Sabbath Preparation: A Table of Light

WBJMinistries Sermon: LIGHT OVER MANHATTAN

A journey through symbols, faith, and truth:

Opening Prayer

🙏🏼🌍📿🛐🤲🏼✝️🙌🏼

Elohim, Source of all light and life, we come before You as a city of symbols. Each landmark a reflection of Your divine design. As the sun rises over Manhattan, let Your light rise in our hearts. Illuminate the corners of our minds, clear the shadows of doubt, and lead us into Your truth. In the glow of Your presence, may we find courage, wisdom, and renewal.

Halleluyah⚜️

Sermon ~ A City of Light and Lessons

Imagine Manhattan as a great book written in stone, steel, and sky. Each landmark is a chapter. Each museum is a temple of memory. Each street is a lesson waiting to be learned.

The Empire State Building: The Tower of Purpose

The Empire State Building rises like a prayer into the heavens. Its height is not just a statement of ambition; it is a symbol of purpose. When life tries to push us down, we are reminded that the only way to rise is through light, through faith, through steadfast hope.

📖Scripture:

Yahusha (John) 8:12, Halleluyah Scriptures — “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”📜

Even the tallest building cannot stand without a strong foundation. In the same way, our lives cannot stand without Elohim’s light.

The Statue of Liberty: The Symbol of Freedom

The Statue of Liberty stands as a beacon for the oppressed, a reminder that freedom is not just a right. It is a spiritual truth. Freedom begins in the heart when we choose to let go of fear and step into the promise of redemption.

📖Scripture:

Gal’atiym (Galatians) 5:1, Halleluyah Scriptures — “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Messiah has made us free.”📜

Freedom is not chaos; it is alignment with divine purpose.

The World Trade Center: The Ground of Resilience

The World Trade Center stands as a testament to recovery and resilience. When tragedy tries to erase a story, light writes it back into existence.

📖Scripture:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 61:3, Halleluyah Scriptures — “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes…”📜

Even in destruction, Elohim builds a new foundation.

Penn Station: The Crossroads of Life

Penn Station is where paths converge. People come and go, yet the journey continues. This is like the soul: constantly traveling toward destiny, seeking purpose.

📖Scripture:

Mishlĕ (Proverbs) 3:6, Halleluyah Scriptures — “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”📜

When life feels like chaos, we must trust the One who directs the steps.

Madison Square Garden: The Arena of Faith

Madison Square Garden is an arena of intensity, strength, and competition. Life is an arena too, where faith is tested, refined, and proven.

📖Scripture:

1 Qorinthiyim (1 Corinthians) 9:24, Halleluyah Scriptures — “Run in such a way that you may obtain.”📜

The race is not against others. It is against doubt, fear, and the limits we place on ourselves.

Times Square: The Noise and the Light

Times Square is a symbol of distraction and dazzling lights. Yet, within the noise, the light still shines. Our world may scream, yet the truth remains.

📖Scripture:

Yashayah (Isaiah) 60:1, Halleluyah Scriptures — “Arise, shine; for your light has come.”📜

Even in chaos, the light of Elohim remains constant.

SoHo & The Village: The Streets of Expression

SoHo and The Village represent art, expression, and creativity. They teach us that our souls are not meant to be hidden. They are meant to be expressed. Through purpose, passion, and grace.

📖Scripture:

Mishlĕ (Proverbs) 16:3, Halleluyah Scriptures — “Commit your works to Yahusha, and your thoughts shall be established.”📜

Creativity is not a hobby. It is a spiritual language.

Wall Street: The Power of Choices

Wall Street is a symbol of power and wealth. Yet, true wealth is not measured in money. It is measured in character, love, and faith.

📖Scripture:

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 6:24, Halleluyah Scriptures — “No one can serve two masters…”📜

Money is not evil. It is the heart behind it that determines its power.

Manhattan Museums: Temples of Truth

The museums of Manhattan. Each one a sacred hall of history, teach us that life is a collection of lessons. We must study the past to understand the present, and we must study truth to build the future.

💬Quote:

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” — Socrates

Spiritual Depth Across Traditions

Amadlozi & Unkulunkulu: Ancestral Strength

The ancestors are not gone. Their wisdom is a living flame. Amadlozi and Unkulunkulu remind us that the past is not dead. It is a spiritual guide.

📖Scripture:

Devariym (Deuteronomy) 32:7, Halleluyah Scriptures — “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations.”📜

Our ancestors’ strength is our inheritance.

The Mohegan Tribe: The Sacredness of Nature

The Mohegan teachings remind us that nature is a reflection of the Creator. The earth is not a resource; it is a sacred gift.

📖Scripture:

Tehillim (Psalms) 24:1, Halleluyah Scriptures — “The earth is Yahusha’s, and the fullness thereof.”📜

We are caretakers, not conquerors.

Polish Heritage: Faith Through Hardship

Polish lineage teaches endurance through suffering. The strength of the Polish spirit is a testimony that faith can survive hardship and transform it into purpose.

💬Quote:

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

Buddhism: Mindfulness and Peace

Buddhism teaches peace through awareness. The mind is a battlefield, and silence is the weapon.

📖Scripture:

Yoḥanan (John) 14:27, Halleluyah Scriptures — “My peace I give to you.”

Peace is not the absence of struggle. It is the presence of divine calm.

Catholicism: Devotion and Sacrifice

Catholic tradition teaches discipline and devotion. The heart of sacrifice is the heart of love.

📖Scripture:

Yahusha (John) 15:13, Halleluyah Scriptures — “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”📜

Love is the highest form of power.

Muslim Teachings: Submission and Strength

Islam teaches submission to the Divine will and strength through obedience. The soul is refined through discipline and trust.

📖Scripture:

Mishlĕ (Proverbs) 3:5–6, Halleluyah Scriptures — “Trust in Yahusha with all your heart…”📜

Trust is the bridge between fear and faith.

Cosmos, Statistics, and the Justice System

In the universe, every star follows a path. In society, every action has a consequence. Applied statistics reveal patterns of crime, violence, and injustice. The U.S. policing and court systems are human systems, subject to flaws, yet still guided by law and order.

📖Scripture:

Mishlĕ (Proverbs) 21:15, Halleluyah Scriptures — “It is a joy for the righteous to do justice…”📜

Justice is not just a system. It is a spiritual obligation.

Women in Scripture: Strength and Grace

Women in scripture are symbols of courage and divine purpose. They represent resilience, wisdom, and redemption.

📖Scripture:

Ruth 1:16, Halleluyah Scriptures — “Where you go I will go…”📜

Women are not just followers; they are carriers of destiny.

Black Voices of Strength

💬Quote:

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” — Booker T. Washington

💬Quote:

“I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.” — Unknown

These words echo the truth of Amadlozi, the strength of Unkulunkulu, and the resilience of the human spirit.

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Closing Prayer

🙏🏼🌍📿🛐🤲🏼✝️🙌🏼

Elohim, we thank You for the light that guides us, the wisdom that strengthens us, and the grace that sustains us. As we walk through the cities of our lives, help us to see the symbols of Your truth. May we rise like the towers, stand like the statues, and shine like the lights of Times Square. Let our lives reflect Your glory and bring healing to the world.

Halleluyah⚜️