Staying The Course

We are the winners. We are the winners because we are on the winning side. Our Father has never lost, and everything He declares comes to pass. We have this evidence in scripture.

Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

We can be the victors because we have been declared to be by Yahuah (Lord) from long ago.

Deuteronomy 28:9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

If we will but attempt to do what our Father asks of us because we love Him, we will be on the winning side and all these things shall come into our lives.

Let’s love our Father Yahuah (Lord) today, and try to do His will.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King! Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your will be with us. Send Your abundant provision now. Forgive us our transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have transgressed against us. Cleanse and heal our hearts and minds. Restore right relationships among us. Deliver us from the evil that would separate us from You. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Placing The Heart

The heart is a challenging subject in scriptures, or can be. Even in non-religious literature from the scientific community, we here that emotion can be felt in the chest or stomach area (solar plexus). There is an area within us that is moved by strong feelings. We often speak from this area without thinking.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

At this point Yeshuah (Jesus) was saying that when we speak against our brother yet say we follow Him, both things cannot be true. Jesus was saying we need to focus on our heart, on getting our heart right with Him, that we would say and do what He said and did. The idea of the heart being placed comes from the idea of what we value.

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

We must learn to treasure the right things. We can make conscious choices, and in so doing place our hearts in the right place.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Our Father has given us the power to do this. It is that very power that allows us to gain forgiveness through repentance.

Romans 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Our Father has also given us the means to get our hearts right, or into the right place. We do that by using our mouth in specific ways.

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

In this letter to the Ephesians, Paul is telling us this very thing. In fact, He tells us that this is what our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus) was doing when He was here and doing now in the heavens.

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

In the Greek, the word translated “word” here is actually the Greek word rhema, which means utterance. So we can move our heart and cleanse it with our speaking, or make it bad with our speaking. And we know the heart is important because it is powerful in prayer.

James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

To sum up, let’s work on our hearts, placing them in the heavens with a focus on the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and our prayers will set people and us free.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom and will be done here just as it is in the heavens. Give us today, this very day, Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our trespasses of Your Law, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed against us. Deliver us from the evil here. Cleanse our hearts and our minds. Restore one hundredfold all the prosperity that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides. Rise up now, my King, and push back our enemies. Restore Your blessing to Your people. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Running Interference

When we work at getting ourselves to plug into what our Father has in store for us, we can have additional impact for the kingdom.By additional impact, I mean more than just our own lives (which is good if we only keep our own lives right). We can also pray for individuals or groups, with equal intensity to our prayers for our own needs and expectation for them to come to pass.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

But what shall we pray? We can pray in the same manner as we pray for ourselves. If there are any scriptures that are a direct fit for the situation, pray along the lines of the scriptures and their outcome. Perhaps we just begin to pray and our Father reveals something to pray in a vision or scripture. Perhaps they have a request and we start there. We can trust that when we pray along these lines that our Father will reveal to us something for us to pray, if we seek wisdom in prayer from Him.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

As we have opportunity, let us pray for others as well as ourselves.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name Yahuah! Father, we ask that Your will be done here in this earth at this time. Send Your overwhelming blessing today such that it overflows from us to others. Forgive us our transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have transgressed against us. Cleanse our hearts and minds, and renew a right spirit within each of us. Heal up the broken hearted. Deliver us from the evil here. Restore unto Your people of the prosperity that has been taken, held back, or denied them in any way of that which is good, and the more besides as in the days of the Exodus. Rise up, my King, and show Yourself strong on our behalf. We ask all these things ini the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus).

Remembering To Fight

What is the greatest challenge we can face as believers, the greatest challenge to our walk? There may not be just one item, but possibly we can name one category. Often I have heard that that greatest challenge is various types of adversity. Truly there are some types of adversity that would challenge our faith – sickness, disease, death of a loved one, financial disaster, etc. But in times of struggle, ultimately it seems people will turn back to our Father.

Psalms 88:1 O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

Even David cried out in times of struggle. The scriptures are filled with this evidence. It would seem then that adversity is not the thing that turns us away. In fact it can be adversity that turns us back to our Father. If we could know what turns us away, perhaps we could guard against it. I suggest it may be when things go well.

When life gets very good, it is easier to get caught up in the good and focus on it. It is easy for us to believe that we did it by the works of our own hands. To our original question, what turns us away are those things that allow us to forget the kingdom, that we are on a mission to advance the kingdom not just into our own lives, but also into the lives of others.

Deuteronomy 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
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.
19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

As we can see, we need to remember that it is God that has delivered us unto good times, and not the work of our own hands.

We must remember to fight the good fight, to advance the kingdom.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King! You alone guide us and keep us. Blessed be the name Yahuah! Let Your will be done among us. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our trespasses, and help us to forgive those that have trespassed against us. Cleanse and heal our hearts and minds. Restore right relationships among us. Restore unto Your people all the good that has been taken or held back in any way. Rise up my King, and deliver Your people while it is called today. Show us a sign for good, that all men might know that You alone have done this and that You alone are King! We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Marching And Deployment

As believers we are voluntary servants. At any time we can choose to go a direction other than what God intended. But as willing servants, we must be willing to receive our marching orders, and be deployed wherever our Father sends us. Many times I have stated that I was willing. However, when I stop and think about the potential reality of this as my family is prayerfully considering moving over 1,200 miles from what is now home. It begs the question, why are we here? There seem to be many answers to this in scripture.

Luke 19:11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

It is important to note that this is a parable. Too often I have heard people take the parable as literal, like Lazarus and the fiery divide. The point is we are to be doing something. It appears that occupying means producing increase, preferably the greatest increase possible. This is what we are meant to do. Let’s do this!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King! Praise the name Yahuah! Send Your will to this earth. Send us now Your overwhelming provision such that we cannot contain it, and it overflows to those around us. Forgive us our transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have transgressed against us. Heal our hearts and minds. Rise up and deliver us from the evil that would beset us. Restore unto Your people all that is good that has been taken or held back in any way, and the more besides. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Psalms 117

1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are the King. Praise the name Yahuah! Send Your will among us. Send us now Your provision without measure. Forgive us our transgressions and help us all to forgive those that have transgressed against us. Restore Your peopl ena dtheir relationships. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Passover

Today we celebrate great events in the history of the faith. The first is the Exodus from the land of Egypt, starting with the miracle of the Passover. After repetitive attempts to get the Pharoh to let the children of Israel go, God sent the the Angel of Death through the land. In any home not covered by the blood the firstborn both of man and beast would be slain, and all the gods of Egypt would be judged.

Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.gods: or, princes
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.to destroy…: Heb. for a destruction

This was unusual if you did not live though it. But having lived through the miracles, the children of Israel believed. This is the same for us who believe in the Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). He was the Passover Lamb.

Mark 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.
14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
15 And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.
16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

So we have much to think about as we keep the Passover.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King! Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your will be done in this earth as it is in the heavens – let us keep Your feasts. Send us now Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our transgressions, and help us to forgive all that have transgressed against us. Restore health and well being to Your people. Set us free with great substance. Restore all good things that have been taken, held back, or hidden in any way from Your people, and that one hundredfold. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Wielding A Weapon

Many believers today have heard scriptures about weapons used in spiritual warfare.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Also for many, the context of this scripture has slipped from memory. It speaks of the power of our mind to bring to pass what is in our minds.

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Often I have thought that this scripture was referring to the improper thoughts that most of us would associate with sin. Actually, while it does include those thoughts, it also includes any thought that results in some type of exaltation of anything but knowing God – like how good we are at something, what we have done, what science is doing of its own power, etc. All of these thoughts leave out the true source of power – our Father, Yahuah (Lord).

We can win against our spiritual enemies. To do so requires us to surrender our hearts and minds (including our thoughts) to our Father.

Today, let’s focus our thoughts on Him, and ask what He would have done today.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King! Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your will be done in this earth, just as it appears in the heavens. Send us today Your overwhelming provision, such that it overflows to those around us. Forgive us our transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have transgressed against us. Cleanse and heal our hearts and minds. Help us Father. We need You. We need to be more like You. There are so many temptations and evil that can beset us. Deliver us from these. Rise up, my King, and restore one hundredfold all that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

No Weapon

It can be difficult to remember at times, but here on earth we have a mission. We are both children of the Most High, and His servants. By servants, we are here to promote His will in the earth. We can do that in many ways, but mostly we just try to follow Him and call out to Him for His mercy and grace. He fights our battles for us, and turns the enemies away.

Isaiah 54:14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

You see, it is not because of our righteousness, but because of our Father’s righteousness. He gives that to us as His servants, it is our heritage, because of the blood of His Son, Jesus (Yeshuah) shed for us.

NO weapon formed against us will prosper, and those tongues that rise up against us in judgment we condemn.

He fights for you.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King! Bless the name Yahuah! Let Your will be among us. Send Your provision today. Forgive us our transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have transgressed against us. Heal our hearts, our minds, and our relationships. Destroy the weapons formed against us, and we condemn the tongues that have risen up against us in judgment. Rise up, my King, and deliver Your people speedily that all men might know that You alone have done these things. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Listening To The Spirit

We are children of God. Scriptures make this very clear. We are meant to serve Him, not as slaves, but as a child honors their parents. It is this service that is important to our Father, because then He works through us to accomplish good for us and for all. It is this very service that becomes spiritual warfare. We become one of His spiritual lights.

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

By doing the things of God, we shine the light that He has given unto us. Light dispels darkness. Perhaps doiing good to all men is one of the most important acts of spiritual warfare that we will ever do.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King! Praise the name Yahuah! Let us be Your lights of Your will in this earth. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our trespasses, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed against us. Heal our hearts and minds. Deliver us from the evil that is here. Defeat the work of those that would cause any harm to Your people, confound and confuse it. Rise up as Daniel said, not for our righteousness, but for Your mercies. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.