Shalom,


I LOVE doing word studies to found out the different  meanings of any particular word and how it affects what the Word is really saying! In Psalm 107:2 we see this:


2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary,


We have sung the chorus many times that goes: 


Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
Lat the redeemed of the Lord say so
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
I'm redeemed, I'm redeemed, Praise the Lord!


That's great and it's true! I AM redeemed, and so is everyone who has received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour! BUT, that is NOT what this verse is saying! "So" is actually NOT in there! This is what it literally says (from Young's Literal Translation):


2 Let the redeemed of Jehovah say, Whom He  redeemed from the hand of the adversary.


What are they supposed to say? We find that in verse 1:


1 O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!


The redeemed of the Lord are not supposed to just SAY that they are redeemed, we are supposed to say that HE IS GOOD! AND, that His mercy and loving-kindness last FOREVER! That's the message! That takes the focus off of US and puts it back on the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Where it belongs! AMEN!


Verses 8, 15, 21 and 31 all say:


Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the LORD for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men.


What they actually say is this:


They confess to Jehovah His kindness, and His wonders to the sons of men.


"Confess" is the Hebrew word "yadah", which we know means: to give praise, to laud, to confess, to give thanks, to throw down! What these people did was to "throw down" praise and thanksgiving to HIM! It is the natural by product of a grateful, thankful heart to give glory and honor and praise to the One, True God! So let's DO IT! Here is the song "We The Redeemed" from Hillsong United:

Luke 19 covers the events of what is celebrated in many Christian churches today, Palm Sunday! John's Gospel mentions the palm branches. But we are most concerned with verses 35-38, after the disciples returned with the donkey colt:


35 And they brought it to Jesus; then they threw their garments over the colt and set Jesus upon it. 36 And as He rode along, the people kept spreading their garments on the road. 37 As He was approaching [the city], at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to rejoice and to praise God [extolling Him exultantly and] loudly for all the mighty miracles and works of power that they had witnessed. 38 Crying, Blessed (celebrated with praises) is the King Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven [freedom there from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin] and glory (majesty and splendor) in the highest [heaven]!


We walked what may have been the road that Jesus took into the city when we were in Israel last year! Here are two pictures from there. One is of part of our group on the road and the other is of the sealed gates that have been built upon the real Golden Gate, or Beautiful Gate, that will open up to receive the Messiah when He returns to earth to rule and reign for 1000 years! We are SO very close to those times! Hallelujah!

One thing that we, in our nation and at this time, do not understand, is the absolute connection between the land and the people of it! Everything that the people of Israel did affected the land they possessed! If they obeyed God, then the land was blessed, and the people because of it! If they disobeyed God, then eventually the land would suffer, and the people because of it! Some of that is what is being covered in Deuteronomy 21-22. That is also what has happened, to some extent, in the United States of America! The sins of this nation against the Word of the One, True God  is already being reaped in natural and environmental catastrophes! God's Word SAYS that these things will happen, with more frequency, as we see the end draw near! Don't get into doubt, worry, fear and unbelief! You STILL have a Covenant with the One, True God though the precious Blood of Jesus of Nazareth! Find out what belongs to you and walk in it with confidence, boldness and authority! HE will back you up completely! AMEN!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 106 begins with rejoicing, thanksgiving and praise! We should begin EVERY day with the same! The rest of the Psalm testifies to the goodness, mercy and loving-kindness of the LORD in forgiving and delivering the nation of Israel for all of their iniquity and rebellion against Him and His Word. The praise in verses 1-2:


1 PRAISE THE LORD! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! 2 Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the LORD? Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?


Verses 6-8 tell of just SOME of the reasons for the thankfulness!


6 We have sinned, as did also our fathers; we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. 7 Our fathers in Egypt understood not nor appreciated Your miracles; they did not [earnestly] remember the multitude of Your mercies nor imprint on Your loving-kindness [on their hearts], but they were rebellious and provoked the LORD at the sea, even at the Red Sea. 8 Nevertheless He saved them for His Name's sake [to prove the righteousness of the divine character], that He might make His mighty power known.


The rest of the Psalm recounts the numerous times that the nation and the individual people of it rebelled against the LORD. The psalmist always said "we" in acknowledging the sin of the people! He wasn't judging any individual or exempting himself from the judgement due the nation. He was grateful for the mercy of God! God ALWAYS delivered them WHEN they repented and called on Him again! Verse 47 shows a prayer of the psalmist that has been answered in our generation! Hallelujah!


47 Deliver us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in praising You.


Since 1948 the people of the nation of Israel have been able to give praise, thanksgiving and worship to the LORD their God for making them a nation IN THE LAND again, AND forever! What shall WE say then? Verse 48:


48 Blessed (affectionately and gratefully praised) be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, Amen! Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)


Did you realize that WE are included in "all the people"? Glory to God for the priceless privilege to be alive at this very time in the history of the world! 


In Luke 18, when the disciples tried to stop the little people from bringing their children to Jesus, He said this in verses 16-17:


16 But Jesus called them to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such [as these] belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] shall not in any way enter it [at all].


How DOES a little child accept and receive and welcome Him? With openness, enthusiasm, joy, trust, confidence, lightheartedness, and ... I think you get the picture! WE must do LIKEWISE! Whenever you are tempted to doubt the Word, or get trapped into worry, fear, guilt, doubt, unbelief or any other negative thought pattern, just cast all those thoughts aside and BE a little kid again! How? Put on your favorite praise music, then  sing, shout, laugh, jump for joy, dance, leap, twirl and just have a great GOOD time! God will LOVE it, you will be set free and the enemy will be DEFEATED all over again! AMEN! We sang (and danced!) to this song last night at The Spoken Word Church Friday Night Advanced Intercessory Prayer service! Enjoy AND participate! You'll be glad you did! 

Deuteronomy 19-20 cover more of the instructions by Moses for the people BEFORE they actually possessed all of the land so that WHEN they did, they could remember and obey. IF they had, they would have been continually blessed through all of the years up to now and the world would look a whole lot different! Don't you wish they had? How about you and your life? The same holds true for US! IF we will obey the Word of the Lord our God, WE will be able to walk in all of the blessing, authority, power and dominion that Jesus of Nazareth walked in throughout His ministry on the earth! The responsibility is OURS to find out what the Word of God says about US and to put it into practice! Let's be DOERS and not hearers only! The great and Godly results are just waiting to happen! AMEN!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 105:1-5:


1 O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, call upon His Name, make known His doings among the peoples! 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them. 3 Glory in His holy Name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the LORD [as their indispensable necessity]. 4 Seek; inquire of and for the LORD, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek require His face and His presence [continually] evermore. 5 [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds that He has done, his miracles and wonders, the judgments and sentences which He pronounced [upon His enemies, as in Egypt].


The word "LORD" here is the Hebrew word "Yahweh" or "Yehovah", which is His Covenant Name, and means: the Eternal, Self-existing One! THAT is OUR God! AMEN! Listen to "Mighty To Save" by Hillsong! They KNOW how to praise HIM!

In Luke 17:12-19 we read about the 10 lepers who called on Jesus to have mercy on them. "Mercy" is the Greek word "eleeo", which means: compassionate, to have or show compassion. Remember that sympathy FEELS for someone, but compassion ACTS! What did Jesus do? He "cleansed" them! That is the Greek word "katharizoo", which means: to purge, to purify, to make clean from disease (such as leprosy). They were all cleansed as they went in obedience to His instruction! No more leprosy! Hallelujah! Do you think they were excited? Verses 15-19:


15 Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice; 16 And he fell prostrate at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, Were not [all] ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was there no one found to return and to recognize and give thanks and praise to God except this alien? 19 And He said to him, Get up and go on your way. Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your belief in God) has restored you to health.


"Restored to health" is from the Greek word "sozo", which means: to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, do well, make whole, keep safe, rescue from danger or destruction, restore to health. Many times people with leprosy were terribly disfigured. All ten no longer had leprosy, but only the one, and a foreigner at that, returned to thank the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! The result for him was total restoration of his health! No more disfigurement! Don't EVER forget that EVERY good thing in YOUR life came from HIM! Give Him the praise and thanksgiving that is DUE Him for He is WORTHY! AMEN!


King Solomon asked God for wisdom and wisdom was granted to him, plus so much more! BUT, if he had paid attention to obeying the Word of God found in Deuteronomy 17, he would never have had to write Ecclesiastes! Verses 14-20:

14 When you come to the land which the Lord your God gives you and you possess it and live there, and then say, We will set a king over us like all the nations that are about us, 

15 You shall surely set as king over you him whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner, who is not your brother, over you. 

16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to multiply horses, since the Lord said to you, You shall never return that way. 

17 And he shall not multiply wives to himself, that his [mind and] heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 

18 And when he sits on his royal throne, he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, out of what is before the Levitical priests. 

19 And he shall keep it with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn [reverently] to fear the Lord his God, by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes and doing them, 

20 That his [mind and] heart may not be lifted up above his brethren and that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left; so that he may continue long, he and his sons, in his kingdom in Israel. 

What is OUR lesson from this? OBEY THE WORD! Doing so will keep US from any number of situations and circumstances that the enemy has planned to trip us up. It will also bring God's tremendous BLESSING into and upon our lives here on earth! AMEN!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 104 tells of the Greatness of our God, the Generosity of our God and the Wisdom of our God! Verses 1-9:


1 BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty -- 2 [you are the ONE] Who covers Yourself with light a with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent, 3 Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the Wind, 4 Who makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His ministers. 5 You laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever. 6 you covered it with the deep as with  a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. 8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place which You appointed for them. 9 You have set a boundary [for the waters] which they may not pass over, that they turn not again to deluge the earth. 


WOW! Doesn't that just make you want to shout to the world: MY God IS God? Hallelujah! Verses 31-34:


31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works -- 32 Who looks on the earth, and it quakes and trembles, Who touches the mountains, and they smoke! 33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have any being. 34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; as for me, I will rejoice in the LORD.


Amen! Here is a song called "Oceans Will Part" by Hillsong. 

There is only one verse we will look at in Luke 16 today, but it is a vitally important verse to understand! Verse 17:


17 Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to fail and become void.


God's Word is FOREVER! We have to really meditate on the Truth that God and His Word are ONE! He will never do anything contrary to His Word! Do you see why it is so very important for us to meditate on His Word, day and night (Joshua 1:8)? The New Covenant is BETTER than the Old Covenant - NOT because one did away with the other, but because the New FULFILLED the Old (Matthew 5:17)! Do yo see while we will be spending eternity learning something new? How extremely exciting THAT sounds! In the meantime, pray this from Psalm 25:5 every time you do study, and allow the Spirit of God to teach you HIS Word! 


5 Guide me in Your Truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.


Deuteronomy 15 is very interesting concerning the release from debt! They were instructed in Leviticus 25 and, as we will see, in Deuteronomy 23, NOT to charge interest on a loan to a fellow Israelite. They could charge interest to a foreigner, but not to a "brother".  Now we see that every 7th year they are told to totally release their brother from debt! How do you think THAT would change our economy today? God's Ways are ALWAYS better than man's ways, don't you think? I hope YOU are enjoying studying the Word of God as much as I do!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 103 is a Psalm of praise to the LORD. Verses 1-5 speak of individual and personal praise. Verses 6-18 speak of national praise and verses 19-22 speak of universal praise. He IS the One, True, Most high, Living, Almighty God Who is worthy of ALL praise and honor and glory! Verses 1-5:


1 BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the LORD, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy Name! 2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the LORD, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits -- 3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; 5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!


What great promises we find here! Try reading this Psalm in the Message Bible, too. it is so plain and clear! Here is a link to it from Bible Gateway:


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps%20103,%20luke%2015,%20deut%2013-14&version=MSG


We are to give our full attention to being grateful and thankful to HIM for every good thing in our lives! Verse 3 says that He forgives [every one of] all our sins and heals [each one of] all your diseases! The word "all" from the KJV means exactly that! It is the Hebrew word "kol", which means: the whole, all, any, every (singular and plural), each, anything, everything, totality. There is not one sin that has not been covered by the Blood of Jesus of Nazareth and can be forgiven a believer using 1 john 1:9! The ONLY sin not covered by the Blood is the sin of rejecting Jesus! If Jesus is the ONLY Way to the Father in Heaven, and He IS (John 14:6), then rejecting Him leaves a person with NO WAY to Heaven! Make sure you are presenting the Gospel as really Good News and people WILL respond! Likewise, there is not one sickness, disease, germ, virus, bad bacteria, fungi, infection, cancer, tumor, growth, cyst, lump, bump, imbalance, abnormality, malfunction,weakness, infirmity, poverty or lack that could possibly touch your body that has not ALREADY been dealt with by Jesus! Remember 1 Peters 2:24; By His stripes you WERE healed! FORGET NOT!!! Now praise Him for that! AMEN! GLORY TO GOD and THANK YOU JESUS!  Then Psalm 103 ends with verses 21-22:


21 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the LORD, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the LORD, O my soul!


Here is a song by someone I have never heard of before, but it is a beautiful song of worship from Psalm 103 by Caleb McCleary:

In Luke 15 Jesus tells the story of what we call the prodigal son. It is such a beautiful account of our Heavenly Father's great love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness towards US! But the point that we are looking at today is found in verses 28-32:


28 But [the elder brother] was angry [with deep-seated wrath] and resolved not to go in. Then his father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, Look! These many years I have served you, and I have never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me [so much as] a [little] kid, that I might revel and feast and be happy and make merry with my friends; 30 But when this son of yours arrived, who has devoured your estate with immoral women, you have killed for  him that [wheat] fattened calf! 31 And the father said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But it was fitting to make  merry, to revel and feast and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!


Notice that AT ANY TIME the older brother COULD HAVE enjoyed all that his father had! Yet, he begrudged the father his joy and celebration that his son had returned! DON'T be such a one as that! Find out what belongs to you as a member of God's family and of the Body of Christ! Make use of ALL that the Father has given you as part of our Covenant with Him, bringing glory to His Name and showing His GOODNESS to the world! If you don't, you will find yourself in a fit of jealousy, just like the older brother here, when you see someone else enjoying the mercy, compassion and tremendous blessing of the Lord!


In Deuteronomy 13-14 Moses is continuing to remind the people of Israel of all of the commandments that God had given them. He is preparing them for his departure when Joshua would take over as leader. They would never again have such a leader as Moses had been, until Messiah Jesus Himself  reigns in Jerusalem!  As with most large groups of people, you know that some listened and will remember, some listened and will forget eventually, and others let it go "in one ear and out the other"! They CANNOT say that God didn't prepare them for what was ahead, anymore than WE can say that about our times. With our new Covenant, based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6), we have EVERYTHING we will ever need to be overcomers and more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) IN THIS LIFE! Find out what belongs to you as a born-again believer in Jesus of Nazareth and begin to walk in it! We SHOULD look just like Jesus on the earth, AND get His same results, and more! He said so (John 14:12)! 


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


The writer of Psalm 102 is not known, but you can really tell that he was under attack! The sub-heading for this Psalm says this:


A prayer of the afflicted; when he is overwhelmed and faint and pours out his complaint to God. 


On those occasional days when you happen to be under attack and it SEEMS to be overwhelming, turn to Psalm 102 and read! I don't know about you, but I have NEVER had my "days consume away like smoke"; nor "my bones burn like a firebrand"; nor "my flesh cleave to my bones"; nor had anyone "use my name as a curse"; nor have I "eaten the ashes in which I sat", nor been cast away by God; nor been "withered like grass"; nor have I EVER felt like a "melancholy pelican"! Remind yourself that God is Good, ALL THE TIME! Verses 25-28:


25 At the beginning You existed and laid the foundations of the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 They shall perish, but You shall remain and endure; yes, all of them shall wear out and become old like a garment. Like clothing you shall change them, and they shall be changed and pass away. 27 But You remain the same, and Your years shall have no end. 28 The children of your servants shall dwell safely and continue, and their descendants shall be established before You.


Allow the Holy Spirit to show you what little adjustments you may need to make in YOUR life so that you can stay in deep, intimate fellowship with HIM! THAT is the place of God's protection, provision and safety; blessing, anointing and power! AMEN!


Again in Luke 14 Jesus is posing questions to the Pharisees that they DARE not answer! If they answer TRUTHFULLY, then they will have to admit that He IS exactly Who He says He is! I LOVE it! Then He instructs us to NOT exalt ourselves, but rather allow Him to use others to exalt us! Then He says this in verse 26:


26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters -- [yes] and even his own life also -- he cannot be My disciple.


He is saying here that He MUST be the #1 priority in our lives! We have always said that if couples would each love the LORD their God with their entire being, they will have more than enough love to love their spouses AND their children better than ever before! There would never be a need for marriage counseling, or any other counseling, if every believer would make that simple adjustment! 


In Deuteronomy 11-12 Moses is STILL instructing the Israelites about their lives in the new land that God has ordained and provided for them. Deuteronomy 11:8-9:


8 Therefore you shall keep all the commandments which I command you today, that you may be strong and go in and possess the land which you go across [the Jordan] to possess, 9 And that you may live long in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.


And verses 11-15:


11 But the land which you enter to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water of the rain of the heavens, 12 A land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. 13 And if you will diligently heed My commandments which I command you this day -- to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your [mind and ] heart and with your entire being -- 14 I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 and I will give grass in your fields for you cattle, that you, may eat and be full.


And then Deuteronomy 12:32 says this:


32 Whatever I command you, be watchful to do it; you shall not add to it or diminish it.


The 12 spies SAW that the land was just as God had told them it was! The produce of the land was extraordinary! They were a wonderfully prosperous nation as long as they obeyed His Word. When they stopped, they chose cursing INSTEAD of the blessing of God! Then they were taken captive, and, when they had rejected the ONE sent, they were dispersed to the ends of the earth! BUT, God's promises are without repentance! He promised that they would return and they have! Their produce is again amazing and what we were able to sample on our trip last year was excellent! I hope you get an opportunity to visit the land! Until then, bless Israel and BE blessed! Here is a picture taken of our entire group from the tour:

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 101 is a Psalm of David written before the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem. It is known as a leadership Psalm because David covers some things required of a leader. Verses 1-2:


1 I WILL sing of mercy and loving-kindness and justice; to You, O LORD, will I sing. 2 I will behave myself wisely and give heed to the blameless way -- O when will You come to me? I will walk within my house in integrity and with a blameless heart.


It is important for believers in Jesus of Nazareth to walk before the world AND our families, both our natural and Church families, in integrity. As Living Epistles that are known and read of all men, let's lead lives that make them want to KEEP reading!


Here is a song from HillSong's Faith + Hope + Love CD called "Glow":

I have always been thrilled with the way that Jesus answered people who questioned Him. Some were genuine and some were trying to trick Him. He always knew their hearts and motives! He had a great way of answering a question WITH a question! The ones who really wanted to learn would be given something important to consider and meditate on. The ones who were trying to trick Him were left speechless by the way He turned it around on them! I LOVE it! We can learn a lot from the way that Jesus conducted Himself with people! We face the same types of people today. The same Holy Spirit lives in us and He will let us know how to answer. That is why James 1:19 is so important to obey! Luke 16-17 should answer forever whether it is God's will to heal or not!


16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom satan has bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath? 17 Even as He said this, all His opponents were put to shame, and all the people were rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.


In Deuteronomy 9-10 Moses continues giving the people of Israel their History lesson! Remember that history is really HIS story! Chapter 10 ends with this exhortation:


12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but [reverently] to fear the Lord your God, [that is] to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being, 13 To keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? 14 Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth also, with all that is in it and on it. 15 Yet the Lord had a delight in loving your fathers, and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16 So circumcise the foreskin of your [minds and] hearts; be no longer stubborn and hardened. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger or temporary resident and gives him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger and sojourner, for you were strangers and sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall [reverently] fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and by His name and presence you shall swear. 21 He is your praise; He is your God, Who has done for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of the heavens for multitude. 


If they had obeyed this, they would never have had trouble with other nations and would never have had to go into exile or be dispersed among the nations! BUT, God NEVER gave up on them! 1948 proved that and He continues to prove it every day as HE protects Israel from everything that the enemy tries to do to them! Remember to be one who blesses the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, so that YOU may continue to be blessed! AMEN!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The subtitle for Psalm 100 says: A Psalm of thanksgiving and for the thank offering. Here is the entire Psalm:

1 MAKE A joyful noise to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come before His presence with singing 3 Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the LORD is God! It is he Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into his courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise his Name! 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.

Here is one of my favorite songs from this Psalm done by Lamb:

Luke 12 is filled with great things we could look at! But that is true of all of God's Word! Today we will look at verses 29-32:

29 And you, do not seek [by meditating and reasoning to inquire into] what you are to eat and what you are to drink; nor be of anxious (troubled) mind [unsettled, excited, worried, and in suspense]; 30 For all the pagan world is [greedily] seeking these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also. 32 Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom!

Don't let the situations going on all over the world get you into a panic mode over your own life! Remember that nothing is ever as bad as it seems AND we are Ambassadors sent from Heaven to earth to represent Jesus to the world (2 Corinthians 5:20)! Our source of supply is God. If Jesus could feed 5,000+ with 5 loaves and 2 fish, WE can do the same in His Name! Let's step up and into the authority we have been given in Him and show the world that Jesus Lives! AMEN! Ok, I can't resist using THIS one! Hillsong's Tell The World:

In Deuteronomy 7-8 Moses continues to remind the Israelites of the commands and promises of God, how He provided for them and what He expected of them. In the first verses of chapter 7 He warns them about making any covenant with the evil nations that He had given into their hands. Because they did not always obey this, they have had problems with the nations of the world ever since! BUT, His promise to, and Covenant with, Abraham will never be broken! There will ALWAYS be a nation of Israel, no matter what the ungodly, heathen islamic nations say! God AND Israel WILL prevail! Read the end of the Book! AMEN! He also reminds them of God's blessings over them and warns them this in Deuteronomy 8:11-18:

11 Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His precepts, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, 13 And when your herds and flocks multiply  and your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied, 14 Then your [minds and] hearts be lifted up and you forget the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, 15 Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, but Who brought you forth water out of the flinty rock, 16 Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 17 And beware lest you say in your [mind and] heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. 18 But you shall [earnestly] remember the LORD your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Don't ever forget that everything good in your life comes from HIM (James 1:17)! Give HIM the credit! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 99:1-3:


1 THE LORD reigns, let the people tremble [with reverential fear]! He sits [enthroned] above the cherubim, let the earth quake! 2 The LORD is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them confess and praise Your great Name, awesome and reverence inspiring! It is holy, and holy are YOU!


This Psalm is the 5th of 6 "royal psalms" (93, 95-100)  which magnify the sovereignty of the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Unbelieving believers like to use the phrase, "But remember, God is Sovereign!", to explain unanswered prayer. What they sometimes fail to realize is that, as New Covenant believers, we have been given the responsibility for our own lives! We are to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). "Salvation" is the Greek word "soteria", which means: rescue, deliver, safety, health, deliverance, preservation. To "work out" is the Greek word "katergazomai", which means: accomplish, to finish, to fashion, to perform, to achieve, to work. The SOVEREIGN God has instructed US to put His Word to work! His Word has His authority behind it to cause it to come to pass when it is spoken from a position of faith by a member of His family and a participant in His Covenant that has been sealed with the Blood of Jesus of Nazareth! Unanswered prayer is NOT God's doing, but OURS! 1 John 5:14-15 says: 


14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with his own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.


So you can see that the responsibility is OURS to find out His will, from His Word, so that we can ask and speak according to His will. Then He hears and makes it happen, by confirming His Word spoken from our mouths! A similar Scripture is found in John 15:7:


7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My Words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.


WHAT? Ask whatever I will? YES, YES, YES! WHEN I live in vital and continual fellowship with Him and His Word is alive in me, THEN I will KNOW His will and what I speak will BE His will and it will happen for me just like it did for Jesus! Remember, the SOVEREIGN God set it up this way! If you have a problem with that, you'll have to take it up with HIM! I choose to believe and obey! AMEN! Here is a great song from Hillsong called "Yours Is The Kingdom".

With everything that is covered in Luke 11, this is what stands out to me today! Verses 52-54:


52 Woe to you, lawyers (experts in the Mosaic Law)! For you have taken away the key to knowledge; you did not go in yourselves, and you hindered and prevented those who were entering. 53 As He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees [followed Him closely, and they] began to be enraged with and set themselves violently against Him and to draw Him out and to provoke Him to speak of many things, 54 Secretly watching and plotting and lying in wait for Him, to seize upon something He might say [that they might accuse Him].


The same evil spirits that operated in and through the scribes and Pharisees who hated Jesus still operate through people today! They DO NOT want believers in Jesus of Nazareth to learn the Truth of God's Word, because then THEY will be dealt with according to the Word of God! They want people to stay ignorant of the Word, ignorant of their rights and ignorant of their responsibility to do and speak God's Word. Don't fall for the trick and don't let anything or anyone keep you from close, intimate fellowship with the God of the Bible and His Word!


In Deuteronomy 5-6 Moses continues to remind the Israelites of God's Word and their responsibility to obey the Word and carry out His will for their land. The most important commandment? Deuteronomy 6:4-6:


4 Hear, O Israel: the LORD your God is one LORD [ the only LORD]. 5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your [mind and ] heart and with your entire being and with all your might. 6 And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts;


He is SOVEREIGN! KEEP Him that way in YOUR life! 


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 98:4 says:


4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!


Verses 7-9:


7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world, and those who dwell in it!  8 Let the rivers clap their hands; together let the hills sing for joy  9 Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge [and rule] the earth; with righteousness will He judge [and rule] the world, and the peoples with equity.


I shared before that this Psalm was the inspiration for the hymn, turned Christmas carol, by Isaac Watts, Joy To The World. Here is Hillsong singing this:

I LOVE Scriptural Christmas music ANYTIME! 


In Luke 10:2 Jesus said this to His disciples:


2 And he said to them, The harvest indeed is abundant [there is much ripe grain], but the farmhands are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers in to his harvest. 


Here is a picture of a wheat field ready for harvest:

That is the pretty little picture that is often used to portray the evangelistic idea of the harvest. But we are sent out to reap PEOPLE into the Kingdom of God! There are almost 7,000,000,000 people in the world! We cannot even imagine what it would look like to see so many people all at once. A picture of an O'Dell crusade is a better idea! Here are a few pictures of crowds from around the world. 

The crowds in an O'Dell crusade have HEARD the Gospel preached, with signs following! The people in these pictures may not have heard! Here is a song from Hillsong United's I Heart Revolution called "Tell The World":

In think that one of my many favorite verses in the New Testament is Luke 10:42. Martha has just asked Jesus to make Mary, who has been listening to Him teach the Word, help her in the kitchen. Jesus tells Martha that she is worried about so many things BUT: 


42 But there is  only one thing that is essential. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it won't be taken away from her.


If you are ever faced with that choice, choose the WORD! AMEN!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 97:1a; 3; 5a:


1a THE LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice... 3 Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries (enemies) round about....5a The hills melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth.


That  brings back memories of many different songs we have sung at The Spoken Word Church over all these years! Do YOU remember this one? It is Bob Fitts singing "The Lord Reigns"

Our admonition? Verse 12:


12 Rejoice in the LORD, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.


Remember that "rejoice" is the Hebrew word "samach", which means: to be joyful, which usually refers to a spontaneous emotion or extreme happiness which is expressed in some visual and external manner! Let yourself go in the presence of God and REJOICE! AMEN! Here is another song that may help! Hillsong's "Break Free"

In Luke 9 there are many things that we could look at, but the Holy Spirit really ministered verse 22 to me today!


22 Saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be [deliberately] disapproved and repudiated and rejected on the part of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be put to death and on the third day raised [again].


Jesus was speaking to them about the things that would SURELY come to pass. It was NECESSARY for Him to suffer these things so that we could receive eternal salvation through HIM! Many of the things that we see happening in the world today are also NECESSARY for the fulfillment of God's prophetic Word! Don't be dismayed when these things happen. We still must obey the Word of God and look for every opportunity to preach the Gospel and stand for what is right and Godly, but when things don't look like our prayers are being answered, don't give up! Instead, LOOK UP! Soon and very soon our Lord Jesus is going to appear in the sky, coming for US, His Church on the earth. Then the world will receive judgement for rejecting God and His Word! Continue to be led by the Spirit of God within you and you cannot fail! AMEN!


In Deuteronomy today Moses is reminding the Israelites of their history with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty god of the Bible. He is preparing them for his departure and their possessing of the Land of God's promise! It is important for all of us to remind ourselves of where we've been, what God has done in our lives, the lessons we have learned (from BOTH wisdom and experience!), what He has called us to do and where He is leading us now. This life of faith is a progressive one, built day after day on the knowledge of God's Word that we are accumulating, layer upon layer! Here is a quote from Smith Wigglesworth that I saw today on the SWC website:


"Faith is the audacity that rejoices in the fact that God cannot break His own Word" - I HAVE and OPERATE in THAT faith! AMEN!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 96:1-2:


1 O SING unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing unto the LORD, bless His Name; show forth His salvation from day to day.


Verses 7-8:


7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His Name: bring an offering and come into His courts.


The Hebrew words for "sing" and "give" here are in the imperative sense. Do you know what "imperative" means? The Dictionary definition is: absolutely necessary or required, unavoidable, a command. So this isn't just a nice suggestion to make us "feel" happy! This is a command from God Himself that we are to sing to Him and to give glory (honor) to Him. This MUST be a priority in our lives! Why? Because He is worthy of ALL praise and honor and glory, but, most importantly, because His Word COMMANDS it! AMEN!  Here are 2 different songs, one older and one newer!

In Luke 8 we again see Jesus teaching the Parable of the Sower. He tells it to the crowd in verses 4-8 and explains it to His disciples in verses 11-15. We know that the Seed is the Word of God. THAT is unchangeable and vitally important! I have heard it taught many times that we need to spend more time in the Word, to sow the Word in our hearts, to be diligent to meditate the Word. Those are all commands in the Word of God and very important. BUT, the Word will not have the necessary and desired effect on our lives UNTIL we properly prepare the  ground, or the soil! If you plant good garden seeds in very poor soil, not many will even come up, let alone produce the desired crop of whatever it is we planted! The FIRST priority is to prepare the soil to receive the Seed! How do we do that? Psalm 96 above is a very good way to start! Begin every day with praise, thanksgiving and worship! That will allow the Holy Spirit to freely work HIS (good) work inside of us! A heart (spirit/soul combination) that has been softened with praise, thanksgiving and worship will be more attune to the voice of the Holy Spirit and His instructions concerning the Seed, or Word, that we sow into it! Everything having to do with God's Kingdom and His way of doing things is very simple, but ALWAYS requires DILIGENCE! AMEN!


Numbers 35 begins with the LORD instructing Moses to command the people concerning the provision of land for the Levites. They were  not given a specific area as the other tribes were, but were to be given certain cities within each of the tribal areas. This not only gave the Levites the freedom to serve the LORD as He commanded, but also put the Levites, the priestly tribe, within easy access of each tribe. They could go to the priest or Levite in their own area for counsel and advice on the things of God. Notice that God COMMANDED the Levites to be provided for by the people! That's what the Tithe is for, then and now! It is also what the Word of God commands in Galatians 6:6:


6 Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support].


I love how God takes care of the support for His ministers of the Gospel, and LETS us be a part of it! AWESOME! 


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 95 is all about corporate praise and worship! We are to all spend time in praise, worship and thanksgiving privately, but this is speaking of in the congregation. Verse 1-3 says:


1 O COME, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! 3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.


This is all about being LOUD! The words for "singing" (ranan) and "joyful noise" (ruwa`) both involve shouting! Ranan means: to overcome or be overcome, to cry out, to shout for joy, to give a ringing cry in joy and exaltation. Ruwa` means: to shout, to raise a sound, to cry out, to give a blast, to shout a war-cry, to shout in applause, to shout in triumph, to shout for joy. Then we come to verses 6-7a:


6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker [in reverent praise and supplication]. 7a For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. 


Now this is speaking of worship! The words here are "worship" (shachah), "bow down" (kara`) and "kneel" (barak). Shachah means: to bend the knee, to prostrate in homage, to make obeisance, to do reverence. Kara means: to bend the knee, to bow, to kneel in reverence. Barak means: to kneel, to bless God as an act of adoration, to bless, to adore. That does NOT sound like a lot of time spent on your feet, does it? Here is a familiar song by the Maranatha Singers taken from Psalm 95:

The rest of Psalm 95 speaks of the disobedience of the Israelites that led to them spending 40 years in the wilderness before they could enter the Promised Land! One commentary called this "the longest funeral march"! Let's do things God's Way! It is well worth whatever it costs! 


Luke 7 has Jesus returning to Capernaum where He healed the Centurion's servant and then to Nain where He raised a widow's son from the dead! Verses 13-14:


13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep. 14 And He went forward and touched the funeral bier, and the pallbearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]!


The word for "compassion" here is the Hebrew word "splagchnizomai", which means: to yearn, to be moved with compassion. Sympathy just identifies with a persons feelings. Compassion will MOVE YOU to do something! AMEN! God wants us to be moved with compassion for people, just like Jesus did! AMEN!


Numbers 33 shows the places where the Israelites camped during their 40 year trek through the wilderness! Numbers 34 shows the God-given boundaries for the nation of Israel! Here are map pictures that show each:

God has already spoken concerning Israel! The world would be wise to get in line with HIS will! Of course, we HAVE already read the Book and we know how it all turns out! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


Psalm 94 is another excellent WORD for those who are frustrated with what is happening in our nation and around the world! Verses 3-7 describe the wicked:


3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph and exult? 4 They pour out arrogant words, speaking hard things; all the evildoers boast loftily. 5 They crush Your people, O LORD, and afflict Your heritage. 6 They slay the widow and the transient stranger and murder the unprotected orphan. 7 Yet they say, The LORD does not see, neither does the God of Jacob notice it.


Verses 8-11 is the answer to the wicked:


8 Consider and understand, you stupid ones among the people! And you [self-confident] fools, when will you become wise? 9 He Who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He Who formed the eye, shall He not see? 10 He Who disciplines and instructs the nations, shall He not punish, He Who teaches man knowledge? 11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are vain (empty and futile -- only a breath).


Verses 12-15 is the promise for the righteous!


12 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O LORD, and teach out of Your law, 13 That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. 14 For the LORD will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will he abandon His heritage. 15 For justice will return to the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.


LOOK UP! JESUS (YESHUA) is appearing soon and VERY soon!


In Luke 6 Jesus continues teaching, preaching and healing. He separates out the twelve who will be His apostles and then continues to teach the people who follow after Him. Verse 38:


38 Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the same measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.


This is really an excellent "translation" of this verse! The word "bosom" is the Hebrew word "kolpos", which means: the hollow formed by the upper forepart of a rather loose garment bound by a girdle, used for keeping and carrying things (the fold or pocket). Now doesn't THAT just make more sense? Then Jesus speaks of judging each other and uses the contrast of the speck and the beam. Here are some pictures:

Then we are given this example of bearing fruit in verse 45:


45 The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the hearty his mouth speaks.


THAT is how we can tell the believers, from the unbelievers and the unbelieving believers! Be a "Believing Believer" and build YOUR house on the strong and sturdy foundation of the ROCK! AMEN!


Numbers tells of the beginning of the division of the land of Israel when Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh ask to be able to keep their livestock and families in shelters in the portion of the land on their present side of the Jordan River. Here is a picture of the division of the land:

Very soon Jesus of Nazareth will return as the Messiah of Israel and will rule in the land for 1000 years. THEN Israel will have ALL of the land that God has promised them! This is a VERY exciting time to be alive on the earth! Are you ready for this? If not, why not? JUST DO IT!


Shalom in Him!

Shalom,


I am going to show all of Psalm 93 here from the Amplified Bible so that you can see it as you listen to this amazing video and song by the Sons Of Korah!


1 THE LORD reigns, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is robed, He has girded Himself with strength and power; the world also is established, that it cannot be moved. 2 Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up the roaring of their waves. 4 The LORD on high is mightier and more glorious than the noise of many waters, yes, than the mighty breakers and waves of the sea. 5 Your testimonies are very sure; holiness [apparent in separation from sin, with simple trust and hearty obedience] is becoming to Your house, O LORD, forever.

In Luke 5 Jesus was teaching and preaching by the Sea of Galilee; or Lake Gennesaret as it was also referred to, and the people were really crowding in. Jesus saw some fishing boats and wanted to get into one to move a little away from shore. Verses 3-7:


3 And getting into one of the boats, [the one] that belonged to Simon (Peter), He requested him to draw away a little from the shore. Then He sat down and continued to teach the crowd [of people] from the boat. 4 When He (Jesus) had stopped speaking, He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul. 5 And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower4 the nets [again]. 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were [at the point of] breaking, 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.


What a great decision to do something just because Jesus said to do it! Remember that! It will do YOU good, too! Here is a picture of the "Jesus Boat" that we saw in Israel. It is the remains of a fishing boat from the time of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It may even be Peter's! It was found when the water level of the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Sea of Tiberias) began to go down I have also included a picture of a diagram that was posted there to show the types of wood used. You can click on them to make them larger so you can see the detail. 

What happened here had a profound effect on Peter and the sons of Zebedee. Verses 8-11:


8 But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was gripped with bewildering amazement , and all who were with him, at the haul of fish which they had made; 10 And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon (Peter). And Jesus said to Simon, Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men! 11 And after they had run their boats on shore, they left everything and joined Him as His disciples and sided with His party and accompanied Him.


Another very wise decision on their part! Are YOU setting everything else aside to put HIM first place in your life? You will NEVER regret making THAT decision! AMEN!


Numbers tells us all about the very specific details that were required for the offering of sacrifices to the LORD. WE have the honor and privilege of giving the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving every day, and then to simply obey Him! Remember this from 1 Samuel 15:22:


22 Samuel said, Has the LORD as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.


Obedience brings abundant blessings!


Shalom in Him!