Comfort In Knowing

As believers we are called to walk as our Messiah, Jesus, walked. That seems obvious. The challenge is we are not yet perfect. We fail from time to time. We can think our life is too challenging. We can let the routine of the day overwhelm us. And it doesn’t matter where we are. We can be here in the US where life in general is better than other parts of the world. Or we could be where resources are more scarce. Each person is challenged with the darkness trying to sway them. After all, we are all humans. Perhaps this is just one of the reasons why God tells us to band together to help each other. But we each have choices to make. I have been searching for God’s patterns, for the practical ways He has given us to combat the darkness, and find comfort in the light. This morning as I was reading in Ephesians I found something that brought me comfort.

Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Here Paul is telling us what to abandon. He is naming some things that seem like obvious sin, and tells us not to let those be in us. What I saw for the first time is a key to getting rid of these things, and I suggest any temptation, when they come our way. Looking carefully at verse four at the end, he says, “but rather giving of thanks.” What Paul seems to be saying is that when these things come to us, we can reject them by giving thanks! For me, I knew there was power in being thankful, but until this morning I had no idea just how much power. Here we see that the giving thanks is the alternative, the weapon we can use. This also explains to me the power of living a thankful life. I also makes sense why giving thanks is mentioned so many times in places like the Psalms. This is comforting because we can now face these trials and temptations with a weapon that we know will disperse the enemy and the darkness! Praise God!

Today, if you face a trial or temptation, begin to thank God out loud. Imagine yourself fighting off the enemy when you do it, and watch what our Father will do for you today!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as our King. Thank You for dispelling the darkness that comes against us. Thank You for the healing You bring, the deliverance You bring, and the provision You bring! You alone are worthy of our praise. Let us be a sign for good, that all men might know that You alone are God, You alone are King. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Being On Track

It is our custom on Saturday morning for me to get up and make pancakes for the family. It started with my daughter getting up early to watch cartoons and my wife sleeping in and I wanted to make a surprise. Now it has become this fun thing we all look forward to for Saturday morning. Today we are having chocolate chip pancakes – yum! This story is really not about pancakes, however.

This story is about finding the good, and repetively doing it. In this case, it is pancakes and family fellowship. But there is more to the story. This morning I became frustrated trying to find the right cooking utensils. Probably none of the readers here have had this experience, but I actually started banging the utensils around to try to find what I needed. Finally my wife came down and rescued me from myself. And she had some songs and scriptures to share with me that God had shared with her. The songs were, “Not By Might” and “Trust In The Lord With All Your Heart”. The scripture was in Ephesians.

Ephesians:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

We are called to repeat the good things of God. Like the sabbath rest, times of love with friends and family, and seeking Him daily. It is important that we do not do the works of darkness but rather call them out for what they are. Even when they are done by us.

Even if we cannot find our kitchen utensils…

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the most High God. Please help us to do those things You would have us do. Please help us to be Your light to the world, to our family, and to our friends. Forgive us when we mess that up. Please send abundantly today the healing, the deliverance, and the provision we need. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

It’s Called Love

It seems obvious that on February 14, Valentine’s Day, we should have something about love. Today is supposedly a day to celebrate that love. Let us not take away from the need for couples to let their mates know they care. But it is a good reason to stop and consider love as believers. There are two or three scriptures that really stand out to me about love.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I never cease to be amazed when I read this scripture. I guess it is both because I have a son and I am a son. I love others, but to give up a son or have him suffer for others, especially those that hate him, would be impossible for me.

In John’s first letter we also see with clarity that we are to truly care for those around us.

1 John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Every day is a good day to love others. But today, and the day that is supposed to be dedicated to love. Let’s make an extra effort to love the unlovely, and to reach out to those in need.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High. We love You Father. Please help us to remember to love ourselves and to love others. We want to serve You. We want to reach out with Your kingdom to others. Help us to know what that takes. Help us to love. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Focusing

Life is an amazing collection of sights and sounds and smells – all the things that make up the events that we experience everyday. The scriptures seem to indicate that to some degree how we look at life is how it turns out.

Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…

Jesus also made similar comments about our thought life.

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.

And Paul and Moses tied the power to change our lives, and in Paul’s case our eternity, to what we say.

Deuteronomy 30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

I do not know exactly what the full impact is, but to some degree we control our lives and our destiny with what we think and what we say. Today when I got up I just began to sing thanks to God with an older contemporary tune for a psalm. It helped me to focus on God and on the fact that He alone is my provider. I was able to put off the business of life long enough to get back in tune with Him and what He is doing today.

If your day today (or any day) is starting to spin a little out of control, try taking just a moment to look up and say thank you. Sing your Dad a little tune, even if you are like me and don’t sing well. He will love it, just like He loves you!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High God. Today we are very thankful for all You do. We very much appreciate that You are holding everything together for us. Today we ask that You send to us, to Your people, the blessing of increase upon increase that You have already promised us in scripture. We ask that You send healing, and deliverance, and provision such that no man can doubt that You alone are God. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Love And Hate And War

It seems these days when listening to the news that one cannot not go long without hearing about conflict in the world. The war far away. Some country accused of developing nuclear weapons. That country denying it. It would be easy to conclude that there is too much hate and not enough love and caring for our fellow man. And we may be right. But God gave us these emotions. Why? It is easy to understand why He would give us the emotion of love, but why hate? As it turns out, there is at least one answer for this from the scriptures, and it has to do with warfare – spiritual warfare.

Psalms 119:SAMECH.
113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

Here the psalmist is taking a strong stand, the stand of hatred, toward “vain thoughts”. The word “hate” here in the Hebrew means to hate personally like an enemy. “Vain thoughts” means divided mind. “Law” is the Torah, which for us believers that have the New Covenant have this inscribed in our hearts. And love means strong affection. Putting this all together we get, “I hate when I have a divided mind, but I love the Law that is inscribed in my heart.” When we find ourselves struggling with thoughts trying to take the main stage in our mind and they are either detracting from or contrary to God’s ways, these are vain thoughts – we have a divided mind. The psalmist felt this and was fighting back with his words.

Psalms 119:114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

Here the psalmist is saying that God is his hiding place and defense. We see he is calling his vain thoughts evildoers, which means spoilers or something breaking into pieces. This is him speaking, or since this is a psalm, singing to himself, telling his divided thoughts to depart, which literally means to turn off. He calls to God to help him and to uphold him by His word. He knew where to turn when battling for His mind. James also writes about this.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
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.

James talks about how we can be tempted. He referred to the divided mind as being double minded, and that it makes us unstable. Since the thoughts always come first, these temptations will first be in our mind. This is what the writer of Psalms 119 was referring to when he said he hated a divided mind. We have to fight for our mind, for our thoughts. The psalmist spoke to himself, to his mind, with songs. This is how he turned off those thoughts for himself.

We have to fight for our thoughts and rely on the New Covenant, the Law written in our hearts. We have to trust that God wants to do these good things for us. Today if you have such a battle, fight back! Fight for your mind, and God will fight with you!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our Mighty Warrior King! We ask that You help us, your people, today to fight the battles in our mind. Help us to fight against anything that would distract us from Your ways and Your path in our life. Help us Father to turn these thoughts off that we might be able to meditate on Your word. Send today the healing and deliverance and provision that we need. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

This morning as I was praying about edification, I was impressed to read Psalms 115. It is a great scripture that speaks about how alive God is and how dead idols really are.

Psalms 115:1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

By contrast, we are encouraged to trust in God. The psalmist says the people that made the idols, the false gods, are as dead as the idols themselves. This reference is to the spiritual deadness of the people that make idols. However, the psalmist points out that God made the people, the heavens, and the earth. Those of us that believe in Him are alive.

Psalms 115:9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.

Yesterday was one of those busy days where it was close to overwhelming. It can be easy for me to get caught up in the business of the day. Reading a scripture like this helps to remind me that God is at work in the planet and in everything everywhere. We can see in this scripture the repetitive patterns. We see the comparison between the idols and those that believe in them to the One true God and those that believe in Him. We can also see that God is saying that Israel, the house of Aaron, and everyone that says they believe in God is to trust Him that He is their help and their defense. Then the passage goes on to say those that do, Israel, Aaron’s house, and all those that do trust in Him will be blessed, shall experience increase upon increase, and the blessing will be to our children as well.

God does things in patterns. He reveals Himself in patterns. As I though about being lead to this scripture while praying about edification, I saw a pattern. Edification is a process. Building requires building upon what has been built, over and over again. It is a pattern of repetition. Not only did this scripture build me up with the reminder that God wants us to trust Him and He will bless us, it also reminded me of God’s patterns. It was nice to get a double blessing!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the King. Thank You for leading and guiding us. Thank You for blessing us with increase upon increase. We ask that You help us to be good stewards of the blessings You provide. We ask that You Help us to build each other up. Please send today the healing, deliverance, and provision we need today, Father. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Helping Hands

As life has gone by I have noticed that almost all of us need a little help from time to time. And it is good to have help. Paul talks about this often in his letters.

1 John 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

We see we are to love our brother, so we expect love from others. However, maybe a part of having helping hands when we need them is offering helping hands to others. But what does that look like? Paul talks about this too.

Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

When we feel down, like we need a hand up, maybe finding someone else to help will help us too.

Prayer
Father, we thank You and praise You for being our God and King. We ask You today to send us the healing, the deliverance, the provision, and the encouragement we need today. Please use us to help those around us as well. We want to help. Please show us how. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Sources Of Comfort

Believers look to God for comfort. It is just one of many great gifts that our Father God wants to bestow upon us. For those of us that our fathers, I think of when my kids have been sitting on the couch in the winter and getting a blanket for them to wrap up in. I think of when they want to snuggle up against their mother while watching a movie. We are God’s children and it is the most natural thing to seek comfort from him. Paul mentions something in his letter to the Philippians that I found interesting that was a comfort to him.

Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Here we see Paul comparing the comfort of love to being of one mind and one accord with the other believers. He tells us to esteem them above ourselves. He tells us to not think on our own things but also on the things of others. And he sums this up by saying that this is exactly how Jesus operated, whom we are to imitate. So there is another form of comfort we can seek. That form of comfort is to strive towards the unity of the believers, and to look out for each other.

Think for a moment what that would be like. If in our lives every day we absolutely believed and knew that we could count on God to always be making a way for us. And think about how we would feel if we knew our fellow believers were looking out for our good, that we could turn to them in times of need, that we always had a group of people watching our backs. Perhaps this would be good for us to work toward. Perhaps we should all be striving to create that comfort for the entire group. Sounds like something Jesus would be doing today, right?

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as our King. We ask today father that You comfort Your people directly and through us. Help us to know when someone needs comforting. Help us to be more like Jesus (Yeshua) in all we do. Help us to find comfort in comforting others. Please send today the healing and deliverance and provision Your people need. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Remembering The Future

When we celebrate the sabbath by resting, it is a testimony to what God has done. I like to try to think about what that must have been like.

Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

God looked at everything and it pleased Him. It must have been most excellent! Lush green watered by a fog that came up from the ground. Warm. Fruits and vegetables readily available to eat. Walking around with lions and tigers and bears (O my!) and knowing that they would do what you say AND they were vegetarians, too. Imagine mosquitoes that only bit plants! Yes! And streams and pools of water that you could dip your hands into that would be clear, clean, and drinkable. So then God decided to rest and set a day apart as special, almost like an exclamation point!

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Here is a really great part. God has a plan to restore all things.

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 does all things mean? I suggest it means at least our reunited with God on a planet that is not as messed up as the one we have today, where there is peace. A place where everyone has what they need, people are happy within themselves and happy to be with other people. There will be no war and killing. And we will enter into rest with God.

The sabbath is not just about the time that God took after creation. It is not just about taking a day off each week. We do celebrate those things, but it is also a celebration of the future. It includes looking to that day when we will serve God face to face, forever in peace. If we can let ourselves live in that space, we can remember that future!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as out King! Thank You for the sabbath rest You have given to us. Thank You for the blessings You place upon us. Thank You for all You have done for us and do every day. Please be with us like a Dad today. Please give to us our healing and provision for this day. Please guide and keep us in Your ways. We love You. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

The Challenge Of Control

Today I was reading the letter from James. In chapter 3 there is a discussion about the tongue and how powerful it is. Comparisons were made to ships and animals.

James 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

An interesting part for me came when I investigated the root meaning of the Greek word for tongue. It refers to both the physical part of the body and the language it naturally learns, as if they are tied together. I do not fully understand what this means, but there seems to be a connection to our language and our control of ourselves through the use of the tongue. James refers to this when he says both good and bad should not come out of the same mouth, and then talks about what is in our hearts.

James 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

James is giving examples that good and bad cannot and should not come from the same place. He connects what is in our hearts to the actions we see in our lives. Finally, in the last verse in the chapter he notes how we can work toward that place of control.

James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

We get good fruit, good speaking and actions, when we plant those things. How do we do that? By spending time meditating on the scriptures, praying and praising God, and asking God to help us think on the good. That sounds like a good formula for a life that is turning more toward God every day.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. You are the Most High God. Help us remember to meditate on the scriptures every day. Help us to remember to talk to You every day. Please forgive us for the things we say and do that are not right in Your eyes and are not according to Your ways. Please heal and purify our hearts. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.