Community

1 Corinthians 16:15-18

Now, brothers, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first people in Achaia to put their trust in the Messiah, and they have devoted themselves to serving God’s people. I urge you to submit yourselves to people like these and to everyone who works and toils with them. I am glad that Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus are here, because they have helped make up for your not being here. They have refreshed my spirit, just as they have yours. I want you to show appreciation for people like these.

 

As believers we must submit ourselves one to another to promote unity and sense of purpose. Find good men of standing and add to the work they are doing for ADONAI, just as the three mentioned left their homes and aid Sha’ul in what he was called to do. It is when we come together that the Ruach can minister and others will know ADONAI intimately. Lord let me always serve You in what You would have me do and not what I want in my own jealous spirit. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

His Presence

Psalm 42:9

 

9 By day Adonai commands his grace,

and at night his song is with me

as a prayer to the God of my life.

 

God never leaves us. We may try to run away, deny that He exists, or replace Him with something false but He is still there. Once I realised He was always there for me His song opened in my heart letting me worship in prayer to Him. Abba thank You for Your overwatch of my life. Thank You for the comfort and care that You give me in this life. All glory and honor to You in this season that You commanded as we remember Your hand passing over Your children and freeing them from the bondage of slavery. Amen.

Testing

Judges 6:17

Gid’on replied, “If indeed you favor me, would you mind giving me a sign that it is really you talking with me?

 

We are to test the spirits that are speaking to us to ensure that we are truly speaking with God. This is not the same as when Israel tested ADONAI at Massah, foolishly exasperating ADONAI, but with our heart soul and mind honestly seeking His leadership in our lives. It is only when we lay fleeces out like Gid’on that we will be able to discern if the word is from God or not. Lord I have always tried to seek You in this past decade and I am ashamed that it took me this long to heed Your Word. Look after me and let me hear clearly all that You would have me do. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Without Love

1 Corinthians 13:2

I may have the gift of prophecy,

I may fathom all mysteries, know all things,

have all faith—enough to move mountains;

but if I lack love, I am nothing.

 

I read this verse and cannot help but think of Bil’am the son of B’or. Here is a man who actually talks to ADONAI and gets a response. A man so intune with God that when he does wrong God causes his mule to speak correction to him. So why isn’t he one of the great prophets that we read about like Moshe, Elijah, or Isaiah, because he didn’t have love. He divined and prophesied for profit not to give people the word of God. Abba how many times have I acted like Bil’am looking only at what I was getting out of some activity and not how I could be better serving You. Lord forgive me for my hubris and keep goading me as I learn to do Your will at all times. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

All In

Judges 2:1-5

Now the angel of ADONAI came up from Gilgal to Bokhim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt, led you to the land I swore to your fathers and said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you; you, for your part, are not to make any covenant with the inhabitants of this land but must tear down their altars.’ However, you have paid no attention to what I said. What is this you have done? This is why I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they will be on your flanks, and their gods will become a snare for you.'” When the angel of ADONAI spoke these words to all the people of Isra’el, they began crying and wailing at the top of their voices. So they called the name of that place Bokhim [crying] and sacrificed there to ADONAI.

 

Half measures never work out for good. ADONAI wants your complete worship. Israel failed to break down the altars of the former tribes that lived there and within a generation they had proselytize from God to worshiping idols. Lord help me cleanse all that would keep me from You in my life. Especially now that we are entering passover, remove all the yeast in my life that would keep me from serving You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Examine Yourself

1 Corinthians 11:27-32

Therefore, whoever eats the Lord’s bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in an unworthy manner will be guilty of desecrating the body and blood of the Lord! So let a person examine himself first, and then he may eat of the bread and drink from the cup; for a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. This is why many among you are weak and sick, and some have died! If we would examine ourselves, we would not come under judgment. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined, so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

 

If we are to serve the Lord then we need to ensure that we are ready to serve the Lord. Whether it be in participating in communion as Sha’ul describes or any other function for the body we as believers cannot bring in our own sin without tainting our service. That is why we must take the time to examine ourselves daily and confess to God and others our weaknesses so that they may be done away with through the power of the Ruach HaKodesh. Lord let me lead the examined life, not stumbling through and hoping for good things, but righteously following Your Word. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Serving

1 Corinthians 10:31

Well, whatever you do, whether it’s eating or drinking or anything else, do it all so as to bring glory to God.

 

Everything I do I should do it to bring glory to ADONAI, failing to do that then I am not serving the one I say is Lord of my life. Abba let me always and in all ways serve You, I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Gluttony

1 Corinthians 9:27

I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that, after proclaiming the Good News to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

 

I fail at this a lot. At one point I was 350lbs because everything good, every warm memory I have I associated with food and when I was depressed, I ate, a lot. My nature, my body, made food my idol instead of focusing on ADONAI to show me my happiness, my worth. Unlike Sha’ul I didn’t force my human nature, my body, to subject myself to the authority of ADONAI in my life. How can I tell someone with nothing how God loves them when I look like I just ate a cow. Abba I need to learn to deny myself so only You show through, help me because I cannot do it by myself. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Knowledge/Compassion

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

Now about food sacrificed to idols: we know that, as you say, “We all have knowledge.” Yes, that is so, but “knowledge” puffs a person up with pride; whereas love builds up. The person who thinks he “knows” something doesn’t yet know in the way he ought to know. However, if someone loves God, God knows him.

 

Though Sha’ul is addressing food sacrificed to idols his point is true across the board, knowledge without love and compassion is destructive. ADONAI doesn’t want smartest kids on the block because as with Shlomo all that knowledge will cause us to ignore the struggles of our brothers and sisters. Instead if we can be compassionate and helpful then that person we are helping will see what they thought was a mountain of trial and hardship was really only a molehill of learning and growing in ADONAI. Lord let me temper my knowledge with compassion, keep me from being exasperated and sarcastic in my response, but let me always be uplifting with Your people. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Worthy to Serve

1 Corinthians 7:17-20

Only let each person live the life the Lord has assigned him and live it in the condition he was in when God called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the congregations. Was someone already circumcised when he was called? Then he should not try to remove the marks of his circumcision. Was someone uncircumcised when he was called? He shouldn’t undergo b’rit-milah. Being circumcised means nothing, and being uncircumcised means nothing; what does mean something is keeping God’s commandments. Each person should remain in the condition he was in when he was called.

 

When we are called to serve ADONAI we are called with a purpose. As Sha’ul wrote in Romans all things work to the good of them worship the Lord, so all that experience and pruning that one brings to the body of believers is necessary for the body to grow. While we should be ashamed of our sin we should not be ashamed of how it’s pruning shaped us to serve ADONAI in His purpose. Lord let me be satisfied and fulfilled in all that You would have me do for You. Lord let me be bold despite my shame of my sin so the whole world can see Your healing hand. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.