Good Morning Sabbath.......
Father Thank You for Your Rest. Thank You for Your Day. Please give us PEACE. In Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Jesus Christ, The Messiah's Name we pray. Amen. Brothers and Sisters, today before we begin the devotion I would like to make a request for prayer. Please pray for Brandon. Brandon is the son of a dear Sister in Christ. He is fighting depression and possibly suicide. He has cut off communication with his family and this weekend, because of Father’s Day, it will be very tough for him. Please take a few moments, let us combine our prayers and ask Our Heavenly Father to give him Peace, Comfort, and to Renew his spirit with Life. There is a mother crying out to Our Father right now. Let us join her and cover him. Thank you so very much and may Our Father Bless each and every one of you for your service to Him in Loving, Praying, and all the Petitioning that you do for others. - An Exercise In Connecting With God - Finding Peace #1 Step 1 - Prayer (Begin With Focus And Openness Towards God) Prayer: Dear Father God, please connect with us here as we seek in Your Word. Help us to find Your Peace. Be with us. Thank You. In Yeshua, Jesus's Name we pray. Amen Step 2 - Read Read the Scripture slowly. Be aware of any interesting words, phrases, or sentences. Read over The Scripture a second Time. Read: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.” John 14:26-31 “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;” Isaiah 44:3 Step 3 - Reflect Reflect on what stands out to you as you read. What is God trying to tell you? Step 4 - Respond Respond to The Word you just read. Talk to Your Father about how you feel. Tell Him what is on your mind. Tell Him what is on your heart. As you go through your day today keep your eyes open to what you read, uncovered, or spoke to God about. You may find Him showing up in places you didn't expect. God Bless Everyone. May The God Of All Good Things Give each and every one of you PEACE. Happy Sabbath and Shabbat Shalom (Sabbath Peace/Completeness)!
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Good Morning Friday...
Father thank You for this NEW DAY. Please impart in our hearts YOUR WILL. We ask for Patience, Kindness, Humility, and Truth so we may show You and Your Son's Light in this fallen world. In Yeshua's, JESUS CHRIST's Name. Amen. - The Great Joy: From L.O.S.S. to L.O.S.S. From: L.O.S.S. (Love, Obedience, Sacrifice, and Sin) To: L.O.S.S. (Like Our Sanctified Savior) L = Love Love is the Ultimate Goal of Our Father, for in fact, "God Is Love." He wants us to be like Him, so naturally this is what we will become when we are acting, in character, The Way He Would Act... with Love. “...God Is Love.” I John 4:8 & 4:16 O = Obedience Obedience is behavior that is in accordance with directives given by someone with more authority than ourselves. This authority or the one giving directions, and thus requiring obedience, has achieved that position of respect from past performance or "proof of work." We need not look very far in The Word to find out Who Has All Authority and The One Who Asks For Our Obedience. Further than that, The One Who Asks for Our Obedience Prefers Our Obedience Over Sacrifice. Let's check in with The Word on this: “In the beginning God...” Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God Created...” Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 Authority just got established pretty fast there.. 2nd Witness? God says...: “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’” Isaiah 46:9-10 Now that we have established that God Is The Authority, Who is that authority given to? Let's take a look: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All Authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18 What can you tell us about this Paul? Paul says: “and you are complete in Him, who is the Head of All Principality and Power.” Colossians 2:10 Great. Now we have established that God Is The Authority and He Has Given All Authority to Yeshua, Jesus Christ. In Fact, They Are One. So, Yeshua = All Authority and Power. That is Who Our Obedience Should Be To. Pretty simple. Jesus has All Authority and Power and our Obedience should be His. Let's check in with The Word and see if this is correct and how God feels about this: “So Samuel said: “Has The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of The LORD (YHWH)? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice...” I Samuel 15:22 “Jesus replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear The Word of God and Obey It.” Luke 11:28 S = Sacrifice Sacrifice is defined as: an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. I think we can all agreed that Jesus Our Savior and God Our Father are definitely more Worthy and Important. In effect, any sacrifice we make should be to Him. What should we be sacrificing as believers and followers of Our Messiah? That question leads us to the next letter in our anagram... S = Sin Sin. Sin is transgression against God. Sin in a literal translation means "missing the mark." Sin is an act of treason against God Alone. Once Jesus wakes us up as believers sin begins to be the thing that we sacrifice. Sacrifice the Sin. We are all born in sin (Psalm 51:5) and we all needed a way back to Our Father. Our Savior Has Made The Way. Since God Is Holy and sin cannot stand in His Presence, we learn through Yeshua, Jesus Christ to identify this sin and sacrifice it. In the Biblical Application of "the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16)" and also the Hebrew Application of reading right to left, let's take a look again at the anagram of L.O.S.S.. LOSS - Love, Obedience, Sacrifice, and Sin. We all begin first in Sin. Yeshua, Jesus, wakes us up and we begin secondly to Sacrifice that Sin. Once we begin to repent and Sacrifice the Sin in our lives, we begin to perform thirdly Obedience. Once we perform Obedience we are heading finally towards Love. What Love? The Love Of God and The Love of Yeshua, Jesus Christ. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21 You see God Our Father has established a Perfect Way. This world does everything backwards to His Ways. The world tells us LOSS is bad, Our Father establishes LOSS, in this world, as Good: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” Philippians 3:7-8 “Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Matthew 19:21 “And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”” Mark 9:35 “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26 As we can see, LOSS is not necessarily a bad thing... the world just tries to convince us it is. If we can learn to put off sin, sacrifice that sin, be Obedient to Our Father and Jesus, then we will be hitting the mark. Then we will know True Love. What great LOSS that is! Once we firmly learn to deal with LOSS, Love, Obedience, Sacrifice, and Sin in this life, then we can experience even Greater LOSS. What Greater LOSS is that? Humbly, Joyfully, Compassionately Living life with LOSS - Like Our Sanctified Savior! Love Obedience Sacrifice Sin To Like Our Sanctified Savior May the Peace, Joy, and Love of God Our Father and His Son Yeshua, Jesus Christ, be with each and everyone of you on the other side of this screen. From one LOSS to another LOSS, May we all learn the great joys of LOSS in this life and be prepared for gain in the next! Good Morning Thursday...
Father thank You for this NEW DAY, please continue to break us of old self and TRANSFORM us by the RENEWing of our minds, so we can experience Your LOVING & Perfect will for us. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’s Name we pray. Amen. Well, we were suppose to be starting a new series today, but it still isn’t quite finished yet. Until it is completed, which should be soon, let’s take a look at Our King, Perfect Example, Mighty Man, and Savior. When we fail ourselves, or others, it is always good to do a self evaluation and see what could have been done, in our behavior, that could have prevented this failure. A wonderful gift from Our Father is that He gave us One Who Never Fails, One Who is One With Him, and One that we can put our full faith in and trust completely. Of course this One is Yeshua, Jesus Christ, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Since Yeshua never fails, today let’s put our full focus on Him, which is always a good decision. Today, let’s take a look at how Our Savior did things, and as we go over them, may we all try to incorporate His Actions into our own lives. For we know if we do take His Actions and incorporate them into our own lives, that is when we are truly walking in The Way. Before we begin, Let’s start with a verse from Isaiah, just to refresh ourselves with Who The One is that we are really studying. God Bless everyone and have a Great Father-and-Son-Filled Day! “Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them has declared this, and declared the former things to us? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be in the right, and let them hear and say, “It is true!” “You are My witnesses,” declares Yahweh, “and MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN so that you may KNOW and BELIEVE in Me and UNDERSTAND that I AM HE. No god was formed before Me, and none shall be after me. I MYSELF AM YAHWEH, and THERE IS NO SAVIOR BESIDES ME! I Myself declared and saved, and I proclaimed. And there was no strange god among you. And YOU ARE MY WITNESSES ,” declares Yahweh, “and I AM GOD. Indeed, from this day I AM THE ONE, AND NO ONE CAN DELIVER FROM MY HAND. I perform, and who can cancel it?” Isaiah 43:9-13 LEB Pretty powerful, right? Now let’s begin... - How Did Our King Yeshua (Jesus) Do It? Today let us take a look at the words of Our Greatest Example in following and obeying Our Father, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Today we will look at some prayers and actions of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. As we take in The Word today and examine how Jesus prayed, what Jesus prayed for, and where He addressed Our Father, let us examine our own prayer life and let the words of Our Savior Strengthen Us. May we all be not only strengthened by His Words, but also may His Words soften our hearts toward our brethren and help us to pray for our enemies. Today we will be using the CJB, NKJV, and NIV for clarity purposes. Prayer: Father God, we ask You to open our hearts and minds today so that we may understand the words of Your Son in His prayers to You. Help us to see what is really being said and not just what is "on the surface" Father. As we read these words we ask You to move inside us, light a fire, and let it burn continually. We love You, thank You, and praise You all the days of our lives. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Mighty Name we pray. Amen. Without further ado... The Prayers and Actions of Yeshua: “It was at that time that Yeshua said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated and revealed them to ordinary folks. Yes, Father, I thank you that it pleased You to do this.” Matthew 11:25-26 CJB “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. Night came on, and he was there alone.” Matthew 14:23 CJB “And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.” Matthew 15:36 NKJV “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” Mark 1:35 NKJV “And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.” Mark 6:46 NKJV “Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will. ” Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.” Mark 14:32-39 NKJV "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16 NIV Now, what can we take from these passages?: Yeshua was alone most of the time when He went to prayed. 1.) Pray alone when seeking Our Father 2.) He reveals to the innocent and ordinary and Yeshua thanks Our Father for this 3.) When He was with people, He was feeding them. 4.) When He was alone He pleaded with His Father, but still submitted to His Will. 5.) When He was with His disciples they stayed awake, when Yeshua left, they fell asleep. Praise God Our Father for His Beautiful Message in the Life of Yeshua, Jesus Christ! May we all glean from The King. God Bless each and everyone of you on the other side of this screen. Have a great God-Filled day and continue to be a Light of God Our Father and Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Good Morning Wednesday......
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. - Heavenly Thoughts & Fire Good morning everyone. Our Father In Heaven is doing some amazing things right now. Of course He Always Is 🔥🙌, but something new is coming about. There is so much renewal, growth, repentance, seeking, and because of those things... Life is blooming. You know when Our Father and Savior are bringing new things about, everyone receives benefits from Him, whether they know it or not. We are like water, and of course... He Is The Rock. What happens when The Rock comes upon the water? Ripples. Our Father is creating some very big ripples right now! Ripples that will expand, growing wider, and cause all the water it touches to move. There is an excitement in the air. Revelation is being given, Lives are being changed, and His Love is producing bountiful fruit. We live in exciting times Brothers and Sisters and if there is one thing we can be sure of it is this: We definitely want to be a part of what He is doing right now. He is waiting for each and everyone of us to take the next step in our journey of faith with Him, but remember, Our Father is a Gentleman. He will not force His Way in and He waits patiently at The Door until we invite Him in. Today let us encourage one another to invite Him in. Today let us experience the renewed Life that He wants to give us. Finally, let us put our thoughts on Him today, asking Him: “Father, what is it that You are calling me to do?” Tomorrow, we start a new series, but today let us evaluate our standing with The One True and Living God, The God of All Creation, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Our Father. Have we been faithful to Him? He has certainly been faithful to us. Have we been setting apart time that is rightfully His each day? He has certainly set apart time for us. And a final question for each of us: As we go through each of our days, how much time do we spend talking to others about Him, thinking about Him, and talking with Him? If these questions make you uncomfortable, maybe it is time to repent (turn back to Him) and discover what He is telling you. If these questions make you excited, maybe you are headed in the right direction. Whatever the case may be, Our Father and Savior do have a plan for us, a special plan, a plan individually unique to each and every one of us that only we can fulfill. Think about that today. Think about these questions throughout your day. Think about how much He has done for you, how much He has done in your Life, and most exciting of all... Think About What He Is Gonna Do Next! May Our Father and Savior Bless each and every one of you on the other side of this screen... Mightily. Let us be filled with thoughts of Him, thoughts of Peace, Joy, Faith, Hope, and Life. Let’s conclude today with three Bible Verses to get these godly, wholesome, and good thoughts flowing. Have a great day everyone and may the Peace of Our Almighty God Be Upon You. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ’s Name, we ask this of You Father. AMEN! How do you warm up when you are in the wilderness and it is cold? With FIRE🔥 ! 3 Verses From God’s Word to Get Our Godly Thought Flowing: RESPECT: He Is The Shepherd, we are the sheep: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD (YHWH) our God, The LORD (YHWH) is ONE! You shall love The LORD (YHWH) your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 PRAISE: He Deserves All Glory, Honor, and Praise: “You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have torn off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, So that esteem might praise You and not be silent. O יהוה (YHWH, Yahweh) my Elohim (God), I thank You forever.” Tehillim (Psalms) 30:11-12 THANKS: He Deserves Our Gratitude: “From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would SEEK HIM and perhaps REACH OUT FOR HIM and FIND HIM, though HE IS NOT FAR FROM ANY ONE OF US. ‘For IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘WE ARE HIS OFFSPRING.” Acts 17:26-28 Good Morning Tuesday...
Father Thank You for this NEW Day. Please grant us TRUTH, WISDOM, DISCERNMENT, UNDERSTANDING, and KNOWLEDGE. Father we ask this so that we will not be conformed to this world, but TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our MINDS. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST'S Name. Amen. This devotion is a repeat from 12 days ago. Speaking to some Brothers and Sisters this week who are new recipients of these devotions, I thought it would be good to share again. I pray it edifies and encourages you all. Thanks to my Brother in Yeshua who shared this devotional with me. Our Father always uses His Servants with Perfect Timing. I thank God Above for you all, my Brothers and Sisters, who always show up and offer encouragement when it is most needed. I pray it blesses each and everyone of you on the other side of this screen. Much Love, God Bless, and God Speed. - A Timely Message Worth Repeating: The Fearful Trap Fact: More than 70 million Christians have died as martyrs for their faith. Wisdom Verse: “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in The Lord (YHWH, Yahweh) shall be safe.” —Proverbs 29:25 You might be surprised to learn that more than half of these Christian martyrs died in the 20th century. We tend to think of martyrs as people who lived in ages past—people like Stephen of the early church period or Huss, Tyndale, Knox, and so many others of the Reformation era. But, in reality, Christians today are dying for their faith in huge numbers. Some estimate an average of more than 280 Christians die for their faith every day, or about one every five minutes. These statistics only count Christians who were killed because they were Christians, and not those who happened to be victims of war. It takes extreme courage for people to stand firm in their faith in the face of violent persecution, especially if it means surrendering their lives. This kind of courage can only come from God. Fear of man is a trap that many people fall into; even such champions of faith as Abraham and Elijah fell prey to this type of fear at some point in their lives. When we fear other people, it makes us vulnerable. We live in dread of what others might think about us or do to us. The solution is a deep fear, or respect, for God. We need to live our lives with deep reverence for our Father in heaven, serving only Him, and paying more attention to what God says than to what anyone else says. “Whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe” doesn’t mean that there won’t be trials, persecution, or even death. It means that, in the end, God will redeem the ones who trust in Him. “The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned” (Psalm 34:22), “neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). The psalmist writes, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6). Along the same lines, Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). In the end, only God deserves our fear and worship. Dear Father, keep us from being ensnared by a fear of man. May we fear only you and be always faithful. KEY BIBLE TEXTS AKA The Word of God: The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever. The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall. Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer. Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him. He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length. An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression. A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not. The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in The LORD shall be safe. Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from The LORD. An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in The Way is abomination to the wicked. Proverbs 29:14-27 Good Morning Monday.......
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 -The Enemy's Terrible Temptation - Our Father's Transforming Discipline and Word “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:13 NKJV “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” James 1:12-18 NKJV When we take a look at temptation we can clearly see it has a revealing effect. Temptation uncovers what each of our hearts desire. Temptation can prove the breadth, scope, and direction of your convictions. Temptation reveals what we are committed to, reveals The Truth about us all, and also reveals what has captured the affections of our hearts. The kind of person we become is shaped by what we love the most. Here's the trouble: According to The Bible, our "loves" are all out of sorts. Are we willing to admit when we have done wrong? When Our Father's Holy Spirit convicts us, will we choose to turn a blind eye? Or will we cover it up so we can appear more "spotless" to others? Are we willing to admit when we need correction or do we choose to put on a facade and love to appear right before others? Are we willing to say no to working too much or will we say yes because we love to be needed? The greatest temptations we may ever face in this life are those that suck us in by trading Truth for lies, being genuine for being fake, authenticity for appearance, and The Love of Our Father with the love of ourselves. This is one of those tough, cut you to the soul, come to Jesus questions, but we really do have to ask it: What is it we Love the most? Whether this is a question we want to dwell on or not... choices must be made everyday. Ultimately, our choices will decide our fate. Our choices have consequence, and these consequences don't just affect us. The choices we make affect the spirits, souls, and fate of all those around us as well. This is not something that need bring us to denial or leave us hopeless. The subject of temptation points us to issues of our own heart. We shouldn't think or believe it is enough to have "good principles," principles that we may practice in hopes, that through something we do or accomplish, will bring about transformative change. The Only Principles that are "good" are God's Principles. He Has Accomplished Them. There is only One Way. It is The Way. The Way is Jesus Christ. Follow Him. Listen to Him. When temptation comes near... Hear Him. Temptation is a battlefield. On this battlefield one learns very quickly that it is not about winning or losing, but rather finding out who we truly are, and accepting Our Father's discipline accordingly. If we resolve to do this He Will Show Us How To Keep Truly Good Principles, His Principles and His Commandments. He Has The Ability To Make Us Impenetrable Soldiers on the battlefield of temptation, His Sons and Daughters, In Whom He Is Well Pleased. Can I get a witness?! Sure here's 4: “He who keeps instruction is in The Way of Life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.” Proverbs 10:17 NKJV “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” Proverbs 12:1 NIV “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:19 NIV “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as His Son.”” Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV Again...What is it that we Love most? Don't worry...The Bible's entire purpose, from beginning to end, is to transform us. It is The Good News! Even when we are experiencing very difficult temptation, that battlefield becomes the training ground that can lead to Living for the first time, a Life of abundance, and a transformation of our hearts from stone to flesh. This battlefield can make for a very abundant heart, a radically reshaped and transformed heart, a heart that is put back in the proper order by The Love Of Yeshua, Jesus Christ, for us. In the end, standing strong in the face of temptation is not a principle or rule... it is a person... The Person... The Christ... Yeshua... Jesus... The Only One Who Showed Us How To Do It Perfectly. If we go out on this battlefield and do it right... we will be doing it like Him. How did He do it? He denied Himself. He did it with Our Father's Commandments, Faith, Hope, Love, Prayer, and His Father's Word Flowing From His Lips. May we all be on the road to being like Our Savior. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ Our Savior's Name we ask this Father. Amen. 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. - Busyness: Status And Its Negative Effects Busyness seems today to serve as quite the status symbol in today’s society. It's as if we show others how busy we are, it makes us look more important, wanted, liked, or some other fantasy we create in our minds. It's an illusion created by a fallen world, our sinful natures, and the constant bombardment of advertisements, magazines, television, and technology. These outside worldly influences, along with our "flesh," can make it very difficult to even be aware of what is happening. We can get so caught up trying to create the illusion of status, wealth, or importance that our spiritual life begins to slip with no notice, until we are so busy or worn out that we nearly collapse. We buy bigger houses than we can afford, elevate vacations on social media, making them a need instead of a want, we brag about how busy we are or how many things we have “going on,” but we do not allow others to see the rest of our lives. The things that we have all seen others do, and even witnessed ourselves do, for status or status symbols in our lives is ridiculous. Of course we all want to feel important, we all want our lives to count, but with all our busyness... we are going about things in the wrong way. While all our tactics, strategies, performing, and over-loaded schedules may help us hit a goal, get an award, or be the person who everyone thinks is "doing well"... what is it doing for our working towards righteousness in God? Those "things" don't even get us to the first step toward Our Father. Our Savior told us that all our boasting may get us "things," but it won't get us the only thing we truly seek after: The Soul-Rejuvenating Love of Our Father, nor will it give us the comfort of feeling that we are perfectly acceptable the way we are. Let's take a look: “Everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” 1 John 2:16 NIV The Gospel of Matthew tells us not to be like hypocrites. We are not to be those who love to pray and be seen by people, who love to brag about their spirituality, status, or stretch our stories to try and impress others. Instead, Our Savior tells us we should be working on our inner selves, spending our time helping others, and working to develop gentle spirits that are of great worth in Our Father's eyes. 1 Peter states: “rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” I Peter 3:4 NKJV May we all strive to cultivate a gentle, quiet spirit. This is something all can do no matter where we are. It's as simple as grabbing our Bibles and taking a few minutes to spend with Abba. We can know Our Father smiles down on us as we Seek Him. It's as simple as setting our alarm so we say a few extra prayers throughout the day or taking one day a week to, instead of seeking to gain status; we seek and put time into disciplining ourselves to move towards a more gentle and more quiet spirit. It's as simple as taking just a little time with Our Father, our families, and us with nothing on "the agenda" and not seeking to impress anyone. May we all find a little time to tuck ourselves away, block out the worldly influences, and "Be Still." Prayer: Dear Father, help us to realize we don't have to impress anyone but You. Help us to recognize when we are fighting, struggling, and staying busier than we should trying to gain status from the world, instead of moving closer to You. Show us how to move towards a more gentle and quiet spirit, so that we can shine Your Light to this world. And finally Father, please help us to sustain these new disciplines as we learn them and then share them with others in a helpful way. All Glory Be Yours Father. We Love You, We Thank You, and We Pray In The Name You Made Above All Names Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Jesus Christ. Amen. Good Morning Sabbath......
Father thank You for this NEW DAY. Thank you for giving us, OUR GOD, a PEACEFUL REST to those who abide in You. We cherish each day you give us and ask that you soften our hearts so that we may be prepared to ACCEPT THE GIFT You have given us of Your PEACE and REST. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Name we pray. Amen. - Purpose In Rest: The Sabbath “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31) The sabbath or seventh day in the creation story of Genesis was about rest. Our Father stopped all His Work on this day and told us it was “Set-Apart (Holy),” spoke good of this day, and spoke good to this day. Even though Man and Woman were the height of His Masterful Work, God had given something special on this day and wanted Adam, Eve, and all of us to enter into this specialness. The special part about this day is that He invited our first parents, and now us, to enter into His Rest. The interesting fact is that there was something different about this day that wasn't spoken in the same way as the previous six. “And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.” (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) The seventh day had no "morning and evening." Here we see that there doesn't seem to exist any formal conclusion to this seventh day. Could this be a clue? Is The Creator of All Things telling us that once we enter into His Rest... it is eternal? What we do know is this; God lifted up this day, set it apart (made it holy), and rested, not because He needs rest, but because He wanted to spend some special time with us, His Children. In the creation story, the seventh day of the week was in fact the first day for Adam and Eve. On this day God Almighty called them not to a simple day, but a state of being. He not only wanted them to be rejuvenated and rest, but to learn this "rest" and relationship with Him as a concept for life. I believe Our Father wanted us to gain many lessons, and maybe one of the most important lessons, here speaking about this day. One lesson is that this rest is not just a perk, but a necessity in our relationship with Him. He wants us to take our rest in Him and our relationship with Him wherever we go and whatever we do, always. Everyday and everywhere we go we can bring His Peace, Comfort, Care, Attention, Rest, and Love... but it starts with the Seventh Day and His Sabbath, just like our first parents Adam and Eve. It is good to look at this day not just as a day, but a lifestyle that is not just physical. This day is also holistic, touching our sprits, minds, and heart. This rest has the ability to move us from the inside out. This rest can have a major impact on our physicality, but it originates in our spirit and from Our Father's Spirit. In a world where everyone is moving so fast at a frantic pace, we need to realize that this day is not just a day, or an event, or a place, but it is Our Father and Savior Himself. When He is The King of Our Hearts, we indeed shall have rest. Prayer: Glorious and Kind Father, thank you so much for Your Provision, Your Sabbath, and Your Rest. We know You give us peace when we seek and obey You. We ask you today Father to help us with this rest and peace that You offer. Help us to receive this wonderful provision You have provided us, and help us to let You Reign In Our Hearts today and forevermore. We Love You, We Thank You, and We Praise Your Holy Name. We ask these things in Your Mighty Son Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Name. Amen. Good Morning Friday...
Father thank You for this new day. Please continue to fill us with Your Love and Compassion as we go out into a fallen world. Let us be a Light in the darkness and use us to usher more Brothers and Sisters into Your Kingdom. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Name. Amen. - A Wisdom Series: Proverbs 10:8-13: A Wise Heart and A Prating Fool (5) “The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall. He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known. He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall. The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.” Proverbs 10:8-13 NKJV In today's Proverbs, we see how we can be wise or foolish and the things that can feed one or the other. Our Father speaks about a wise heart and a prating fool. To make sure we understand this first verse, according to dictionary.com the term prating means: to talk excessively and pointlessly; babble: They prated on until I was ready to scream. verb (used with object), prat·ed,prat·ing. to utter in empty or foolish talk: to prate absurdities with the greatest seriousness. We see here that the wise will be following commands, and a fool will be foolishly spouting off at the mouth talking about useless things, not the instructions of God. I think this is easy to agree with, thinking before we speak, but unfortunately we aren't always aware when we ourselves are being foolish. I believe this is why we need to "stay in The Word" because it will make us think about what we are doing/saying instead of just speaking or acting in foolishness. I think it is interesting that the definition includes the word "babble." Could this be pointing back to Babylon where that word was derived? I think so. Think about it, how foolish to sit around and talk about building a tower to defy God. What happened to it? A fall, just like the "prating fool." As we move on we see Our Father pointing out how to walk with confidence or "securely," and also that if we are being perverted and not following His ways, we will be found out. How often do we see this with political scandal, famous people, and world affairs? They are always exposed. And even if they are not exposed in this life... they will be in the next. Also, how secure or confident do the true men of God seem when we meet them in our lives? Pretty confident, right? Then the Proverb goes on to state that: "He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall." Now someone who is winking an eye is usually joking, admitting they are lying, keeping something secret, or signing to someone that they have an ulterior motive. Clearly these things are not good and they will "cause trouble", and we see after that what the "prating fool" has been lead into... a fall. This is directly pointing back to the fall of man, the fall of the rebellious angels, the fall of the tower of Babylon, the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the grief that came from deceit, lies, secrecy, and defiance of what is right. Let's think back to a time when we know someone was keeping a secret from us. It obviously doesn't feel good and stirs our anger. Next we see the mouth of the righteous equals a "well of life," but "violence covers the mouth of the wicked." This is something to definitely ponder on as we speak to others in our daily life. What makes a person mouth righteous you may ask? Well, I think this is all about the "wise" and following the instructions of Our Father. If we follow these precious instructions, we will also be speaking them to others. For when we follow the commands, God empowers us to speak and do things much more righteously than we normally would. It is the "good work" He has started in us, and is currently progressing in us through Our King and Savior Yeshua, Jesus Christ. In the following verse God tells us that hatred stirs up bad feelings. I am sure we can all attest to this. Then the proverb goes on to state that: "Love covers all sins." Now this is a something Our Father points out in many places, including 1 Peter 4:8. What encouragement! Even though we have sinned, His Love Covers Our Sins. We see this in the ultimate sacrifice of Yeshua for our sins. How awesome! Our Father loved us so much that He Sent His Only Son to cover our sins... with LOVE! He suffered because of Love, so that we may live. In the final verse we see that wisdom comes from understanding. Understanding what? The Word of God. How do we get this understanding? Well, in 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes that we must "study to show thyself approved," and I think this holds the key. What is in store if we don't? Well Our Father tells us in the final verse today: "a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.” This means we will be disciplined just like a loving parent does when children have misbehaved. The Bible tells us that not disciplining a child is equal to hating our child (Proverbs 13:24). Why? Because with no discipline, they may grow up to be "prating" people and "fall." God loves us, His Children, so it makes perfect sense if we are not obeying or not understanding, causing us to fall, He is going to discipline us and show us The Way, which is His Way, and The Way to a long life filled with Love and His Never Ending Peace. Dear Father, You are so Wonderful to give us wisdom, love, understanding, and a guide to not doing the opposite of Your Instructions... acting like the foolish. Please help us to be wise, understanding, merciful, slow to speak, and not fill our hearts with wickedness, perversion, or secrets that cause trouble. We know you have loved us, covered our sins with Yeshua, and we ask you to help us love in the same manner so that it will be befitting to You. Let our mouths be "a well of life" and help us to walk righteously so that we may be confident we are being a light to the world and showing everyone Your Light, who is Yeshua, Jesus Christ, The Light Of The Whole World. We thank You, we love You, we praise You, and we ask these things in The Name of The King, Your Son, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. 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. - A Wisdom Series: Proverbs 3:1-7: Forget Not My Instructions (4) “My son, do not forget My Law (Instructions), But let your heart keep My commands; For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. Trust in The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:1-7 Today in our Proverbs study we take a look at Proverbs 3:1-7. After addressing us, Our Father's first Word to us is "do not forget My Law." Now the word "law" can be literally translated as "instructions." So a paraphrase of this first quote of proverbs could read: My Children, do not forget my instructions, But let your heart keep My commands. Now this is something we definitely see Yeshua, Jesus, telling His followers. His exact words were "If you love Me, keep My commands" (John 14:15) and " Anyone who loves Me will obey my teaching" (John 14:23). Our Savior here is confirming the Proverbs we are studying today. Remember, not Bread alone, but “every word that come from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4).” This lines up. Let's move on. In the second verse we find another promise of Our Father if we do these things: "For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you." So if we do not forsake His instructions and guard His commands, we will live longer lives and be full of His Peace. Next we read: "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man." Here we are reminded of the many times The Bible tells about the sojourner living among us and how we are to accept them and have them following God's teachings along with us. That is mercy. Then in the following verse we hear something we know Our Savior speaks often about, and actually commands us to do, proclaim Truth. We are to bind Mercy and Truth around our neck and write them on the "tablet of our heart." Think this is a reference to the tablets of the 10 commandments and the prophecy of Isaiah 31? I do. And He tells us that if we do these things, follow His instructions, show mercy, and live in Truth, we can expect to "find favor and esteem" not only with Our Father, but with man also. This reminds of the verse in Proverbs 16:7 where it states that if you are pleasing to God, He will make even your enemies be at peace with you. Now we come to maybe the juiciest part of this scripture, and one very well known among His Children: "Trust in The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) and depart from evil.” Again we see Our Father giving us a repeated message, one He seems to repeat to us many times through The Bible. The comforting part is this: we shouldn't and don't have to lean on our own understanding of things, but only need to Trust Our Father with all our Heart, then that burden can be removed. I call it a burden because once you are born again, we realize just how little we know. It is refreshing knowing we can depend on our Kind and Merciful King and we don't have to "figure everything out." Why don't we have to “figure everything out,” you may ask? Well, He tells us in the next verse, "He shall direct our paths." How awesome is that? The Shepherd leads His sheep to safety when they are following His Ways! Next, we have Our Father give us this verse: "Do not be wise in your own eyes" I think this is a follow up of the previous verse, and as stated, we realize we are not so wise once we get to know the Awesome, Unimaginable, Scope and Breadth of Our Father in Heaven. Although, through the ways of the world, some of our Brothers and Sisters seem to fall into the snare of thinking they are wiser than they are... either by the praise of men or merely their egos getting carried away. None the less, here were are being told to evaluate ourselves for this very thing, and do something that is a common theme in the Bible... Be Humble. Finally, we read: "Fear The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) and depart from evil.” We have read this in Proverbs 1, 2, and now 3. Do you think it is an important piece of wisdom we should be keenly aware of? I agree. Fear, or Know, The Lord, and depart from evil. I believe if you are following Our Father's instructions, evil will not be around lurking around us, so... Is it possible He is telling us to repent? To turn back from our old sinful ways, and depart from evil? I have to believe this is a big yes. I believe it has a physical meaning as well, and does literally mean, get away from evil things when you see them coming. Also, don't hang out with others you know are doing evil. Wise words from, well... The Wisest One. 🔥 Prayer: Father, you are such an unbelievable blessing to Your Children. We thank You so much for Your Wisdom and for taking the time to teach us. Bless You for allowing us to Trust You and not having to have everything “figured out” in our own understanding or wisdom. We thank You for Your Scriptures, Proverbs, and Your Word which allows us to bind mercy and Truth around our neck as a beautiful chain of adornment. Father, please help us to never forsake Your Truth and continually help discipline us so that we get better and better at following Your Instructions. Thank you for your commands for they are righteous, just, and Holy, because You are Holy. Strengthen our Wisdom by knowing you Our Almighty King. Help us to see that Your precepts give us peace in our day to day lives and by following You we gain Your favor, and the favor of our Brothers and Sisters. Praise Your Name. We love You, we thank You, and we ask all these things in Your Mighty Son Yeshua's, Jesus's Christ's Name. Amen. God Bless Everyone and Have a Great Yeshua-Wisdom-Filled Day! |
SERVANT OF YESHUA 7
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