Rest With The Best

The title here was fun to create. When reading it, one could easily think we are referring to a person or persons as “The Best”. However, that was just a clever use of words. What is really the best? Once I get past the clever words, two things quickly come to mind. These are the scriptures and God. One good thing to do on the Sabbath is to read the scriptures and consider their meaning and importance in our lives. And of course the scriptures are meant to point us to the Father.

Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And there are very practical reasons for meditating on the scriptures day and night.

Joshua 1:7 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.

We were meant to prosper wherever we go. How is it possible? It seems to be tied to the medic=tation on the Law day and night.

Today, let’s rest with the best.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King! Praise the name Yahuah! Let the earth align with the will that is in the heavens. Send us now Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal us and deliver us. Help us to remember to meditate day and night on Your Law. We want to serve You. Help us to serve You more. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

We Are Either In Or Not

Over the last 40 days I have had some opportunity to consider how we respond to our lives. There is something that takes place that is difficult for me to describe. It is the ability to see life as something that we ride upon, not something that engulfs us and moves us around like chess pieces on a board. With that perspective, we can begin to grasp how our Father moves – the ways of God. This is what the Psalmist wrote.

Psalms 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

Moses was able to “see” God’s ways in life. He saw that it is our Father that was in control. The children of Israel saw themselves as being controlled, unable to have impact. This latter approach can result in our feeling overwhelmed, even potentially giving up. So, how do we get to the place Moses was?

Likely it is different for each person. Moses had his own struggles initially. He expressed many doubts.

Exodus 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Moses did not argue with God about whether on not He was God. He believed Him that He was God. Moses just did not understand that God was on his side and would be victorious for him. Once God showed Moses His power, Moses was able to make a decision. That decision that God exists and is on our side was settled for Moses and it was that decision that helped Moses not to view life as happening to him but something in which he had a part of determining the outcome. And that outcome was determined by our Father, Yahuah.

Today, let’s be like Moses and decide we are in!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King. Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your will be with us as it is in the heavens. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal up our hearts and our minds. Deliver us from the thief that steals and destroys. Restore unto Your people one hundred times one hundredfold that which has been stolen or held back. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Thankful I Am Not God

Often when considering just how merciful our Father is toward me, and how expansive His works are, I marvel at this, smile, and shake my head. It is, or can be, very hard to grasp. Without His mercy, I would most certainly perrish. And when I watch various adventures in life unfold “by chance” I realize it is likely “chance” does not exist. It is about at this point that I become very thankful that I am not God. I strive to be like Him, but fall quite short. The world would be a unfortunate place to be if I were required to make it all work. Praise Yahuah (Lord) that I only have to follow after Him in His expansiveness to succeed at walking in His ways!

Psalms 118:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
4 Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King. Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your will be done here as it is in the heavenlies. Send us now Your overwhelming abundant provision. Forgive us our sins, Father. Heal up our hearts and minds. Deliver us from the thief that steals and destroys. Restore unto us one hundred times one hundredfold. Show us a sign for good. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Reaching To See

When we are seeking our Father, it is possible for us to find ourselves in a place where we can almost “see” what’s next, but not quite. For many, this happens when we are in the middle of some type of struggle. The struggle can be for a problem faced, or a certain understanding desired from scripture, or perhaps a direction in life. What seems to be true is that we see what our Father knows we need to see at that moment.

Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

It is also true that we need to be about the business of looking, diligently.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

At times that diligence can be remaining in prayer until we “see” the answer we need – God reveals it. Or we may need to spend some time reading scriptures. Or it could be a combination of the two. Most important is believing that our Father is not against us, not out to get us. He is for us. If we will press in and fight through, the answer comes.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Bless the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom be here with us through Your will. Send us now Your overwhelming provision. Heal us up inside and out. Deliver us from the thief that steals and destroys. Restore unto Your people one hundred times one hundredfold that which has been stolen or held back. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Boiling The Frog

In the United States we have for many years held to the idea that we willbe a nation where each individual is free. This is a good cause and a good belief. For it to exist in reality, it must be built upon Godly principles and following the ways of our Father Yahuah (Lord). And yet, instead we have become enslaved willingly. In fact, we are so enslaved and so entrenched in the chains that bind us that we will almost fight to stay there. To what am I referring?

Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

I refer to the system of debt that has been built to hold us. It steals from us every day some of the very blessings added to us by our Father. How can we know that this is not good? The scriptures seem to indicate this well.

Deuteronomy 28:12 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.

If we are trapped in the system, then we are not building what our Father has said we will build. It will take the commitment of our hearts to the truth He has provided for us to escape. Once we are free, and while we are on the journey to that freedom, We must reach out to others to help them be free.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom reign. Send us Your overwhelming abundant provision today. Forgive us our sins. Heal our hearts and minds. Deliver us from the thief that kills and destroys. Restore unto Your people one hundred times one hundredfold all that has been taken or held back. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Heart Of The Matter

Believers are called to address the condition and content of their hearts and minds. From time to time for many of us their are feelings, emotions, and thoughts in our hearts and minds that are not good, that are not in alignment with the scriptures. What God has said should be in our hearts and minds has been written for us as a record that could be revisited. When we are off the mark, it is easy to feel condemned. However, we are not condemned.

Romans 1:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Let’s revisit the process and the explanation will become clearer. We allow ourselves to feel or think something wrong. We enjoy it at the moment. Even the scriptures attest to this.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

But because the Law is written in our heart (the New Covenant), we feel the clash between the two. We are then convicted of our sin (transgression of the Law) because we were transformed at our new birth. We have something within us that is telling us to turn from the sin and turn to Yahuah. We will not be condemned if we will make that turn. We need to acknowledge the conviction, seek forgiveness through the redemptive blood of Yehsua (Jesus), and turn to walk after Yahuah.

This is a very freeing thought. When reading Romans 1:1, a believer might feel they are condemned because they are not perfect. That is not correct. One must consider all of the scripture. When we do, we will see that there is a process to our everyday lives that leads to life!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. We praise the name Yahuah. Let Your kingdom be with us. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal our hearts. Heal our minds. Deliver us from the thief that steals and destroys. Restore unto Your people one hundred times one hundredfold. Show us a sign for good. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

What Have We Learned

Each time we hear, see, or do something, we have an opportunity for learning. If we use these opportunities well, we advance the kingdom in our lives and through our lives. We are essentially here to do just that – to advance the kingdom. When we keep this goal in mind, then we improve our opportunity for success at advancing the kingdom.

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.

When we speak Yahuah’s (Lord’s) commands essentially all the time, we hear them all the time. This gives us the power to do them all the time. The word translated here as “hear” literally means “hear and do” or “hear and take action”. This is active learning, on the fly.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King! Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom will be with us here. Send us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us our sins. Heal up our hearts and minds. Raise up within us the power to change our lives, and to speak Your words continually. Deliver us from the thief that kills and steals. Restore unto your people one hundred times one hundredfold. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Family Resting

Today is a really great day here! We are at Shabbat services and have many families here. It is cool to have this many people gathered together to share the Sabbath. We enjoy the time we spend with believers. They are our family.

Luke 8:20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

More family is good.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King. We praise the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom be with us. Send us now Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal us and deliver us. Show us a sign for good. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Helping Others

A friend of mine has a rather large project he is working on completing. As he told me about it, it seemed a bit overwhelming to me. But he keeps going, no matter what. To me, that is impressive. What he told me was how important it is to help others. He believes that by helping others, it builds stronger relationships. It is this community of relationships that makes this so powerful. I agree, I think. The scriptures seem to support the idea of the importance of community.

Psalms 133 A Song of degrees of David.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

Today, let us work toward helping each other.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom reign within us and around us. Send us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us our sins. Heal up our hearts and minds, that we might better serve You. Deliver us from the thief. Restore unto Your people abundance that has been held back or stolen. Quickly send Your provision. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Thankfully Weary

This morning I had to get up exceptionally early, before dawn, to help a friend go retrieve a stranded car. The extra two hours of driving time caused me to be exhausted to the point of taking a short nap in my own car after returning and driving another hour to drop my daughter off at camp. But as I sit slightly weary at the beginning of the day, I have to smile. I am so grateful for what our Father has done for me and for the people around me. It is overwhelming to know that He loves us so much that He gently ushers us down the road when we are in challenging times, and brings us through our mistakes and victories to a better place, every time.

Psalms 134:1 Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

Today, let’s be thankful, even though we might be weary. Let’s be thankful to our Father.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King! We long for Your kingdom among us. Bless the name Yahuah! Send us today Your overwhelming blessing. Many are sick and hurting Father. We ask that You heal them in their bodies and hearts and minds, and us too. The thief seems to never stop trying to kill, steal and destroy Your people. Destroy his works and stop him cold in his tracks. Restore unto Your people one hundred times one hundredfold that which has been killed, stolen, destroyed, or just help back. Send Your warrior angels to overwhelm him and his forces. Do this is a mighty way to show us a sign for good that all men might know that it is You and You alone that has done this. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.