exile; don’t give place to shame; know yourself only in relation to God’s eternal love for your soul. Whenever you feel hurt, angry, fearful, or rejected, turn inwardly to God and center yourself in his presence; realize that such negative feelings do not define what is most real about you. Bacharta ba’chayim: “Choose life!” Turn now to God; reaffirm that you are his beloved child, and thank him for the blessing of your redeemed life. Amen.

 

Deliver Us from Ourselves…

John J Parsons

We all struggle with sin in our lives, and each of us needs deliverance from various attachments and fears that keep us from the deeper life… The problem is within ourselves, that is, the contradiction of heart we experience in our double-mindedness, our ambivalence, and our unbelief (Jer. 17:9). We may recite the Shema every day and say that we love God with all our being, but in the ordinary moments of daily life we are drawn to other concerns, alien affections, other “gods.” Indeed, whatever matters most to us, whatever consumes our attention, time, resources, and our interest, is something we “worship,” that is, something we esteem as worthy and valuable…

People necessarily value things, and therefore every person alive is a “worshiper” (i.e., a person who finds “worth” in something). This applies equally to a devout atheist or pious skeptic as much as it does a deeply religious person… The question that matters, however, is what is your ultimate concern? What do you really want? Only when we begin to understand what draws and attracts us can we begin to discern what we really need. Therefore we must first acknowledge our false worship, our radical selfishness, and our sundry attachments in order to be set free. We must confess the truth that we are slaves.

Pride blinds us to the truth of our sickness of heart, persuading us to deny our problems, to cover them up, and to try harder and harder to “control” ourselves. This is a spiritual dead-end, a vicious circle, the “law of sin and death.” We are set free, however, when we die to ourselves, that is, when we surrender to the love of God and receive the miracle of promised deliverance. Since we are powerless to change ourselves, to reform our lower nature, and to be healed by our own best efforts, we must abandon our “religion” and rely entirely upon the God for the power to heal. This is an ongoing venture: We die daily; we take up the cross daily, we walk with a limp from our inner struggle, and we cling to God alone show us the way and to guide our steps. Beloved, we have been crucified with Messiah and the old nature has lost its power over us; we are alive by the miracle of God’s power. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25).

 

Drawing near in our need…

John J Parsons

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). There are no conditions given here — other than your honest need to connect with God for help. “Purify your hearts, you double-minded ones” (δίψυχοι, lit. “two-souled ones”); make up your mind and be unified within your heart: “How long will you go limping between two different opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). You are invited to come; God has made the way; your place at the table has been set and prepared. “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith (ἐν πληροφορίᾳ πίστεως), with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10-22-23).

 

 

Freedom from Offence…

John J Parsons

Yeshua forewarned that just before the End of Days, “many shall be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Matt. 24:10). What dreadful people, you might imagine… what terrible depravity will mark that time! And yet here we are today, with so many crusading for their own personal sense of victimhood, demanding special treatment, and threatening retaliation for being treated unfairly… It must be remembered, however, that whenever we decry offence in others, we may be reflecting the evil within ourselves (Matt. 7:1-5). What is this evil within you ask? How about being intolerant toward those who differ from us? How about be impatient – refusing to allow others to share their perspectives? Indeed, how many of us make the demand that others be “perfect” but turn a blind eye to our own imperfections? And what about the sin of unforgiveness? What about our attitude of suspicion — using the “evil eye” regarding others’ motives – looking for something impure – rather than extending to them the benefit of the doubt? Do you carry resentment with your heart? Do you hold on to a grudge over a real (or imagined) insult from the past? Do you harbor the desire to seek revenge? All of these evil attitudes reveal a hard heart – and failing to remember that all that is good in your life comes exclusively by the mercy of God alone… When you feel offended, look within and carefully consider the assumptions at work in your thinking. Ask whether your indignation is based on the truth of God or something else. Are you demanding: “My will be done, in heaven as it is on earth?” Are you seeking your own vision, or surrendering to the truth of Reality?

Someone might object by saying that it is not right to overlook the evil we see in others, for example, the unjust practices of deceptive and immoral politicians, or the actions of criminals who commit acts of lawlessness. When we see evil, how do we see the good instead? Should we ignore wickedness and close our eyes to what is happening?

Well of course we should uphold law and the prosecution of criminals, and we should admonish (and sometimes even rebuke) our brothers and sisters when they sin, but in an ultimate sense, we have to see past the evil, to let it pass, in trust that God is sovereign and orders all things according to his sovereign purposes — and that implies understanding that God suffers evil to exist in order to demonstrate his judgment, as it says: “The LORD has made all things for its purpose — even the wicked for the day of evil” (Psalm 16:4).

 

Teshuvah and Paradox…

John J Parsons

To be a human being is a paradox, caught between the realms of the infinite and nothingness; a union of endless possibility yet terminating limitation. Man desires to live forever but is conscious that one day he will die. He is an incongruity – a mix of flesh and spirit, saint and sinner, good and evil, angel and animal… A spirituality that demands for us to be always happy, always “up,” is therefore dishonest, since the truth is grounded in what is real, and that includes both the miserable and the tragic as well as the joyful and sublime. It’s not that there is no difference between good and evil within the heart, but both are part of who we really are. It is the bittersweet struggle, the process of walking as “saintly sinners,” “holy fools,” “dying immortals,” and so on, that defines us. We must embrace our brokenness, in order to become whole; there is no healing without true confession of our need. Therefore we come to the paradoxical cross – the place of utter pain, separation, and death – to find healing, acceptance and life.

Please note this is not to deny that we are to walk by the Spirit and reckon ourselves dead to sin in the Messiah (Rom. 6:11); however, far from being a sign of a lack of spirituality, personal struggle is a sign of its presence…. Only those who are conscious of the tragic, who are haunted by the disparity between what “is” and what “ought” to be; only those who are divided within themselves, torn by inner tension and conflict – those aware that they are both in this world but not of it – sojourners, a long long way from home, homesick for the heavenly city, who inwardly ache and yearn to be fully redeemed – only these, it may be said, are consciously spiritual. After all, the worldling, the self-confident and self-possessed, rarely desire deliverance from themselves and are often content to rationalize the state of their soul; the spiritual person, on the other hand, senses a profound incompletion, a lack, a fracture that runs straight through the core of reality, a breach that needs to be healed…

I would utterly die of despair over myself were it not for the truth that it is not about who I am that is as important as about who He is…

There is great joy, of course, and we are indeed to “rejoice in the Lord always,” but there is also real pain in our lives, and I’d rather be in the company of those mourning the mess they have made of their lives than with someone who thinks they’ve got it all together… “We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Cor. 6:8-10).

 

 

You are Chosen and Treasured…

John J Parsons

ONE OF THE GREATEST OF MISTAKES is to forget your beloved status before the LORD… “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isa. 43:1). Forgetting who you are leads to forgetting who the LORD is, just as forgetting who the LORD is leads to forgetting who you are… A passage from our Torah reading this week (i.e., Emor) speaks to us along these lines: “You are children of the LORD your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be for him am segulah (עם סגלה) – a treasured people out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deut. 14:1-2).

In this verse, Moses reminds the people that since they are children of the LORD they were not to mourn for the dead like those without any hope of life beyond the grave… Our God, the Father of Israel, is eternal, and even if our earthly fathers were to die, we will never be orphans, because the LORD, the Everlasting God who is the “God of the spirits of all flesh” (אֱלהֵי הָרוּחת לְכָל־בָּשָׂר), always watches over us: “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3). But if we forget who we are, if we lose sight of our place in the Heavenly Father’s heart, then we are likely to fall into a state of excessive and self-destructive mourning over the losses we experience in this world. In the most tragic cases, this can lead to the darkness of unremedied despair, “living among the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones” (Mark 5:5). On the other hand, if remember our place at the Father’s table as his children, if we take hold that we are beloved of God – his very own “treasured people” – then we will regard the difficulties we encounter in this world as a test of faith intended for our good (Deut. 8:3,16, Jer. 29:11).

Notice further that this passage states that the people were chosen by the LORD to be his own “possession” (i.e., segulah: סְגֻלָּה) from all other peoples in the earth. The grammar here uses a comparative use of the preposition “min,” meaning “more than” the other peoples of the earth. This idea was first mentioned when God said to the elders at Sinai, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my possession more than all other peoples (סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים), for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:5-6). The truth that the Jewish people were specially chosen to reveal God’s salvation and mercy is repeated elsewhere in Scripture, including Mal. 3:17, Psalm 135:4, Deut. 7:6, 26:18. The word segulah essentially means valuable “personal property,” guarded for safe keeping, such as David’s treasure of gold and silver which he donated to the Temple (1 Chron. 29:3), or Solomon’s treasure collected from the kings and provinces (Eccl. 2:8). Undoubtedly God’s redeemed people are regarded as a treasured group of people among the nations of the earth…

Read more “You are Chosen and Treasured…”

The Forty Days of Teshuvah….

John J Parsons

The last month of the Jewish calendar (counting from Tishri) is called Elul (אֱלוּל), which begins at sundown on Saturday, August 7th this year. Traditionally, Rosh Chodesh Elul marks the beginning of a forty day “Season of Teshuvah” that culminates on the solemn holiday of Yom Kippur. The month of Elul is therefore a time set aside each year to prepare for the Yamim Nora’im, the “Days of Awe,” by getting our spiritual house in order.  This year is especially important, friends, since time is short and the return of the Lord is imminent…

Beginning on Rosh Chodesh Elul and continuing until the day before Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to blow the shofar (ram’s horn) every day (except for Shabbat). This practice was adopted to help us awaken for the coming High Holidays. The custom is to first blow tekiah (תְּקִיעָה), a long single blast (the sound of the King’s coronation), followed by shevarim (שְׁבָרִים), three short, wail-like blasts (signifying repentance), followed by teruah (תְּרוּעָה), several short blasts of alarm (to awaken the soul), and to close with tekiah hagadol (תְּקִיעָה הַגָּדוֹל), a long, final blast.

Read more “The Forty Days of Teshuvah….”

Parashat Re’eh Podcast..

John J Parsons

Our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Re’eh) begins, “See (רְאֵה), I give before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing (הַבְּרָכָה), if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse (הַקְּלָלָה), if you … turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known” (Deut. 11:26-28).

 

We obtain God’s blessing (i.e., berakhah: בְּרָכָה) when we obey the LORD, and our decision to obey manifests the blessed state of walking before the Divine Presence (the direct object marker et (את) before the word “the blessing” alludes to the blessings of “Aleph to Tav,” that is from Yeshua, as described in Lev. 26:3-13). As King David said, “I have set (שִׁוִּיתִי) the LORD always before me…” (Psalm 16:8). David made a choice to “set” the LORD before his eyes, for he understood that opening his eyes to Reality was the only path of real blessing.

On the other hand, we obtain God’s curse (i.e., kelalah: קְלָלָה) when we close our eyes and “forget” that the LORD is always present…. Suppressing God’s truth invariably leads to idolatry, that is, to self exaltation. Note that the root word for the word “curse” (kalal) means to be treated as of little account, and therefore “ratifies” the rebellious heart’s attitude toward God. This is middah keneged middah – we are ignored by the LORD as we ignore Him, just as we seen by Him when we truly seek His face (Isa. 55:6-7). So we see that the blessing or the curse really comes from our own inward decision, and God establishes the path we have chosen. As King David said, “God supports my lot” (Psalm 16:5), and Solomon wrote, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9).

 

Parashat Re’eh Podcast: