Know Truth

Acts 7:1

The cohen hagadol asked, “Are these accusations true?”

This question bothers me, the Cohen Hagadol, the High Priest, the center of Jewishness in Yerushalayim who sits in the seat of Moshe has to ask is this true. Reading the gospels, we already know that he is corrupt, simply because he along with most of the Sanhedrin had traded their theological authority for political power yet he should be able to recognize truth, especially when in the pervious chapter the Ruach so filled Stephan that his face shown like an angel. This priest knows the Word of God because he uses it for his own gain, but if he knows the Word and yet still uses it for his own selfish needs, he is no better than the adversary itself when it challenged Yeshua in the wilderness quoting the Word out of context for its own benefit. So maybe he doesn’t know truth when it is staring him back in the face. Maybe he needs conformation so that he can feel good that he stood with wide and worldly crowd seeking to make themselves feel better by tearing down someone who is actually doing good, shaming them for not doing it themselves for their own aggrandizement, and yet not understanding Stephan does it out of compassion and calling not for fame or fortune. And because they cannot understand the motive of the service, they must destroy it so there is no confusion on who is the better person. Maybe this is why the cohen hagadol must ask “are these accusations true?” Then I look at myself in my time today and am I any better, do I seek to hamper others as they serve God just because I am jealous of the way God is using them because they are willing to serve. Do I give credence to false accusations because it fits my world view? Lord I pray I do not, but I fear I may have. Forgive me for a judging spirit when You are the only judge in our lives. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Serve Powerfully

Acts 6:1-4

​ Around this time, when the number of talmidim was growing, the Greek-speaking Jews began complaining against those who spoke Hebrew that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called a general meeting of the talmidim and said, “It isn’t appropriate that we should neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among yourselves who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint them to be in charge of this important matter, but we ourselves will give our full attention to praying and to serving the Word.”

All of us as believers are called to serve. We are not all called to serve in the same capacity though. The Apostles understood this and proceeded appointing seven men to fill this job of food distribution. Did that mean the seven’s service was less important than the Apostles, no just different. Stephen once entrusted with his role stepped out in the power granted from ADONAI and was healing and performing miracles just as the 12 but from his own position that he was filling in the body of believers. Abba let me be satisfied with what role You have given me to serve in. Let me do my work well so others may see Your light in me. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Repent and be saved

Sh’mot (Exodus) 23:25-26

“You are to serve ADONAI your God; and he will bless your food and water. I will take sickness away from among you. (vii) In your land your women will not miscarry or be barren, and you will live out the full span of your lives.”

Nothing man creates will truly defeat this pandemic, only denying our sinful nature and seeking forgiveness as a individuals and a nation will this sickness truly go away. Even as the news reports up swings and downswings in the infection and spread, vaccines that may not have any effect on the new variants and other diseases we thought conquered returning, our governments continue to glorify sin and reject ADONAI thus, in the end, will only bring the wrath of God upon us just has He blasted Egypt, yet held believing Israel safe in Goshen. Each of us must turn back to ADONAI and seek His salvation through Yeshua Ha Mashiach before this can end. Lord even with all the time I pray and study Your Word I stumble. My tongue can be wicked fierce, and I can hold hate like a fire in the pit of my soul. Lord I cannot fix these in my own strength but only by the blood of Your Messiah Yeshua. Forgive me and redeem me to Your will. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

The Word Refines

Tehillim (Psalms) 12:7

The words of ADONAI are pure words,
silver in a melting-pot set in the earth,
refined and purified seven times over.

There is nothing more meaningful in refining my character than the Word of Adonai. It is His Word that created life and gives life through the sacrifice of Yeshua! Praise You Adonai for giving us Your Word to measure our lives by. Thank You for the ox goads that drive me to understand Your purpose for me. Praise Your Holy Name! Amen.

Keep God’s Will

Sh’mot (Exodus) 19:21-22

ADONAI said to Moshe, “Go down and warn the people not to force their way through to ADONAI to see him; if they do, many of them will perish. Even the cohanim, who are allowed to approach ADONAI, must keep themselves holy; otherwise, ADONAI may break out against them.”

We cannot bend ADONAI to our will, there is no way we can force our way into heaven. He, as sovereign over us, has set the conduct for His throne, we can only approach through participating in the sacrifice of Yeshua and then we are to stand in worship while Yeshua sits at the right hand of God. I believe we have forgotten that in America where all of us have been raised on rags to riches stories of self made men. ADONAI has given us ten Words on which to govern ourselves four on how we are to approach and worship Him and six on how we are to treat each other. I wonder how many of us really remember to obey these Words of God. Dear Lord I cannot live without Your Ruach in me. Invade my heart and fill me, write Your Word on my heart, mind and soul so that I cannot be mistaken for anything other than Your servant. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Listen and be saved

Sh’mot (Exodus) 15:26

He said, “If you will listen intently to the voice of ADONAI your God, do what he considers right, pay attention to his mitzvot and observe his laws, I will not afflict you with any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians; because I am ADONAI your healer.”

We have this promise from ADONAI just as the Israelites received all those years ago. If we keep God’s rules and observe His laws we will not be afflicted with the diseases brought on Egypt. Today in this pandemic there is so much talk about a vaccine that may or may not work against all the variants of this virus but yet if we all just fell to our knees and repented of our personal and national sins it could be gone in a day just as when Nineveh repented at the proclamation from ADONAI by Yonah. Lord forgive me for failing to hold to Your Word, forgive me for letting fear and grief drive my actions, Lord forgive this nation for allowing the unholy to be called holy. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Failing the first born

Sh’mot (Exodus) 13:13-15

Every firstborn from a donkey, you are to redeem with a lamb; but if you choose not to redeem it, you must break its neck. But from people, you are to redeem every firstborn son. (Maftir) When, at some future time, your son asks you, ‘What is this?’ then say to him, ‘With a strong hand ADONAI brought us out of Egypt, out of the abode of slavery. When Pharaoh was unwilling to let us go, ADONAI killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of humans and the firstborn of animals. This is why I sacrifice to ADONAI any male that is first from the womb of an animal, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

My heart breaks as I read these verses today.  We as the body of believers do not truly redeem our first born.  In fact we have fallen so far from this teaching that the greater population around us believe it is a blessing to kill the firstborn while still in the womb for the convenience of the mother and father, or because it is “her body, her right” to commit murder of the first born.  The blood of the murdered cry out against us just as Hevel’s blood cried out against Kayin, and we will reap the whirlwind for failing to protect the innocent.  Lord forgive us for failing to do all we can to protect the children of the land.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Let the Word be revealed

Luke 24:44-47

Yeshua said to them, “This is what I meant when I was still with you and told you that everything written about me in the Torah of Moshe, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds, so that they could understand the Tanakh, telling them, “Here is what it says: the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day; and in his name repentance leading to forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to people from all nations, starting with Yerushalayim.

No matter how much I knew of the bible, no matter how upright my walk appeared to the people around me, I could not know salvation until like the Talmidim, Yeshua entered into my life supernaturally and through the Ruach gave me an understanding of His Word. It is only when we read with a circumcised heart the Word ADONAI gave us that we can find salvation. Lord praise Your Word and all who seek it so to serve You. Let me cling to it in the days ahead and let me be worthy to be called Your servant. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

The pit of pain

Exodus 6:6-9

“Therefore, say to the people of Isra’el: ‘I am ADONAI. I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression, and redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am ADONAI your God, who freed you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya’akov—I will give it to you as your inheritance. I am ADONAI.'”
Moshe said this to the people of Isra’el. But they wouldn’t listen to him, because they were so discouraged, and their slavery was so cruel.

How many of us have come across someone who refuses to even accept ADONAI in their lives because they are too wrapped up in their own world of self pity and pain. While there is a sin that leads to death (denying the Ruach HaKodesh) there is no other sin that cannot be forgiven. I have also crawled into this pit of pain and self loathing only to be lifted out as I saw God move in my life. It was the same for the people of Isra’el, they came to trust as they saw ADONAI move mightily against Pharaoh. Lord please let me be of use to remove the self imposed blinders that keep people from knowing You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Persevere

Sh’mot (Exodus) 5: 20-23

As they were leaving Pharaoh, they encountered Moshe and Aharon standing by the road; and they said to them, “May ADONAI look at you and judge accordingly, because you have made us utterly abhorrent in the view of Pharaoh and his servants, and you have put a sword in their hands to kill us!”(Maftir) Moshe returned to ADONAI and said,” ADONAI, why have you treated this people so terribly? What has been the value of sending me? For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has dealt terribly with this people! And you haven’t rescued your people at all!”

No work of God we are commissioned to do can fail except when we give into the people without the vision to see the work through.  Moshe and Aharon had show these leaders of the people signs and wonders that they were commissioned by ADONAI to lead the people to salvation from their slavery if only they would trust, instead all they could see was the pain of being birthed into a holy nation.  Lord while I rejoice in the good times let me never fail to praise You for the hard times that shape our character so that we might be once again a holy nation that serves You.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.