Musing – Does Everything in God’s Creation Have an Adversary?

 Hebraic Musing – Does Everything in God’s Creation Have an Adversary?

Did you ever notice that all of God’s creatures seem to have an adversary; and if that were not the case, the earth would surely be over-populated.  Ants, spiders, chickens, zebras, etc. would all have taken over by now, but they all have adversaries that keep their populations in check.

Johanna* postulated – “Of course, everything was created by Elohim.  Somewhere in the midst of creation, the Adversary was created to oppose Him and to give mankind a choice.”  Our Bible tells us how this adversary came about.  “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7-9 NKJV   Thus, God’s allowed His most treasured creation, us human beings, to also have an adversary to wrestle with.  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

Then Johanna points out our two choices.  “It is becoming obvious in our culture that all people need to choose to follow either Yehovah or the enemy.  It seems more and more people are choosing to follow the Adversary and evil is more and more blatant with pastors and churches going along with the secular culture and even arguing for a right to do what is blatantly forbidden in the Bible.  We are to love the sinner, but we still need to encourage them to repent of their sins and become born anew.” 

And then she gets into a critical topic – “The family is to be the basic building block of society, and to care for the widow, orphan and stranger.  Now intact families range from 85% among Asians to 36% of Black families. Yet, every child needs the love of a father and a mother to grow up healthy.  Conceiving a child is supposed to follow a legal commitment of the father and mother, but our culture has perverted sex into recreation without responsibility and if a child happens to be conceived, just kill the child, or allow the child to live, then use the child for your pleasure, as led by Satan.”  These are heart-breaking statistics and results.  I have asked a few schoolteachers “How many of the children go home to BOTH of their original parents?”  The answer seems to be less than 10%!

Johanna is not finished – “There has always been evil, but it used to be done in the dark, in secret.  Now evil demands public approval.  Many have caved, giving acceptance and approval to evil.  Those who renounce evil need to stand together on the truths of the Bible, regardless of society.  (Her final point) Mankind is the only creation capable of choosing evil.  Those following Satan accuse us of hatred.  Yes, we hate the sin, but we are to love the sinner.”

My response

This needs to be shared.  We clearly have an adversary limiting the spread of the Gospel; therefore, we Christians need to know our enemy and fight the battle daily.  We are to put on the Whole Armor of God and be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints...” Ephesians 6:18 NKJV

Points to Ponder

The battles are published daily in the “News”; do we know & recognize our enemy?

What should we be doing to win converts away from the Adversary to join His Kingdom? 
A - “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark16:15

“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:17-18 NKJV

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                    August 29, 2023
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   

*  Copied & edited from Johanna Hocker’s “Everything in Creation has an Adversary?” August 10, 2023
      Her weekly emails are available on request.

Musing – Who’s the Shortest Man in the Bible?

 Hebraic Musing – Who’s the Shortest Man in the Bible?

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Even the children will say it was Zacchaeus, based on Luke’s account:
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. Luke 19:1-5 NIV  
My children came home from church singing this song:
♫ Zaccheus was a wee, little man, And a wee, little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree,  For the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior came that way,  He looked up in the tree,
Spoken: And he said, "Zaccheus, you come down from there,"
For I'm going to your house today.  For I'm going to your house today. ♫

It is about time that an Hebraic Musing became Amusing, so...

There was a shorter man in the Bible; he wrote a whole Old Testament book.  His name was Nehemiah.
  AKA - Knee-High Miah.

But there was yet another man who was even shorter.  Ever hear of this man in Job 8:1-2? 
Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: ‘How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind.
  AKA - Bildad the Shoe-Height.

Believe it or not, there was a man in Matthew 26:36-41 who was even shorter than Bildad!
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”   Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Obviously, the shortest man in the Bible was Peter, because he slept on his watch!

Points to Ponder

Now I know why my children enjoyed going to Sunday School!!!

Can “messages” and “groaners” like this wake up a Sunday School class?

Seriously though, don’t sleep on your watch.

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                    August 22, 2023
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   

Musing – Have Some “Professing Christians” only been Vaccinated?

 Hebraic Musing – Have Some “Professing Christians” only been Vaccinated?

What is a “Vaccination” in simple terms?  Vaccines contain dead or weakened forms of germs to train the immune system to create antibodies which reject and keep one from getting the full disease.  Vaccines’ produce an immune response that is often similar to that produced by the natural infection.  With vaccination, however, the recipient is not subjected to the actual disease and its risk of potential complications.

In-other-words – “To be vaccinated is to get just enough of the real thing so you build resistance to the full disease.”  Does that sound like the status of “Professing Christians” who have not actually made Jesus their Lord, but they claim to be “saved” and they claim to be “Christians”?

Sharing of one’s “salvation testimony” has been the most powerful witnessing tool I’ve experienced.  And asking a “professing Christian” to share their “moment of salvation” has become a telling way to determine whether they have really had a moment when “Jesus became their Lord.”  This criteria has worked for me over the years and becomes clear during the sharing of testimonies.  I look for the words in one’s testimony that describe that moment that “Jesus came into their life” or a similarly described “life-changing moment.”  We have frequently experienced praying for “Professing Christians” who could not express a testimony of their salvation experience; BUT after being led in prayer, they did receive and experience that “Moment.”  And then they “testified” of that moment from that day forward.

I have said many times - “People argue with my teachings, and they even argue with my preaching; but nobody can argue with my testimony.”  And our Bible says:

·         “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV   One does not forget that life-changing moment!

·         “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—” Acts 10:36 NKJV    NIV mentions Savior 24 X; but mentions Lord 580 X.

·         “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24    That’s what happens when one gets the full disease.  (>:

·         “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30 NKJV   This is a reminder from our Lord, Jesus.  

So, when we accept Jesus as our Lord, we are dying to ourselves in order to live for Him.  How do we do that?  We will love God with all our hearts, which means we use our time, energy, talents, and resources to keep His commandments since we recognize He is Lord over all.   And the definition of “all” is ALL.

Points to Ponder

If one has not made Jesus their Lord, how can they possibly deal with persecution?

I have yet to meet an on-fire Christian who could not joyfully recount that “moment”!

How does sharing your salvation testimony lead people to decide to accept Jesus as their Lord?

Do you know any “Christians” who do not have a salvation testimony?   Have you asked?

What happened to you that moment when “Jesus came into your heart”?

Is your salvation testimony ready to share?

♫ What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought,     Since Jesus came into my heart!
    I have light in my soul for which long I had sought, Since Jesus came into my heart! ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                    August 15, 2023
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   

Musing – What to learn from Gideon’s Encounter with the LORD?

 Hebraic Musing – What to learn from Gideon’s Encounter with the LORD?

Gideon was a warrior, but he didn't want to be a leader.  God asked Gideon to trust him to save Israel by fighting the battle with just three hundred men whom God would select.  This popular Biblical account teaches us (1) that God chooses ordinary people to do great things and (2) following God's instructions is always the best way to serve Him.  How might Gideon be a lot like us?

We first find him in Judges 6:11 – “Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.” NKJV   Why was he hiding?  “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian...” Jdg.6:1   Might this happen sooner than later to us Americans?   Will we find ourselves persecuted and living in fear and trying to hide our Christianity?

In verse 12 – “And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’”  Does the Holy Spirit speak assurances to us today?  How well do we listen?

Gideon wonders where the LORD has been in all the tribulation in the land, but he gets an answer in v.14 that might apply to us today?!?!   “And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”  Is this the same LORD that has our back?

Gideon received further encouragements from the LORD described in Judges 6:15 to 27, and then:

·      Gideon destroyed the Altar of Baal.  He took daring action after the Spirit of the LORD came upon him. 

·      Then he did his famous fleece routine as he questioned the LORD’s support three times!  Gideon, like many of us, doubted his own abilities.  He suffered so many defeats and failures that he even put God to the test.

·      Then he and only 300 men subdued the Midianites using the successful strategy the LORD provided!  This battle took place in the Valley of Jezreel; prophetic of a future battle?!?!

·      Gideon’s obedience was rewarded.  “Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.’  But Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.’” Judges 8:22   Gideon finally learned that   ♫ Our God Reigns... ♫   

SUMMARY - “Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.” Judges 8:28    Gideon was a warrior but he didn't want to be a leader.  God asked Gideon to trust him, and to fight the battle short-handed.  With the power of God, Gideon and his three hundred men defeated the mighty Midianites and Israel was freed.  Gideon was no longer in hiding!  How might we find ourselves “in hiding”?

Might the LORD’s earlier word to another young warrior, Joshua, also apply to us?  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NKJV

Points to Ponder

Are your family, friends and neighbors prepared
in case our future life is in an anti-godly nation?

What has to happen for us to realize that ♫ Our God Reigns... ♫?

Does the LORD need warriors for His Kingdom...especially with the looming persecution?

Are we ready to take the lead as a warrior for the Kingdom, trusting the LORD’s support? 

♫ Be bold! Be strong! For the Lord your God is with you. I am not afraid, I am not dismayed,
            Because I’m walking in faith and victory, ...   For the Lord, your God is with you. ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                    August 8, 2023
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”  

Note – Inspired by and excerpted from Johanna Hocker’s “Gideon’s encounter with Yeshua!”  Aug.1, 2023