Emmaus Family Message from P G Vargis
PG&Lilly Vargis
A letter from a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For any one doing any kind of ministry in the body of Christ and who wants to improve and excel.
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(Part-1)
Leaders' Plight
Reading: Psalm 35:18-28
"I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock
shall be scattered" (Mt 26:31; Zech 13:7)
Though all Christians will have to pass through trials and tribulations, those in Christian ministry and leadership will be the primary target of the devil. We don't remove a tree by plucking off leaves or cutting off branches. The axe will be laid at the "root" of the tree! Having been in Christian leadership for over three decades, I would say that those in leadership positions must not be envied but pitied. Godly leaders never came up to their positions by their choice or grabbing of seats. More often than we think, God puts them there more or less by compulsion. He would not accept their excuses to assume such responsibilities (Ex 4:10-13; Jer 1:4-8).
Constant weight of responsibilities, sleepless nights due to pressures and problems, frequent travels, hectic schedule, pressures due to unrealistic expectations of people, non-cooperation and strife among coworkers, challenges and threats from the enemies of the gospel, financial strain, family problems, repeated temptations and scores of such things tire the leaders physically, exhaust them mentally and drain them spiritually. No wonder even champions like prophet Elijah cried, "It is enough, Lord, take my life!" (1 Ki 19:4).
The Strike-the-Shepherd operation of Satan has gathered momentum in these last days. Every other preacher is ill with some chronic disease. God's servants meeting with frightful accidents is no more a surprise. Family conflicts and moral failures are commonplace. Corruption is rampant. Only now the people are understanding that preachers and leaders are not angels but just human. Preachers have prayed enough for people. It's now the people's turn to pray for the preachers.
The cross of loneliness is the heaviest for leaders. The closest disciples were fighting for prominence and positions while Jesus was preparing to drink the cup of bitterness. They slept off while He was sweating blood. Even the guardian angels were absent for a while. It appeared to Jesus on the Cross that God also had forsaken Him. Dear friends, do all that's possible to encourage the leaders, refresh them and support them. If they do well, you only will be the beneficiary.
Jesus, I my cross have taken — All to leave and follow Thee;
Let the world despise and leave me — They have left my Saviour too;
Foes may hate and friends may shun me — Show Thy face; All is bright!
(Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847)
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Part II -
I recently came across an article on the Internet about the “amazing discovery” of a red heifer. The article made it sound like this was a portent of the messianic era. Can you explain what the big deal is? And are red heifers really that rare?
Reply
A heifer is simply a fancy name for a young female cow that hasn’t yet borne a calf. And the red color we’re looking for here is not ruby red, but more of a reddish-brown, earthy color. (In fact, the Hebrew word for “red,” adumah, is etymologically linked to the word for “earth,” adamah.) So if you’re asking how rare red cows are, the answer is not very.
But it’s not all that simple. First, let’s begin by understanding what the red heifer (parah adumah, in Hebrew) was used for.
Parah Adumah—Red Heifer
In a nutshell, the Torah tells us that one who comes into contact with a corpse (by touching or even being under the same roof as the corpse) becomes impure. He cannot enter the Holy Temple or partake of the sacrificial offerings or other sacred foods until he purifies himself.
As part of the purification process, the priests would slaughter the red heifer and burn it on a pyre, together with a cedar branch, hyssop sprig and crimson wool. They would then take the ashes, mix them with spring water, and sprinkle the mixture onto the impure person. For more on all this, see Meet the Red Heifer.
Disqualifications
So if red cows aren’t that rare, why is it so difficult to find a qualified red heifer? Well, the Torah gives us quite a list of criteria:
● The cow must be, at a minimum, within its third year of life (i.e., two years plus a bit).1
● It needs to be completely red. Even two hairs of a different color next to each other or three that are far apart disqualify it.2
● All physical blemishes that disqualify sacrificial animals, disqualify a red heifer as well.3
● Any work done with it disqualifies the cow. “Work” in this case includes even a person leaning on it or placing a garment or cloth upon it (unless this was done to only safeguard the animal itself).4
● Placing a yoke on the cow, even if it doesn’t actually do any work, also disqualifies it.5
● If the heifer is pregnant, or even if a male has mated with it, it is disqualified.6
Finding a red heifer that fulfills all of these specifications, although not impossible, is unusual.
That’s why people get excited when a qualified red heifer is discovered.
Misconceptions and the Messianic Age
There is, however, a common misconception about the rarity of the red heifer. Maimonides writes:
Nine red heifers were offered from the time that they were commanded to fulfill this mitzvah until the time when the Temple was destroyed a second time. The first was brought by Moses, our teacher. The second was brought by Ezra. Seven others were offered until the destruction of the Second Temple. And the tenth will be brought by the King Moshiach; may he speedily be revealed. Amen, so may it be G d’s will.7
Some take these words to mean that only nine qualifying red heifers have ever existed, and the birth of the tenth one will be a sign of the redemption. In truth, however, the ashes of a red heifer can last for a very long time, since only a very small amount was needed to be mixed with the purifying waters. So the fact that only nine were ever used for purification purposes does not mean that only nine were ever born, just that only nine were needed or used thus far.
Redemption and the Red Heifer
The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that the above quote from Maimonides is out of character for him. In Mishneh Torah, Maimonides simply enumerates the laws. Yet here, immediately after mentioning that Moshiach will make the tenth parah adumah, he adds, “. . . May he speedily be revealed. Amen, so may it be G d’s will.” What makes this more surprising is that Maimonides has a whole section specifically about the laws of Moshiach, but doesn’t add this prayer there. Only here, where the main topic is the parah adumah and Moshiach is only mentioned in passing, does he add the prayer.
The Rebbe explains that Maimonides is actually teaching us a halachah—that a Jew must always yearn for the redemption, to the point that whenever Moshiach is mentioned, even if only in passing, he or she should automatically pray that he come speedily. If Maimonides were to only add the prayer when discussing the laws of Moshiach, one could think that a prayer is only warranted if that is the actual topic of discussion. By adding it when Moshiach is only mentioned in passing, we learn that it should always be on our mind.8
Taken that way, perhaps the people who see red cows and immediately think of Moshiach are onto something . . .
May we merit the ultimate redemption speedily in our days!
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Your brother in Christ,
P g vargis
PG&Lilly Vargis
A letter from a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For any one doing any kind of ministry in the body of Christ and who wants to improve and excel.
=============================
(Part-1)
DON'T GIVE UP!
This original Greek word is used 6 times in our New Testament. It is translated as "don't faint" under the circumstances; "don't lose heart"; "don't give up"! Oh, I hear the Spirit saying this to each of us as we struggle at times in ministry.....
1) Don't give up when praying....keep at it....persevere before the Throne of grace. You are not praying in vain. He hears! (Luke 18:1)
2) You are a valued spiritual leader! You have a ministry of the Spirit, a ministry of righteousness. Don't lose heart and give up. Mercy is being given for you to continue on! Praise be to the Lord whose mercies are new every morning! (II Corinthians 4:1)
3) Don't lose heart or faint when facing physical challenges...the decaying of the outer man. Your inner man is being renewed day by day. (II Corinthians 4:16)
4) When you become weary in doing what is right and good, and you are not seeing the results of your efforts, don't give up. You will reap the harvest! Guaranteed! (Gal. 6:9)
5) Do not lose courage when you see others suffering for their faith. God will provide grace to you for the moment. (Ephesians 3:13)
6) Continue doing good....continue making it your daily habit....the outgrowth of your Christian life and calling! Do not grow weary and give up! (II Thessalonians 3:13)
"Lord, give me the courage, the perseverance, to continue to fulfill my calling in spite of weariness of body and mind, the discouragement of delayed results, and fear of failure. You laid down your very life for me; therefore, today I rededicate myself to you and to my ministry! Amen!"
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Part II -
A couple were in a busy shopping center just before Christmas.
The wife suddenly noticed that her husband was missing and as they had a lot to do, she called him on her mobile phone.
The wife said, " Where are you? You know we have lots to do."
He said, "Do you remember the jewelers we went into about 10 years ago, and you fell in love with that diamond necklace?
I could not afford it at the time and I said that one day I would get it for you?"
Little tears started to flow down her cheek and she got all choked up…
"Yes, I do remember that shop," she replied.
“Well, I am in the sporting shop next door to that."
PG&Lilly Vargis
A letter from a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For any one doing any kind of ministry in the body of Christ and who wants to improve and excel.
=============================
(Part-1)
And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'” – Job 28:28
In 2002, Marilyn Vyzourek founded Gospel Shelters for Women in Colorado Spring, Colorado. The organization provides homes for women while they are going through rehabilitation from addictions and abuse. The women are required to attend Bible studies as part of the program. The spiritual impact of this is so great that their success rate has been nearly 80 percent, far above any government program.
Gospel Shelters for Women received a total of $50,000 a year from HUD (the Department of Housing and Urban Development), a branch of the federal government, to help fund the housing costs for these women.
In 2011, HUD discovered that Bible studies were required. The agency asked that the policy be changed, or they would pull the funding.
Marilyn Vyzourek wouldn’t sell out her convictions for the sake of money. She feared God, stood firm and HUD stopped the backing. But God was faithful. The Lord honored the ministry and private donors made up the shortfall left by the HUD funding. Today the ministry is better off than it was with the government funding.
Fearing God is the yielding our hearts to Jesus. Today in prayer, love the Lord with your whole heart and He will give you wisdom.
“The truly wise are those whose souls are in Christ.” – Ambrose
God’s Word: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10.
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Part II -
Wife: "In my dream, I saw you in a jewelry store and you bought me a diamond ring." Husband: "I had the same dream and I saw your dad paying the bill."