Cleaning Up

Yesterday was a warm sunny day. The snow came so quickly last fall that we did not have time to get all of the leaves picked up. My wife and I worked at that all afternoon, and it was fun. It was fun because we got some exercise, we did it together, and there was a really big difference in how it looked when we were done. Thinking about it now I feel that way about spending time with God many times. I can start off distracted or in a bad place and most often when I am done praying or singing, His presence gives me a peace. David wrote about this often.

Psalms 68:24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

I cannot imagine anything more intense that headed to battle. Yet David would sing. God would show up. The enemies were scattered. Life was better. Obviously different than cleaning up leaves, but I guess the point is, it is life. Everyday we have to live the one we have, and everyday take time with God, letting Him win our battles. Praise God!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High. Thank You for being with us in life. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. We ask today that You forgive us for our messes. We ask today that You send Your deliverance, Your healing, and Your provision in mighty ways. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Waking Up To A New Life

When the children of Israel kept the first Passover in Egypt, they had an expectation that God would do what He said. They knew that there would be judgment against all those that did not have the sign of the blood on the doorway. They expected that God would cause them to be set free. But they had been in bondage for hundreds of years. What was freedom like? What did that mean? Let’s look at the story to find out.

Exodus 12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.
32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
36 And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

They woke up to hearing that they were set free. It was necessary to pack up in a hurry. No time to let the bread rise for today’s cooking. And they were to borrow treasures from the Egyptians. Then they left.

They went to be beat up slaves. They woke up and in less than a day they were free wealthy people. This many years later, that is what today is. The day time of Passover when God provides miraculous blessings, freedom, and deliverance.

God is in the business of miracles.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our Freedom. You set us free from bondage, just as You did to the children of Israel many long years ago. Thank You for forgiving us for fear and doubt. We ask today that You continue this great work. Do Your miracles Father. Send Your deliverance, healing, and miraculous prosperity today Father. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

The Enemy Is Cut Off

We as believers are the most fortunate among men. We have someone that looks out for us that has the ability and desire to so do. That is our God. Since He is Creator of all things, He is greater than all things. And He watches over us. There are so many times in life that we are faced with challenges that seem to big for us. The truth is, if we were alone to fight this darkness, we would be to small for that task. But we are not alone, and we do not have to fight our enemies, because God will fight for us. Nahum spoke of this in the Old Testament, speaking to and of our enemy that tries to defeat us and telling us to rejoice in the good news.

Nahum 1:11 There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked counsellor.
12 Thus saith the Lord; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.
13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
14 And the Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.
15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

God is on our side and sees what the enemy tries to do to us. He will not let this happen. He rises us when we walk in His ways and destroys our enemy. He will utterly cut off our adversary from our midst. Truly we are a blessed people!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our King. You alone stand between us and the enemy. You alone will defend us, and we praise You for it. Please forgive us when we stray. Please help us today. Send Your healing, deliverance, and provision today. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Day To Day

Each day we have an opportunity to experience the glory and grandeur of the creation which our God has made. As I look into the forest out my window the sun is shining on trees barren from the winter. These trees are longing for the spring, longing to put forth new buds that will become the leafy green wonder that shades the forest floor below in the months to come. God has set these markers, these signs of His presence, for us to watch and understand that His will and His ways will always come to pass in the earth. Just as these trees long for their renewal, we as believers long for our daily renewal with God. The psalmists wrote of this and of our role in it.

Psalms 96:1O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Here the psalmist says all the earth sings to God. The renewal in the spring of these trees must be a part of that praise. We too are to daily sing to our God His praises each day. When we do, we declare in the earth His glory and wonder. God is above all gods, for all gods but Him are just idols. Only our God made the earth and heavens. Only our God has honor and majesty. Only our God has strength and beauty to surround Him. It can be challenging in both good times and bad to remember that we are not alone. We have the God of the universe on our side. He alone can change the world and change us His people. If we can only remember to praise Him every day, we can walk with Him in His strength, His honor, and His majesty. Truly He alone is worthy of our praise.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You in Your majesty. You are truly the King. We are Your servants and long to serve You, even when we make mistakes. Please help us to praise You every day. We want only to serve You well. Please send today Your healing, Your deliverance, and Your provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Small Things

Children learn life from the big people, the more mature people, in their life. And frequently, they learn the small things. They see when we give each other compliments, or not. They see when we smile and laugh, or not. They see when we treat each other with respoect, or not. And they see when we praise and trust our God, or not.

1 Corinthians 3:2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Paul spoke about this to the Corinthians when he told them he had to give them milk instead of meat. While Paul was addressing the need for us to grow up in the Lord and some may see this as just a negative, I suggest we can look at this another way. The point is, we can grow up. We can learn to be better at serving God. Hopefully, we can learn this from other believers that are more mature, like Paul, that have experienced many of the good things of God. But what does it take to grow? Just like the children that watch us, we need to watch others that have been through many things, good and bad, and try to learn. Perhaps the best news of all in this is our God is a Father not like us earthly fathers. He is always on our side.

Dueteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
7 And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

Moses told the people, and told Joshua, that they will possess the land that God promised to them. Moses had learned God’s ways and was an example to the people. He told them not to be afraid but be of good courage. Paul repeated this to us.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Paul knew that he was meant to encourage those around him that may not yet know what he knows about the goodness of God. No matter how long we have been believers, we can do the same for our fellow believers. Today, if you want encouragement, encourage others. It is the small things that we do that add up. Together, we can learn to walk in God’s ways.

Together, we can make a difference.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High King. You have given us so much. You have shown Yourself to be our King. Please forgive us when we stumble and when we doubt. We really are trying to learn. Please help us to learn. Send us today healing, deliverance, and provision that all men may know that You alone are God. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Returning Spring

Although it is cold today, I was encouraged this morning as I noticed how much of the snow had melted. Not because there was less snow, although I am good with that, but because I know spring is coming. It is a beautiful time of year when things come alive again. It reminded me that God has placed things in their place and in their season. We have only to observe and see the testimony of His works and His love toward us, for they are everywhere.

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

This psalm reminds us that what God has created is everywhere, and it communicates His wonder day and night. There is no place on earth where there is a language where the impact of God’s creation, like the sun, is not felt. As we move into a time of reflection on the wonders that the Messiah did for us in giving His life on the cross, it is good to remember that everything around us testifies to God’s great love for us. He wants only good for us. All we need do is seek His face and try to walk in His ways. He already has done the rest.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High King. Thank You for Your wondrous love toward us. We ask that You look past and forgive the things we get wrong. We ask that you help us find our way to doing Your will, to walking in Your way. Please send today the healing, the deliverance, and the provision we need. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Call For Judgment

Our God loves us very much. He knows that in the end, we truly are very weak vessels that do not stand much of a chance in the battle against oppression without Him. Last night I watched a movie that was about some people being oppressed and a bunch of old heroes rescued them. It was meant to be partially a comedy, I think, but as I watched it I truly identified with and felt sad for the people that had been put into forced labor away from their families. There was a certain sadness and dimness in their eyes. It reminded me of people I see every day. There is hope.

Psalms 103:6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

As I read this passage this morning I was very encouraged to the point I felt my heart jump within me. In this passage righteousness means to set right and judgment means a royal decree. If we plug in these meanings, it can be said like this: God makes a royal decree and sets things right for all those that are being pushed down and treated badly. When we are being pushed down, whether that is by a person, a dark spiritual force, or a situation, all we have to do is to call out to God to set things right. He is watching, and when His people are treated badly, He stands up to defend them. That’s us.

Today, I ask that God execute judgment on behalf of His people.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You are our King and our Defender. We ask that You forgive us for the shortcomings we have, please. Send us Your deliverance today. Send us Your healing. Send us Your provision. Send us hope. We love You and believe You are on our side. Please come with Your judgment on our behalf. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Overcoming Fear

There are many things that can cause us to become afraid. For some it is sickness, or animals, or insects. For me I am most impacted when one of my loved ones is not doing well. Yesterday my wife became very ill. She was up most of the night, getting up every two hours to become sick. Hearing her crying out from the pain caused me to become a little afraid. But at the same time, I knew God would ultimately win out for us. This was a bit new for me. In the past when I would become fearful, I could not see the end of the fear. Somehow this was different.

Luke 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Jesus was talking about food and clothing directly, but I think it has a broader application. For me, it also means that we have one source for all our needs. For my wife it is healing. Perhaps the difference is over the last two years God has given us opportunity to learn a great deal from Him. I just do not believe, no matter what happens, that God does not really love us. He is on our side.

Today, if you or your family are facing something pretty challenging, don’t be afraid. Call out to God and remember, He is on your side.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High King. Please forgive those things that we do wrong. We ask today for Your healing power in our lives. WE ask today that You send Your deliverance. We ask today that You send Your mighty provision, like the rain of manna and fowl from the heavens, that all men might know that You alone are God. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Blessings That Do Not End

When we call out to God, He hears us. That may seem like a simple thing to say, but it is very true. When He sends His miracles, they can be, well, a little overwhelming. I am not sure why that is. It is as if we pray to God for certain things to happen. Then when they do, we can be surprised. The scriptures are clear that God is holding His blessings for us, and even for our children.

Psalms 103:17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

God’s mercy was always there and will always be there. Our challenge is to view the world around us as His true creation. He made it. He is watching over it. And He is going to make it work out for us. When I think of all of the blessings that God has placed into my life, I become so thankful. I have a family that is well for the most part. We have a place to stay and what we need daily is provided. What I long to see is more of the kingdom here on the earth. I long to see a time when people are not cast down and struggling quite so hard to survive. People receiving their healing and living without fear. Today, I am encouraged to know that God is doing this according to His plan.

Psalms 103:19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

Prayer
Father, we praise You for You alone are the Most High King. We thank You for Your deliverance, Your healing, Your provision, and Your kingdom here on the earth. Please show us today how to better walk in Your ways. Let us bring forth Your kingdom by what we say and do. Please watch over Your people today Father. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Keep Moving

If we can keep moving, we can get to a better place. This morning as I was thinking about how life changes, it occurred to me that as believers we have both good days and days of struggle. Overall, though, if we keep moving, keep praying and seeking God, things tend to get better.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, told them that they became a part of the commonwealth of Israel by the cross. He makes an interesting comment about the scriptures and commandments to them. He says that when they were not a part of the commonwealth, they were “strangers to the covenants of promise” which refers to the promises God has made in the Old Testament. There truly are many blessings that were to come to those that kept the commandments of God. But now Jesus makes us a part of that through His death and resurrection. And Paul made another statement that was profound.

Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Paul says that our future with God came to us by grace, and not by works. At the same time, he is telling us that we should do the good things of God and not walk in our former ways. How do we reconcile these two perspectives? First, our salvation is a gift. We did nothing other than repent and seek forgiveness. Then we are to live our lives doing good. We will not make it all the time, but Jesus died for those sins too. When we find ourselves in sin, we need to repent and turn back to God. He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. He will also help us get farther and farther down the road.

We just need to keep moving.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Thank You for helping us find Your ways. thank You for helping us find victory. Please send us the grace we need today to make good choices. Please send us Your healing, deliverance, and provision that we need for today, Father. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.