Genesis 4:25-26 God made a way where there seemingly was no way!

God made a way where there was no way. In Jesus,  the  Jews Redeemer King, in God’s grace, His gift of the Savior of the world. All who believe in Him can be saved.

Matthew 16:13-4 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Jesus is all God and all man. He is both deity and human in Himself He could take on the sins of mankind because He is both all God-all man. Even after all the miracles that He did the Scribes, the Pharisees and even the common Jew still rejected Him. They were looking for a warrior King and instead He came as the suffering servant. Only the Father opens our eyes to the truth of Jesus and the salvation that He alone can give. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom to His chosen which is under the Law. They failed to recognize who He was. 

Luke 18:31-34 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. 33 They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” 34 But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.

Who is this Jesus of Nazareth? He is God our risen Savior. This was hidden from those who followed Him and would only be revealed to them after His resurrection. The only begotten Son of God would be crucified for the sins of the world. 

Romans 15:8-13 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.” 10 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” 11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!” 12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is hope to the world that He created. He came to fulfill the promises made to the forefathers and to all who would choose to accept Him as their  Savior. As gentiles we enter into this mystery through adoption by our faith in Him. In Jesus there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free. We live and breathe in the grace of God.

1 Corinthians 2:7-13 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Romans 3:1-2 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not!

God began His journey with mankind with the Jewish people. It will end with them in the return of their Redeemer King. The promises  given to Abraham, in Jesus the Christ, and all things prophesied of Him will then be fulfilled.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

Genesis 4:25-26 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.

Out of the lineage of Seth the Savior would come. Jesus would put an end to the curse of Adam and Eve by His birth, death and resurrection. He is the risen Savior of the world. In Jesus it is finished and will be finalized in His return. Carla

The Hebrew name sheth derives from a verb that means “to put,” “to place,” or “to set.” This subtly relates to the idea that the birth of Seth compensates for the loss of Abel. When not a proper name, the Hebrew noun sheth may be translated as “foundation,” since a foundation is itself set or put in place (Psalms 11:3). Faithlife Study Bible

And Adam knew his wife again: These words recall the opening words of the section of verse 1 and bring the section to its conclusion. After the long, sad digression about Cain and his descendants, we return to Adam and Eve and their new progeny. With the death of Abel in verse 8 and the expulsion of Cain Adam and Eve had no son to carry on their line for good and for the promise of the Messiah. 

Hence the importance of the birth of Seth. His name is related to a Hebrew verb meaning “to place” or “to set” for he was appointed to take the place of the murdered son in the plan of God. 

The birth of Enosh meant that the line of Seth would continue; the promise of the Lord (3:15) would not be forgotten. Began to call on the name of the Lord: These words can hardly mean that only now did people begin to pray to God. Rather, the verb call means “to make proclamation.” That is, this is the beginning of preaching, of witnessing, and testifying in the name of the Lord (12:8). The NKJV Study Bible.

Psalm 116:17 

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,

And will call upon the name of the LORD.

Zephaniah 3:9 

“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language,

That they all may call on the name of the LORD,

To serve Him with one accord.

Luke 3:38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Genesis 12:8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 

Genesis 26:25 So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Even in this day and age, some still hold erroneous views about women being less-than. But Jesus Himself flipped this belief on its head.

Even the lineage of Jesus reveals the significance God places on women: Ancient genealogies usually included only male ancestors, but Jesus' genealogy in Matthew 1 pointedly lists several women (including Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba and Mary). First5 

I know that we feel like we are banging our heads in a world of onslaught, of social media and news reports. But lit candles are still real. And they still spill light. And they still make a difference.

And the good news is that we are not standing alone.

So. “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”

(This is a loose translation of commentary on a portion of the Pirke Avot, which is itself a commentary on Micah 6:8, Rabbi Rami Shapiro)

Let’s give A.J. Muste the last word, "When I am willing to cross the line of how much I think I can love, I am changed. When I am more in touch with what I love than what I fear, I take a stand. My prayer is that more and more of us, on behalf of all children, will use the energy of a mother to touch the seeds of courage and love within us for the sake of the world."

Not a bad thought (prayer) to carry with us on this Valentine's Day. Peace and blessings, and the healing power of love, to all. Sabbath Moments

Galatians 2:14-21 The saving Grace of God in Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For  I delivered to you first of all that  which I also received: that Christ died for our sins  according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day  according to the Scriptures, 5  and that He was seen by  Cephas, then  by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have  fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then  by all the apostles. 8  Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

Jesus and the 12 Apostles ministered to the Jewish believers. Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was given the mystery hidden that salvation would come, not only to the Jews, but also to the world in God’s dispensation of grace.

Acts 15:1-5 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. 3 So,  being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria,  describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. 4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

Paul contended with the Jewish believers in Christ. The Pharisees, the legalistic branch of the believing Jews, wanted to bring them into the law of Moses. The 12 Apostles had a very hard time believing that all of humanity could enter into eternal life by faith in Jesus the Christ.

Galatians 2:14-21 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about  the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter  before them all,  “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews,  why do you compel Gentiles to live as  Jews? 15  We who are Jews by nature, and not  sinners of the Gentiles, 16  knowing that a man is not  justified by the works of the law but  by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not  by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found  sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I  through the law  died to the law that I might  live to God. 20 I have been  crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh  I live by faith in the Son of God,  who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for  if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died  in vain.”

Jesus nailed the law to the Cross of His salvation. In Him, through faith in Him, we are no longer embroiled in the traditions of men. In Him we are free from the Law and enter by faith. We trust in Holy Spirit to do what we cannot. We are no longer bound in the Old Testament Law that was a shadow of the things to come and in itself had no power to save.  Christ within is our hope to His glory.

Galatians 1:6-10 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For  do I now  persuade men, or God? Or  do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

We now live, not by the letter of the Law, but under the guidance of Holy Spirit who will teach us all things pertaining to our salvation in Jesus. Jesus died for our sins that we could live free from them. We now live in our love for God and  in the freedom that only Jesus can give us. We were created for good works to show others the love of God for His creation. John 3:16

Revelation 22:19-21 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. I Am Coming Quickly 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be  with you all. Amen.

Nothing can separate  believers in the love and grace of God in Christ and in the power of Holy Spirit who can establish us in our salvation. God knows the heart of mankind and loves us in spite of it. We heard the Gospel of Grace and we believed. It is finished!  Carla

Paul uses this phrase in Galatians to describe actions that violate the truthfulness of the gospel message (Galatians 25; Ephesians  1:13; Colossians 1:5). By withdrawing from meals with Gentiles, Peter and Barnabas effectively returned to life under the law and discredited the gospel’s promise of freedom in Christ. Peter, an ethnic Jew who followed Jewish food laws (Acts 10:14; Leviticus 11), began to practice table fellowship with Gentile believers on account of the revelation that God can make all people clean (Acts 10:15, 34–35). Peter’s actions demonstrate the irrelevancy of the law for those “in Christ.” 

Gentiles to live like Jews expresses the aim of Judaizers to force non-Jewish believers to observe certain aspects of the law. Judaizers insisted that Gentile Christians be circumcised, obey food laws, and observe calendar cycles in accordance with the law. In Galatians 2:14, Paul accuses Peter of trying to “judaize” the Gentiles, using a Greek verb meaning “live in a Jewish way.” Josephus uses the word to describe how a Roman soldier captured by the Jews during the revolt (ad 66–70) avoided execution by promising to be circumcised and live as a Jew. 

Paul believed Gentile followers of Jesus were not required to become Jewish in that sense because the gospel transcended ethnic and social boundaries. This captures the attitude of most Jewish people of the time toward Gentiles. From the Jewish point of view, a sinner is a person who does not live by the law. Because the Gentiles were not given the law, they are sinners by default (Romans 2:17–29). 

Paul’s notion of justification can be interpreted as an ethical transformation that makes a person righteous or as a forensic transaction by which a person is declared righteous and acquitted. 

Paul likely has both aspects in mind: Those who place saving trust in Christ are declared righteous by God and become righteous. Refers primarily to requirements of the law that Jews observed to preserve their ethnic identity and honor their covenantal obligations (dietary laws, circumcision, etc.). The works of the law  also might describe legalistic observance of these requirements to gain favor before God. 

Paul recognized the significance of these works for those under the law, but insists they have no value when it comes to justification (Galatians 5:6). Faith in Jesus Christ refers to the believer’s saving trust in what God has done through Christ or, possibly, to the faithfulness of Christ. Paul contrasts faith in Christ with the works of law that are described in chapters 3–4. 

From the Jewish perspective, being without the law means being a sinner. According to this view, if Paul teaches that justification in Christ requires that one abandon the law—and thus become a sinner—then Christ must be a promoter of sin. Paul addresses this quandary in the following verse. Paul preached a law-free gospel that did not require non-Jewish people to observe the law. If his words or actions suggested that law observance was necessary for salvation, he would be contradicting that gospel. Christ’s death and resurrection frees believers from the law and its curse. Paul does not refer here to physical death, but to the death of his former self (Ephesians 4:22). 

Paul’s understanding of union with Christ begins with the cross of Christ. This enables Paul to endure shame, contempt, and false accusations like Jesus, God’s Suffering Servant (Colossians 1:24; Philippians 1:29). 

Crucified with Christ refers to new life in Christ as well as the presence of God’s Spirit, which empowers obedience to the gospel (Galatians  3:2; 4:6; 5:16–18, 22–25). The Son of God,Paul’s title for Jesus, anticipates the parallels he will draw between slavery and the law, as well as sonship and promise (4:4–7). 

Faith in the Son of God transforms a person from a slave to a child of God. Paul describes the sacrificial love of Christ in personal terms. Christ’s willingness to die on behalf of sinners brings deliverance from the power of sin for those believe in Him (1:4). The grace of God suggests that Paul’s opponents had accused him of using God’s grace to justify unrighteous living. Faithlife Study Bible

Peter’s hypocritical example implied that Gentiles had to behave like Jews in order to receive God’s grace. Thus, Peter was not being straightforward about the truth of the gospel of God’s grace. It had already been decided (verse 1–5) that it was not proper to compel Gentiles to live as Jews because salvation was through faith alone. The NKJV Study Bible

Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 

Romans 3:20–31 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets…

Romans 7:4–6 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death…

Psalm 143:2 

Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,

For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 We live in the grace of God!

God intervenes in the lives of us who believe in Jesus. Until the dispensation of His grace, we, who were not Jews, could not enter into the covenants given to Abraham. Through Jesus we are adopted into His Body…

Matthew 10:5-7 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 

Acts 2:36-40 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this,  they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them,  “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the  remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and  to your children, and  to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 4:10-12 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel,  that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified,  whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the  ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 9:15-16  But the Lord said to him, “Go, for  he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before  Gentiles,  kings, and the  children  of Israel. 16 For  I will show him how many things he must suffer for My  name’s sake.”

God loves the world that He created and made a way, where there was no way, for all of us to enter into eternal life with Him. The gift of salvation without works was revealed to Paul. His life’s work was to reveal this mystery hidden to the all who would believe.

Acts 10:11-16  Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord!  For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time,  “What God has  cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

God revealed to Peter that it was His plan that in Jesus the world could be saved. In Him alone all of humankind is invited to partake of this mystery hidden from the beginning of time. It was hard for Peter to accept that, not only Israel, but the rest of humanity could be saved.

Acts 10:34-36 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—

Acts 11:9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’

We are only saved by our faith in Jesus Christ. In Him God fulfilled His promise to Abraham that in him the world would be blessed.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For  I delivered to you first of all that  which I also received: that Christ died for our sins  according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day  according to the Scriptures,

Only  faith in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, all God and all man, are we saved. He died for our sins and reconciled us to the Father.  He is the only way to Him.

Law and grace do not mix. It is in the unmerited and undeserved grace of God, His gift, that we are saved. Carla

Paul’s gospel to the Corinthians centered on the physical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God who became human yet never sinned (Galatians 1:6–10). Paul had started the Corinthian church; the gospel that the Corinthians had originally received came from him. Paul did not originate the proclamation of Jesus that he delivered to the Corinthians; he simply gave the Corinthians what he himself had received. He viewed himself as a link in a long chain of witnesses to the truth of the death and resurrection of Christ. Christ died for our sins. Christ’s death dealt decisively with our sins. He suffered in our place to endure the just wrath of God against us. 

Christ lived and died in accordance with the prophecies about Him in the Old Testament (Psalms 16:10; Isaiah 53:8–10). The Resurrection verifies the fact that Christ’s death paid the full price for sin. The Greek term translated rose here is in the perfect tense, emphasizing the ongoing effects of this historical event. Christ is a risen Savior today. The NKJV Study Bible

In the following verses, Paul gives a brief sketch of the gospel he preached. Believers experience salvation in part now (in the sense of beginning their relationship with Christ without the burden of sin standing between them and God), but this salvation will be complete when Christ returns and they are unified with God for eternity. Paul emphasizes the continuity of his message with the early church’s teaching. Faithlife Study Bible

Acts 26:22–23 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

Acts 2:24–32 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him:‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face,For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken…

Psalm 16:8–11 

I have set the LORD always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will rest in hope…

Hosea 6:2 

After two days He will revive us;

On the third day He will raise us up,

That we may live in His sight.

…through the coming of the Messiah, believers from all nations are now invited into God's family (Matthew 28:19)! First5

The teaching of rabbi Jesus is simple: Love God. Love neighbor. Love self. Love period...

In order to live a moral life, a good life we must commit to a life of love that means seeing all the things. See your neighbor suffering and do something about it. See a stranger laboring under a heavy load and help out. See lies spoken and shared in social media and call foul. Friend, you are the only one standing where you stand, seeing what you see, with your vantage point, your story. Sabbath Moments