Shedding Unforgiveness

Writing the title here was a challenge. What I wanted to say was something like getting rid of the things that block being able to forgive. What I wanted to discuss is how we need to find a way to be in a place that allows us to show mercy and kindness to people. If we are willing to do this, we can make an impact in ourselves and others. We can be the thankful people we need to be. We can stop and take a pause that makes us happy to be here, considerate of others situations, and hopeful for the future. We are encouraged to be forgiving, and I suggest, even commanded to do so.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

So if we can stop to pause long enough to think, and pray for others, and pray for ourselves, we can get to the point where we are actually able to facilitate thankfulness in ourselves and others.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

Relentless Pursuit

We have the ability to change the pursuit of life for the better. By that I mean we can always turn from evil to good, if we choose to do so. Not all of these are dramatic choices. It can be as simple as choosing to be kind and not cruel to those around us. We can choose not to eat that extra piece of pie at dinner. We can choose not to hate in our heart, or lust after our neighbor’s fortunes. All of these represent potential course corrections that any one of might face. Turning to our Father for forgiveness in anything is a win for the good guys and a defeat of the evil one.

Zechariah 1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Each day we have this same opportunity, regardless of the day’s circumstances. The only questions is, what will we do?

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

Cleaning House

Building one another up is an important activity for us as believers. We are told in scripture that in fact we are to be doing just that.

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Sometimes we also need to use this same idea to clean house for ourselves. Not only can we think of this as talking to others and encouraging them, we can think of it as talking to ourselves and encouraging ourselves.

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

If we are to be a help to others, then we need to fist help ourselves by working out our own issues in salvation.

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Part of loving ourselves is keeping ourselves free from transgression of the Law.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

Be Courageous

What is the opposite of courageous? I used to think it was not being afraid. Then I hear a great quote from John Wayne.

Courage is being afraid and saddling up anyway. –John Wane

We are in a position to be courageous. The way we accomplish that is actually written about in the scriptures. It is the same as it was for Joshua.

Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

If we keep the Law in our mouth, muttering it to ourselves day and night, then we will be able to do all that is contained there, and we will prosper and have good success.

When we fail, we can do what YAH (Lord) told Solomon.

1 Kings 8:46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:
52 That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.
53 For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.

And the One True Great and Merciful God, YAH in heaven, responded.

2 Chronicles 7:12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
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.

Today let all mankind know that we can have the same courage as Joshua, because we have access to forgiveness through Yeshuah HaMashiak (Jesus Christ the Lord).

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

Truth Shines

We all get to be people that shine forth with truth. The scriptures tell us that.

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.

What we say and what we do, shines.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

Secrets Of Life

This is the Sabbath that begins the weekly readings of the scriptures, for those that follow the Hebrew roots traditions. The first two chapters of Genesis contain many secrets of the universe. For example, complete and constant darkness contains the absence of life. When light was first seen, it was not created like the rest of creation. Literally, YAH (God) said, “Light be.” In every other case He said, “Let there be…” It is evening and morning because it was first dark, then God brought the Light of life. What we have been taught about time as a universal metric is completely false. Hence, our interpretation of the world is what we make of it. In logic, a false premise always leads to a true conclusion. The issue of time is perhaps the ultimate scam on mankind. Additionally, light and darkness were initially mixed together.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Today, let us spend time with the One that introduced the Light.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

When, And When Not To Speak

It is interesting the stories we here that come from the church. Recently a good friend of mine related one. He told me how someone had spoken in the assembly in a negative way about another person, which was unknown to that other person. What does the scripture have to say about that?

Proverbs 20:19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

And again, elsewhere…

1 Timothy 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

The scriptures also tell us what is a good approach to take about speaking.

Proverbs 11:13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

So it seems we are not to spread abroad what we dislike about someone. We are to keep it to ourselves.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

A wise man once shared with methat whatever we communicate to people we need to be willing to shout from a rooftop. If we use that as a guide, we will make good progress in life, according to scripture.

To be more clear a good guideline for deciding when we are hearing gossip is this: If the person you are talking to is not the person you are talking about, might be gossip. If you are talking to person A about person B but you have not shared this same thing with person B, might be gossip.

In the end, we want to be those who encourage.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

He Is Enough

As I began to think and write about this idea just now, a collection of thoughts went racing through my head. Who is this “He” – the Father – Jesus – and then an amazing fleeting understanding. They are One. They are the same. The Father came to earth and became the Son. Hard to fathom maybe with our human minds, but this is what the scriptures seem to say.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Earlier Yeshuah had said this…

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.

All of this to say, when it seems like everyone else is against you, He is for you. He is enough…

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

Stand For Something

My dad once told me that if I did not stand for something I would fall for anything. My DAD (Father in Heaven) said basically the same thing…

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

And He added to that later…

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.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

When we take a stand in faith, we overcome the darkness in this world.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.

Change The World

If we are to serve the living God and make the world a better place, that change begins with us. Think about it. If each of us commits to becoming a better version of ourselves, then everyone becomes batter. The world changes. And change is a good thing.

Psalms 55:19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

The great thing is we can change. If we work together, we can change together.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name YAH! Let Your kingdom come here in this earth in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. Let Your will be done here perfectly as it is in heaven. Send us now Your provision that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God and overflow to those around us. Forgive us our trespasses and transgressions, and help us all to forgive those that have trespassed or transgressed against us. Wipe away all thoughts and memories of the evil done to us or by us. In their place let there be only thoughts and memories of You and Your love for us. We love You. Restore Your people, Father, unto You. Restore unto Your people one thousandfold all the good that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides. Send in quickly the $423,523,962.53 that we might use it to promote the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds and bodies of the people here. We ask all these things of You, Father, in the name YAH Yeshuah HaMashiak. Amen.