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Signs, Wonders and Miracles
Mark 8:12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
Miracles are seen or confused as magic. For some people even healing the blind and lame is seen as entertainment, a type of magic. We even see back in Egypt with Moses, Pharaoh had many magicians who could also copy the “miracles“. Click here to see our previous post about Miracles, and the true meaning of miracles and the true purpose of it. But people just loved to be entertained by magic, and not recognize the importance of Miracles. There are a lot of movies about magicians and magic, and it is interesting what some of these magicians actually say in the movies! For example:
- A key quote about deception in The Prestige is, “Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to work it out. You want to be fooled“.
- A famous quote about magic from Now You See Me is “The closer you think you are, the less you’ll actually see“.
- Another prominent quote is: “What is magic? Focused deception. But deception meant to entertain”.
The true meaning of magic is Deception, and the world just loves Magic. In Revelation we read satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth. Click here for a post about Deception from Proverbs 19.
Good News
Mark 8:35 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
Some translations say, “The good news”. The greek word is Euangelion G2098 – euangelion, which is where evangelism (euangelismos) comes from. As matter of fact, the root word for evangelist is Eu G2095 – eu, meaning Good or Prosper, and Angelos G32 – angelos, that’s right… Angels, or messengers. The word “Gospel” means the Teachings of Christ. So the good news = the teachings of Yeshua. And Yeshua taught and explained the Torah. He certainly did not teach from the letters/books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul.. their letters/books were written may years after Yeshua. Yeshua repeatedly mentioned the Laws of Moses and the Prophets, for example in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
But today, people completely misunderstand “The Gospel”. When someone today says, it is “gospel”, they mean it is the absolute truth and most important. Or if someone says, “his word is gospel”, it means whatever he says should be trusted and followed. When you google the gospel of the bible, it says the following: The four books in the New Testament that recount the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Yeshua, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
That is incorrect.. the for books are not the Gospel of Yeshua, or the (good) news that you can be saved by keeping no laws. The Gospel is the “Teachings of Yeshua”. That is what Yeshua says must be shared, His Teachings. And if you lose your life for His Teachings, He will save you. The thing that causes the most stir today, is teaching that you have to keep the laws. Teaching you don’t have to keep the laws, does indeed seem like “good news” for many, but that is exactly what Yeshua was warning against. As a matter of fact, you are less liked and loved by the world if you share the Teaching to Keep the Laws. Mark 1:15 says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of YHWH is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The Gospel to believe in, is not lawlessness, but the “Teachings of Yeshua”.
Salt
Mark 9:49 “Everyone will be salted with fire“.. Another translations says, “seasoned with fire“, e.g. “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.”
Verse 50 says, “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” Back in Judges 9 we posted about Salt, and the references to it throughout scripture (click here to read more). One of the most important Scriptures on salt, that is repeated several times, is to never have any sacrifices without salt. You MUST have Salt. Today it is even recognized how amazing salt is, it is used to preserve, clean, improve taste and even kill things with it. But here Yeshua uses Salt and Fire together.. Which is exactly how a sacrifice has to be done, fire and salt. Click here to see previous posts on Fire, and how everyone will have to go through the fire to be tested. If you have salt, you are found to be acceptable. No sacrifice without salt is allowed.
Salt is for purification, but it is also the qualities in daily life to fight against the corruption and decay of the world, i.e. preservation. Did you know that the Covenant of YHWH, His Laws and Teachings, are called a “Covenant of Salt“, for example Numbers 18:19, “it is a covenant of salt forever before YHWH, with you and your descendants with you“. Salt is seen as eternal and pure, a means of cleansing/purifying and protection/preservation.
Did you know, that a covenant of salt was also a cultural practice in the ancient world in which one party would form a covenant by eating the salt of the other, promising to protect each other even if they were enemies before. The practice of exchanging or eating salt together historically symbolized creating a covenant or bond, signifying friendship, loyalty, and shared life. Because salt was essential for life and preservation, eating it with another person was seen as a sacred and binding act, similar to a blood pact, creating a perpetual alliance of trust and mutual support. This custom can still be found today in some modern rituals or as a symbolic gesture in various cultures, like wedding ceremonies where two salt containers are blended into one, and in ancient traditions such as offering bread and salt to guests.
Marriage is often jokingly referenced as “eating many bags of salt“. The phrase “to eat a pound of salt together” is a metaphor for building a deep, long-lasting friendship by enduring many hardships together, much like marriage requires going through both good and bad times. It symbolizes the time, effort, and experiences needed to build a strong bond. In a marriage context, this means sharing life’s challenges and joys to build a lasting relationship of trust and commitment.
