Struggle

Luke 13:22-30

 

Yeshua continued traveling through town after town and village after village, teaching and making his way toward Yerushalayim.  Someone asked him, “Are only a few people being saved?”  He answered, “Struggle to get in through the narrow door, because—I’m telling you! —many will be demanding to get in and won’t be able to, once the owner of the house has gotten up and shut the door. You will stand outside, knocking at the door and saying, ‘Lord! Open up for us!’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from!’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you! you taught in our streets!’ and he will tell you, ‘I don’t know where you’re from. Get away from me, all you workers of wickedness!’ You will cry and grind your teeth when you see Avraham, Yitz’chak, Ya’akov and all the prophets inside the Kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown outside.  Moreover, people will come from the east, the west, the north and the south to sit at table in the Kingdom of God.  And notice that some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”

 

Yeshua is answering a Jewish man directly.  Like him we are to struggle for the kingdom of Heaven.  There are times I struggle just to set aside time to journal and listen for what God would have me learn.  Yet we are commanded to struggle just for that.  I believe (and this is my opinion) that the struggle invests us in God so that we want more of Him.  Yet Yeshua warns this man that He was not seeing that in nation of Isra’el.  Too many were just happy letting the priest and Sanhedrin tell them what they should be doing without studying the Word themselves.  While they practiced at religion they forgot to walk out in trust, yet their failure would be made up for by the nations that came to trust in spite of their example.  Lord you have given me a firehose full of revelation this morning.  Help me to truly inscribe Your words on my heart.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

We love where we spend

Luke 12:34

For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also.

 

I look at myself and ask what do I really spend my money on.  I tithe, I give offerings but beyond that what do I do.  I am thankful that God has given me a wife to keep me in check with the finances, Lord now help me with what I spend my time on.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Pursue, Pursue, Pursue

Luke 11:9-10

“Moreover, I myself say to you: keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who goes on asking receives; and he who goes on seeking finds; and to him who continues knocking, the door will be opened.”

 

It is not enough just to say a prayer and move on for salvation.   ADONAI wants a relationship with us, to hear from us daily and to speak to us in return.  Just as my marriage grows with every interaction with my wife so to my walk with God as I study His Word and pursue His will for me.  But I only can do this if I ask every day what He would have me do.  To fail to do this I am stagnate, dull, I become like yesterday’s mana no good for anything.  Lord let me keep my focus on You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

The Book of Life

Luke 10:19-20

Remember, I have given you authority; so you can trample down snakes and scorpions, indeed, all the Enemy’s forces; and you will remain completely unharmed.  Nevertheless, don’t be glad that the spirits submit to you; be glad that your names have been recorded in heaven.”

 

As Yeshua has told us our joy, our love is not to come from the power entrusted to us as believers but from the love that ADONAI has shown us by not removing our name from the Book of Life.  It is not who we can control but who we serve that quickens our hearts and gives purpose to our life.  Lord let my service be pleasing to You always.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Look Ahead

Luke 9:62

To him Yeshua said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back is fit to serve in the Kingdom of God.”

 

Having lived a little over 50 years there are a lot of things that I have done that have shaped my character.  Experiencing the love of my parents, navigation the awkwardness of adolescence, spending the first 21 years of my life in service to the country, marriage then loss then marriage again.  All these things have shaped me into the person I am in now.  Yet if I dwell on my past success or failures I never move forward.  God in His mercy has something new for us every day if we put our full trust in Him.  New moments of encouragement, new lessons, new commissions but we have to be open to His leadership in our lives, or else we will continue to stagnate and be stuck in our past.  Lord let Your living waters flow through me and refresh me daily so I may serve You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Sow Sow Sow

Luke 8:5-8

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the path and was stepped on, and the birds flying around ate it up.  Some fell on rock; and after it sprouted, it dried up from lack of moisture.  Some fell in the midst of thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.  But some fell into rich soil, and grew, and produced a hundred times as much as had been sown.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear with, let him hear!”

 

As believers we are to be sowing the spirit of God into every heart we encounter.  How it is received is not up to us but knocking at the door of their heart so ADONAI can circumcise it to His love and glory is our commission as part of the body.  Yechezk’el is told by God that as a watchman for the nation of Isra’el if he fails to warn anyone of the death that comes with wickedness, then their death is upon his head.  But if he tells them and they choose to continue to sin, that is their own fault.  We can’t be the silent majority we must tell the world of God’s love.  Lord embolden me to speak to everyone of Your salvation through the blood of Yeshua.

From Paul (me, not the saint)

WordPress just sent me a little note reminding me that I started this 4 years ago with no idea what I was doing.  For those of you who follow me now thank you very very much, for those of you who stop by and read thank you too.  Here is to 4 more years of reading and sharing the Word of God.  Todah Rabah!!

 

Listen every day

Tehillim (Psalm) 85:9-10

 

I am listening. What will God, ADONAI, say?

For he will speak peace to his people,

to his holy ones—

but only if they don’t relapse into folly.

His salvation is near for those who fear him,

so that glory will be in our land.

 

ADONAI is always near us, as Yeshua said, knocking at the door of our hearts.  But how can He bless us if we don’t take time to hear what He will say.  As I look around at our society today it seems to me everyone is doing what they think is right without taking the time to search out what God says is right.  As the psalmist wrote God speaks peace to us, shalom, His holy peace that comforts all and removes the sinful scars we have brought on our soul, but only if we keep from our own selfish sin.  It is His salvation through Yeshua that will be the glory of all the land, but only for those who trust and listen to Him.  Lord never let me fail to search for You and Your Word every day.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

God’s Compasion

Luke 6:36

Show compassion, just as your Father shows compassion.

 

How often have I forgotten this.  He comforted me in my hardness after my first wife died and all I wanted to do was set the world on fire.  He held me when I felt abandoned and all alone in this word crushed by the whims of others who were only looking to make themselves feel better.  He called to me even though I had foolishly followed the twisted desires of my own selfish heart, knowing who I am in my own strength but who I could be with His indwelling spirit, His Ruach HaKodesh.  How can I do anything but honor God in my life and share the compassion He has given to me.  Lord let me continue to lean on You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Power Up

Dani’el (Daniel) 10:19

He said, “You man so greatly loved, don’t be afraid. Shalom to you; and be strong, yes, truly strong.” His speaking to me strengthened me, and I said, “My lord, keep speaking; because you’ve given me strength.”

I believe this is Yeshua speaking to Dani’el, speaking into him life and strength and purpose so Dani’el can bear the weight of the vision about to be revealed to him.  In anything ADONAI commissions us with He ensures there is strength of His Ruach is with us to emboldened us for His work.  It is when we step forward without His spirit that we bring failure to our witness.  Lord let me wait and be empowered by Your leadership in my life.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.