When The Battle Begins

Every battle we face in life has a beginning. For us, we need to be prepared for that battle, so that we can come through it and experience a positive ending. That preparation has many components. This morning in reading some scriptures, I discovered one that I saw in a new light as I thought about the beginning of battle with the enemy.

Psalms 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Embedded in this scripture is a key I had not seen in times past – “… a good understanding have all they that do his commandments…” When I looked at this scripture this morning, this new viewpoint emerged. By keeping His commandments, it gives us a frame of reference. Once we have that frame of reference, we operate from that perspective. That is our understanding that is spoken of here. Having the correct frame of reference sets the stage for everything else we do. From that we then arm ourselves to prepare for the battle, but the correct beginning is essential to our success.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. Your kingdom is longed for by Your people. Praise the name Yahuah! Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal our hearts and minds Father, that we might follow you more. Deliver us from the evil that wants to steal from us, has stolen and is stealing from us. We need You now. Come quickly. We ask all these things in the name of Messiah Yeshuah. Amen.

Wall Repairs

We are God’s work in this earth, the wall and the gates to His kingdom. Scriptures speak of us as ambassadors.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Here we see a couple very important points. First is, we are ambassadors for our Messiah. We are His representatives, His mouthpiece. People watch and listen to us to see if we do and say the things the scriptures say. But there is another important point here. We see we are to be reconciled to God.

Paul is encouraging us to get right with God. He even tells us the way that is accomplished. It is through the righteousness we get from our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). He was made sin for us, but He knew know sin. In a way, we traded places. Because of the work He did at the cross, He got our sin and we got His righteousness before our Father, Yahuah. It was the deal of the century for us.

Our job today, and likely everyday, is to keep working at walking in God’s ways. We need to continue to find the path that Yahuah (Lord) put before us. When we stumble we put bad bricks in the wall, or put them in the wall badly. We fix those bad spots in the wall by repenting, by turning back to Yahuah and He will turn to us.

Today, let’s all continue to repair our walls, returning to God for forgiveness and direction.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. We love and appreciate You, for You have done so much for us. We need Your kingdom. Praise the name Yahuah! Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal up the broken walls in our hearts and minds. Deliver us from the evil that has stolen and is stealing from us. Come in Your power and might, and crush the works of the enemy. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Challenged By The Moment

Many in the faith find times when they struggle. They feel challenged by what we see around us.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

For example, this morning I faced brakes out in my van. My day was full, and we have had our fair share of challenges recently. But at the repair shop, I struck up a conversation with the mechanic. It all resulted in opportunity.

We only need believe and trust that our Father is on our side.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. We need Your kingdom. Praise the name Yahuah! Send us today overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal us and deliver us from the evil that is stealing from us. Come quickly Father. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah. Amen

Preparing The Fields

We have a mission in life. That mission is to serve the living God and keep His ways. We are His children. We need to follow after Him. We need to be His people with our whole hearts. This is a challenge because we live here in this world where not everything goes as we would like it to go. We are faced with choices pretty much all the time. Yes, these choices are choices about actions in the physical, and most likely we do okay there for the most part. But these choices are also deeper than that because they also are choices for the mind and heart. Our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus) spoke about this.

Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

John, in one of his letters repeats this idea. He speaks of hatred being the same as murder.

1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

So what does this mean for us then? In part, I suggest it means that we need to spend time in self examination to see how we line up with what the book of instructions says to do. We are to cry out to our Father for help in becoming better examples of who He wants us to be. We need to ask Yahuah (Lord) to help us by creating clean hearts in us. He will do for all His people what He did for David. We need only to ask and be diligent to work on our thinking and speaking. He will help us make it because He is a loving Father and He loves us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. You alone have delivered us from death. Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom be with us. Send us now, this very day, Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal up our hearts and minds Father. Help us to be complete and set apart unto you. Deliver us from the evil that has stolen and is stealing from Your people Father. Help us to love one another and lift each other up. We need Your love towards our brothers and sisters in the faith. Help us to have that love. We ask all these things in the name of Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Rest Well

This morning as I was looking at the bright sun coming through the almost barren trees in the forest behind my house, it looked like it should be very warm outside. It is not. This morning it is only thirty seven degrees out, and it does not look promising for it to get much warmer today. As humans we tend to want to be comfortable. We associate that comfort at times with our physical conditions, like sun light, temperature, precipitation, the foods we like, etc. Our comfort is closely tied to being content. When we feel comfortable, we feel content. But if we allow ourselves to go that route, then we will be allowing our circumstances to drive our ability to be content. It does not have to be that way. Paul has a better suggestion.

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Paul seems to indicate that there is a way to being content that WE control, not our surrounds. There is an advantage to that, as Paul goes on to state.

Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We see here that Paul learned how to not only survive, but thrive regardless of the circumstances. Throughout this verse Paul is speaking about the teachings of Yahuah (Lord), which is the good news as it has been from the beginning. And He sent His son, Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus), to seal the deal for us. Our Messiah will empower us to do all things that are in the will of our Father. If, for example, you are struggling financially, what has our Father said to us repeatedly in scriptures about this? Here is just one.

Deuteronomy 8:18 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.

And there are many more. If we commit ourselves to doing out Father’s work, He will take us through the good and bad times. He will make the end better than the beginning.

Today, on the Sabbath, we can rest well, knowing that our Father cares for us, and is watching over us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King. We give praise and honor to You, and to Your name, Yahuah (Lord). Bring Your kingdom and with it Your shalom (peace). Send today Your overwhelming blessing of provision that overflows our ability to hold it. Forgive us our sins. Heal our hearts from the inside. Deliver us from the evil that is stealing from us. Strike down the machine that takes at all times from Your people, leaving them with nothing. Our only hope is in You, Yahuah (Lord). Rise up and deliver us today. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Letting Our Hearts Sing

We are created in a certain way by our creator. In that certain way lies all that we are and all that we are meant to be. We are created in His image. When we think of ourselves as limited or small, perhaps it would be good to remember we are created in His image. How small is that? Quite large, actually.

Psalms 147:1 Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

When we think of the awesome possibilities that are at His disposal, we can rejoice in knowing we are made in His image. He has set us in this place to rule the earth. He prepares the world for us.

Psalms 8:1O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

His name, Yahuah (Lord), is excellent in all the earth!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are the One King. Let Your kingdom reign. Bless and praise the name Yahuah! Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal our hearts. Deliver us from the tormentors that attempt to steal from us. They are round about us. We resist them Father. We ask that You make them flee as You say in Your scriptures. We need You today. We need Your mighty deliverance. We ask this in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Giving Thanks Always

There are many scriptures that speak to the idea of us giving thanks to God for all that He has done for us. Many of them can be found in the Psalms, where actual songs to Yahuah (Lord) have been documneted. David was noted for having written and sung manhy of these to God. If we think about it, that makes sense. As a shepherd, he would have spen many hours alone with only animals for company. He sang to God in those times. He knew Yahuah was always there to hep him. And he continued this practice after becoming king.

Psalms 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

The list of times that David has written about how good it is to Praise Yahuah (Lord), when to praise Yahuah (Lord), all the great reasons to praise Yahuah (Lord), etc. And David was not perfect. He had a major moment of not following God’s ways when he had another man’s wife killed in battle so he could have his wife. Yet, David repented and turned back to God. One of his most famous psalms, one many of us have sung, is about that time.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

David knew that only Yahuah (Lord) could and would forgive him. He trusted in Yahuah to take care of him. And he was always thankful for all that God did for him.

Today, let’s sing thanks to our Father.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King. We need Your kingdom here with us. Praise the name Yahuah! You alone are worthy to be praised. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal us up from the inside out. Help us to have a thankful heart, and to believe and trust in You. Deliver us from the thief that has been and continues to steal from us, even in the night. Rise up and defend Your people, O Mighty King! Rise up, Yahuah, we cry to You alone for our Shalom (peace and completeness) from the thief and destroyer. Come now and crush that work. Deliver us with a strong hand and outstretched arm, even today. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Fight For The Future

When I stopped to think about it, we really do not fight usually for where we are currently. WE are already in this moment. We always are fighting for where we need and/or want to be. That is the nature of spiritual warfare. We want to fight through to a better place.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Today’s message is simple. We fight for our future and the future of those we know and love.

Fight on!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King. We love You, and we praise the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom reign. Send us Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal us and deliver us. Come quickly to our aid, Father. We need You. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Waking Up To Miracles

Recently I heard someone recount the story of the 1980 US Hockey Team. It was truly an amazing story about a leader’s commitment to being someone that made a difference. There are a number of stories like this throughout history where an individual knew they were meant to do something special, and they never gave up on that something special. In the end they helped many, which in turn helped them. David’s story is one such story. He faced Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

David knew His God, Yahuah (Lord), would not turn away from the fight. He knew His God would win. In the end, David knocked Goliath out with a pebble, and then killed him with his own sword. The very thing that he meant to kill David with became the tool of his own destruction.

This morning I woke up realizing that I know an elderly widow, who is on the verge of having her family home taken by the bank, to keep her home. I tried to go back to sleep, but could not. Perhaps today I help her to become David, slaying the Goliath, the bank. Keep her in your prayers. Her name is Helen.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are the One True King. Praise the name Yahuah! Let Your kingdom and will come to this earth. Send us now Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Heal us up from the inside. Deliver us from the evil that steals and destroys. Today, deliver Helen from the evil of the financial matrix. Help us, O King; rise up with anger in Your nostrils and deliver Your people from the thief that has stolen and is stealing from Your people. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.

Help Comes

Sitting here today writing this, I think about the times and stories that I have heard about how our Father comes to the rescue of people. It is true, and has been true throughout the ages. He takes care of us. We are His people, and He never forgets to take care of His people. There are at least two sides to that experience. There is God’s side, where He sees the end from the beginning. And then there is our side, where we see the sequence of events. It causes me to think about Moses and the experiences of the Exodus.

Moses grows up, kills an Egyptian, and flees. In a distant land he marries, becomes a shepherd, and is content. Then our Father, Yahuah (Lord), calls him from a burning bush. He shows Moses signs, and tells him to go tell Pharaoh to let the people go to worship in the wilderness. He gives Moses the ability to demonstrate these same signs to the elders of Israel. Then they go through some amazing times, leading up to the Red Sea. At what point does Moses know God’s ways?

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

This becomes an important question for us as believers. When we face challenges, or even perhaps what seems like overwhelming odds, we need to know Yahuah’s (Lord) ways. It helped Moses make it through the time from leaving to go to Egypt through the Exodus and the forty years of wandering. It is through faith in our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus) that we can know that God hears us and is on our side. He knows what we need before we even say it.

Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

This leads to so many thoughts about our walk with the Father. Certainly He watches over us. Certainly He cares for us. Certainly He is on our side. We need to be like Moses, able to believe that we hear Yahuah (Lord) when He speaks to us, and then act upon those things He says to us. Certainly, we can rely on Him.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King. It is Your Kingdom we seek. Bless the name Yahuah! We ask that today, this very day, You send to us provision. Make it abundant provision, a sign to those that do not believe You are true. Forgive us for our sins. Heal up our insides that we might believe and cling to You at all times. Deliver us from the destroying thief that has taken over so much authority for the sustenance of this land. Your people have been robbed. Many do not even know the theft is occurring. Help us. Come with a strong hand today and an outstretched arm. Smite the thief and grind that work to powder today. Come quickly, my King, come quickly. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.