Tradition/Trust

Mark 7:5-9

The P’rushim and the Torah-teachers asked him, “Why don’t your talmidim live in accordance with the Tradition of the Elders, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?” Yeshua answered them, “Yesha’yahu was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites—as it is written,

‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far away from me.

Their worship of me is useless,

because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.’

“You depart from God’s command and hold onto human tradition. Indeed,” he said to them, “you have made a fine art of departing from God’s command in order to keep your tradition!

As we enter into this season of “giving” I saw a news report that we Americans will spend over 465 billion dollars on gifts this year. While at the same time the World Food Program reports that there are over 795 million people going without food. For 136,400 dollars 300 people could receive the food and water they need to survive for a year. Or for 362 billion we as Americans could feed the whole world for a year and still have 103 billion left over to buy presents and turkeys and candy. How about we as believers in God start giving the gift of life both physically and spiritual to our fellow man this year. Lord You have put this on my heart let me walk out in trust in You and follow Your Word. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

World Food Program America

http://cdn.wfp.org/donate?_ga=2.160322301.1534407923.1509446587-1547351417.1509446587

Going Home

Mark 5:18-20

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demonized begged him to be allowed to go with him. But Yeshua would not permit it. Instead, he said to him, “Go home to your people, and tell them how much ADONAI in his mercy has done for you.” He went off and began proclaiming in the Ten Towns how much Yeshua had done for him, and everyone was amazed.

 

As a believer, one who trust in the sacrifice of Yeshua and the sovereignty of ADONAI, in that moment of trust most of us would like to stay, being embraced by God and experiencing an infilling unlike any that we have experienced. We want to cling to that moment for as long as we can but like the man from Gerasenes we cannot. We have to do the hardest thing there is, we have to go home, to our people, who knew us in our sin, and tell them all ADONAI had done for us. It is by our testimony on how God has changed us that we will give others the chance to trust in Him as well. Lord let my testimony always show Your hand in my life so that others may believe. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Sower’s heart

Mark 4:14-20

The sower sows the message. Those alongside the path where the message is sown are people who no sooner hear it than the Adversary comes and takes away the message sown in them. Likewise, those receiving seed on rocky patches are people who hear the message and joyfully accept it at once; but they have no root in themselves. So they hold out for a while, but as soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, they immediately fall away. Others are those sown among thorns—they hear the message; but the worries of the world, the deceitful glamor of wealth and all the other kinds of desires push in and choke the message; so that it produces nothing. But those sown on rich soil hear the message, accept it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty or a hundredfold.”

 

As believers we are the sower in this parable that Yeshua is explaining to the talmidim. And as believers Yeshua is telling us that we will fail three out of four times for reasons not relating to us. When we make witnessing about us we are no longer witnessing about ADONAI’s Word but creating a cult of personality that will bring everyone to destruction. Yet if we are like the sower in this example then nothing keeps us from spreading the Word of God to everyone, even if their hearts are already hardened by Satan, or if they have little resolve, or if they are distracted by earthly concerns. Because there will be a few that the Word takes root and burst through that seed shell to grow until it is so full of the supernatural Word through an implanting of the Ruach that it is bursting forth and sending out seeds of trust themselves. ADONAI let me be like the sower in the parable and spread Your Word which is Yeshua to everyone so that their hearts can be convicted to turn to You through Your Ruach. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Authority

Mark 1:22-23

They entered K’far-Nachum, and on Shabbat Yeshua went into the synagogue and began teaching. They were amazed at the way he taught, for he did not instruct them like the Torah-teachers but as one who had authority himself.

 

The Word of God is open to all. We are not to just quote what we are taught by others but to read and dig into the Word so that it can shape our lives. Yeshua the living Word was doing just that as he taught the people. Lord let me always look to Your Word for knowledge. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen

Heed

Acts 27:9-20

Since much time had been lost, and continuing the voyage was risky, because it was already past Yom-Kippur, Sha’ul advised them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be a catastrophe, not only with huge losses to the cargo and the ship but with loss of our lives as well.” However, the officer paid more attention to the pilot and the ship’s owner than to what Sha’ul said. Moreover, since the harbor was not well suited to sitting out the winter, the majority reached the decision to sail on from there in the hope of reaching Phoenix, another harbor in Crete, and wintering there, where it is protected from the southwest and northwest winds.

When a gentle southerly breeze began to blow, they thought that they had their goal within grasp; so they raised the anchor and started coasting by Crete close to shore. But before long there struck us from land a full gale from the northeast, the kind they call an Evrakilon. The ship was caught up and unable to face the wind, so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed into the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with strenuous effort to get control of the lifeboat. They hoisted it aboard, then fastened cables tightly around the ship itself to reinforce it. Fearing they might run aground on the Syrtis sandbars, they lowered the topsails and thus continued drifting. But because we were fighting such heavy weather, the next day they began to jettison non-essentials; and the third day, they threw the ship’s sailing equipment overboard with their own hands. For many days neither the sun nor the stars appeared, while the storm continued to rage, until gradually all hope of survival vanished.

 

ADONAI will always give shelter to those who trust in Him. The world may not see it as such and dismiss it as the guards and sailors did with Sha’ul. It may even seem that this worldly knowledge is right for a time but in the end it will only lead to death and destruction. By staying focused on God and His Word can we avoid such folly. Abba never let me ignore Your good council in my life. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Suicide Prevention

Job 17:13-15

“If I hope for Sh’ol to be my house;

if I spread my couch in the dark;

if I say to the pit, ‘You are my father,’

and to worms, ‘You are my mother and sister,’

then where is my hope?

And that hope of mine, who will see it?

 

I have and may again suffer from depression. Just as Job is suffering in this passage. He has lost wealth, status, and most of all family and can see no possible end or recourse save death. But yet Job realizes that if death is all he can hope for then he is denying the very power of God, for how can anyone else see his hope in ADONAI if Job is dead and in the grave. I have stood on the edge of that pit and looked in it as well and if it was not for the good teaching of my parents and pastors and my rabbi, all people God placed in my life at that time to support me, I may have well stepped in it. But then who would know of my hope in ADONAI that we all may one day worship at His feet in never ending joy. Thank You ADONAI for Your salvation in Yeshua, and Your indwelling in the Ruach. Lord may You always shield me in Your hand. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Stand To

Acts 23:12-14

The next day, some of the Judeans formed a conspiracy. They took an oath, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Sha’ul; more than forty were involved in this plot. They went to the head cohanim and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Sha’ul.

 

There will always be plans to shut down the giving of the Word of God. Yet like these forty men who planned to kill Sha’ul there will always be a flaw to their logic. In this case not eating and drinking till they succeed in killing Sha’ul. After a full day without water they would not be able to lift themselves up let alone fight someone. These plans only succeed when the body of believers allow them to through inaction. Lord let me always be putting Your Kingdom first, and not my own selfish desires. Let me serve as You deem so that I may in obedience to You stand strong against those who would destroy Your Word in this world. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Actions

Acts 20:33-35

“I have not wanted for myself anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided not only for my own needs, but for the needs of my co-workers as well. In everything I have given you an example of how, by working hard like this, you must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Yeshua himself, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.'”

 

Words mean nothing without action. James tells us in his letter that faith without action is dead. It is our deeds that verify our words that tell of our trust in the salvation of Yeshua and the sovereignty of ADONAI. Lord keep me from being a hollow pot just echoing the sermons I hear. Let me jump from action to action so that all can see Your work in me. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Trust in action

Acts 17:16-17

While Sha’ul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit within him was disturbed at the sight of the city full of idols. So he began holding discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the “God-fearers,” and in the market square every day with the people who happened to be there.

 

It is enough that when ADONAI quickens our spirit through the Ruach that we have the authority and power to challenge false doctrine, idols and sin. Sha’ul tells us in 1 Corinthians that he himself wasn’t eloquent or overly wise but that he trusted God would speak through him so that all he spoke to could believe. Lord let me have the same trust as Sha’ul and never miss an opportunity to lift someone up into Your love. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Common Sense vs Wisdom

Job 11:5-6

I wish that God would speak,

would open his mouth to answer you,

would tell you the secrets of wisdom,

which is worth twice as much as common sense.

Understand that God is demanding of you

less than your guilt deserves.

 

As Americans we place a lot of value on common sense. It resonates with our national can do attitude and rags to riches success stories we love to hear. Yet as Iyov friend tells him the secrets of the wisdom of ADONAI are to be even more treasured and sought after. What good is it after all if I can tie my shoe or come out of the rain and not have the salvation of God through the sacrifice of Yeshua, because only through Him is my personal sin forgiven and I can stand once more before God. The Lord truly demands less from me in obedience to His Word than my sin, my guilt deserves which is death eternal. Abba I praise You in all that You do! Lord You have given us through Yeshua ha Mashiach the gift of life eternal if we would turn our hearts back to You. Abba fill me with Your Ruach so that all can see the wisdom of Your Word. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.