Open Doors

The snow has stopped, at least for the moment. Not long ago I would lament the winters. Not that I still do not really enjoy the warm weather, it’s just different now. Our Father created this world for us to enjoy. It is like a gift to us. If I were to continue to speak evil of it, it would be like telling Him I do not like His gift. Instead, I try to find the good in it. I am not saying it is easy, or that I get it right all the time. What I am saying is it took me a really long time to start to try to see things from our Father Yahuah’s (Lord’s) perspective. I don’t want to lose that desire. It is like an open door to God’s world, and I want that door to always be open. The Angel that spoke to John quoted Isaiah about this.

Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

He was speaking of opening the door to the house of David, which is Israel. We can have an open door to all that God promised Israel if we can have a thankful heart at all times.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Our God Yahuah (Lord) is with us and calls us to the house of David through our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). I can never thank Him enough.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of all praise and honor. We exalt Your name Yahuah (Lord), the name above all names. You alone are our King and we long for Your kingdom in this earth. Send us today Your overwhelming abundant provision. Heal our hearts. Deliver us from the evil that would steal from us what You have give. Stand and defend us Yahuah (Lord) that all men might know it is You alone that has done these things. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Let Our Hearts Cry Out With Thanks

Our hearts hold the secrets to what we truly cherish. When we cry out with thanksgiving to God, and praise His name Yahuah (Lord), it is because within us our hearts are overflowing with emotion. We realize all that Yahuah (Lord) has done, and that we need Him in this earth.

Psalms 105:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

Here we see David said to give thanks to Yahuah (Lord) by calling out His name saying what He has done. This is an act of thankfulness. Singing to Yahuah (Lord) is an act of thankfulness. Talking about His great works is an act of thankfulness. Glorifying the name Yahuah (Lord) is an act of thankfulness. When we do these things, and when we seek Yahuah (Lord), our hearts become overwhelmed and rejoice. And our God responds as He did in the days of the children of Israel in the wilderness.

Psalms 105:42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.

Today, if we feel down trodden, if the challenges we face seem like mountains, or if we just want to tell our Father how much we appreciate all He does for us, let us call out the name Yahuah (Lord) and declare to the heavens all of the great wonders He has done. Our God will respond to our thanksgiving, and He will life us up.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of all praise. We lift up Your name, Yahuah (Lord) to declare all Your works before all creation. You created this earth, and Your will is what need be done here. So let it be. Send us Your overwhelming provision. Send that provision today. Forgive us when we get away from Your ways. Bring us back to the right path that You have established from of old. Heal our hearts from the hurts and pains. There are many that are round about us that want to enslave us and to take what You have given to us. Judge their actions and bring those actions to nothing. Deliver us from this evil. Rise up, O King! Ride upon the winds in Your majesty and show Your strength on our behalf. Show us a sign for good, that all men might know it is Yahuah (Lord) alone that has done these things in our lives. In Yeshua’s (Jesus) name. Amen.

We Never Know

A friend of mine had his father pass away last night. He spoke with me about his health in the last week and he knew his father would soon be gone. Thinking about these things causes me to experience mixed emotions. On the one hand I am sad for my friend. But as I think about death, I personally long to be with God. For me at the moment, I do not fear death because I know that our God, Yahuah, is waiting there with open arms for us to come home. Paul spoke of this.

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Unlike Paul, I do not have a large number of people that I impact with great religious significance. But I know that I am a help to my family. I know that I do make a difference in their lives. All of us have a purpose here on this earth. All of us make a difference to someone. Perhaps the most important thing to remember in all of this is that every life matters because Yahuah (Lord) gave them to us. We can be thankful that He gives us life and direction in it.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our Mighty King. You alone are worthy of our praise. We lift our hands to Your name. You alone are King. We desire Your kingdom here on this earth. We implore You to send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us when we do wrong by You or others, or Your ways. Heal us from all our diseases. Deliver us from those that would harm us or take from us what You have given to us. Guide us today. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

At times in life we can be challenged to keep up with all the commitments we have. Of late, this seems to be my plight. I have been challenged to try to keep up with everything that is going on around us. For those of you that come here regularly in hopes of being encouraged, my apologies. I will attempt to do better.

Perhaps I should reflect and be thankful for the fact that I remain busy with work to do. This is a good thing. To me, it is much better than being unemployed. This is the state I find myself in, thankful to our God, Yahuah, that He never forgets us. Here is one of my favorite scriptures that says “thank You” to the big guy.

Psalms 105:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

Although I can miss a deadline, God does not. I am very thankful for that.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. thank You. Thank you for Your kingdom, and may it reign upon earth. Send us Your overwhelming provision. We need Your forgiveness and healing for our inner hurts. Deliver us from the evil that would draw us in. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Feathers Up Close

Today as I was in prayer I was calling out to our God, Yahuah (Lord), to give me wisdom. In this world, in this life, we can become overwhelmed and get off track in so many small ways. By off track I mean to lose focus on God and His ways. The result is we can feel distant from God. I was seeking wisdom about how to create a closer walk with God. Perhaps not many have experienced this desire, but it was as if I wanted to make a permanent change so that I would not get off track. As I prayed, Yahuah gave me a vision of a huge feathered wing first in front of me and then covering me. It reminded me of several scriptures.

Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

This is a well known scripture, and I have read it many times. Today I got more meaning from it. As I read some other passages I was reminded of the Ark of the Covenant. There are wings of angels that cover it. This too is a type of secret place, being in the holy of holies. It was the place of annual sin offering, and it represents what is today our hearts, among other things. We have the blood of the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) that covers us when we repent and seek forgiveness. Therefore we are in that secret place under God’s wing. There is another verse that adds to the clarity of this further on.

Psams 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Here we see that because we know His name, Yahuah (Lord), we lift us up. We do not earn the right to be in the secret place. If we give our lives to God, then through that very redemption by the blood of our Messiah, we are there. It makes me thankful to know that my God loves and cares for me, even when I make mistake.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our Mighty King. We need Your kingdom in our lives today. Send us Your promised provision today. We need You so much. Forgive us when we walk astray. Do not hold our transgressions against us. Heal and deliver us. We need Your protection. We need You to stand and defend us from those around us that would kill us and steal from us. We thank You for always being our all in all. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name.

When The Dawn Comes

Last night we got more snow and wind. Even before the snow began, businesses and schools were bracing for what was to come with closings to hunker down and make it through the day. The night was interesting as I looked out the window into the whiteout of snow against our outside lighting. The wind could be heard whistling its chilly tune. This morning, everything was white and beautiful in the sunshine. When I went out to feed the chickens, I discovered that there was a subzero windchill. Somehow it didn’t matter though, because the morning made everything beautiful. Yesterday I spent considerable time praising the name of our God, Yahuah, as the scriptures indicate we are to do.

Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

The word “LORD” in this passage is really the name “Yahuah” (or Yahweh as some pronounce it). It was a good time praising Yahuah and His name. In the night I had a most unusual experience. I had a spiritual dream at some point in which a man that was once blind was getting up out of what appeared to be a hospital bed and he could see clearly. Also, sometimes when I have woken in the night in the past the thoughts of the day come rushing in and challenge my rest. Last night was different. I actually had songs playing in my head, as if I were singing them in my mind. When I noticed this was happening I became extremely peaceful and had sweet rest. For that I am very thankful. We can trust in the name of our God to defend us.

Psalms 20:1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

And as I think of that sweet singing while I was resting, I am reminded of another scripture.

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.

Let’s give our thanks and praise to Yahuah our God today!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of our thoughts and our praise. We long to be with You in Your kingdom, and for that kingdom to be here on earth. Send us Your prosperity today, Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us for our going away from Your ways. Deliver us from temptations that come our way. Help us to endure. Be our Deliverer. Heal us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

It Is Good To Start Afresh

Here at the first day of the New Year, it is a great time. There is a sense everywhere that we as people are starting over, that we can start over, and that starting over can make things better. It reminds me that God has this same plan in mind. However, His plan is even better. With God, we get to start over at least every day.

Lamentations 3:22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

He also never leaves us, even if we make mistakes, if we will just turn back to Him for forgiveness and believe that He is on our side.

Deuteronomy 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.

He even has a plan for our debts.

Deuteronomy 15:1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord’s release.
3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;

Our God is a very great God. He will deliver us and save us. He will keep us from all harm. We can be thankful that our God allows us, at any and every moment in time, to start over, to start fresh, if we will turn to Him and His ways and away from everything else.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King. We ask that this year You deliver us from our debts. We ask that you let heaven reign here on earth. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us for the past. Help us to build a better future with You. Heal us and deliver us. Show us a sign for good this year. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Long Days, Good Days

I just returned from a week long business trip and am writing at the end of the day. It was good, although I managed to get a rough head cold. As I reflect on my journey, there was one miracle after another. Granted they were small things (friends car miraculously fixed, my chickens laying eggs more than once a day, connections with key business people, etc.) yet they were each an amazing blessing to me in their own right. The days seemed long, even though much was accomplished. There is that good feeling one has when we have actually accomplished something by the work of our hands. But in these moments, it is important to remember that it is God who blesses the work of our hands.

Deuteronomy 28:8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

God blesses us that we might be a blessing to others, that we all might be thankful in all.

Deuteronomy 15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

Let us today give thanks that we have the power to help each other because our God is greater than any problem we have!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God. You are an amazing blessing to us. We love You. We need Your kingdom. Give us Your abundant provision. Forgive us when we fail You. We need healing. We need deliverance. We need You, now more than ever. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Thankful For Reflections

We as believers can and do struggle with working toward that day when we are united with God at His return. It will be a great day, and yet hold some sadness. The sadness will come froom our drive to be better people but knowing we fall short of perfection. We know this because the scriptures show us who we ought to be.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

When we search the scriptures, we can compare ourselves to what God has told us to do, and we can see the difference between who we are and who we ought to be. We can be thankful that God does not hold our shortcomings over our head like an evil taskmaster. Instead, like a loving Father, He encourages us to press on and press in to do better for that next moment. We can be thankful that God has great faith in us and in His ability to mold us into the people He wants us to be. We can be thankful He has not left us alone to figure it out. He is our Father, and loves us very much.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our King. We praise You for all You are doing in our lives today. We ask that today You would place the kingdom on earth in our lives that we might know it is real. We ask that today You would give us Your abundant provision, overflowing and pressed down, that we might also help others. Please forgive us our sin. We ask today that You send healing and deliverance that we might truly be free. In Jesus’ (Yehua’s) name. Amen.

Thankful At All Times

This morning as I thought about the human condition, it caused me to be very thankful. You see, I am one of those people that spends a good deal of time in introspection. Perhaps too much time, if that is possible, but it is just the way I am. It causes me to be thankful that God is not like me. Likely I would give up on me and humans because we get things wrong so often. In that regard, God has become my role model for being a loving Father. That He always loves us is truly a wonder to me, and I am so thankful for it. That is what a Father is meant to do.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Here John makes it clear that our Father God loves us and has taken us into His home as one of His own children. What a gift! It is also clear that our Father never gives up on us because John goes on to say that we will be like Him one day.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Finally, John tells us what we need to attempt to do to move toward being like God by eliminating sin, and what sin is.

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

In all this I am thankful because we know, just as Paul did, that we are human and we will fall short of doing things perfectly. The war within us is as Paul stated, something we battle with regularity.

Romans 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

So in the end, we can be thankful that our Father is working these things out of us, and we are His children. Praise God!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God. You alone are worthy of all praise. Your kingdom is the only place worth living. Your way is the only way worth living. We need Your kingdom in the earth. We need you to be with us. We love and adore You. Send us today Your abundant provision. Heal us and deliver us. Forgive us when we get it wrong. Deliver us today from temptations. Keep us in Your way. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.