We will all be awarded, justly

Revelations 22:12

“Pay attention!” [says Yeshua,] “I am coming soon, and my rewards are with me to give to each person according to what he has done.

I cannot help but to read this verse and go back to my Navy days. One of the forms of correction a commanding officer had was non-judicial punishment a kind of local court the Captain could call together to address small infractions that could be corrected with the proper kind of reward he would issue at the end of testimony. What was not so well known in the Navy is that the Captain could call together the same group to reward a sailor for doing something above and beyond, his reward forever recorded in that sailor’s personnel file. We must all pay attention to our thoughts and actions because our living savior Yeshua has promised us to reward us for our actions just as those Captains did in my sailing days. Lord thank You for making Your word plain and understandable for me. Amen.

Let His praise go before us

Revelation 15:2-4

I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those defeating the beast, its image and the number of its name were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps which God had given them. They were singing the song of Moshe, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and wonderful are the things you have done,

ADONAI, God of heaven’s armies!

Just and true are your ways,

king of the nations!

ADONAI, who will not fear and glorify your name?

because you alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship before you,

for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”

It is our songs of praise and worship that go before us to defeat the enemy.  When we place God first in all things of our lives and give Him the honor of that placement then there is nothing that can stand in our way!  Lord let me keep true to giving You all the praise and honor in all things.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Waiting for the big reveal!

Revelations 10:4-7

When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say,
“Seal up the things the seven thunders said,
do not write them down!”
Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted his right hand toward heaven and swore by the One who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: “There will be no more delay; on the contrary, in the days of the sound from the seventh angel when he sounds his shofar, the hidden plan of God will be brought to completion, the Good News as he proclaimed it to his servants the prophets.”

There are things of ADONAI that I do not understand and will not understand until the day of His choosing. That is okay, part of trusting in God is that we hold to the fact that even without our foreknowledge of what may happen He will stand in the gap for us as one of His own. There will be a day when I understand all that God has revealed to us and in that moment with that understanding, I will be compelled to worship Him forever. But until that day I will trust that I know how much I don’t know and will worship and pray for deeper and clearer understanding. Lord let me be like Moshe and always seek Your face so that one day too I may be called “a friend of God.” I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

We must Repent

Revelation 9:20-21

The rest of mankind, those who were not killed by these plagues, even then did not turn from what they had made with their own hands—they did not stop worshipping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they turn from their murdering, their involvement with the occult and with drugs, their sexual immorality or their stealing.

This is where our nation is today. We refuse to acknowledge the cause of our national affliction is because we as a nation have forgotten honor God. We worry more about standard of living than giving a standard of justice to the widow and orphan. Lord let me always place You first in my life. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

The message is simple

Revelation 1:3

Blessed are the reader and hearers of the words of this prophecy, provided they obey the things written in it! For the time is near!

There has been much written and said about Yochanan’s Revelation from Yeshua.  Books, movies, lectures, sermons by believers and non-believers abound but throughout all the prophetic imagery and warnings there is one simple message to the world, repent and turn back to ADONAI.  It is our obedience to God that brings us the blessings in this book.  Lord, thank You that in this world of obfuscation Your Word is simple and direct and filled with love, let me be equal to the mercy You have show on us.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Do Good

3 Yochanan (John) 1:11

Dear friend, don’t imitate the bad, but the good. Those who do what is good are from God; those who do what is bad are not from God.

Lord let me heed the word of Yochanan to the Gaius, for I have a vengeful streak when I am wronged.  Don’t let me settle scores in a worldly way but let me put aside the offense so no one can challenge that I follow Your Word.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Raise them up!

Yochanan Alef (1 John) 2:14

You children, I have written you
because you have known the Father.
You fathers, I have written you
because you have known him who has existed from the beginning.
You young people, I have written you
because you are strong—
the Word of God remains in you,
and you have overcome the Evil One.

As Yochanan writes here it is across the generations that we are to share the love of ADONAI for all who trust in Him. Children who innately know the love of God until the world tries to unteach them, fathers who have struggled through the days yet have learned there is a refining in the struggle to bring them closer to ADONAI and the young men and women who have both the physical and spiritual strength of trusting in the Word of God which is Yeshua who will teach the next generation. In Hebrew it’s L’dor V’dor (דור לדור) generation to generation. As believers we must raise up the people younger than us to heed the call of God, just as Matisyahu raised his five sons when all the world around them were trying to remove ADONAI completely from the land and assimilate the nation of Isra’el into a worldly kingdom of sin. Lord let me be as faithful and zealous as the Maccabees and share my love for you will all the generations You allow me to see. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Persevere

Yochanan (John) 20:14-17

As she said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she didn’t know it was he. Yeshua said to her, “Lady, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you’re the one who carried him away, just tell me where you put him; and I’ll go and get him myself.” Yeshua said to her, “Miryam!” Turning, she cried out to him in Hebrew, “Rabbani!” (that is, “Teacher!”) “Stop holding onto me,” Yeshua said to her, “because I haven’t yet gone back to the Father. But go to my brothers, and tell them that I am going back to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

How many times have I been Miryam, so wrapped up in the troubles I am dealing with I cannot see ADONAI standing right in front of me. And even when that loving hand of guidance comes I still don’t recognize it fully until God speaks to me through all the pain I am putting on myself. It is in that moment when I see the trial for what it is, a correction or lesson or both, and learn from it, that I can do the next task that God would have me do. Abba thank You for all the ox goads and instructions that You have put in my life so I may better understand and love You. Thank You for Your Holy Word embodied in Yeshua so I could be redeemed back to You. Lord let me serve You in all that I do. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Courage and Humility equal Boldness

Yochanan (John) 18:15-17

Shim’on Kefa and another talmid followed Yeshua. The second talmid was known to the cohen hagadol, and he went with Yeshua into the courtyard of the cohen hagadol; but Kefa stood outside by the gate. So the other talmid, the one known to the cohen hagadol, went back out and spoke to the woman on duty at the gate, then brought Kefa inside. The woman at the gate said to Kefa, “Aren’t you another of that man’s talmidim?” He said, “No, I’m not.”

I have read through the bible at least ten times cover to cover and the gospels many more times than that and today I see the courage and humility of Yochanan.  He pursued Yeshua in his capture and entered the house of his enemies, even with them knowing Yochanan was a talmid of Yeshua.  He wore his commitment so strongly that he spoke up for Kefa so he too could enter and witness the mockery of a trial Yeshua was to face, never denying who he trusted while Kefa denied three times.  Lord, let me be so humble and yet bold so as to walk through the enemy’s camp with no fear for You are truly with me in all things.  I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.

Beware the gawkers

Yochanan (John) 12:9-11

A large crowd of Judeans learned that he was there; and they came not only because of Yeshua, but also so that they could see El’azar, whom he had raised from the dead. The head cohanim then decided to do away with El’azar too, since it was because of him that large numbers of the Judeans were leaving their leaders and putting their trust in Yeshua.

Trusting in ADONAI is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage and resolution to accept and trust in the sacrifice of Yeshua and receive the indwelling of the Ruach HaKodesh. Sha’ul tells us to put on the full armor of God because there will be people who will search us out just to gawk at the change in our lives and ridicule us for trusting in God. Persecution may even come from inside your congregation, if like the community of Laodicea, they are only lukewarm and are upset that you burn with a new light for ADONAI. So, there is risk and sacrifice in a life dedicated to God’s service, yet like El’azar how can we fear, knowing Yeshua is with us always. Lord let me be as bold as Your prophets and as trusting as the centurion that Yeshua said He had found no trust greater than his in the whole house of Israel. I ask this in Yeshua’s name, amen.