ISSUE: #95

MEM

(Messianic Email Message)
Psalms 119:97 - 104
Seeking The Truth
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For His Glory!

Message

Sons of the Living God

1John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are… (ASV)

This says we can be children (sons) of the Almighty, the Ever-living One, Creator of heaven and earth. How can this be? Does this then give us the right and privilege to call Him Father? If we are His children what is our relationship to Yeshua (Jesus) the only begotten Son of God?

It was prophesied:

Hosea 1:10 … And it will come about that, …It will be said to them, " You are the sons of the living God." (all Scripture NAS unless noted)

There was a man that did not want to be known for his affiliation with some denomination or some movement; he wanted to be known as a son of the Living God’. Think about that; does this sum up our calling, our purpose, our hope and goal in life? If we are indeed children of God then we are family.

It all begins with a new birth:

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

But How can this be?

Eph 1:5 He (God the Father) predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

John 1:12 But to all who did receive him (Yeshua), who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

How can we personally know?

Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

1Pet 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.

A new life-led by the Spirit:

Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

God’s children will reflect their new life:

2Cor 6:16 ... For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17 "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. 18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.

1Pet 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

His children are characterized as Peacemakers:

Matt 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

They are above reproach:

Phil 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

They are in the process of being transformed:

Gal 4:19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you --

They are brothers with Yeshua (Jesus):

Matt 12:50 "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."

John 20:17 Jesus said to her, "... go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’"

Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting that he(The Father), for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies(Yeshua) and those who are sanctified(us) all have one source. That is why he (Yeshua) is not ashamed to call them brothers,

Now we are Heirs:

Gal 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Then fully sons (future):

Luke 20:36 … and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

Now - but not yet:

1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now(ESV)

(an important concept is that God calls things in the future as if they are already - that is why we can be called children of God now as we await our fullness in the resurrection)

The Promise:

Revelation 21:7 (ESV)

The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

What a privilege to be called the sons and daughters of God as we await our fullness; to be in His Kingdom. What is required? Is it faith only? Is this a title or a position? Just as our elder Brother set the example we also must follow in His footsteps. Our faith must produce fruit for we are called unto good works. Therefore rejoice-you are loved!

1John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are… (ASV)

More next time on our part as God’s children.


Proverbs

Proverbs 5:7 Now then, my sons, listen to me, And do not depart from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 3:11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father, the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 4:1 Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding,

Wisdom cries out to all that will listen; our wisdom is Yeshua the Messiah. Just as a father instructs his son listen to His call; seek His guidance.

Proverbs 8:12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion.

14 "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.

15 "By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

16 "By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.

17 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

Thank you YHVH for Your Wisdom, Your indwelling Spirit, making us Your sons and daughters.


Saying (s)

"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." Emily Dickinson

This is a reminder that nothing should supplant our life’s goal of being fully a child of God. Life can be so great today yet it is only temporal; looking forward to the promised eternal life we have as God’s children. It is up to each of us; with the help of God to make the most of this life now. Should anything beset us? Let not the Adversary cast us down or in anyway distract us from our calling. Only recall the Awesome love of Abba our Father and the faithfulness of Yeshua - believe it; say with Paul…

Rom 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thank you Father for filling us with Your love thru Messiah; may the expectation of everlasting life so captivate us that nothing can hinder us.


Bible Quiz
  1. Which two men did Yeshua send to prepare the Passover?
  2. What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
  3. In which city did Yeshua raise a widow’s son from the dead?
  4. Why did Paul and Barnabas leave Lystra?
  5. What did Aaron’s staff do to the staffs of the wise men and sorcerers before Pharaoh?
  6. Who was the husband of Priscilla?
  7. Who said, "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay"?

Humility

In our pursuit of humility: (Lessons from humility in daily life.)

"Why is it that those who have joyfully given themselves up for Christ find it so hard to give themselves up for fellow Christians? It seems that the church has failed to teach its people the importance of humility - that it is the first of the virtues, the best of all the graces and powers of the Spirit. It has failed to show that a Christ like humility is what is needed and is also in the realm of possibility. " Andrew Murray

When living only for oneself it is easy to ignore our fellowman. When others do not suit our fancy we declare our independence and go our merry way. But as sons of God we have His Spirit enabling us to be Christ like; thus we are to live in unity with our brothers in Messiah and to the best of our ability with all of mankind. As Messiah was God’s Son setting the example for us He now empowers us to be like Him. Thank You Lord.


Prayer

Understanding the precepts of prayer.

Deuteronomy 3:25 ‘Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’

When reading this prayer of Moses there is a gut wrenching feeling because he was turned down; this faithful and humble servant of YHVH was told no. Why? What lesson is in this for me?

Time after time the Israelites failed. Because Moses interceded on their behalf YHVH had mercy on them. Why not grant his request to enter the promised land?

It was the older generation that died in the wilderness because of their lack of faith. Likewise Moses failed to exercise faith when instructed to speak to the Rock, instead he struck the Rock. Only the younger generation, along with Joshua and Caleb, were able to cross the Jordan into the promised land.

The big picture is seen by the Creator and He knows what is best for all. Moses does not lose his inheritance - just this one blessing. He was faithful in all God’s house and fulfilled the purpose to which YHVH had called him.

Our lesson:

Hebrews 3:5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. 7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me, And saw My works for forty years. 10 "Therefore I was angry with this generation, And said, 'They always go astray in their heart; And they did not know My ways'; 11 As I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"

Heb 3:12 Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.


Heart of God

How does God feel about issues we face today?

For His Glory

Jeremiah 29:13 You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Isaiah 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

What is it that God wants from us more than anything?  It is our heart.  This is what He can use to display His glory.  Our works only display our own glory for that is who gets it.  If we give God our heart, our desires, our everything, then the things we do will glorify Him, raise Him up in other’s estimation because they will see why we do what we do.  Give God everything - we are just His servant, His vessel, pouring Him out on others around us.  To do this we must give up our aspirations of grandeur and rely on Him. He is the vine, we are the branches. He holds us up, nourishes us, gives us strength and we should have His characteristics flowing through us. He is the center, we are the peripheral. Focus on Him, put everything under his care and follow His instructions.

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, so I in him, the same brings out much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

Material in this section is based on various prayer diaries.


Did you know:

Great Dog Story

They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie as I looked at him lying in his pen. The shelter was clean, no-frill, and the people really friendly. I'd only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone waved when you pass them on the street.

But something was still missing as I attempted to settle into my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt. Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like "Lab people," whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous owner.  See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike.

For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls - he wouldn't go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes. I guess I didn't really think he'd need all his old stuff, that I'd get him new things once he settled in, but it became clear pretty soon that he wasn't going to.

I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew, ones like "sit" and "stay" and "come" and heel," and he'd follow them - when he felt like it. He never really seemed to listen when I called his name - sure, he'd look in my direction after the fourth of fifth time I said it, but then he'd just go back to doing whatever.  When I'd ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey.

This just wasn't going to work.  He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes.  I was a little too stern with him and he resented it, I could tell. The friction got so bad that I couldn't wait for the two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cell phone amid all of my unpacked stuff. I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the "… dog probably hid it on me."

Finally I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter's number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter. I tossed the pad in Reggie's direction and he sniffed it and wagged, some of the most enthusiasm I'd seen since bringing him home. But then I called, "Hey, Reggie, you like that?  Come here and I'll give you a treat." Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction - maybe "glared" is more accurate - and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down.  With his back to me.

Well, that's not going to do it either, I thought. And I punched the shelter phone number. But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that, too. "Okay, Reggie," I said out loud, "let's see if your previous owner has any advice."....  

To Whoever Gets My Dog:

Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie's new owner. I'm not even happy writing it. If you're reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter.  He knew something was different. I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time... it's like he knew something was wrong.  And something is wrong... which is why I have to go to try to make it right.

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.

First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier.  Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hordes them.  He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after it, so be careful - really don't do it by any roads.  I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly.

Next, commands. Maybe the shelter staff already told you, but I'll go over them again:  Reggie knows the obvious ones -"sit," "stay," "come," "heel." He knows hand signals: "back" to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and "over" if you put your hand out right or left.  "Shake" for shaking water off, and "paw" for a high-five. He does "down" when he feels like lying down - I bet you could work on that with him some more. He knows "ball" and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business.

I trained Reggie with small food treats.  Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.

Feeding schedule: twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening. Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.

He's up on his shots. Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with yours; they'll make sure to send you reminders for when he's due. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet. Good luck getting him in the car - I don't know how he knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows.

Finally, give him some time. I've never been married, so it's only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially, which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with someone new.

And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you....

His name's not Reggie

I don't know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie.  He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt, but I just couldn't bear to give them his real name. For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I'd never see him again.  And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything's fine. But if someone else is reading it, well...  well it means that his new owner should know his real name. It'll help you bond with him. Who knows, maybe you'll even notice a change in his demeanor if he's been giving you problems.

His real name is Tank

Because that is what I drive.

Again, if you're reading this and you're from the area, maybe my name has been on the news. I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call, the shelter... in the "event"... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this, then he made good on his word.

Well, this letter is getting too downright depressing, even though, frankly, I'm just writing it for my dog. I couldn't imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family. But still, Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family.

And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.

That unconditional love from a dog is what I took with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things... and to keep those terrible people from coming over here. If I had to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He was my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.

All right, that's enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. I don't think I'll say another good-bye to Tank, though.  I cried too much the first time. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.

Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight every night from me.

Thank you,
Paul Mallory
_______________________________________________

I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags had been at half-mast all summer.

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.

"Hey, Tank," I said quietly.

The dog's head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.

"C'mere boy."

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn't heard in months.

"Tank," I whispered.

His tail swished.

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.

"It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me." Tank reached up and licked my cheek. "So whatdaya say we play some ball?  His ears perked again.
"Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?" Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room.

And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.

Some of the material contained in this section is for informational purposes only and has not been verified by us.


Lighter Side

Subject: With apologies in advance...

- Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

- A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and says: "A beer please, and one for the road."

- An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.

- I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day, but I couldn't find any.

- What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

- Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Not surprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

- A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel, and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office, and asked them to disperse.

"But why," they asked, as they moved off.

"Because," he said. "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."

- A dwarf, who was a mystic, escaped from jail. The call went out that there was a small medium at large.

- And finally, there was the person who sent twenty different puns to her friends, with the hope that at least ten of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

****************

Have a good day!


The Modern Church

From 95 Theses to the Modern Evangelical Church

by Greg Gordon - (founder of SermonIndex.net)

3. Many treat "church" like any other social club or sports event that they might attend. (Acts 2:46; Heb 10:25; Acts 1:14)

4. We’ve made Christianity about the individual rather than the community of believers. (Rom 12:5; 1Cor 12:12; 2Tim 4:16)


Cause and Effect

Scribbles

(By Michael Boldea Jr.)

"The truth of the gospel is not a religion or denomination, it is not a system or a philosophy, it is not brittle morality, but it is life and heavenly light, it is power and joy, it is Jesus Christ, in the fullness of His sovereignty."

"Man’s earthly origins are of no relevance to God. He judges without partiality."

"God has seldom chosen the great men of this world, for it would seem, high places and faith in Christ do seldom well agree."


Consider

"Cannot" never did anything until "try" came along.

Give some people an inch and they’ll think they’re a ruler.

Some people dream of being something, others stay awake and are.

It is difficult to have rosy thoughts about the future when your mind is full of blues about the past.

The person who spends all day looking for easy work always goes to bed tired.

Happiness is not perfected until it is shared.


The Garden Corner

Corny Question

With the falling of several inches of snow on December 1st, my gardening adventures have been drastically reduced to peering out at my ice covered pond, checking to see if the hole in the ice is still there, lots of shoveling snow and trudging out to the compost pile with the day’s scraps. Not much green going on much less actually wanting to touch soil. While hungrily reading through the first garden catalog to arrive in my mailbox, I discovered the answer to a picky biblical garden question I have had with the scriptures since I was old enough to tell the difference between wheat and corn. Corn is a North American crop, called maize and propagated by the indigenous peoples. Wheat or barley was grown in the Middle East and was most likely the actual plant being referred to as corn in the scriptures. Corn did not exist in the Middle East before Columbus set sail. It aggravated me that these intelligent biblical scholars would make such an error.

According to the seed catalog that I was reading (doesn’t everyone read every description of every plant?) the British during the 1800s apparently called any seed bearing plants corn, regardless of it’s actual botanical name or variety. Since the Bible was translated in England, that bias or wording carried over to our present day scriptures so that wheat, grain and barley are all called corn in various places. Ahhh…. See what happens when I don’t have a flowerbed to weed? No worries though, I have just started some lettuce indoors. I will keep you posted on how well I can grow a salad under grow lights.


Psalm Promise(s)

Psalm 92

As Children of God

Promises we can take to YHVH when communing with Him.

A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day

We start by declaring His attributes:
Psalm 92:1
It is good to give thanks to the LORD(YHVH), And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; 2 To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning, And Thy faithfulness by night,

Thus we are made glad:

4 For Thou, O LORD, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done, I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands. 5 How great are Thy works, O LORD! Thy thoughts are very deep.

The righteous may look forward to this promise:

12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green, (Why?)
15 To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Blessed be YHVH (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High…)


Quiz Answers

1. Peter and John - Luke 22:8

2 Psalm 119 - (176 verses)

3. Nain - Luke 7:11-15

4. The Jews incited the people to stone Paul - Acts 14:19-20

5. Swallowed them up - Exodus 7:12

6. Aquila - Acts 18:2

7. An Angel of the Lord - Matthew 28:6



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