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יYod

Your hands made me and fashioned me;

Give me understanding, so I can learn your commandments.

Those who fear you rejoice at the sight of me,

Because I put my hope in your word.

I know, ADONAI, that your judgments are righteous,

That even when you humble me you are faithful.

Let your grace comfort me,

In keeping with your promise to your servant.

Show me pity, and I will live,

For your Torah is my delight.

Let the proud be ashamed, because they wrong me with lies;

As for me, I will meditate on your precepts.

Let those who fear you turn to me,

Along with those who know your instruction.

Let my heart be pure in your laws,

So that I won’t be put to shame.

-          Psalm 119:73-80

     Every stanza of  Psalm 119 represents a Hebrew alphabet starting from Aleph to Tav.  Each alphabet has a meaning and also an assigned number.  The shape of the letter also tells us a story of the meaning.  In this case, the tenth stanza, Yod, has the assigned number 10 which is a number of ADONAI.  The ancient Hebrew pictograph looks like a hand in action and means that ADONAI is our creator and that by His own loving hand He formed us uniquely and wonderfully while in our mother’s womb.  He shaped us into a beautiful human being and imbued in us an explosive potential that only He knows how to limit.          

      The Psalmist declares that he belongs to ADONAI and no one else; and affirms Yah’s

authorship upon his life.  Indeed, every facet of his being is being shaped and fashioned

by the heavenly Father.  From the moment he was conceived until the day he dies, his

soul is being transformed into the image of YHWH.

      He confesses that only by the Word is his life transformed through a continuous

process of learning and practical application.  All those who believe in YHWH will rejoice

to see this transformation as it attests to the sanctifying power of the Torah.  As every

letter of the Word created us, it will also sustain us and prosper us as it leads us to the

arms of YHWH.

      Life on earth is a process of humbling through the various challenges that come our

way but we can be certain that Yah’s promises are faithful and His grace will always

lead us to triumph and comfort us.

      A dear friend was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that has metastasized and

had invaded the upper portion of her spine. The tumors were removed and she had to

wear a heavy steel brace for at least three months.  With all that discomfort, she is also

undergoing chemotherapy along with other treatments.  My wife and I have been

ministering to her and her family with the Word; but we can only do as much as we could

to comfort her and her family for only YHWH can really comfort her as only He knows. 

However, we believe that Yah sent His Word to heal our friend and that is primarily why

we continue to persevere in prayer and in the Word by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT.

      The good news is, our friend continues to believe and persevere in trusting YHWH

for she knows she must live by her faith.  As ADONAI transforms her through this

challenge, all of Yah’s people will rejoice with her and praise YHWH for the wonderful

things He has done.

      As the people of YHWH, we have a role to play.  We must be present with the

presence of ADONAI and cry with her, comfort her, serve her, encourage her with the

Word and speak the word of prophecy to her.  ADONAI is not doing this to her; but He is allowing this challenge to happen for her in order to shape her into the best person she could ever be in this side of life; and also as a testimony to all that YHWH is real in her life and only has good purpose for her.

      Rest assured, YHWH will accomplish all His plans for her life.

      Shalom!

      מלאך

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-NIV).

The great commission directs us to go out and make disciples from all nations of the earth, commanding them to keep the directives given by Christ and his Apostles. We do not do this. We go out "save soul", telling them they are not obligated to keep the commandments contained in the New Testament because they are saved by grace.

We do not go out to bear witness. We go out to "save souls" and build churches. This is why we do not bear a true witness. We are so anxious to draw people into our denominational framework that we compromise the Gospel of the kingdom. We "sell" the Gospel. This means we do everything we can make it attractive to people.

The Lord Jesus Christ never did this .He spoke in parables so people could not understand and be converted. Christ explained the parables only to those God had given him. He accused the pharisees openly, rebuking them with harsh words.

The apostles Paul did not attempt to sell Felix on the gospel. He spoke to Felix of righteousness ,self control, and the judgement to come until Felix trembled.

The book of acts is not so much a record of the apostles"saving souls", in the sense of urguing their listeners to make a proffessional faith, but of God`s preachers bringing the good news of forgiveness through the blood of the cross and warning people every where to turn from their sins and bring forth the evidence of deep repentance.

When we try to "save souls" and build a large church we are apt to trim the demands of Christ so people are not offended.

The Lord Jesus Christ never did this. He spoke plainly to his followers: If you are going to be my disciple you have to deny yourself, takeup your cross, and follow me. If you once put your hand to the plow and then look back, you are not fit for the kingdom of God. If you love your family members more than you do me you are not worthy of me. If you do not takeup your cross and follow me you are not worthy of me.

Do we hear this preached today ? No indeed we do not. Rather, as in the case of at least one assembly, we fill people`s coffee cups during the taking of the offering so they will feel comfortable and happy and have fun.

We are much more concerned about the growth of the numbers than we are with the spiritual growth of the individuals. We are sowing our traditions and personal ambitions and we are going to reap corruption in the days to come.

One can be an American Christian in all the customery meanings of the term and yet not be a disciple of Jesus Christ . A disciple of Jesus Christ is an individual who in his heart has come out from the world, who is denying himself and seeking Christ with all his might. His whole life-every part of it-is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ.

RESTING IN HIM
From Uganda East Africa
+256(0)752988099
pswmoses1974@yahoo.com

For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them  and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." (2 Cor 6:16)

      I am sure that many of us have received invitations from friends to join them at the

gym.  I myself am a believer in fitness and exercise.  But I admit that whenever I want to

go to the gym, I suddenly have this powerful urge to stay home and watch my favorite TV

program.  I usually have to struggle to get out of my rut and exercise.  It’s as if my bed

has a powerful magnet!  My wife berates me for being so lazy when the gym is right down

the first floor of our condo and it’s free.

      And when it comes down to food, I gravitate towards fried foods, especially Chinese

cuisine.  I just love Cantonese and Tze Chuan food!  But for over a year now, my wife

refused to buy pork and only served me chicken, fish and vegetables and she seldom fries

but mostly steam or cook them in a stew.  Or she prepares pasta marinara with olives in

olive oil with vegetable salad on the side.  Needless to say, I am eating healthy, except

when we dine out.  But to ensure that I get an extreme measure of vitamins and

minerals, I eat a scoop of chia seeds together with my coffee in the morning aside from

my multivitamins.

      Why am I telling you all this?  No, I am not a transformed health guru; but I do

believe in a balanced lifestyle. 

      I have seen people who go the extra mile and really take an hour daily to go to the

gym to exercise and even hire a personal trainer to ensure they are doing their exercises

in the right manner to optimize physical results.  This is very admirable because it is

always good to be at peak physical form.  After all, it takes a lot to gain a six pack. 

Although you can get a six pack with a spray, its always better to have the real thing.  If

you don’t get it, ask an actor!  Many health nuts do this because they worship the Temple and

not the One who dwells in the Temple.

     YHWH created us beautifully, wonderfully and marvelously.  We are the crowning glory of

His creation.  We should maintain and keep our bodies healthy.  If you knew the President is

coming to visit, you would definitely do some extreme cleaning.  After all, you wouldn’t want

the President to think you were a slob.  You would probably bring out your best curtains, buy

expensive décor, brush up everything and make it look spick and span and even hire a chef to

cook up the best meal possible.  You would do anything to please the President.

     How about YHWH?  He dwells in you and is present wherever you go.  Wouldn’t you

want Him to dwell in the best house in your neighborhood?  Some of us would put

garbage into our house and expect YHWH to like it.  Some would even say, I can eat

anything I want since I am a New Testament person.  I just pray over it and I expect God

to make it good!  Really?  What was the point in YHWH giving us a dietary command in

the Old Testament if He was just joking?  So why did YESHUA bother to follow the

dietary rules?  By the way, YESHUA did not only follow all the dietary rules but even

fulfilled all the Old Testament commands.  His warning was, “So anyone who breaks one

of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the

kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called

great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:19).  If we want to be physically healthy, we only

need to take YHWH commands seriously!

     Even more necessary, is our spiritual intake.  As Jeremiah said, “Your Words were

found, and I ate them; and Your Word was to me the joy and gladness of my heart; for I

am called by Your name, O YHWH, the God of Hosts”(Jer 15:16).  Yes, we need to be

physically healthy to serve YHWH with gusto, but all the more, we need to be always at

spiritually peak form to serve YHWH with all our souls.  An abundant life, here on earth,

is a balanced life.  The physical form is just a manifestation of the spiritual form. 

     Only YHWH can give us a spirit of love, of power and of soundness.  If we are

spiritually healthy, then YHWH will give us the power to overcome our laziness to

exercise and energy to serve passionately.  He will give us the motivation to eat rightly

and follow His dietary commands for it is good for us.  The HOLY SPIRIT will energize

our taste buds to gain a liking for vegetables and dislike for unhealthy foods. 

      The righteous shall live by his faith!  If we are truly followers of YESHUA, then we

will do as He did.  What kind of theology is it that expects YESHUA to follow the Torah

and yet excuses the believer from following the same rules?  What’s the point of calling

ourselves believers and followers, if we neither believe nor follow?  That kind of theology

is nothing but a sham!

     To believe is to do and to do is to be….however, this may take some doing by the grace

of YHWH!

מלאך

“Remember the former things of old: for I am ELOHIM, and there is none else;

                            I am ELOHIM, and there is none like me,

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things

              that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand,

                             and I will do all my pleasure…”

                                                - Is 46:9-10

Time has always been a puzzle to most of us, ordinary people.  While doing my research I found out that time is also a puzzle to most physicists, even Albert Einstein.  Scientists have many theories about it but none can sufficiently satisfy our human curiosity, mainly because, any theory of time cannot be empirically proven.  However, many scientists would admit that Einstein came closest to describing what time is and what its elements are.  Einstein said that time and space are two sides of the same coin.  In Scripture, time and space are parts of the same concept.

I will not even attempt to make a scientific explanation of what time is but I would like to tell you what the SPIRIT has revealed to me about time.  Oftentimes, my mind wonders around and I just like to ask the FATHER about anything that comes up to mind.  So, I asked Him to instruct me about Time as I sleep.  I remembered His words, “I have set eternity in the heart of man” (Eccl 3:11).

“I form the light, and create darkness…I am YHWH, who does all these things.” (Is 45:7) YHWH is the first cause of all things and YESHUA is the effect and conclusion of all matter.  Time is like a cone that enlarges as it expands.  YHWH is the causality that began all events and all events were products of a previous cause.  Everything that is inside the cone has order and purpose; but everything outside of it is madness.  We can say that an event in the past is already known and it served as a catalyst for the ‘now’, but the future is unknowable to man.  Time is a one way street and it never reverses itself.  Once a vase is broken, you can never put the pieces together as if nothing has happened.  Once an event has occurred, it is past and dead. 

Although, modern man perceives time as linear, it is not.  Rather, it is cyclical, in terms of the sequence and rhythm of seasons of events; but not repetitive and duplicative in exactness.  Time is relative to every person.  As Einstein himself observed, that if a young man sits with an attractive young lady, a hour seems like a minute but if that same young man sits on a hot stove, a minute seems like an hour.

The SPIRIT revealed to me that YHWH is the LORD of Time.  YHWH inhabits eternity and He sees the beginning until the end of every event.  Nothing is hidden from his sight.  YHWH is the Ancient of Days who has no beginning and no end.  YHWH owns eternity and all of eternity is like a timescape for all creation and yet YHWH is not subject to time but enforces it to all created things, especially man, to mandate order and express purpose in every activity.

      You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes. (Jas 4:14)

      Physical life is fleeting.  The average life expectancy is about 70 years or even 80

years if ADONAI wills.  Medical science is optimistic in increasing the length of life but it

cannot stop the advance of ageing.  Every man has the same 24 hours, yet not each man

use his allocation wisely.  Man’s solution is to do things faster with automation, and

innovation with products that deliver instantly.  We have instant coffee, instant

chocolate drinks, instant pictures, instant messaging, instant news, etc.  But no matter

how fast we mechanize our processes or how fast our computers are, our brains cannot

consciously process the same information as fast as the average computer.  One who

hastens to gain riches won’t go unpunished (Prov 28:20).  The average man is very fond

of short-cuts, but in life, the man who refuses to learn his lesson is doomed to repeat that

lesson until he finally overcomes it.

            YHWH envelops all of  time and He is always there to guide us and enable us to work His will in our lives.  Every individual has a physical timescape and an eternal destiny.  If you are a presentist, you would live a short-sighted life, always looking at yourself and what your hands are occupied with in the nasty now and now.  If you think ‘destiny’, you have an eternal perception and you are focused on what YHWH can and will do in your present and your eternal future.  You inhabit in all the dimensions of YHWH and you are only limited by what you think.  Your speak with the language of thought and the speed of thought and you bring non-existent things as though they were existent.  And so they are…

            To some, time is but an illusion; but to the believer, time is very real especially when YHWH is the catalyst of every circumstance of life to bring about his destiny.

            How then, can we redeem time?  Bro. Paul said, “Be very careful how you live – not as unwise, but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity because the days are evil.”(Eph 5:15-16)

            Lord YHWH, teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom!

מלאך

“…the righteous will attain life through trusting faithfulness.”

-          Havakuk 2:4

Many church leaders are fond of quoting this verse especially as it was the very

verse that YHWH used to awaken Martin Luther.  The question is, do most of us really appreciate what YHWH is saying here?  What was the context of this message?

            Havakuk was a witness to the horrible murders, robberies, swindling and all kinds of grievous injustices done by Hebrews against their own brothers.  He prayed and cried to YHWH for justice but there was no end to the oppression.  YHWH told Havakuk that he can expect more injustices, not only from fellow Hebrews, but from a foreign nation, the Chaldeans, who will trample down Israel, murder his people, and make the land desolate.  A warrior nation, who were more evil than they, had been appointed to execute judgment for YHWH in order to correct Israel.  They were warned so many times in the past by various prophets that YHWH would execute judgment if they will not repent and return to His ways.  They only killed His prophets and covered the land with the blood of their victims.

            YHWH told Havakuk to write down the vision for it will surely come to pass.  It may take a while but it will surely come and it will not delay. 

            What was Havakuk’s response? 

            “YHWH, I have heard the report about you.

            YHWH, I am awed by your deeds.

            Bring your work to life in our own age,

            Make it known in our own time;

            But in anger, remember compassion…” (3:2)

            “When I heard, my whole body trembled,

            My lips shook at the sound;

            Weakness overcame my limbs,

            My legs gave way beneath me.

            But I wait calmly for the day of trouble…” (3:16)

            “Even if the fig tree doesn’t blossom,

            And no fruit is on the vines,

            Even if the olive tree fails to produce,

            And the fields yield no food at all

            Even if the sheep vanish from the sheep pen,

            And there are no cows in the stalls;

            Still, I will rejoice in YHWH,

            I will take joy in the GOD of my salvation.

            YHWH ELOHIM is my strength!”  (3:17-19)

            Many Christians are fond of claiming the promises of YHWH but when circumstances do not favor them, they feel betrayed.  They sulk and get depressed.  Naming and claiming is a fad among many Christian circles.  But I wonder if they even study and examine the context of each promise they claim. 

            In walking the way of YHWH, He gave us specific instructions and commands to follow so that we will prosper and not go astray.  The Torah was given to create, sustain and prosper the godly man.  Many of these promises are “If and Then” conditional promises; but Christians claim these promises as if it was a given that YHWH is beholden to perform at their bidding even if they don’t observe and obey His commands.  I think it is the height of arrogance to presume that one can force YHWH to do his bidding simply because he assumes that a promise must be fulfilled regardless of his commitment to the covenant.

            Maybe we should learn from Uncle Ben of Peter Parker aka Spiderman when he said “With great power, comes great responsibility.”  A Christian who has been given the privilege of being adopted as a son of YHWH, must rise up to his responsibility as a son and perform deeds in keeping with his status.  With great responsibility comes great accountability.  As Batman once said, “I am defined by what I do.”  James said, “Show me your faith without the actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions.”(Jas 2:18)

            The righteous shall live by his faith.  When a Christian claims a promise, he is effectively making a vow before YHWH to observe and obey the accompanying commands to that promise.  The command is the tie that binds that promise to YHWH’s power to perform the miracle.  An athlete can’t win a contest unless he competes according to the rules (2 Tim 2:3).

            Havakuk knew the rules and he was an obedient prophet.  Even with all the adverse circumstances           happening all around him, he said,

            “Bring your work to life in our own age,

            Make it known in our own time;

            But in anger, remember compassion.”

Havakuk surrendered everything to the will of YHWH, knowing that He is in control and loving and merciful. 

            What is wrong is, many Christians are focused on themselves – I, me, mine, myself.  To be adopted as a son is already quite a privilege.  We are not the center of the universe.  It’s not all about us.  It is all about YHWH.  YHWH has a strategy in human history; and it is His story.  YESHUA puts it quite simply:  “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”(Jn 15:7)

            To claim a promise without obeying the accompanying command is not only irresponsible and presumptuous but an outright rebellion against YHWH’s authority.  But to claim a promise and observe and obey YHWH’s command is an imitation of YESHUA!

מלאך

For the past 6 or 8 weeks, a number of us have felt an increased spiritual attack on the church. Over the years we’ve become more familiar with these attacks, and whenever this happens I always watch closely for the signs, the evidence, of what scheme the enemy may be employing to bring spiritual damage to those in the body, and to the church here in our town (see 2Cor 2:11).

It didn’t take long to see the effects of the enemy’s work this time around. Suddenly, we have a rash of ‘offenses’ in the church. The ones I’m aware of indicate an abnormal amount of trouble in this area, and I’m sure there are others I’m not aware of. Often, those involved in these types of offenses are not even aware of the spiritual warfare aspects of what they’re dealing with.

One person becomes the offender. Often, they have offended unintentionally, but even if they do know, they can easily explain or justify their actions, often using the Bible to do so. And then, there’s the other person, the one who feels offended. This person is usually certain that they have a good right to be hurt and upset.

Most often, what happens is this; the offender just goes on about their business, usually unaware that they have caused any offense. But the offended lives with the offense. It begins to simmer, then boil. The roots of the offense go deeper with each passing week. Until suddenly, the enemy scores a victory. The offended person usually leaves the church, sometimes doing additional damage on the way out by sharing their feelings with others. They usually leave feeling very justified. After all, they were offended, they were hurt. And the person who hurt them doesn’t even seem to care (the truth is, most often the person who hurt them doesn’t even know).

And here’s what usually happens next; the person who caused the offense continues to cause similar offenses in the church, generally because they are unaware that they are offending. And the person who left offended, is often the enemy’s prize, his victory. The offended person will simmer in that offense for a long time. And then they’ll have to let it out, so they’ll tell their side of the story to others, expanding the spiritual damage fallout from the event. In both cases – both with the offender remaining in the church unaware, and the offended leaving the church . . . in both cases, the enemy wins.

There is one discipline that you absolutely, positively, without a doubt, no excuses have to master as a follower of Christ.  That one discipline is daily Bible reading and prayer.  It is so simple yet so incredibly hard to master.  Here is how it goes:

1. Open your Bible
2. Read
3. Apply

Three EASY steps.  Seriously, it does not have to be complicated.  You do not have to get out your concordance, Confession or Systematic Theology textbook.  Just open your Bible, read and apply.  It doesn’t have to take you an hour, you don’t have to light a candle, you don’t have to be dressed a certain way, you don’t have to say a prayer with a bunch of “thee’s” and “thou’s”.  Open your Bible, read and apply.

Why is it so hard?  There are a thousand reasons but basically we either don’t see the true benefit or we get distracted.  Most people just don’t see how this simple discipline can change your life.  The God of the universe wants to speak and be with you today.  Open your Bible, read and apply.  This is the main way in which God speaks to us but we just don’t always see it. 

We get distracted and have other things to do rather than open your Bible, read and apply.  I was distracted this morning before I started this discipline.  I had this idea for this blog (the one I’m writing right now), and I wanted to write it first, then open my Bible, read and apply.  But I decided to set aside the blog and do the most important thing first, open my Bible, read and apply.  Facebook, email, twitter, a long “to do” list; these and a thousand other things are screaming at you first thing in the morning.  But you really need to be able to set them aside just for a few minutes to open your Bible, read and apply.

I could go into detail about these three things but for now I just want to encourage you to open your Bible, read and apply it to your life.

All for Jesus,

Fletch

Perseverance is one of those words that seems to spark fear, courage, anxiety and some mystery all at once. Most people want to know “how to” persevere.  Do I just suck it up and keep going?  Or is there something more to it than that?  I believe that “our perseverance” is built upon “God’s perseverance”.  I don’t believe we can do anything in and of ourselves, by our own power.  Anything we do must be done through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The following passages give us a Biblical foundation:

Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;  ²³ they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we¹ rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

 Perseverance defined: (1) as a basic attitude or frame of mind patience, steadfastness (2) as steadfast adherence to a course of action in spite of difficulties and testings perseverance, endurance, fortitude (3) with a component of hope and confidence expectation, patient waiting

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

James 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We can think of persevering in several different areas of life:

Persevering in your walk with Christ.  In believing the gospel and its promises.

Persevering in loving people.

Persevering in your marriage.

Persevering in raising your kids.

Persevering in your vocation.

Persevering in ministry, service and sacrifice (Leading your Community Group).

Persevering in suffering.

Perseverance is not pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps, it’s not just hike up your skirt and stick it out, it’s not just relying on your own personal resources.  Perseverance is grounded in God’s perseverance of us.  God has pursued us, and is sticking it out with us.  One of God’s character qualities is perseverance.  We can persevere because He has persevered for us.  His Holy Spirit has been poured out into our lives and this is what creates perseverance in our lives. 

Perseverance lives in the present and pushes us into the future.  The present reality is that life is difficult, sin-racked and full of suffering.  But the present also contains the steadfast love of the Lord.  The present contains the Holy Spirit empowering, forgiving, controlling, encouraging, delivering, saving, redeeming us so that we can persevere.

Perseverance pushes us into the future.  We know that tomorrow is a new day, we can start over if we need to, we can put the past behind us and keep trusting in Christ’s grace.  While tomorrow’s suffering may be greater than today’s, the testimony of God’s grace today promises me that He will take care of me tomorrow.  The future also holds the end of all suffering when Christ comes to take us home.  The hope of glory pushes us to persevere.

All for Jesus,

Fletch

If you're like me your day is most often a whirlwind. Alarm goes off.  Shower.  Quiet time.  Dress.  Work.  Lunch.  Work some more.  Go home.  Chores/homework.  Dinner.  More chores/homework.  Bed.  Repeat process. 

In the transition times between the various stages of the day my thoughts are mostly consumed with the next thing that has to be done.  Most days the topic of my quiet time is swept up by the various tasks of the day within a couple of hours.  This often led to frustration in my spiritual life.  I just couldn't get why I wasn't making any discernible progress in growing to be more like Christ; for instance, why I was still struggling with my attitude when I identified it as a problem to work on 6 months earlier.

Several months ago I made the decision to intentionally slow down my day at points and reflect on a passage of Scripture, or a truth of some sort, or simply an adjustment in thinking or behavior that I felt the Lord wanted me to make.  Even though these were short moments of reflection, only 2-5 minutes apiece, the effect on my spiritual growth was immense.  The Lord began to connect the dots between the truths of Scripture and my attitude, my behavior, and my actions in a way that I had not experienced in a long time. 

Taking a few moments to reflect provides a unification point for your day.  It provides an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to bring the truth of Scripture to bear on your life in increasingly applicable ways.  Reflection makes you more sensitive to spiritual realities and the struggles of those around you because you are intentionally reflecting on spiritual things.

Reflection can take several forms:

1)Praying through Scripture-- this is the method I use most of the time.  Weekly, I identify a chunk of verses to memorize that use as the focus of my reflection times.

2)General prayer-- taking the time to bring "mundane" elements of your day to the Lord.  This allows you to begin to discern spiritual realities behind events you don't normally think of as having spiritual components.

3)Journaling-- provides an opportunity to reflect on the day as a whole and what the Lord is teaching you in a manner which is easy to reflect on even months down the road. 

What other forms of reflection have you found to be helpful in your walk with Christ?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us

with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”  (Eph 1:3)

            When we read the above-mentioned verse, I wonder if we really stop to think what Paul really meant.  It seems that many people who call themselves Christians have not realized the impact of these words.   Firstly, it says that YHWH, who is the Father of our LORD YESHUA our Messiah, has blessed us.  It was YHWH, who, in His infinite wisdom and love decided to bless us.  To bless in the Greek is ‘eulogeo’ meaning to invoke a benediction upon in view of prosperity.  It comes from two Greek words, ‘eu’ meaning good and ‘logos’ meaning something said including the thought which is essentially a divine expression.  We must remember, however, that the writer used by the HOLY SPIRIT is Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews and an excellent Pharisee.  We must ask, what does a Hebrew think about when YHWH blesses? The Hebrew word for bless is ‘barak’ meaning to kneel.  You mean that YHWH actually kneels down?  In the garden of Eden, YHWH condescended and walked with Adam in the cool of the day enjoying the beauty of His creation with His son.  As a father loves to bond with his son, our heavenly FATHER personally taught Adam how to manage His creation.  Somehow it also reminds me of what our LORD YESHUA did on that Passover night before His crucifixion.  He wrapped his waist with a towel and knelt down to wash the feet of his disciples using the towel to wipe their feet dry.  When Peter protested, YESHUA told him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no share with me”(Jn 13:8).  Our heavenly Father wants us to know that He loves to serve us because we are His children.  A son need not qualify to become an heir but is an heir by virtue of being born into the family.  When you and I surrendered our lives to our LORD YESHUA, He gave His life to us and made us sons of YHWH and sealed us with the HOLY SPIRIT as a guarantee of our redemption.  In essence, ELOHIM condescended to reconcile us to Himself to reveal to us His secret plan which He prepared even before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:9).

            All the spiritual blessings that YHWH intended for us to be blessed with was already given and prepared in the spiritual realm.  YHWH is very generous even though we do not deserve any of his blessings.  However, we need to act like true sons and trust His word and do it.  YHWH once said, “Listen to me, you pursuers of justice, you who seek YHWH.  Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug – consider Abraham your father…”(Is 51:1, 2 )  We need to ask ourselves then, what was the faith of Abraham like?  He trusted in YHWH and was faithful to Him, and that was credited to his account as righteousness.  Be assured then, that it is those who live by trusting and being faithful who are really children of Abraham (Gal 3:6, 7).  Abraham is our father in Yah’s sight because he trusted YHWH as the one who gives life to the dead and calls non-existent things into existence (Rom 4:17b).  Like Abraham, we should call our spiritual blessings into visible existence through the word of promise.  As sons, we must learn ‘to decree a thing and it shall be established for us and Yah’s light will shine on our ways’(Job 22:28).  To speak the word of promise is to create the circumstances of good works that Yah prepared for us in eternity so that we can walk in them.  To speak the word of promise is to initiate the walk of faith.  To speak the word of promise is to do the will of the Father.  The Word is YESHUA and YESHUA is ELOHIM!  We can’t separate Him from His Word.

            To speak the word of promise is not presumption because presumption has to do with something that is not promised and therefore a lie.  To speak the word of promise is also not an act of arrogance because it is based on Yah’s integrity and Torah, and not on the personality of the speaker.  Most of all, to speak the word of promise is not foolishness because it is Truth and Truth is always vindicated by its fruit.  To speak the word of promise is to pro-actively will the godly circumstances of our lives!

            Let’s make it practical.   Every morning, I meditate on the goodness of YHWH and enjoy His presence, just worshiping Him.  I speak to Him of the concerns of my heart; being grateful of how He delivered me from various challenges of the previous day; of how precious His guidance and wisdom had been.  I pray for specific concerns and individuals, I picture them in my mind, bringing each before the Father.  I speak the word of promise for each concern and for each individual and I decree the promise of YHWH to be fulfilled.  I speak blessing for myself and all those I pray for, especially invoking the blessing of YHWH according to His holy Word.  I expect nothing but miracles because my Father is a miracle-working GOD who loves without measure.  I submit to His will and call on His precious Name and invoke the Name of YESHUA my Messiah because I know that I can only hope and act in union with Him.

            As the day passes, I am guided by the HOLY SPIRIT to discern the circumstances and how I should act according to Yah’s will.  I am watchful and discerning and wise because I have the mind of YESHUA (1 Cor 2:16).  I am blessed with all spiritual blessings, even all the blessings of Abraham and I have the delegated authority of the LORD YESHUA who is far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion or any other name that can be named either in the present world or in the world to come (Eph 1:21).  This is a fact and this is the truth according to Yah’s word.

            To be led by the SPIRIT is a moment by moment affair and requires a prayerful attitude.  Our heavenly Father has already provided everything pertaining to a life of godliness through His word of promise.  It is only through His promises that we participate in YHWH’s divine nature and escape the corruption of our fleshly desires (2 Pet 1:4).  Therefore, to listen to the enemy is to succumb to the devil but to listen to the HOLY SPIRIT is to walk in Yah’s light.

            Permit me to remind you of the blessing of YHWH to His children.  I interpret it for you who trust the word of promise:

            “YHWH has blessed you and kept you.

            YHWH has made His face to shine on you and showed you His favour.

            YHWH has lifted up His face toward you and given you peace.”

-    Num 6:24-26

מלאך

I do a weekly book review of current books in the areas of Discipleship, Spiritual Formation, Global Issues and Missions.  This work originally came from my connection with TEAM Mission and their Lifelong Learning Center.  Thought it would be of interest to members of the Discipleship Network. You can find it at www.marylousreviews.blogspot.com

After 50 years of doing dscipleship in university evangelism and pastoral ministry I was greatly refreshed by  TRANSFORMING DISCIPLESHIP by Greg Ogden. IV Press. This pastor gets into making the church a reproducing ministry of the Spirit. He links discipling with small groups and shows how it works with him and others.

MENTORING FOR MISSION by Gunter Krallmann( out of print, and  you'll have to search)but worth it! This is by far the best researched collection of Bble verses and application bathed in the life of Jesus and Paul. I went to Amazon and got all they had(2), called Youth With A Mission and no one's heard of it, yet they published it! This is the BEST  by far of all I've read through the years.

 The emphasis is on target:discipling is modeling all you want someone ele to do and reproduce. No sermon will do it. Life on life is the hard fact that Jesus lived with twelve men.  To Make disciples you MODEL the life and ministry of Jesus...and the ministry applications of Paul. Jesus didn't stay for 3 years just to die on the cross. Religious leaders wanted him dead after a few weeks. The 3 plus years were to live the life before them. They were to copy him. Simple. Only one or two seemed to have any formal education. He didn't need the University crowd to change the world, but welcomed them through Paul's life and ministry. Get close enough to Jesus to model what you see and hear. The 12 men and some women were to know His heart, copy him, and then give their lives to lead others to do the same.

The young men I led to Christ or grabbed to disciple, recalled to me years later details of what I said and did in detail on our witnessing and ministry times together!  Some think with a couple hours a week in a Bible study that will do it. It's a vital part, if we teach themHOW TO feed themselves. However unless get into LIFE experiences with them they  rarely reproduce. I do "WIND" with my guys as Jesus did: Witnessing, Intercession, Nurturing and Discipling.  And it takes time over months. His Waylon Moore

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”

-         2 Tim 1:7

Since the garden of Eden, Adam hid himself from the presence of YHWH after he sinned because he was afraid, being naked (Gen 3:10).  He was naked of the glory that YHWH clothe him with from the beginning.  Sin does that to anyone.  The fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil was deadly when ingested because it opened the eyes of Adam to the ways of the world.  It made him aware of the wiles and magnetic essence of all the created things.  It made him long to taste the different nuances of the physical realm.  It corrupted his whole being, creating in him an inordinate desire for forbidden things, blinding him from the Truth and   desensitized him from the spiritual realm.  It was outright rebellion against the Torah of YHWH.

            Thus fear entered the world of man and followed him everywhere he goes.  There is a fear for anything and everything.  Some people are even afraid of being saved!  Fear is a spirit.  It is a very subtle spirit because many times you don’t really recognize it.  You think it is just in your mind, or just part of your emotional make-up, but it is a spirit that controls you by blinding you from the Truth. 

            Just think, how unreasonable you become when you are confronted by fear.  It may be a fear of heights.  One time, I was at the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada with some friends.  When you reach the top, the elevator opens and you automatically go out.  The only problem is, you immediately realize that the floor is made of glass and you can see what’s going on below and suddenly, you are engulf with such fear that your knees begin to melt.  This is exactly what happened to a self-assured big guy who went out the elevator with us.  The moment he saw the glass floor, he wanted to go back inside the elevator but it was too late!  So he began sweating and clung to the concrete wall like a gecko.  His voice trembled and he closed his eyes and just waited for the elevator to open up again.  He could not bear to open his eyes because he was too overcome with the force of fear.  Such a confident man suddenly turned yellow in the face of fear.  Am sure all of us can sympathize because all of us have some fear of some kind inside, although, nobody would like to admit to it.

            I admit, the moment I saw the glass floor, my knees began to shake, but I remembered the assurance of the Word, that YHWH rescues us from all trouble; and it stilled my fear, and it went away.  I was weak but the Word was there to lift me up.  I was able to enjoy the view and had a great talk with my friends instead of being paralyzed with fear.

            Fear will confront you at the most inconvenient of times and at the most embarrassing moments.  Fear will conjure up images of weakness, of total disgrace, of failure and you become what you think; unless you think “the Word” and speak it and act on it. 

            When you connect with your fear, you connect with the devil.  When you connect by faith (trusting faithfulness) with YHWH by His Word of promise, you overcome and succeed.  It is said that 95% of what you are worried of or afraid of, do not come to pass.  One of the chief weapons of the enemy is deception.  He has the power to conjure images in your mind by throwing deceptive thoughts into your fertile imagination.  If you think about it long enough, it will become your reality.  Remember, you are not dealing with an intellectual devil.  The battle is spiritual and you must deal with him in the spirit.  Do not try to reason with him in your thoughts because he won’t tell you the truth but will always craftily lie to you but pointing out your past experiences and the world of man’s logic – fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. 

            In the spiritual realm, you have to deal with the enemy by prayer in the Word through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT.  The sword of the Spirit is mighty to save, demolishing strongholds and fortresses, holding captive all the logic of the devil to the obedience of YESHUA our Messiah (2 Cor 10:4,5).  This is the very reason why you and I have to be in a constant attitude of prayer and always connected to our heavenly FATHER.  Otherwise, fear will overcome us.

            The good news is, YESHUA has overcome the world!  And He has given us the resurrection power to overcome it also.  We only have to avail of His blessings by immersing ourselves in His Word and in the HOLY SPIRIT.

            Indeed, we have the power, the ability to love and a spirit of self-discipline through the mind of YESHUA the Messiah.  The enemy would have us believe that we are under his power but the Truth is, we can do the things that YESHUA has done (Jn 14:12) because He has delegated to us His power and authority; just like YHWH delegated it to Adam in the garden.  We are not afraid of the devil and his minions because, YESHUA, who is in us, is greater than all of them.  We are seated with YESHUA in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6) and our destiny is secure.  However, we know the fate of the devil and all those who follow him.  We need to remind him of that during confrontation.

            Do not wait for the devil to confront you with fear; but confront your fears and speak the promises of YHWH.  Don’t pray about your problem, pray the Word of promise.  Most of all, do not be defensive; be offensive.  Meaning, do not wait for his attack.  Attack his stronghold, through the precious promises of YHWH by which you partake of His divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).  Pray more, worship more, speak the Word more, witness more, be the best – walk the talk, obey the way of YHWH.  Live more…

            Time is perishable and you can’t waste it by listening to the enemy.  The logic of man is too confused to believe in.  As philosophers would say, “Come to me and I will make you restless!”  YESHUA said, “Come to Me, all of you, who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest(Mt 11:28).”  The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy; but YESHUA comes to give you abundant life.  He comes to restore you to what YHWH created you to be.  He wants to make you whole and complete – shalom.  Shalom only happens when you are in union with YESHUA our Messiah!

            To fear is to fall apart; but to express faith in YHWH is to be whole in Him!

מלאך

A confession:

I've tried the whole spiritual discipline spiel before.  I've decided I was going to get up earlier to study harder and pray longer.  I've decided I was going to practice fasting and remembered my vow as I scarfed down breakfast the morning said fast was to begin.  I've never attempted a Sabbath because, like everybody else, there's just too much to do to stop for a day.

Recently the Lord has placed the disciplines on my heart again.  This time things are different.  The resolutions that I've made have (more often than not) stuck.   I've remained committed through projects being due, my wife being sick for 3 consecutive weeks, and a stressful few weeks on the job.  

The difference has been my motivation.  In the past I've undertaken discipline as something that I "ought" to do because I'm supposed to be a spiritual leader.  Now, I understand discipline to be a response to the grace of God in Christ showered on me.  I want to discipline myself to become more like Christ because He is worth becoming more like!  The only real reason to even practice discipline is to conform oneself to the image of Christ through communing with the Father.

But really, how can this be accomplished?  Here are a few practical suggestions:

1. Know yourself.  If you're not a morning person, don't commit to too much in the morning.  Find consistent points in your day which you can devote to disciplines (i.e. prayer, Bible study, Bible reading, reflection, etc.).
2. Identify a truth to reflect on throughout your day.  Pray about it before you start your day, as you go through your day, and before you end your day.  Write it down in places that you will see regularly.  I have a chunk of Scripture that I try to memorize every week that I write on note cards and put in front of the keyboard of my home computer and my office computer.  Every time I sit down I read it and reflect before I do whatever it was I was intending to do.
3. Create habits.  This requires some pre-planning.  Know the times and portions of your day that you regularly have free and utilize those times.  
4. Eliminate distractions.  The best pre-work that was done for devoting myself to discipline was getting rid of cable.  Cutting cable was done in my house for the extremely spiritual reason of budget cuts, but nothing that has been done in the last 6 months prepared the way for the Lord to move in my life like eliminating this needless distraction.  I am now much more likely to come home and reflect on my day and the truth of God instead of vedging out on the couch to ESPN.

How about you?  How do you discipline yourself for godliness?  

The Name of the only GOD

       And Moses said unto ELOHIM, “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel,

       and shall say unto them, ‘The ELOHIM of your fathers hath sent me unto you’;

       and they shall say to me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say unto them?

       And ELOHIM said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”: and he said, Thus shalt thou

       say unto the children of Israel, “I AM hath sent me unto you.” And God said

       moreover unto Moses, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The

       YHWH ELOHIM of your fathers, the ELOHIM of Abraham, the ELOHIM of Isaac,

       and the ELOHIM of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this

       is my memorial unto all generations.” (Exodus 3:13-15)

      What’s in a name?  Today, names are used mainly as identifiers.  We form letters that when pronounced together form a sound that makes music to our ears.  But a long time ago, back in the days when time began, names meant something very significant to every person.  A name evokes pictures of the character, authority and honor of a person.  A name carries the very essence of a person.  In those days, when the father names his child, he is in fact, prophesying the nature and character of his child which influences his future. 

      When we read the part of Scripture that enumerates the names of ancestors, we usually want to read fast or sometimes skip the passage in order to get to the meat of the message.  But the HOLY SPIRIT wrote those names for a purpose.  Let me show you an example.  Please read Genesis 5:1-9 – the Generations of Adam.  Let me shorten it by showing you the names and the meanings of each from ancient Hebrew:

            Adam – man

            Shet    -  appointed

             Enosh -  mortal

             Kenan -  sorrow

             Mahalalel – The blessed GOD

             Yered  - shall come down

             Hanoch – teaching

             Methuselah – his death shall bring

             Lemech – despairing

             Noach   - comfort or rest

Let’s put it all together:  “Man appointed mortal sorrow (but) the blessed GOD shall come down teaching (that) his death shall bring (the) despairing comfort/rest.”  YHWH ELOHIM preached the Gospel through the names of the generations of Adam showing men at that time and even today, that He really cares what happens to man and is willing to take the responsibility to save them.

To YHWH ELOHIM, names mean a lot.  How would you like it if somebody calls you and yells, “Hey, John Doe!” or “Hey, whatsamacallit!”  Would you respond?  How would you feel?  Would you even turn your head? 

I don’t know what happened, but some people decided to delete the name of YHWH and substituted it with LORD in our translated Scriptures.  As a linguistic rule in grammar, one never translates a proper name.  If you’re an American, you probably have an American name; or maybe not, depending on your ethnic background.  The fact of the matter is, whatever name you were given at birth, you don’t want somebody changing it for his own convenience.  Sane people would consider that an insult or a racial slur! 

But people who call themselves Christians do it to YHWH ELOHIM daily, even in their prayers!  Many are convinced that it’s okay to change GOD’s name, anyway, they’re sure He would understand.  I guess they don’t really take the commandments (particularly Ex 2:3,7) seriously; after all, it’s Old Testament rules and they really don’t apply to New Testament Christians.  Or do they?  If we are truly followers of YESHUA, we better understand that He followed the Torah (yes, all of it!) and if He did, then we should also.  Otherwise, we can’t call ourselves, followers of YESHUA.  Any serious man of the Word would tell you that the New Testament can only be understood in the light of the Old Testament. 

Doesn’t it seem strange to you that translators changed the Name of YHWH into LORD but did not even make a notable change to the name of Satan?  Somehow, some people succumbed to the influence of the enemy.  Some quarters say that the Name is too holy to even utter.  Well, all I can say is, if YHWH commanded that this is the Name that He should be known from generation to generation.  Who am I to assume that He would be angry if I call Him by His chosen Name?  Fear is not from YHWH but from the enemy.  Anyone who loves YHWH is welcome to call on Him by His holy Name!  The Name of YHWH is a strong tower.  The righteous run to it and they are safe!(Prov 18:10)

When you pray, are you sure, you’re calling on the only true ELOHIM (GOD)?  Or are you actually calling on an unknown god?  You see, when you call YHWH, God, it is as if you’re relegating Him to the status of the pagan gods, because His Name, YHWH bears His exalted and honourable position and authority of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence.  We often call Him Father, but are you sure you know the Father you are calling? 

The Scriptures, first mentioned the Name, YHWH in Genesis 2:5 when He was causing life to come out of the earth.  Especially in relation to forming and molding Adam, YHWH’s (the One who causes to be) nature was manifested in the human whom he fashioned according to His own image and likeness.  No wonder many who profess to believe, do not really appreciate who they are in YHWH because they don’t even call on the Name by which they are patterned after.  How can they be in union with their Father whom they don’t really know?  As the Scriptures say, “How can two walk together if they be not of one mind?”

Well, some might say, “We are in union with JESUS!”  Don’t you know?  YESHUA (the one you call Jesus) always glorifies the Father and only does and says what the Father wills.  The Father has given Himself a name that is exalted above all – YHWH – by which He shall be known from generation to generation. 

If your name is like music to your ears, so is the Name of our ELOHIM to His ears.  Rest assured, “Whoever calls on the Name of YHWH will never be disappointed!”

So, let me ask you, have you been disappointed in your prayers?

מלאך

Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.