Shabbat Word
22/08/2020
Shabbat Shalom!
Psalm 91:1-16
91:1) He who dwells in the secret place of Ha`Elyon,
Will rest in the shadow of Shaddai.
91:2) I will say of Yahuah,
“He is my refuge and my fortress; My `Elohiym, in whom I trust.”
91:3) For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
91:4) He will cover you with His feathers.
Under His wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
91:5) You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day;
91:6) Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
91:7) A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it will not come near you.
91:8) You will only look with your eyes,
And see the recompense of the wicked.
91:9) Because you have made Yahuah your refuge,
And Ha`Elyon your dwelling place,
91:10) No evil shall happen to you,
Neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
91:11) For He will give His angels charge over you,
To guard you in all your ways.
91:12) They will bear you up in their hands,
So that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
91:13) You will tread on the lion and cobra.
You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.
91:14) “Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him.
I will set him on high, because he has known my name.
91:15) He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will deliver him, and honour him.
91:16) I will satisfy him with long life,
And show him my salvation (yeshu`ah).”
A Word
Hotter than the hobs of hell
Seafarers have many colourful expressions to describe a variety of things. Usually these are absurd similes or metaphors (using as and like); the more absurd the better. If a place was very hot, it was described as being ‘hotter than the hobs of hell’. This is obviously ridiculous as I do not think that there will be any cooking in hell (a hob was the fire grate on which meals were cooked) and no one knows just how hot it is down there.
One trip on the M.V. Cufic in January 1977, the ship was transitting the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Although the temperature was only in the high thirties degrees Celsius, the humidity was over ninety percent making sweating difficult and sleep impossible. Usually the air conditioning would be able to cope with this, but it was required for refrigerated cargo duties. Coming across the Pacific Ocean, we all could leave our portholes and doors open allowing the cool sea air to help us. Unfortunately all doors and portholes had to be closed to keep out all the mosquitoes (and local bandits) or be bitten alive.
Hell is not like this: it is worse.
Another such occasion was in the boiler room of the S.S. Kayeson, the one and only trip I did on a steam ship. I was on it during the summer of 1977, running between Mexico and Texas and the Mississippi River. The outside temperature was in the mid forties degrees and the ‘cooler’ parts of the engineroom were in the mid fifties. As soon as I entered, the sweat just poured out in a feeble effort to keep me cool. Everything was hot to the touch, and even the air was hot, drying out my throat and nose at every breath.
Hell is not like this either: it is worse.
So what will hell be like?
My idea of Hell (as a place of eternal punishment) can be best equated to Cueva de los Cristales – Cave of Crystals. Massive crystals have formed but, although they are beautiful in appearance, are razor sharp and highly dangerous (as sin is attractive to Mankind but draws us into immortal danger). This is found in the lead and silver mines of Naico, Mexico. The cave was discovered 300 metres below the surface having temperatures above 45 Celsius with 100% humidity. The Humidex Factor allows for a 10 minute exposure before serious health problems arise, but the cave is also high toxic due to the lead presence. Without artificial lighting, the cave would be completely lightless. The heat is attributed to the proximity of an up-swelling of a magma chamber (www.channel.nationalgeographic.com). Unlike many artists and writers descriptions of hell, there will be no fires as we know them as there will be complete darkness (Jude 1:13b). One will not be able to see their hand in front of their face.
Hell is not like this either: it is far, far worse. In fact, the worst Man can think, hell is even more horrific than this.
There will be unquenchable thirst, constant hunger, open wounds with flies laying eggs and maggots crawling under the skin, wailing and gnashing of teeth. However, even this does not plummet the depths of torment awaiting all people who have died in a state of unrepentant sin. I believe that people will be able to hear loved ones in a similar state of torment yet unable to help them. As well as this, there will be eternal flashbacks to all the times that the person heard preachers calling them or giving out leaflets urging them to turn back to Yahuah and accept His salvation through His Son, Messiah Yeshua.
Are you one of these?
“Yahuah is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). Nevertheless, His patience is not limitless. There will be a time when His longsuffering will run out. Hegives all people every chance to turn away from their sin and seek His mercy. This can only happen when a person is alive. Once death has claimed them, it is too late. Judgement will be passed and the sentence of eternal punishment carried out.
“Then He (Messiah Yeshua) will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and its angels;’” (Matt. 25:41).
Why would you want to follow the Satan into Hell?
“As Moshe lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For Yahuah so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For Yahuah did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” (John 3:14-17). Every opportunity has been given for a person to acknowledge their sin, and that only the shed blood and death upon the cross at Golgotha, can take away this sin.
Yahuah is so angry and hell is such a bad place because all who end up there do so because they have ignored the sacrifice of His only Son. What agony it must have been for the Father to watch His only Son suffer and die for a person’s sin, only for it to be dismissed as a load of religious myth.
Do you want to go to hell and eternal torment? Or do you want to go to heaven and eternal peace?
Do you want to carry on in your sin for a few years? Or do you want to seek Yahuah’s salvation through His Son.
The choice is yours.
Please do not let His death be wasted for you.
Halleluyah
Ameyn
Father, we thank you for the power of your Word and that Word was made flesh in the Messiah Yeshua so that in believing in His life, death and resurrection we may have eternal life with you.
If you want to accept Father’s offer of salvation through the Messiah Yeshua, you need to ask Him in prayer along these lines. You may use these or your own words but they must be genuine as Father knows our very hearts and nothing is hidden from Him.
“Father, I am a sinner who needs forgiveness of my sins through your Son, the Messiah Yeshua. Please forgive me of all my past sins as I accept that, Messiah Yeshua my Saviour, has taken upon Himself my punishment. By your Spirit, help me to live a life worthy of His sacrifice. Thank you, Father, for making the perfect way back to you.”
Remember, the Judge looks into your heart, mind and future.
If you have honestly said such a prayer as this, and truly renounced the sin in your life and accepted Father’s salvation through the Messiah Yeshua, then please drop us an e-mail or call us at FGA to let us know. This helps build up our faith and offers an opportunity to prayerfully support you. Even if you have Believing friends or family, we at FGA would be privileged to pray for you. Please contact us at ezra710@firstgenerationassembly.com. Having believed and prayed, now please find a local faith-based church to attend. Drop FGA an e-mail or call us so that we can rejoice with you and pray and support you over the coming weeks.
If you have sincerely called out to Father for forgiveness, then eternal life is assured. Salvation does not take away the day-to-day questions of life, nor is it a short-cut away from trials or tribulations. Nevertheless, knowing your eternal life is secure, any temporary trial can be overcome by looking at the completed work of Messiah Yeshua.
All blessings to you.
“Can a man scoop fire into his lap,
And his clothes not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be scorched?” (Prov. 6:27, 28).
Breaking Matzah
Our Saviour welcomes all His Family to join in this memorial. If you have accepted Messiah Yeshua as your Master and Saviour please take the next few moments to seek Father and to ensure that all is right between Him and you and between you and your Brothers and Sisters. If not, please put this right before continuing.
If you have not yet accepted Him into your life, then we encourage you to seek Him while it is still possible, as time is running out. When He returns or if you pass away then it will be too late. Please do not partake of the matzah and wine as in doing so, it gives thanks for the broken body (matzah) and shed blood (wine) for and a witness of salvation.
On the night of the Master’s betrayal, He took the matzah, blessed it and broke it saying ‘This is my Body broken for you; take and eat it as a memorial to Me.’
Bless the matzah saying: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the Universe, who brings forth matzah from the earth.
Break and eat the matzah (sharing it if within a group setting):
After the meal He took the Cup, blessed it saying ‘This is my Blood poured out for you for the remission of sins; take and drink it as a memorial to me.’
Bless the wine saying: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Drink the wine (sharing it if within a group setting):
Thanksgiving prayer: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the universe, who gives us, in Yeshua, all that we will ever need. In your lovingkindness and mercy, you rebuild broken lives. You bless us, in Yeshua, with a perfect blessing. Ameyn.
Please note the up-and-coming special days.
19/09/2020 – Rosh Chodesh 7th. New Moon.
19/09/2020 – Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah
Father willing, we will meet again next Shabbat.
“Y’varekh’kha Yahuah v’yishmerekha,
Ya’er Yahuah panav eleikha vichunekka,
Yissa Yahuah panav eleikha v’yasem l’kha shalom.”
(May Yahuah bless you and keep you)
(May Yahuah make His face to shine upon you and show you His favour)
(May Yahuah lift up His face toward you and give you peace.).
First Generation Assembly 