Good Morning Friday...
Father Thank You for this NEW DAY. Thank You for each NEW BREATH You Give Us. We ask You for DISCERNMENT with the things we may not be “seeing,” so that we may grow closer to You and have COMPLETE LIVES, showing Your Glory. We ask these things IN YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’s Name. Amein! - David: The Anointed King of Israel (Part 3) The Times Are Changing and Answering Tough Questions: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 Judges 21:15 describes the scene in Israel during the days that Our Father began to raise up David as King of Israel. To put things into perspective, David was only five generations away from his ancestors who had been freed from Egypt by Our Father. In fact, Israel had only just become a nation. The land was there, Yahweh Our Father had given it to them, but no form of government existed. Israel had no armed forces and really were only a set of tribes. These tribes knew nothing about war and really only fought among themselves. With other nations such as the Philistines and the Amalekites, who were far superior in their organization and training, Israel, doing "what was right in their own eyes," had drifted from Our Father, and because of this they were oppressed by those nations. The Philistines were particularly advance in their warfare past the Israelites in one area: the Philistines had iron. You see, Israel was still in the Bronze Age and the Philistines forbad them from owning iron, even to the point that the Israelites traveled to surrounding Philistine camps to get their plows and tools sharpened. Until just before David's reign when Saul was king, Israel had no government, no army, no organization, and no "earthly" king. The people were not obeying Our Father's Will and were being oppressed by warring and barbaric nations on all sides. David was raised up in a sort of "wild west" era that we cannot imagine. This is something to keep in mind as we go through some of the more uncomfortable parts of David's story. We must understand the harsh times David was raised in to understand who David truly was. We aren't dealing with a "New Testament" era, and to judge the people of this time as such would be a mistake. As our opening verse stated, everyone was doing whatever they wanted. Israel had fallen from that first generation that had entered The Promised Land Of Our Father. Despicable things were happening in Israel and it was because no one "remembered" what Our Father had told them. Maybe this is why Our Father used the term "remember" 117 times in The Old Testament. He wants us to remember. The Israelites, who had God Almighty as their King, were so rebellious in those days that they even had the nerve to ask for "a king." The Israelites had become so blind that they rejected The Perfect King to ask for an earthly one. Enter Saul. While David was the greatest "earthly" leader Israel ever had, he wasn't the first. Israel’s first earthly king title went to Saul. While Saul may have began as a humble man, he didn't stay that way for long. To Saul's credit he did grow up in a time that was far from civilized, but this can't excuse his fleshly, carnal, and weak resolve, especially when Our Father had blessed him. Saul was the one to first inherit a seemingly impossible situation, but he did not understand something that King David did... With God, All Things Are Possible. Let's pick up here tomorrow. Until then, let's think about these tough questions we must all face at some point in our Christian Walk: - Are we "Remembering" what Our Father and Savior have taught us, as when we were first blessed with His Saving Knowledge? - Are we putting something or asking for something in our lives that is taking the focus off of or causing us to reject Our Father and Savior as The One True King? - Are we ourselves just doing what seems right in our own eyes? Is the rest of society? - Do we really believe that all things are possible with God Our Father? The Word of God: “Then Samuel called the people together to The LORD (Yahweh, YHWH) at Mizpah, and said to the children of Israel, “Thus says The LORD (Yahweh) God of Israel: ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed you.’ But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before The LORD (Yahweh) by your tribes and by your clans.” I Samuel 10:17-19 “And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when The LORD (Yahweh) your God was your King. “Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, The LORD (Yahweh) has set a king over you. If you fear The LORD (Yahweh) and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of The LORD (Yahweh), then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following The LORD (Yahweh) your God. However, if you do not obey the voice of The LORD (Yahweh), but rebel against the commandment of The LORD (Yahweh), then The Hand of The LORD (Yahweh) will be against you, as it was against your fathers.” I Samuel 12:12-15 “And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to The LORD (Yahweh) your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following The LORD (Yahweh), but serve The LORD (Yahweh) with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For The LORD (Yahweh) will not forsake His people, for His Great Name’s sake, because it has pleased The LORD (Yahweh) to make you His people. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against The LORD (Yahweh) in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear The LORD (Yahweh), and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” I Samuel 12:19-25 “Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.” But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.” I Samuel 13:19-22 “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 “If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness, Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’; His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness. Then he looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, And it did not profit me.’ He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, And his life shall see The Light. “Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man, To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with The Light of Life.” Job 33:23-30
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Good Morning Thursday...
Thank You Father for this new day. Please do a new work in us, God. You’re Brilliant and Good, and You Love us. Abba, do whatever you’d like, and whatever it is... help us to accept Your Graceful Will. Help us to trust You more than we trust ourselves. We ask these things in Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Name. Amen. - David: The Anointed King of Israel (Part 2) David was many things, but his most important role was "Servant of God." Without Our Father in David's life, he may have just been a regular ol shepherd his whole life, who knows. The fact is, David had Our Father in his life from beginning to end and because he loved God Our Father with "all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength," Our Father raised him up to do mighty things. Not only did Our Father raise up David to do mighty things, but he even had The Greatest Man To Ever Live come from David's bloodline. Talk about cementing David's name in eternity: The same goes for us. Right now, we are unfolding the newest testament in the Bible. If we give our heart, soul, and strength to Our Father in Heaven and Our Savior, we too can accomplish mighty things for The Kingdom of Heaven... and while we are still here on earth. In this part of "David: The Anointed King of Israel " series, let's take a look at seven verses that give us an idea of the types of things that happened to David because of his faithfulness. As we read, let’s imagine the types of things Our Father could use us for, if... we but put our faith in Him and love Him with all we have. Without further ado, let's take a look at seven verses from God's Word about the life of David, what God used David to accomplish, and how David was rewarded for his faithfulness. The Word of Truth: Part of loving Our Father with all our heart, soul, and mind is judging in righteousness and being just. David, a “shadow” of Our Messiah, did this well: “So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people.” I Chronicles 18:14 Saul just didn't cut it as king of Israel. He was selfish and prideful. This just wouldn't do, so God raised up a man after His Own Heart. His faithfulness was so great that Our Father brought forth from his bloodline The Savior of The Whole World: “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My Will.’ From this man’s seed, according to The Promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus—” Acts 13:22-23 Our Father had a great way of accomplishing His Means, leaving lessons for us, and raising up His servant David. David was shown he could be trusted in a little, so Our Father made him trusted over much: “Now Saul was afraid of David, because The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) was with him, but had departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) was with him.” I Samuel 18:12-14 David followed commandments and was blessed. He never fell in battle because he was close to The Most High and that is where he placed his trust. In The Book of Deuteronomy we read about blessings and curses, David wanted blessings. Always seeking after God is why David's enemies fell at his hands: “So David did as God commanded him, and they drove back the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer. Then the fame of David went out into all lands, and The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) brought the fear of him upon all nations.” I Chronicles 14:16-17 When Our Father says something, you can bet your bottom dollar it will be accomplished. He said "I Will Establish," and establish He did: “I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them— My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh), will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh), have spoken.” Ezekiel 34:23-24 Our Father ALWAYS keeps His Promises. David's life is a witness to this fact: “Yet The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give A Lamp to him and to his sons forever.” II Chronicles 21:7 Great leaders need friends. Our Father gave David a true friend and Brother in Jonathan. This is the model of friendship we should all follow. We all need friends, Brothers, and Sisters in The Body of Christ to share with, weep with, and celebrate with. Jonathan and David had this friendship: “As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so.” I Samuel 20:41 Have a Great Yeshua, Our Eternal King, Jesus Filled, and Loving Thursday everyone. May we all go out and be Servants of The One True and Living God! Good Morning Wednesday...
We give thanks unto You, Our Father In Heaven, that, in mercy, You have restored our souls within us. Endless is Your compassion; great is Your faithfulness. We thank You, God Almighty, for the rest You have given us through the night and for Your Holy Breath, Your Holy Spirit, that renews our bodies and spirit. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ’s Name. Amen. Good morning My Brothers and Sisters. Back by special request, please enjoy the series “David: The Anointed King of Israel.” - David: The Anointed King of Israel Baby Brother. Shepherd Boy. Chieftain. Warrior. Mercenary. Poet. Musician. Military Strategist. Political Leader. King. In Our Father's Word David has a significantly large part. He was "The Man After Gods Own Heart." While the twenty first century has painted a picture of David that is "sugar coated," David was not always right, nor was his story always pleasant. He made many mistakes. The key to David's success though? Well, certainly Our Father's Promise Is What Kept David Safe, but what was it that David had that made him so pleasing to The Creator of All Things, Our Eternal King? I would prepose it was following the First Commandment. Take a look at any of the Psalms he wrote and you will get a good indication of where David's heart was. While David made many mistakes, he knew Whose he was and he knew Who was in control. Because he was a man, sometimes he would lose himself, but he always found himself when he reached out to The Most High, Our Father. Broke, on the run, scared, and alone, we find David in a cave, hiding, and with no one to turn to but Our Father In Heaven. Let's take a look at what he prayed and wrote in that cave, and see if we can spot what pleased Our Father In Heaven, The Eternal King, so much: “I cry out with my voice to Yahweh; I implore favor with my voice to Yahweh. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him. When my spirit faints within me, You know my way. On the path where I walk, they have hidden a trap for me; look to my right and see. There is no one looking out for me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul. I cry out to you, O Yahweh. I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my pursuers, for they are stronger than I. Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will encircle me, because you will deal bountifully with me.” Psalms 142:1-7 LEB David trusted in Our Father and His Saving Power. He knew no one could defy The One True and Living God. No matter what David went through, no matter how long he "went dark" on God, he always knew and returned to Our Father. It is no different for us. Our Father will protect, guard, discipline, and Love us as much as we allow Him. If we can but let Our Father train and discipline us like David, can you imagine what each of us could accomplish? The mere thought is exciting, amazing, and should plant in all of us an urge of getting closer to Our Father. After all, David was a genius. Not just a "jack of all trades and an expert at none," but instead an "Expert At All Things and a jack of none." Musician, psalmist, king, shepherd, mercenary, expert in guerrilla warfare, and the list goes on. He was mediocre at none of these positions. Over the next several days we will be looking at David. We won't just be looking at the king part of his career, but also at the not-so-pretty parts of his life. With such a large part of The Bible dedicated to this man, the same one Our Father Lifted Up As A Hero, there has to be much to learn from his Life. Of course David the King is just a shadow, or a picture of, Our One True King Yeshua, Jesus Christ, Who Is Saving The Entire World. But what about the parts that don't show a picture of Jesus? These are the parts where we might just possibly learn the most about ourselves. No one can be Yeshua, Jesus, The Perfect Man... except for Him. One day Our Father and Savior Will Perfect Us, but there is no doubt, we all have the capability to be just as absent minded as David in many of his escapades. The great men of The Bible, like David, always point us to The Great Man of The Bible, Our Savior and King. This great king David whom Our Father Lifted Up for Israel after "the bad egg" and Israel's 1st earthly king, Saul, was merely a foreshadowing of His Son, The One True Great King, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. One day we will be filled with The Holy Spirit to know just how Great Our Messiah Is. Until we can fully grasp the magnitude of Our Savior's Sacrifice, which may not be possible at present, we can take a look at the mistakes of the great men in The Bible, see ourselves, our problems, our short comings, and begin to work on those with Our Father and Savior. We can let Our Father work through us, making us more like His Son and Our Savior. I hope you enjoy this series as we explore the Life of David, The Anointed King of Israel. God Bless Everybody and have a Great Eternal King-Filled Day! The Word of YHWH (Yahweh, God, LORD, Yahuah, Adonia): Our Father Told The 1st Earthly King of Israel, Saul, he was no longer The Anointed King of God. He had found David, a man after His Own Heart: “But now, your kingdom will not endure. Yahweh has sought for Himself a man according to His own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as leader over his people, because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:14 LEB “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and The LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what The LORD commanded you.” I Samuel 13:14 NKJV Our Father had "weighed" David's heart as a young shepherd boy and hand picked him to lead Israel forward: “Every way of a man is upright in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs hearts.” Proverbs 21:2 LEB “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.” Proverbs 21:2 NKJV Our Father Tells Us, He Will Give Us "Shepherds" To Learn From. He Sent Prophets, Kings (David Included), Servants, and finally when no one would listen... He Came Himself: “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart and they will feed you knowledge and insight.” Jeremiah 3:15 LEB “And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15 NKJV We look forward to the day Our Kind Father makes us all a people "after His Own Heart.": “And I will give to them one heart and one way, to revere me forever, for good to them, and to their children after them. And I will make with them an everlasting covenant that I will not turn away from them, my doing good to them, and my reverence I will put in their hearts so that they will not turn aside from me.” Jeremiah 32:39-40 LEB “then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.” Jeremiah 32:39-40 NKJV David found himself in a situation his son Solomon would write about many years later after David passed. Not going to battle as usual and "taking it easy" led to one of David's most grievous sins...his affair with Bathsheba. We should all be wary of "a little slumber.": “Then I myself saw and my heart considered; I looked, and I took hold of instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest, and your poverty will come running, and your lack like an armed warrior.” Proverbs 24:32-34 LEB “When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.” Proverbs 24:32-34 NKJV Good Morning Tuesday...
We give thanks unto You, Our Father In Heaven, that, in mercy, You have restored our souls within us. Endless is Your compassion; great is Your faithfulness. We thank You, God Almighty, for the rest You have given us through the night and for Your Holy Breath, Your Holy Spirit, that renews our bodies and spirit. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ’s Name. Amen.
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in The Way Everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24 Pray this prayer for yourself and you may be asking for some uncomfortable “Come To Yeshua” moments. Our Father, God Almighty, goes to Shining His Light On the recesses of your soul, and it can be guaranteed... we all will squirm a little. But it is good! Trust that, once Our Father shows us our hidden sins and exposes our blindness, we all want A Savior. The fact that we were so duped, and by ourselves nonetheless, is incredibly scary. Once our fraudulent egos are exposed, we want A Savior . This Savior, God Himself, will save us from our sinful self deceptions and our fraudulent egos. It is amazing the spiritual cleansing that can come from an honest and humble confession. It is downright... Powerful. And... it is absolutely vital in a healthy spiritual relationship with God Our Father, and therefore vital to our Spiritual Lives. When we come before The King of The Universe, The One True, Living, and Holy God of All Things, with a humbled heart and a humble spirit... He Responds. Your Father will Draw Near, He Will Hear You, He Will Work On Your Soul, He Will Rescue You, and He Will Transform You By The Renewing of Your Mind. Something To Always Remember: The Holy God & King of The Universe Who Wields A Razor Sharp Double Edged Sword For Souls, He Is... Still Our Father. Our Father Loves Us Infinitely. Our Father Does His Work In Love. He Is A Complete And Total Gentleman. He Is Gentle, Tender, and His Mercies Are New Each Morning. OUR FATHER CAN BE TRUSTED... COMPLETELY. He Is The One Who Teaches us about our mixed up hearts, and He Is Truly, Maybe The Only One, Who Can Ever Be Completely Trusted With Our Hearts. So what do you say? Shall we pray this prayer? It is definitely something that we need to do as followers of Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Then after we have prayed... all we need to do is Trust Our Father To Answer: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in The Way Everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24 NIV “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. And see if there is in me the worship of false gods, and lead me in The Way Everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24 LEB “Search me, O Ěl, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if an idolatrous way is in me, And lead me in The Way Everlasting.” Tehillim (Psalms) 139:23-24 TS2009 “Examine me, God, and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts. See if there is in me any hurtful way, and lead me along The Eternal Way.” Tehillim (Psa) 139:23-24 CJB “The LORD (YHVH, Yahweh) Is Good, A Stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” Nahum 1:7 NKJV “Yahweh Is Good—A Refuge in the day of distress; He knows those who take refuge in Him.” Nahum 1:7 LEB “And His mercy is for generation after generation to those who fear Him.” Luke 1:50 LEB “It is because of The Lord’s (Yahweh’s ) Loving Kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 WMB “For I Am The LORD (YHVH, Yahweh), I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6 NKJV Good Morning Pentecost/Shavuot!...
FATHER thank You for this NEW DAY. Thank You for YOUR SON YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST. Thank You for YOUR HOLY SPIRIT. Thank You for YOUR GLORY, MAJESTY, KINDNESS, LOVE, AND TRUTH. Please help us to be A PLEASING AROMA TO THOSE WE ENCOUNTER AND A LIGHT TO THIS WORLD. Bless You, Thank You, and WE LOVE YOU. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’S NAME. AMEN! Counting of The Omer (Counting The 50 Days or 7 Sabbaths Biblically From Passover Until Pentecost/Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): Day 50 (7 Weeks 1 Day of The Omer) PENTECOST AKA Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) - A Consuming Fire, The Bread of Life, and Living Water for Pentecost. Good morning Brothers and Sisters, and Happy Pentecost. In honor of this very special day, let’s just have some Holy Scripture. May Our Father Bless, Keep, Turn His Face Towards, Be Gracious To, Lift His Countenance Upon, and Bring Each And Everyone of You Shalom (Peace) Today. Happy Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks Everyone!!! Good Morning Pentecost/Shavuot Eve!...
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 MIGHTY AND INFINITE GLORY. Bless us with The Fire of Your Holy Spirit. We ask this in YOUR PERFECT SON YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's NAME. Amen. Counting of The Omer (Counting The 50 Days or 7 Sabbaths Biblically From Passover Until Pentecost/Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): Day 49 (7 Weeks of The Omer!) - Countdown To Pentecost (1 Day! Pentecost Eve): Being that this evening begins Pentecost or Shavuot (Feast of Weeks), and not wanting anyone to miss out on some of the wonderful Blessings there are to share on this wonderful day, we decided to share this Pentecost devotion today, and not tomorrow morning. Happy Pentecost aka Shavuot My Brothers and Sisters! I pray you all have a Blessed Pentecost, and may The Fire of Our Father’s Holy Spirit, God Almighty, be upon each and everyone of you. May The King of The Universe bestow His Grace, Peace, Kindness, and Love on you as never before. Love you all so very much. Happy Sabbath and Shabbat Shalom! - Pentecost/Shavuot: Celebrating Our Father and Our Savior Sending Us All Truth First, let's get some context and the back-story. If you recall, Yeshua, Jesus, spent forty days after His resurrection with His disciples (Acts 1:3). We can only imagine how powerful those days were...The Risen Savior in a glorified body talking and praying with His close friends (Luke 24:39–43). But it wasn't meant to last long. Yeshua had to ascend to The Father and establish His Everlasting Reign by receiving, as The Son of God, all dominion, power, and authority (Luke 24:44–51, Daniel 7:13–14). Watching Our Savior Yeshua ascend to heaven (Acts 1:11), the apostles must have felt an immediate and heavy sense of loss. Yeshua steadied them with an important promise: “you will be baptized with The Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). HalleluYah!!! We know what comes next! “Tongues as of FIRE” would descend upon the apostles and they began speaking different languages, or "speaking in tongues", to all the foreigners, each in their own language, there gathered in Jerusalem. "suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a Mighty Rushing Wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with The Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:2–4) This was the moment, they finally "got it!" "It" being the knowledge of how everything fit together, how Yeshua, Jesus Christ connected everything, and The Message they were to "proclaim to the world." They had struggled to understand, waited on The King, and now it was literally The Moment of Truth. Yeshua, told the disciples: "When The Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all The Truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that The Father has is mine; therefore I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:7, 13–14) According to The Gospel, Israelites from every tribe and every nation under heaven were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost (Greek), which they called Shavuot (Hebrew) or Feast of Weeks. Upon hearing what had happened, a multitude of the nations gathered to find the apostles declaring The Gospel in languages that each person could understand. As they marveled, because they knew these men were not educated in their language, Peter explained the miracle as the fulfillment of God’s Word: "But this is that which was uttered through the prophet Joel: “And in the last days it shall be, God Declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:16-19) The apostle Peter goes on to explain and proclaim what has happened in their hearing is the validation of the Lordship of Yeshua The Messiah and the realization of The Promises of God (Acts 2:29–36). Those gathered are “cut to the heart,” and three thousand of them receive The Good News of Jesus as Messiah and are baptized (Acts 2:41). The rest of the Book of Acts develops the world-transforming changes that began in these moments at Pentecost/Shavu’ot. What an amazing thing Our Father has done. This is just a brief piece of the wonderful Story of Pentecost or Shavuot, The Feast of Weeks. I encourage everyone to do a study on this Holy Festival as Our Father has many mysteries for us to learn and grow from in His Telling Of This Event. I would love nothing more than to share all the wonderful things I have gleaned upon studying this wonderful Holy Festival of God, but I believe it would take an entire book... they definitely would not fit in this devotion today. As we celebrate this Wonderful Day of God, which begins this evening, let us remember The Amazing Gift of Our Father's Holy Spirit, or Ruach Ha'Kodesh in Hebrew, which means "Holy Breath of God." (Check out John 20:21-24. Wow!) Let us give an offering of Love, Appreciation, and Obedience to Our God Who Saves Us. While all the information about The Feast of Weeks cannot fit in this devotion, below you will find some wonderful extra facts about this Awesome day Our Father Has Blessed us with. I will do 5 in honor of Pentecost. May God Our Father Bless Each and everyone of you this day with His Ruach Ha'Kodesh (Holy Spirit) and may The Light of God Shine Through you and out to the rest of the world. It is in Yeshua, Jesus Christ Our Savior's name I pray for these things. Amen. Bonus Content: Pentecost - The Feast of Weeks - Shavuot: Just The Facts Here are a few facts about This Wonderful Day and Feast, or literally translated from Hebrew “Rehearsal,” Our Father has given us. 1.) Pentecost, is the same day as Shavuot or Feast of Weeks. It is one of The Holy Festivals declared to Moses when Our Father gave Him The Instructions or the first five books of The Bible (The Torah). 2.) Pentecost/Shavuot is not only the day that the Holy Spirit came down to the apostles, but it is also the day that Moses descended Mt. Sinai with The Commandments. I was blown away when I first learned this. God Is Amazing at using His Holy Spirit and helping us to "connect the jots." Shavuot commemorates the day when the Israelites received the Torah during their desert wanderings approximately 3,333 years ago, and is the only Holy Festival given to Israel mentioned in The Torah (First Five Books of The Bible) without a specific calendar date. Rather, it is to be celebrated 50 days after the second day of Passover or from the day after The Sabbath on Passover Week. Some say that Passover and Shavuot are really one celebration or “rehearsal” and that the Exodus from Egypt was only complete with the giving of God's Instructions for us. 3.) If you remember the story, when Moses descended Mt. Sinai at the very first Shavuot/Pentecost, the Israelites were worshiping a golden calf idol and consequently about 3,000 people perished because of this sin. On Pentecost, fourteen hundred years later, when The Apostles gained The Holy Spirit, 3,000 people were saved. How awesome is that? God is showing us in His Word His Redemption Process For Us. A thought that went through my head: "I wonder if the 3,000 people that were saved were the descendants of the 3,000 who perished?" As amazing as Our God and Father is... it wouldn't surprise me if He Perfectly Redeemed those families that had perished by way of idolatry. Sometimes it is hard to understand what Our Father is doing in the stories of instruction that He Gives us in His Word... but if we pay attention and let the story play out, we are allowed to see how Wise, Loving, Kind, Gracious, and Merciful Our God is in giving these stories of instruction. 4.) Shavuot, which means “Festival of Weeks” or “Sevens” is just one name for this Festival. It also goes by Pentecost, The Birthday of The Church, Harvest Festival (Chag HaKatzir), Day of the First Fruits (Yom Habikurim), and The Stoppage/Restrain (Atzeret – a reference used to highlight the prohibition against work on this day), and Time of the Giving of the Torah (Z’man Matan Torah). 5.) There were certain celebrations and sacrifices and offerings which were prescribed in God's Instructions for the day of Pentecost. On Pentecost, The High Priest was to take two loaves of freshly baked wheat bread and offer them before Our Father. The wheat bread was made from the newly harvested wheat. In short, Pentecost in the time of the apostles was a great and grand harvest celebration. The streets of Jerusalem were clogged with thousands of pilgrims who had come from every point of the compass to celebrate the goodness of God and the bringing in of the wheat harvest. Food for thought: I had one of my awesome Brother's point something out to me on Pentecost morning last year and I would like to share. The High Priest, which is a picture of Yeshua, was to wave freshly baked wheat bread as an offering before God Our Father and Israel on this Festival. Yeshua did!... let me explain: The apostles were the picture of the raw wheat grain that was to be offered. The two loaves of wheat bread were a picture of the two houses of Israel or the twelve tribes. Think about it, Jesus separated those 12 men, the wheat, from the pharisees and the religiously oppressive people, the tares. The 12 apostles were representative of each of the 12 tribes or two houses of Israel. What does it take to turn raw wheat grain into Bread... Fire! Yeshua and Our Father sent down The Fire of The Holy Spirit to make His Twelve Apostles Bread for the nations!!! Bread from Heaven just like the manna!!! Yeshua offered 12 men as a raw wheat grain offering. God Our Father sent His Holy Spirit to change those 12 men into Bread. Our High Priest Yeshua used this Bread as a wave offering in front of Our Father and a multitude of nations in The Holy City of Jerusalem...just as The Instructions require!!! Absolutely amazing!!! All I can do is end with... Wow!!! In honor of Our Father’s Day, Here Is A Short Video About God Our Father’s... FIRE 🔥: https://youtu.be/BVEGGDzi5q4 Happy Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks Everyone!!! Good Morning Sabbath...
Father thank You for this NEW DAY. Thank You for the opportunity to tell others about and show others Your LOVE. Thank you for Your REST. Thank You for CHANGING OUR HEARTS from stone to flesh and Your Allowance in COVERING A MULTITUDE OF SINS. IN YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’s Mighty Name. Amen. Counting of The Omer (Counting The 50 Days or 7 Sabbaths Biblically From Passover Until Pentecost/Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): Day 46 (6 Weeks & 7 Days of The Omer) - Countdown To Pentecost (2 Days): - Heavenly Food For Thought: Love Covers Whose Sin? “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “Love will cover a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8 There is no doubt we have all heard 1Peter 4:8 spoken and read before, but sometime ago I received a whole new perspective on this Word. While to me it always seemed that Loving someone covered up their sins, one day it dawned on me that maybe... others sins are not what the Love is covering. What if it is our own sins that are covered when we Love. There are many of our Brothers and Sisters that receive this devotional each day that may have "caught this" meaning from the beginning, but for me, and maybe now for you, it was a new perspective. Let's camp on this for a moment. We are to be like Christ. What did Christ do? While He had no sins to cover, He still covered ours in front of Our Father... with Love. Each of us is imperfect. Each of us sin. If we Love others... could this not be covering our sins and not theirs? Because we Love a person... the wrong we have done is overlooked because we are spreading The Love of Our Father and Our Savior. Not condemning, not judging, and being judged by the same standard we judge others... Is this what Our Messiah was talking about? We are a prized servant if we but Love our work. Think about this example: There is a servant of a farmer, who Loves the farmer very much, and he works extra diligently to please the farmer because of his Love for him. Let’s say this servant accidentally runs over a set of the crops. Because of his Love for his master, this worker collects more crops, works the hardest, and always goes the extra mile to help the farmer. Will this farmer not be more willing to overlook the servants mistake? Of course! Can you see it? His mistakes are “covered” because of his everyday LOVE for the farmer and his extra effort. Makes perfect sense, right? While writing this devotion, I had a Wonderful Brother, who is raising some amazing Children of God and truly "Being A Light," along with his amazing wife, send me a message in reply to a previous devotion. I can't think of a better way to show in word, thought, and deed what we are looking at today than to end with the words he sent me. Thank You Brother. I pray you don't mind, but I truly believe it is 1Peter 4:8 in action. "Amein. When I think about those who have hurt me, I know that if I was to go say anything about it to them, my flesh would take over and make it worse. So I keep my mouth shut and PRAY FOR THEM, and pray to LOVE THEM and be able to show love to them. I was once in the habit of speaking evil against the ones who hurt me. I found that it made me feel more anger and resentment and Yeshua told us to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:39). He also said not to hate your brother (1John 2:9-10). And again, take the log out of your eye before you point out the speck in your brothers (Luke 6:42, Matt 7:3-4).....I tell you, just with those verses, it made me look at myself, and I did not like what I saw. So even now, I have to look at myself first to see why I am reacting a certain way. Pray and fast if so led, then MOVE ALONG IN LOVE. Let those Yeshua ripples come forth!" His Love Covered the hatred! His Love covered the sin!!! I pray to The Mighty Living God, Our Father Above, that we all may Love More so that each of us covers the sins which we have all committed. God Bless Each and Everyone of you on the other side of this screen and have a Great God-Filled Day! SHABBAT SHALOM AND HAPPY SABBATH EVERYBODY! Extra Fuel For The Soul: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,” Psalms 95:8 “Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” Matthew 11:20-25 “By this EVERYONE will know that you are MY DISCIPLES—if you have LOVE for ONE ANOTHER.” John 13:35 Good Morning Friday...
Father, thank You for this NEW day. We ask that you OPEN our HEARTS and MINDS to Your Word and implant in us Your Goodness. As we walk with You today, gently remind us of Your Presence in our lives. Please watch over our loved ones, Your People Israel, and TRANSFORM our lives TODAY! In Your Son and Our Mighty Savior’s Name, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Counting of The Omer (Counting The 50 Days or 7 Sabbaths Biblically From Passover Until Pentecost/Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): Day 46 (6 Weeks & 6 Days of The Omer) - Countdown To Pentecost (3 Days): - God's Word Has The Power To Transform. “The Law of The Lord is Perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Psalm 19:7-8 When we pick up The Bible, what does it do for us? It transforms us. It transforms anyone who genuinely picks it up, studies it, and seeks after The Truth. "The Law of The LORD." Torah is the word we in English have transliterated as law. I think it is prudent here to mention that the translation is more precisely translated as "Instructions." The Instructions of The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh, God) are Perfect. That really gives it a completely different perspective, doesn't it? Our Father Gave Us Instructions . Why is this important? How is this transforming us? As we learn the small and big nuances of our language, how The Bible was originally written, and what Our Father Is Trying To Tell Us, His Word begins to transform us. When we do these types of studies, we find we can go muuuuuuuch deeper into the true meaning of God’s Word. Not only does The Word go much deeper than we first realized, but we also realize...The Truth. The Law or Instructions of Our Father are Our Instructions For Life, Law of Life, or the Rule For Living. B.I.B.L.E.: Basic Instructions Before Living in Eternity. God's Word should be the norm. God's Word is the standard by which everything we consider to be Truth should be measured or tested. In The Scriptures we should take note of "The Law of The LORD." Think about this: for hundreds and even thousands of years man (meaning mankind or humans) have been laying down their "laws" and saying "this is the way people should be governed." These people have come and gone, but God's Word, "The Law of The LORD" hasn't gone anywhere. It is, quote, “Perfect." I think Our Father summed it up pretty nicely with that One Word. 🔥 If we take a look at the word "Perfect" it literally means: all-sided, many facets, encompassing, and comprehensive. God's Word is Perfect and it "revives the soul!" The soul being our spiritual make-up and not our physical make-up. It is important for us to take a look at this. We are indeed spiritual, and the physical is only temporary. There is a part of all of us that will live forever. It is that part of us that needs to be converted, awakened, baptized, born again, and Transformed! It has been an amazing blessing in my life to meet, and become friends with, so many godly people. Not only has God allowed me to see many people wake up to The Truth of God's Word, but He also allowed me to witness some amazing miracles. How does God do it? The one common factor? God's Word, The Perfect Instructions, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. God's Word is so very powerful. The Bible is so powerful it was able to take a money chasing, fast living, unregenerated, degenerate, unsaved, out of control film producer like me and absolutely turn my life in a 180 degree direction...and lead me Straight To God, Truth, and Transformation! That truly is an awesome thing. That by itself, "making wise the simple, and Giving Joy to the Heart" is a reason to pick up and dive into God’s Word, The Bible, The Word Of God. He has done many wonderful things in many of our lives. The best part is He Can Do It In Anyone's Life! But... we have to pick up Our Father’s Word for that to happen. We have to engage. We have to seek the face of The One Who Created All Things. What happens when we do? By His Word, He Says............... Be Transformed🔥. “And do not be conformed to this world, but Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind, that you may prove what is that Good and Acceptable and Perfect Will of God.” Romans 12:2 Prayer: Dear God Heavenly Father, Thank You For Your Word, Your Truth, Your Son, Your Acceptance, and Thank You for...You. You Almighty God Have Done So Much More Than We Could Imagine or Even Conceive (Ephesians 3:20), but You Almighty Father have told us that You Will Raise Us Up As a Nation, and as a People, and show us "Great and Mighty Things, Which We Know Not (Jeremiah 33:3)." Thank You for allowing us access to the most profound thing of all the earth, and also the most enduring thing... Your Love and Your Word. Father we know You Are Love, Bless You. Help each and everyone of us “Be Transformed” and become more like You. In Our Commander and King's Name we pray, Yahweh Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, I Am Salvation The Messiah, Jesus Christ Almighty. Amen 🔥 Good Morning Thursday...
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. Counting of The Omer (Counting The 50 Days or 7 Sabbaths Biblically From Passover Until Pentecost/Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): Day 46 (6 Weeks & 5 Days of The Omer) - Countdown To Pentecost (4 Days): - He Is... (Part 25) 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, I encourage you to 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 Holy And Righteous One; “When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, The God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release Him. But you denied THE HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS ONE, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,” Acts 3:12-14 WEB He Is... The Prince of Life; “But you killed THE PRINCE (Author, Originator, Source) OF LIFE, whom God raised [bodily] from the dead. To this [fact] we are witnesses [for we have seen the risen Christ].” Acts 3:15 AMP He Is... Yahweh’s (The LORD God’s) Anointed One; “The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against The LORD (YHVH, YAHWEH) and HIS ANOINTED ONE (The Messiah, The Christ). They say, [Acts 4:25-27.]” Psalm 2:2 AMPC “The kings of the earth took their stand in array [for attack] and the rulers were assembled and combined together against The LORD (YHVH , YAHWEH) and against HIS ANOINTED (Christ, The Messiah). [Ps. 2:1, 2.] For in this city there actually met and plotted together against YOUR HOLY CHILD AND SERVANT JESUS, WHOM YOU CONSECRATED BY ANOINTING, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel, [Ps. 2:1, 2.]” Acts 4:26-27 AMPC He Is... The Prince And Savior; “God Exalted Him to His Own Right Hand as PRINCE AND SAVIOR that He might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.” Acts 5:31 NIV He Is... The Lord Jesus, The Lord of All ; “Peter said, “I really am learning that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another. Rather, in every nation, whoever worships Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. This is The Message of Peace He sent to the Israelites by proclaiming The Good News through JESUS CHRIST: HE IS LORD OF ALL!” Acts of the Apostles 10:34-36 CEB He Is... The Judge; “Therefore, because we are offspring of God, we ought not to think The Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought. Therefore although God has overlooked the times of ignorance, He now commands all people everywhere to repent, because HE HAS SET A DAY ON WHICH HE IS GOING TO JUDGE THE WORLD In Righteousness BY THE MAN WHO HE HAS APPOINTED, HAVING PROVIDED PROOF To Everyone BY RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD.” Acts 17:29-31 LEB 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! Countdown To Pentecost (5 Days): Preparing For Pentecost: Strapping Up - The Full Armor of God5/12/2021 Good Morning Wednesday....
Father, help us to calm any fears and live in Your Peace. Be with us in the big moments, the little moments, the in-between and uncertain moments. Thank You that You Are, “…not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33) and that Your Peace, “transcends all understanding, (and) will guard (our) hearts and (our) minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Help us to trust in Your Word and in this verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). We are so glad You’re The One True God and Our Father who understands—even when the world doesn’t. In Your Mighty Name we pray.... Amen! Counting of The Omer (Counting The 50 Days or 7 Sabbaths Biblically From Passover Until Pentecost/Shavuot (Feast of Weeks): Day 46 (6 Weeks & 4 Days of The Omer) - Countdown To Pentecost (5 Days): Preparing For Pentecost: Strapping Up - The Full Armor of God “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with Truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of The Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of The Spirit, which is The Word of God;” Ephesians 6:14-17 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 Before one sounds the spiritual shofar (warning horn) and wages spiritual warfare, they must put on their spiritual armor. Each element of a soldier's armor is symbiotic with the other elements and offers complete fortitude on the battlefield of spiritual opposition. Indeed, the meaning of the word armor suggests parts, an assembly, not just one piece. How is one to have a strong working faith if they don't have on their belt of Truth? How about faith without the breastplate of righteousness? Or the if one doesn't take the helmet of salvation, how can they shod their feet with the preparation of The Gospel of Peace? They can't! If someone does not have a revelation of their righteousness by living in Christ, the enemy will successfully drag that person down into the pit of self condemnation each and every time they make the slightest mistake. The Sword of the Spirit, which is The Word of God, won't work for anyone who doesn't wield it in faith. Want the good news? If you are a born-again Jesus Loving, Yeshua Following believer... You Have Authority! Our Commander and King Yeshua, Jesus Christ gave it to you. Faith in The Lord Jesus Christ, His Word, and His Name is what gives you the strength to wield the sword. Wield it wisely and no evil can stand against you. For if God is for you, who can be against you? Tell em Paul: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 God Bless Everyone and have a Great God-Filled day. Remember, if you are headed into the unknown today, as we all all in some ways, spiritual warfare, or just need some help getting out the door... Strap Up Your Spiritual Armor and don’t forget Your Spiritual Sword, which is The Word of God! May The Full Armor of God be with you all! Bread & Armor: “Finally, become strong in the Lord and in the might of his strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil, because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. Stand therefore, girding your waist with truth, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness, and binding shoes under your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace, in everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you are able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one, and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and to this end being alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,” Ephesians 6:10-18 |
SERVANT OF YESHUA 7
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