Pray

Amos 7:1-3

​ Here is what Adonai ELOHIM showed me: he was forming a swarm of locusts as the late crop was starting to come up, the late crop after the hay had been cut to pay the king’s tribute.  While they were finishing up eating all the vegetation in the land, I said,

 “Adonai ELOHIM, forgive—please!

 How will tiny Ya’akov survive?”

  So ADONAI changed his mind about this. “It won’t happen,” ADONAI said.

Even when Isra’el was in the midst of its apostasy from God, prostituting themselves to false gods and selfish sin, one honest and trusting man could change the timing of ADONAI’s justice.  What would God do for our world if we could get the body of believers to humble themselves and pray for His will to be done throughout the land.  Lord enrich my trust in You so that my prayers are as bold as Amos’s begging for Your mercy on Your people.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Choose Purity

29 June 2020

Titus 1:15-16

To all who are themselves pure, everything is pure. But to those who are defiled and without trust, nothing is pure—even their minds and consciences have been defiled.  They claim to know God, but with their actions they deny him. They are detestable and disobedient; they have proved themselves unfit to do anything good.

Some days it is really just this simple, we are either for God and see His hand in all things or we are selfishly wallowing in our own sin and everything we touch is doomed for failure.  It does not matter how much we invoke God’s name if our hearts are wrong then everything we do will come to failure.  Lord do not let me fail but stay focused in all things on You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Turn Back

Amos 2:4-5

Here is what ADONAI says:

 “For Y’hudah’s three crimes,

 no, four—I will not reverse it—

 because they rejected ADONAI’s Torah

 and haven’t observed his laws,

 and their lies caused them to fall into error

 and live the way their ancestors did;

  I will send fire on Y’hudah,

 and it will consume the palaces of Yerushalayim.

The nation of Y’hudah fell because they forgot ADONAI.  Each man did according to what he thought was right not what the Word of God said was right just as it had happened in the time of Judges before there was a king in Y’hudah.  Changing the political structure of the nation did nothing because as a people their hearts were not changed.  As a people now we look at our own understanding and selfishly say that it is “our truth” without comprehending that truth is unchanging and constant.  There is only one who fits that description the Rock of all Salvation, ADONAI TZ’VAOT, The Lord of Heaven’s Host.  No policy, no relationships, no community, no nation will survive without turning from their own selfish desires and coming back together as one under the leadership of God.  As we fail to do this the earth will quake, drought will happen, fires will burn, and our cities will be filled with violence.  Lord, Lord I know You said there will be pain and destruction before Your return but come now and let it end.  Let all who selflessly call on You and hold to Your Word be preserved and rejoice in Your presence.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

In Context

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; 17 thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.

All Scripture is valuable, not just the parts foolish people want to quote by taking things out of context. It is only by studying the Torah, Tanahk, and Brit Hadasah, the Old and New Testaments, that we can see fully God’s plan for us. Adonai please let me continue to dwell with You daily in your Word. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Be Presentable

2 Timothy 2:15

Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth.

Everything we do should focus on reflecting ADONAI, our words, our actions, our thoughts all should be focused on Him and in doing so witnessing to the people around us who is the true Rock of Salvation.  Lord let me be a faithful worker for You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Be Bold

2 Timothy 1:8-10
So don’t be ashamed of bearing testimony to our Lord or to me, his prisoner. On the contrary, accept your share in suffering disgrace for the sake of the Good News. God will give you the strength for it, since he delivered us and called us to a life of holiness as his people. It was not because of our deeds, but because of his own purpose and the grace which he gave to us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He did this before the beginning of time, but made it public only now through the appearing of our Deliverer, the Messiah Yeshua, who abolished death and, through the Good News, revealed life and immortality.
We are never to be ashamed of our trust in ADONAI but instead to be bold and courageous in the strength that God gives us through the Ruach so that we can share our testimony with others. When we step forward in such trust there is nothing that can stop us since Yeshua ha Mashiach has already defeated death and brought life to us forever. Lord let my heart be full and strong do not let me falter in the wrongness of this world but be forever bold in my trust in You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Fight the Good Fight

1 Timothy 6:11-12

But you, as a man of God, flee from these things; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness, gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you testified so well to your faith before many witnesses.

Sha’ul had just finished telling Timothy not to use religion as a way to get rich. Not to get lost in the comforts and adoration of this world but to flee from them and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness, gentleness, these are the things that matter in the character of a believer.  This is the good fight for us as illustrated by each of our testimonies on how ADONAI has saved our lives.  We must be committed to sharing our testimony till the whole world knows there is a God who loves them and desires communion with them.  Lord let me be instructed by Sha’ul just as Timothy was and cling to Your ways, the ancient paths, that lead to righteousness and Your presence.  Let Your Ruach fill me and sustain me so I do not fail You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Guard

2 Chronicles 23:19

He stationed guards at the gates of the house of ADONAI, so that no one who was unclean in any respect could enter.

As King Y’hoyada did when he came to power, so must we as believers do to protect ourselves from the manipulations of this world. It is by studying the Word and immersing our lives in prayer that we can establish a hedge of protection around us, letting the Ruach fill us with God’s will and submitting to His authority in our lives, the first step is to accept the sacrifice of Yeshua as our Savior. Lord keep me humble in learning Your Word. Let it fill me as the living water that You spoke to with the woman at the well. Keep me guarded from the worries and cares of the day that would distract me from serving You. I ask this all in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Exercise

1 Timothy 4:15-16

Be diligent about this work, throw yourself into it, so that your progress may be clear to everyone.  Pay attention to yourself and to the teaching, continue in it, for by so doing you will deliver both yourself and those who hear you.

While this is Sha’ul’s command to Timothy it is the same for all of us who trust in ADONAI.  We have all been called to support the body of believers with some talent and we must be diligent in the employment of it.  For like the muscles of our own physical body if it is not exercised vigorously and often it begins to lose strength and elasticity and the last thing we as believers want to do is let our testimony become stagnate and lukewarm like the water Yeshua says He will spit out in Revelation.  But if we attend to our gifting in the Ruach and employ it everyday for the glory of God then as Sha’ul tells Timothy, “deliver both yourself and those who hear you.”  Lord let me employ all the gifts You have given me for Your glory.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Treat Others

M’lakhim Bet (2 Kings) 6:21-23

When the king of Isra’el saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, should I attack them? Should I attack them?” He answered, “Don’t attack them! You wouldn’t even attack prisoners you had captured with your own sword and bow, would you? So give them food to eat and water to drink, and let them return to their master.” So he provided well for them; and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away; and they returned to their master. After that, no more raiding parties entered the land of Isra’el from Aram.

So timely today when division and personal rivalries fill the land, as the body of believers we must be like Elisha counseling peace and restoration to those who seek our death and destruction.  It is by this difference that the world will know there is a God who gives salvation to all who seek Him and that we serve Him.  Peace will only come to the land when we all Jew and Gentile alike humble ourselves and pray for forgiveness and salvation.  Lord let me be an oasis of Your shalom in the chaos that is our world today.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.