Author: Terry Wil Robinson

Learn about me at jonahzsong.blog.

Simchat Torah Story

Here’s a snippet to entice you to read this wonderful story.

“Yes, it makes you feel good,” I said, trying to keep up the conversation. I felt that if the gentleman would only continue to speak, it would be worth listening to.

“Good!” exclaimed my neighbor. “Young man, do you know what ‘good’ is? Have you ever felt so gratefully happy that you wept for joy?”

“Well . . .”

“Ah! Let me tell you of those hakafot many years ago, and you will know what I mean…”

https://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/5357/jewish/Hakafot-Under-Fire.htm

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Blessed is Another Word for. . .

ESV uses the word Bless. “Blessed is the man. . .” The Hebrew word is generally translated fortunate.

“One who is fortunate,” has the traits* we read in the Psalm:
Fears GOD; Delights in GOD’s commandments; Has mighty offspring; Is among a blessed generation; Is wealthy; Has an enduring righteousness; Light dawns in the darkness; Is gracious, merciful, and righteous; Deals generously and lends; Conducts affairs justly; Is never be moved; Will be remembered forever; Is not afraid of bad news; Has a firm heart; Trusts in LORD; Has a Steady heart; Has no fear; Triumphs over adversaries; Distributes freely in giving to the poor; Is exalted in honor.

Traits makes me thing of something we are born with, like blue eyes or blond hair. But as I thought about it, perhaps we ARE born with traits that enable us to fear GOD and at least somewhat fulfill the list. Or perhaps we inherit those traits when we come to Fear GOD.

A Gentile Believer, coming to know Jesus, is born again. Perhaps then those traits are inherited—granted.

Just a Thought.

Then maybe being blessed is just another word for: Saved and being Sanctified.

We are blessed by GOD’s freely-given salvation. A salvation not earned, not merited, but given by blood sacrifice.

We turn from our old lives, turn to GOD: repentance. We are delivered from ourselves, to start over for GOD: born again. We’re given new traits, and we start a life-long journey learning to use them for the esteem of GOD—that GOD may be held in esteem throughout this world.

I pray we can walk exhibiting all those traits, generously, in the strength and power of GOD Spirit.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon and though you all.

* Traits is the word used in a commentary on iTorah.com.

First Thought on Psalm 112

1a Praise the LORD!

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,

who greatly delights in his commandments!

2His offspring will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness endures forever.

4Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;

he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

5It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;

who conducts his affairs with justice.

6For the righteous will never be moved;

he will be remembered forever.

7He is not afraid of bad news;

his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

8His heart is steady;b he will not be afraid,

until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

9He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever;

his horn is exalted in honor.

10The wicked man sees it and is angry;

he gnashes his teeth and melts away;

the desire of the wicked will perish!

What does it mean to be blessed? Occasionally, I’ll hear someone say something like “Have a blessed day!” Or when asked casually ”How are you?” might respond “Blessed!” While it’s nice, it might just be a sort of automated response, without a lot of thought given to it, or an expectation of a response or a reaction.

I wonder what would happen if I looked closely into the person’s eyes and asked “What would be a blessed day for me?” I would not, though. It might not go well. It might inhibit the person from ever blessing another person, a person craving some Word to come into his or her life and soul.

I remember Cindy, whom I met while working on a wildfire. She shared with me that she was in a horrible situation, trapped, desperate. Yet she simply didn’t believe she was worth helping out of it. Cindy told me an older woman approached her one day and said “GOD loves you!” Nothing more. Nothing more needed. Cindy’s soul was pierced that day. It wasn’t long before our LORD rescued her, getting her into a Christian shelter. She gave her soul to Jesus.

No, it is a lovely thing for GOD’s True Believers to bless brethren and the Worldly with a Word. Just one is enough if Spirit pierces the armor of the soul. 

But my question persists. What does it mean to be Blessed?

Stay Tuned! Lord willin’ I’ll be allowed a part two.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine . . . And give you His Word to pass on to a lost and quietly desperate generation.

Trust: A Steep Learning Curve

Thinking about a million Israelis approaching the Red Sea. They were heading home to the land of their fathers. They had to be excited. Kids saying, “When are we going to be there?”

A little problem. Pharaoh on their tail. The people’s excitement turned into a great fear when they saw what was coming. They accused GOD of bringing them into the desert to die.

Ahead uncrossable water. No place to flee, up or down the coast. A raging army rapidly approaching.

“And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.’ ”

They crossed the Red Sea. The Pharaoh and his army drown. And the people of Israel made it through that lesson. Ahead would come many more lessons, costly lessons.

Trust rides a steep learning curve.

In Whom Do You Trust?

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge; for it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; let them all be fixed upon your lips, so that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you.

—Proverbs 22:17—19 NKJV

A question to self: “Do I trust in GOD?” As a younger man I would have said, “Yes, I trust in GOD!”

I’ve stumbled along this Christian journey. I look in Life’s rearview mirror. I admit I’ve not always trusted GOD. Maybe I could say, “I trust You, LORD; help me overcome my distrust.” But that’s a mask GOD sees through.

“LORD, I want to trust in You.” Now that’s better. That’s getting closer to honesty in self-examination.

Monday Memories: In Memory of Lidia

I’m haunted by Lidia’s face. Is it her gentle, shy smile? Is it her lovely dark eyes framed by perfect eyebrows?

LIDIA LEBOWITZ. Born in Sarospatak, Hungary, in 1933.

The younger of two sisters, Lidia was born to Jewish parents living in Sarospatak, a small town in northeastern Hungary. Lidia’s parents owned a successful dry goods business. At the time, ready-made clothes were still rare in the countryside. Townspeople and local farmers would purchase fabric at the Lebowitz store and then take it to their tailor or seamstress to be sewn into clothes.

1933-39: Lidia was 2 when her Aunt Sadie, who had immigrated to the United States many years earlier, came to visit with her two children, Arthur and Lillian. All the cousins had a good time playing together on their grandparents’ farm. On the trip over from America, Lidia’s aunt’s ship had docked in Hamburg, Germany, and Aunt Sadie had seen Nazis marching in the streets. Aunt Sadie was worried about what could happen to her family in Sarospatak.

1940-44: In 1944 German forces occupied Hungary. A month after the invasion, Hungarian gendarmes, acting under Nazi orders, evicted Lidia and her parents from their home. The Lebowitzes spent three days crowded into the local synagogue with hundreds of other Jewish citizens. Then they were all transferred to the nearby town of Satoraljaujhely, where some 15,000 Jews were squeezed into a ghetto set up in the gypsy section of town. The ghetto residents had a hard time getting enough food to eat.

The ghetto was liquidated in May and June of 1944. All the Jews were deported in sealed freight cars to Auschwitz. Lidia and her parents were never heard from again.

Note: This information was obtained from
the United States Holocaust Museum
Washington, D.C.

Friday Notes: Office of the Discerners

“Silence is often golden.
Many times, we are truly discerning when we say nothing at all.”
—Thomas R. Schreiner

There has arisen across the land a new breed of prophets. They are “discerners.” They have been given the “Gift of Discernment.” They are Ministers of Discernment. They have YouTube Channels devoted to their Ministry of Discernment. No one is out of their reach. No One. Anyone with whom they disagree is subject to their condemnation. They will silence us all if we disagree.

The are the new condemnationists. These “discerners” began as ultra-fundamentalists, and progressed into merely angry, modern-day pharisees. A couple thousand years ago Jesus called the pharisees white-washed tombs. It’s as appropriate today as it was then.

Yet there is a genuine place for discernment. And I would argue that in these increasingly contentious times, with a predominately atheistic society that includes political leaders, business leaders, and YouTube “Culture Creators,” we need the gift of discernment. We need it for ourselves. We need those who’ve truly been assigned to the Office of Discernment to build up the Body of Christ. The key here is “To Build Up The Body Of Christ.”

“One of the spiritual gifts God gives the Church is discernment (1 Corinthians 12:10). The Church needs people who are able to discern error since we’re called upon to “test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).” —from “When the Spiritual Gift of Discernment Turns Sour,” by By Thomas R. Schreiner, Lifeway Research, Insights—Personal Development, Oct 26, 2018

“Too often, people think they have the gift of discernment when in fact they have a critical, fault-finding, cynical, and negative spirit,” wrote Mr. Schreiner. I see a trend these days to categorize preachers as either right or wrong, true or false. Then the “Discerners” attack. Certainly there are people living today outside the Christian Church that are anti-christ in their views and actions. There are also people within the Christian Church who do not preach truth. And then there are those preachers that are mostly preaching the “mystery of the Gospel” and teaching mostly appropriately from GOD’s Word. Mostly. How can we expect a preacher to be one hundred percent accurate in his—yes, his—preaching? Jesus is perfect. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but we are not. We come to the podium broken individuals doing the best we can, given our shameful state. If we come to the podium thinking otherwise, we are the pharisee pointing out the tax collector, saying “I’m so glad I’m not like him.” Ugh!

The Redeemed of the LORD are called to discern. As such it is their job to take from a preacher what is for them, to glean truth from the harvest of words spoken from the pulpit.

“Those who are truly discerning recognize truth and goodness wherever they find it. Properly understood, it’s one of God’s gifts to his people,” wrote Trevin Wax —“The Dangerous Gift of Discernment,” in The Gospel Coalition, Nov 5, 2018.

As for those who have received some particular insight, even LORD’s appointment to the Office of Discernment, there is a difficult road to follow.

“People with discernment face the temptation of wielding their gift as a sword of condemnation rather than healing,” wrote Trevin Wax.

Ministry is service. Service is to build up. We build up the Body of Christ as we are led by Spirit. Are there times we must tear down things? Sure. However, I see little value of condemnation before the world of unbelievers. It seems unworthy of a Child of GOD to attack his brother before pagans. Would not a better strategy be to approach an individual privately, taking along a few other spiritually discerning persons. Hum, I think I read that somewhere.

At this point I feel a bit sarcastic. (Okay, two bits more.) That approach wouldn’t get a lot of “likes” on YouTube. Getting “likes” is how one gets higher on the algorithm, and gets better exposure, and More Money. Cash is King.

Spirit’s Gifts are wonderful. Apostle Paul wrote to us about them, and to the Corinthian Church (first letter).

12:31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Wednesday What’s His Name?

Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
(Psalm 91:14)

To know the Name of the Lord, is to know Him. For several days I’ve been thinking how we as Christians say that we must have a personal relationship with Jesus. Is it a “relationship”? I can have a relationship with a person. So from that perspective, it could be a relationship, yes. What about the divine nature that makes Jesus unique? Are we in relationship with G-d in the same way as we are in relationship with a friend or a lover? Enquiring minds. . .

We also hear a lot about Jesus as our friend. There’s a song, “What a friend we have in Jesus.” Jesus did call his disciples friends, too. “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15) Yet those disciples had followed Jesus around Israel for nearly four years. Only after that intense discipleship were they were referred to as friend.

How did the disciples see Jesus before they were told they were His friends? They’d heard about Jesus—that He was the One foretold to be the King of Israel. They didn’t call Him King, though; they called Him Rabbi, which means teacher or scholar of Jewish Law.

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” John 1:45-49

“And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.” Mark 8:27-30

“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:66

“When someone uses our name we know they know us. The tone they use when they say it indicates how well they know us. The facial expressions someone uses tells us what they think of us when they say our name, the number of times they use our name tells us how important we are in any particular conversation. This is where the true power of someone’s name can be found.” From The Power of Using Someone’s Name

What is the Name of the Creator of the Universe?
“Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ “

“God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I am has sent me to you.” ‘ God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.’ “ (Exodus 3:13-15)

Matthew Henry comments:
“Formerly Moses thought himself able to deliver Israel, and set himself to the work too hastily. Now, when the fittest person on earth for it, he knows his own weakness. This was the effect of more knowledge of God and of himself. Formerly, self-confidence mingled with strong faith and great zeal, now sinful distrust of God crept in under the garb of humility; so defective are the strongest graces and the best duties of the most eminent saints. But all objections are answered in, Certainly I will be with thee. That is enough. Two names God would now be known by. A name that denotes what he is in himself, I am that I am. This explains his name, Jehovah, and signifies,

1. That he is self-existent: he has his being of himself.

2. That he is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, today, and for ever.

3. That he is incomprehensible; we cannot by searching find him out: this name checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning God.

4. That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature; let Israel know this, I am hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me.

All else have their being from God, and are wholly dependent upon him. Also, here is a name that denotes what God is to his people. The Lord God of your fathers sent me unto you. Moses must revive among them the religion of their fathers, which was almost lost; and then they might expect the speedy performance of the promises made unto their fathers.”

Reverence for the Name of the Master of the Universe. . .

For those of us raised Catholic, whether Roman, Orthodox, or Anglican (Episcopal), grew up with a sense of the reverence toward GOD that can be our own stumbling block in preventing intimacy. For those who came to know Jesus in other, more direct ways, an irreverence bordering on flippancy may develop. I think here of the Papa God thing that was prevalent some years ago.

Peter puts his arms around Jesus, takes him aside, and rebukes him. . .

Papa God. . .

Fear led to no longer referring to GOD by His Name, but using pronouns exclusively. H’Shem, literally, The Name, is encountered in Judaism today, as is using LORD, Adonai.

“Then The Divine kissed Humanity and walked among us. . . Gave us a better way to relate to the Master of the Universe in Y’shua (Jesus), Who by sacrifice destroyed eternal death for those who would believe in Him. And we can know His Name. . .,” wrote someone, though whom I now have forgotten.

“What did You and Adam talk about,” my friend Rocky once asked of GOD.

Once I wondered what GOD said to Rocky. Once I wondered what else Rocky and GOD talked about. They had their relationship, based upon Rocky having been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb Jesus, and able to stand in the presence of a HOLY GOD.

Preachers often like to say we all will stand before GOD in the day of judgement. If we know His Name, He will know us. In our time on Earth we have the opportunity to get to know our Heavenly Father, and to know His Name.

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . . 

Monday Memories: And The Wind Blows

Many years ago I moved around a lot. I thought of myself as helping here and there as needed, but not staying too long in one place. I definitely didn’t let moss grow beneath my feet. I was justified Biblically, too: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8. Perhaps my interpretation just satisfied my desire to travel, to wander. Those travels did allow me to serve GOD through a number of churches in the States as well as in a number of countries. I met wonderful people. I might have even been of some value to them. Some folks, with whom I connected in special ways, I stayed in contact with for a time. Eventually, however, I lost that connection.

Eventually, after wonderful experiences in West Africa, and getting married while there, I settled down somewhat. I say somewhat, as the itch to roam got to me in 2006. I went went over-the-road with Arrow Trucking out of Tulsa, OK. My Biblical justification is found in Luke 14:23: “Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”

After leaving Arrow Trucking, I focused on raising two children, siblings adopted from overseas. While we attended a large church I got totally lost in the anonymity of it. I didn’t connect with anyone. I stayed somewhat obscure, aloof, writing devotional pieces for a ministry, eventually starting this blog. I made no real connections with people; I made no friends. Many acquaintances came and went, but no friends. I sloughed it off as to my being a loner, generally. I never really learned why this had happened. Until last year.

On March 5th 2022, an anonymous comment posted to JonahzSong, provoked me to look hard at my life and my connections with people. The writer didn’t understand how I could call myself Wil, that that wasn’t my name. The writer said my middle name began with an “M.” The writer went on to say some vulgar, and physically impossible, things that I should do to myself. Eventually the writer acknowledged maybe my middle name is William, Wil for short. The writer said, “But how would I know, I was abandoned and forgotten.” It upset me, to say the least. I tried to find the person by tracing the ip address, as no email address was left in the comment. I wasn’t able find the person. I wondered if the person might have been mistaken. Yet it nagged at me. I wonder now if that commenter drops by once and awhile to see if there might be an acknowledgement of some sort. Not that it makes up for anything if I were able to say to the person that I am sorry. If I offended him or her, I regret it. I regret all offenses to anyone, especially to people who’d thought of me as their friend.

This past year I’ve given a lot of thought to the accusation of abandoning and forgetting people. I’ve not forgotten anyone; they’ve been often in my thoughts and prayers. At least I don’t think so. I’ve certainly lost track of most of those I’ve known, and have only a brief contact with others. On occasion, I’ve felt compelled to earnestly pray for a particular person, throughout the day, for multiple days even. I’ve often searched the internet for news of friends. I’ve felt the joy of seeing a news clipping, or articles in ministry newsletters. Yet I didn’t reach out to those I’d found. I didn’t know what to say after such a long a time. I’ve also felt the sadness when finding an obituary.

I’ve met a lot of people here and there in the course of my wanderings. I remember the names of many. Some I can picture in my mind’s eye, at least how they once appeared. Some are in photographs that I’ve taken. None are forgotten. There are a few people with whom I was close. We went different directions, parting on good terms, and for some, for a time, staying in touch. I’ve held hope that one day we’d reconnect, though mostly I didn’t try to do so.

There is one person with whom I was very close. We knew we were heading in different directions, though we thought it would only be for a short time. Just two people blown in the wind—sort of. Just before I was leaving we had a disagreement. I became angry. I left without saying good bye. I didn’t look back, either. She would not have been the person who commented on JonahzSong; she knew me as Wil. I was foolish. And, yes, I abandoned her. Some years later, my Dad forwarded me a letter she’d mailed to me in care of him. It was a nice note, though she didn’t understand my not at least saying good bye.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians to put off their old selves and “put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Eph. 4:25-27. I failed to put aside my flesh. I failed to speak to her about my anger. I failed to provide an opportunity to be reconciled with her. I held the anger too close, too long. I walked away in abandonment. She didn’t deserve that. In the scheme of things, the disagreement was a foolish one, and I was in the wrong with no right to be angry. I can think of many excuses, but none excuses bad behavior, my bad behavior.

Pauls writings to GOD’s people are only a small part of GOD’s instructions to all humanity. There are so many lessons to learn within the Bible, if one pays attention. Learning them the hard way causes pain, to others, to me. I can’t make up for any of my sins against GOD or against His creation. What I can do, however, is offer a warning to folks to take great care in their connections with people. Be angry. Be honest. Settle it before the sun sets. Settle it before it’s too late.

May GOD watch over you
throughout the days of your life
in all the seasons of your life

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

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