Rest With The Land

This year, if we read the calendar correctly, is a year that we let the land rest. I believe it is called a shmita year. Every seven years Yahuah (Lord) said for the land to rest. For me it raises many questions. Is this all land everywhere, or just the land in the nation of Israel? If I by potting soil or add ground above the existing land, does that count? These are curious questions indeed. For me they are interesting because they make us think about resting. Since they happen every seven years, they also make me think about the Sabbath.

Leviticus 25:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.
6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,
7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.
8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
11 A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.
12 For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.
13 In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.
14 And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another:
15 According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:
16 According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.
17 Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the Lord your God.
18 Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.
19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.
20 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:
21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.
22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.
23 The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.
24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

The scriptures seem clear about the land of Israel. But not so clear about the rest of us. What I do know is Yahuah (Lord) never fails. Today on the Sabbath, I will ponder these things and rest with Yahuah (Lord).

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are the King of all lands. We praise and thank the name Yahuah (Lord). We love You and lift our hands to You. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins, for they are many amongst us. We long to serve You with a clean heart and ask You create that in us. Heal us. Deliver us from temptations to go astray from You and Your commands. Deliver us from the evil people that would steal what You have given us. Bring down their strongholds and let the smoke of their destruction rise that it is seen from the seas. Let all men Know that You alone have done this, that You alone, Yahuah (Lord), are our King and our God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Day Of Deliverance

About 3500 years ago, it was the daytime of the 14th of Nisan, the daytime of the first Passover in Egypt. Last night the firstborn of all living things in Egypt were slain. We survived because we had the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintel of our house, so we were passed over. Today, the Egyptians are giving us jewels and gold, and cattle and all manner of wealth. Yahuah (Lord) our God is taking us out. We are being taken to the land flowing with milk and honey.

Exodus 12:35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.

Flash forward to 2015. We can have these same blessings. Our Father wants to deliver us with His mighty hand.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King. We praise and exalt the name Yahuah. Give us today Your overwhelming blessing. Forgive us our sin, especially of unbelief. Heal us. Deliver us from the evil around us with Your strong hand that all might know that You alone have done this. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Restoring The Land

We are given a ministry of reconciliation.

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.

We are meant to extend reconciliation to all men. But not just to mankind. God is also restoring His earth. There will eventually be a restored or made new earth.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

God will restore everything. That includes the land. Today, as I enjoy the Sabbath, I try to think about what that means. Someday the planet on which we live will once again be set free in the presence of the Creator as He once more walks with His creation upon the earth.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy to be King. We thank and praise the name Yahuah (Lord). Send us now Your overwhelming abundance. Forgive us when we sin. Heal us and deliver us. Let not the hands of evil men take from Your people that which You have given. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Sabbath Learning

At service we learn many things about our God. While I have been many places to hear what a man will say, At fellowship we simply read portions of scriptures and talk about them. It gives us opportunity to hear what God is speaking to each of us. I have come to see the Sabbath as not only a time of rest, but a time of learning about our God. It is a time of richness because of the learning that takes place. It causes me to have an even greater sense of enjoyment in the day of rest.

Proverbs 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Let us take time on every Sabbath to rest with and learn from Yahuah (Lord) our God.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of all praise and honor. We praise and thank the name Yahuah (Lord). You are our King. Give us Your abundant provision. Let Your healing power flow among Your people. Let there be deliverance in the house of Yahuah (Lord). In Yeshua’s (Jesus) name. Amen.

Heart Toward God

Today has been another great day with Yahuah (Lord). He cause me to find my lost glasses, even though I was not dealing with it too well. It was interesting that although that was true, I was able to break out of my “funk” and begin to praise the name of Yahuah (Lord) in spite of how I felt about what was going on at the time. It reminded me of some of the scriptures we read today.

Jeremiah 16:21 Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord.

Here the word “Lord” is actually a name. It is God’s actual name, Yahuah (Lord). We are a people most blessed because we have a God that watches over us and calls us to be His own. Today I enjoy with my family and the brethren, the Sabbath as God has created it.

Jeremiah 17:20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:
21 Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

Lest us enjoy time with our Father today.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. You alone are worthy, and we praise Your name, Yahuah (Lord). Give us Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our failures to follow You and Your ways. Heal us and deliver us. Show the world through Your treatment of us that You alone are King, that You alone are God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Blessings Every Week

We have opportunity each week to take time out to spend with our Father, Yahuah (Lord). He wants us to do that. He states it over and over. In the times of the Exodus, it was very serious to not spend that time with Him.

Exodus 31:12 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

While we may not kill someone for not keeping the Sabbath these days, it is still serious to our Father. He loves us and wants to be with us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. We praise the name of Yahuah (Lord). We need You and Your kingdom today. Send us Your abundant provision today. Forgive us for our transgression. Heal us and deliver us. Help us. WE love You. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Resting Is Still Resting

Sometimes when we are preparing for fellowship, it can get pretty busy. We have to travel a ways to get there, and we have food afterwards so we also have to make sure we plan for that as well. The end result is we can get pretty “busy” trying to make that happen, reading in preparation, etc. The thing this reminds me of is we still need to rest in these things. The Sabbath is for rest.

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

It can be difficult for me to remember these things. But we need to rest.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of our praise. We praise Your name, Yahuah (Lord), above all names. We long for Your kingdom. Send us Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us for our sin. Help us. We cannot make it here without You. Heal us and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Family And Friends

Today my wife and youngest daughter have traveled to see my oldest daughter at her house. We had good travels and some fun times making homemade pizza last night. We sometimes do not see eye to eye on things. As I considered this point, it made me think of something our Messiah said to His followers in His day.

Matthew 12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Our Father Yahuah (Lord) has set in place this creation. It is meant to work in a certain manner. That way is the commandments established by Him from of old. We are a family in God. Today, on the Sabbath, let us remember who our family is, and let us pray that all men come into the understanding of who our Father Yahuah (Lord) is to us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of praise. We lift on high and praise the name Yahuah (Lord). Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us when we sin. Heal us and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

A Love Reminder

There are many who celebrate this day as a holiday of love and hearts. Others say that there is a certain evil history to the day. I remain uncertain. One thing I do know is that people tend to think of love on this day. Many things happened this day for me. Through them all I was reminded of who our God Yahuah (Lord) is. When I think of what He has done is doing and will do for us all, I am over whelmed by His love. I would like to offer these words of praise to Him for His words and His love they comfort me.

Psalms 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

Our Father has given us His wisdom and commandments through His words. They restore us and keep us alive. Psalms 119 in particular is an excellent source of comfort. Today if you need comfort, rest in His word.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy to be praised. Thank You for life. We praise Your name Yahuah (Lord). Let Your kingdom reign. Send us Your overwhelming provision. Lift us up and help us walk in Your ways when we falter. Forgive us and show us Your mercy. Heal us and we will be healed. Deliver us from the evil all around. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

We Can Do This

Today I read of many of the kings of Israel. One that struck me was Josiah. He turned the nation around by returning to the commandments and precepts of Yahuah (Lord).

2 Chronicales 34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

It was amazing that an eight year old would be king. But then, to have the wisdom so early to seek after God is truly remarkable. When a priest found a copy of the law, his final reaction was to have all men hear it, and then do it.

2 Chronicles 34:29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord.
31 And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
32 And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.

Today, on this Sabbath, let us recommit to the new covenant, the Law written in our hearts, to walk in the ways of our God, and to praise His mighty name, Yahuah (Lord).

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our only King. You alone are worthy to be our King and to receive our praises. We magnify Your name, Yahuah (Lord), above all the earth. We love You and long for Your kingdom to be here in the earth. Send us today Your overwhelming abundant provision. Guide us in Your ways and forgive us for when we have strayed from them. We need Your healing and deliverance. Send Your judgment in the earth to deliver us from those that would oppress us and steal from us what You have given to us. Rise up and defend Your people. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.