Give Your Testimony

Mark 7:31-37

Then he left the district of Tzor and went through Tzidon to Lake Kinneret and on to the region of the Ten Towns. They brought him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment and asked Yeshua to lay his hand on him. Taking him off alone, away from the crowd, Yeshua put his fingers into the man’s ears, spat, and touched his tongue; then, looking up to heaven, he gave a deep groan and said to him, “Hippatach!” (that is, “Be opened!”). His ears were opened, his tongue was freed, and he began speaking clearly. Yeshua ordered the people to tell no one; but the more he insisted, the more zealously they spread the news. People were overcome with amazement. “Everything he does, he does well!” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak!”

Almost every time Yeshua healed someone in the Gospels trust in God is credited for power behind the miracle. The Ten Towns were a Greek enclave in Northern Israel in the region of Gerasene where Yeshua had freed the possessed man earlier and told him to witness in his home of the Ten Towns. How much more difficult would this healing of the deaf and mute man have been if the possessed man had not first created a foundation of trust among the people with his testimony. Lord never let me be ashamed of my trust in You or the deliverance You have given me as my witness to Your power in my life so that others may come to trust in You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Serving the King

Mark 5:5-10

Seeing Yeshua from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him and screamed at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Yeshua, Son of God Ha’Elyon? I implore you in God’s name! Don’t torture me!” For Yeshua had already begun saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of this man!” Yeshua asked him, “What’s your name?” “My name is Legion,” he answered, “there are so many of us”; and he kept begging Yeshua not to send them out of that region.

Two things to note in this interaction with Yeshua. First all things are subject to Him, even though the spirits are in rebellion against God’s authority they cannot help but recognize and submit themselves before Yeshua by causing the possessed man to fall to his knees. Second, they are confined to an area as defined by Yeshua Himself, having no power or authority when confronted with His kingship in all things. As believers we will suffer through times when it feels like the devil himself is just wearing us away until nothing is left, yet it is our trust in the salvation of Yeshua that removes evil from our presence and gives us the clean robes and right mind to witness to others our rescue. Knowing that ADONAI is with us, who can stand against us! Lord let my witness be like the man of the Gerasene giving testimony to all around me of the salvation You have given me. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Hear, then Act

Mark 4:24

He also said to them, “Pay attention to what you are hearing! The measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you—and more besides!

These are the very words of Yeshua himself. Anything that we hear from ADONAI, whether it be in our prayers, a word of knowledge or what we have studied in the scriptures, we are responsible for. To learn of the heart of God and not act on it is to invite sin, willful disobedience into our lives. To be in that willful state of selfishness means you will lose everything. To submit in obedience means you will gain life forever. Lord let understand all that You show me and like Sh’mu’el not let one word of Yours drop to the ground discarded.

Only God

Iyov (Job) 19:25-27

“But I know that my Redeemer lives,
that in the end he will rise on the dust;
so that after my skin has been thus destroyed,
then even without my flesh, I will see God.
I will see him for myself,
my eyes, not someone else’s, will behold him.
My heart grows weak inside me!”

Iyov never waivered in his trust in ADONAI. For all the pain both physical and spiritual he never once lost sight that his only salvation was in God and that he would one day stand before Him and behold ADONAI in all of His glory. Lord let me have the trust of Iyov so that I never waiver in these dark days ahead. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Intercede

Iyov (Job) 18:1-4

Bildad the Shuchi said,
“When will you put an end to words?
Think about it—then we’ll talk!
Why are we thought of as cattle,
stupid in your view?
You can tear yourself to pieces in your anger,
but the earth won’t be abandoned just for your sake;
not even a rock will be moved from its place.

Bildad in his anger after being chastised by Iyov fires back by saying the earth won’t be affected by one righteous man, yet we as believers know this to be wrong. It was Noach’s righteousness that preserved humanity, it was Avraham’s trust that founded nations, it was Moshe’s intercession that preserved the nation of Isra’el from ADONAI’s anger, it was David facing a giant that rescued a country, it was the possessed man in Gadarenes’ who witnessed to the 10 towns, it was Sha’ul whose prayer saved all those onboard the ship with him and it was Yeshua who brought redemption to all through His sacrifice. Just as Iyov will intercede for the stupidity of his friends, one righteous man can change the paths of nations interceding for them because we follow the example of Yeshua whose actions brought salvation to the world. Lord let me be brave enough to stand alone if needed and hold to Your righteousness. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Our Guarantor

Iyov (Job) 17:1-3

“My spirit is broken, my days are quenched,
I am marked for the grave.
Mockers are all around me;
my eye meets only their hostility.
Be my guarantor, yourself!
Who else will put up a pledge for me?

Iyov knew there was only one who could be the guarantor of his salvation, ADONAI! That is why, even when his own wife turned on him, he would not “curse God and die.” It is when we are like Iyov, cast down in the depths of discouragement and despair that we must cling to the salvation that is God’s through the sacrifice of Yeshua and the shedding of His blood for our sin for all time. It is then that we have the guarantor that stands against all things seeking to destroy us forever. Lord bless Your holy name, and Your salvation which is Yeshua ha Mashiach, Amen and amen.

Uplift not Upbraid

Iyov (Job) 16:18-22

“Earth, don’t cover my blood;
don’t let my cry rest [without being answered].
Even now, my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is there on high.
With friends like these as intercessors,
my eyes pour out tears to God,
that he would arbitrate between a man and God,
just as one does for his fellow human being.
For I have but few years left
before I leave on the road of no return.

How do we as the body of believers make people call out to God like this? Are we so much like Iyov’s friends that we can only judge each other’s pain to the point where they are calling out for deliverance from us? When the world sees our backbiting and gossip about a brother or sister in distress, how can we have a witness as a caring partner when the person in pain cries out for salvation from even their friends. Judgement must be left to ADONAI and forgiveness and intercession our only calling until He returns to rule in Yerushalayim. Lord I am always quick to make declarations and follow my emotions. Hold me in check so I may stay on Your narrow path and be a guide to all You would have me share this road with. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Choose Your Example

Acts 20:4-6

Sopater from Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; as did Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on and waited for us in Troas, while we sailed from Philippi after the Days of Matzah. Five days later, we met them in Troas, where we spent a week.

Even while traveling throughout the regions of Asia and Greece Sha’ul never forgot to keep Torah, pausing even in his travels to observe Passover and the Days of Matzah. Lord let me be so faithful in keeping Your Word. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Trust Completely

Acts 17:22-23

Sha’ul stood up in the Council meeting and said, “Men of Athens: I see how very religious you are in every way! For as I was walking around, looking at your shrines, I even found an altar which had been inscribed, ‘To An Unknown God.’ So, the one whom you are already worshipping in ignorance—this is the one I proclaim to you.

It is not the level of religiousness that we display or even acknowledging that God exist like the people of Athens did. It is only through complete trust in ADONAI the Creator of all things and accepting the sacrifice of the blood of Yeshua that salvation can be found. When Yeshua hung on the stake for our sins ignorance no longer became an excuse to ignore salvation. Lord let me remain firmly rooted in the rock of my salvation, let my trust always be in Your caring hand. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Wisdom

Iyov (Job) 12:13

“With God are wisdom and power;
he has [good] counsel and understanding.”

There is only one place for “good” counsel, there is only one place for true wisdom, that is from the throne of ADONAI. Just as Shlomo wrote in Mishlei (Proverbs) wisdom was created before all things and is the foundation of all creation thereafter. The fear of God is the foundation of understanding wisdom. Lord let me continually pursue Your wisdom, let it edify me and help me grow into the emissary that You would have me be. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.