Hold steady

 "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?"
Heb.2:1-3

No believer in Jesus, who is born again, plans on allowing themselves to "drift away". Peter declared to the Lord Jesus, that he and the others would never abandon Him, that they would follow Him to death, but he soon Jesus 3 times before a rooster crowed, as the Lord predicted, at the first hint of trouble. When your guard drops down, and you don't pay "more careful attention", "being alert and self-controlled", your anchoring in the Lord gets jarred loose as your spiritual self gets assailed by those "little foxes that spoil the vineyard" who sneak under, over, and around our weakened spiritual force field.
The Lord warned Cain,seeing his heart condition: "Sin crouches at your door, but you must learn to master it".
In Jeremiah, the Word reads," The heart of man is deceitful, and who can know it?" but
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.". John 1:4

Let's not ignore such a great salvation. Put your armor on daily, and let's work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Children of Light

5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self‑controlled. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self‑controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1Thess.5

Alert and self-controlled...look around the world we are sojourners through. These conditions are missing in most people today, sadly including many Christians, who flock to "feel good" churches to get spiritually massaged.
So be aware of the times we live in, walking in the light, and as the Word says, continue to encourage and edify one another.

More Than Conquerors

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39

There has to be at least 100,000 commentaries on this passage. Add one more!
We ARE more than conquerors, and NOTHING shall separate us from the love of God. Period. His love for us is boundless, exhuberant, unbreakable, inexhaustible, unshakable, awesome...it has nothing to do with what we have done or haven't done! He loves us because He loves us because He loves us because...HE LOVES US. Every single time I hear HOW HE LOVES (David Crowder Band) I weep...every single time...because I don't deserve His amazing love ...but how He loves me/us.

Following Jesus

24  Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25  “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26  “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matt.16:24-26

People are self centered by nature. First as babies, with themselves as the center of their worlds, where everything has to be done for them, then developing into children then onward to adolescents, then finally adulthood... Usually having themselves as the center of what everything revolves around, including their concept of God and the relationship to Him generated as a result.
But as disciples of Jesus, the Lord tells us to deny ourselves, and not to strive to accumulate a pile of stuff, to try and gain the whole world, - idols- that will be worthless in Heaven, and sometimes with a price tag of our very souls.
It's not about us, although we often want to make it about us ... it's about Him. We are just the clay, He is the potter. Real victory comes through total unconditional surrender to the Lord when we lay it all down - ourselves and all the stuff we may to clinging to.

Beloved

"Ani l'dodi ve dodi li"
"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine."
Song of Solomon 6:3a

The Lord places us in positions under Him where we are the objects of His amazing and extravagant love for us, satisfying two of the greatest desires of our hearts.
First as His beloved children, with Him as our heavenly Abba; "to all who call on His Name He gives them the right to become children of God". His ear is inclined to us, He longs to be with us in relationship just as Adam met with Him, fellowshipping, dare I say, frolicking, in Eden before the Fall. He wants it like it was before...and I want to be back in Eden ...
Secondly, as His Bride He covers us and desires to shower His affection on us as we run after Him and seek Him with all of our hearts. We need only to draw near to Him, worship Him, run after Him. " I am my beloved's and his desire is for me." Join me, climb into our Abba's lap , and dine together at the marraige supper of the Lamb. There's plenty of room!

Do not be ashamed! 282

That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.  I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:15-17

The Holy Scriptures tell us that "without faith it is impossible to please God".
Jesus said," If you confess me before men I will confess you before my Heavenly Father"

Ashamed of the Gospel? Having trouble proclaiming the name of Jesus? Don't!
Someone near & dear to me recently told me they believe a person's faith/religion is a private matter and rebuked me for being aggressively evangelical.
Yes, you will offend people! Jesus told us, "if the world hated me, they will hate you also".
But remember who you are, soldiers, every one of us.
Bring the battle to the enemy's camp!
Jesus conquered sin & death, and took His place at the right hand of the Father and now intercedes for you & I!
Jesus, I burn with desire for you, I want to worship and adore you constantly,
Seeking your Face, and proclaiming your Greatness, love, and Faithfulness all my days!

Where The Rubber Meets The Road

I was once young, and now I'm not yet classified as old, but certainly middle-aged.
Having been a believer since April 21, 1987, and alive in this earthly tent since 1957, I have experienced many things. I count myself fortunate, truly blessed really, to have the great & awesome King of the Universe stoop down, give me a tweak and awaken me. You see, I was a Christian who had been going along with my lamp  having the " low fuel " light on. But now my spirit has been experiencing things I never previously had. While I had been prompted in the Spirit by the King Himself to start blogging for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, I failed to realize something of paramount importance...these words are for me probably more than anyone! In reading back through some of the posts, I have found great comfort, not in my words, but in His Word. Certainly blessings come, as do trials. If we are not getting the attention of the demonic realm, it's because we are asleep, and of no threat to our enemies. How then do we respond? This is where the rubber meets the road.
So as we go through our own trials let us remember this and rejoice, the same way as the apostles were beaten and threatened for spreading the great news of the Gospel.
I will embrace His narrow path.
Strengthen us, Lord, and help us to rejoice always ... Let the Light of your Countenance shine on us!

Words of Life

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
1Peter 3:15b

It's really critical for us to be well versed with the Verses. The Bible contains the very words of life, and is meant to be the Owner's Manual for God's greatest creation - us!
God's Word will provide insight, encouragement, discernment , wisdom, teaching, and much more.

Charles Spurgeon said, "Show me a person whose Bible is falling apart, and I'll show you a person whose life isn't".

Thy Word is a Lamp unto thy feet, and A Light unto thy path.

Ransomed & Redeemed

When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:1-6

Zion was a place of promise, deliverance, and freedom for the exiled children of Israel delivered from captivity and slavery, and also represents our place of redemption after He breaks the chains of a variety of sins, and conditions common to people.
Laughter and joy are ours, because the Lord has done great things for us! The Word says GREAT THINGS, not just good things. Laughter is good medicine for the bones, and the Joy of the Lord is our strength!
Thank you, Abba, for loving us and doing great things for us!

Remembering My Father 281

His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
Song of Solomon 8:3

October 22, is the anniversary of my father's death.
We were returning from Israel that day, and he died before we could make it to his bedside. My father was in the restaurant business, and was well known in the Miami Beach area for decades, he loved his career and worked a lot, at the expense of lost time with me and my siblings. I have some fond memories of my dad, and in my mind the scent of his cologne, being carried in his arms when I fell asleep on the floor is still fresh in my mind 45+ years later, and his unabashed and open affection for me! Always declaring his love for me and showering me with moustached kisses, which I still miss, even long for.
I am unsure as to my father's final status with regard to salvation, although I'm hopeful, as we had conversations. My dad's love was just a speck of what our Abba's extravagant love for us is!
The very thing that sustains me, makes me lovesick ...His all consuming fire that burns, cleanses, restores, pushes me onward in this Race.
See you soon Dad, rest easy.

God's Guaranteed Security Plan

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
Psalm 125:1

Everyone desires the same things in life; the desire to have a good life, liberty, health, the " pursuit of happiness". We want to make plans and fulfill goals and "sail off into the sunset" as everything "is as it should be" in the universe, right?
But these are days of tremendous shaking and breaking! "Once more, I will shake everything that can be shaken..." There is only One thing we can trust in these days of uncertainty - the Lord. It's simple. Prov.3:4-5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight."
Period. There is nothing or no one else who we can or should count on, except Jesus Christ/ Yeshua haMashiach.

If you are struggling as the world around trembles and shakes, cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you!

Staying in the Light

In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
John 1:3

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
John 12:46

Read these 2 nuggets again slowly ...
He is the Light of men, he came to illuminate and draw us from darkness once and for all. At the risk of stating the obvious here, darkness is, by definition, the absence of light. Why would anyone who believes in Jesus want to remain shrouded in darkness? The enemy is a deceiver, liar, accuser of the brethren, the destroyer. Light illuminates his bag of dark tricks.
It's not just enough to believe though! The Scriptures tell us "even the demons believe in Jesus - and shudder". We are given an arsenal to do battle against darkness, but the arsenal is useless unless the weapons are wielded. We need to have the light for this reason.

Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1John 1:7

Joy in the Midst

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4

Trials in life come at us for many reasons, but these testings produce a strengthened, mature, and more purified faith.
Consider the process of forging steel: Iron ore, the raw material, impure and brittle, is crushed and thrown into a blazing furnace, burning off the dross and other impurities, after which the material is taken out, heated again, and beaten & hammered, producing the strongest steel in existence!
So as everything that can be shaken continues to be shaken, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Rejoice, take heart, He will never leave us or forsake us, perseverance is developing as we run this Race, seek His Face.

Submission to God

Submit Yourselves to God
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double‑minded.

So what really does cause fights and quarrels? Whether on a personal or international level, the truth is as described here in James 4. Selfishness, egocentrism, self indulgence, the desire for constant entertainment, pride... these are all manifestations of idolatry, which
the Lord despises and will not honor.
Victory as manifested by joy, peace, contentment, real & lasting satisfaction, & selflessness comes from total and unconditional surrender to our Abba daddy.
If you are still resisting and chasing worthless idols surrender today. Give up the good things in life for the Best.

The Sign of Noah

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

People get ready! Jesus is returning! Jesus' disciples asked when, to which the Lord replied that no one knows the day or hour. The Bible tells us that the Lord's coming will be unexpected like a thief in the night- sudden and unexpected.
We must be ready to share the Gospel at every opportunity, and pray without ceasing.

Get ready and be ready, people - He's coming .

Maranatha- Lord come quickly!

Real Love

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
John 3:15-18

One of the most often quoted scriptures , John 3:16, we can often see banners at sports events,etc., reading John 3:16, it's almost a cliché, "For God so loved the world..."
But what an amazing thing our Abba performed for us! Repeat that scripture again, and contemplate this ultimate act of love- God sending His only Son to die a horrible death in our place, while we were yet sinners even, so that we can have eternal life in Heaven! the promise comes with a warning though, that whoever does not believe stands condemned.
I find it incomprehensible that anyone would pass on the greatest gift ever offered humanity, and Jesus tells us that wide is the road that leads to destruction and many are on it!

Absence from anxiety

Phil.4:12b-13
 I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Phil.3:1 
 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Phil. 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle Paul, (aka Rabbi Shaul), penned Philippians while he was in prison! This never fails to amaze me; he did not write about poor prison conditions or his sadness, nor did he complain about anything!
The Scriptures tell us: The Joy of the Lord is our Strength...Paul exhorts us repeatedly, to rejoice in the Lord...why? WE CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES US STRENGTH!

Today go forward knowing the secret of contentment, REJOICE IN THE LORD

 

Faith, Hope, and More Persistence

42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.
46 The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Elijah prayed 7 times before he even heard a report of a glimmer of the fulfillment of his prayer! He had real faith and hope ... Hebrews 11:1 reads, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Read that again- ..." faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Sure & certain!
So while we pray, for the fire to fall and awaken the Church, for illnesses to be healed, prodigal children to come home, marraiges to be restored, finances to be provided, for the nation of Israel (Am Yisrael)& the Jewish people to receive their Messiah, and the myriad of other concerns we have, do it without ceasing, and when we have finished, to PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens)

Persistence

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
 “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name,  your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us..
 And lead us not into temptation.‘ ”
  Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
 “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:1-10

The Lord Jesus instructs His followers to pray with boldness, and persistence! We are to ask, seek, and knock- Jesus said-" SO I SAY TO YOU, ASK, SEEK, AND KNOCK" , and then to stay at it! Prayer is a key to triumphant abundant life as a disciple of Jesus. It is a privilege, so today get alone with our Abba Father, climb into His lap in your quiet place and :ASK,SEEK, AND KNOCK

Wielding

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."

In the desert experiences of life we may be faced with challenges-despondency, desperation, hopelessness, isolation, and all manner of negative thoughts and attitudes which may attack us.
The Lord Jesus did not argue with the enemy using the Essence of His Divinity, he wielded the sword of the Spirit, the Word, the very same weapon that has been given us!
He simply overcame the devil, saying " IT IS WRITTEN"

Today, in your Walk, put on your Armour, - and wield your Sword. IT IS WRITTEN.

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