YASHUA, the Source of Our Salvation

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16)

It was God’s love that compelled Him to act in favor of mankind. His abundant grace overlooked men’s evil heart deserving of punishment, instead, He took all sins upon Himself and gave us life eternal through forgiveness by His shed blood. He submitted Himself to the most brutal treatment by those He was suffering for. There are no words to describe the extent of His sufferings. He was the sole source of our salvation and beside Him there are no other ways men can be saved. As the Way, He leads us to the Father; as the Truth, He teaches us His word, how to have a relationship with Him; as Life, He gives us life eternal that proceeds from Him. In His sovereignty, He rules over all from His throne in heaven. But men treated Him with contempt by placing a crown of thorns on His head, causing much bleeding. That was in response to His sacrificial love for them. The manner in which they treated Him was inhuman and abusive. In spite of that, He was fulfilling His Father’s will, that of “bruise Him, to put Him to grief and make Him sick.” (Isaiah 53). He suffered pains in His humanity, not in His divinity. He did that voluntarily to fulfill prophecy written about Him. When He entered into the world, He said, sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but instead You have made ready a body for Me [to offer]; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight. Then I said, Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God – [to fulfill] what is written of Me in the volume of the Book (Heb. 10:5-7).

Sacrifices according to the Law was annulled when He took the position of Redeemer of the world. He became God’s Lamb Who takes the sins of the world. That’s the way John Baptist introduced Him, saying, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn. 2:29, 36). He came in the humble state of a stable where the chosen lambs that were to be sacrificed stayed. These were perfect lambs who fulfilled the demands of the Law. YAHSHUA, the Lamb of God found room there among them, and by a single offering, He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy (Heb. 10:14). YAHSHUA’S redemptive sacrifice was not the only thing He did or does for us. He became our Highpriest. We have freedom and confidence to enter into the Holy of Holies through the blood of YAHSHUA. We have such a High Prist, One Who is seated at the right hand of the majestic [God] in heaven (Heb. 8:1). He intercedes for us. The Bible says that when we pray, the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. Through the redemption by His blood, we were made children of God, and as children of God we are entitled to all the spiritual blessings. He planned in love for us to be adopted as His own children through YAHSHUA Messiah, in accordance with the purpose of His will- to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace, which he so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Eph. 1:5-6).

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Peace That Will Bring Destruction

Peace is sought to be attained today through the alignment of nations as the Mideast with their neighbors, most importantly Israel.  They call it the Abraham Accords, and the Cyrus Accord. Israel is in the center of prophecy. A nation created by God, has broken the covenant with Him by walking away from His commandments to worship other gods and do what they pleased in their gross way of living an immoral life contrary to God’s commandments. They rejected their Messiah and chose the cruel King Caesar, as their king, when they shouted crucify him, away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar! (John 19:15). Israel is under coming judgment without escape. The Prophet Jeremiah so prophesized, Alas! For that day will great, so that none will be like it; it will be the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he will be saved out of it. (Jer. 30:7); Daniel 12:1b: “And there shall be a time of trouble, straightness and distress such as never was since there was a nation till that time.” No peace without YAHSHUA, the Prince of Peace, will last. Paul confirmed by saying, “When people are saying, all is well and secure, and, there is peace and safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction will come upon them as suddenly as labor pains come upon a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape (I Thess. 5:3).

In spite of these peace accords Israel will be invaded by the Northern alliance countries. These invading forces are Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, of Meshech and of Tubal. Persia, Cush and Put or Libya with them, Gomer Togarmah in the uttermost part of the north. The Lord says, Behold, it is coming and it will be done, says the Lord; that is the day of which I have spoken (Ezekiel 39:9) These present countries are Iran, Cush or Ethiopia, Put or Somalia, Gomer or present-day Germany and Armenia with Russia as the leader.

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Forgiven, Healed, Redeemed, Provided For – Bless the Lord Oh My Soul!

When our Savior, YAHSHUA redeemed us, He blessed us with all the spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm. The moment we accepted His gift of salvation, we became His children and Elohim blessed us in Messiah with all the spiritual blessings (Eph. 1). It is to marvel at the fact that Elohim not only gave us the gift of salvation through His Son, but also made us heirs with Him. As such, we are partakers of all the privileges of children of God. Before the foundation of the world, He chose us to be holy, set apart, blameless in His sight before Him in love; We were adopted as His own children in accordance with the purpose of His will, so that we might be for the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace; we were saved through His blood and forgave us of our sins; we also have obtained an inheritance to the praise of His glory; we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given a pledge of our inheritance, with a  view to the redemption of God’s own possession to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1). We were made alive in our Savior and Lord, YAHSHUA eternally.

In His sufferings to atone for our sins, YAHSHUA was despised, He carried our diseases and sorrows, He was smitten of God and afflicted; He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him and by His scourging we are healed. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet, He did not open His mouth; by oppression and judgment He was taken away (Isa. 53). Suffering the agony of hell in our instead, He cried to His Father, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? He suffered insults from those whom He was giving up His life to save them. He was poured out like water and all His bones were out of joint; His heart was like wax; it was melted within Him; His strength was dried up like a potsherd, and His tongue cleaved to His jaws; And (God) laid Him in the dust of death, they pierced His hands and His feet; He could count all His bones… (Ps. 22).

The entire world was under condemnation; sick, hopelessly chained up under the control of the evil one. The Bible says, “As it is written, none is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no not one. All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one…” (Rom. 3:10-16). We all have sinned and are fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We were dead in our trespasses and sins; we were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation; but God – so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us…He made us alive with Christ; it is by grace that you are saved (Eph.2). In His love and compassion, He forgave us with His precious blood; He healed us with all the stripes He received in His body. Many were they; we cannot fathom the terrible acts from sinners against Him; He redeemed us for Himself and raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together in the heavenly sphere in Messiah YAHSHUA (Eph.2). He provides for all our spiritual and physical needs. In what manner should we show Him our gratitude? Must we live as if nothing happened? While He carries in His body the marks of His sufferings a testimony of His love?   We, a speck of dust, made of clay, deserving eternal death, must realize that we were purchased with the precious blood of Messiah, like that of a sacrificial lamb without blemish or spot (I Peter 1:19). We were purchased; so, we belong to YAHSHUA, Who shed His precious blood as a ransom for us; it is by His grace through faith that we are saved; salvation is not of ourselves, but it is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8). Therefore, Paul says, we live, not us, but YAHSHUA lives in us. That gives Him the complete right to own our soul: will, emotion and the intellect, or the mind. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Gal. 2:20). That means, we died to the desires of the flesh that is not pure or according to the will of God. It is a life of faith that compels us to please our Savior, in return for what He did for us. Now, the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death. But the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. The mind of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed, it cannot (Rom. 8:6)

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Would That You Had Known

This is a solemn phrase of regret to those at the end the road. Facing the consequences, without a way to mend the decision made. We often regret certain decisions when facing the results of them. But the regret coming to us from God is serious and concerning, because it involves decision He is making against our actions. At the end of our Lord’s life on the earth, He called the attention of Israel, exclaiming, “Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For a time is coming upon you when you enemies will throw up a bank about you and surround you and shut you in on every side; and they will dash you down to the  ground, you [Jerusalem]  and your children within you ; and then will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ]. (Luke 19:42-44).

The days were getting closer for our Lord to offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for His people and the world. A warning was given, but not received well, for there was not belief to apply to YAHSHUA’S words. His heart was bleeding for the people, as He wept over the city (Luke 19:41). Israel was deaf and blind spiritually to the reality of YAHSHUA’S prophetic words. O how He tried to save them from the coming disaster! His love flowed audibly over the city of Jerusalem; the city of God. Destruction was eminent if they did not repent; YAHSHUA saw the stubbornness of their hearts and wept, as He saw the consequences of their hard hearts looming in the near future. Another time He warned them saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who continue to kill the prophets and to stone those who are sent to you! How often I have desired and yearned to gather your children together as a hen [gathers] her young under her wings, but you would not! Then He declared, Behold, your house is forsaken (abandoned, left to you destitute of God’s help)! And I tell you, you will not see Me again until the time comes when you shall say, Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 13:34-35).

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And The Peace of God…

Peace is the world’s cry from the time sin entered it. Peace is the presence of God, bringing joy, happiness and tranquility to the soul. There are many enemies of peace, which are ever trying to destroy the mind’s ability to function. There is a battle for the mind of men in order to separate them from God’s principles, His peace and joy. To discredit His attributes and Who He is, to doubt His love and His word. We live in a world of confusion for not embracing His Word as true and powerful as we read in Hebrews 4:12: “for the Word that God speaks  is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and spirit, and of joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.”  YAHSHUA warned us saying, “Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34). The path of life is many times uncertain. In many ways it will lead us where we don’t want to be. Decisions we make significant or not, will have consequences good or bad. The least will take us out of our comfort zone sometimes for a long time. When we embrace anxiety and everything else in its family, they will control our emotions and disease our body. The will of God is that we be free from anxiety. We are to make our requests known to Him by prayer, supplications and thanksgiving. Then He will bless us with His peace, the peace that transcends all understanding and He will guard our hearts and minds in Christ YASHUA (Phil. 4:6-7). That’s a promise worthy of our consideration as part of life. But as it is, we keep asking for things God has already promised or given us. The missing link here is lack of faith in many cases, denying us the fulfillment of His promises.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God; and God’s peace which transcends all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ YAHSHUA.” Because sin has taken peace away from us and replaced it with anxiety, worries and fears, these are the first things that come to the mind in times of trouble. It is certain that physical diseases will follow, if we do not correct our feelings. As it is said, worries lodges in the stomach and heart; fear in the kidneys, anger in the liver. We stay sick because we do not consider the word of God to have answers for our problems.  It should be embarrassing to every Christian to live a life doubting the Word of God. The Lord said to the Prophet Jeremiah, “I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it” (Jer. 1:12b); “For as the rain and snow come done from the heavens and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that is may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but It shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent” (Isa.55:10-11). What our Lord God promised us; He will fulfill in His time. “God is faithful by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son YAHSHUA Messiah our Lord” (I Cor. 1:9). “The Word of the Lord is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Ps.119:89). It was by the Word of God that the world was created. The Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God Himself. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being” (John 1:1-4).

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A Moabite Woman Who Would Not Give Up

In those days when the judges ruled the nation of Israel, there was a famine in the land. (Ruth 1:1a). Elimelech, his wife Naomi and family moved to Moab at that time. However, their future became uncertain with the death of Elimelech and his two sons, who were married to Moabite women named Orpha, and Ruth.  Naomi decided to move back to Israel with her two daughters-in-law. However, she insisted on them staying, but as she was leaving, they wept aloud; Orpha, one of the sisters, kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. She said, urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1). Ruth’s decision to leave everything behind, including her gods, family to follow the God of Naomi and her people was an attitude of sacrificial love. This action was prophetic in itself of a beautiful future. A future so special, she never dreamed of. Descendent of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, from a nation with an embarrassing beginning, nonetheless, God had a future and a hope for Ruth in a far and distant future, although she would not have a chance experience the excitement of it. Ruth was a chosen one unknown to her. She was both a widow and an alien, touching the heart of God. With courage and determination, she entered an unfamiliar territory, where a Moabite was not looked at with favor. But she performed all that her mother-in-law suggested her to do in that foreign land.  Strong physically and emotionally, Ruth remained faithful to the end. Where she was gleaning was in the field of Naomi’s husband kin, Boaz.

Naomi stayed behind the scene teaching Ruth how to behave in that culture, not knowing how she was being used to bring about God’s plan for Ruth’s life, a plan in which Naomi would be part of.  She would no longer be alone. Her life would be filled with joy in the fulfillment of God’s plan for Ruth, whose life was an ordinary life with an extraordinary future ahead of her. Ruth was in the right place in the space of the right time for all to happen as God planed.  She had to be willing to leave behind all that was important to her, including her religion and her family. YAHSHUA said, Truly, I tell you, there is no one who has given up and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the Gospel’s  who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecution – and in the age to come, eternal life (Mar. 10:29-30). Although, Ruth did not have in mind this concept YAHSHUA presented, she took a path of obedience for God to fulfill His plan through her. In spite of being a foreigner, she was respected for her act of compassion toward her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi. When the time came for her to marry Boaz, the people rejoiced with her and Naomi, saying, May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachael and Leah, the two who built the household of Israel. May you do worthily and get wealth in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem, (prophetically of YAHSHUA) and let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman (Ruth 4:11-12). Ruth’s future as well as Naomi’s took root in these prophetic words uttered by the people which took thousands of years for its fulfillment, while generations multiplied. God, however, in His appointed time brought all to fulfillment.

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The Tree that Changed the Destiny of Mankind

The serpent in that perfect garden of Eden served as an instrument for Satan to fulfill his plan against God’s creation in his fallen state. Obviously, he hated men, whom God created as His image and wanted them condemned to hell. Eve became his target and was deceived by the serpent which was crafty and she was prone to listen to the devil. A battle for men was happening at that time, and Eve made it easy, for not perceiving the reality. Was she aware of whom Satan was and his enmity against God since they did not have the understanding of good and evil, with the exception of not “to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.” Obviously, Satan hid himself behind the voice of the serpent to deceive Eve and bring them to condemnation of the curse. The battle raged on and he won. The beautiful garden, pure and perfect, where there was the presence of God was painted black; its shinning disappeared in the waves of sin; men’ destiny shifted to Satan’s control. So, it was that the earth bent to him lost its beauty, peace, and love. Now, violence, hatred, homicide and everything evil took the form of the curse.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity was not to be eaten from (Gen. 2:17a). That command sealed God’s agreement with men. Obviously, Adam was the recipient of that command, for Eve to fall for the serpent’s idea without defending God’s command. When the prohibited fruit was yanked from the tree it felt the pain, as If it knew what was happening to the human race from eating that prohibited fruit whose message carried consequence to all who ate it for generations to come. When Eve listened to the serpent’s voice, disregarding God’s voice, she lost her relationship with Him, for she had believed the serpent’s words, doubting God’s word and breaking the agreement with Him to obey. As a result, she brought down the entire world with her, including her husband.

The tree was disregarded and dishonored by Eve. So, God sent Adam out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So, “He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim with the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22-24). In this, we see nature changing, as well as the ground being cursed. Life was left marked by sin and a curse. Men multiplied, so did their iniquity, while nature of all kinds suffered the consequences of their evil acts.  “How long must the land mourn and the grass and herbs of the whole country wither? Through the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away… “says Jeremiah “because the ground is cracked and the tillers are dismayed, since there has been no rain on the land, the plowmen are put to shame, and they cover their heads. Yes, even the hind gives birth to her calf in the field and forsakes it, because there is no grass or herbage and the wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; their pant for air like jackals or crocodiles; their eyesight fails because there is no grass. O Lord though our iniquities testify against us, deal and work with us for Your own sake! For our backslidings are many; we have sinned against You” (Jer. 12:4; 14: 4-7).  In Romans 8:19-23 Paul says: “For the creation waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known, for the creation was subjected to frailty, not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it with the hope that nature itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children . We know that the whole creation has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now, and no only creation, but we ourselves too…” (Rom. 8:19-23a).

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Adopted into the Family of God, We Cry out “Daddy”

When men sinned, they were separated from God. And what that meant, eternally. Men were now under the curse of sin and under its condemnation, under God’s judgment, because with the mind of the flesh, men can never please God. For the mind of the flesh is death; those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh. When we sinned, it took control of our mind and body. We became enslaved to its desires. No one could free us from the curse, as Paul described men situation under the power of sin: For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it, for I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am doing… O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from this body of death? O thank God! [He will] through YAHSHUA Messiah our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin (Rom. 7:20-25). As a result, condemnation is removed from those who walk not after the desire of the flesh, but after the dictated of the Spirit (Rom. 8:1)

When YAHSHUA came to the world, He came to break the chain of sin that held us prisoners to its power from all those who believe on His name (Jn.1:13). It was the love of God that compelled Him to save His creation from the power of Satan. He did by giving up His own life to give us His own life, restoring us to Himself for ever. With that, He gave us the power to become His children. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jn. 3:18). If we are living according to the flesh, we must die; but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the body, we will live, for we have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but we have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8: 15). There is nothing more touching to the human heart, than YAHSHUA’S love. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm! He chose us before the foundation of the world, He adopted us as His own children through YAHSHUA Messiah, He redeemed us through His blood and forgave us in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, in Him we also were made [God’s] heritage; and we obtained an inheritance, so that we who first hoped in Christ live for the praise of His glory! We were stamped with the seal of the long -promised Holy Spirit. He is the guarantee of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring possession of it- to the praise of His glory (Eph.1).

[Page 2 includes the poem, The Orphan’s Cry”]

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The Incomparable Messiah

When He came to earth, the shekinah glory of God opened heavens and angels sang in celebration, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2: 14). Born in a place, where chosen lambs stayed to be used for the sacrifice in the Jewish tradition. They were the ones without spots. No one understood this fact so significant, as if pointing to the reason why He had come: the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Yes, He came as the Messiah, the only one, comparable to none, He came as the Lamb of God to save men and atone them for their sins. There, in that beautiful night, the earth was touched with God Himself, its Creator.

When He was twelve years old, they went up, as was their custom. And when the Feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy YAHSHUA remained behind in Jerusalem. Now his parents did not know this. After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies… And He said to them, “How is it that you had to look to Me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary for Me to be in My Father’s house and Father’s business?… And YAHSHUA increased in wisdom and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). This was just the beginning.

In another time, when His ministry was starting, after forty days and nights, praying and fasting, the enemy came to tempt YAHSHUA. Unsuccessful, he left YAHSHUA until another opportune time. That opportune time was in the Gethsemane Garden, but in vain. Powerless, he was defeated over and over and stands condemned forever. Messiah YAHSHUA conquered eternal death and nailed it on the cross, saving mankind for Himself. YAHSHUA is the source of life and that can never be taken away from Him. He gave it up willing to save the world. Now, we stand free from Satan’s condemnation and we stand justified before the Lord through faith; we have peace with God through our Lord YAHSHUA Messiah. He is Love; For He loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). He restored us and gave us His Spirit to be with us until He comes for us, or He calls us home. Paul advised Timothy constantly to keep in mind YAHSHUA the Messiah [as] risen from the dead, descended from David, according to the good news (I Tim. 2:8). “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the  firstborn of all creation, for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created through Him and for Him; He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together; He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything, for it was the Father good pleasure for all fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross, through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Col. 1:13-20); “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3-4).

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Faith, the Sparkplug Necessary to Activate the Word of God

God’s Word says, without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would come near to God must believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  When we approach God to present our needs to Him, we must mix our faith with His word, so that His word will be affective in our prayer life. Asking without believing is without a doubt an insult to His attributes. It constitutes a serious spiritual problem in the sense of relationship with Him. How many times our prayers are not heard because our attitudes didn’t line up with faith in order for a harmonious relationship between us and our heavenly Father? Knowing our heart and its motives, knowing how wicked and faithless it is, our God will not be pleased with us. Our faithless life style finds no pleasure in our spiritual growth, because it is faith that connects us to Him. “Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered, let us be afraid [to distrust it], lest any of you should think he has come too late and has come short of reaching it. For indeed we have had the glad tidings proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe)” (Heb. 4:1-2).

The Word of God has been given to us thousands of years ago. While the message it displays remains quiet and ineffective for most of the time in the lives of Christians, its messages are powerful and strong. He said, “Is not My word like fire? Says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?” (Jer. 23:29). “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and the spirit, and the joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Knowing these truths about the Word of God, shouldn’t we demonstrate honor and respect to it? Since it is the spoken words of God? Shouldn’t we desire to learn about God better and His commandments in order to have a closer relationship with Him, our heavenly Father? The Israelites missed the mark for not listening to His spoken and written word. Even though having experienced God’s presence at Mount Sinai and all throughout their pilgrimage to the Promised Land, miracles upon miracles, supernaturally fed and cared for. But Israel suffered from ATTENTION DEFICIT (ADHD). They did not have faith to mix with the Word of God and were left in the desert, without reaching the Promised Land. We read in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1-3 the following: “In many separate revelations and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets. [But] in the last of these days, He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, all by and through Whom of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time; He is the sole expression of the glory of God; nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power,. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.” To us He has given His precious words of warnings, teachings, sanctification in order for us to be more as He is. The effectiveness of God’s Word is based on faith that pleases Him. Faith that connects to His words, faith that assures us of our prayers answered. Experiencing a life of answered prayers is a confirmation that our faith is being mix with God’s word. It has been connected to Him in a relationship that unites us to Him, never again to doubt what He said.

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