Pick Truth

Shof’tim (Judges) 9:1-2

Avimelekh the son of Yeruba’al went to Sh’khem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with the whole clan of his maternal grandfather. He said, “Please ask all the men of Sh’khem, ‘Which is better for you—that all seventy sons of Yeruba’al rule over you, or that one-person rule over you? And remember that I am your blood relative.'”

 

Anyone like Avimelekh who seeks leadership and power in this world without first consulting and submitting to ADONAI’s leadership in their own lives are doomed to fail. In this case he killed the very men who supported Avimelekh in his folly and he himself was killed soon after. We as believers must understand our position in the body of believers and serve ADONAI to our fullest abilities in that work we are called to do. It is for God to decide who He will raise up as a leader and our job as faithful brothers and sisters to support them in that position. Lord let me be a helper to all that You place over me in my life. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Testimony

1 Corinthians 15:9-11

For I am the least of all the emissaries, unfit to be called an emissary, because I persecuted the Messianic Community of God.  But by God’s grace I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain; on the contrary, I have worked harder than all of them, although it was not I but the grace of God with me.  Anyhow, whether I or they, this is what we proclaim, and this is what you believed.

Like Sha’ul it is our testimony that is unique to each one of us and lets us proclaim all that ADONAI has done for us through the blood of Yeshua and the infilling of Ruach HaKodesh.  By telling others what God had done for us and showing others how that has changed our lives is how we give our testimony so all may come to know the loving deliverance of the hand of God in their lives.  Lord let me be that light on a hill as a beacon of Your love for everyone.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Place God in the strongholds

Shof’tim (Judges) 6:25-26

That very night ADONAI said to him, “Take your father’s bull and the other bull, the seven-year-old. Destroy the altar to Ba’al that belongs to your father, cut down the sacred pole next to it, and build a proper altar to ADONAI your God on top of this strong-point. Then take the second bull; and offer it as a burnt offering, using the wood of the sacred pole you cut down.”

 

Just as Gid’on did we must remove the things that we worshiped that kept us enslaved to sin before we can move forward in power for God. True worship of ADONAI cannot exist as long as we wallow in the sty of our own selfish sin, it must be destroyed as the altar of Ba’al was and consumed into our witness as the sacred pole was for the sacrifice before God. ADONAI must be installed in all the strong points in our lives so that we hear clearly His direction in our lives. Lord I give everything I have to You for Your use. Forgive me if I balk but strengthen me for I am just like the father of son You healed, “I trust, help me to trust.” I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Call Him

Shof’tim (Judges) 5:2

“When leaders in Isra’el dedicate themselves,

and the people volunteer,

you should all bless ADONAI.

 

While this is a stanza from the song D’vorah and Barak the son of Avino’am sang after the defeat of Sisra and his king Yavin of Kena’an. Today when I read it, I can only hope for the promise when all of Isra’el come together in Yerushalayim and say, “Baruch haba b’Shem ADONAI” Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! I believe this can only happen when the leaders dedicate themselves to serving the people as God would have them serve removing all selfish reasons and the people have Torah written on their circumcised hearts, so they love ADONAI with everything of their being and volunteer to care for one another. Lord let Your will be done in this world and let the anointing of Your people fall on them so there is no way they can deny Your kingship in their lives. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Gentile Commision

Shof’tim (Judges) 3:9-11

But when the people of Isra’el cried out to ADONAI, ADONAI raised up a savior for the people of Isra’el; and he rescued them; this was ‘Otni’el, the son of Kalev’s younger brother K’naz.  The spirit of ADONAI came upon him, and he judged Isra’el. Then he went out to war, and ADONAI gave Kushan-Rish’atayim king of Aram into his hands; his power prevailed against Kushan-Rish’atayim.  So the land had rest for forty years, until ‘Otni’el the son of K’naz died.

The first judge to deliver Isra’el from oppression was a gentile.  “Otni’el (God is my strength/helper) is the very definition of the One New Man Sha’ul writes about in Ephesians!  As Isra’el falls away into idolatry, Othni’el leads them back to true worship and destroys their oppressors.  As gentiles this our commission to defend Isra’el until they return to ADONAI and bring blessings to the nations.  Nothing new under the sun.  God’s plan is in His book!  Lord thank You for letting me see new revelation each day in Your Word.  Praise Your holy name, amen.

Make it Personal

Y’hoshua 24:31

Isra’el served ADONAI throughout Y’hoshua’s lifetime and throughout the lifetimes of the leaders who outlived Y’hoshua and had known all the deeds that ADONAI had done on behalf of Isra’el.

The nation of Isra’el only stayed faithful to ADONAI while those men who had personally see the miracles of God were alive.  It is the personal relationship between us and God that preserves us in our trust in Him.  If we are not praying and studying His Word daily how can a personal relationship exist between us and God.  Without that personal relationship wont we start to wander away from truth and like sheep just look for what makes us happy in the moment, not caring for the wolves of sin and death just around the corner.  Lord I journal and pray but I need more of You in my life.  Fill me Lord so that I am so full of Your blessing that it runs over to the people around me.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

My Brother’s Keeper

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

“Everything is permitted,” you say? Maybe, but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permitted?” Maybe, but not everything is edifying. No one should be looking out for his own interests, but for those of his fellow.

 

Sha’ul is illustrating loving our neighbor as ourselves. We don’t do anything for ourselves which is harmful or destructive, so we as believers in Yeshua must not do anything that is harmful to others. In this case eating meat sacrificed to idols, but in our day and age it could be going to see movies that glorify violence or sexual dysfunction. Our actions speaks volumes over our words when witnessing for Yeshua, we must always put others first in deciding how we will act. Lord I have failed more that I have succeeded in witnessing for You for my own faults. God keep me from hindering Your Word and let others know Your love for them. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Focused

1 Corinthians 9:25-26

Now every athlete in training submits himself to strict discipline, and he does it just to win a laurel wreath that will soon wither away. But we do it to win a crown that will last forever.  Accordingly, I don’t run aimlessly but straight for the finish line; I don’t shadow-box but try to make every punch count.

I must not let myself get distracted but like Sha’ul run straight for the finish line which is to serve ADONAI with all my heart, mind and soul.  I must not let the sins of this world rope-a-dope me into wasting my energy and strength on nothings when I could be working for God’s glory.  Lord let me stay focused on You and step into every opportunity You grant me with Your strength, wisdom and power.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

One God

1 Corinthians 8:5-6

For even if there are so-called “gods,” either in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are “gods” and “lords” galore—  yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, through whom were created all things and through whom we have our being.

For all the things people place in front of their worship of ADONAI there is still simply one truth, there is only one God and there is only one Lord in our lives, Yeshua.  We can worship food, sex, money, or be given over to complete selfishness and worship ourselves, it does nothing to change the fact that God is God and there is no other.  Lord let me always be focused on You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Provoke

Y’hoshua 14:13-15

Y’hoshua blessed him and gave Hevron to Kalev the son of Y’funeh as his inheritance.  So Hevron became the inheritance of Kalev the son of Y’funeh the K’nizi, as it is to this day; because he followed ADONAI the God of Isra’el completely.  (Hevron was formerly called Kiryat-Arba; this Arba was the greatest man among the ‘Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.

It was Kalev a gentile to fight the final battle for the Promised Land.  What a prophetic vision that in this time it is to the Gentiles to call our Jewish bothers and sisters to jealousy so they will fight spiritually for a return to ADONAI and the land will know rest from war.  Lord let me be one to serve You in bringing this battle for the souls of the world to an end and fall into Your rest.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.