Good Morning Friday...
Father thank You for this new day. Thank You for giving us Brothers and Sisters to share in this wonderful journey back to You. Please use us to help the hurting, the sick, the fatherless, and the weak. Help us to show Your Love in this dark world, because we know Love covers a multitude of sins. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ’s Name we pray. Amen. - Who Is God? Knowing Him... Knowing The Truth The question was proposed recently, "Who is God?" While this answer can be very short and simple, it can also be lengthy and deep. Today let's take a look in The Scriptures and see what Our Father’s Word has to say about just some of the Attributes of Him. Of course we know He Is Almighty, Always Faithful, The Most Compassionate, The Kindest, The Only Just, The Most Loving, and many more of The Best of The Best Attributes, but let's see how Our Father and His Word, Jesus Christ, Yeshua Our Savior, communicate these attributes. Before any one of us reading this devotion ever thought about the question "Who Is God?," Our Father had already supplied an answer in His Word of Truth for us. That should make all of us feel pretty special. Just think about this for a moment: God Our Father knew He would send you the verses you will read today since the beginning of time. He Has Been Thinking Of You For An Eternity... Literally. Feel special yet? I hope so, because you are. God Our Father Loves us with an endless Love. He came among us and died so we could know Him, and have Life. With that in mind, let us meditate on what He says today. Let's go to The Source Of All Good Things and His Word to answer the question: "Who Is God?": He Is Not Only A King, But He Is The King, The Only KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2 “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:16 He Is A Healer, The Only One Who Can Heal Completely, He Is The Cure For Us All: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Matthew 4:23 “if My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14 He Is Not Only A Father, But The One Father, He Who Is In Heaven: “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. ” Mark 14:36 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” Matthew 23:9 He Is Unfailing For Nothing Is Impossible For Him: “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37 “Ah, Lord (YHWH, Yahweh) GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your Great Power and Outstretched Arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” Jeremiah 32:17 He Is Life and Light: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4 “The LORD (YHwH, Yahweh) is my Light and my Salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) is The Strength of my Life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalms 27:1 “The entrance of Your Words gives Light; It gives understanding to the simple.” Psalms 119:130 He Is Our Teacher, The Absolute Best and One True Teacher: “Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” John 1:38 “But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” Matthew 23:8 He Is A Shepherd, The One True Good Shepherd: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 He Is Truth And All Truth Is His: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 He Is An Advocate, He Is The Advocate: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 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.” John 14:16, 26 He Is Forgiving, The Most Forgiving: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” Acts 3:19 “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”” Acts 10:43 “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’” Acts 26:16-18 He Is Full Of Grace, No More Grace Can Be Found With Any Other: “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.” Acts 11:23
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Good Morning Thursday...
Our Father who art in heaven, please take Your day and use us, Your humble servants, for Your Good and Perfect Will. Father give us the Grace and Peace Only found in You and in Your Son Jesus Christ, Our King and Messiah. We ask this in Yeshua, Jesus Christ’s Name. Amen.. - An Exercise In Connecting With God Our Father - By Faith #2 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 show our Faith. 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: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, Who is rich in mercy, because of His Great Love with which He Loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His Grace in His Kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God Prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:1-10 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, what you uncovered, or what you spoke to God about. You may find Him showing up in places you didn't expect. God Bless everybody. May The God Of All Good Things Give each and everyone of you PEACE. Good Morning Wednesday...
Father, thank You for this NEW DAY. Please continue to FILL our HEARTS & MINDS WITH all that is YOU. Father, bless Your children SO at every opportunity today YOU ARE SEEN, HEARD, AND FELT through us TODAY. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Name. Amen! - Our Father’s AKA El Shaddai’s (God Almighty’s) Plan(s) “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh), thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 Our Father has an amazing plan for each and every one of us. Sometimes though, we can let sin get in the way of these plans. When we read the verse in Jeremiah 29 above, we see Our Father reassuring the people of Judah. Judah was disobedient and had gone overboard with sin, so naturally Our Father, being a Good Father, disciplines them. Judah was conquered by the Babylonians and sent into exile in Babylon. Our Father was disciplining them, but as we see in Jeremiah 29:11, He had not forgotten them. In fact, El Shaddai, God Almighty, had a transcending plan for Judah. This story should show us that Our Father has a transcendent plan for us as well. He Is Indeed Speaking To Us Through This Message. We all fall short of The Glory of God, but Our Father NEVER gives up on us. We are all ”God’s Workmanship Created In Christ Jesus For Good Works.” Let's get some witnesses from The Word of Truth: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 Our Father In Heaven knew His Plans for each and every one of us from the beginning of eternity. He is continuously ”On The Job” to bring about these plans to fulfillment in our lives. Our Father may discipline us every now and then, but His Discipline is not meant to break us down, but to fill us up. All that God has planned is preparing us to fulfill His Amazing Plan for each of our lives. Can I get a witness? “Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood. And have you [completely] forgotten the divine word of appeal and encouragement in which you are reasoned with and addressed as sons? My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him; For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes. You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline? Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God's children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all]. [Prov. 3:11, 12.] Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live? For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness. For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness–in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God]. So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees, [Isa. 35:3.] And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured.” Hebrews 12:3-13 AMPC God Our Father Is The Potter. He Is Reshaping Us Clay Pots: “And the vessel that He made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so He made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to The Potter to make.” Jeremiah 18:4 Our Father has designed plans. He has had this plan all along. His Plans are good. His Plans are meant for us to prosper, not harm us. May none of us fall into discouragement because of our past failures, and definitely not because of Our Father's Discipline. His Discipline Is A Blessing! May we all put our trust in The Creator Of All Things, God Our Father, His Amazing Plans, And ”Fight The Good Fight (1Timothy 6:12). Because God’ Our Father’s Plan(s) Will ALWAYS Stand, it gives us hope. We all may have tough times occasionally, and occasionally we may have to go through some discipline from God Our Father, but because we have The Best Father In Eternity, we can rest assured that we have a ”future and hope.” We may still be in Babylon today my Brothers and Sisters, and sometimes it can be tough dealing in this evil place, but don't give up. God Hasn't Given Up On You, And He Still Has Mighty Big Plans For You... And All Of Us! 🔥🙌 Prayer: Dear Father God, help us to press forward no matter what we may be facing. Help us to accept your discipline as The Blessing It Is. Help keep us patient as You FulFill Your Amazing Plans For Us. Help us to see You, and Your Plans, as our hope and our future. Father, we know You Never Give Up On Us, please help strengthen us to never give up on You. Bless You and Praise Your Holy Name Forever. Thank You Father. We Love You. We pray these things in Your Perfect and Mighty Son’s Name, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Amen. Good Morning Tuesday...
Thank You Father for loving us so much and the blessing of this NEW day. Please continue to fill our HEARTS & MINDS with your TRUTH & LOVE so we stay focused on BEING OBEDIENT to You, Your Guidance, and staying filled with Your Peace... TODAY! In Yeshua, Jesus Christ’s Name we pray. Amen! - Shine Like Lights: Obedience Without Complaint Yeshua, Jesus Christ, wraps up the epitome of His followers mission with this statement: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24 Paraphrased this is saying: If you desire Me, stop thinking about yourself, what you want, and serve others regardless of the cost. There are translations of The Bible that even state and translate The Scripture this way. We can see that Our King is telling us that our lives should consist of denial of self, self-control, and obedience to Him. Denying ourselves definitely means we won't always get what we want. We must sometimes just do what Yeshua wants and put all else to the side. This is where the tough part comes in... Do we accept this with joy or do we complain and argue? God's Word tells us in Phillipians 2:14: “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” Philippians 2:14-15 If we have made a commitment in our lives to follow and serve Yeshua, Jesus Christ, then we have obviously come to the decision that following Him is the best option. If this is the case, then complaining gets us nowhere. It just doesn't make sense. What does make sense? Picking up our cross, having a good attitude, and following THE WAY with a godly attitude. It may be difficult, but this is what Our King has asked from us. God's Word goes on to state we should do things without arguing. Our Savior Is Our God and if we Love Him... why would we argue with Him about His Authority or Plan? There is nothing wrong with forming an argument FOR THE WAY He Has Chosen for us to go. Despite any difficulties, we should be arguing only for what He Has Already Chosen For Us. This is how we "shine as Lights in the world"... by being obedient and doing it without complaint. May we all, if we have made the decision to follow Yeshua, Jesus Christ, obey His Will. Once we have made this decision, may we all do it with a "Light-Shining" Disposition. Father, Mighty God and Creator, we ask your help with this, for we know we are only Strong In You. Help us to be your modern day Daniels, Moses(s), Davids, Noahs, Josephs, and all Your Obedient Servants, but most of all... help us to Shine Like Lights showing Your Son and Our King, The One Perfect Man, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, for it is He Who Saves. In Jesus's Name we pray and ask this of You, Abba. Amen. Good Morning & Happy Monday...
Father, please help us to show GRACE to others today. Let our words be KIND and my actions be HELPFUL. Please help us to not respond selfishly, instead STRENGTHEN us to respond with LOVE. In Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ’s Name we pray. Amen! - A Servant’s Wisdom & The Source Wisdom: “To have what we want is riches; but to be able to do without, is Power.” - Macdonald The Source AKA The Word This Wisdom Came From: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 Prayer: Father God, help us to realize the spiritual riches that You have waiting for us, and also the worldly riches which we need to avoid. Help us to see our faults, not others... unless it can be edifying, helpful, and encouraging. Write Your Word on our hearts and minds, so that we call to mind those most important things, which You are teaching us, and let them flow when we are in conversations with others. Finally Father, help us to understand and know what it means to be “made perfect in weakness. (2Cor12:9)” Help us to be content, not in our walk with You, but with the unimportant things this fallen world tries to push on us. Each and everyday through advertisements, tv, useless talk, and political division we are subject to the evil things of this world, sometimes when we don’t even realize it we are. Please give us discerning spirits to “hold what is good” and “reject every kind of evil” (1Thessalonians 5:21-22). Guide us in Your Path to Life. You are so good to us, Thank You and Bless You Our Father Heaven. We ask and pray these things in Your Mightiest of Names, Our Savior’s Name, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Amen. “Give to Your servant a listening heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, Your difficult people?” 1 Kings 3:9 “for he who is perverse is an abomination of Yahweh, but those who are upright are his confidence.” Proverbs 3:32 “... test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Good Morning Sunday.......
Father, thank You for this NEW DAY. Please continue to FILL our HEARTS & MINDS WITH all that is YOU. Father, bless Your children, SO at every opportunity today YOU ARE SEEN, HEARD, AND FELT through us TODAY. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Name. Amen! - Faith, Trust, Encouragement, & Our Eternal Parachute Faith, trust, and encouragement go hand in hand. When we put faith in Our Father, The One True and Living God, and His Son Yeshua, Jesus Christ, it means we trust Him. When we trust In God, He always encourages us. Think about this: What could be more encouraging than having our lives saved? I would venture to say that having our lives saved is the most encouraging event that could happen... and He has saved us! I heard a great analogy about Trusting Jesus the other day. It went something like this: If you were to go skydiving, of course you would wear a parachute, right? You wouldn't jump out of a plane and start flapping your arms trying to fly, would you? No, you would wear a parachute and you would have to have faith in that parachute to open. Evidence of our faith in that parachute would be us putting it on before we jump out of the plane. Because we put our faith in that parachute it is showing we trust that parachute to open. So, we have faith and trust in that parachute and once it opens as we are falling, we are encouraged that we will be safe. That's how it is with Our God and Our Savior. We must have faith in Him. Like the parachute we must have faith in Him and put Him on. Once we have clothed ourselves with Christ through faith, repent of our old ways, and trust in Him to be open to us, it is here that we get encouragement because He saves us from the fall... He Is Our Eternal Parachute! The Word of God Is What Saves Us! “We can ONLY be saved because Our Savior (The Word of God), Through His Atonement, mercifully provides us with a “Spiritual Parachute” of sorts. If we have Faith in Yeshua, Jesus Christ, and repent (Meaning We Do Our Part And Pull The Rip Cord), then the protective powers of Our Savior are unleashed on our behalf and we can land spiritually unharmed.” - TR Callister From beginning to end there are places in The Bible that help build our Faith, build our Trust in God, and Encourage us to keep "fighting the good fight" (1 Timothy 6:12). The best part is that God Almighty Himself shows us how to be faithful. Adam and Eve betrayed God, but He didn't leave or forsake them. Abraham had faith in God and so even when he lied, did the wrong thing, or messed up, Our Father was faithful to him. Jonah was reluctant, Jacob was a liar, David was an adulterer, Solomon was a womanizer, Samson gave away his blessings, but in every case God Our Father showed His faithfulness. If we merely put our Faith in God, Trust Him to deliver, then He Will Encourage Us and Show Us THE WAY. He Will Change Us in ways we will never be able to change ourselves. He loves us with an endless Love, He never leaves us, and He always delivers on His promises. God Our Father is a Perfect Judge. We are all due in court one day because we have broken The Law. We deserve a death sentence for all the lying, blaspheming, and adulterous things we have done. What is amazing is Our Perfect Judge had it worked out ahead of time and when we show up in court... Jesus, God Himself in the flesh, shows up and pays our fine. The Perfect Judge hits the gavel and declares "You are free to go, your fine has been paid." We are free to go! From death to Life just like that Yeshua saves us! He paid the fine! HalleluYah! Let's end today with Yeshua, Jesus Himself, assuring us of our freedom. We put our Faith In Him, Trust In Him, and now here are His words Encouraging us to go even deeper in our walk with Him. Blessed be His Name, forever and ever. Amen. Yeshua, Jesus Said: “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 “If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments.” John 14:15 Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for being so Perfect. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You For Giving Us Life and not death. Please help us to be more Faithful like You. Help us to Trust In You and Your Word to carry us through all that comes our way. Finally Father, Encourage Us Please...as Only You Can Do. We Love You, We Thank You, and We Praise Your Holy Name Forever. In Your Mighty, Life Inducing, And Freedom Giving Son's Name Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Jesus Christ, We Pray. Amen. Extra Fuel For The Soul: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 “Commit to Yahweh your way; Trust also on him and he will act.” Psalms 37:5 “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:20 “Blessed be the person who trusts in Yahweh, and Yahweh is his trust. For he will be like a tree planted by water, and to the stream it sends its roots, and it will not fear when heat comes, and its leaves will be luxuriant, and in the year of drought it will not be anxious, and it will not cease from the bearing of fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:13-14 Good Morning Sabbath.......
Father thank You for this NEW day. We ask that you OPEN our HEARTS and MINDS to YOUR infinite GRACE, WISDOM, and PEACE, so WE may SERVE You in the manner most PLEASING to YOU. In Your Mighty Son YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's name we pray. Amen - Abide In Him: Your Unique Peace “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His Name’s sake.” Psalms 23:2-3 When you read this verse from Psalms 23 what does it make you think of? How does Our Father restore your soul? Where is it that He gives you peace? What does He do that makes you forget the stress of this life, even if it is for only a little while? Where do you go to clear your mind or compose yourself? What, where, or how do you connect with Our Father in the strongest manner? When do you feel you are able to "hear" His Voice or feel His Will in your life? Does this happen for you before the sun comes up when everyone else is asleep? Is it reading verses on your lunch? What about in the stillness of your home before anyone arrives in the afternoon? Or is it in the chatter of family and friends around a big dinner table? How about while listening to music, singing in church, or maybe it is somewhere or something that no one would think of doing? Realize that God Our Father designed each and everyone of us unique. He made us unique and He made each and every one of us to have unique access to Him in our own uniqueness... no matter how busy we are. Our Father wants to give us rest and rejuvenation, but we must realize that it is Only Found In Him and His Son Yeshua, Jesus Christ. We were all designed to Abide In Him, so all we need to do is search our hearts and answer the questions above. If you are reading this, most likely He Has Already Shown You How. If He Has Not Shown You, all you need do is ask honestly and humbly. Yeshua, Jesus Christ Our King, Savior, and Perfect Example Said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 Think back to the times when you undeniably felt The Peace Of God in your Life. Think back to the times when His Presence was the strongest in your Life. If you have had an experience with God, in whatever circumstances, setting, or activity, that means God Has Spoken to you... directly to you. We have all felt "led" to participate, or not participate, in an activity, to help someone, to fulfill a particular command, write something or compose a poem, or something else He has laid on our hearts. Now, we simply must choose to do those things, consistently and as often as possible. This is where we will find The Peace of God... Abiding In Him. Fuel For The Soul, The Word Of God: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know The Truth, and The Truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am The Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 “Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in The Son and in The Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.” I John 2:24-25 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:17-21 Good Morning Friday...
Thank You Father for the blessing of this NEW day. Please continue to fill our HEARTS & MINDS with Your TRUTH & LOVE, so we stay focused, trusting that You Are Transforming us into a people who live a life shaped by radical, God-Centered Faith TODAY! In Yeshua, Jesus Christ’s Mighty Name We Pray. Amen! As always, Our Father Is Right On Time. Have had a lot of questions about “The Fear of God” recently and thought this devotion was a wonderful, short piece on the subject. I pray it edifies, strengthens, and blesses each and every one of you on the other side of this screen. Have a Great-God-Filled-Day everybody! A Big thank you to our late Brother, John Ritenbaugh, and berean.org for today’s devotion. - A Berean Bible Study: The Fear of God “(50) And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. “ Luke 1:50 A Christian is a person upon whom God has shown mercy, and here Luke also identifies Christians as those who fear God. In Luke 18:2, 4, Jesus reveals in a parable that it is the unconverted who do not fear God. His followers fear God. Elsewhere, the Bible identifies Christians as those who fear God. Notice Acts 9:31: "Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied." Later, Luke writes: "And they said, 'Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you" (Acts 10:22). Cornelius, a Gentile prepared for baptism, is called "one who fears God." Hebrews 5:7 describes Jesus' fear of God: ". . . who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear." Even Jesus, who knew God better than anyone who had ever walked the face of the earth, feared God. Note the special attention paid to the fact that God answered His prayers because He did. God is holy. He is different to a level so far above mankind that those who truly know Him do not lose that apprehension and awe that comes from the privilege of being in the presence of sheer, powerfully pure holiness. Fear plays a large part in a good relationship with God. Genesis 3:10 is the first time a form of fear appears in Scripture, and interestingly, it is in the context of sin. Adam responds to God, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." Elsewhere, the English word "fear" and its cognates appear in many contexts and forms: "feared," "fearful," "fearfully," "fearfulness," "fearing," and "afraid." These terms appear over 720 times in Scripture. We tend to be uncertain about fearing God because we think of fear as a negative characteristic. We feel that we should love Him rather than fear Him. However, as we study God's Word and experience life with Him, we come to understand that, at the foundation of loving God, godly fear modifies our highly variable faith in God and love for God in significant ways. All of those forms of "fear" express a wide range of emotions. Feelings such as dread, distress, dismay, trouble, terror, horror, alarm, awe, respect, reverence, and admiration may all appear as "fear" in Scripture. The fear that God desires in us is a good, positive, motivating quality. This fear is one that we do not naturally possess. Recall Psalm 34:11: "Come you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD." How do we learn the fear of God? Psalm 33:8-9 gives insight: "Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." Godly fear is one of a deep and abiding respect that grows as we learn—from within a continuing, intimate relationship—of His character, His purpose, and His powers. The unconverted do not have this relationship as a sustaining presence. Good Morning Thursday...
Thank you Father for the blessing of this NEW day. Please continue to fill our HEARTS & MINDS with your TRUTH & LOVE so we stay FOCUSED on The TRUTH of “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" TODAY! In Yeshua, Jesus’s Christ’s Name. Amen. - How To Serve: Humility, Faithfulness, and Loyalty Daniel. He served his captors and oppressors faithfully and loyally, for he knew it was The Will of God. He served so well in fact that he continued to be promoted over and over again. His influence grew until he was leading the men with the most authority in the land, the kings, to proclaim The God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, Daniel's God and Our God, to be The Only One True and Living God. Daniel didn't choose his situation. If he did, being a faithful servant of God Almighty, one would not think he would choose the lawless nation of Babylon. Nonetheless, he served with humility, faithfulness, and loyalty because he knew he was actually serving God. His prayers for discernment served him well. Do you think if Daniel would have been openly judgmental, proud, out spoken, and high minded he would have had such a powerful impact? Of course not. So let us not think that we can accomplish anything positive by acting in these ways either. Today, if Daniel was living and serving in the same manner, he would probably face a large measure of criticism. While we are not told this, he may have faced this in Babylon, after all, there is "nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9)." Criticized or not, he continued faithfully and was rewarded with influence, influence he used to grow the kingdom of God. Like Daniel, we must seize the opportunities that God Our Father Has Placed Before Us. We must serve wherever we are, in a manner befitting of a child of God Almighty. The God Who Loves, Forgives, and Rewards His Faithful. We can have influence over our current "Babylon" and we should engage our non-believing society with humility, faithfulness, and loyalty to God. If we do, we also can lead others to these soul cleansing attributes and Our Father Will Use Us To Grow His Kingdom. This is what it means to "Be A Light." If we merely serve whomever God places us in front of, we will earn the right to be heard. Then, when we are heard, we can influence others to set their sites on God, to start walking away from Babylon, and start walking towards New Jerusalem. Prayer: Father God, Help us to embrace whatever situation you have put us in, so that we may serve you with Humility, Faithfulness, and Loyalty. Help us to gain influence and then lead others to You. Help us not to cut those living in "Babylon" off from our sites, for we know you love them too. Please give us the proper discernment to know when to speak up and when to quietly stand by. Help us to wait patiently for the opportunity that you give us to speak Life to others. Use us Father for Your Glory and Your Future Kingdom where Yeshua, Jesus Christ, Your Son and Our King Will Reign With Justice, Righteousness, and Love Forever and Ever. Bless You Father. Thank You Father. We ask these things in The Name Of The Righteous King, Your Son, Yeshua, Jesus Christ Our Savior. Amen. The Living Word: “Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.” Daniel 10:12 “Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 “Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.” Daniel 9:17 The Fruit of God By The Service of Daniel. The influence God Gave Daniel led to Kings of Babylon proclaiming The Glory of God: “Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” Daniel 6:25-28 “And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.” Daniel 4:34-37 Paul Clears Up A Misunderstanding About Serving In "Babylon": “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner— not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” I Corinthians 5:9-13 Good Morning Wednesday...
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. - It Is Time: Free The Generations! We have been lied to Brothers and Sisters. What is going on in this world is not what we were told. The deceptions, control, and political divisions of this world are increasing on a daily basis. The information we are given can scarcely be verified as true, if it is even true at all. There is only one place left where we can have our feet “planted” and secure... on “The Rock.” His burden is light, His words are True, and by His Blood we are saved. Grab a hold and hang on for dear Life. He is The Only One that can save us, The Only One who can guide us correctly, and The Only One who has our best interests in mind. He Is... our first, last, and only hope. It is high time for us to wake up. It is time... Free The Generations! No doubt we have all seen people struggle in families. Whether it be disfunction through drugs, abuse, violence, or a number of other afflictions we have all seen the devastating affects of uncorrected life choices by parents, children, and family members. It is up to us, God's Children, to set the path straight and lead The Way, for future generations in our own families, if we see these problems. It is time we all resolved to stop the madness. Maybe our family histories aren't pretty, but they don't have to be that way heading into the future. The generational curses, afflictions, and abuse can stop with us. How? By following God Our Father and Our King and Savior's Way, The Way, to correct these afflictions. It is time... Free The Generations! We don't have to submit our children to the abuses we faced. We don't have to accept "that's just the way the world is" and move on. We can change the direction for our families, and maybe in doing so... Our Father In Heaven uses us to help other families as well. My Brothers and Sisters, it is time... Free The Generations! Prayer: Father God, please help us to identify harmful behaviors in ourselves and our families. Give us the strength and wisdom to overcome the battles our ancestors lost in this world. Make us strong for our children. Make us strong for our family members. And finally Father, lead us in all we do so we are a "sweet-smelling aroma" to You in our lives. We know if we please You, our paths will be made straight. Let us be lights unto the world through Your Son Yeshua, Jesus Christ. We pray these things in The Name Above All Names Yeshua, Jesus Christ Our King. Amen. “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:19-21 “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” II Corinthians 2:14-15 “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to The Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:8-14 “in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6 “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.” Ezekiel 18:19-20 |
SERVANT OF YESHUA 7
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