Constant Awareness

[David Koberstein]

Prayer is talking to God. Conversational, extemporaneous prayer is the oldest kind of prayer; It goes
all the way back to Adam. Over time poets, prophets, and scholars have composed powerful and inspiring
odes, psalms, hymns, and petitions that are treasured by the Jewish community, but they have never lost the
art of simple communication.

Jewish life is designed to remind a person of the presence of God. Observant Jewish men wear a skullcap
called a yarmulke; its name relates to the Hebrew words for "fear of the king" and it serves as a continuous
reminder that God is above. Tassels known as tzitzit dangle from a four-cornered undershirt; the Bible explains
that their purpose is for Jews "to look and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them" (Num. 15:39)

Before tasting any food, when seeing a rainbow, after hearing thunder, and even after using the bathroom, Jews
utter a brief expression of thanks. Many Jews try to be cognizant of even the smallest, most mundane details of
life and carry them out in a way that acknowledges the presence of God.

These habits have the potential to make one's whole life feel like a conversation with our Father in heaven.
At the very least, it calls to our attention the fact that he is always listening and interested in what we do and
say. It reminds us to be full of gratitude for even the basic things in life.

Shalom שלום

 

[praise_yeshua]

Prayer is talking to God. Conversational, extemporaneous prayer is the oldest kind of prayer; It goes
all the way back to Adam. Over time poets, prophets, and scholars have composed powerful and inspiring
odes, psalms, hymns, and petitions that are treasured by the Jewish community, but they have never lost the
art of simple communication.

Jewish life is designed to remind a person of the presence of God. Observant Jewish men wear a skullcap
called a yarmulke; its name relates to the Hebrew words for "fear of the king" and it serves as a continuous
reminder that God is above. Tassels known as tzitzit dangle from a four-cornered undershirt; the Bible explains
that their purpose is for Jews "to look and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them" (Num. 15:39)

Before tasting any food, when seeing a rainbow, after hearing thunder, and even after using the bathroom, Jews
utter a brief expression of thanks. Many Jews try to be cognizant of even the smallest, most mundane details of
life and carry them out in a way that acknowledges the presence of God.

These habits have the potential to make one's whole life feel like a conversation with our Father in heaven.
At the very least, it calls to our attention the fact that he is always listening and interested in what we do and
say. It reminds us to be full of gratitude for even the basic things in life.

Shalom שלום

Deu 22:12 “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.

Do you wear such tassels yourself? Such has long been forgotten among Jews.

Jesus observed the practice of such rituals and how men tend to exaggerate the meaning....

Mat 23:2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,
Mat 23:3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
Mat 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
Mat 23:5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
Mat 23:6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
Mat 23:7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

There is a reason why Deut 22 and Numbers 15 established such requirements for "tassels".

Num 15:38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

Notice the blue binding. The dye used for such binding has long been lost to the culture. Notice how in Matthew 23:5 the scribes and Pharisees extended their tassels.

Notice why.....

Luk 8:43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.
Luk 8:44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.

It seems the scribes and Pharisees sought to show themselves ready and willing to do for others what Jesus had done for this woman who had spent all her living to physicians that couldn't help her.

In this, I can't help but notice all those that would find righteousness without Jesus Christ. I implore everyone to be like the women who found healing in the humblest of men. Jesus Christ.

There is no meaningfulness to any context of "righteousness" absent Jesus Christ. No matter the marketing today of various "ministries" that seek to the be the "Light" themselves. There is only One who matters. Only One that has Immortality that gives Eternal Life to all who seek Him.

Not a culture. Not a race. Not a creed. Not Islam. Not Judaism. Jesus Christ alone is the hope of this world.