Grace Point! February 2016

February 2016

Volume 2 ~Issue 2

eMagazine of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

See Ancient Jerusalem through archaeological excavations in the City of David, and the beautiful jewelry made from the exciting discoveries!

Table of Contents 3~Notes from Rebecca 4~PrayerWorks 5-27~Handmade in Israel/ShopWorks 28-29~FruitWorks 30-31~Namesakes 32-33~StoryWorks 34-35~ScrollWorks 36-37~VerseWorks by Jaime Dills 38-40~VoiceWorks by Juvena McMahan 41-Restoration & Renewal 42-43~JourneyWorks by Rebecca Matthews 44-45~ImageWorks Back Cover~Subscribe to Grace Point!

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Hello to all readers!

First, I want to thank you for clicking on the link that brought you to this magazine.

New this issue:

Notes from

Rebecca

Beginning in this issue, there will be a change to the Handmade in Israel pages. Instead of sharing four artists and their products, I will share an in-depth article about one shop/artist, their product line , and go behind-the-scenes to see the people who make it all happen. The title of this new article will be called Handmade in Israel/ShopWorks.

This month, I am very honored and happy to feature the City of David, who make jewelry patterned after the findings from the archaeological digs in Ancient Jerusalem.

Beginning on page 5, read about artifacts that help us to look back into time, and understand better about life in that culture.

Also, introducing Juvena McMahan, who will be sharing her story with us in monthly segments, in an article entitled VoiceWorks. It is to give women a voice who have come from a situation of domestic violence, and have a word of encouragement for others facing the same.

Our goal is to be the bridge for people to cross to when desiring to know more about Scripture from the Hebrew perspective, and how it comes alive when studying the language God used to write it. The purpose of this magazine is for help, hope and encouragement toward our fellow man. It is about promoting Godly endeavors and Godly results. It is not about judgment, or whether our beliefs are the same or not. The Adversary is about division and subtraction; God is about multiplication and addition.

We are our brother’s keeper!

Our prayer is that there will be a blessing for each reader among these pages. G-d bless each and every one! Shalom.

Sincerely, Rebecca Matthews Founder, administrator, and ordained minister at Philippi Prospect Ministries Founder, senior editor, writer, publisher of Grace Point! eMagazine Photographer at peinture proximitĂŠ Artist and curator at atelier de peinture proximitĂŠ (The opinions and/or beliefs expressed in this magazine by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions and/or beliefs of James and Rebecca Matthews, founders of Philippi Prospect Ministries, and Grace Point! eMagazine.)

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Handmade In Israel ~ ShopWorks

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Capture the Beauty of Ancient Jerusalem

photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: Max Richardson (also on cover)

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The City of David- Ancient Jerusalem The True Location

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Up until 150 years ago, the general belief was that Ancient Jerusalem was located within the confines of the Old City. Although the Temple Mount lies within the Old City's borders, it is almost the only part of Ancient Jerusalem from the times of King David that is included inside the walls of the Old City. So where is Ancient Jerusalem? For that we have to dig a bit deeper and consult historical sources. The Bible is the most faithful advisor on how to locate the city, as landmarks described in the Bible are still clearly visible today…

Jerusalem: Her Story Jerusalem's narrative can literally be traced by examining the various foundation layers of several time periods. Ten different ancient civilizations have been identified, the earliest dating back nearly 4,000 years, including Canaanite, Israelite, Roman, Byzantine, Persian and early Muslim. It is like looking at the different rings of a tree stump or peeling away the layers of an onion, until you reach the middle, until you hit bedrock, the very heart of where it all began. Every layer is a different chapter in this narrative. These man made layers have been formed over more than 3,000 years, but have been uncovered, perhaps even "redeemed" in the last 25 years. The City of David – Ancient Jerusalem has been rising from the ashes, shaking off chapters of dust. This is her story…

Jerusalem, the City of David – The Eternal Capital of the Jewish People Jerusalem, then known as Shalem, is first mentioned in the Bible when Abraham meets with Melchizedek in the Valley of Shaveh (better known as the Kidron Valley) in Genesis 14:18.

But the story of Jerusalem comes to the fore when David enters the scene. After a seven and a half year reign in Hebron, representatives of all the tribes of Israel gathered to call upon David to lead a united Israel as king. David agreed and made a strategic move different from all the judges as well as King Saul who preceded him. Until David, leaders led the nation from the comfort of their own homes, located within their tribal territories. David however, chose the stronghold of Zion as the new capital of the tribal confederation of Israel. At the time, Jerusalem, known as Jebus, was the last Canaanite stronghold not yet under Israelite rule since the conquest of the Land of Israel by Joshua. When David conquered the city, he called it the City of David.

There are many theories as to why David chose Jerusalem as the capital. The major reasons are that it stood central within all the tribal territories, it had a constant water supply from the Gihon Spring, and it had natural defenses, surrounded by two valleys. But even more importantly, according to Jewish tradition, the fortified city bordered the mountain from where Abraham bound Isaac and where Jacob saw the ladder leading up to Heaven. It was the meeting place of Heaven and Earth – the place that God chose as His abode among His people – the future location of the Temple Mount. David fused the holy site with the political seat of power, unifying the spiritual and political culture of Israel.

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Jerusalem reached her peak during the peaceful reign of Solomon. It was the place of Godly inspiration, a center where fair and righteous judgment flowed like a healing balm to the people, and also to the nations. It was the seat of governance that ruled the people with wisdom and integrity – a legacy left by his father, King David.

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But the dark shadow of idolatry and baseless hatred spread its tentacles over the hearts of men and the city became corrupted. Destruction [1] was decreed, and the once noble city was razed to the ground by an enemy so fierce, that it willed for her memory to be erased from the face of the earth. Never to be spoken of or thought of, ever again.

New cities came and went, until the true location of Zion completely disappeared, lying forsaken outside the city walls. Time weaved its spell - politics, wars and millennia of debris encaged her in an impenetrable prison buried away so deep that reaching the city became impossible.

In the mid 1800’s, the great powers of Europe suddenly began taking interest in Jerusalem. In 1867, Queen Victoria sent Captain Charles Warren to Jerusalem on an expedition to find ancient Biblical treasures. The Ottoman Authorities denied him entrance to the Temple Mount. Warren decided to dig on the southern side of the Old City Walls and by pure luck, discovered the ancient Gihon Spring that was the life artery of the ancient City of David. With this discovery, Warren realized that he stumbled upon the true location of Ancient Jerusalem. Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, numerous researchers and archaeologists traveled to the City of David in order to reveal its secrets.

After millennia of exile, of defiantly and perseveringly hoping and believing in the return to the Promised Land, 1948 came and heralded a new era - a nation was born in a day.

Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Is a land born in one day? Is a nation brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. (Isaiah 66:8) After 1,878 years in exile, it had taken 32 minutes for the Jewish nation to be reborn. It was a watershed moment in history that challenged millennia-old paradigms. Prophesies of exiles returning, the desert blooming in the hands of the Jewish people, old men sitting with their canes in the streets of Jerusalem, watching the youngsters play - prophecies that were thought by the world as pass their expiration date, were suddenly being fulfilled in fast succession. It was a game changer that influenced modern day history. A small nation has been reintroduced to the world stage and has impacted the world in a very big way.

But it was only in 1967 that Jerusalem was reunited. For the first time, Ancient Jerusalem, though at that time still unseen to the naked eye, was in reach. Only in the last 25 years have we been starting to get a glance of her.

[1] Jerusalem was destroyed twice during Jewish reign. The first was in 586 BCE during the time of King Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah and the prophet Jeremiah with an exile of 70 years and the second time 70CE during the Roman Rule with an exile of almost 2000 years.

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The Golden Bell

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How one of the most significant archaeological finds is teaching us a lesson in modern day decency and decorum.

photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: Vladimir Naikhin (also close-up on following page)

Believe it or not, but there is something compelling about rainwater drainage pipes in busy streets. They swallow up precious treasures that people drop or lose during the everyday hustle and bustle, becoming a treasure trove of stories for future discoverers.

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What Lies Beneath One day, not so long ago, a significant discovery was made in the City of David.

Archaeologists found a rainwater drainage channel from the Second Temple that ran beneath the main road of Jerusalem. The road and channel were constructed sometime in the fourth decade of the first century CE, and was one of the largest construction projects undertaken in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period.

This road was the last stretch of the long journey that Jewish pilgrims made three times a year to the Temple. The street was flooded with pilgrims during the festivals, including many important individuals moving amongst the throngs.

In 2011, while excavating the upper part of the drainage tunnel, near the Temple Mount, Ancient Jerusalem revealed one of her most exceptional treasures found to date. What initially was thought to be a little plastic ball that somehow got mixed in during the excavators' comings and goings, turned out to be much more significant. The little ball was light in weight and the material it was made of was thin and delicate.

Assuming nothing, Eli Shukron, director of the Western Wall excavations at the time, rolled the little ball between his fingers, noting that there was something moving inside. He shook the little ball and it rang, clearly, like a bell. Intrigued, he examined it a bit closer, noticing a little loop at the top of the bell. It was obviously meant to be attached to something like a piece of jewelry or garment. An x-ray confirmed Eli’s thinking. True to the character of a bell, this one indeed had a tiny chain with a clapper inside.

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A Treasure Hunter's Tip If you happen to be some treasure chasing pirate from a fairy tale or perhaps just a well-seasoned archaeologist, you would notice that this was not just an ordinary bell. There was something strange about this bright yellowish ball. You would know that most metals lose their color and glimmer when it's buried beneath thousands of years of dirt and that there is basically only one metal that doesn't lose its luster - gold.

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The mystery was starting to unravel. Who would wear a golden bell on the most important road in Jerusalem –the final ascent to the Temple?

"You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. It shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling shall be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the LORD, so that he will not die.…"Ex 28:33-35 Knock Before You Enter Contrary to popular belief, the main purpose of the bell was not to signal that the High Priest didn't die due to some mistake that he made during the service while in the Holy of Holies. The true purpose of the bells was for paying the highest respect to God in entering the Holy of Holies – because “its sound should be heard when he enters the Sanctuary before Hashem.” It is evidently a very important feature of the robe, because the Torah metes out a severe punishment for the omission of these bells. Our Sages understood that the bells are meant to teach us basic decency and decorum, that we must not invade the privacy of others by injecting ourselves into their presence without warning. Proper etiquette is to knock on the door before entering. Just as the bells announced the Kohen Gadol’s arrival in the Sanctuary, so must we announce ourselves wherever we go and not barge in unexpectedly.

Even Intellectual Treasures Are Formed Within Heated Arguments But it's a ball, not a bell. Or more accurately described as a bell in the shape of a ball. So how do we explain the possibility that this strange shaped bell/ball would actually belong to the High Priest?

As is common in Judaism, we find the explanation of its intriguing shape within a heated disagreement between the sages regarding the above mentioned verse.

The sages, Maimonides, Rashi and Nachmanides disagreed over the meaning of the Hebrew word b’thokham in verse 33, written above. The word b’thokham could mean “between them”, “in the midst of them” or “inside them” – "them" referring to the decorative pomegranates. Was the Torah commanding us to place the bells between the pomegranates or inside them? Discovering the bell in the City of David excavations finally shed light on the fact that the bells in this case were actually placed inside the round pomegranate decorations.

[For our scientific gurus, the bell is described as follows: The Bell is spherical and measures approximately 16mm across. It consists of two attached hemispheres of gold leaf. A flat gold ring with an external diameter of 3 mm and a thickness of 1 mm was welded to the point of attachment between the two hemispheres, creating the top of the bell. A round gold ring, measuring 2.5mm was inserted into the flat ring, enabling the bell to be sewn to a garment.]

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This collection was inspired by a golden bell that was found in Jerusalem.

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22K Gold plated Bell Necklace

Golden Bell Earrings with Red Beads

14K Gold Bell Necklace

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Eye 2 of the Gihon Spring/photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: Max Richardson

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Archaeological Excavations in the City of David today.

photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: Adina Graham

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photos used by permission: City of David/photographer: Adina Graham

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The Priestly Blessing

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A 2,800 year old scroll revealed startling content that silenced Biblical critics.

What do you get when you combine an archaeologist, a burial site, a tiny budget (as usual), an over-excited and annoying kid, and a hammer?

One of the oldest and smallest silver scrolls in archaeological history, containing 2,800 year old proof validating biblical scripture.

In 1979, Professor Gabriel Barkai decided to explore the extramural activity of Ancient Jerusalem. As the city was small, many activities, like farming, took place outside the city walls. Following extensive research, Barkai located the place with the highest probability in the Hinnom valley outside the Old City. Today, this area is located behind the Menachem Begin Center and near St. Andrew’s Scottish Church. photo used by permission: City of David

He named the area Ketef Hinnom (which means "shoulder of Hinnom"). There he uncovered the remains of a Byzantine church with a mosaic floor and some tombs hewn into the rock whose roofs had collapsed. The site appeared to be archaeologically sterile and it was clear that the tombs had been looted. Its last use was for storing rifles during the Ottoman period.

The Annoying Kid and the Hammer Due to a small and insignificant budget, Barkai had 12 and 13 year old volunteers helping out, as part of a field project. Barkai recalls: "Among the thirteen-year-old diggers, there was one annoying kid named Nathan, who was always tugging at my shirt." He sent him off to clean one of the tombs from rubble. "I thought this was an ideal place to put him – he would be out of my sight. I told Nathan the repository had to be as clean as his mother’s kitchen. It had to be clean for photography".

By chance, Nathan also happened to have a hammer with him. Perhaps a bit of an oversight that occurs when one has such a small budget and not enough help to manage a bunch of overexcited "dig-for-a-day" scouts. After cleaning, he got bored and started randomly banging on the floor of one of the nooks in the repository. To his surprise, the stone floor broke and Nathan returned to Barkai with an almost completely intact piece of pottery that he found in the newly fashioned hole beneath the tomb floor. Upon further examination, Barkai discovered a whole room full of treasure!

This excavation now warranted a professional team who worked under strict confidentiality.

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The chamber contained 60 centimeters (two feet) of accumulation filled with over a thousand artifacts and skeletal remains. They included 125 items made of silver, 40 iron arrowheads, gold, ivory, glass, ceramics, oil lamps, bone and 150 semi-precious stones.

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Judy Hadley from Toledo, Ohio, a member of the team who went on to became a professor in Bible Studies at Villanova University in Philadelphia, showed Barkai a purplish-colored object that resembled a cigarette butt. After further analysis, they realized it was a tiny rolled up silver scroll.

Normally, the archaeological rubble in an excavation is sifted and examined onsite. Following this discovery, all the dirt was removed from the tombs and transferred offsite for further examination in a laboratory. The delicate sifting process revealed yet another tiny treasure: a second, smaller silver scroll, 4 cm in length.

Risky Business The scrolls were sent to some of the most experienced restorers of ancient artifacts as well as metal experts at the University of Leeds in Britain. However, the experts felt that that the brittle nature of the scrolls made the chance of damaging the scrolls too great and refused to examine them.

The scrolls were then sent to Germany but were similarly refused, finally making their way home - untouched. The contents of the scrolls remained a secret. In an act befitting the Israeli spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, technicians at the Israel Museum decided to attempt the procedure themselves. After numerous failures and much difficulty, they finally succeeded in creating a special process allowing the scrolls to be unrolled without being destroyed. It took three intensive and challenging years for the scrolls to slowly reveal their contents ancient script. And most rare of all, the tetragrammaton Name of God photo used by permission: City of David was also engraved on the scrolls.

Revolutionary Content Once unrolled, the scroll measured 10cm long and 2.5cm wide, and was made of pure silver. Ancient Hebrew characters were etched into the silver.

It is highly probable that these scrolls were worn as amulets. Both scrolls have the Priestly Blessing from Numbers 6:24-26 engraved on the silver in proto-Hebrew script.

The Lord will bless you and protect you.

The Lord will make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord will turn His face towards you and give you peace.

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The pottery and the script are dated to the 7th century BCE (while the First Temple was still standing), to the time of the prophet Jeremiah. The tomb has evidently been in use for several generations from about 650 BCE, towards the end of the First Temple period, and it continued to be used after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/6 BCE.

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The scrolls are the oldest known examples of Biblical text on an archaeological artifact and precede the Dead Sea Scrolls by approximately 400 years.

A few years later, a major reexamination of the scrolls was undertaken by the University of Southern California's West Semitic Research Project, using advanced photographic and computer enhancement techniques which enabled the script to be read more easily and the paleography to be dated with better accuracy. The results confirmed a date immediately prior to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586/7 BCE. The Priestly Blessing amulet is one of the most exciting finds in modern day archaeology. Not only does it validate the Bible, but it gives us an intricate look into the life and times of Ancient Jerusalem.

The two amulets are on display in the Archaeology Wing of the Israel Museum.

The excavation site where the Priestly Blessing was found.

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photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: Ferrell Jenkins

This collection of Priestly Blessing jewelry is inspired by a small silver scroll inscribed with verses from the Priestly Blessing prayer, which was discovered in Ancient Jerusalem.

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Double-Sided Priestly Blessing Sterling Silver Necklace

Priestly Blessing Necklace

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Pool of Siloam/photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: Dudi Vaknin 2

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The Pure-For-God Seal: A Portal to the Past

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Read more about how a small clay object suddenly opened up a portal to the past, giving us a small glimpse into Temple protocol.

photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: Vladimir Naikhin

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He was not onsite at the time of its discovery. A phone call alerted him to the news. They told him that they might be onto something, a small clay object bearing an inscription was found. “So I got in my car and drove to the excavation site immediately", recalls archaeologist Eli Shukrun, who led the Western Wall excavation at the time.

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After arriving on site, he rolled the mysterious object in the palm of his hand. It was made of clay with an inscription in ancient Aramaic – two lines. The object was baked and still held some coloring. The effort put into its creation means it was definitely made with a specific purpose in mind.

The object was found during the sifting of dirt, dating back to the year 1 BCE, that was extracted from the water drainage tunnel beneath the Second Temple Stepped Stone Road, stretching from the Shiloah Pool up to Temple Mount. To be more exact, the dirt was found in the top northern section of the tunnel that tightly passes by the Temple Mount.

One side of the object is shaped like a seal with an enigmatic inscription, and some kind of “handle” on the other, so that one may hold it, “Like a ticket”, Eli explains. The decoded seal revealed an ancient Aramaic text with six letters inscribed on it, spelling out the words, “Deka Leyah”, or "Pure for God." As with most artifacts with a possible Biblical significance, Eli and the team turned to ancient texts for some answers.

The Mishnaic tractate Shekalim deals with this subject.

“Ben Azzai says: There were five [seals] and on them was inscribed in Aramaic…" (Shekalim 5:3).

Does our seal have Aramaic text inscribed on it? Yes, √ checked "If any wished for drink-offerings, he would go to Yohanan who was over the seals and give him money and receive from him a seal; He would then go to Ahiyah who was over the drink offerings and give him the seal and from him receive drink offerings." (Shekalim 5:4) Does our seal look like it can be used as a token or ticket? Yes, √ checked A seal with a very distinct Aramaic inscription, resembling an ancient entry pass, found at the foot of the most revered and holy place in the world, where only the ritually pure could enter. It started to make absolute sense.

The small clay object suddenly opened up a portal to the past, giving us a small glimpse into Temple protocol. And of all the messages and inscriptions one could wish to find in an excavation like this, to help us understand and appreciate the significance and magnanimity of the Temple, this little seal definitely hits the mark.

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Detail of the Pure For God Seal.

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photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: Vladimir Naikhin

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This collection is inspired by a seal, inscribed with the Aramaic words “deka leyah”, meaning “pure for God".

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Pure for God Five Coin Necklace

Pure for God Sterling Silver Necklace

Pure For God Leather Necklace

Pure for God Gold Coin Necklace

Pure for God Coin Silver Necklace

Pure for God Nine Coin Necklace

Pure for God Silver Studs

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Pure for God Bead Necklace

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photo used by permission: City of David/photographer: David Kiern

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a closer look at the fruits of the Spirit

In Galatians 5:22-23, we are given a list of the fruits of the Spirit. They are the guidelines to which we conduct ourselves in our daily walk. These are nine different aspects of Godliness that we must adhere to in order to live to our fullest spiritual potential. They vary slightly, depending on the translation, but the foundational fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

While at first glance, these all look the same, a closer look reveals small differences in their meanings, which translates to differences in their application and implementation. This article is meant to shed light on each of these nine characteristics of holiness, to explore their nuances and minute differences. Anticipation falls under the category of joy.

Anticipation What is it? What does it look like? The modern definition for this word is most often linked to nervously awaiting something. But, what does this word really mean? How do we apply it? And, is there a Scriptural model?

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The dictionary describes anticipation in the following way: 1.

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the act of anticipating* or the state of being anticipated.* realization in advance; foretaste expectation or hope. previous notion; slight previous impression. intuition, foreknowledge, or prescience.

One of the best Scriptural examples of anticipation was written by Paul in Romans 8:22-25. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? But if we hope for that which we don't see, we wait for it with patience.

Anticipation could be described as “Godly waiting” which implies patience, and/or “waiting on God” which implies faith and hope. It is tied to having peace about the future, or something unknown to our physical senses. But, it is also about “focusing.” In the photo to the left, there is a little dog, looking out the window, in what could be assumed as the direction his master departed.

The little dog is eagerly awaiting his return ,so he is focused intently on the point of departure.

Acts 1:9-11 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Yeshua, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky."

This is probably the most prominent example of anticipation in Scripture. We are to watch and wait.

See Micah 7:7, Psalm 5:3, and Matthew 26:38 for more poignant examples of Godly anticipation.

The whole key to the watching and the waiting is to be in such a relationship with our Master that we know He is coming back, based on His love for us.

But, we must have faith in Him while we are waiting.

Luke 18:7-8 says this: Won't God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

dictionary credit

Judah Praise

Our names are more than just what we are called.

God gave names, or changed names, in Scripture, in the lives of those whose names were changed. Do up to the character of that name? Or, do you feel

Hebrew Transliteration: Yehudah Hebrew Spelling: ‫י ְהוּדָ ה‬ Anyone with the name “Judah” can look very much like his namesake in Scripture. Here are a few examples of the characteristics of the name.

Genesis 29:35 She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, "This time will I praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah.

Then she stopped bearing.

Even though Leah was still the “unloved” in Jacob’s eyes, she obviously decided, by the fourth child, that she would praise God. Instead of naming her son after her feelings concerning her marital relationship, she turned her attention to her relationship with God, and named the son accordingly.

Genesis 37:26-27 Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh." His brothers listened to him.

Judah’s character was to not see one of his own relatives killed. He respected the life. His character was also about moving forward, and setting Joseph on the journey that God wanted him to take. As opposed to Reuben, who wanted to rescue him, to return him to his father.

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They can reveal a lot about our character. When it signified that a change was about to take place you have a Scripture-based name? Are you living a name-change is in order?

Genesis 38:25-26 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-inlaw, saying, "By the man, whose these are, I am with child." She also said, "Please discern whose are these—the signet, and the cords, and the staff." Judah acknowledged them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, because I didn't give her to Shelah, my son." He knew her again no more.

It is not a good place for anyone to be, to be caught not playing by their own rules. That’s exactly what happened to Judah in this case. He had to acknowledge that he had wronged another, and recant the judgment he had laid out because of it.

Genesis 43:8-10 Judah said to Israel, his father, "Send the boy with me, and we'll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. 9I'll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don't bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever, 10for if we hadn't delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now."

Even though Judah acted irrationally at times, he took on the role of the firstborn in several situations in Scripture. His character here has him putting his life on the line for his younger brother, Benjamin, taking on all the responsibility for him on the journey to Egypt, and for his safe return.

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TM

Thomas Edison tried a total of two thousand different materials in search of a working filament for the forerunner of the modern-day light bulb. After repeated efforts, his assistant complained, “All of our work has been in vain.

We have learned nothing.”

Edison replied with confidence, “We have come a long way since we began, and we have learned a lot. We know that there are two thousand elements in which we cannot use to make a good light bulb.”

The moral: Nothing is wasted in God’s economy. Whatever work He has started in us, He will finish. And, when finished, just like Edison’s light bulb, it will shed light upon the whole world.

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StoryWorks TM is a trademark of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

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ScrollWorks TM is a trademark of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Those who love you will prosper. __

Psalm 122:6

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VerseWorks TM is a trademark of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

God loves a cheerful giver One from the heart and true.

It's not better to receive but deliver And he will bring blessings to you.

His word is our instruction We should obey His every command He prevents us from a life of destruction By taking us by the hand.

Submit and you will worry no more He will provide for your every need And he will open every door Pray for His will to be done and believe. inspired by II Corinthians 9:6-7 ___

by Jaime Dills 37

by the word of our testimony

Rev.12:11

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Is this really God’s plan for me?

“I don’t want my Mama to be in a shelter on Christmas!”

Those were the parting words of my adult son as he ended our telephone conversation on my ninth day in a domestic violence shelter. My son hoped to arrange with a friend for me to live near him and his family. Yet, here I am, on Christmas Day, spending the day alone in the shelter. Several decades of trying to control people, places, and things rather than submitting to God and His plan for my life had brought me to this point of crisis. And if I had learned nothing else during this season of my life, I have learned that God is sovereign over everything that happens in my life. Therefore, I’m here because God promises in His Word that He works all things together for good (Romans 5:25). Everything that has happened to me in my life has not been good. But God is good and He is at work in my life to make me more like Christ and to make me a blessing to the people He places in my path.

How did I get here?

As a child, I grew up in a home where my father abused alcohol. My mother also had an addictive personality. Her primary addiction early on in my life was my father.

I learned from my mother to control people, places, and things. This dysfunctional pattern was well established in my life after five decades. By the time I met and married my second husband 25 years ago, I was certain that if only he and I thought, said, and did the right things, everything would be alright. But everything hasn’t been alright. For 25 years, my husband was verbally, psychologically, and spiritually abusive. When we were dating, I was so desperate to get away from my dysfunctional family, to be loved, and to avoid being alone, that I allowed the abuse.

During our marriage, I had pursued an education, recovery from childhood abuse, and God. In my recovery from childhood abuse, I learned about setting boundaries and started to apply it in my marriage. I thought I had seen some improvement over the years, but the abuse still continued. We moved back to my husband’s hometown in 2007, and for the first time ever during our marriage, I became an active member of a local church—without my husband. It seemed to me that my husband dialed back the abuse because I then had a support system. But, eventually, his anger caught up with him at work and he was referred for counseling. Since I assumed that either my husband or his counselor would pull me into the picture at some point, I connected to a counselor for myself as well. My counselor has worked with me to teach me how to thrive in spite of the difficult people in my life, and she recommended a twelve-step program for me.

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For three months, I worked the steps, attended the meetings, and read the literature of my program. In the process, I learned how to walk more closely with God on a daily basis, how to admit my powerlessness over the people, places, and things that I was either obsessive or compulsive about, and how to turn everyone and everything over to God because He alone is sovereign. My husband noticed and commented on the change in me. He even tried using my recovery tools in a difficult situation at his job and discovered that it helped him too. But five days after my three month twelve-step program birthday, something changed in me. I had been trying for three months to stay in unhealthy, dysfunctional systems and it wasn’t working, so I started walking away.

That Sunday morning, my Sunday school class members did not seem interested in closing our lesson with prayer, so I walked away. That evening, my husband was in an especially bad mood and was even more demanding than usual. He asked my opinion about something and became verbally abusive when I answered honestly. When I tried to walk away from the verbal abuse, he pursued me. I didn’t even know he was behind me until I closed the door and he punched or kicked it open to yell at me and ridicule me even more. When he stepped back, I closed the door to just sit quietly for a few minutes, but my husband stood outside the door to yell, ridicule, and name call. After he called me a “crazy heifer,” he went back into the den to watch television. I came out of the room to gather my purse and keys so that I could just get out of the house for a little while. When my husband realized what I was doing, he started to yell and mock me. “Get out!

Leave!” he said. It was after 10 pm, and I didn’t have anywhere to go. But, I just drove.

Eventually I decided to go shopping. I needed some groceries, and the store was open late. I took my time but only picked up a few things. By the time I left the parking lot, an hour had passed. I returned home and put the groceries away before going to bed. My husband ignored me. The next morning, he tried to pretend like nothing had happened the night before.

He got up early and watched television for several hours. He had an important errand to run and had to be at work at 11 a.m. When he got home from running his errand at 10:30 a.m., he expected me to get him ready for work. I refused to rescue him from a problem he had created. For three months, I had been telling him that I would not do anything for him that he could do for himself. When I refused to help him, he became verbally abusive again and said that I was making him late for work. I listened quietly to the verbal abuse that morning; it lasted about 30 minutes. After my husband left for work, I gathered the things I knew I would need. After I packed, someone I trusted picked me up and dropped me off at the DV Shelter. Once again, I walked away.

What has my life been like in the shelter?

I spent the first two days of my new life in the hospital. I had to be transported by ambulance to the emergency room the night I arrived at the shelter. I was admitted so that a heart attack and a stroke could be ruled out. The tests were normal, so my symptoms were caused by my broken heart and broken spirit. I was released on Wednesday, so I longed to go to church and to my twelvestep group meeting. But I didn’t have transportation to either. Then I set my sights on getting to church on Sunday morning. Still, I had no transportation. At that point, no one had said anything outright, but I had the impression that my church family was distancing themselves from me, and I was devastated.

A couple of staff members at the shelter encouraged me, telling me that sometimes churches in my denomination would just drop by on Saturdays to see if anyone wanted to go to church on Sunday. Sure enough, Saturday evening a door to a church opened when a woman from a church within my denomination called to invite the shelter clients for popcorn and a movie. I was reading and almost didn’t go, but a housemate suggested that it might be a way for me to get to church the next morning.

The youth pastor picked me up and we watched a Christian movie with about 20 children while a handful of adults and teens tried (unsuccessfully) to monitor the children. At the end of the movie, the youth pastor loaded up the kids, introduced me to his wife, and promised to be back for me. A couple I had met previously recognized me and offered to give me a ride. The pastor’s wife accepted on my behalf so that I wouldn’t have to wait for the pastor. On the drive to the shelter, I mentioned to the couple that I wanted to attend church the next morning. No invitation or offer to transport me was extended when the couple dropped me off, so I let it go. However, Sunday morning, I got up and got ready for church just in case any church sent someone by to take someone at the shelter to church. No one came.

That Sunday night, my guardian angel, who is an active member of a church in a different denomination, picked me up for something unrelated to church, and I poured out my heart to her. I longed for corporate worship and fellowship with other believers and I needed it more at that moment in my life than I ever had before. I knew that the Church I longed for is biblically sound, Holy Spirit filled, and community conscious. God had used this same woman to guide me in different ways on several occasions. He had recently brought her back into my life again, and she had been one of the few people I had called when I went to the DV shelter. She had responded to my call in several practical ways. One of the ways she had responded was to bring invitations to her church’s Christmas Eve outreach meal. Therefore, when I expressed my desire to go to church, the door was open for her to invite me to her church. However, she not only invited me to church, she also offered to give me a ride.

What have I learned from this experience?

This is what I’ve learned: God is sovereign and His timing is perfect. This was the perfect time for me to be right where I am because, otherwise, I might have missed God’s clear directions for me. What were God’s directions for me in this situation?

First, when my husband told me to get out, it was time to go to the shelter. Second, I was not to criticize or blame any individual or institution for my situation because God was at work in my life through this hardship. Third, I was to attend a Church that is biblically sound, Holy Spirit led, and community conscious. Fourth, I was to contact my daughter from the shelter. She confirmed this by telling me of a dream she’d had the night before. She said in the dream, I was crying and would not tell her why. Fifth, when I felt that my church had distanced themselves from me, I was not to criticize or harbor bitterness but to “move on.” Sixth, when my guardian angel invited me to church and offered to pick me up, in spite of the fact that it was a different denomination, God’s response was, “Yes, that’s where I want you to go.”

Seventh, when I attended the early service and met other people who were broken and displaced, like me, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “This is that biblically sound, Holy Spirit led, community conscious church I told you about.” Finally, when I attended Sunday school class for the first time that morning and Rebecca Matthews heard my testimony and asked me to tell my story, the Holy Spirit said, “Write.”

Is this really God’s plan for me?

Yes! I’m here today to receive guidance from my Heavenly Father that I might otherwise have completely missed. And I’m here today to tell my story to a new, global audience because domestic violence is a global problem.

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Juvena McMahan

A Journey to

Scripture talks about darkness at several different junctures, alluding to spiritual darkness more often than the period between sunset and sunrise. What can we learn from these references? What do they mean?

Any scientist will tell us that darkness is not a thing unto itself, but is the absence of light.

But, other than literal darkness and light, what else does it represent? According to Hebrew definitions, this is literal darkness, as well as figurative; it is misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, and wickedness.

We’ve all groped around in the dark for a flashlight when the power has suddenly gone out. We have experienced that both literally and tangibly. It is a good representation of our spiritual life until we receive Yeshua~the Light. Until then, we grope around in this world of spiritual darkness.

John 8:12: Then Yeshua again spoke to them, saying, I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. What is the “light of life”, and what does it mean?

The Greek word used for light-phao-means to shine, or make manifest. One Greek word used for life-zaos-is our life, or lifetime, both literal In short, it means death, and we have and figurative. The other Greek word for life is nothing. psuche, which means soul, life, self. From this there are 3 Greek words that have a direct Hebrew counterpart: Greek:pneuma: breath, spirit Hebrew:ruwach: breath, wind, spirit Greek:psucho: immortal soul Hebrew:nephesh: a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion Greek:zoe: vitality Hebrew:chay: age, alive, living In short, it means life, and we have everything.

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You Have No Power Over Me

Almost everyone knows who David Bowie was~the pop-culture icon with one blue eye and one brown. A few years ago he starred in a movie, along with Jennifer Connolly and some of Jim Henson's Muppets. When my girls were young, they would watch it often. Only recently have I seen the analogy of a spiritual journey hidden in the storyline: how we meet the enemy face to face, to "take back the child that [he] has stolen."

In the movie, Jennifer's character, Sarah, wishes the Goblin King (Bowie) would come and take her little brother, Toby, so she~a thespian wanna-be~ can continue her acting without the responsibility of looking after her baby brother. Once he is taken, she realizes her mistake, and sets out on a journey to get him back through the evil fantasy-land created by the Goblin King. Along the way, she meets a myriad of characters, some sent to hinder her progress, and some of the most unlikeliest of characters that risk 'The Bog of Stench' to help her.

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In a very symbolic way, this movie depicts the spiritual battle that goes on in almost every Christian's life at one time or another. We, in our humanistic rebellious state of mind, are greedy, selfish, with no compassion or empathy for others who get in the way of our 'dream.' In turning away the innocent, and shirking our responsibility, we 'banish' them to a 'dark place.'

Then, when the convictions hits us of the wrong we have done, we begin a journey to, not only to correct our mistake, but during the quest, realize our own strengths and weaknesses. Those weaknesses can then be used to make us stronger through the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. With God on our side, we can pursue the captor through every type of terrain. (Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?)

Near the end of the movie, when it looks like all hope is lost, Sarah remembers the line she had been rehearsing when the baby was taken. She realizes that it is the key to the whole search, and in speaking it out, will rescue the child, and win the war over the Goblin King. Jesus tells us that He gives us power over the enemy. (Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.)

Paul tells us we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Roman 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.)

We have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us; therefore, we can say to the enemy: 'You have no power over me.'

see more of my blogs at My Story...My Walk

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What does this picture say to you?

Do you feel alone in a cold, cruel world?

Does your world seem as if it has been covered over by a blanket of silence?

Does your heart feel as cold as the world around you?

Are you walking alone on this journey called life?

Is there parts of the world around you that seems to be frozen time?

Do you yearn for the spiritual winter season in your life to come to an end, so that a spring can blossom?

Sometimes in life we face times of trial, tribulation, and just plain hard times. Sometimes, it is hard to see the end of that kind of season. It seems that we have lived in spiritual white-out and blizzard conditions for such a long time that our heart grows colder and aligns itself with the world around us. But, there is hope. Whatever winter season we are facing in our lives, keep looking toward the spring that God will bring. That is when the seed in you that has been lying dormant will sprout and begin to grow.

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