Good Morning Friday...
Father Thank You for this NEW day. Please guide us throughout our day, showing us Your TRUTH, MERCY, and MYSTERIES. Let us use Your amazing REVELATION for Your Glory and Purposes TODAY! IN YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST, THE WORD OF GOD’s Name we pray. Amen! A big thank you to our late Brother, John W. Ritenbaugh, and berean.org for today’s devotion. "Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true." Acts 17:11 - A Berean Breakdown: Awake!... and Make Preparations Now. (1) "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (2) Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (3) Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, (4) but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (5) But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. (6) "And at midnight a cry was heard: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!" (7) Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." (9) But the wise answered, saying, "No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves." (10) And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. (11) "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" (12) But he answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you." (13) "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Matthew 25:1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins pictures the church waiting for the Bridegroom's return. Because of an unexpectedly long delay, He finds half the virgins unprepared when He finally arrives. In weddings of that time, the bridegroom traditionally led a procession of bridesmaids from where they waited to his home. Since the procession almost invariably took place at night, each bridesmaid was expected to supply her own torch or lamp. If the bridegroom came later than expected, the bridesmaid needed to be prepared with extra torches or oil for her lamp. The difference between the wise and the foolish virgins in the parable is not that one group did not have oil, but that one group did not have enough for the unexpectedly long delay. When the cry went out, their lamps were still burning, but they were sputtering and going out. Oil, of course, represents God's Holy Spirit. The wise virgins, like the faithful and wise servant of Matthew 24:45-51, are prepared. They make sure that they remain in contact with the dispenser of oil, as is implied when they say to the foolish virgins, "No, . . . go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves" (verse 9). The wise had been in recent contact with the dispenser of oil, whereas the others apparently had dallied around. Going frequently to the dispenser, the wise, when the bridegroom arrived, had an adequate supply to trim their lamps and go into the marriage supper. The lesson is preparedness through vision and foresight. Because it is an internal state, preparedness cannot be transferred. That is evident in the reaction of the virgins. It is a matter of the heart, an intangible that accrues by spending long periods of time under many circumstances with the Dispenser of the Holy Spirit. What cannot be transferred to those who are unprepared are matters of attitude, character, skill, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. They are personal attributes that are built and honed over months and years. When one needs a skill immediately, how much time does it take to learn it? If a man suddenly needed the skill to repair an automobile, and he had never done any work on one, he may as well have no hands at all! It works the same way with spiritual attributes. Preparing for eventualities is the lesson of this parable. The wise virgins prepared for the eventuality that it might take longer for the bridegroom to come—they showed foresight and vision, and they entered the wedding feast. The others did not. The oil cannot be borrowed either. In no way can it be passed from one person to another. We cannot borrow character or a relationship with God. The parable teaches us that opportunity comes, opportunity knocks, and then opportunity leaves. The foolish failed to face the possibility that the bridegroom would come later than expected, and when they were awakened, they had no time to fetch any oil and fill their lamps. No one can deliver his brother. Each person determines his own destiny. No matter how close we are, even if we are one in flesh as in marriage, a husband cannot deliver his wife, and a wife cannot deliver her husband. Nor can we deliver our children. Everyone stands on his own in his relationship with God. God makes this clear in Ezekiel 14:14: "'Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,' says the Lord God." Though it is a hard lesson, it should motivate us to discipline ourselves, to exercise self-control, to be alert, and to give our attention to our spiritual priorities. Thus, each person determines his own destiny. Equating the foolish virgins with their modern counterparts, the Laodiceans, their faith is perfunctory (carried out with minimal effort or reflection). Their church membership is routine, merely going through the motions. They have enough faith that they at least show up for church services. They have beliefs and character and motivation—but not enough! The Bridegroom's refusal to admit the five foolish virgins (verse 12) must not be construed as a callous rejection of their lifelong desire to enter the Kingdom. Far from callous, Christ's rejection is entirely justified because these people never make preparations for their marriage to Him. In the analogy, though they realize they have met their future mate and admire Him, they never develop the relationship. In a sense, they have already rejected Him. Thus, an additional lesson in this parable is that our relationship with God must be worked on continually.
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Good Morning Thursday...
FATHER thank You for MAKING this NEW day. We ask that you OPEN our HEARTS AND MINDS to the infinite TRUTH, GRACE, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, and MERCY SUPPLIED to us IN YOUR WORD, OUR ALMIGHTY GOD. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Holy Name we pray, Amen. - The One And Only - I Am He Yahweh Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, God Our Father and His Son Jesus Christ Are ONE. Jesus said: “The Father and I are ONE.” John 10:30 Our Messiah Tells Us The Good Deeds Are From His Father: “Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” John 10:32 Yeshua, Jesus Christ, Repeats This Statement About Being ONE With Our Father Many Times. He Even Says It In Prayer To Our Father: “And the glory that you have given to me, I have given to them, in order that they may be one, just as we are ONE—” John 17:22 Those are just three of the many witnesses to Yeshua, Jesus Christ and Our Father being ONE. When we pray to Our Father, and in Yeshua, Jesus Christ Name, we are praying to ONE☝️, The God Of All Creation. Whether in The Original Covenant or The New Covenant, The Old Testament or The New Testament, The Evening or The Morning, we can be confident that Our Savior and Our Father, Who Are ONE, never change, never abandon us, and will never forsake us. If we only seek Him, cry out to Him, and follow Him, we will be guided in the right direction...The ONE direction that leads to Salvation (Yeshua/Jesus). If today you are questioning your beliefs, doubting your faith, or needing help, there is ONE place you can always find strength... in The ONE, The ONE Who Answers I AM HE. When you are down, when you are hurt, when you are struggling, or when you are in pain, turn to The ONE Who Can Help. In our time of testing we will inevitably ask "Who can help me?" Our Father and Our Messiah will answer with the exact same answer, The ONE will answer...I AM HE Can I Get A Witness?! Sure, here are six: “You are My witnesses, says The Lord (Yahweh), and My Servant Whom I Have Chosen, that you may Know Me, Believe Me and Remain Steadfast to Me, and Understand That I AM HE. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me There Is No Savior. I have declared [the future] and have saved [the nation in times of danger], and I have shown [that I Am God]–when there was no strange and alien god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says The Lord (Yahweh), that I Am God. Yes, from the time of the first existence of day and from this day forth I AM HE; and there is no one who can deliver out of My Hand. I will work, and who can hinder or reverse it?” Isaiah 43:10-13 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called [ones]: I AM HE; I Am The First, I Also Am The Last.” Isaiah 48:12 “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I AM HE.” John 13:19 “They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I AM HE. ” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I AM HE, ” they drew back and fell to the ground.” John 18:5-6 “Yeshua said to her, “I AM HE, THE ONE WHO SPEAKS TO YOU.” Yochanan (John) 4:26 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM HE, you will die in your sins.”” John 8:24 God Bless Brothers and Sisters. Have a Wonderful ONE-I AM HE-Filled Thursday! Shalom! Good Morning Wednesday...
Father, may The TRUTH that You LOVE us and that You are FOR us fill us with JOY AND CONFIDENCE TODAY. LET this TRUTH sink deep into our hearts today. Let it SHAPE every area in our LIFE TODAY! In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’s Name we pray. AMEN! - Begin Again... The King’s Way Peter The Disciple was: hot headed, quick spoken, puffed up, and usually ready for a fight. Does this sound like anyone you know? Of course. We all know someone like this... it may even be us. Despite the bad wrap Peter gets, he was a real soldier for Christ, and quite possibly the chief of second chances. He is easy to relate to because we have all put our foot in our mouths before. While Peter may have sometimes spoken out of turn, or been a little too quick to act, Our Father and Savior recognized Peter’s good character traits and gave him wonderful opportunities to learn the right way, and in turn gave us wonderful opportunities to learn as well. I thank Our Father In Heaven Above for Peter and all his stories of second chances, which brings us to today’s story. In Luke 5 we find Yeshua, Jesus, preaching from a boat, Peter’s boat. Yeshua then told Peter to take Him fishing with him. It did not seem Peter really wanted to do this. The one day apostle did not seem too interested. We can only imagine that he was tired, in fact he had fished all night and caught nothing. He was doubtful, maybe discouraged, and his flesh was probably calling for a bed. Even though Peter showed reluctance, he took Jesus’s instruction and said, “at Your Word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). This is where Peter shined. He listened. The was one of the “Peter moments of Truth” in The Bible. By doing what Our Messiah asked, Peter was submitting that he would begin again, but this time Yeshua’s Way, God’s Way. What happened next? Peter caught so many fish it almost sank the boat! In fact, the second boat that was there had to come and help, and... they filled both of them. Here is Peter’s reaction: “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” Luke 5:8-11 We aren’t so different than Peter you know. We all usually try our way first, but we as people have much less understanding most of the time than we like to admit. Peter, though reluctant, triumphed in this story because he listened, heard, and acted with Yeshua in the boat. May none of us miss our opportunity for a second chance because of failure and discouragement, or miss the opportunity altogether because of inaction. May we all make the choice to press on, even in the face of discouragement, tiredness, or having an empty belly. Remember, Our King, Messiah, Father, and God never, and I mean never, forgets us, His Children. We just have to remember to keep our eyes on Him, look up, and when things don’t go the way we think they should, or we fail, if we want surprisingly wonderful results, all we have to do is BEGIN AGAIN... THE KING’S WAY. The Infallible, Astonishingly Successful, Undeniable Word of God Almighty: “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” Luke 5:1-11 Good Morning Tuesday...
Father thank You for this NEW Day. Please grant us TRUTH, WISDOM, DISCERNMENT, UNDERSTANDING, and KNOWLEDGE, so that we may be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our MINDs and not be conformed to this world. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’s Name. Amen. - Stop and Think About It: What Is It That You REALLY Want? When reading God’s Word it is not a difficult thing to recognize Our Messiah’s uncanny and deep wisdom. His Words are sharp, full of authority, which we see many pointing out in Scripture, and His choice of words, His language, is not only compassionate, but also peculiar and Divinely Interesting. Part of Our Savior’s peculiar language choice lies in the fact that He often asked questions that seem to be blatantly obvious to those seeking Him out. Let’s take a look at 4 examples of this in action: 1.) “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, The Lamb of God!” And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?” John 1:35-38 BSB 2.) “Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man. “Take courage!” they said. “Get up! He is calling for you.” Throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and came to Jesus. “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “Rabboni,” said the blind man, “let me see again.” Mark 10:46-51 BSB 3.) “So Judas brought a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived at the garden carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was coming upon Him, stepped forward and asked them, “Whom are you seeking?” John 18:3-4 BSB 4.) “Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and the other at the feet. “Woman, why are you weeping?” they asked. “Because they have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I do not know where they have put Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not recognize that it was Jesus. “Woman, why are you weeping?” Jesus asked. “Whom are you seeking?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him off, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.” John 20:10-15 BSB Obviously The Smartest and Wisest Man To Ever Walk The Face of The Earth knew clear and well the answer to His questions, heck so do we when we read His Words. This then begs the question: Why would He ask these questions with seemingly obvious and straight forward answers? The answer to this question: The same reason He came “in the flesh” at all, for us and for our benefit, obviously not for His, after all… He’s Perfect. Our King, Messiah, Teacher, Savior, Friend, Mentor, and Perfect Example was stating these questions so we would stop for a moment and think about what it is that we REALLY want. If anyone reading this is older than 14 years old, you have probably figured out that we as a people aren’t nearly as smart as we usually think ourselves to be. All one has to do is look around, read a newspaper, scroll through the news headlines online, or my favorite, watch an episode of “Cops,” to figure out that “we the people” aren’t really that sophisticated at all. Pervasive throughout all societies, rich and poor, are masses of stubborn and self sabotaging men and women, including sometimes, whether we would like to admit it or not… ourselves. Poor exercise habits, poor eating habits, poor diets, poor attitudes, poor prayer life, all these things are detrimental to our health and Life and we know it, but every one of us has been guilty of them at some point. Stop And Think About It: How many times do you think Yeshua, Jesus Christ, The Creator, King, and Savior of The World said to people “Follow Me!”? How many of those people do you think listened? How many people do you think forgave when He said forgive? Repentance is literally the first thing Our Savior preached once He was baptized, how many do you think repented? How many of His friends, followers, or those around Him listened to what He said, watched Him perform countless miracles, and then just slide right back to there old, unrepentant lives after the curtains closed? Here is the question… What is Yeshua, Jesus Christ, The Savior of The Whole World asking YOU? Maybe He is asking us all obvious, straight forward questions… because we keep ignoring His obvious, straight forward answers. Good Morning Monday...
Father thank you for this NEW DAY! As we rise to meet this new day, please let us be filled with Your Spirit. Wherever we go, let us SPREAD LOVE, JOY, PEACE, GOODNESS, and FAITHFULNESS. Let us desire to become more like You and to worship You IN ALL WE DO. Help us desire these things so much more than the sin that entices us. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Name we pray. Amen. - What Are The Prophets Saying? (Nehemiah) There are so many times I have found myself discouraged, confused, or frustrated and wasn't sure where to turn in The Bible to find an answer to my woes. Almost without exception, wherever I turned in The Word to find my answer, whether I started in The Gospel or Genesis, I usually ended up at The Prophets. The prophets have not only a wealth of prophecy, amazing stories of triumph, encouragement, and wonderful messages for us all as a Christian Family, but they also contain a wealth of messages for each and everyone of us personally. This is literally God Speaking To Us! Just as Jesus Himself Spoke, so too did The Prophets Speak His Word🔥. Our Father and Yeshua, Jesus Christ, so loved us that He never stopped sending loyal servants, again and again, to give all of us together and individually messages, over and over. Remember the Parable of the Vineyard Owner (Matt 21:33-46)? The Master sent His Servants, which the people beat or killed (Prophets), then The Master Sends His Son (Yeshua, Jesus) thinking the people renting his land will be more amiable... they weren't. In fact, they killed Him thinking that they would receive "the inheritance." Does this story sound familiar or what? Our Savior Was, Is, and Always Will Be The Smartest Person Of All Time. For this reason...these parables, and The Word of God Spoken Through The Prophets should be carefully studied. Within this Ancient Wise Parable that Yeshua Spoke, we find The Prophets of God (Servants) came before He (The Master) Sent His Son. With that in mind, let us take a look today at what Nehemiah, A Prophet of Yahweh (YHWH or God), God Himself, and Our Savior were trying to relay to "all of us" and "each of us" in today's Scriptures. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we humbly come before you today to receive Your Word and Your Message. As we read passages from Your Servant Nehemiah, please open our hearts and minds to what you are trying to tell us as a group, and what you are saying to us individually. You are Mighty Father and we know You Have Left Us, In Your Word, Messages of Encouragement, Discipline, Reconciliation, Salvation, Repentance, and Love for Your Children. And we thank You! Let us come before You today as Your Children and enjoy Our Daily Bread With You, Abba. We Love You And Praise You Father. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ Mighty Name We Pray. Amen! The Word of God: The Book of Nehemiah The Prophet of God: “Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O LORD (YHVH, Yahweh), I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your Name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.” Nehemiah 1:10-11 “Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2:4-5 “Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” Nehemiah 2:17-19 “For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” Nehemiah 6:9 “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.” Nehemiah 6:15-16 “And Ezra opened The Book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed The LORD (YHVH, Yahweh), The Great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped The LORD (YHVH, Yahweh) with their faces to the ground.” Nehemiah 8:5-6 “So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from The Book of The Law (Torah) of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.” Nehemiah 8:17-18 “Stand up and bless The LORD (YHVH, Yahweh) your God Forever and ever! “Blessed be Your Glorious Name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are The LORD (YHVH, Yahweh); You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.” Nehemiah 9:5-6 Good Morning Sunday...
Dear Father, thank You for this NEW day. Guide us as we make this day's JOURNEY. LIFT us as we fall. Show us Your LOVE, and HELP us to show Your Love to others. IN YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’S NAME we pray. AMEN! Good morning Brothers and Sisters. Had a special request recently, again, for a previous devotion a Sister In Yeshua was having trouble finding on the website. The website is having some problems and i will have to fix this soon. With that said, some changes are probably coming in the near future to the website and format of these devotions. Stay tuned! I think you will like the changes. In these perilous times we face, we must remember that Our Father and Our Savior is in control of EVERYTHING and He will use what is going on for the good of His people. May we all have a peace today knowing... “...We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 Without further ado, making it’s appearance again after another special request… - Back Again: Ordinary Water... Ordinary People... Extraordinary Wine! Reading: John 2:1-11 Yeshua, Jesus Christ's recipe for wine was very different than any other winemaker in His-tory. He didn't use grapes, yeast, sugar, or any of the other usual ingredients. It didn't take any sort of long process... there wasn't time. There was no wine and it needed to be produced immediately. Yeshua didn't gather what was expected...Yeshua just used ordinary water. Let's take a moment to think this out because I am fairly certain that this story is leading us somewhere much larger. We know that The Bible is always self defining. Meaning, if we find a term somewhere in The Bible all we need do is look in another part of The Bible to find the definition of said word. With this in mind let's take a look at some of the definitions in this awesome story of Yeshua's first miracle. “Then He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” Revelation 17:15 NKJV “who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.” Psalm 65:7 NIV Water = nations/people - Here we see water can mean people as Biblically defined. Now let's look at wine... “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man’s heart.” Psalms 104:14-15 NKJV “Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.” Ecclesiastes 9:7 NKJV Wine = joy and gladness for the heart of people - Here we see wine can be and is associated with joy and gladdening the hearts of people. It also means the loving and serving people of God, but for time purposes I will not include those verses. Now that we have defined water and wine, let's take another look at Jesus's first miracle. Yeshua took ordinary water (people), and turned it (them) into wine (joy and gladness for others). Wine is the "fruit of the vine," and fruit of the vine are joyous people that are grown by spending time with Yeshua. Obviously Yeshua is The Vine (John 15:5). You hang onto Him and you are fruit that is produced. A fruit and wine that "makes glad the heart of men." It is the same with you and I. Our Father uses ordinary people and things for extraordinary results. It doesn't matter where we are or the amount of our abilities, because we have a Father with Limitless Abilities. The Word tells us in many places that God uses the things this world considers "foolish and weak to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27)." So let us remember this as we go through the motions of life today: God can and will use us ordinary people to serve, to encourage, and to Love one another... Just as He Sent Yeshua To Do For Us. This is the larger picture: No matter how "ordinary" you may think you are, that's the point... Jesus uses ordinary folks to bare His Fruit. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. What we have right now is all we need to serve, encourage, and Love, because Our Savior is The One who turns the water into wine...or ordinary folks into a joyful, loving people. There is no way we could turn water into wine by our own power, but because of Him... we are water turned into wine. Seek Him today. You never know, you may be ordinary water today, but in an instant or "the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52)" you could become wine that saves the whole wedding. Bonus Content: Thoughts to Ponder: Yeshua's miracle turning water to wine was the first of 37 miracles we are treated with in The Bible and The Gospel of John. Yeshua also said "the first shall be last and the last shall be the first (Matt 20:16)." Mathew 20:16 goes on to say: "many are called but few are chosen." Now, I realize that these verses definitely have other meanings, but think about this: John writes in his gospel "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written (John 21:25)." Many of Yeshua's miracles were pointed out in The Bible, but few of these miracles were chosen to include. It matches Matthew 20:16 perfect!!! Just a thought: Is it possible Jesus's first miracle in The Bible will also be His Last (The first shall be last, and the last shall be first)!? Remember... "At the Last Trump, In The Twinkling of eye, we will be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52)." Ordinary Water changed to Extraordinary Wine! We know Our King is Mighty and I think the “master of the banquet” who speaks up at the wedding really “hits the mark” in our reading today when he exclaims: "You Have Saved The Best For Last! (John 2:10) Praying each of you had a wonderful Sabbath yesterday, and praying for each of you to have a wonderful Yeshua-Filled week. Grace and Peace to each and every one of you on the other side of this screen! Good Morning Sabbath...
Father thank You for this NEW day. We ask that you OPEN our HEARTS and MINDS to YOUR infinite GRACE, WISDOM, and PEACE, so WE may SERVE You in the manner most PLEASING to YOU. In Your Mighty Son YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's name we pray. Amen. A BIG Thank You to our late Brother In Yeshua, John Ritenbaugh, and berean.org for today’s devotion. - A Berean Breakdown: Exodus 31:17 - A Sign Forever "It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days The LORD (YHVH , Yahweh) made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed." Exodus 31:17 This special covenant—strategically placed by Moses between information on the building of the Tabernacle (a type of the church) and the Golden Calf incident (brazen idolatry)—creates a special sign of the Sabbath between God and His people. Generally, a sign identifies. It communicates the purpose of or gives directions to a person or place. Signs bring people together with shared interests and common goals. A sign can function as a pledge of mutual fidelity and commitment. Organizations use signs to designate membership, allowing members to recognize each other. The Sabbath serves as an external and visible bond that unites God's people, and at the same time it sanctifies them from almost everyone else. Almost everyone in the Western world keeps Sunday or nothing. By the Sabbath, the true covenant-keeper knows that God is sanctifying him. Anybody who has kept both Sunday and Sabbath knows this: Sunday sets no one apart from this world. If He created the Sabbath only because we need to rest physically, any old time would do, but ultimately, how and why we keep the Sabbath is what becomes the real sign. God is working out a purpose. He has invested a tremendous amount in us in the creation and in the death of His Son. The Sabbath serves as a major means by which He protects that investment. He made a specific period of time special so He can meet with His people and take major steps to make them different—Holy. Good Morning Friday...
Father thank You for this new day. As You Walk with us today, please keep us focused on YOUR TRUTH. Please continue to fill OUR HEARTS & MINDS with YOUR PEACE and straighten the paths before us. In YESHUA, Jesus Christ's Glorious Name we pray. Amen - Wisdom of THE WORD: A Solid Foundation - The Foundation of THE ROCK Ever stepped on a ant bed? Here in Louisiana you can have a bad day by stepping in an ant bed, especially if you don't realize you are in one. Have you ever looked at an ant bed after you have stepped on it though? What do the ants do? They immediately begin running around and start rebuilding their home. The ants are disciplined, intentional, and have one goal. I think we can learn something from theses ants. Let's see what God's Word has to say about ants: “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.” Proverbs 6:6-11 “There are four things which are little on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer;” Proverbs 30:24-25 So, we are supposed to take note of the ants. They have qualities that Our Father endowed them with that are good. They gather, they prepare, they aren't strong, yet they are wise. Notice it says the ants "are a people." Here again we see a message pointing us towards certain habits, a lifestyle, and a maturity to press on in the "building of our house." None of us want a house built on sand, right? Of course not, so we need to be like the ant. We need perseverance, discipline, wisdom, and healthy habits. A strong beginning each day with Our Father and Savior can begin this process. Not only does this mature our relationship with God Our Father, but this also helps put us on a wise path of walking with our Merciful, Kind, and Amazing Messiah. Wise people seek wisdom. God's word tells us: “The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands. He who walks in his uprightness fears The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh), But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him. In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them.” Proverbs 14:1-3 This is a powerful verse. Remember a woman in scripture is symbolism for The Church, The Body of Christ. This proverb no doubt reminds us of Matthew 7 and what Yeshua, Jesus Our Savior, speaks. Let's take a look: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on The Rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on The Rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24-27 Like the ants, we see Our Savior here explaining how the "wise man" labored, was obedient, and was disciplined, the foolish man... not so much. We must “hear” the instructions of Our God and obey. Jesus tells us that the wise man not only “hears” what He is teaching, but very importantly “does ” what He commands. We must do what God’s Word tells us or we are like the foolish. Storms came and the wise man's house stood solid, the foolish man... not so much. Each day we are preparing for something, building something, whether we know it or not. Each and everyone of us has a choice to be foolish or be wise. We have a choice to follow our "upward call" or follow our carnal desires. We can choose to be content with our current circumstances, just doing the same old thing, and our present relationship with Our Father, or to feed that relationship, deepen it, build on it, become wiser, gain more discipline, and become more obedient, growing in Him each day. Our Father desires us. He wants us to grow, build, learn, and gain in likeness to His Son and Perfect Example. Once we make Him The Foundation of our house, our temple, we can begin to construct that sturdy house, gain wisdom, grow in obedience, and learn disciplines that help us draw closer to The Almighty. May we all begin today remembering to give God Our Father our best, to be merciful to others, and to be gracious to ourselves by not gaining in "the world," but rather gaining in God Almighty with wisdom, discipline, and obedience. Each small step taken, each discipline gained, each piece of wisdom learned takes us a little bit closer to being like the wise ant. The enemy may have stepped on our proverbial ant bed, but God, Our Merciful Father, is allowing us to rebuild it before the storm comes. God's Word tells us to take note of the ant and "consider her ways." May we all be diligent as we rebuild this "ant bed" together. May we all strive to be wise, disciplined, diligent, and obedient towards Our Father and Savior. If we can start, grow, and persevere in this....There is no storm that can move our house. There is no storm that can move Our Savior, Our God, and Our Rock of Salvation. Let's rebuild our ant bed with... The Foundation of The Rock. God Bless Each and Every One of you on the other side of this screen. I pray you all have a Great, Rock-Built-Foundation-Filled day. Extra Fuel For The Soul... The Word of God: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” Philippians 3:12-16 “For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and Love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 Good Morning Thursday...
FATHER thank You for MAKING this NEW day. We ask that You OPEN our HEARTS and MINDS to the infinite TRUTH, GRACE, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, and MERCY SUPPLIED to us in YOUR WORD, OUR ALMIGHTY GOD. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Holy Name we pray, Amen. A big thank you to Brother Larry Good for today’s devotions. - A Prayer: Time to Bring Healing “God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11a Even when the source of our pain remains a source of constant heartache, God and time can bring a healing like No Other. King Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, authored Ecclesiastes where he reminds us: “God has made everything beautiful for its own time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11a). Psalms 118:17 says, "… I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of The LORD (YHVH, Yahweh)." Simply put: If you just keep on living, you’ll be able to tell the story of how God has brought you through. Because one way or another, He always does. With the passing of time, I’ve seen the deep pain I experienced equally matched by many moments of unexpected joy. And when I reached the end of all that was humanly possible, God’s worked through His Never-Ending Power to make all things beautiful with time. How is that possible? He’s changed me. God in His Goodness Works to change us. He changes our perspective. He allows us to see what He sees … that even when things aren’t as perfect, easy, or as straightforward as we would like them to be … they still can be beautiful... and always so much more than we could have ever imagined. You or someone you love may in time have to live with the reality of an injury of the mind, body or soul. With all your heart, you might want to fix something and not be able to. That something or someone may never be perfect. But you need to know, time can bring a healing. With time, God can take the hard moments and make them happy. He can replace sorrow with a smile. He can make the mountain of grief or regret you’re climbing now, into a place where you can later view the beautiful landscape of your Life. Not perfect, but beautiful... perfect comes later. God does bring healing in time. Take courage and hold on. And know that even from your pain, beauty can blossom. God makes everything beautiful in its time. One thing I know, if I know anything at all... you get closer to God Your Father, and you can't help but see beauty with the new eyes He will give you. The reason... because He is Beauty, He is Love (1John 4:8, 1John 4:16). The closer you get to Him, the more you "see." Dear God, Our Father Who is in Heaven, there are times where I feel deep pain. It’s hard to continue. There are no smiles. I don’t feel joy. Please help me trust You when it’s hard. Help me believe that, with time, You can make something beautiful of my Life. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ Name we pray......Amen. Good Morning Wednesday...
FATHER thank You for this NEW DAY. We ask that you cover us with YOUR MIGHTY HAND. Let us understand YOUR MIGHTY WILL, so that we may see YOUR INFINITE GLORY. We ask this in YOUR PERFECT SON YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Name. Amen. - He Is... (Part 34) Our Father Is God. He Wants Us To Know Who He Is. He Shows His Character, Wisdom, Omnipotence, Power, Mercy, Justice, Omniscience, and Glory All Through His Word... Just For Us. His Greatest Gift...He Sent His Son So We Could Get To Know Him Better. He Let Him Be Sacrificed So We Would Know How Much He Loves Us. He Is A King. He Is The Creator. He Is Our Reason For Being. Today, let's go through The Bible and see just who He Says He Is. When He Tells Us Who He Is we can grow, understand Him more clearly, draw closer, and try to imitate Him and His Perfect Character better. As we go through Scripture, searching out His Character and Names, Be encouraged and let Him Speak to you. Listen to The God of All Creation, Our Heavenly Father, talk to you and tell you exactly what He Wants To Do For you. Let's jump right in and listen to Him Tell Us Who...HE IS. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that HE IS, and that HE IS a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 Our Father's Nature Never Changes. HE IS, WAS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE. He Is Who He Is. That's what He Told Moses. I Am Who I Am. That's what His Name means, YAHWEH, I Am Who I Am. His Name Means...HE IS! He Has Come! He Is... Yeshua, Jesus, Salvation “And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name יהושע (YESHUA, JESUS, SALVATION) for HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.” Mattithyahu (Matthew) 1:21 TS2009 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His Name JESUS, for HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.” Matthew 1:21 NKJV He Is… The Surety; “by so much JESUS BECAME SURETY OF A BETTER COVENANT.” Hebrews 7:22 DARBY He Is... The Intercessor; “But HE, because HE LIVES FOREVER, has HIS PRIESTHOOD UNCHANGEABLE. Therefore HE IS ALSO ABLE TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST THOSE WHO DRAW NEAR TO GOD THROUGH HIM, seeing that HE LIVES FOREVER TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM.” Hebrews 7:24-25 WEB He Is... The Covenanter, “For where a covenant is, a necessity is to present the death of THE MAN WHO MADE THE COVENANT. For a covenant is effective with the dead, since it is never enforced while the man who made the covenant lives.” Hebrews 9:16-17 ACV He Is... The Captain of Salvation; “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make THE CAPTAIN OF their SALVATION perfect through sufferings.” Hebrews 2:10 NKJV He Is... The Author and Finisher of Faith; “Looking on JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF FAITH, Who having joy set before Him, endured The Cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on The Right Hand of The Throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 DRC1752 He Is... The King of Righteousness, The King of Peace; “to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and then also “KING OF SALEM,” which means “KING OF PEACE,”” Hebrews 7:2 WMB To Be Continued... God Bless each and every one of you on the other side of this screen. May each and everyone of you have have a He Is..., Yeshua, Life-Filled Day! |
SERVANT OF YESHUA 7
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