And Be Thankful

How many times to we ask, no beg God to give us something or help us? Now match that with just how many times we remember to thank Him when it comes to pass. There is so much we take for granted but it should not be that way.

So many times we are worried about a trip or task. We ask our Heavenly Father for help and strength. At the end of the day when all is done and we are safely at home, do we think of Him and what He has done? I would like to propose a change in our daily routine. Before you close your eyes to sleep, recount all of the loving things God has done. Nothing is too big or too small to thank Him for. We can especially thank Him for peace and resting in His loving care as members of the Body of Christ:

"¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Col. 3:15

I am convinced that this thankfulness brings peace and only the peace of Christ is true and tangible. We can become like Martha, concerned with many things when only one thing is needed. That is to sit at the feet of Yeshua and learn from him.

"But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;" Luke 10:41

We can also get off track worrying about temporal things. Facing certain death at the hands of his enemies, Yeshua asked his Father for HIS will to be done and not his own. The Father was pleased with Yeshua's prayer and because of his laying down his life for us, we now have access to that same perfect peace. Through Yeshua, we also have been assured that same perfect resurrection! Jesus is our Passover Lamb, once and for all time. When we let the peace of the Messiah rule in our hearts we will see that we have so much to be thankful for. Our lives will reflect the true peace within.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for everything that You have done for me today. I especially thank you the peace in my heart from Christ. In Yeshua's name I bless You!

Take Heart

There is a Proverb of great wisdom that I think applies today:

"When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan." Proverbs 29:2

Solomon's son, Rehoboam found this out the hard way when he taxed and made the yoke on his people Israel even heavier than this spendthrift father. How did the people react to his lack of compassion? Here is an except from Wikipedia:

"The people, led by Jeroboam feared that Rehoboam would continue to tax them heavily - as had his father Solomon. Jeroboam and the people promised their loyalty in return for lesser burdens. The older men counseled Rehoboam at least to speak to the people in a civil manner (it is not clear whether they counseled him to accept the demands), but the king sought advice from the people he had grown up with; they advised him to show no weakness to the people, and to tax them even more, which Rehoboam did. He proclaimed to the people,

"Whereas my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, so shall I add tenfold thereto. Whereas my father chastised (tortured) you with whips, so shall I chastise you with scorpions. For my littlest finger is thicker than my father's loins; and your backs, which bent like reeds at my father's touch, shall break like straws at my own touch."

Jeroboam and the people angrily rebelled; the ten northern tribes broke away and formed a separate kingdom, Israel, which was also known as Samaria, or Ephraim^. The realm Rehoboam was left with was called Judah, after the Tribe of Judah that formed the largest part of the population."

So Rehoboam was left with half of the Kingdom he once held. We all know that lying, bribes and special favors were also prominent in the government of that time. The widows and orphans were routinely cheated and abused. The Glory of Israel, Yah Almighty sent his prophets to tell them to mend their ways or face exile. They did not listen and so were scattered to the four corners of the globe. Only when King Yeshua returns will righteous government be fully realized over the earth.

Deut. 24:17 warned...."Do not deprive foreigners and orphans of their rights; and do not take a widows garment as security for a loan."

PRAYER: Almighty God, You care for all people but especially the weak and the oppressed. You oh Yah are the champion of all such ones who call on Your name! Give our nation righteous authorities who will govern according to Your will. In Yeshua's faith, Amen.

A Free Gift

One of the most telling accounts in Luke concerns a very short, dishonest and rich chief tax collector named Zacchaeus. He might have been all those things but he still wanted to see Yeshua, (Jesus). Unable to see above the throngs, he decided to run ahead and climb a Sycamore Fig Tree to get a glimpse of Yeshua as he passed by.

Can you imagine his surprise when Yeshua looked up and calling him by name, said for him to come down for he wanted to eat at his house that day? Well, this displeased the crowd greatly because tax collectors were counted in with sinners and traitors to the Jewish nation. They not only collected tribute for their oppressors but also added a bit more on to help line their own pockets. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector so he did such things on a much larger scale than the others in the region.

Still Zacchaeus had one thing going for him. He really wanted to see Jesus and made a strident effort to do so. Almighty God does not look at a person's outward appearance but sees the heart. Zacchaeus' heart was being drawn by the Father. I am sure He revealed this to His Son Yeshua who said:

"No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:44

So that is why after being around Yeshua at his table, he felt ashamed and vowed to make amends for the money he stole from those he collected taxes from.

"Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham." Luke 19:9

Spending time with Jesus does that to a person! Those who really seek him have already been drawn by the Father. The gift for such faith is what Yeshua promised when he said that he would raise such ones up on the last day. Salvation came to Zacchaeus' house that day because of:
1. His FAITH

2. His repentant spirit

3. His willingness to act to conform his life to God's standards as taught by Yeshua

4. God's free GIFT of salvation is by grace not by works

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for drawing me to You through the blood of Yeshua. I believe that his finished work is enough to credit the gift of salvation to me, a true spiritual daughter of Abraham. In Yeshua's Faith, Amen.

All I Need

It is amazing to learn that despite all of my worrying, striving and effort, Almighty God stands ready to supply my every need! No issue or concern is too big or too small. It can be something with my health, emotional state or spiritual need. He wants us to come to Him and not lean on our own understanding. In fact the Bible indicates Yah is insulted when we look to other ways of obtaining help before asking Him. Here is what Elijah said to the then King of Israel, Ahaziah:

He said to him, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'"2 Kings 1:16

Now we know that a King of Israel was commanded by Law to study the word of Yah day and night so that he might rule acceptably. That is why it is said to whom much is given, much is required. In that seat of authority and knowing what God said about following false gods, there was no excuse for his actions. In Ahaziah's heart, there was no God in Israel. He turned his back on the one true source of a positive response to his request. You see Ahaziah inquired of Baal Zebub as to whether or not he would recover from the illness in his feet. Rather than waste his time with Baal, (who did NOT help him), he should have asked Yahweh, the God of Israel to heal him. Just as the prophet Elijah foretold, he died.

God spoke of the wayward nation of Israel as no longer seeking His blessing. They turned instead to witchcraft which is also idolatry. They looked to other things to satisfy their temporal and spiritual needs. Do we do that today? Do we think we can get better advice about our future from a horoscope, Madam Zulu the spiritualist or some other demonic devising? When we choose these sources over consulting the ONE True God, He is rightfully insulted!

The Almighty made us in His image, male and female. He is deeply interested in every aspect of our lives. His son Yeshua delivers His set apart spirit which is the power to lead Godly lives. What more do we need? Really, HE is all I need!

Heavenly Father, You are my everything and Yeshua is my portion forever! Steady my heart to inquire of YOU as to all of my needs today. In Yeshua's name, amen.

Better Possessions

We take very much for granted living in the USA. Even in many developed European countries, you do not see the freedom of speech we have here. In fact one of the reasons why people migrated to the United States is because in their own countries, they were not allowed to think and believe freely. The state church was what everyone living in that country was to subscribe to.

This means if you read the Bible and came to a different opinion as to its interpretation than the church of the realm's doctrine, you were not only labeled a heretic but a traitor to the king! You were not allowed to be governed by your own conscience but what the authorities said you must believe. To this day in countries like China, the only legal Christians are those who subscribe to one of the three Self Churches which are operated by the atheist Chinese government! Many people have seen through this also and meet in secret using homes, fields and barns to avoid being detected. This is just what the former members of the Church of England under King James did. While death was seldom meted out, confiscation of goods and imprisonment were common. The Apostle Paul likewise saw this during his own time when the newly formed Church was being persecuted:

"For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens." Hebrews 10:34

Sometimes, that's the way things will turn out. Our God is not a puppeteer controlling every move of our adversaries. Oftentimes for the sake of righteousness, when we speak out, we will suffer similar loses and mistreatment. What if Paul and the first members of the Body of Christ had kept silent? Notice however that such people have a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens. This means treasure that will not rust, fade or perish in fire. Yah sees and remembers those who love Him and stand up for His word which was given through His Son, Yeshua. Jesus is Yah's Salvation! That is what Yeshua or Joshua means. Everlasting life in God's Kingdom which will be established right here on earth is certainly a better possession than anything this passing world can offer.

PRAYER: Merciful Heavenly Father, let me be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in my heart both in season and out of season. Help me to stand up for Your truth regardless of what governments, peoples or religious groups may say. In Yeshua's faith, Amen.