Subversive Joy – The Advantage of Following Yeshua

Automated transcript, lightly edited for readability. Scripture appears as spoken; the video is the authoritative teaching.

Hallelujah. Let's all stand as we worship the Lord. We worship you, Lord God. We praise you, Lord. Turn your ear to heaven and hear the noise inside. The sound, angels, all the sound. Sing it out. is is infinite and sweet is love so rescue he is sweet this great love that has redeemed he is so We praise you. We welcome you to this place, O Lord. Have your way in us, O Lord. Sing, O praise him. O praise him. O praise him. He is all. He is all. O praise him. Praise Him. His hope. We sing with the angels. We worship you. We worship you. We worship you. We worship you. Oh, thank you, Lord God. You came to this earth as a little baby.

Lord God, to turn things around, Lord. Oh, thank you, Lord God. We worship you. Pray and God come and turn this thing around. God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around calling on the name it changes everything God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around my hope is in the name the name of Yeshua breakthrough will come Come in the name of Yeshua. And turn this thing around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. It changes everything. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. All of my hope is in the name of Yeshua. God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around God turn it around He is up to something.

He is up to something. God is doing something right now. He is up to something. He is up to something. God is doing something. He is healing someone. He is saving someone. God is doing something. He is healing someone. He is saving someone. God is doing something. He is moving mountains. God is doing something. He is moving mountains. God is doing something. He is moving mountains. God is doing something. He is moving mountains. God is doing something. He is in the next shoe of God. God turn it around. God turn it around. Thank you, Lord, God. We worship you. Thank you for your presence, Lord. Thank you for your healing.

Thank you for your deliverance, God. We worship you. We thank you for your peace, God. Bring it all to be. Storm surrounding. Let it break at your name. Still. Call the sea to still. Rage in me to still. Everywhere at your name. Yeshua, Yeshua. You make the darkness tremble. Yeshua, Yeshua. Silent air. Yeshua, Yeshua. You make the darkness tremble. Yeshua, Yeshua. Yes, Lord. Call these bones to these lungs. Yes. Yeshua, Yeshua, make the darkness tremble. Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua, that the shadows can't deny your name is alive Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua 1 the God the darkness the darkness the darkness the darkness the darkness the darkness the darkness the darkness the darkness the name of the name of the name of the name of the name of the name of the Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua Yeshua You silence fear.

Yeshua, Yeshua. You make the darkness tremble. Yeshua, Yeshua. Thank you, Father. Yes, O Lord. Never forget the moment I met you. The moment you called my soul. You healed me of the darkness. You gave me a promise to never thirst again. All I ever wanted was found in you. And tasted nothing satisfied. You do the found that won't run dry. Nothing satisfied. All that you want, drink from me as well. I will get at your till you dwell. All that I ever wanted, my heart has found. I have tasted life. Nothing satisfied. Don't run dry. Nothing satisfied. Do I taste the food? And I've tasted life. Nothing satisfied won't run dry.

Mountains are all mine. Built on you. Let's declare that today. With every life is built on you. Mountains are all mine. We worship, we worship. Mountains are all mine. Built on you. I tasted life. Sing that again from our hearts. Nothing satisfies like you do. Nothing satisfies like you do. You answered. You came to my rescue and I. Answered. Came to my rescue and we went. And you came to my rescue. You answered. And you came to my rescue. Beware your presence, Lord. I just want to bask in your presence. Sit at your feet, Lord. You are God with us. If you are for us, who can be against us? I've tasted life.

Tasted life. Nothing satisfied. You did the found thing. Don't run dry. Nothing satisfied. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. You satisfy us with your love. You first loved us. Thank you, Heavenly Father. Everything's changed. It's getting harder to recognize the person I was before I encountered Christ. I don't walk like I used to. I don't talk like I used to. Yes, Lord, I've been washed from the inside. I've been washed from the inside. Hallelujah. I know it would. Could have only been the blood. Hallelujah. I know it would. Could have only been the blood. Yes, Lord, I cannot explain. Nothing's more real than this.

In the presence of God. Oh, my heart experience. When my shame hit the wayside. And my sin met the most high. I've been washed from the inside. I've been washed from the inside. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. For example, let me tell you. It's only by the blood. He's never been about to serve. It's a gift that's freely given. Let me tell you. Only by the blood. Everyone who wants to be righteous, pure is my heart. Let me tell you. Give it. Let me tell you. I'll live. Perfection. I'll strive before. Accept. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. It's the gift that's freely given. He tells you it's only by the blood.

Be righteous. It's by the spot. It's only by the blood. You want to be worthy. Forgiven. It's only by the blood. It's only by the blood. You're sure by the blood of the Lord. Sing this out. See his feet and receive his love. see see See His hands, see His feet, and receive it, and receive it, and receive it. You prepare us, O Lord, as we sit at Your feet, O Lord, and worship You. You made a way for me to enter the holy. You made a way for me. To enter the holy, I am yours. You are mine. We'll be together forever. I am yours. You are mine. We'll be together forever. You made a way for me. You made me to enter the holy.

Wait for me to enter the Lord I am your God and we'll be together We've only been through you We've only been through you Thank you, Lord, thank you for your blood Just thank him. By his presence, oh Lord, that's near to us By his stripes we are healed. We worship you, oh Lord We have forgiveness. We have wholeness. He is our righteousness. We worship you, God. Hallelujah. We sing to you from your heart. We thank you, Lord. We worship you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Oh, this moment of stillness, Lord God, it just sinks in. God, the weight, the weight of what you did for us on the cross. We didn't deserve it.

We can't earn it. You gave it so freely for us, Lord. We love you. We thank you, God, with our whole hearts. May we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, pleasing and acceptable to you, Lord. More than just words that we say to a song, may it be from our heart, God. Thank you for your forgiveness, God. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your goodness, God. You don't give us what we deserve, Lord, but you, by your mercy, by your grace, you give us so much, Lord, so much. Everything we have is from you, God. We give you praise and thanks, God. We have your way in us. Have your way in the service, God.

Heavenly Father, have your way. We thank you. We thank you. We worship you, God. Amen. Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Let's welcome Al for the Torah portion. Shabbat Shalom. All right, so it occurred to me it's Christmas Eve and tonight is the seventh night of Hanukkah. I always find it significant when these two holidays converge. You know why people have been celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah for untold centuries? It's because they remind us that our God intervenes directly in human affairs and he works through ordinary human beings who answer his call to manage this transition of bringing the world from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His eternal light.

I want to talk about that in this Torah portion. Our daily routines give us a sense of stability. Even if we suffer unpleasant circumstances, the continuity of our daily routines is better than chaos. At least we know the source of our misery. Whether it's an abusive spouse, a chronic illness, or a toilsome job, That kind of stability is familiar, and ironically, it can be nearly as comforting as an easy, pleasant life. That's because we'd rather stick with the familiar than venture into the unknown. We don't like change, even if we know that change is necessary. Things are settled and stable in the old routine.

Things will be settled and stable in the new at some point, or so we hope. It's that uncertain place in between that's so scary when we don't know the landscape and we don't know what stands between us and our next meal. I learned something about this in 1990 when my division was deployed to Saudi Arabia for what would become Operation Desert Storm. Back home in Fort Stewart, Georgia, we had our familiar routine. But suddenly we are transplanted halfway around the world to an unfamiliar and hostile place. The priority was building up forces and the supplies to sustain them in the coming fight to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi invaders.

We could expect to have our basic needs met, but we knew, at least in our minds, that we shouldn't expect to be comfortable or have a familiar routine until we had completed the transition of establishing our forces in Arabia. And even then, that was just the precursor to the greater transition of going to war, which was also a transition we had to navigate before we could be settled again at home. The uncertainty of transition was the reason we had barbecued beef for dinner for several weeks in a row. For the first month, we ate a lot of MREs, the Army's individual field rations, and as the supply system matured, we received unitrations in modules that contained everything our cooks needed to prepare a meal for 36 soldiers per module. But for some reason, the modules we got for dinner were almost always barbecued beef.

And before long, we began to wonder if that was the only menu in the food distribution system. Answering that question became a priority for our commander. As the division's chief logistician, he needed to know why we were getting the same meal night after night. If we were having a problem, then other units farther from the supply depots were having a worse time of it. And now after looking into the matter, he realized we were victims of menu selection by forklift operator. The modules for the unit rations arrived on pallets, and each pallet contained 12 modules of the same menu. When our unit submitted a requisition, a forklift operator would be sent to collect the right number of rations, and the operator would go to the nearest stack of pallets and return with the required number.

But since the stacks were also sorted by menu, The requisitions were filled with only one menu selection: barbecued beef in our case. Our commander's solution was simple: send an officer with each requisition to make sure the forklift operator chose pallets from different stacks in the warehouse. And that ensured the requisition was filled not only with the right number of rations, but with a variety of meals. That solution quickly improved our soldiers' morale, and helped the overall supply distribution system by teaching the forklift operators something they had never considered. It also helped me understand something about our Creator's logistics, especially His provision during the transition periods of our lives.

We remember the promises of God's provision, such as Paul's affirmation, "My God will fulfill every need of yours according to the riches of His glory in Messiah Yeshua." And that sounds good in theory, but it's hard to grasp when we're desperate. I remember when after years of doing everything we knew to do to get out of debt, we were still living paycheck to paycheck. We were concerned not only about what would happen in an emergency, but how we would pay for our children's education and plan for our future. When I asked God about that, he reminded me of a few things. We had never gone hungry. We lived in a well-built house in a nice neighborhood.

We had clothing for every season and we could still find ways to do special things for our children. We couldn't do all that we wanted, but there was enough for these necessities. Moreover, our provider had given us good health, loving relationships, and hope for the future, both in this life and in eternity. He had come through on his promises even though it would be years before we retired our last debt. And this is why testimonies are important. We can see much more of our Creator's provision in hindsight. And that's why he included testimonies of our ancestors in his word. In the story of Jacob's family, for example, we see the provision of the Almighty much better than they saw it at the time.

It was a horrendous tragedy that Joseph was ripped from the family and sold into Egypt as a slave. All Jacob knew was that his beloved son was gone forever and that his remaining sons were somehow not only at fault but at odds with each other. All Joseph knew was that his brothers had turned on him and that his father never came searching for him. All Judah and his brothers knew was that their annoying younger brother was removed from their midst but at the cost of estrangement from their father and nagging guilt in their hearts. Jacob, Joseph, Judah, and the rest of the family probably realized that God provided their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter.

And they probably thanked him from time to time, but they most likely didn't realize that God was working through their transitional circumstances. Joseph was learning the ways of Egypt. and gaining the trust and confidence of his overseers so that he was ready when the time came to explain to Pharaoh about the famine soon to come and how God would provide. In those same years, Judah was learning how to be a true patriarch and why it was important not just to be the leader of the family, but why the family required a righteous, humble, wise, and discerning leader. It's no coincidence that Joseph and Judah both fathered twin sons at about the same time. The names of Judah's sons, Perez and Zerah, indicated that God had broken through the bitterness and strife encrusting Judah's heart, and his divine light was rising on the one anointed to establish Messiah's ancestral lineage.

The names of Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, indicated he was ready to forget the injustices of the past and embrace God's anointing to manage the provision of life for the whole world. It was years before these brothers understood the reasons for the trials they endured. Those trials gave them the testimonies they needed to save both the covenant family of Jacob and the land where that family would grow into the covenant nation of Israel. They learned far more from their baffling hardships than they would have in a life of ease and comfort. And that's why their testimonies contain the same principles that inform Paul's testimony in Philippians 4.

Whatever circumstance I'm in, I've learned to be content. I know what it is to live with humble means, and I know what it is to live in prosperity. That's the testimony of one who knows that God's provision is not a random menu selection by forklift operator. but a carefully crafted process to refine his treasured ones into vessels worthy to carry his presence to a broken and hurting world. Thank you, Al. So good. Shabbat shalom, everybody. Happy Hanukkah. So good. You guys had a festive week. Three people. That's awesome. That's great. Kids have been, man, having... It's been fun. It's been a fun week, hasn't it?

It's been a fun week. All right, a couple of announcements. Let's see here. Young Adults Fellowship, mark your calendars. January 8th, Fit Young Adults Homemade Cookies and Hot Cocoa Party. So jealous. Time and location to be determined. Reach out to Mayhorns or Coens. Those guys over there, if you are interested in attending. Women's Retreat. Registration is open. Yes, we're... I'm excited for you guys being excited for the women's retreat. You have until February 1st to register. For more information, please see the Realm registration inside the portal, the Realm portal, or speak to Christy Bush.

Prayer and intercession team, guys, if you were part of the first fast and prayer group that we had not too long ago, you should have gotten a survey. Please fill out that survey and get it back to Julia so we can plan the next monthly fast and time of worship and prayer as well, intercessory prayer. I heard that was amazing, and so I can't wait to see that continue on. Women's Bible Study, Ladies' Winter Bible Study will begin January 4th, 6.30 here at the church. And you guys are going to be going through a book by the name of Bearing God's Name by Dr. Carmen Joy Imes. Grab a copy of it. It's on Amazon.

It's a fantastic book. It's one of my favorites. It's great. Can't recommend it enough, and I think you guys are going to really enjoy this study. So grab a copy and please join us here January 4th, starting at 6.30. bearing God's name by Carmen Imes. Guys, I need two or three people that are led by To help Jeff out, set the stage back up after services. Every single week we come in and Jeff leads the team to set everything up. And then at the end, guess what we do? We take it all down and we set it back up for the church that actually owns the place. Because they're coming in for services, I think this afternoon, for a Christmas Eve service.

And they have some extra stuff. So do we have two or three people that feel led to serve? Y'all can't do it again. Y'all can't do it every week. You can't do it every week. Is it somewhere? We got one, two, three. Okay. Well, oh, four, five. Jeff, you have like eight people, so we're good. And here we go. Guys, as you know, we depend on your prayer. We depend on the community volunteering and pouring in to get things done and keep this train moving. We also depend on your financial support. So thank you, everybody, who gives to your community to make sure that we continue continuing on. It's vitally important.

And we thank you. End of the year, guys, if you care about that whole tax status thing, we are 501c3, so you get that little tax deduction for everything that you giveuntil now, till midnight, January 31st. If that's an incentive, there you go. If you'd like to give to Founder of Truth Fellowship, we would love to be able to be in a better position going into 2023 than we are now, just a sturdier position. Guys, you can give. There's an offering box right outside there you can give to or you can give online at founderoftruth.com slash give. But let's be honest. Giving to a general fund of a church is boring, isn't it?

Isn't it? I mean, it's much more fun to give to something that's like, you know, it's going to go to children's ministry. You know, there's someone in need and so on and so forth. Foster care. And of course, the general fund bleeds into all of these ministries, helping them go out. But general fund just seems boring, even though it is very, very, very much so needed. Please don't neglect that. However, if you want something to give to, as I Will Gather You Radio, anyone listen to that podcast? A little bit, kind of, sort of. We've got an app, Apple and Android for all you guys. We've got Apple app too.

It's very nice. Website, plant in your car. You can go to Alexa and say, Alexa, play Out Will Gather You radio. Man, I hope that just activated everybody watching online. Alexa's popping up. We are playing some of the I Never Knew There Was Such a Variety of Hanukkah Music. I never knew there was such a variety of really good Hanukkah music until Jeff made this lineup. It has been awesome to be able to turn on Our God, The U Radio and not hear the same three songs over and over again. And that's not a jam. They're awesome songs, but here we go. It's awesome. So this is a Messianic online radio program. that we started earlier this year.

Jeff led it up, and it is amazing. Top quality, lots of amazing scholars on there, teachings, messianic music around the clock, 24-7. It's awesome. Folks tune in from New York City, North Carolina, Virginia, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ontario, Canada, all over the world even. It's been really cool. And It's been running for less than a year. And so we had to make a decision. Like it's still kind of getting up and running. It's slowly growing. We've gotten a little bit of feedback about, you know, the positives of it. Guys, this has been great. It's been a blessing, so on and so forth. And so what we'd like to do is we'd like to give it a go for another year.

It was kind of an experiment. We love to experiment. And so we'd love to be able to give this professional level online radio, Messianic radio station, another year. The only thing is, guess what? It costs money. There's licensing fees, copyright fees. You've got to pay all kinds of people. Jeff laid it out for me. There's just so much involved. It's amazing. And, well, licensing, software, content distribution. I Will Gather You Radio needs $4,500. It's an experiment. $4,500 to continue into 2023. Okay. And if you guys don't want to give to a general fund, you'd like to give to something specific, we invite you.

Here you go. We would love to see this tool continue to be used as an outreach ministry tool. And continue to be a blessing to everyone who has found it already. So there we go. If you would like to publicly thank Jep Apthorpe for his contribution of literally, and this is a modest assertion, literally hundreds of volunteer hours in building this radio station. Guys, I would like to give you a little hand. Give an applause right now. Because this is what Jeff has poured so much into. Thank you, Jeff. I'm really excited and would love to see this go on for another year. And I know your vision for the radio station, and it is contagious.

And I think that God has already started to work in it and is going to continue to use it. So I invite you, guys, if you want to see this continue, see how far it can go, we invite you to give to that. Please keep those who are going to Israel Monday morning at 10 a.m., I believe, safe. I'm leading the tour partially, so I should know. Please keep us in your prayers, guys, as we travel and experience the Holy Land. My goal is to be able to throw stuff up on social media every day to keep everyone involved. It's going to be awesome. And so hopefully it'll work out so that we can continue doing this every year. which would be great.

All right, I believe that is everything. Guys, please stand as we bless the children and send them to the children's classes and say the Lord's Prayer. I said children classes. Is it just going to be one class? I don't know. Maybe one chuppah. Oh, man, this is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence at FIT. One chuppah is going to be used. Guys, please join me as we thank God for this incredible blessing of the next generation and our responsibility to pour into them. Alvina Moccano, our Father, our King, Father, we thank you for this time of rest, this time of joy, this Shabbat that is an... that is a taste of the fullness of rest that we find in your son Yeshua.

I ask that you would bless the young men here today as Ephraim and Manasseh, that they be fruitful in all they pursue in the mission of your kingdom and the young ladies here. You bless them as Rachel and as Leah, that you would instill in them boldness and focus and wisdom to carry your banner throughout their generation. The youth, God, I ask that you would instill in them the same spirit of Caleb and Abel, We thank you, Father. In the name of Yeshua, we pray. Amen. All right, we are going to throw up the Lord's Prayer up on the screen. And if you guys, everybody, I invite you to say it out loud on the screen there so that the children hear it and they learn to say it.

And kids, you ready? Guys, you ready? I'm going to say the Lord's Prayer. You got it? All right. Please join me in saying the prayer of our Master. The Lord be with you. the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Do you want something bigger than you? For a community to be a part of? A place founded on truth and love? A place to worship the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and the Son of God? Welcome to Founded in Truth, where we're more than just a fellowship. We're a family. So welcome home. Hey everybody, welcome to Founder Truth Fellowship. I'm so glad to be with you and fellowship with you today.

Today we're going to talk about joy. We're going to talk about Zedekiah. We're going to talk about hope. We're going to talk about Goldfish. Goldfish. But first, you guys ever seen that movie Up? It's a little cartoon movie, right? It's about a house of balloons. If you haven't seen it, you'll get it if you watch it. It's a fantastic film, except the beginning, which I wasn't ready for. I had a wet spot. Anyway, just crying. But the thing about movies, specifically that one, is it's an adventure. It's a drama. There's different scenes that happen in a movie. That's how it's laid out. That's how the director tells the story, right?

And so in one scene, you have joy and happiness and the kids playing together. Then they're growing old and you see these things. Then there's like a little bit of a setback and it's like, oh, okay, that's fine. But they get back up on their feet and they're going and then something else happens. They're trying to save up to go on this big trip, but then they got to spend their savings again because none of us have ever had that happen, right? Like saving up your money and the tire or the air conditioning or whatever. Setback, but you know, you're wrapped up in these emotions and empathy, tension. in the film, and then the scene, the thing happens that should not be named ever again, watching it with my wife, trying to look at each other, it's horrible.

Tragedy, tragedy, sadness, tears. But the thing about that movie and pretty much every other movie is that is just a scene. It's not the whole story. You don't stay there. You stay there, You embrace it. You feel the feels. You acknowledge everything that's happened in the story. And then the next scene starts and you begin to move on with the story. Now we have a cranky old man and we have this little kid that has way too much energy and a dog that likes squirrels. And at the end of the movie, it's a happy ending. It's a happy ending despite the setbacks. Despite the tragedy, despite the tears, despite the uncertainty, despite the scary things that happen when they are floating around in a house.

Despite all of that, we know there's going to be a happy ending. But sometimes we have to go through the scenes with the different emotions, with the different ups and the different downs. Joy, joy, joy. Joy was one of the most controversial attributes that existed in the early church. Joy. Radical believers in Yeshua, they could not be shaken because their joy could not be stripped from them. Somehow, no amount of tragedy or oppression or any event that took place would affect them, right? I mean, if you can control or regulate someone's joy or fear, you can control them, right? That's how it's done.

Right? That's how it's done, right? Everything from big things to small things. That's how governments get support from their people. That is how you sell products. This will bring you joy, fear. Presidential elections. We don't care what our candidate is going to do. We care about how he's going to save us from the other guy, right? No, that's the tactic, right? If you haven't noticed, that's the tactic, right? We're scared of what would happen if the other guy gets elected, so we elect whoever. Fear regulated and controls people. But joy. In the early church, Christians seemed to be, they still acknowledged everything else, but there was this one joy, this joy that they held on to.

They had that joy, joy, joy, joy down. I know, that's my favorite song. Down in their heart, and it was there to stay. And this is what made believers stick out from everyone else. In a way that was almost annoying, it agitated society. Because that's not how it's supposed to work. It's not. This is what made believers stick out. When everyone else was scared, fearful, the joy that resided among believers was just radical. And it wasn't a sarcastic joy. It was not a joy that divided or belittled people or harmed people. No, those are attributes of fear. This joy was authentic, and it's hope. And it could not be controlled.

The author of Hebrews speaks about believers that are so joyful, even when they're put in prison or their stuff gets confiscated. Can you imagine government coming in and taking all your stuff? You know, because stuff is what makes us happy, right? No, I'm going to be sad now. No. In Hebrews chapter 10, verse 34, the pastor here, he says, Everybody say joyfully. Joyfully. No, because I don't want my stuff taken and I can't relate. Man, you can't take from me the thing that brings me joy. Take my stuff. I'll bring my joy anyway. And the thing that brings us joy is something that can't be taken from us.

And that is a new reality for these believers. A new reality and a new realization that God has and will set things right. This knowledge and hope. This reality that brings forth this abundance of joy that new creation is here and is coming like an avalanche. That my chains have been taken off and I don't have to participate in the game of empire anymore. The game of being sold fear or sold joy. No, I'm all joy now. I'm all joy now. They were so focused on what God had done and is doing that they had no time to think about anything else. They were like a goldfish, a goldfish. They say, although likely not scientifically accurate, that goldfish are the happiest creatures in the world.

Why? Because they only have a three-second memory. Think about that. They have the most joy because they aren't holding tight to the things that are already in the past, things that cannot progress into the future, things that would thwart joy. They've moved on, and they're focused on what the reality is right now. Early believers were like a goldfish. But how did they get there? How did they get to that place where nothing would hold them, in a place where joy could not at least break through alongside mourning or weeping or grief or sadness? How did they get to that place? Well, the past few weeks, we have discussed a lot about Hanukkah and the things that took place in the intertestamental period between the Old and New Testaments and the environment that led up to the birth of Yeshua.

And we're going to talk a little bit about a prophecy that Jeremiah spoke. And it's one of his grand prophecies, and it's found in Jeremiah chapter 33, starting in verse 14. And it's actually a poem. It's kind of neat. It's a prophecy poem. And it starts in verse 14, and here's what it says. It says, Here God speaks through the prophet, and he says, "'I'm gonna fulfill my promises.'" I'm going to fulfill my promises that I have made to Israel and Judah. I'm going to fulfill the good things that I said I was going to do. I am a God that keeps my promises, and I'm going to keep them. This section of Jeremiah is a section of hope.

The preceding sections of Jeremiah were not so soothing. See, the prophets were sent out to the people when they became complacent in sin, complacent in looking like the world. And in this case, Judah had not only become complacent in their sin, complacent in looking like the world, but they did it under the guise of being the followers of Yahweh, keeping Sabbath, don't eat the pig, still maintained and operated the temple, all while turning their backs on the God that they claimed to worship. That's Jeremiah chapter 7. And Jeremiah is sent in and he says, guess what? The end times are coming. End times are coming.

And In Jeremiah 4, he has this apocalyptic vision of the entire world uncreating itself. It's a reversal of creation. All the cities are leveled. All of the green herbs and plants that give life are sucked back into the ground. Wilderness now. All the birds and animals have disappeared. Humans, gone. The dry land that emerged out of the waters. Mountains are all shaking. They're destabilized. The light that illuminated creation is gone. Only darkness now, and it says that the earth is once again formless and void. This is the prophecy of the end times for Jerusalem that is coming because of the sins of Judah.

This is this metaphorical vision impressed on them. But then, after the doom and gloom that the prophets tend to give, there is a testimony of hope here. A promise that despite these end times that are coming for Judah, God's kingdom is still going to stand. And if God's kingdom is still going to stand, then God is still king. And if God is still king, then justice and righteousness will have the last say. So here, God says, I'm going to keep my good promises to you. That day will come. It is not lost. It is not lost. How is he going to do it? By making a righteous branch sprout from the lineage of King David.

The great king of Israel, the royal dynasty. King David ruled as king of Israel. And then, of course, his son sat on the throne, Solomon. And then Rehoboam and then Abiyah and so on and so forth. This lineage from the line of David for hundreds of years until now in the time of Jeremiah. The Babylonians have come in and they've surrounded Jerusalem. And they were conquering Judea. And Zedekiah, the king from the line of David, he needs to escape. So he escapes Jerusalem and he runs and he's being chased. And he finally makes it to Jericho where he's caught. And all of his sons, heirs to the throne, are brought before him.

And they're executed. And his eyes are gouged out and he's blinded. And bronze chains are placed on his legs and feet. And the king of Israel of the line of David is marched into slavery into Babylon. His palace was then set ablaze. Jerusalem was bulldozed over. The mighty temple of Yahweh was thrown to the ground. The message here is clear. There is no more royal line of David that will sit on the throne again. The throne itself was burned to ashes. The royal family has been slaughtered or taken captive to be slaves. Yahweh is righteousness. Yahweh is righteousness. See, the name Zedekiah is Zed-kay-nyah-hoo.

Zed-kein-yahoo, I believe is how you pronounce it. It's very similar to the Hebrew phrase that's Yahweh for righteousness. Off just a little bit. But that's what Zedekiah's name means. It means Yahweh's righteousness. The same thing that's in the prophecy. Yahweh Zed-keinu and Zed-kein-yahoo. When Judah was here, having their king knocked off his throne and their entire way of life burned to the ground, their empire stripped from them, it was their darkest moment. They had become formless and void. But Jeremiah speaks up and he gives hope. How? All was lost. What hope do you have to offer now? All is lost.

The end has come. End of days. It's over. For Judea, absolutely. But Jeremiah, the one that said the end had come, says, but wait. No, it hasn't. These are rough days. These are bad days that we find ourselves in. They are the end of days in some regard, but they are not the end. How can you say that the end hasn't yet come, Jeremiah? Because God made good promises. He made good promises before all of this happened. And he's a God that keeps good promises. God's going to fulfill his good promises to you. So no, this isn't the end. God still has promises to keep. And if we believe that he is the all-powerful God, then he's going to keep those promises.

One of those promises to King David in 2 Samuel 7, your descendants will sit in this throne forever. Forever. Forever. Your descendants will have an eternal reign, and they will reign with peace, righteousness, and justice. That's a promise. Jeremiah says that God is not finished. Hold on. Yahweh, said Canu, is coming. Zedekiah just went to Babylon. The temple is destroyed. We've been conquered. Royal family slaughtered. How is David's lineage going to come and do what is just and right in Jerusalem? How is Jerusalem going to be safe? It's gone. It's gone. And Jeremiah says, God is going to do it in a surprising way, obviously.

Now we can stop the message right here, cut it short, and just end with what we learned from this section of history in the biblical story. No matter how dark of a chapter you're going through, no matter how much you think the end is near, there's no possible way I can climb out of this, no matter what type of loss you have or are going to experience in your life, no matter what Zedekiah chapter you're That is a message I will take and I will keep forever. I will draw that from this. God does not finish with formless and void. He finishes with a garden of blessing. You find yourself in a troubling scene in the movie?

No, the movie's not over yet. God's good promises will come to pass, and they are stronger than the bad times that we go through or find ourselves in. And the hope that is found in the promises of God does not mean that you should not mourn. It does not mean that you should not grieve. It does not mean that you should not cry. It does not mean you should not be upset or even maybe be a little mad. No, but this is the chapter. It's a scene. And when that chapter is over, when that scene of the movie has transitioned, It's time to be a goldfish. It's time to be a goldfish. Don't get stuck in the middle of the story thinking it's the end of the story.

That was Jeremiah's message. The good promises are yet to come. And the joy found in that cannot be taken from you. That could be the end of the message today. But I want to talk about Yeshua. When will God actually fulfill his promises? Man, that is what is so potent about the New Testament. Because without the New Testament... The status of God is still just that, the God who hasn't kept his promises. When will God finally keep his promises? So we turn the page from the end of Malachi, the times of the prophets, and we come to most of us to a blank page in our Bible. And I have no idea why this blank page is there.

Some is there to separate two parts of the biblical story away from each other. I don't know why. But we turn that page and we come to Matthew chapter 1. And you ready? We're going to be back in the story. You ready? We've been waiting hundreds of years. Jeremiah said this prophecy. We still haven't received it. We're waiting for God to fulfill his good promises. We're waiting for the King of David. We're waiting for the safety and the peace and the blessing and the shalom of God to rain down. We're waiting on justice and righteousness to make its occurrence here. We're waiting on the new creation of Isaiah.

Where is it? Verse 1. This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah. the son of David. That's how Matthew starts out. That's how the New Testament begins, the son of David. I love the scene of the shepherds in the field in Luke, tending to their sheep and an angel appears. And in Luke chapter two, verse 10, here's what it says. It says, but when the angel said to them, do not be afraid, I will bring you good news. I am bringing you good tidings. And this good news that I bring you will cause great joy for all the people. For today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord.

Messiah is a synonym for king. So it means the anointed one. Yeah, the anointed king. He is the king. He has come. What's going to cause the great joy? Great joy. God is keeping his promises. And his promise found its fulfillment in a gift named Yeshua. Yahweh Zidkenu, the branch of David. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9.15, he says, This is the gift. This is the gift. The king is back and he's not going anywhere. And his throne is eternal. And his reign is above all, and he's the Lord of lords, and he's the king of kings, and his kingdom is one of infinite peace, justice, and righteousness. And what will this cause?

Great joy for all people. There is no question now whether God is a God who keeps his promises. Because all of his promises find their fulfillment through his gift, Yeshua. That's it. All of his good promises. find their fulfillment in Yeshua. 2 Corinthians 1.20. Oh, I love this verse. It is so inspiring to me and it's so encouraging to me when I find myself in a chapter that I think is the end of the movie. And it says, "'For no matter how many promises God has made, "'they are yes in Christ. "'And so through him, the amen is spoken by us "'to the glory of God.'" No matter how many promises God has made, they find their yes, their fulfillment in Christ.

And so through him, amen is spoken to us by the glory of God. I love this really controversial, and it's not really a Bible, but I guess it is a Bible. It's the Message Bible by Eugene Peterson. And it is a heavy paraphrased Bible, not a study Bible. People criticize it all the time. They're like, it's this and it's wrong and it's all this stuff. It's a heavy paraphrased Bible. Over 20 Hebrew and Greek scholars assisted with the translation of it. But his goal was to make a reading Bible. that had the same tone as the contemporary Greek language at the time of Paul and Yeshua. That was his main emphasis.

And he wanted to make a Bible that was easy to read by people who were turned off by the Bible, and also a Bible that would be engaging for someone who has read the Bible so much that it's become dry. Because that never happens, right? And that was his purpose. So there's lots of critics of the Message Bible. I used to be one of them. And then I read the introduction and was filled with empathy and overwhelming support for the reasoning in the heart of Eugene Peterson. So not a study Bible, but I love referencing different verses because there's so much emotion packed in there. And here's how he, him and 19 other people translated this verse.

Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the yes of Jesus. Oh man, I love that. So good. God makes the promises. The yes comes from Yeshua. And what's our part? Amen. Amen. All we are there to do is say amen to the glory of God. And so we hold on to the promises. We hold on to the hope that gives us joy. And we wait for the yes once again. And we anticipate anxiously to say amen. The month of December, for the majority of the Christian world, and of course we celebrate the birth of Yeshua during the time of Sukkot. That's our tradition. But the majority of the rest of the world, for our history, celebrates this time and they call it the time of Advent.

And it's a time where they, it's a Christian tradition of counting up to Christmas and You see the little calendars with your kids and you give them a candy each day and whatnot. You poke out the little holes or whatever. And so you count every day leading up to the birth of the advent of Jesus is the idea. And the religious calendar, of course, teaches us to anticipate in this time of waiting. Hold, knowing the joy is coming. Hold, knowing that our hope is going to be fulfilled. Hold, knowing God is going to fulfill his promises. Hold. And this is the time of advent of holding. We're familiar with the same concept during Shikot with the counting of the Omar.

Hold, hold for the time the spirit is poured out. Hold in that. We find joy because we know how the story ends. We know the end of the movie. Hold and know there is a yes in Christ. Hold and be ready to proclaim amen. Amen to the glory of God. This is how the world truly sees the hope that is found in Yeshua. It is through our steadfast commitment of holding on to the joy and the promises of God. When the world is on fire, we have peace, right? We have contentment and we have joy. When the lights go out and there seems to be only darkness, no, I have the joy way down deep. When the end times is here, it's here.

Nah, this is just a Zedekiah moment. It's just a Zedekiah moment. Because my God made a promise. My God made a promise. And that promise is found in Yeshua. And Yeshua gives life. Yeshua gives peace. Yeshua gives justice. He is my shepherd. He is my king. And he is my joy. And that is the reality now. Now that every one of us is living out. And it's also the reality that is coming in its fullness for all eternity. So yeah, Nebuchadnezzar, break down the gates. Pull out the sword. Take the possessions. I might be sad. I might mourn. I might grieve during times of loss, but I will not let that strip me of the joy that is not going anywhere, that is found in my hope.

The world did not give you your joy, and the world cannot take it away. Hold fast and be a goldfish, and do not let the lies tell you that the movie is over. You know how the movie ends. It ends with the fulfillment of the promises of God coming to their fullness. And once this scene and this chapter is over, the great joy will remain because our king reigns. Yes has been proclaimed. And we will continue to say in one accord, amen to the glory of God. And so I don't know where you're at today, but my hope is that from this one section of scripture, You will never waver in holding on to that joy, despite where you find yourself.

So live out that joy so the world can see it. Live out that hope so the world can see it. Live out that peace so the world can see it. Live out reconciliation so the world can see it. Live out sacrificial love, which means taking your ego and your pride, oh, we don't like that, and putting that to death. Let Nebuchadnezzar take that. It means connecting with people that need connecting. It means being and showing people who our King is. And so please stand as we conclude today's modest service and join me in prayer. Alvina Malkenu, our Father, our King, Father, we thank you for this time that we are once again reminded during this season of winter, the darkest of all seasons, that the darkness will not last forever.

It's just a chapter. And that we don't need to let the things that are already in the past hold us in the past. But we will continue walking forward full of the joy that only you and your fulfilled promises in Yeshua can give. Father, I ask that the Holy Spirit, the life-giving Spirit that you say in your word is within us even now, will continue to do its job, not only within us but through us, impacting the world around us. That we would be known as the joyful people of Yahweh. We thank you, Father. In the name of Yeshua, our King, we pray. Amen. I've been washed from the inside. I've been washed from the inside.

I know it was the blood, could have only been the blood. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I know it was, could have only been. I cannot explain. Nothing's more than real in the presence of God. What my heart has experienced. When my shame hit the wayside. And my sin met the most high. I was washed from the inside. I was washed from the inside. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. No, it wasn't. Hallelujah. Yes. We've been about perfection. We're striving to your acceptance. Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. It's never been about deserving or earning. If it's freely, let me tell you. Only by the blood.

Does anyone want to be holy? Be righteous? Purified and spotless? Let me tell you. It's only by the blood. Does anyone want to be worthy? Justify of it? Let me tell you. It's only by moving what you want, that you'll go to perfection or striving for acceptance. Let me tell you, it's never been about deserving or earning. It's a gift that's freely given. Let me tell you, it's only by the blood does anyone who will be whole be righteous. Purified as foglets, let me tell you, only by the blood. Forgiven, just forgiven, let me tell you, it's only by the blood. And we see his hands, see his feet, see his feet.

And we see his hands, see his feet. could have only been Hallelujah, Lord. We worship you. We thank you. Thank you that the world didn't give it. The world can't take it away. Our joy, our peace, our hope is found in you. Thank you, Lord, we can come near by the blood of the Lamb. By the word of our testimony that you have saved us, you have set us free by grace through faith. Not in ourselves, it is your gift, Lord, poured out upon us. We receive that gift of your joy, your peace. No matter what our outward circumstances are, We know we have this treasure in jars of clay, Lord. Lord God, may your all-consuming power fill us, Lord God.

You enable us, Lord God, to live out what it is to be a follower of Yeshua, the Messiah. Oh, write your words on our heart, Lord God. Just sing that again, hallelujah. Hallelujah. I know it was the blood. As we close, let's sing the Shema. Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. Blessed is the name of his glorious kingdom for all eternity. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance towards you and give you peace. Amen, amen. Shabbat shalom. Go in his joy today. Shalom. We pray this message has blessed and encouraged you and your relationship with God.

And we hope that it has made the Bible more beautiful and more powerful in its impact in your life. Founded in Truth Fellowship exists to build a community that bears the image of God and lives the redeemed life only Yeshua gives. If this message has blessed you, or if you see God working in and through this ministry, we invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us so that the message of Yeshua and the truth of God's word continues to reach all nations. If you would like to take part in this mission, then you can do so at foundinthetruth.com slash give, or you can scan the QR code on the screen. These offerings go toward providing resources for both our local fellowship as well as our online ministry, but also our many outreach ministries, including our foster care and adoption ministry, local charity outreach ministry, our international online children's ministry, and any future ministries that the Lord would allow us to walk through and walk in to impact the world around us with His love and grace. the bold proclamation of the gospel of King Yeshua.

We thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you next time. Shalom.