Peace With God

The sky out my window is imperfect layers of salmon, steel blue-gray, and light cream colors as the world wakes up to another day. Our Father has created the most beautiful canvas on which to paint our lives. As I pondered this creation this morning, the idea of peace with God came to mind. I know it is a phrase oft quoted in the movies, but we as believers actually do have access to such a place. We have such access because of what our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) did for us through His death and resurrection.

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

We have access to a very special place. We have access to that place where humans can be at peace with God. Yahuah (Lord) is our Friend and Deliverer, and we can stand before Him because of the blood that was shed for us by Yeshua (Jesus) our Messiah.

Today, if You have not, make peace with God. Ask Yeshua (Jesus) to forgive you of your sins and be your Lord and Savior.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy to be our King. We praise and thank the name Yahuah (Lord). By Your mighty hand send us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us our sins. Heal us from the inside out. Keep us from the temptations of this world. Deliver us from the evil that would steal from us what You alone have provided. Show us a sign for good that all may know that You alone have done this. In Yashua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

We Keep Moving

One thing that is impressed upon me about our Father in heaven is that He is relentless. He just keeps moving forward. It really does not seem to matter what the rest of the world is doing. As I look back at that sentence I smile because the rest of the world is His creation! Anyway, our Father loves us and presses forward. We see this when we are told that He will finish the work begun in us.

Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Not only does He continue to work in us, He works around us as well. This is one reason why David called out to Him. David knew that Yahuah (Lord) was always there, ready to hear us when we call.

Psalms 20:1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

Today, if there is a particular need you have, call out to Yahuah (Lord) our God and He will raise you up.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. We praise the name of Yahuah (Lord), and give You thanks. You are our King. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our transgressions, for as You say in Your scriptures, sin is transgression of the law. Heal us up from within. Deliver us from temptations, and deliver us from the evil that would steal from us what You alone have given to Your people. We ask this in Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Help From Within

In the day to day challenges we face in life we can find it difficult to keep everything together and moving forward. It can be a lot. But we can take courage in knowing that our heavenly Father, Yahuah (Lord), is ever looking out for us and ready to help. He knows what we need even before we ask.

Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Sometimes there can be something like a voice in our head that tells us we are not worth what we are asking God to do. The great news is that condemnation is not from God.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The truth is, God gives us His blessings because of who He is, not because of who we are.

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

We dwell forever in the house of Yahuah (Lord), not just when we “do good” and act the way we should.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

So we can have this confidence within ourselves, no matter our state, when we want to cry out to God for His help, we can and He will hear us. He is our loving heavenly Father, and He longs to care for us. And He always will.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God. You are our King and we are Your servants. We praise and thank the name of Yahuah (Lord). Send us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us for our sins. We want to want to follow You and do good. Please help us. Heal up our hearts. Help us to believe and trust in You. Deliver us from those that would take from us all that You have given. There are many that would steal from Your servants. There are many that eat away at the blessings You have provided. Deliver us with a Mighty Hand that all may know that You alone have done this. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Gladness In Heart

In scriptures I enjoy reading David’s perspective on the challenges of life and his outlook in general. Like the rest of us he had down times and times of joy. In particular I think of some of the shorter psalms where he speaks of Jerusalem. It must have been an amazing thing to be returning there from a journey for him. He had no way of seeing it except to approach it. Any news was told him by messenger or he experienced it first hand. But the journey back there must have been one filled with anticipation. Here is one of those psalms.

Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.

Just like David, we can have the same feelings not only toward Jerusalem, but toward our God Yahuah (Lord). We can always be glad to cry out to Him and to spend time with Him. The great part about that is we do not need travel anywhere physically. We can reach out to Him and Him to us anywhere at any time. Praise Yahuah (Lord)!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. Thank You for this day and for being our Mighty King. We praise Your name, Yahuah (Lord). Send us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us our sin. Heal Your people. Give us Your wisdom. Give us Your understanding. Let us know You more each day. Deliver us from those that would take from us what You have provided. Lead them to You as well. Let all men know that You alone are God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

We Are Called

Our Father has called all of us to Him.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

When we stumble in our walk with Him, the calling does not go away. We are still called.

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

If we continue in our pursuit of Him, though we stumble, He will lift us up.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Today, if we struggle, we can be encouraged to know that if we will humble ourselves, repent, and pray, our God Yahuah (Lord) will forgive us and heal us.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our God and King. We praise the name Yahuah (Lord) for You alone are worthy to be praised. We long for Your kingdom. We need You with us here. Give us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sin as we humble ourselves to You in prayer. Heal our hearts and our land. Deliver us from those that would take from us what You have given unto us. We love You and need You and praise Your name Yahuah (Lord) forever. Amen.

Renewal And Morning Encouragement

This morning as I awoke I found myself faced with the choices. So many things to think about and consider. There are issues related to work, getting things done around home, and so on. And there was also an awareness that I wanted to be spending time with our Father, Yahuah (Lord). As I pondered this latter point, I was in that waking up state where one tries to fully become aware of the day. A scripture came to mind that addressed this feeling in the morning of needing to somehow reaffirm that Yahuah (Lord) is there.

Psalms 143:1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

When I got to verse eight I knew I had an answer from God for my desire. David went through these same emotions. He wanted to hear Yahuah’s (Lord’s) loving-kindness in the morning. He longed to know what Yahuah would have him to do that day. And he would end his prayer seeking Yahuah’s deliverance. He trusted in Yahuah to be his deliverer and provider. From the beginning of his psalm he knew that he could not be justified by his own works, that he needed Yahuah (Lord). He felt overwhelmed because of the persecution from the enemy. But he also knew, as we see at the end, that Yahuah would give him guidance every day We can have that as well.

As I continued to think on these things I became aware of something else. Over the last few days God has given me the grace to perceive His choices for my life before I run off and just choose something. It makes me feel more empowered and encouraged to resist temptation and sin. This has gone on for a few days now, and something new just came to mind in this stream of experiences. In these times I am still having this mindset of the need to reconnect. But David came from a slightly different place, I believe. He knew that he knew that he knew that he knew that Yahuah (Lord) was real and on his side. That was what was behind his desire to have Yahuah (Lord) speak to him in the morning. And David also knew when Yahuah (Lord) spoke to him. That is where I want my heart to be. I see now that this is what I experience in the morning if I slow down and listen. I was crying out to Yahuah (Lord) just like this, and the scripture Psalms 143 came to my mind. Yahuah has given me His loving-kindness in the morning and I will now seek deliverance from mine enemies, praising the name Yahuah (Lord) in eager expectation of seeing His great and mighty deliverance today!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. You alone are our God and King. We praise Your name, Yahuah (Lord), and raise our hands to You. Let Your kingdom reign here, and let Your enemies and the enemies of Your servant be scattered. Give us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us for our sin. Bless the works of the hands of Your servants. Heal us and deliver us. Be a Great and Mighty God to us today and cut off our enemies, for we are Your servants. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

When The World Closes In

It is interesting being a citizen of another world and living here on Earth. That is what the scriptures say about us, that we as believers are ambassadors to the Earth.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

We can still be overwhelmed in this if we look at this world. But Paul tells us what to look to when he says the word of reconciliation is committed unto us. And our Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus) also encouraged us in this regard.

John 16:29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Our Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus) has already beaten the world. As His ambassadors, we have as well.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King. We ask you send Your kingdom to the Earth. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sin. Guide us and deliver us from the evil that would attempt to steal what You have provided. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

God Gives Power To Us

This morning as I prepare to head off to teach a class, I am reminded of a scripture that often encourages me.Our Father, Yahuah (Lord), always looks out for our good. He created us. He created this entire planet and everything that is in it. Since that is true, we also know that He is the ultimate ruler over all of it. And He has created a way for us to walk in that will be a blessing to us. He has annointed his direction to be the one that provides blessing. Here is the scripture.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Yahuah (Lord) our God is establishing His covenant in this earth. Nothing will stop that. He has given those that foolow His covenant the power to get wealth. If we will acknowledge our God Yahuah (Lord) and His covenant, we can have the power to get wealth to further the covenant in the earth. Praise the name Yahuah!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of our praise. We lift on high the name Yahuah (Lord), for our King reigns! We ask that Your establish Your kingdom here. Send us wealth today Father. Send us overwhelming provision today. Let Your healing fall upon Your people. Deliver us from the evil that would steal from us what You have given to us. Do not let the evil take the inheritance of Your people. Deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

The Cry For Help

This morning as I await the dawn it occurred to me that we are in a most cherished position when we are in need. I say that because we can cry to our Abba Father for help, and He will help us. He never says no to helping His kids. We see this over and over again in David’s writings.

Psalms 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Here David shows that He is always blessing Yahuah (Lord). He sought Yahuah (Lord), and exalted His name Yahuah (Lord) and was found. Yahuah (Lord) delivered Him from all his fears.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

We see hear that David believed God was always present to help him. God alone steps in on our behalf. He does wonderous things and makes the mighty get out of the way. David knew that God would be there for him. He just had to be patient and watch.

Psalms 46:8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Today, I will call out to Yahuah (Lord) for all that read this, that in this day, in our sight, we will see God raise us up.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You the Most High. You are our Mighty King. Come, Yahuah (Lord), judge the earth. Set things right here like they are in Your heavenly kingdom. We exalt Your name Yahuah (Lord) above the earth. Send us today Your abundant provision. Forgive us for the times we have gone astray. Heal us from our past. Deliver us from the evil that would steal the blessings You alone have given to us. Do Your mighty works again in this earth. Show us a sign for good that all men might know today that You alone have done these things and that You alone are God, Yahuah (Lord) You alone are our God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Perspective Matters

This morning as I was thinking about the challenges different people face, I tried to understand how to offer some encouragement. Then it occurred to me that the scriptures give us a very good idea just how to do this.

Psalms 119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.

The testimonies here refer to the might works that God has done that have been observed. When we think back on these things, they become a hope to us. They are our counselors and “tell” us what to expect from God, and what to ask of Him. Take for example the children of Israel crossing the desert wilderness. The land is pretty barren. There is not a great deal of water or food. Yet Yahuah (Lord) our God provided both for them.

Exodus 16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.
13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

If we think on this story when we are faced with challenges, we can know that Yahuah will provide for our every need. He alone is the One with the power to deliver every person on this planet. He alone created all that is here. He alone is our King, and our hope is in His commandments and testimonies.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God and King. We praise Your name, Yahuah, and exalt You forever. We desperately need what You have in heaven here with us on earth. Send us Your overwhelming provision today. We love You. Please forgive us when we transgress Your ways. Heal us from within, and cleanse our hearts. Deliver us from the evil in this world. Defend us from those that would seek to take what You have given us. Show us a sign for good. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.