We must intercede

‘Amos 8:11-14

“The time is coming,” says Adonai ELOHIM,
“when I will send famine over the land,
not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of ADONAI.
People will stagger from sea to sea
and from north to east, running back and forth,
seeking the word of ADONAI;
but they will not find it.
When that time comes, young women and men
will faint from thirst.
Those who swear by the sin of Shomron,
who say, ‘As your god, Dan, lives,’
and, ‘As the way of Be’er-Sheva lives’—
they will fall and never get up again.”

This is America today, like Israel under Yarov’am we have made our own religion instead of heeding the Word of God. It is that lack of knowledge of God’s Word that has our country reeling under riots, violence, animal encroachment, droughts, diseases, and moral corruption. The young have no hope but see only despair in a life that muddles forward without the living water coming from ADONAI’s Throne. As believers we must stand in the gap and pray healing for our land just as Eliyahu prayed until that little cloud appeared coming in from the sea. Lord let me have the discipline, drive and desire to intercede for Your people. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Proclaim the Word!

2 Timothy 4:2

proclaim the Word! Be on hand with it whether the time seems right or not. Convict, censure and exhort with unfailing patience and with teaching.

As believers we are to proclaim the Word of God at all times, not at convenient times or when with like minded people times but all times.  And as Sha’ul instructs Timothy we are to do it with unfailing patience and with teaching, not with judgement and condemnation.  I man I respect very much once said, and I am paraphrasing, we don’t need to judge the sinner he already knows he is condemned and dying, we as believers need to show him there is a way to life and we can only do that through the Word which lifted us out of our sin.  So how can we do that unless that Word penetrates every moment of our lives so all time is the right time to proclaim God’s good Word.  Lord, I need a lot more sanding to be that good piece of lumber for Your body of believers.  Help me to live out Your Word in everything I do.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Hubris

Divrei-HaYamim Bet (2 Chronicles) 25:14-20

After Amatzyahu returned from the slaughter of the people from Edom, he brought the gods of the people of Se’ir and set them up as his own gods, prostrating himself before them and offering incense to them. As a result, the anger of ADONAI blazed up against Amatzyah, and he sent him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought out the gods of those people, when they couldn’t even rescue their own people from you?” But as [the prophet] was speaking to him, he interrupted him: “Were you made an adviser to the king? You had better stop before you get yourself killed!” So the prophet stopped, but he added, “I know that God is planning to destroy you for having done this and for refusing to listen to my advice.”
Then, after taking counsel, Amatzyah king of Y’hudah sent a challenge to Yo’ash the son of Y’ho’achaz, the son of Yehu, king of Isra’el: “Come on, let’s have it out face-to-face.” Yo’ash the king of Isra’el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y’hudah: “Once, in the L’vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it. You say you defeated Edom, which is true; so you’re excited and itching for more glory. But now, stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y’hudah’s too?” But Amatzyah wouldn’t listen. And this was from God, so that he could hand them over [to their enemies], because they had sought the gods of Edom.

Too often this is the problem with our successes, we forget who the author of our blessings is. Amatzyahu at the word of ADONAI through the prophet Jonah reduced his army by a quarter by sending the mercenaries of Isra’el home. God honored this and blessed his defeat of Edom to which King Amatzyah credited to the pieces of wood and stone selfishly rejoicing in a victory that God had given him. ADONAI in His loving kindness sent a Word through a prophet to turn back to Him but the king dismissed the warning and correction came quickly through the king of Isra’el, Amatzyah lost his army, his treasure and his freedom for honoring a piece of wood an stone over the Creator of all things. I have done this more than I care to count, being blessed by God and taking credit for His blessing only to have it fall apart for failing to recognize His hand in my life. Lord forgive me for my hubris and lead me in Your ways so that can be no doubt that it is You who lead in my life. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Dwell on and understand

2 Timothy 2:1-7

So then, you, my son, be empowered by the grace that comes from the Messiah Yeshua. And the things you heard from me, which were supported by many witnesses, these things commit to faithful people, such as will be competent to teach others also. Accept your share in suffering disgrace as a good soldier of the Messiah Yeshua. No soldier on duty gets involved with civilian affairs, since he has to please his commanding officer. Also an athlete can’t win a contest unless he competes according to the rules. The farmer who has done the hard work should be the first to receive a share of the harvest. Think about what I am saying, for the Lord will enable you to understand everything.

As Sha’ul encourages Timothy it should be the same for all of us.  It is not enough to hear a good message; it is not enough for us to participate in a conference, but we must share in the good work.  We must be witnesses for each other encouraging those in the body through the grace of the Ruach that invades our lives because all believers will see times that are hard.  How can we prepare for those times by dwelling on the Word and those good teachings so that ADONAI can give us understanding in everything.  Lord open my heart, my eyes and my ears so I don’t miss anything that You would have me understand.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Tear our hearts

Yo’el (Joel) 2:12-13

“Yet even now,” says ADONAI,

“turn to me with all your heart,

with fasting, weeping and lamenting.”

Tear your heart, not your garments;

and turn to ADONAI your God.

For he is merciful and compassionate,

slow to anger, rich in grace,

and willing to change his mind about disaster.

The prophet Yo’el has just written line after line on how great and terrible that day will be when ADONAI brings justice back to the world.  No one will be able to stand before Him for all sins will be answered for on that day.  Still ADONAI through Yo’el gives us hope if we only tear open our hearts, our inner being, and turn back to God for forgiveness He will give it.  It is a condition of the heart not outward actions that will speak to our salvation in that day.  Do we trust ADONAI and the sacrifice of Yeshua or do we trust the rituals we created to make ourselves feel better.  Lord let the change in my life be fully formed and my sinful heart of stone broken to a written Torah of flesh to share with the world.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Who got up from the table first?

Devrie-YahHamin (2 Chronicles) 24:17-22

After Y’hoyada died, the leaders of Y’hudah came and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king listened to them; and they abandoned the house of ADONAI the God of their ancestors and served the sacred poles and the idols. In consequence of their guilt, [God’s] anger fell on Y’hudah and Yerushalayim. In spite of this, he sent them prophets to bring them back to ADONAI; they warned them, but they wouldn’t pay attention. The Spirit of God covered Z’kharyah the son of Y’hoyada the cohen; he stood above the people and addressed them: “Thus says God: ‘Why are you transgressing the mitzvot of ADONAI and courting disaster? Because you have abandoned ADONAI, he has abandoned you.” But they conspired against him and stoned him to death at the order of the king in the courtyard of the house of ADONAI. Thus Yo’ash the king did not remember the kindness which Y’hoyada, [Z’kharyah’s] father, had done for him, but put his son to death. As he was dying he said, “May ADONAI see this and take vengeance!”

ADONAI in all His power and glory will never abandon us unless we first abandon Him. I know many times I have screamed into the wind “God why have you abandoned me to (fill in the current hardship)” when in truth I had already left God just like King Yo’ash for my own selfishness and was forced to face the world in a place that God chose not to follow because He will not abide with sin. ADONAI wants to walk with us, but He will not leave the narrow path of His own righteousness. We must choose to walk with Him and as Yeshua has said over and over again “Go and sin no more.” Lord forgive me for my wanderings off Your path to reconciliation with You, help me to keep my eyes on You in all things so I never wander into my own selfishness. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen

All Actions come to light

1 Timothy 5:24-25

The sins of some people are obvious and go ahead of them to judgment, but the sins of others follow afterwards. Likewise, good deeds are obvious; and even when they are not, they can’t stay hidden.

There is nothing that I have done in sin that has not be exposed to the light of day. Even the things that I have thought were buried so deep within me and my past that I forgotten that the event ever happened have come to light as ADONAI removes the layers of foulness I have put on myself in my worthless pursuit of selfish desires. As I seek to make restitution of these things the love of ADONAI and the good things that fellow believers have given me that I missed while wallowing in my selfishness is revealed, proving what Sha’ul wrote that while some sins are obvious and others come to light over time, the good that believers do will always be revealed as a witness for God. Lord let me always see where Your hand is at work not only in my life but in my community. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Be Diligent

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.

I am continuously drawn to these verses. As believers we must be diligent as Sha’ul urges Timothy digging into the Word so ADONAI can write it on our hearts and praying for guidance in our lives. This is how we pay attention to ourselves so we can minster to others. It is like the safety briefing on an airplane, if the cabin loses pressure parents have to get the oxygen on themselves first so that they can assist their children. So, it is the same for the body of believers, we must attend to the teachings of ADONAI first before we and share them with others. Lord let me always start my day communing with You. Continue to shape me into the man You would have me be. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

To listen like Elisha

M’lekham Bet (2 Kings) 6:8-12

Now the king of Aram went to war against Isra’el; and in consulting his servants he said, “I’ll set up my ambush camp in such-and-such a place.” The man of God sent this message to the king of Isra’el: “Be careful not to go past such-and-such a place, because Aram will attack there.” So the king of Isra’el sent men to the place the man of God had told him and warned him about, and he took special precautions there. This happened more than once or twice, and it greatly upset the king of Aram. He called his servants and said to them, “Tell me which of you is betraying us to the king of Isra’el?” One of his servants replied, “It’s not that, my lord, king. Rather, Elisha, the prophet who is in Isra’el, tells the king of Isra’el the words you speak privately in your own bedroom!”

I find it amazing that with one sold out man for ADONAI in Elisha, that the northern kingdom of Is’rael was repeatedly preserved from destruction by Elisha paying attention to what God was telling him.  In a country that had returned to everyone pretty much doing their own thing and ignoring what God wanted for them in their lives Elisha stood in the gap for the defense of that country.  What if the believing body in world stopped worrying about the troubles of the day and listened for the Word of God to speak to power like Elisha did.  What change would we see in that moment, maybe even a believing Isra’el saying “Baruch Habab Ha’shem ADONAI!” Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Abba Father, still the chaos around me so I might past the wind the rain the lighting and earthquakes hear the still small voice of Your leadership in my life.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Pray for others salvation not subjugation

Tehillim (Psalms) 83:14-17

My God, make them like whirling dust,

like chaff driven by the wind.

Like fire burning up the forest,

like a flame that sets the mountains ablaze,

drive them away with your storm,

terrify them with your tempest.

Fill their faces with shame,

so that they will seek your name, ADONAI.

Asaf, who wrote this psalm, had just listed the majority of Isra’el’s enemies previously and for all the power and destruction he prayed against them in the coming battles he finishes this phrase with “fill their faces with shame, so that they will seek your name, ADONAI.”  Asaf didn’t care in this psalm who won the battle only that the effort these evil nations did would bring them to seek God and seek Him fully with shame for the sin, like us before we came to trust, so they too could be delivered.  Lord let me live up to the example of Asef and pray for justice and salvation over my enemies instead of my selfish desire for their complete destruction.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.