Welcome to Shema

1. Welcome to Shema Bless the Lord! Bless the Lord who is worthy to be praised for all eternity!

2. Shema Israel, AdonaiEloheinu, AdonaiEchad. Baruch shemk’vodmalchutol’olamva’ed. Shema

3. Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One! Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom, forever and ever. Amein. Shema

4. The bulk of the people were listening to Yeshua with delight. Yeshua said in his teaching, “Beware of the Bible scholars, who like to walk around in long cloaks! They like to be greeted in the market places and have the places of honor in the synagogues and the best seats at dinners. They gobble up widows’ property and say long prayers just for the show of it. These people will bring excessive judgment on themselves!” Mark 12:37-40 The Source with Hebraic adaptation by Rabbi Lutton

5. In the hearing of the whole crowd, Yeshua said to his disciples, “Beware of the Bible scholars, who love to go around in long flowing robes and love to be greeted in the market places and have the most important seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at dinners. They gobble up widow’s property and make a pretext of praying long prayers. These people are going to be liable to the most severe judgment!”  Luke 21:45-47

6. Then Yeshua addressed the crowds and his disciples. “The Bible scholars and the Pharisees are teachers of Moses’ Law. So practice and follow everything they tell you to do, but don’t do what they actually do! They don’t practice what they preach! They make up heavy burdensome rules and weigh people down with them, but they themselves won’t lift a finger to help! Matthew 23:1-7

7. Everything they do is just for the show of it! They put extra large leather prayer boxes with scripture verses under their arms and on their foreheads. They put extra long tassels on the edge of their coats so they can look important.

8. “They love having the places of honor at celebrations, the best seats in the synagogues, and they love it when people give them formal greetings in the market places. They love it when people call them by the title, ‘Rabbi’.

9. “But you, don’t you be called ‘Rabbi’! You have one Teacher and you are all fellow believers! And you’re not to call anyone on earth ‘Father’. You have one Father, and he is in the heavenly places. And don’t be called ‘Leader’! You have one Leader, the Anointed One. The most important person among you will be your servant. Matthew 23:8-12

10. People who elevate themselves will be brought down, and people who bring themselves down will be elevated.

11. “Woe to you, Bible scholars and Pharisees, you overly critical, hair splitting, pedantic religious types, because you shut people out of Heaven’s Realm! You don’t go in there yourself, and what’s more, you stop other people from going in too! Matthew 23:13-22

12. “Woe to you, Bible scholars and Pharisees, you overly critical, hair splitting, pedantic religious lot! You travel by land and sea to win one convert to Judaism, and when you’ve won that person, you make them twice as much a part of the Garbage Pit Gehenna as you are!

13. “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘It doesn’t mean anything to swear by the temple, but if you swear by the temple’s gold, you are bound by oath.’ • “You blind fools! What’s more important, the gold or the temple that made the gold sacred?

14. “And you say, ‘It doesn’t mean anything to swear by the altar, but whoever swears by the offering that’s on it, is bound by oath. • “What blindness! What’s more important, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred?

15. “So whoever swears an oath by the altar, swears by it and everything on it. So whoever swears an oath by the temple, swears by it and by God who lives in it. So whoever swears an oath by heaven, swears by God’s throne and by God who sits on it!

16. “Woe to you, Bible scholars and Pharisees, you overly critical, hair splitting, pedantic religious types! You make sure you pay the tithe on herbs; mint, anise and cumin, but you neglect the more important things of the Law, justice, mercy and faith. You should have practiced these, and not neglected the others! Matthew 23:23-28

17. “Blind guides! You strain your water to avoid swallowing a gnat, but you gulp down a camel! • “Woe to you, Bible scholars and Pharisees, overly critical, hair splitting, pedantic religious types! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of robbery and lack of control.

18. “Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish! Then it will mean something that the outside is clean. • “Woe to you, Bible scholars and Pharisees, overly critical, hair splitting, pedantic religious types, because you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside they’re full of dead bones and filth!

19. “In the same way too you outwardly appear righteous to people, but inside you are full of overly critical, hair splitting, pedantic religious behavior and illegal acts!

20. “Woe to you, Bible scholars and overly critical, hair splitting, pedantic religious types, because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the people who were right with God. You say, ‘If we’d lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in the death of the prophets!’ Matthew 23:29-36

21. “By saying that, you are actually giving evidence against yourselves – evidence that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets! You might as well finish what your ancestors started! “Snakes! Pack of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to the Garbage Pit Gehenna

22. “Because of this, I’m sending you prophets, wise people, and Bible scholars. Some of them you will kill and crucify! Some you will beat in the synagogues with the Roman whip of leather straps embedded with metal designed to rip off the flesh!

23. You will chase them from city to city – but as a result all the just blood shed on the earth will come upon you - from the blood of just Abel to the blood of Zechariah, Berechiah’s son, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. I tell you, all this will happen to your race of people!

24. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who murder the prophets and stone the people who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! Your temple is a deserted place! Let me make this clear – you won’t see me from now on until you say, ‘Happy is the one who comes in the Lord’s name.’” Matthew 23:37-39

25. Yeshua sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple offering box. Many rich people threw in quite a lot. A poor widow came and threw in two very small copper coins which together were only worth a Roman cent. Mark 12:41-44

26. Yeshua called his disciples over and said, “This poor widow has put in more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of their surplus, but she gave out of her lack and put in everything she had – everything she had to live on.”

27. Yeshua looked up and saw the rich people putting their gifts into the offering box. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins that together equaled a Roman cent. He said, “This totally financially destitute widow has put in more than all the others, because the others gave gifts out of what they had in abundant measure, but she gave everything she had out of her lack, and it was all she had to live on!” Luke 21:1-4

28. As Yeshua was leaving the temple, his disciples came up to point out the structure of the temple buildings. “You see all this?” he remarked. “Every single stone will be pulled down – there won’t be one stone left on top of another!” Matthew 24:1-2

29. As Yeshua went out of the temple, one of his disciples remarked, “Look, teacher! The size of the stones! The magnificent buildings!” • “See these great buildings!” Yeshua gestured. “Not even one of these stones will be left on top of the other – every last one of them will be thrown down.” Mark 13:1-2

30. Some of his disciples were commenting on the temple which was decorated with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. Yeshua remarked, “As for these stones, the time will come when not one stone will be left on the other, and every single one of them will be pulled down.” Luke 21:5-9

31. “Teacher, when’s this going to happen?” they asked. “What will be the sign that it’s about to take place?” • “Be careful that you’re not deceived,” he answered. “Many will come claiming my authority, and claim, “I am he!’ and ‘The time is near!’ Don’t follow them! When you hear about wars and political disturbances, don’t panic! These things have to happen first, but the end won’t come at that point.” *We already did Matthew 24

32. As Yeshua sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What is the sign that will indicate that they are about to happen?” • Yeshua started by saying to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many people will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and will deceive many people. Mark 13:3-8

33. But when you hear wars nearby as well as reports of wars, don’t be alarmed – these things must happen, but the end won’t come at that point. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines – these are just the beginning of birth pains.

34. “Be on your guard! You will be handed over to councils and beaten up in the places of worship. On account of me you will stand before rulers and politicians as witnesses to them. And the Good News must be preached in all the nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, don’t worry beforehand about what you’re going to say. Mark 13:9-13

35. Just say whatever is given to you at the time, because it’s not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. • “Siblings will betray each other and hand each other over to be executed, and the same goes for parents and their children. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you on account of my name, but the person who endures to the end will be rescued and preserved.

36. “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,” he continued. “There will be massive earthquakes, famines and deadly infectious disorders, frightening terrors as well as mighty signs from the sky. But before all this happens, they will arrest you and persecute you. They will drag you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be put on trial before national authorities, all because of my Name. Luke 21:10-19

37. But it will turn out to be an opportunity to be a witness to them. But prepare in advance not to rehearse the way you will conduct your defense. I myself will give you wise words that your opponents will not be able to resist or contradict. • “You will even be betrayed by parents, relatives and friends, and they’ll be the cause of death of some of you.

38. You will be hated by everyone because of my Name. But not a hair on your head will perish. You will gain your lives by means of your endurance.

39. “When you see Jerusalem in the process of being surrounded by armies, then realize that its destruction is near! Then if you are in Judea, flee to the mountains! If you’re in the city, get out! If you’re in the country, don’t go into the city! Because this is the time of vengeance that must happen to fulfill what has been written. Luke 21:20-24

40. How sad for the pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers in those times! • There will be severe constraints upon the earth, and anger at this people. And they will fall by the blade of the sword and be taken as prisoners to all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until everything that needs to happen actually happens.

41. “But when you see the detestable thing that causes devastation standing where it must not stand,” – (note from Mark: The one who reads this aloud is to take note!) – “then those who are in Judea must escape to the mountains. A person who is on the roof must not go down into the house, nor go inside to take anything out of the house. Mark 13:14-18 (we already did the Matthew parallel)

42. The farm laborer must not go back to get a coat. But alas for those who are pregnant and those who are breastfeeding babies in those times! And pray that it won’t happen in winter!

43. “There will be oppression in such times – oppression such as has never been seen right from the beginning of God’s creation, right up until this time – and will never be again. Unless the Lord cuts short that time, no living thing would be saved – but because of the chosen he will cut short those days. Mark 13:19-23

44. “Then if anyone says to you, ‘It is the Anointed One!’ or ‘He is here!’ don’t believe it! False Anointed Ones and false prophets will arise and show miracles and signs in order to cause the chosen to wander off the right track, if it were possible. But you beware! I have told you everything beforehand.

45. “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be worried and at a loss at the sea’s roar and fury. People will faint from fright, in anticipation of what is about to happen to the inhabited world, as the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Luke 21:25-26

46. “And then they will see the Human Being coming in a cloud with great power and great splendor. When these things begin to happen, straighten yourselves back up after cowering in fear and lift up your heads, because you are about to be set free – the ransom has been paid for you!” Luke 21:27-28

47. Yeshua told them the following example. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves that summer is already near. In the same way too, when you see these things happening, you are to realize that God’s Realm is near. Truly, this people group will not pass away until all these things happen. The sky and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Luke 21:29-31

48. “Be careful that your minds are not weighed down with pigging out on food, drunkenness, and the preoccupied thoughts of everyday life – otherwise that day will come upon you suddenly and unexpectedly – just like the jaws of a trap snapping shut! It will come upon everyone who lives on the face of the earth! Luke 21:32-35

49. “Be alert on every occasion, while you are putting earnest requests to God, so that you will have the upper hand to escape everything that’s going to happen, and so that you will be able to stand firm in front of the Son of Man. Luke 21:36

50. And in conclusion . . .