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by Bill Perkins
…no prophet is welcomed in his hometown. Luke 4:24b
Before beginning His earthly ministry around the age of 30, Jesus would have worked with His dad, Joseph, learning a trade. It’s not likely he was a full-time carpenter as trees were scarce and rotted quickly in the dense humidity of Galilee.
It’s more likely he developed a muscular body working as a stone mason. In that day, in addition to building stone benches and mangers, stone masons would both design and build houses.
So along with His noticeable spiritual insight, by the time He began His ministry of miracles He would have built a great reputation in and around Nazareth.
And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52
So, in top physical shape, Jesus began His ministry.
After His baptism in the Jordan River and temptation encounter with Satan in the wilderness, Jesus took the long 6-day walk from Jerusalem north up the Jordan River to Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
In Galilee He encountered wildly appreciative audiences.
And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. Luke 4:14
Notice the word "district" is singular, not plural. So this being early in His ministry, Jesus’ miracles were only known in a small area of Galilee.
But it bore shades of things to come. The reason people were spreading the “news” about Him was because of the undeniable miracles He was performing.
Without newspapers, Internet, radio, TV or phones, Jesus’ name, and the reports of the miracles He was performing, began to spread like wildfire. First-hand accounts of visible miracles get people's attention!
News in those days was passed along by word of mouth by people traveling between cities…on foot. The local well was undoubtedly “News Central” as every lady had to draw water for her household each day and hear the latest goings-on.
From Capernaum, in the middle of the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walked by Himself due west using a cut through Mt. Arbel, a natural pass next to Magdala, past what we today call the Horns of Hattin and up to Nazareth.
Nazareth was 20 miles away and over 1850’ higher in elevation. It would be a grueling, full-day, uphill grind in the summer heat.
The heat and humidity around the Sea of Galilee would be similar to Houston, TX or Montgomery, AL in August, but much, much worse.
He would have arrived before sunset on Friday, the beginning of Shabbat. Jews were forbidden to travel more than a few hundred feet on Shabbat.
Yet the news of Jesus’ miracles had already reached Nazareth. Word would have spread through town that Nazareth’s own Jesus, who had done great miracles in Capernaum, was back in town.
So when He arrived at the synagogue, they could hardly wait for Him to begin teaching. He would have already had a sky-high reputation as a scripture teacher.
Imagine having Jesus, who spoke the universe into existence, to personally teach and/or explain the Old Testament scriptures. Pinch me!
Now they heard the news that He was doing amazing miracles in Capernaum!
Each week at the local synagogues there was a predetermined specific portion of scripture read from a single scroll containing the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
They would begin reading the scroll where they had stopped the week before. This part of the morning worship allowed for the entire scroll to be completely read once a year.
After the main scroll reading from those five books was completed, parts of other Biblical texts could be read and discussed. It was at this time Jesus stood up and turned to the book of Isaiah.
It was the custom to stand when reading scripture and then sit to discuss what had been read. Many churches today have the congregation stand as they read scripture.
And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the 
book and found the place where it was written, Luke 4:17
There were no pages to turn, so Jesus had to roll through the scroll to find Isaiah 61:1-2. There were also no chapters or verses to guide Him.
Finding the passage He wanted, He began to read:
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD... Luke 14:18,19
He was reading a Messianic passage but stopped in the middle of the verse, not continuing to read about God’s wrath. Jesus' purpose for His First Coming was not about bringing wrath.
And then He sat down, remarking,
Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing [Lit. “ears”]. Luke 4:21b
The room went dead silent.
…the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. Luke 4:20b
The implication was clear. Jesus was claiming to be their long-awaited Messiah. But they weren’t buying that He could be the Messiah. They had seen Him grow up.
Is this not Joseph’s son? Luke 4:22b
Not to mention most of Israel was expecting a Moses-like, take-no-prisoners type of Messiah. A strong man who could throw off the yoke of the despised Roman Empire.
So it was at that moment that the mood of the room changed from Jesus being a great scripture teacher to being a full-blown heretic.
Sensing the growing hostility, Jesus expressed a reply knowing what they were thinking. Having just heard His Messianic claim they were thinking, "Ok, if you're the Messiah then show us a miracle!"
But we know Jesus knew their thoughts. There are several examples of Jesus being able to read people's minds in scripture (i.e., Luke 5:21; Luke 6:8). So He answered:
And He said to them,“No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.
“But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
“And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Luke 4:23-27
In both the examples Jesus used, the prophets Elijah and Elisha chose a Gentile to receive the miracle. This in-your-face fact would not have been missed by those in the synagogue, and they went ballistic.
And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; Luke 4:28
For the Jews of that time, claiming to be the Jewish Messiah was the worst of the worst of sins. So they immediately dragged Jesus to the top of a steep hill, intending to throw him off.
They got up and drove Him out of the city and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. Luke 4:29
Since He had not yet chosen His disciples, it was Jesus by Himself, outnumbered by those wishing to murder Him. So He had no choice but to do a miracle and He froze the crowd in place.
But passing through their midst, He went His way. Luke 4:30
Too funny! Here are probably 20 or 30 men dragging Jesus about 300 yards up the hill on which the city was built, but when they got to the top they were frozen in place. No matter how hard they tried, no one could move.
Hey, they wanted a miracle to prove He was the Messiah, so He gave them one!
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Matt. 28:18b
CQLJ!
BP
This trip sells out each year, so if you want to really understand Noah's flood and evolution vs. creation from a Biblical perspective, register early for either the South (3 days) or North Rim (4 days)!
It will be a great pick-me-up if the Rapture doesn't happen this fall, and it might not! 🙂
South Rim And Raft — May 29 - June 1, 2025
$1295 PP, double occupancy
Arrive Thursday, depart Sunday, includes 15-mile raft trip up and down the Colorado River. Includes hotels, travel meals away from Phoenix, raft trip and entrance fees.
North Rim and Grand Staircase — June 4 - June 8, 2025
$1595 PP, double occupancy
Arrive Wednesday, depart Sunday, includes ATV-off-road tour, hotels, transportation, travel meals away from Vegas, and entrance fees to Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon National Parks.
I feel sorry for anyone trying to understand what's going on in the world today without having the Bible as a guide!
But we know Who is really in control, and we know all things work together for us Believers.
The links below are to help us be wise and aware as we live and make decisions living in the concluding moments of the Church Age. Use us, Lord! BP
---Clicking on any fuzzy picture below usually clears it up---
In case you missed it, this is huge...America's Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) reports:
The Ninth Circuit Court made a groundbreaking decision that will have profound legal ramifications for Covid va((ines now and the future. They ruled that because the Covid shots do not stop the spread of disease, they therefore cannot be classified as va((ines.
This means it was illegal for the US Government, via their health agencies, to force anyone to take the clot shots because liability protection under US law is granted only to valid vaccines.
The CDC knew this and even changed the definition of "va((ine" in 2021 (after the fact) to include mRNA shots.
This will end up in the Supreme Court.
Well, they only made millions, not billions...
Article
Article
What if the Bible was made illegal?
https://disciplesinthemoonlightmovie.com/
Life expectancy in the United States declined for the third consecutive year in 2022, a trend not seen since World War I. Simultaneously, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer continue to rise, with the CDC reporting that 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease, and 4 in 10 have two or more.
Obesity rates have also skyrocketed. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data shows that the prevalence of obesity among adults increased from 30.5% in 1999-2000 to 42.4% in 2017-2018.
Nick Giambruno
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US government has launched its most aggressive sanctions campaign ever.
The US government and its allies froze around $300 billion of the Russian central bank’s reserves—the nation’s accumulated savings.
It was a stunning illustration of the political risk associated with the US dollar and Treasuries. It showed that the US government could deny access to another sovereign country’s reserves at the flip of a switch.
Recently, President Joe Biden signed the REPO Act into law. It allows the US government to seize frozen Russian state assets and transfer the funds to Ukraine.
The US dollar and Treasuries have become weaponized in a way they had not before. They are now clearly not neutral assets worthy of forming the bedrock of the international financial system but political tools for Washington to coerce others.
The rising political risk attached to Treasuries has made them even less attractive as a store of value. It’s now apparent to everyone that dollars are only dollars as long as you don’t upset the US government.
Many countries are undoubtedly wondering if the US government will seize their savings if they run afoul with Washington.
China is one of the largest holders of US Treasuries, and it indeed took note of what is happening.
Since 2022—when the US froze Russian state assets—China has sold about 25% of its Treasuries, an enormous change in such a short period.
In the first three months of 2024 alone, China dumped a record $53 billion worth of US Treasuries.
Further, China has increasingly ditched the US dollar in international trade. For example, over 90% of the $240 billion in trade between Russia and China is done outside of the dollar in yuan and ruble.
At the same time, China and Russia have been on a gold buying spree to make their economies and financial systems more resilient to US sanctions.
The US government’s seizure of Russian state assets was a fundamental change to this system, signaling the end of an era.
The fiat US dollar can be either a neutral reserve asset or a political tool Washington wields. It cannot be both.
That is terrible news for the US dollar, which was already in big trouble as it is becoming clear the Fed is trapped in ever-increasing debasement.
Ray Dalio is one of the world’s most successful hedge fund managers. His success is due to his consistent ability to get the Big Picture right. He recently said this:
"The indicators of when a fiat currency is going to decline and to collapse, is when those holdings its debt sell the debt and the government, the central bank, has to print money to buy that debt in large size while the currency is going down. Those are the most important indicators."
In short, I believe we are on the verge of a paradigm shift as gold replaces Treasuries as the base layer asset—the bedrock—of the international financial system.
The last time the international monetary system experienced a paradigm shift of this magnitude was in 1971.
Then, gold skyrocketed from $35 per ounce to $850 in 1980—a gain of over 2,300% or more than 24x.
I expect the percentage rise in the price of gold to be at least as significant as it was during the last paradigm shift.
That’s because this coming gold bull market could be fundamentally different from other cyclical bull markets. It will be riding the wave of a powerful trend: the re-monetization of gold as the king store-of-value asset. It could lead to the biggest gold bull market ever.
While this megatrend is already well underway, I believe the most significant gains are still ahead.
Article
More of the same from Big Pharma. Even though it was known that RSV shots could be a problem, the drug companies “incompletely assessed” the potential in their pre-clinical trials... i.e. "they lied" to make more money.
5-minute video
Alex Newman explains how the GOP has watered down the party’s platform on key issues, including abortion and marriage, as a new peer-reviewed study exposes the horrific damage to children caused by the CDC and Big Pharma vaccine schedule.
Article
Most Christians today don’t have a solid foundation in the Bible’s teaching on the Pre-Trib subject, even if they attend churches that professedly believe in it. They haven’t been systematically taught the various arguments that can be made for a pre-trib Rapture.
This lack of foundation leaves Believers susceptible to preachers with strong personalities and well-framed erroneous arguments. So multitudes have embraced the horribly pathetic pre-wrath and post-Tribulation Rapture in the past couple of decades.
Other resources on pre-trib Rapture:
7 Irrefutable Reasons You Can Trust the Pre-Trib Rapture Position! - Andy Woods
57-minute video
An interview with JJ Carrell. Watch the first 7 minutes for an excellent overview of the subject. CQLJ!
Article
Steve Kirsch reports that VAERS data shows Moderna causes 30% more deaths per dose than Pfizer. This must have turned on the sirens at Moderna as they are now in full defense mode and they're coming after Kirsch.
So Kirsch posted a follow-up defense of his work:
Not sure Moderna can stop the unbelievably bad publicity.
This is a short 80-second video clip of a reporter asking CNN big wigs a question about the unmentionable topic. Too funny....
The head of the US Secret Service, woke Kimberly Cheatle, said the reason they didn't post someone on the shooter's building was because of the sloped roof. Hmmmm.....
It took the Roman Empire about 200 years to reduce the value of its currency, the silver Denarius, by 95%.
As shown in the chart above, the silver content of the Roman currency had been nearly 100% at the peak of the Empire in 65 AD, but by 268 AD the coin had been clipped and debased so thoroughly that it was comprised of less than 5% silver.
Needless to say, inflation became rampant, causing the financial foundation of the Roman Empire to eventually collapse. In the process, future generations and nations got an unmistakable lesson: Debauching the money is absolutely not the road to sustainable prosperity.
Unfortunately, that has not prevented governments from attempting the currency depreciation route again and again. In our own era, the 111 year history of the Federal Reserve provides a striking case in point. In roughly half the time it took the Romans, the Fed has managed to accomplish the same 95% depreciation of the US dollar.
That’s right. The purchasing power of the consumer dollar as measured by the CPI has dropped from 100 cents when the Fed opened for business in 1914 to barely 3 cents today.
David Stockton
😂
END, Compass eNews, July 18, 2024
