Don’t be caught outside

Luke 13:23-28

Someone asked him, “Are only a few people being saved?” He answered, “Struggle to get in through the narrow door, because—I’m telling you!—many will be demanding to get in and won’t be able to, once the owner of the house has gotten up and shut the door. You will stand outside, knocking at the door and saying, ‘Lord! Open up for us!’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from!’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you! you taught in our streets!’ and he will tell you, ‘I don’t know where you’re from. Get away from me, all you workers of wickedness!’ You will cry and grind your teeth when you see Avraham, Yitz’chak, Ya’akov and all the prophets inside the Kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown outside.

I cannot think of a worse punishment but to be alone, on the outside, in the dark, looking in to all those who rejoice with ADONAI in the light of the wedding feast. Lord turn our hearts to flesh and let us seek Your salvation through the blood of Yeshua. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Speak Up

Luke 12:11-12

“When they bring you before the synagogues and the ruling powers and the authorities, don’t worry about how you will defend yourself or what you will say; because when the time comes, the Ruach HaKodesh will teach you what you need to say.”

Never worry about witnessing to others about ADONAI’s power and love. God will always place the words that you need to speak on your heart. Abba thank You for Your guidance through the Ruach. Praise Your Holy Name, amen.

Till that day

Z’kharyah (Zechariah) 3:7-10

“ADONAI-Tzva’ot says this: ‘If you will walk in my ways, obey my commission, judge my house and guard my courtyards; then I will give you free access among these who are standing here. Listen, cohen gadol Y’hoshua, both you and your colleagues seated here before you, because these men are a sign that I am going to bring my servant Tzemach [Sprout]. For look at the stone I have put in front of Y’hoshua: on one stone are seven eyes; I will engrave what is to be written on it,’ says ADONAI-Tzva’ot; ‘and I will remove the guilt of this land in one day. When that time comes, ‘says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, ‘you will all invite each other to join you under your vines and fig trees.'”

While ADONAI was speaking to Y’hoshua, the cohen gadol, or high priest, at the time of the restoration of the temple it is a good word for us as well. If we hold to God’s commands and immerse ourselves into His Word so that we are living it out day after day as the body of believers, then Yeshua will appear. In that day that Yeshua comes all evil will be removed and will worship together and celebrate just as we practice during this festival of Sukkot, joining under the branches of the trees to enjoy our love for God together. Lord let me see this day and that it comes soon, I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Never cease speaking Life

Luke 10:10-11

‘ But whenever you enter a town and they don’t make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off as a sign against you! But understand this: the Kingdom of God is near!’

As believers, even when we are rejected by those around us for our trust in ADONAI, we still have to tell them “the Kingdom of God is near!” Oh God this so goes against my character as a man looking for the fight. Why would I offer my enemy any chance at redemption. Help me to remember it is not my fight and not my personal offense that must be addressed but all must have a chance to reconcile to You Lord. Forgive me my failure and strengthen me to never shy away from speaking Your Word of life! I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Finding the good

Luke 9:49-50

Yochanan responded, “Rabbi, we saw someone expelling demons in your name; and we stopped him because he doesn’t follow you along with us.” Yeshua said to him, “Don’t stop such people, because whoever isn’t against you is for you.”

I struggle with these verses. How can evil people speak truth that raises up other people to trust ADONAI? Yet as Yochanan, the talmid Yeshua loved, states his dedication in his “you are either with us or against us statement” he is corrected by Yeshua for his short sightedness. All I can take from this is that there are lessons to be learned everywhere as long as we continually seek God’s face. Lord let Your Word open my heart so there can be no doubt in my trust in You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Share your testimony

Luke 8:37-39

Then all the people of the Gerasene district asked him to leave them, for they had been seized with great fear. So he boarded the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged that he might go with him; but Yeshua sent him away, saying, “Go back to your home and tell how much God has done for you.” He went away proclaiming throughout the whole town how much Yeshua had done for him.

When we come to know salvation through Yeshua like the man from Gerasene we want to spend our every moment with Him even when the lost around us grow fearful. Yet like this man we have a responsibility to ADONAI and our fellow man to share our testimony so that others will have to opportunity to come to know God as we do. Abba thank You for giving us not just salvation but a way to serve You so that all may come to know Your Glory forever, amen.

Just to be close to Him

Tehillim (Psalms) 84:11

Better a day in your courtyards
than a thousand [days elsewhere].
Better just standing at the door of my God’s house
than living in the tents of the wicked.

If all I ever get is just to the outer court of the temple that moment, like the psalmist here is describing, is better than anything else I can experience with the selfish self-centered sinful people of this world. Lord let me be worthy of Your service. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Follow His example

Luke 4:9-12

Then he took him to Yerushalayim, set him on the highest point of the Temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, jump from here! For the Tanakh says,
‘He will order his angels
to be responsible for you and to protect you.
They will support you with their hands,
so that you will not hurt your feet on the stones.'”
Yeshua answered him, “It also says, ‘Do not put ADONAI your God to the test.'” When the Adversary had ended all his testings, he let him alone until an opportune time.

I see a couple of points from this testing of Yeshua by the Adversary. First the Adversary will take the Word of God out of context for the good of it’s argument. The only way to counter this is to study the Word and understand context 99% truth isn’t destroyed by the 1% lie it is mixed with. Second know what is going on in the moment Yeshua understood He was being tested and refused to move from His trust in HaShem’s plan. Thirdly there will be a time of healing after a testing or pruning so our trust in ADONAI will grow stronger and fuller each day. Lord let me apply these points to my life so that I might be a stronger witness for You. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Expectation

Tehillim (Psalms) 130:5-6

I wait longingly for ADONAI;

I put my hope in his word.

Everything in me waits for Adonai

more than guards on watch wait for morning,

more than guards on watch wait for morning.

Many, many times I have been that guard David writes about. Struggling to keep alert in the last hours of night waiting for the sun to come up over the horizon so relief will come, and I can rest. How much more should I be waiting on the Word of God to move in my life. The expectation and need for healing and restoration from standing watch in this rebellious world. Lord let me have the heart of a gatekeeper looking for the relief of the next watch. Let my heart be always for Your Word in my life. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Share the experience

Luke 2:15-20

No sooner had the angels left them and gone back into heaven than the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go over to Beit-Lechem and see this thing that has happened, that ADONAI has told us about.” Hurrying off, they came and found Miryam and Yosef, and the baby lying in the feeding trough. Upon seeing this, they made known what they had been told about this child; and all who heard were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. Miryam treasured all these things and kept mulling them over in her heart. Meanwhile, the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen; it had been just as they had been told.

Like the shepherds in the fields, when we experience the supernatural in our lives we have to share what ADONAI has done for us. I believe that God wants us to share so as to encourage others, just as the shepherds encouraged Miryam so that she treasured this in her heart. It is these treasures that we add to rock of our salvation in Yeshua’s blood that strengthens our trust in God. Abba let me hold all that You hold precious in my heart and not be distracted by the worldly concerns around me. Let me understand Your supernatural hand in all things and rejoice in it. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.