New Creation living

YHWH shepherds me, and I lack nothing I need. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He guides me beside quiet waters; He restores my soul. Even if I walk through the darkest valley, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil, for You Are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me; You prepare a feast for me, right before my enemies; You anoint my head with oil, filling me with Your Spirit; my cup overflows! Surely, goodness and love will follow me all my days, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. YHWH is my Light and my Salvation—so I have nothing to fear. YHWH is the Stronghold of my life—of whom should I be afraid? He makes my assailants stumble and fall; I am confident, regardless of the opposition. I have asked only one thing, Lord: let me live in Your house forever. I will offer shouts and songs of praise and thanks, making melody to the Lord my God. Don't cast me away; rather, Lord, teach me Your ways of being and doing. I believe I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living; I will wait patiently and confidently for God the Lord. He Is the righteous Judge; so I tell the boastful not to brag and the wicked not to abuse their power. God Is the Judge, and all mortals are under His power. I will rejoice forever and praise my God, YHWH of hosts, Who puts down the wicked and exalts the righteous. Lord, You Are glorious, more majestic than the everlasting mountains. You Are awesome, terrible in aspect, invincible. I make my vows to YHWH, terrible over the rulers of the earth. Consider the generations of Aaron and Moses: Aaron's sons were anointed as priests: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire, unholy, before YHWH in the wilderness of Sinai They died childless. Then, Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests under Aaron their father. YHWH told Moses to bring the Levites before Him; God had Moses put Aaron before their kinsmen, and commissioned then to serve YHWH under Aaron's direction. Thereafter, the priests were all Levites; anyone else entering the holy places would be executed. God chose to take all the Levites in place of the firstborn from every tribe in Israel. Paul wrote to the Galatians: See how large my own handwriting is—that's how you can know this is from my own hand. The ones seeking to compel you to be circumcised are determined to make a good show in the flesh, so that they don't face persecution for the cross of Christ. But think: even the physically circumcised don't keep the Torah; yet they want you circumcised that they may take glory from your flesh. Far be this from me, to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, by which the world has been circumcised to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; what matters is new creation! Let peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule—they are the Israel of God. From now on, let no one trouble me; I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. Peter had voiced the truth that Jesus Is the Son of God; He had conferred upon Peter the power and authority to bind and loose, and declared that faith like Peter's was the rock upon which the church of Jesus would be founded. He rebuked Peter when the apostle objected to Jesus' revelation of His coming passion, crucifixion, death and resurrection, and He taught them to take up their cross daily to follow Him. And he promised that some among them would see the Son of man coming in His kingdom. Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him, and this prophecy was fulfilled. He led them to the top of a high, lonely mountain. There, Jesus was transfigured before them: His face shone like the sun; His garments were blazing white as light. With Jesus appeared Moses and Elijah, and as the frightened apostles watched, the three discussed Jesus's coming exodus in Jerusalem. Peter stammered that it was good for the mortals to be present, and offered to build three booths for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Then a cloud shrouded them, and a Voice spoke: 'This Is My beloved Son, with Whom I Am well pleased. Listen to Him!' The mortals fell facedown, filled with awe. But when they looked up, they saw only Jesus . As they were descending from the mountain, Jesus commanded them: 'Tell no one what you have seen, until the Son of man is raised from the dead.' They questioned Him about the widespread belief that Elijah would re-appear before the Messiah was revealed; and Jesus told them, 'Elijah does come, to restore all things. But I tell you the truth: Elijah has already come, and people did not recognize him; instead, they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands.' Then the three apostles understood that Jesus was speaking to them about John the Baptizer.