Good Morning Monday...
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 big thank you to our late Brother, John W. Ritenbaugh, and berean.org for today’s devotion. - The Spirit of God Our Father... Ties It All Together (2) elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 1Peter 1:2 Peter's words are intended, not merely to instruct, but also to encourage. We listen to God's Word because God Almighty Himself personally chose us to do so. That needs to sink into our brains and become part of how we operate our lives. We are The Chosen of God, Elect according to His Foreknowledge. That is, before we ever knew of The True God, He was watching us. He was monitoring us and waiting for the opportunity that, at just the right time, He would reveal Himself to us in just the right circumstance, just the right environment to give us the best opportunity to respond to the truth. We can expand this process out to include the whole church. The church exists because God willed it so. The church does not exist because of human goodness, hopes, aspirations, vision, or dreams. It exists because of the eternal purpose of God, which is both a tremendous honor and responsibility. God, working through His Spirit (notice, "in sanctification of the Spirit"), sets us apart, consecrates us, or makes us fit for His Calling. God Is The Creator. That fact is what Peter explains here. His Calling is the first step to prepare us to inherit His Kingdom. We should not limit the calling just to the initial time that He entered our lives, and we began to understand. His calling ultimately includes the whole process. Peter states the goal He has in mind as "obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." It is The Spirit of God that makes The Calling of God effective. It is a singular act, but at some time in our lives, He "messed with" our brain—He Turned The Light On—and we began to respond. He did this as a singular act at a specific time, but His Calling is also a process that begins with that initial act and ends with resurrection into His Family. The sanctification of The Spirit of God ties all of it together. The initial act by God opens our mind, which is the beginning of sanctification. It is like being given a second start, which Paul calls "regeneration" (Titus 3:5). Then comes the sanctification that arises with growth, overcoming, and becoming more like God. Finally, there is glorification, which is the ultimate in sanctification. The whole process is encompassed by The Calling of God, and The Spirit of God ties all of these steps together.
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Good Morning Sunday...
Father thank You for this NEW day. Please continue to fill our HEARTS & MINDS with Your LOVE & TRUTH, and TRANSFORM our ordinary day into an extraordinary day. Shine Your Light in us, through us, and over us. May we make a difference in this world, for Your Glory and Purposes TODAY! In Yeshua, Jesus Christ’s Name we pray. Amen. - Quality Alone Time With Our Father In Heaven: Scriptural Application I was spending more time running around than usual a few weeks back, and it had me missing my quality alone time with Our Father. Everything seemed to be a little less peaceful because of missed, usual quality alone time with Him. This led me on a journey of looking into versus that explain what quality alone time with Our Father, and His Word, can do for us. Today let's take a look at some of those versus and may we all remember... quality alone time with Our Father is of the utmost importance. Why? Because God's Word says so, and because Our Perfect Example shows us this is important. There is a reason Our Savior Yeshua had Peace while “in the flesh” here on earth. He never neglected His quality time alone with Our Father. Let's take a look: Our Perfect Example, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, Spent Quality Alone Time With Our Father Often: “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 “Very early the next morning, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and pray.” Mark 1:35 Wait On God: “Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” Psalms 62:1-2 Dwell With God During Your Quality Alone Time: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” Psalms 91:1-4 “Repent” And “Knock” During Your Quality Alone Time: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:19-20 Quality Alone Time With God Our Father Is Meant For Us With Him... And No One Else. Remember, He Already Knows What You Need: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:5-8 Our Father Quite Literally Tells Us To Be Still And Have Quality Alone Time With Him: “Be still, and know that I Am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah” Psalms 46:10-11 Good Morning Sabbath...
Father thank You for this new day. As You Walk with us today, please keep us focused on YOUR TRUTH. Please continue to fill OUR HEARTS & MINDS with YOUR PEACE and straighten the paths before us. In YESHUA, Jesus Christ's Glorious Name we pray. Amen. - An Exercise In Connecting With God Our Father - By Faith #7 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: “When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”” Luke 7:36-50 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 all of you. May The God Of All Good Things give each and every one of you PEACE! Good Morning Friday...
Father Thank You for this NEW DAY. We have GRATEFUL HEARTS for all You Do. Thank You for the extraordinary gifts in our lives and the EXTRAORDINARY LOVE you share with us in YOUR WORD FATHER. Lead us away from false prophets, strengthen us to endure trials like YOUR SERVANTS Daniel and The Maccabees, and lead us toward YOUR NARROW GATE. In praise, we pray in YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Name. Amen! - God Is The LIGHT of Heaven (Hanukkah Series Part 9 Day 8 (Last Day of Hanukkah) 2020) Good morning Brothers and Sisters. I pray everyone has enjoyed this Hanukkah Series. While we may not be commanded in The Bible to keep Hanukkah, it is clear that The Festival of Lights has everything to do with Our Father In Heaven, for He Is... THE LIGHT. As Hanukkah comes to a close this evening, may we all remember Who Our Light Is, and may we all SHINE HIS LIGHT to the dark and confused world in which we now reside. While our current residents may be dark, He Will Always Light Our Way If We But “Seek, Ask, and Knock” (Matt 7:7) at His Door. Bless, praise, and thank Our Father In Heaven and Our King And Savior For That! “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 God Bless My Brothers and Sisters! May The Peace and Grace of Our Father in Heaven and Our King and Savior Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, Be Upon You All. May each and everyone of you Shine His Glorious Light! The Bread of Life: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I Am The Light of the world! The one who follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have The Light of Life.” John 8:12 “Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, when [they compare their ineffectual fire to The LIGHT of] The Lord (YHWH, Yahweh) of hosts, Who Will Reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders will show forth His Glory.” Isaiah 24:23 AMPC “And The Light of the full moon will be like The Light of the sun, and The Light of the sun will be sevenfold, like The Light of seven days, on the day when Yahweh binds up the breakage of His people, and He Heals the wound of His Blow.” Isaiah 30:26 LEB “The sun shall no longer be your Light by day, and for bright Light the moon shall not give you Light, but Yahweh Will Be Your Everlasting Light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, and your moon shall not wane, for Yahweh Himself Will Be Your Everlasting Light, and your days of mourning shall come to an end.” Isaiah 60:19-20 LEB “And I did not see a temple in it, for The Lord God All-Powerful Is Its Temple, and The Lamb. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon, that they shine on it, for The Glory of God Illuminates It, and Its Lamp Is The Lamb. And the nations will walk by its Light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. And its gates will never be shut by day (for there will be no night there),” Revelation 21:22-25 LEB “And there will not be any curse any longer, and The Throne of God and of The Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him, and they will see His Face, and His Name will be on their foreheads. And night will not exist any longer, and they will not have need of The Light of a lamp and The Light of the sun, because The Lord God Will Give Light to them, and they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 22:3-5 LEB “And this is The Message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God Is Light and there is no darkness in Him at all.” 1 John 1:5 LEB Good Morning Thursday...
Father thank You for this NEW DAY. Help us to LIVE in Your LIGHT. Please continue to break us of old self and TRANSFORM us by the RENEWing of our minds, so we can EXPERIENCE Your loving and perfect will for us. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’s Name. Amen! - Living In God Is Living In LIGHT (Hanukkah Series Part 8 2020) The Bread of Life: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I Am The Light of the world! The one who follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have The Light of Life.” John 8:12 “Many are saying, “Who will show us something good?” Lift up over us The Light of Your face, O Yahweh.” Psalms 4:6 “Yahweh Is My Light and My Salvation; whom shall I fear? Yahweh Is The Refuge of My Life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalms 27:1 “Trust Yahweh and do good. Abide in the land and feed on faithfulness. Take pleasure in Yahweh as well, and He will give to you the requests of your heart. Commit to Yahweh your way; Trust also on Him and He will act. Then He will bring forth your righteousness like The Light, and your justice like the noonday.” Psalms 37:3-6 “Send Your Light and Your Truth; they shall lead me. They shall bring me to Your Holy Mountain and to your dwelling places. Then I will go to The Altar of God, to God, My Surpassing Joy, and I will praise You with lyre, O God, my God.” Psalms 43:3-4 “His Light Rises in the darkness for the upright; He Is Gracious and Compassionate and Righteous.” Psalms 112:4 “You should not rejoice over me, O my enemy! When I fall I will stand up; when I sit in darkness Yahweh Will Be A Light For Me.” Micah 7:8 Good Morning Wednesday...
Father thank You for this NEW DAY! Lead us out of darkness and into YOUR LIGHT. As we RISE to meet this new day, please let us be filled with Your Spirit. Wherever we go, let us SPREAD LOVE, JOY, PEACE, GOODNESS, and FAITHFULNESS. Let us desire to become more like You and to worship You IN ALL WE DO. Help us desire these things so much more than the sin that entices us. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Name we pray. Amen. - Out of Darkness Into LIGHT (Hanukkah Day 7 2020) The Bread of Life: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I Am The Light of the world! The one who follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have The Light of Life.” John 8:12 “For you, O Yahweh are My Lamp, and Yahweh Lightens my darkness.” 2 Samuel 22:29 (Psalms 18:28) “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into Light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16 “Who among you is in fear of Yahweh, obeys The Voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no Light, trusts in the name of Yahweh and depends on His God?” Isaiah 50:10 “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I Am Sending You to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to Light, and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:17-18 “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until The Lord comes. He will bring to Light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5 “You are all Children of The Light and Children of The Day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 “But you are A Chosen People, A Royal Priesthood, A Holy Nation, God’s Special Possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His Wonderful Light.” 1 Peter 2:9 Good Morning Tuesday...
Father thank You for this NEW day! Help us to see YOU. Help us be WITH You. Help us to walk in Your LIGHT. Help us to experience the Love of Your Son YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST. Bless You Abba. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ Name, AMEN! - Happy Hanukkah? Is Hanukkah In The Scriptures? Part 6 Why Does Any Of This Matter? So... What do the greeks and Athens have to do with Israel and Jerusalem? Well, everything. What does a Hebrew/Jewish revolt a couple of centuries before Our Messiah and King have to do with our lives today? Much more than most would think. In a very similar manner to the Maccabees, those who worship and follow Yeshua, Jesus Christ, will face persecution on a large scale for following and believing The One True and Living God. We also will face a culture that desires us to conform to “their” ways and beliefs. Like unsuspecting Maccabees, believers in Jesus Christ will face persecution on a scale which we could not imagine from a world that wants conformity. While The Books of The Prophet Daniel 8 & 12 do point at Antiochus IV, many Biblical historians also believe that both narratives point to the roman figure Nero, the ruler who sent the Apostle John to The Island of Patmos, and... to the antichrist. We who believe and follow, with resolve and without conformity, will have to deal with a character that Antiochus is a foreshadowing of in The Book of Maccabees. Very similar to The Maccabees, and Daniel, believers will have to stand strong in The Way, and only those who heed The Word of God will be able to stand in their beliefs. When we study, we find that many Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews relented to a hellenistic society and culture. We also see the same thing happened in Babylon, as they pressured conformity on those following God’s Ways as well. Many believers were pressured into conformity in those Babylonian and Greek cultures. These stories are a strong picture of what is to come. In The Book of Daniel, Chapter 3, Daniel and friends are the only ones who will not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. The Book of Daniel makes it clear that hundreds and thousands of the displaced Jewish people yielded their convictions and conformed to Nebuchadnezzar’s demands. We as believers of Our God and Father, following in The Ways of Our King, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, will have to be full of resolve, prepared to stand firm in our faith, and “set our face like flint” (Isaiah 50:7) when those times are upon us. Now... let’s have a nutritious breakfast and get “filled up” with The Bread of Life. Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, The Word of God, Jesus Christ, Reigns... and He Is... The Only One Who Can Prepare Us For What Is To Come. He Is The Light, and The Light Is What We Must Walk In If We Are To Be... “More Than Conquerers” (Romans 8:37). “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the middle of the camp, and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare food; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.’” Joshua 1:10-11 God Bless My Brothers and Sisters! May The Peace and Grace of Our Father in Heaven and Our King and Savior Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, Be Upon You All! The Bread of Life: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I Am The Light of the world! The one who follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have The Light of Life.” John 8:12 Walk In The Light 🦶💡: “Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout; O Yahweh, they Walk about In The Light of Your Countenance. In Your Name they rejoice all the day, and in Your Righteousness they rise up.” Psalms 89:15-16 “House of Jacob, come and let us Walk In The Light of Yahweh.” Isaiah 2:5 “The night is far gone, and The Day has drawn near. Therefore let us throw off the deeds of darkness and Put On The Weapons of Light. Let us live decently, as in The Day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy. But put on The Lord Jesus Christ and do not make provision for the desires of the flesh.” Romans 13:12-14 “But if indeed our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see The Light of The Gospel of The Glory of Christ, Who Is The Image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. For God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” is the one who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of The Glory of God In The Face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of The Power may be From God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-7 “And this is The Message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God Is Light and there is no darkness in Him at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice The Truth. But if we Walk In The Light as He Is In The Light, we have fellowship with one another, and The Blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and The Truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, so that He will forgive us our sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10 “Again, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is True In Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and The True Light already Is Shining. The one who says he is in The Light and hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother resides in The Light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” 1 John 2:8-11 “Therefore do not be sharers with them, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light In The Lord. Live like children of Light (for The Fruit of The Light is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth), trying to learn what is well-pleasing to The Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even Expose Them. For it is shameful even to speak about the things being done by them in secret, but all things exposed by The Light are made visible, for everything made visible is Light. Therefore it says, Wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ Will Shine on you. Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of the time because the days are evil. Because of this do not become foolish, but understand what The Will of The Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine (in which is dissipation), but be filled by The Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and singing praise in your heart to The Lord, giving thanks always for all things in The Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ to The God and Father, being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ” Ephesians 5:7-21 Good Morning Monday...
Father Thank You for this NEW DAY. We have GRATEFUL HEARTS for all You Do. Thank You for the extraordinary gifts in our lives and the EXTRAORDINARY LOVE you share with us in YOUR WORD FATHER. Lead us away from false prophets, strengthen us to endure trials like YOUR SON, YOUR SERVANT Daniel, The Maccabees, and lead us toward YOUR NARROW GATE. In praise, we pray in YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST's Name. Amen! - Happy Hanukkah? Is Hanukkah In The Scriptures? Part 5 What Does The Word of God Say? Apart from the two denominations, catholic and greek orthodox, who hold both Maccabees 1 & 2 as canon, do we have anything in our Bibles that speak towards The Maccabees or this period of time? The answer is both yes and no. We do gain a glimpse into the period of time in which the events of Maccabees take place. Where? In The Book of Daniel. Although, outside of the books of Maccabees, The Maccabean family does not receive mention. The Prophet Daniel’s vision of The Ram and The Goat in our Bibles, Daniel 8, shows The Goat’s (Alexander the great’s) fall, and The Four Horns, or Kingdoms, which rise after Alexander’s departure. Past this, in The Books of Daniel 8 & 12, we are given a foreshadowing of the one who causes “the abomination of desolation” in which many academics and scholars believe is Antiochus IV Epiphanies. It is explained that this “leader” will beat down The Jewish People, take away the sacrifices of Israel, their rituals, and “set up” something that is an abomination to Our Father. Most Biblical historians point to the abomination being the idol erected to the false god zeus by Antiochus, which he places in The Temple. While The Book of Daniel is not specific, we can definitely see the parallels to The Prophet Daniel’s most faithful life and those of Israel living during time of the syrian-greek abuse. Very much like The Prophet Daniel (Daniel 1), they do not relent and allow themselves to be desecrated and defiled. As a consequence, many of then faced extreme punishments, and often death, for not acquiescing to the will of evil men (Daniel 1&6). Finally, while we do not see this spoken of in The New Testament, we do see The Feast of Dedication, or Rededication, The Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, being mentioned in John 10, as we looked at the first day of Hanukkah. Yeshua, Jesus Christ, Himself went to the festival. One thing that did stick out like a soar thumb to me though is: What happened when He went there? The pharisees tried to kill Him. Tomorrow, we will ask the question: Why does any if this matter? The answer may surprise you. Until then, let’s have a nutritious breakfast and get “filled up” with The Bread of Life. Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, Reigns! He Is... The Word of God. And, The Word of God Is... Our Light 💡🎯🔥! God Bless My Brothers and Sisters! May The Peace and Grace of Our Father in Heaven and Our King and Savior Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, Be Upon You All! The Bread of Life: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I Am The Light of the world! The one who follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have The Light of Life.” John 8:12 God’s Word, Yeshua, Is Our Light 💡🎯: “But now for a brief moment mercy has been shown by Yahweh Our God, Who left behind for us a remnant, and given us security in His Holy Place—for Our God to Brighten Our Eyes and to give us brief Relief In Our Bondage.” Ezra 9:8 “The Law (Instructions) of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life. The Testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple. The precepts of Yahweh are Right, making the heart rejoice. The Command of Yahweh Is Pure, Enlightening the eyes. The Fear of Yahweh Is Pure, enduring forever. The Ordinances of Yahweh are True; they are righteous altogether, more desirable than gold, even much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, even honey in the comb. Moreover, your servant is warned by them; in keeping them is great reward.” Psalms 19:7-11 “Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and heed your word. Uncover my eyes, that I may look at wonderful things from your law.” Psalms 119:17-18 “Your Word is A Lamp to my feet and A Light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to heed your righteous ordinances. I am very much afflicted; O Yahweh, revive me according to Your Word.” Psalms 119:105-107 “The unfolding of your words gives light, giving understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commands. Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is proper for those who love your name. Direct my steps in your word, and do not let any iniquity gain power over me.” Psalms 119:130-133 “My child, keep The Commandment of Your Father, and do not disregard the instruction of your mother. Bind them on your heart continually; tie them upon your neck. When you walk, she will lead you, When you lie down, she will watch over you, and when you awake, she will converse with you. For like A Lamp Is A Commandment, and Instruction Is Light, and The Way of Life Is The Reproof of Discipline,” Proverbs 6:20-23 “that The God of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (the eyes of your hearts having been Enlightened), so that you may know what is The Hope of His Calling, what are The Riches of The Glory of His Inheritance among the saints,” Ephesians 1:17-18 Good Morning Sunday...
Father, thank you for this NEW DAY. Please help us to show GRACE to others today. Let our words be filled with KINDNESS and our actions BE HELPFUL. Please help us to not respond selfishly. Instead, allow us to RESPOND WITH LOVE and SHINE YOUR LIGHT to the world. In YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST’s Name we pray. Amen! - Happy Hanukkah? Is Hanukkah In The Scriptures? Part 4 1 and 2 Maccabees - A Breakdown: Essentially, both 1 & 2 Maccabees are a historical account of Antiochus IV’s desecration of The Temple and the Jewish revolt. The first Book of Maccabees starts with the story after the death of Alexander “the great.” It explains how some of the Jewish people came under the temptation of the Greeks and their hellenization. Then Antiochus (Again, Sounds Very Close To Anti-Christ) steals the Holy items (golden lampstand, ect) in the Temple and defiles The Temple. Soon after a religious persecution begins of The Hebrew Race, and specifically The Jewish People. Many Hebrews, Isrealites, and Jews together stand strong in their belief and worship of The One True and Living God, refusing to let themselves be defiled. This is very much a parallel to The Prophet Daniel and his friends in The Book of Daniel. The 1st Book of Maccabees introduces us to a Jewish man named Matthias and his sons, who would later become known as the Maccabean Family. The book recounts how The Maccabees resisted pagan worship, how they triumphed against the persecution, and introduces some of the alliances they formed. The 2nd Book of Maccabees was written by Jason of Cyrene. This book consists of 5 volumes and recounts the history of The Maccabean Revolt in a Greek synopsis. * A cool little fact about The Maccabees: They lead a successful revolt reclaiming The Temple and rededicating it to Our Father In Heaven. This group of highly unlikely, well-to-do, non-warrior Jews, were forced out of Jerusalem, forced to learn how to fight, banded together, and against all all odds defeated the syrian-greek oppressors. What does the meaning of the name Maccabbee mean? Are you ready for this? Maccabee means: HAMMER OF GOD. How cool right!? Isn’t it just like Our Father to use “the foolish and weak things of this world” to defeat the “mighty?” 🔥 Tomorrow, we will take a look at what The Bible says about The Maccabees, if anything, and if there is any mention of this Hebrew uprising in The New Testament. Once again, let’s enjoy a little Bread of Life. Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, Reigns! May His Light Shine through us to the whole world. 💡🙌 God Bless My Brothers and Sisters! May The Peace and Grace of Our Father in Heaven and Our King and Savior Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, Be Upon You All! The Bread of Life: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I Am The Light of the world! The one who follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have The Light of Life.” John 8:12 Let Us Shine The Light of Yeshua, Jesus Christ, To The Whole World 💥💡: “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, Shining Ever Brighter till The Full Light of day.” Proverbs 4:18 “Is this not the fast I choose: to release the bonds of injustice, to untie the ropes of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and tear every yoke to pieces? Is it not to break your bread for the hungry? You must bring home the poor, the homeless. When you see the naked, you must cover him, and you must not hide yourself from your relatives. Then your Light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall grow quickly. And your salvation shall go before you; The Glory of Yahweh will be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and Yahweh Himself will answer. You shall cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am!’ If you remove from among you the yoke, the finger-pointing and evil speech, if you offer your soul to the hungry, and you satisfy the appetite of the afflicted, then your Light shall rise in the darkness, and your darkness will be like noon.” Isaiah 58:6-10 “Arise, Shine! For your Light has come, and The Glory of Yahweh Has Risen on you. For look! darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but Yahweh Will Rise on you, and His Glory Will Appear over you. And nations shall come to your Light, and kings to The Bright Light of your sunrise.” Isaiah 60:1-3 “You are The Light of the world. A city located on top of a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they Light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it Shines on all those in the house. In the same way let your Light Shine before people, so that they can see your Good Works and glorify Your Father Who Is In Heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 “You must be prepared for action and your lamps burning. And you, be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that when he comes back and knocks, they can open the door for him immediately.” Luke 12:35-36 “Do all things without grumbling and disputing, in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you Shine as stars in the world,” Philippians 2:14-15 Good Morning Sabbath...
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 Christ’s Name we pray. Amen! - Happy Hanukkah? Is Hanukkah In The Scriptures? Part 3 Who were the Maccabees? Soon after Alexander “the Great’s” life was cut short, there were four generals who divided the former conquerer’s land into four different territories. One of the 4 spawning empires, the Seleucids, took control of the area in which Israel lived as a part of their Greek/Hellenist empire. This way of life threatened to destroy the identity of The Hebrew People. The Hebrews were pressured, now more than ever, to accept the paganistic way of living, instead of their origin which was the worship of The One True and Living God. This pressure reached an all-time high when Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled over the region. Antiochus forbid any Hebrew/Jewish practices and tried to win The Israelite People into the worship of their Canaanite “gods” such as Baal. Antiochus (How very close sounding to Anti-Christ) took his persecution so far as to erect an altar to zeus and sacrifice a pig, an unclean animal, in the temple. It was a double abomination, both of these—pagan god worship and the eating of pigs—were strictly forbidden in The Bible. (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 14:8). But there was one Jewish man who refused to accept this pagan worship. His name was Mattathias. There was a greek official that tried to make Mattathias sacrifice to a false god, a pagan deity. This didn’t work out well for the greek, Mattathias killed him. After this, Mattathias’s 5 sons, Judas, John, Simon, Eleazar, and Jonathan, led an uprising. These sons miraculously recaptured Jerusalem 3 years later, cleaned the temple, and erected a new consecrated alter. This began the eight day celebration we now call Hanukkah (“Dedication”) to celebrate The Temple which had now been cleansed. Tomorrow, we will take a look at The Books of 1 & 2 Maccabees. Until then, as always, let’s enjoy a little Bread of Life. Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, Reigns and Is... The Light of The World. 💡🙌 God Bless My Brothers and Sisters! May The Peace and Grace of Our Father in Heaven and Our King and Savior Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, Be Upon You All! The Bread of Life: Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus Christ, is The Light of the World 💡: “The people who walked in darkness Have seen A Great Light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them A Light Has Shined.” Isaiah 9:2 “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen A Great Light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:12-17 “And you, child, will be called The Prophet of The Highest; For you will go before The Face of The Lord to prepare His Ways, To give knowledge of Salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, With which The Dayspring from On High has visited us; To give Light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into The Way of Peace.” Luke 1:76-79 “In Him was Life, and The Life was The Light of men. And The Light Shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of The Light, that all through him might believe. He was not That Light, but was sent to bear witness of That Light. That was The True Light which gives Light to every man coming into the world.” John 1:4-9 “The Light of the wicked indeed goes out, And the flame of his fire does not shine. The Light is dark in his tent, And his lamp beside him is put out.” Job 18:5-6 “Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him.” Proverbs 27:20-21 “Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— that The Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim Light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” Acts 26:22-23 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I Am The Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have The Light of Life.” John 8:12 |
SERVANT OF YESHUA 7
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