When The Days Get Away

Today has been a challenge. The time started at lightning speed this morning and has not stopped. When days happen like this it is a bit of a struggle. Although I prayed many times throughout the day, I missed my early morning time of prayer and reading, plus writing. But our Father is good. Overall it has been a good day. I want to leave you with a scripture of encouragement.

Psalms 143:1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of all praise and honor. Let Your kingdom reign in the earth. We praise the name of Yahuah. We magnify You alone. Send us Your overwhelming abundant provision today. Heal us. Deliver us from the evil that tries to oppress us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Health To The Land

We have been given a charge from the beginning to watch over Yahuah’s (Lord’s) creation.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

In Eden, man originally walked in God’s ways. When they went away from God, then came the fall and the creation became messed up. Death entered the world. But since that time God has been in the business of restoring the creation. This process continues at least until the return of our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

Acts 3:20 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.

What are the “all things” spoken of here? Certainly the creation would seem to fit. But what is the process? A part of that process has been revealed time and again in the scriptures. When God’s people follow His ways, the land is blessed. When they refuse to follow His ways, the land is cursed and they can be carried away captive. What are these ways that seem to impact the deliverance of God’s people and creation from evil? It happened in the Exodus. Look at who and what was judged in Egypt at the first Passover.

Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.

Nahum also confirms this as a second witness.

Nahum 1:15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

Let us perform the good news and keep the Feasts of Yahuah (Lord).

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are the one true and living King. We praise the name of Yahuah. Let Your kingdom and Your will come to this earth. Send us Your overwhelming provisions today. Forgive us our sins. Heal up our hearts and our minds, for we have been in bondage in a foreign land as a people many years. Deliver us with a strong hand and outstretched arm. Do not pull back until all that has been stolen from Your people, and times upon times more, has been given to Your people that all might know that You alone have done this. You are our King. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name we ask these things of You, Yahuah. Amen.

Searching While We Rest

We are most blessed among all the people on the earth to have the opportunity to rest each week. Here, on the Sabbath, we have the time to recline and consider Yahuah (Lord), Creator of heaven and earth. He has given unto us specific times and seasons to mark His will and His ways. It is His Sabbaths and the appointed Feasts that are the good news, for as long as we keep them we declare our Messiah and Yahuah drives evil from our midst.

Nahum 1:15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

We are also to let the land rest every seventh year, a Sabbath of years to Yahuah. This is His command.

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.

When we do these things in obedience to Yahuah (lord), He is our Defender and our Strong Tower.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You the Most High. You are our King. We praise and thank You. We praise and thank the name Yahuah (Lord). Let Your kingdom reign here. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sin. Help us to build a hedge against evil around our hearts and minds. Heal us. Deliver us from those that would steal from us what You have provided. Crush them and take from them what they have and give it to Your people. Come with a strong hand and outstretched arm. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

We Keep Moving

Life has twists and turns. We are most blessed to have a Father in heaven that wants us to make it. He wants us to survive and live our lives before him in a way that reflects we are following Him. Sometimes when I think of trying to live life “right” in the face of all of the challenges that come our way, I can become afraid because I am human. For me, getting frustrated with inanimate objects is a real challenge as an example. The coffee cup that dribbles down my shirt on the way to an important meeting, the hose that leaks and shoots water in my face, or the water from the faucet in a public restroom that splashes the front of my pants – all of these seem innocent enough. Yet when they happen to me (especially if they are back to back) I am faced with a choice. Do I become frustrated or do I praise Yahuah (Lord) for the life He has given me? I want to be the one that praises His name Yahuah in that moment, and sometimes I am. But sometimes I am not. This morning as I think about these and other situations, I am trying to discern how to be the better person in this example. A scripture came to mind when I was praying to Yahuah (Lord) for His help.

Psalms 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
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.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

David knew that on his own he could not get to a place of being “right” with the Father. More importantly, David knew that if he called out to Yahuah (Lord) that Yahuah would respond and cleanse his heart. As I think on these things this morning, I can see that we have this opportunity to receive help from Yahuah (Lord) just as David did. For me, it makes me glad to know that I do not have to do this on my own.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. Thank You for being our King. Let Your kingdom come to us here today. We praise the name Yahuah. Send us today Your most abundant blessing such that it overflows us and reaches out to others. We ask You forgive us for our sins. Help us to get past the temptations in life to walk contrary to Your ways. We need Your healing touch. We need Your deliverance from the evil that would steal from us what You have provided. Come with a strong hand and outstretched arm and deliver us today. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Returning

We have amazing opportunity with our heavenly Father. He not only wants us to be with Him in eternity, He also wants us to live a good life in His presence while here on this earth. He looks for us to return to Him.

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.

Our Father knows we go astray. He wants us to come back He has provided for that way.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus) is the way to the Father. Our Father, Yahuah (Lord), has been and will always be merciful unto us. We need only turn to Him to be restored. We can be thankful that He is and always will be there with open arms when we turn to Him.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. Praise the name Yahuah! Send us Your overwhelming blessing such that we cannot contain it. We need Your forgiveness for our sin. Please remember that we are human and frail. We love You and need You. We long for Your kingdom. Heal us. Deliver us from the darkness that would steal from us what You have given. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

While We Are Here

Some friends of mine have experienced two deaths in their extended families in the last few days. It has been a challenging time for them, to say the least. For me, as I thought about their sorrow in losing friends and family, it caused me to reflect on life and its purpose. Early in life I was more of a person that was living for unrealistic dreams. They were actually not real dreams because I never did anything to actually pursue them. They were more just “wishes.” As I look at life it seems to me we have two missions while we are here. They are to live a good and full life, and to do the Father’s will.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Yeshua (Jesus) did what He saw the Father doing. And He came for a purpose.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

This is a reflection of what Moses said when He pronounced a blessing on the children of Israel.

Dueteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
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.
9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
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.
13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

This is the same message our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) was saying. Leave off the traditions of men and follow Him, just as He followed after what the Father was doing. Yahuah (Lord) has never changed. His ways and His commandments remain. What has changed is that we have a sacrifice in the death of our Messiah that covers for us when we stray from His ways and commandments. That is not a license to transgress the law (sin). It is just a way of escape when we do.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of our praise. We praise the name Yahuah. Send us today Your overwhelming provision and drive the evil from our dwellings. Forgive us our sin. Help us, Father. Yahuah, we are but men. You alone are our hope for healing and for deliverance. Deliver us with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Make all men to know through Your deliverance of us that You alone Yahuah have done this. In Yeshua’s (Jesus) name. Amen.

Past And Future

It is the middle of the night here and when I woke up God had me begin praying. As it turns out a message had been left on my phone that someone had a death in their family. Their grandfather, in his 90s and struggling in the hospital, had passed away. It is difficult to hear such news because we have the past full of memories and we want those days to always live on. But in every moment we are alive, we create more past and step into new and uncharted future. That is the way of life. In times like these it is good to remember that our heavenly Father has a way and wants us all to walk in it. There is a plan for a future in which we are all reunited and live in a very different set of circumstances. That future is in a new heaven and new earth.

2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Peter spoke of a future time when there would be a new dwelling place for the people of God. This new place was to replace the current heavens and earth, it would seem. John also wrote about such things.

Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

We can see that the believers that came before us were anticipating a very different future. They lived for that future. They placed hope in Yahuah (Lord) and in His deliverance once and for all into this amazing new place of peace and rest. It is true that many have different opinions about what will be in the future. Perhaps the most important point is, there will surely be a future, and because we serve Yahuah the God of mercy and truth, it will be wonderful.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy to be praised. We love You and praise the name Yahuah (Lord). Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sins. Help us to overcome fear and pride. Heal up our broken hearts. Deliver us from the evil that would draw us away from You. Deliver us with a strong hand and outstretched arm from the evil that would steal from us what You alone have provided. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Memorials Are Important

Today in America we celebrate a day that memorializes all of those that died while serving in the military. For many of us, it is also for those that made it through. It is good to remember those that sacrifice for us. The idea of a memorial actually is a scriptural one. We have a record of it in the Exodus when Yahuah (Lord) delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. There are some interesting things said about this memorial.

Exodus 13:5 And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.
6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
8 And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.
10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.

We see here that the keeping of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (and the Passover the day before) places a memorial between the eyes (on the forehead) and a sign (or memorial) on the back of the hand. In essence, keeping this Feast of Yahuah (Lord) marks us in the spiritual realm.

So we see memorials are a long standing tradition to those that believe the scriptures to be true. May God bless those that served.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. We praise the name Yahuah (Lord) and thank the name Yahuah (Lord). Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us when for our sins, for against You only do we sin. We have been blinded. Open our eyes. Help to see and receive the truth of Your scriptures. Heal our hearts and minds. Deliver us from temptation and darkness. Deliver us from those that would steal from Your people. Deliver us with an outstretched arm and strong hand. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Listening To Hear

There are issues for us today as believers. Many, many issues, relating to life and what transpires daily in it. In fact, life regularly swells up like a an overflowing river, and the banks of our lives cannot contain all that comes. This can be particularly true in the case of people speaking what is on their minds. It is good to share with one another, but can it be that there is too much sharing? I do not propose to have the answer. It is true that I have been on both the receiving and the giving end of too much talking in too short a period of time. And there does appear to be a scripture that addresses this point.

Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

So, yes there can be too much speaking. But how much is too much? Is it always the same? I do not have the answer, but I may have an answer. When the words are overwhelming for the listener, then it is too much. My guess is, that varies for many reasons. The only logical conclusion I can come to is that this area, like the rest of our walks, has to be done in communion with our Father. He alone can give us perfect guidance in this matter. We must spend time with Him to truly know.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are King. We thank the name Yahuah (Lord) for all You do. Send us Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us when we mess up. Heal us and deliver us. And come quickly. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Resting In Him

Today I had the privilege and the blessing of watching as our Father did a miracle for a friend of mine. He was up against and even past a deadline. Yet, in a moment, out of nowhere came the answer and deliverance. This on the Sabbath. God delivers us even on the Sabbath. Yeshua taught us that.

Mark 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

Here we see that Yeshua tells us that healing is an act of the Father, and that healing and deliverance are for the Sabbath. And I saw it today.

Father
We exalt You. We praise Your name Yahuah (Lord). You are our King. Send us Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our sin. Deliver us with a mighty hand. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.