Trust fully

Romans 4:23-25

But the words, “it was credited to his account…,” were not written for him only.  They were written also for us, who will certainly have our account credited too, because we have trusted in him who raised Yeshua our Lord from the dead—  Yeshua, who was delivered over to death because of our offences and raised to life in order to make us righteous.

 

For the whole chapter before this Sha’ul establishes that it was Avraham’s trust that is the foundation for his righteousness.  He trusted ADONAI in all things and moved when God told him with obedience and immediacy.  It is the same for us as believers, it is our trust in the Word ADONAI has given us and our obedience to that Word in accepting the sacrifice of Yeshua’s blood as the only offering that will remove the sin from our lives.  Like Avraham, it is this trust that is the foundation to our salvation.  Lord let me never doubt Your love for me.  Let me hold to the sacrifice of Yeshua and honor Your Word as You write it on my heart.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Work for Him

2 Thessalonians 3:10-15

For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: if someone won’t work, he shouldn’t eat!  We hear that some of you are leading a life of idleness—not busy working, just busybodies!  We command such people—and in union with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah we urge them—to settle down, get to work, and earn their own living.  And you brothers who are doing what is good, don’t slack off!  Furthermore, if anyone does not obey what we are saying in this letter, take note of him and have nothing to do with him, so that he will be ashamed.  But don’t consider him an enemy; on the contrary, confront him as a brother and try to help him change.

 

As believers we cannot just sit on our laurels or expect to be given everything without investment.  Without working for something there is no feeling of accomplishment and without a feeling of accomplishment there is no appreciation for the value of something.  Sha’ul tells us not to associate with others who have no investment, give no value to working for the Kingdom of God not so that they are forever lost but so that they might see the wrong in their lives and repent.  Lord let me be the beacon of Your love to all.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Share Trust

1 Thessalonians 1:1

From: Sha’ul, Sila and Timothy

To: The Messianic Community of the Thessalonians, united with God the Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah:

Grace to you and shalom.

 

In order to help increase our trust, to experience ADONAI’s grace and shalom, we must be united with others who share that trust.  It is by being united in a community that we are edified, just as Sha’ul was by the congregation in Thessalonica, hearing the testimonies of trust that believers experience every day.  It is in that sharing that shows us the hand of God’s grace in our lives and brings peace to having to live in a time of chaos and upheaval.  Lord let me keep reaching out to others and listen to their testimonies of You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

 

Deny curses not God

Mattityahu (Matthew) 26:74-75

This time he began to invoke a curse on himself as he swore, “I do not know the man!”—and immediately a rooster crowed.  Kefa remembered what Yeshua had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times”; and he went outside and cried bitterly.

 

When we deny the power of ADONAI in our lives, we bring curses down on us much like Kefa did in denying Yeshua out of fear of the crowd around him.  We must cling to God in these moments and trust that He will deliver us from our troubles. Lord let me have the strength of character to stand for You in all things.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Thy Word

Mattityahu (Matthew) 24:35

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

 

The Word of God is eternal.  Through it was spoken and all creation came into being.  Divine instruction came as the Word walked with man in the Garden and even followed as man was cast out of God’s presence.  All things created have a due date but the Word through which all things were created is eternal as Yochanan reminds us, “​ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being.  In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not suppressed it.” (John 1:1-5).  We as believers must cling to the Word for it is in it, spoken to our spirit, we find salvation.  Lord continue to write Your Word on my heart, so I am Yours forever.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Change for Good

Mattityahu (Matthew) 22:11-14

“Now when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who wasn’t dressed for a wedding; so he asked him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark!’ In that place people will wail and grind their teeth, for many are invited, but few are chosen.”

 

It matters how we come before God.  We can’t just show up of service once a week and call it good or give money on high holy days and think we are doing something important.  When we come to trust in ADONAI through the sacrifice of Yeshua there must be a circumcision of the heart and a change such as one changing from work clothes to their very best finery for a wedding so from that moment on their fruit, their actions, point to the Creator and honor Him, just as the wedding party honors the bride and groom.  Lord let me dress appropriately to serve You in all things.  Help me to cast off the rags of sin of my life and receive the robe of rightlessness from You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Remove Dross

Mattityahu (Matthew) 19:16-22

A man approached Yeshua and said, “Rabbi, what good thing should I do in order to have eternal life?” He said to him, “Why are you asking me about good? There is One who is good! But if you want to obtain eternal life, observe the mitzvot.” The man asked him, “Which ones?” and Yeshua said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony   honor father and mother and love your neighbor as yourself.”  The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; where do I still fall short?” Yeshua said to him, “If you are serious about reaching the goal, go and sell your possessions, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was wealthy.

 

Adonai I am like this “good man” seeking for eternal life but wanting what I want while I am here.  Lord grid me up and let me be willing like the Talmidim and sacrifice everything that is not from You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Keep Following

Mattityahu (Matthew) 16:24

Then Yeshua told his talmidim, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him say ‘No’ to himself, take up his execution-stake, and keep following me.

 

It is really that simple, each day we have to deny our own selfish desires and follow ADONAI by accepting and trusting Yeshua’s sacrifice and following Him through the leadership of the Ruach in our lives.  Yet as simple as that is many fail to see that we are to “keep following” Yeshua, it is a continual thing not a one-time event in our lives.  Personally, I fall short almost daily, not that I try to but that even now after all these years of reading the Word and prayer and coming together to worship with others I slide back into putting my needs first before God.  And daily I repent, I keep putting these new sins on the execution-stake and I learn and move forward in following God.  Lord let me keep climbing this narrow path and persevere to the end.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Release God in your life

Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:29-32

“Or again, how can someone break into a strong man’s house and make off with his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? After that he can ransack his house.

“Those who are not with me are against me, and those who do not gather with me are scattering.  Because of this, I tell you that people will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy,but blaspheming the Ruach HaKodesh will not be forgiven.  One can say something against the Son of Man and be forgiven; but whoever keeps on speaking against the Ruach HaKodesh will never be forgiven, neither in the ‘olam hazeh nor in the ‘olam haba.

 

All of us are born with a strong man in our lives to defend us against the slings and arrows of the adversary, that is the Ruach HaKodesh.  It is only when we, through a lack of trust in ADONAI and an overweening love of our own selfishness do, we tie up this strong man as Yeshua described allowing the adversary to ransack our “house”, our life in this world, so as to steal our chance for indescribable love and joy in the next.  Any sin once we trust in Yeshua’s sacrifice is forgivable except denying, or tying up the strong man, the man of power in our lives, the Ruach over and over again.  Denying God in our lives brings only eternal damnation.  Lord let me always show the fear of God that You deserve.  Help me to keep from denying Your Ruach in my life but let You move supernaturally through me.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Act when called

Mattityahu (Matthew) 9:9

As Yeshua passed on from there he spotted a tax-collector named Mattityahu sitting in his collection booth. He said to him, “Follow me!” and he got up and followed him.

 

It is really that simple, when Yeshua calls us he wants our obedience right then and there.  Yet I confess still today there are times when I hear the Ruach urging me to move and I drag my feet like a kid on the way to the principal’s office instead of thanking God for the opportunity.  Lord let me be like Mattityahu and the saints before him.  Keep me from doing a risk analysis from my worldly view but trust in the supernatural blessings You have for me.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.