Good Morning Tuesday...
FATHER thank You for MAKING this NEW day. Dear Father, we ask that You place Your heavenly WISDOM upon us and help us to discern between knowledge from You and false knowledge. We know You are TRUTH and we ask only to know You. IN YESHUA, Jesus Christ's Name we pray. Amen. A big thank you to our Brother, David C. Grabbe, and berean.org for today’s devotion. - 7 Days With The Bereans: Our Amount Of Knowledge Will Not Save Us... Especially If It Is False (Day 3) O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20-21 The Amplified Bible makes these verses clearer: O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination. [For] by making such profession some have erred (missed the mark) as regards the faith. . . . Paul warns Timothy about "the subtleties and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination." The word translated "knowledge" in most translations ("science" in the King James Version) is the Greek gnosis. Literally meaning "to know," it forms the root of the word Gnosticism. It is possible, even probable, that Paul refers to Gnosticism here, since both of his letters to Timothy contain warnings against false teachers bringing in foreign concepts that were undermining the faith of church members. Remember, however, that his warning is against a particular type of knowledge that induced some members to stray from the faith, knowledge that was subtle and yet contradictory. That it was contradictory is interesting because Gnosticism not only contradicts The Truth, but within Gnostic beliefs there are also many contradictions. Recently, the newly-discovered Gospel of Judas, an example of what is called a "Gnostic gospel," has made headlines worldwide. It was not written at the same time as the four canonical gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - but appeared a couple of centuries later. The Gospel of Judas contradicts the true gospel accounts by asserting that Judas Iscariot was actually the hero, who had been given secret knowledge that the other disciples did not possess. The opening line of the Gospel of Judas demonstrates this secret knowledge: "The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week, three days before he celebrated Passover." This so-called gospel gives a quite different view of the relationship between Jesus Christ and Judas, and its defenders say that it offers "new insights" into Jesus' betrayal, and the nature and character of Judas. "New insights" is another common theme of Gnosticism. Several years ago, another Gnostic gospel, the Gospel of Thomas, was all the rage in the scholarly community. Its opening lines also emphasize this secret knowledge: "These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded. And [Jesus] said, 'Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death.'" Notice that the emphasis is immediately on discovering an interpretation and on increasing knowledge as a way to eternal life. It contains nothing about salvation coming through one's relationship with God or even about living a godly life. In this Gnostic gospel, eternal life comes from the secret knowledge that will explain the obscure sayings. Not only were the Gnostic gospels written long after the fact, but they are also full of statements that oppose the text of the Bible. For example, in the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus allegedly says, "If you fast, you will bring sin upon yourselves, and if you pray, you will be condemned, and if you give to charity, you will harm your spirits." Scholars say that Jesus is advocating "fitting in" and "being true to oneself," phrases often repeated these days. In another place in the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus is quoted as saying, "[Blessed is] the one who came into being before coming into being." This makes absolutely no sense to us, but it does make a kind of sense to Gnostics, who believe in a dualism of flesh and spirit. Thus, they understand that "Jesus" implies that the spirit could come into being before the flesh. Many Gnostics were followers of docetism, the belief that Jesus and Christ were two separate beings in one body. Docetists believed that the man Jesus was born, and that the pre-existing god Christ entered into Him when He was baptized and left again before He was crucified. This, then, is an example of coming into being before coming into being. Also in the gospel of Thomas, The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us, how will our end come?" Jesus said, "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. [Blessed is] the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death. Again, knowing something is shown as the antidote of death. In this case, another element of dualism is that every person has a little spark of God in him or her, and that we have an eternal spirit (or soul) that is trapped or imprisoned within a body of flesh. Gnostics generally believed that all spirit was inherently stable and good (overlooking the fact that Satan and his demons are spirit and yet also unstable and evil), while all matter and flesh was inherently evil (contradicting God's statement in Genesis 1:31 that everything God had made was "very good"). Plato reinforced this belief, writing, "The soul is the very likeness of the divine - immortal, and intelligible, and uniform, and indissoluble, and unchangeable." He also declared, viewing the body as a temporary house in which the soul is imprisoned, "The soul goes away to the pure, the eternal, the immortal and unchangeable to which she is kin." The Gnostic goal was to learn the secret knowledge that would allow the inner spirit to be released from the confines of the flesh, enabling it to rejoin God in the spirit realm. Thus, the Gnostics linked the beginning and end (often depicted in the figure of a snake swallowing its tail), because if a person could figure out how the divine spark was infused into the flesh in the first place, he could then reverse it and release the spirit. We find the same basic tenet in the modern doctrine of the immortality of the soul, and the widespread belief that our "home" is in heaven, and that we go to this home when we die.
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Good Morning Monday...
FATHER thank You for MAKING this NEW day. We ask that You OPEN our HEARTS AND MINDS to the infinite TRUTH, GRACE, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, AND MERCY SUPPLIED to us IN YOUR WORD, OUR ALMIGHTY GOD. IN YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Holy Name we pray, Amen. A big thank you to our late Brother, John W. Ritenbaugh, and berean.org for today’s devotion. - 7 Days With The Bereans: The One True Pearl Seeker "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46 Though it is one of the better known parables, the Pearl of Great Price also happens to be misunderstood frequently. The common explanation is that the merchant represents a Christian, and the pearl of great price is the Kingdom of God to which he gives his all so he can be a part of it. Another interpretation is that the pearl is Christ, and a Christian gives his all to Him. As meaningful as these interpretations may be, another is far more meaningful, and the evidence given in the narrative favors it. In this parable the merchant is seriously and deliberately searching the world to secure the best and costliest gems. It is the very business of his life. He travels widely with zeal and a lofty purpose because he can do so and appreciate the best when he sees it. The common interpretation shows the sinner, the merchant, diligently searching the world and sacrificing all to find the Kingdom of God or Christ. This cannot be true! On several counts it is totally out of alignment with Scripture as well as experience. This approach puts the seeker totally in control of his destiny. Three scriptures disprove that we are the merchant seeking to "buy" the Kingdom of God, Christ, or eternal life. “There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.” Romans 3:11 “And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:9-10 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44 It is Christ who seeks the sinner! The Shepherd seeks the sheep, not vice versa. Furthermore, if the pearl is either Christ, the Kingdom of God, or eternal life, it contradicts other scriptures regarding God's grace. Notice II Corinthians 9:15, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" Romans 6:23 adds, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Finally, in Luke 7:41-42 Jesus says in the Parable of the Two Debtors: There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more? The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price shows the merchant willing to buy a pearl at high cost. Can we possibly buy the Kingdom of God or eternal life or forgiveness if we have nothing with which to buy? If we think we have something with which we might barter with God, or if we think we have something to sell in order to buy from Him, then grace ceases to be grace! The Bible consistently reveals we have no righteousness, skills, or intellect that is of any value in purchasing anything from God. Isaiah 64:6 confirms this: "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." Peter's denunciation of Simon Magus plainly shows that men cannot buy the things of God. "But Peter said to him, 'Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!" (Acts 8:20). We are not the active agent in choosing Christ. John 15:16 specifically refers to Christ's apostles, but the principle extends to us: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." Jesus clearly states in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." By this time it ought to be clear that Jesus Christ is the merchant, the price paid was His life, and the church (the individual Christian in a very narrow sense) is the pearl. The church is one pearl, one body, composed of those He has sought out through the ages to be a habitation for God by His Spirit and who will be His bride at His return. This beautiful and meaningful little parable shows some of the extent of His labor of love for us. Good Morning Sunday.......
FATHER thank You for MAKING this NEW day. We ask that You OPEN our HEARTS AND MINDS to the infinite TRUTH, GRACE, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, AND MERCY SUPPLIED to us IN YOUR WORD, OUR ALMIGHTY GOD. IN YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Holy Name we pray, Amen. A big thank you today, and the next six days, to berean.org for supplying the devotions. A big thank you to our late Brother, John W. Ritenbaugh, as well for today’s devotion, who is the author of the following work. Going to take the next seven days to write some more devotions, play with some concepts, and try my best, with the help of Our Father of course, to make some great content that will help us all in our “Walk With God.” I pray you all enjoy these next seven days of devotions. May Our Father In Heaven bless each and every one of you my Brothers and Sisters... Mightily! Have a wonderful Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-Filled week. Shalom. - 7 Days With The Bereans: Out With The Old, In With The New “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to The Lord.” Colossians 3:8-16 This is the practical application of "seek[ing] those things which are above" (Colossians 3:1). In effect, Paul is saying that, if we are seeking heavenly things, the resources to overcome these things will be available. They will be part of us because God responds to those who are truly seeking Him. We must be patient. Our relationship with God is not magic. It takes work. Those of us who have had any of these problems understand that one must hold a tight rein on oneself to keep from doing the things that Paul says to "put off." They are so deeply ingrained within us that they want to break out all by themselves. This is why Paul writes in Romans 7:15-23, "The things that I do not want to do, I do. The things I do want to do, I do not do." He concludes that two conflicting laws were working within him. There was the law of his mind, which loved God, understood a great deal about Him, and wanted to submit to Him, to sacrifice for His sake and in His name, and to discipline himself. But the law of his flesh—sin that dwelt within him—every once in a while reared its ugly head and broke out. Thus, we must discipline ourselves. We know that we are to "put off" those things that do not reflect the image of God and to "put on" the characteristics that do. "Putting on" and "taking off" are not always easy. Sometimes, we can readily apply or overcome certain things; they seem to come easily to us. But other character flaws are thorns in the flesh, their barbs stuck deep within us, and they embarrass us from time to time and make us feel guilty. They make us wonder whether we will be acceptable before God. Seeing this, we realize that overcoming them will take a great deal of work—and work requires discipline. One of the final things that Paul mentions in this passage is love (Colossians 3:14). Love is the crown; it tops off, as it were, all of the other virtues, tying them all together. A true love for God and love for others—not to mention a proper love for ourselves—will motivate us to transform into Christ's image. The diligent "putting on" and the "taking off" will be the proof of our seeking God and the things which are above. When we understand this, we realize that even the ability to "put on" and to "take off" is a gift from God, as the resources to do this come from Him. God responds to those who make Him the focus of their lives, and this is who we exhibit. The evidence begins to show in the way we live our lives. 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. - Resting With Purpose “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, 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, 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 then 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 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 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 dark and fallen world. In JESUS NAME, amen. A big thank you to our late Brother, John W. Ritenbaugh, and berean.org for today’s devotion. - Seek Him While He May Be Found: The Time Is Now! “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ"s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 “Seek The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh) while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6 The church developed, under the inspiration of Jesus Christ, an overall concept of time management unique to church members. It has its roots in the Old Testament: Isaiah 55:6 urges us to "seek The LORD (Yahweh) while He may be found." Why should we seek Him? Because He has the power and the willingness, if we will trust Him, to give us a completely new nature, breaking the vain, frustrating, repetitious cycle. Isaiah 61:1-2 adds helpful understanding: “The Spirit of The Lord (Yahweh) GOD is upon Me, because The LORD (Yahweh) has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of The LORD (Yahweh), and the day of vengeance of our God.” Isaiah 61:1-2 This is a prophecy that Jesus partially quoted as He began His ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth where He grew up (Luke 4:18-19). These passages suggest an element of movement toward something soon to happen. Isaiah 55:6 suggests we seek Him urgently because the Lord is moving on, and if we do not seek Him now, it will be too late. Time and events within it are moving. Isaiah 61:1-2 is similar: Now is an acceptable day for those called of God. If we wait, the acceptable day will pass, and the day of vengeance, even now moving toward us, will be here. It will be too late to avoid its destructive powers! In Solomon's complaint about time (Ecclesiastes 1:3-11), God was nowhere mentioned. Events just go around and around endlessly, effectively describing Solomon's frustration. However, in the prophet Isaiah's description, God is involved in the movement of events that impact directly on His people's lives. II Corinthians 5:20—6:2 from the Revised English Bible helps us to see the sense of urgency in a New Testament setting: “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors. It is as if God were appealing to you through us: we implore you in Christ's name, be reconciled to God! Christ was innocent of sin, and yet for our sake God made him one with human sinfulness, so that in him we might be made one with the righteousness of God. Sharing in God's work, we make this appeal: you have received the grace of God; do not let it come to nothing. He has said: "In the hour of my favor I answered you; on the day of deliverance I came to your aid." This is the hour of favor, this the day of deliverance.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 These admonitions to "seek God now," "now is an acceptable time," and "do not let it come to nothing," all indicate a passing opportunity. The Christian is dealing with a specific period during which events are working toward the culmination of some process, and if he does not take advantage of the present opportunity, it will never come again. The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins in Matthew 25:6-13 illustrates our need to make the most of this opportunity now. This parable's major lesson is that both life and time are moving. The precise time of Christ's return is unknown, so He urges us to take advantage of the knowledge and time we already have in hand. Those who reject His advice will find their way into the Kingdom blocked. Recall that II Corinthians is written to Christians. Paul's message is a call to strike while the iron is hot! Both Jesus and Paul remind us that our calling is rife with possibilities, so much so that we can consider each moment as big as eternity. That is how important this "day of salvation" is to us! The New Testament's instruction to Christians is, "Now is the time!" Everything is in readiness for success. It is as though the New Testament writers are saying, "Don't be like the slave who refuses when presented with freedom, or the diseased person who rejects help when offered healing. God's door is open to us! Charge through it by cooperating with Him!" Good Morning Thursday...
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, JESUS CHRIST's Name, amen. - Keep The Peace. Keep The Blessing. Today let's take a look in The Book of Mark. Remember the story of the hemorrhaging woman? In case you haven't or need a refresher... Let's take a look: “A certain woman, who had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, having heard the things concerning Yeshua (Jesus), came up behind Him in the crowd, and touched His clothes. For she said, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Yeshua (Jesus), perceiving in Himself that the power had gone out from Him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude pressing against You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all The Truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.”” Mark 5:25-34 WMB Ever been "down in the dumps," really low, and just couldn't see things getting any better? I have to believe this is how this woman felt,...times 1000. She "had suffered many things" and even though she had seen many doctors and relentlessly searched for an answer it still "was no better, but rather grew worse." She was broke, sick, hurting, weak, and out of hope. Then something happened. She started hearing stories about a man named Yeshua. This man was healing people and performing miracles everywhere He went. It is said He May Be The Long Awaited Messiah of All Of Israel. Suddenly, in the "twinkling of an eye (1Corinthians 15:51-52)" Hope Was Born With The Name Of Yeshua (Jesus)!!! It was only The King of Kings, The Prince of Peace, that could compel Faith and Hope to be born out of hopelessness, despair, and the trials of this abusive world. Our Savior told us that it was her Faith that caused the Blessing of the miracle healing. Next He told her to "Go in Peace." The greek word that was chosen, "en," means "into" and it's denotative meaning is "to step into."(Vines Dictionary). An example would be "to step into a House." With that said, we can see that it seems Jesus is saying here, "Step into My Peace, and stay continually healed of your disease." In fact the AMPC Bible translates it very near to that same statement: “And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.” Mark 5:34 AMPC The point is that The Peace and The Blessing Of The Miracle Healing are tied together. Faith healed her, but remaining in the Peace of Yeshua, Jesus Christ, and God would be what kept her healed. How many times have we known someone or we ourselves seen Our Father do a powerful work, healing, miracle, or Blessing in someone's life only to see them get out of an atmosphere of God and Our Savior and the trials and tribulations of this world strip from them their Blessing and Peace? Our Loving God and Father Gives Everything He Gives Freely. But in order to Keep The Blessing or miracle in our lives, we must Keep The Peace... The Peace that God Has Blessed Us With. When we have The Peace of God Almighty with us, it leads to a fulfilling and joyful life. It's the "abundant Life" that Our Savior Speaks of In The Gospels. Our Peace, while we are here in this world, is not indicative from our outside circumstances, but by operating in our inheritance given to us by Our Savior, The Prince of Peace, and God Our Father. And... Our Inheritance Can Be Found Everyday In The Word of God aka Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Jesus Christ. So next time you are down in the dumps, feeling overwhelmed, or have just experienced a Powerful Movement of God and are about to head back into this babylon of a world we must live in, remember,... Keep The Peace. Keep The Blessing. After all, God Himself Did Tell Us: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7 Deep Thought: Many people go to extreme lengths in an effort to try and make Peace "for themselves," but Peace, in fact, has already made Himself Known. God Our Father and Our Savior Yeshua, Jesus Christ, did not leave us with Peace that we ourselves can "accomplish," but instead all we have to do is Enter Into Him That Is Greater Than All. In Him, Through Him, and With Him. In The Unity Of His Holy Spirit, All Glory and Honor Are His Now And Forever. Amen! The Bread of Life: “But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor--Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]” JOHN 14:26-27 AMP Good Morning Wednesday...
Thank You Father for this NEW day! Please continue to fill our HEARTS & MINDS with Your TRUTH & LOVE, so we may ENJOY Your BLESSINGS, and be a blessing, TODAY! IN YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’s Name we pray. Amen. - Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ: The Salvation Of God The Best thing about the season we are in is all the talk about Our Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Our Father has never given so precious a gift to anyone but His people. He has redeemed the whole world with His Salvation (Yeshua literally means Salvation!)! As many of us gather with family and friends, may we all remember those who may not have family and friends to talk about and discuss Our Savior, Our Father, and His Holy Spirit. May we all pray for those who may be waking up to cold feet, blistered faces, and hungry, grumbling bellies. These Brothers and Sisters we may not know are the true meaning of Our Messiah's Coming. Let's take a look: “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of The LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of The LORD.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:14-21 So Our Savior, Messiah, and King was sent to "preach The Gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh (YHWH or The LORD)." This is why Our Messiah was sent and He tells us out of His own mouth. He even announced that this scripture is “fulfilled.” If this is the reason Our Salvation (Yeshua) has come and Yeshua, Jesus, is to be our "Head" it would make sense that this is part of our job as well. May we all remember to pray for those less fortunate during this time. May we spread the Love Of God In Yeshua to those who may be "blind, brokenhearted, poor, captive, or oppressed." It only takes a small seed to make a mighty tree and it only takes a small act of kindness to lead those hurting, blind, captive, and cold Brothers and Sisters to their Salvation (Yeshua), The Son of God Almighty, The Creator of Heaven and Earth. Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your Salvation (Yeshua). Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for the promise of something greater than this world has to offer and thank You for sending Him...for coming Yourself to save us, Your children. Help us to remember those who may not hear Your Message of Salvation, Father, and set them in our paths today so we may "proclaim Your Gospel" to them. Protect our families during travel, protect our children as they play, protect Your children who may be lost, and protect and strengthen us as we serve You. Words are not sufficient for The Eternal Gift You Have Given Us Father, but we give You humble praise and joyful thanks that You Have Shown Salvation (Yeshua) To Us. Bless You, Praise You, and All Glory Be To You, Your Salvation Yeshua, Jesus Christ, and Your Life-Giving Spirit Forever and Ever. We ask these things in Your Perfect, Holy, Mighty, and Powerful Son's Name, Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Immanuel, Jesus Christ Our King. Amen. The Salvation of God, The Bread of Life, The Word of God: (As you read through The Scriptures today, remember that Yeshua literally translates as "Salvation." In the original Scriptures this is the exact Word that would have been written, Yeshua. Try reciting “Yeshua” each time in Scripture when you see the world Salvation. It is a wonderful exercise and an eye-opening way to read Scripture.) “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.” Romans 5:18 “For my eyes have seen Your Salvation (Yeshua)” Luke 2:30 “I have waited for Your Salvation (Yeshua), O Yahweh!” Genesis 49:18 “Make haste to help me, O Yahweh (LORD), My Salvation (Yeshua)!” Psalms 38:22 “Show us Your mercy, Yahweh (LORD), And grant us Your Salvation (Yeshua).” Psalms 85:7 “And all flesh shall see The Salvation (Yeshua) of God.” Luke 3:6 “Look! God is My Salvation (Yeshua); I will trust, and I will not be afraid, for my strength and might is Yah, Yahweh; and He has become Salvation (Yeshua) for me.” Isaiah 12:2 “I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My Salvation (Yeshua) shall not linger. And I will place Salvation (Yeshua) in Zion, For Israel My glory.” Isaiah 46:13 “You have also given me the shield of Your Salvation (Yeshua); Your gentleness has made me great.” II Samuel 22:36 “For a child has been born for us; a son has been given to us. And the dominion will be on his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 “and receive The Helmet of Salvation (Yeshua), and The Sword of The Spirit, which is The Word of God,” Ephesians 6:17 “Yahweh lives! Blessed be My Rock! May God, The Rock of My Salvation (Yeshua), be exalted!” 2 Samuel 22:47 Good Morning Tuesday...
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. - Preparing For The Wedding of The Ages I have had the immense honor and pleasure of marrying a few different couples now. It has always reminded me of how happy one person can make another. To be there for good and bad, sickness and health, and all the in between is a beautiful thing. When we know we "have" someone it is a comforting feeling, and we don't have to worry about being alone. For us as believers, it is the same as a relationship with Our Savior and Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Our Father used the allegory of marriage and its literal application to show us not only how much He Loves Us, but also how much joy a relationship with Him can bring. He Is Our Provider, Protector, Redeemer, Savior, King, and He Is Our Husband In Christ. Think about the last wedding you attended. How was everyone's spirit or attitude? Extremely happy, right? Our Father is using the weddings here in our physical lives to give but a glimpse of our wedding that will come after this life. There will be a gathering, a union, vows, Love, a feast, a party, a celebration, and an eternal Life of happiness in The Only One Who Can Provide Joy, Peace, and Happiness Eternally. Getting excited yet? We have been told by Our Father Himself that we will receive mansions, eternal life, there will never be darkness, sickness, or crying ever again. We will be taught by Our Savior and King Himself, and we will have no enemies. There will be no affairs, no insults, no bickering, only peace, fulfillment, and happiness... forever. Happily ever after is a fairytale in this life, oh but the next! If you have made the choice to accept Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, Jesus Christ, as your Master, King, and Savior, you have already began preparation for this heavenly wedding and you should definitely be getting excited. One day we will go to attend the greatest marriage that has ever occurred, and Our Father will not be outdone when it comes to majesty, class, creativeness, and grand surprises that will bring us all eternal joy. Congratulations to all reading this that are currently preparing for this most amazing event! And to anyone reading this who may have not decided to accept Christ as God, King, and Savior yet, I would say... Please look into this. Find The Truth. Be Amazed. Get baptized. I promise if you seek you will find. If you ask you will receive. And if you knock, Yeshua, Jesus Christ Himself, will open the door. One thing I can promise (because God Our Father Promised it first) is that you will not be disappointed. And... I WANT TO SEE YOU AT THE WEDDING! Prepare Yourself Everyone... Our Husband Is Coming!!! God Bless Each and Every One Of You on the other side of this screen and have a Great Yahweh Yeshua Blessed Day! Extra Fuel For The Soul aka The Word of God: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:21-27 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:7-10 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock! If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, indeed I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 Good Morning Monday...
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. - Yahweh Yeshua Is... Getting A Good Start Reading books when we were young gave many of us a good start in reading. Whether we learned in school or at home, we learned a good foundation so we could continue to read as we got older. Today, when we are reading and run into a word we cannot pronounce, or don't understand the meaning, we go to the resources that we learned when we were young for the answer. A good start is important. Our good start each day, and in many other things, help us as we go through life. Each and every day is no different. We need a good start. Each morning when we wake a good foundation is needed. Do we spend each day waking up to our lives, or for our lives? If we but choose The Strong Foundation That Is God Our Father and His Son Jesus Christ each day, and His Purpose for each of us, we lay a Strong Foundation to build upon. This is key to Getting A Good Start. All we need do is go to Our Perfect Example in Christ and we can see that He Himself looked at His Life this way. We know Our Messiah prayed often, before and after His Day, before and after His Work, and in and during His Trials. Lets Take a look at Yeshua getting His Good Start: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 Jesus was The Smartest Person To Ever Walk The Face Of This Earth and He Understood the importance of getting a good start. It only makes sense if you are going on a journey to put air in your bike tires, gas in your vehicle, and put food in your bag. It is the same spiritually with Our Father and... He Is Our Air, Fuel, and Food. If we pack spiritually for each day, we will be prepared to handle whatever situation we encounter. This busy world can often feel as if it is pulling us in many different ways. We all have responsibilities to our lives, families, work, chores, and much more each day. God's Word tells us that wisdom is: before we face each day, and those around us, we should face Our Father and let Him fill us up with the fuel we need for each day. When we go to Our Father and Our Savior each morning, we are stating that He Is The Authority and He Gives Us Our Direction For Each Day. We as believers, if we want Peace in out lives, must let Him be our compass and give ourselves over to His Wisdom and Guidance. Our Father, God, and Savior Are A Strong Tower To Run To. And if, as we are going through our day, we encounter trouble, grief, or trials, we just revisit our Good Start. All we have to do is go back to where we started, that morning, with Our Father and Jesus, and draw Living Water from Our Good Start. God Is Our Good Start. No man is good as Our Savior Tells us, God Alone Is Good. Let's check that out: “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” Luke 18:19 God's Word also tells us His Mercies are new everyday. When we go out each day we have the opportunity to Get A Good Start, A Strong Start, with Him. We can begin with prayer, Bible Study, worship, and we can surrender ourselves to The One Who Sustains Us. Let's take a look at David, the man after God's own heart, and see how he put it: “Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 How might all of our mornings, days, events, trials, and daily interactions look if we let The Blessing Of A Strong Start with Our Father and Savior get us going each day? I can guarantee, if we are sincere in our time with Him, there is no better way known to man in getting a good start. May we all remember each day, year, before trails, work, in our good times, and in our bad, if we truly want a good start, that spending time with YAHWEH YESHUA, God Our Father and His Son Our King, IS... GETTING A GOOD START. Air, Fuel, and Food aka The Word of God: “This I have reminded myself, therefore I will hope. The Loyal Love of Yahweh does not cease; His compassions do not come to an end. They are new in the morning, great is your faithfulness. “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul, “Thus I will hope on Him.” Lamentations 3:21-24 “I await Yahweh; my soul awaits, and I wait for His Word. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning. Yes, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, wait for Yahweh. For with Yahweh there is loyal love, and with Him there is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.” Psalms 130:5-8 “A tower of strength is the name of Yahweh; into Him the righteous will run and be safe.” Proverbs 18:10 “For You have been my refuge, a strong tower from the enemy. Let me reside in Your tent forever. Let me take refuge under the covering of Your wings. Selah For You, O God, You have heard my vows. You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your Name. You will add days to the days of The King, His years like those of many generations. May He live forever in the presence of God. Appoint loyal love and faithfulness to preserve Him. So I will sing the praise of Your Name forever, that I may fulfill my vows daily.” Psalms 61:3-8 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. - A Simple Prayer For The Week Dear Father, You are... The Giver Of All Blessings. You reside in heaven and are Above All. We thank You for being a kind and merciful Father. Please be with us and guide us as we go through our week. Forgive us for our sins against you Father and deliver us from our remaining carnal nature. Help us to forgive others as you forgive us. Create in us clean hearts Father and let us serve you in a manner that is pleasing to you. Your Kingdom Will Endure Forever and we long to be with You. We ask that you feed us Father. Feed us with Your Food Father, the food Your Son told our Brothers, the disciples, that they did not "know about" when Yeshua was at the well with the Samaritan Woman. Finally Father, lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil one. Yours Is The Kingdom, Power, and Glory Abba, Forever and Ever. In Your Mighty Son Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Name We Pray these things. Amen. Extra Fuel For The Soul AKA Manna From Heaven AKA The Word of The Most High: “In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:31-35 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10 “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, so that you are healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous one accomplishes much.” James 5:16 “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” II Corinthians 9:10-11, 15 “His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His Arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:50-55 |
SERVANT OF YESHUA 7
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April 2023
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