Who’s perspective

Mark 8:29-33

“But you,” he asked, “who do you say I am?” Kefa answered, “You are the Mashiach.”  Then Yeshua warned them not to tell anyone about him.  He began teaching them that the Son of Man had to endure much suffering and be rejected by the elders, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers; and that he had to be put to death; but that after three days, he had to rise again.  He spoke very plainly about it. Kefa took him aside and began rebuking him.  But, turning around and looking at his talmidim, he rebuked Kefa. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said, “For your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God’s perspective!”

 

How much we are like Kefa, first seeing Yeshua in all His glory, having discernment into His commission, coming into understanding about servant leadership and then shutting down the supernatural in our life and falling on to our own understanding that is based in our flesh.  Yeshua challenges us to daily see things from God’s perspective and not our own.  It is when we are focused on ourselves we fail falling into selfish sin but when we are focused on ADONAI, then we soar on the wings of eagles letting our light shine our to the world.  Lord let me be open to Your Ruach so all can see You through me.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Zealousness

B’midbar (Numbers) 25:10-13

ADONAI said to Moshe, “Pinchas the son of El’azar, the son of Aharon the cohen, has deflected my anger from the people of Isra’el by being as zealous as I am, so that I didn’t destroy them in my own zeal.  Therefore say, ‘I am giving him my covenant of shalom, making a covenant with him and his descendants after him that the office of cohen will be theirs forever.’ This is because he was zealous on behalf of his God and made atonement for the people of Isra’el.”

 

Zealousness for ADONAI is what brings shalom into our lives.  It is the eagerness or enthusiastic activity, that eager partisanship with God that brings peace in our life.  It does not mean there is peace around us.  The Israelites were about to march to war to take the land of promise, Moshe was to die soon and Y’hoshua would be taking over leadership.  Yet for all that God’s covenant of shalom was always with Pinchas.  Lord let my drive, my desire for you be as zealous as Pinchas and let me know Your shalom, Your peace in my life.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

 

Caught

Numbers 22:34-35
Bil’am said to the angel of ADONAI, “I have sinned. I didn’t know that you were standing on the road to block me. Now, therefore, if what I am doing displeases you, I will go back.” But the angel of ADONAI said to Bil’am, “No, go on with the men; but you are to say only what I tell you to say.” So Bil’am went along with the princes of Balak.

This is the way of sin, Bil’am was caught in his selfishness and wanted an easy way out of the situation. Yet his selfishness, his sin, had already let him accept the gifts of the princes and he was on the road to meet the king. So he had to face the results of his bad choices before coming to confession before ADONAI. All of us have to face the results of the bad choices we make under sin. It is the grace that God gives us if we cling to our trust in Him that lets us face those results with a witness and testimony that can be shared with others. Lord let me stand firmly on Your love as I admit my own failings and face the consequences for them. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Upheaval brings revival

Mark 5:11-16

Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding near the hill, and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so we can go into them.” Yeshua gave them permission. They came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering around two thousand, rushed down the hillside into the lake and were drowned.  The swineherds fled and told it in the town and in the surrounding country, and the people went to see what had happened.  They came to Yeshua and saw the man who had had the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were frightened.  Those who had seen it told what had happened to the man controlled by demons and to the pigs;

 

The foundation for the man’s testimony delivered from the legion of demons was not his salvation but the economic upheaval of the region with the destruction of the herd of pigs.  The herdsmen testified that there was great change and it was their testimony that brought the community out to see the man delivered to righteousness through his trust in Yeshua.  It was this economic disruption that gave substance to the delivered man’s testimony as he returned to the area of the Ten Towns.  Lord let me not act in panic when finances are involved but trust that You will always keep safe those called to Your purpose. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

See truly

Mark 4:37-41

A furious windstorm arose, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was close to being swamped. But he was in the stern on a cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, “Rabbi, doesn’t it matter to you that we’re about to be killed?” He awoke, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind subsided, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no trust even now?” But they were terrified and asked each other, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the waves obey him?”

How much are we like the Talmidim, seeing the very power of ADONAI with our own eyes, felling the effect of the Ruach HaKodesh with our own hearts and not understanding this is God’s power being displayed to us so that we might trust in Him fully? Yeshua tells us we are to seek Him continually, never ceasing in our pursuit of Him. Lord help me to set my fears aside so that I may more clearly see You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Moving past failure

B’midbar (Numbers) 14:39-42

When Moshe told these things to all the people of Isra’el, the people felt great remorse.  They arose early the next morning, came up to the top of the mountain and said, “Here we are, and we did sin, but now we’ll go up to the place ADONAI promised.” Moshe answered, “Why are you opposing what ADONAI said? You won’t succeed!  Don’t go up there, because ADONAI isn’t with you. If you do, your enemies will defeat you.

 

There are some things that are lost when we are disobedient before ADONAI.  Just as the nation of Isra’el was lost their inheritance for 40 years when they doubted God’s hand would be on them to take the land so do we when we show willful disobedience to God.  Sha’ul remained king of Isra’el to his death but he lost God’s favor years before and was tormented by a troubling spirit because he would not repent.  As a believer when we stumble, we have to accept the missed opportunity and keep our hope, our trust in ADONAI and humble ourselves to continue to serve God.  We can learn by the losses as wells as the victories.  Lord let me serve You in what way You would call me to serve.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

True embarrassment

B’midbar (Numbers) 12:14-15

ADONAI answered Moshe, “If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn’t she hide herself in shame for seven days? So let her be shut out of the camp for seven days; after that, she can be brought back in.”  Miryam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not travel until she was brought back in.

 

There are many things that can shame us in this life.  Things we and others do can embarrass ourselves to the point that we don’t want to be seen in public.  Yet we can tolerate sin like it is just who we are.  If my father is disappointed in me, let alone if any of my close friends are disappointed in me it crushes me and I have to make amends.  But if I disappoint God, sometimes it takes a word from someone else just to get me to recognize that I sinned in the first place and I have to repent.  I can only attribute this that my relationship with God needs to grow so that it is like my relationship with my father.  Lord wash me clean so I can be close to You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Simply this

Mark 1:14-15

After Yochanan had been arrested, Yeshua came into the Galil proclaiming the Good News from God:

“The time has come,

God’s Kingdom is near!

Turn to God from your sins

and believe the Good News!”

 

The message of Yeshua is this simple and has not changed, “Turn to God from our sins and believe the Good News!”  It is ADONAI’s desire that we all set aside our own selfish wants to come to know Him and, in that knowledge, fully trust Him to lead us in all things.  Abba forgive me for my wandering ways and complicating the simplicity of Your message to us.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Follow God

B’midbar (Numbers) 9:17-19

Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tent, the people of Isra’el continued their travels; and they camped wherever the cloud stopped.  At the order of ADONAI, the people of Isra’el traveled; at the order of ADONAI, they camped; and as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they stayed in camp.  Even when the cloud remained on the tabernacle for a long time, the people of Isra’el did what ADONAI had charged them to do and did not travel.

 

Oh, what a great nation we would be if we as a people paid as much attention to God in our lives as the nation of Isra’el in the wilderness.  Moving when ADONAI told us to move and clinging to Him when He told us to rest.  It can be the same for us individually if we confess our sins, trust in Yeshua’s sacrifice and ask for the indwelling of God’s heart through the Ruach HaKodesh.  It is living by the will of God that will strengthen our witness.  Lord let me forsake all but You as leader in my life.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Standing Firm

Acts 27:42-44

At this point the soldiers’ thought was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim off and escape.  But the officer, wanting to save Sha’ul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to throw themselves overboard first and head for shore, and the rest to use planks or whatever they could find from the ship. Thus it was that everyone reached land safely.

 

By standing firm in his trust in ADONAI and providing encouragement during the hurricane that was destroying the ship, Sha’ul not only saved himself but stood in the gap for all those with him, even when they were about to turn on each other from fear.  It is the same for all of us who trust in ADONAI we can be the calm in the storm and preserve others by our trust.  But for that to happen we have to engage with others through our trust.  Sha’ul prayed and extolled and encourage everyone around him so that all came to trust enough in the word Sha’ul was given so that everyone was saved.  Lord let my trust be strong enough to carry my neighbors so that all can know You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.