Learning To Live

Life is in part about learning, especially about God. We are His people. We are are to follow in His ways. But how do we know these ways? One path is through study of scripture. This studying of scripture includes the Sabbath as a day of learning, praise, worship and fellowship. We are not meant to be alone.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

And how do we do this? Scriptures give us some direction here as well.

Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
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.

Let us keep the Sabbath, learning to live.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You, our King. Teach us Your ways and how to follow them. Send us Your kingdom here on earth. Forgive us when we stray from Your ways. Send us today Your healing, deliverance, and abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

In Search Of Service

There is something in us as humans that wants to be praised, or perhaps a better word is liked. We want the positive attention of others. We want that feel good feeling that comes from the cheering crowd. That is not all bad, as long as it does not interfere with the rest of our lives. As believers, this can translate into the desire to find our role in God and plug in. We want the satisfaction of knowing we are doing something right, that somehow we are doing good. But there are times when we are not in an obvious outward role of formal service in a fellowship or Christian organization. At those times we can find ourselves wondering what we are to be doing and where our place to fit in really is. The answer may be closer than we think.

Psalms 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
5 O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
6 A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.
7 When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:
8 But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.
9 For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
11 Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
15 To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Each of us is already the planting of the Lord. If we listen and pray, we are already exactly where we need to be. While we are where we are, where ever we are, we can praise and worship our God. Collectively, we are the body of the Messiah, the temple of the living God. Let us praise Him while we are waiting for the next place to serve.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. We need Your kingdom. We just want to praise You. We love to serve You. Forgive us our errors and help us always find our way to Your path. Send us today Your healing, deliverance, and abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Thankful Living

This morning as I was looking out my window at my garden I thought about how we as believers respond to good and bad news about things in our lives. First, we tend to classify it as good or bad, which is based on what we know or can understand. When I think about hearing good news, say a financial blessing, our minds can race to what we will do with the money. Pay off bills, get needed clothing, a car that runs better – these and many more can flood into our brains. But then I imagined a better reaction for me might be to bow my head and say thanks to God. We ask Him for the good in life on a regular basis, when it comes, should we not realize that it was Him that made it happen. Better still, should we not be waiting in anticipation of it coming? This is what it would mean for me to be living thankful to God at all times.

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.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. Thank You for all You have provided for us. Thank You for Your kingdom that You bring into our lives. Thank You for forgiving us when we ask as we do now. Thank You for sending today Your healing, deliverance, and overwhelming provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Rising Early

Sometimes our days go exactly as planned. On other days events occur that seem accidental, yet later we discover it was no accident at all. It was as if it were planned. Today was one of those days for me. I had to get up extra early to take a 45 minute drive to a business appointment before work. Upon arriving I was told the appointment was tomorrow, which I remembered when they told me. It made me wonder why I was there. On the trip there and back I did manage to see several signs that had information that I was looking for and I was able to get some things done that I would have missed without this unusual series of events. Spiritual warfare can be the same.

We are called to prayer and praise as believers. We never know when our actions may change the course of events for someone we do not even know. David was both a physical warrior and a spiritual warrior. Although he was a soldier, he did not rely on only his own strength, but on God to defend him.

Psalms 63:1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

We too can battle early in the morning. We too can receive God’s protection and defense. We too can be helping our fellow believers with our early prayers and praise, whether they are next door, across town, across the country, or on the other side of the world. Let’s fight the enemy early with our prayer and praise today.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. We love You and need You in our lives. We need Your kingdom in our lives. Please forgive us for our transgressions. Please send us your healing power. Destroy the enemies of Your people. Help those we do not even know. Guide us and keep us. Deliver Your people. Send us Your abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Moving Forward

Believers are called to follow the One True God of the Universe. For some this is a divisive statement. In some countries it may even be illegal. I suggest it is neither. If you serve a different god, and you say your god is the one true god, I will not object. I say every person should be free to serve the god or gods they choose. And they should expect what comes with that from their god or gods. In fact, this same position is recorded in scripture.

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

It is interesting what we see here. Elijah makes a clear statment to the people to follow what they really believe and trust. What is interesting to me is the people said nothing. NOTHING! It is as if they were saying with their actions that they were so unsure that they would just wait and follow on the coat tails of today’s winner. As if tomorrow the winner might change. No loyalty there! But this is not the only case of such a statement being made to us as believers.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

This message is repeated over and over through out the scriptures. I suggest that God has even made certain that each of us reading this has had this message delivered to us as well. After all, you are reading this, right?

Prayer
father, we exalt You. Thank You for being our King. Send us Your kingdom. Forgive us when we sin against You. Send us Your healing, deliverance, and abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Restoring Hope

When we walk with God, we begin with great hope and expectation. Over time we can experience certain negative experiences that cause us to wonder what is going on. If we do not resolve this issue, over time we can lose that eager expectation, that hope. When we do, it erodes some of the foundation of our faith in God being on our side. I have seen many believers over the years experience this, and there have been times I have experienced it myself. The question becomes, how do we get it back?

There are many parts to the answer, but what comes to mind for me is to use the scriptures to focus our minds and hearts on God. Faith in God, the ability to focus on Him so that we both trust and believe in Him, is a beginning point.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
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.

We see here that Paul says that it takes faith to please God. He defines that as when we both believe that He is and that we can trust Him. For me this often takes stopping whatever I am doing and focusing on who God is to me and who I am to God. I am His kid. What Father does not fight to defend their kid? The next thing I have to remember is that no matter our condition, we have a powerful weapon in prayer and praise.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Elijah was just like us, with all the same challenges and faults. Yet, he prayed and the atmosphere changed! We can do that same thing if we will have faith in God. That faith becomes the ground work for the hope, the eager expectation, of God moving. One more thing is important about Elijah. He lived through it. God told him that He would send rain when he went to see the king. Then Elijah had to live through the challenge of the false prophets. Then he went to pray for rain and nothing happened. But he kept calling to God. Why? Because he trusted God and believed in Him.

1 Kings 18:1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

God is on our side. When we feel like our hope is gone, we need to remember we are living through what God has spoken. If we align ourselves to that, and we trust and believe in God, we can see Him rain the reign!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You are our King and Deliverer. We ask You send Your kingdom today. We ask You forgive us when we lose hope. Help us get it back. Send Your whirlwinds to defeat our enemies. Bring them to shame that they know You alone are God. Send us today Your healing, deliverance, and overwhelming provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

When They Say We Are Not

Some friends of min had an interesting event happen that reminded me of a scripture. David often sang songs and prayed about events when he needed help from God. He did this because he anticipated God would hear and respond. He fully expected what he sang would come to pass.

Psalms 83:1 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.
2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarites;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

David had many nations come against him. These nations consulted together to eliminate the people and their heritage. They were trying to blot out the name of Israel. My friends are having a similar experience. They created a website several years ago free for people to use. The spent a lot of money on the artwork to make it look nice (campsmart.com). Now, years later, a Chinese company has stolen their name and logo and placed it on camping gear in a national chain of discount buying stores. They want to make their name of none effect. But like David, I am praying for a different end for the efforts of these people.

Psalms 83:9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kishon:
10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:
12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;
15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord.
17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:
18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.

David sang and prayed that God would intervene. He specifically prayed against those in high places with the enemies. He asked that God confuse them and trouble them until they saw their shame. David did this because the people of God are representative of God. If the people of God are wiped out, then God’s presence in the earth is wiped out. He did it because God created this place and it belongs to Him. When things get out of kilter, God can set things right. I pray for my friends that God sets this right as well.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You alone are God. You alone rule the heavens and earth – they belong to You. We ask that You send Your kingdom today Father and drive our enemies to shame. Forgive us when we get things wrong. Deliver us from those that would steal our heritage and try to blot us out. Heal us from the harms they have caused. Send Your abundant provision to Your people today. Do these things that men may know that You alone are God. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Life Is Worth Living

We have a very small fish pond in our yard. I would not have guessed growing up that I would ever be in a position to have such a thing. As I was looking at it this morning, I noticed it was getting filled with algae. As I looked more closely, I could see that the filter was almost completely clogged. Being the Sabbath, I was faced with the challenge of having to go to buy a new filter on a day when we should not engage in commerce. It became clear to me that I really needed to do it. In thinking about scripture, I realized that this is actually an example of what Jesus meant.

Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. His point was life is a choice. The Sabbath was made to support life and man. We were not made to support it. So when it comes to a choice for life, like the life of the fish, we must choose life.

Life is worth the living!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You alone are worthy. Bring us the kingdom on this Sabbath day. Forgive us when we get it messed up. Send us Your deliverance, healing, and abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

While The Leaves Are Green

God shows us the future of things to come. It has been written many times over in the scriptures. We are to serve Him with our whole heart and watch. He wants us to be ready for those things He is and will be doing in our lives. If we will keep ourselves pure toward Him, if we make Him the love and joy of our lives, then we can know that He will always show us what is to come.

Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

Jesus was telling His disciples to learn from the tree. When a tree begins to send out leaves we know we are heading into summer. This is a sign. In the same way as we see the things come to pass that God said would happen we can know that He is on the move.

As I was waking up this morning I was finishing up a dream. It was just a single image of the green leaf of a tree. God was telling me that the leaf was a sign, and then he directed me to write about this leaf and search out the scripture above. God is telling us He is on the move. Signs are coming to pass. We can trust God to show us things in our own lives that are signs of things to come for us individually. If we will just trust God, we can make a difference. We can walk with God in confidence, for He alone is King.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. You alone are our source of everything. You alone can turn the hearts of the kings. We ask that You send Your kingdom today, Father. Please help us to choose right over wrong, and then do it. Only You can help us. Send today Your healing, deliverance, and abundant provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Humbling Experiences

Writing today I think of how much God intervenes on our behalf. I know for myself that I try to do the best I can in life and yet find myself making so many mistakes. When I look at my shortcomings and those of the people around me or those that are in government, it becomes overwhelming if I let it. Then I remember the scriptures and it gets better.

2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Paul is clear that if we focus on ourselves or on each other, we will miss what God is doing. We will be overwhelmed in those comparisons. That is misdirection. But there is good news. God gave us the standard of comparison for us as individuals. That standard is Jesus. Will we fall short? Absolutely. But our hope lies in our ability to trust that our God will lead us, guide us, and train us to be like Him more each day. If our hope is to rely in ourselves to do the work on our own, we are doomed. Only God can get us there. An for that we can be truly thankful.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. We long for Your kingdom to physically manifest in the earth. We are frail. We are but dust that You formed. Forgive us. Please mold us again into Your image and likeness. Please send us today Your wholeness, healing deliverance, and provision. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.