Tag: YAHSHUA

Prayer, the Cry of the Soul

The book of Psalms undouble expresses our cries in many ways. For that reason, we often go there to find comfort and learn how to present our cries to the Lord. They are testimonies of God’s faithfulness in every situation.  Psalm 42:5 says, “Why are you cast down, o my soul? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.”  Reading the psalms, we find similarity with the writers of the Psalms. It is as if they were expressing our feelings in many cases. The book of Palms is filled with praises and acknowledgement of Whom God is. Merciful, loving, powerful, patient, etc. In Psalm fifty-one King David expresses sorrows for his sin with repentance, seeking God’s forgiveness. The cry of his soul is evident in the acknowledgment of his desire to be clean from his sin: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin, for I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me… Create in me a clean heart, o God and renew a right, persevering and steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:2-3,10).

The Patriarch Job’s testimony of faithfulness to God written in his book, is a book we must not overlook. One, where he expresses his feelings of frustration being confident of his innocence before God and to his friends who came to comfort him. He expresses himself saying, “Surely, I wish to speak to all Almighty, and I desire to argue and reason my case with God” (Job 13: 3). In his deep hurt, where his heart cried before God, he prayed, “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat! I would lay my cause before Him and fill my mouth with arguments; I would learn what He would answer me and understand what He would say to me” (vs. 23:3-5). That’s the prayer cry from his soul, when suffering was intense and there was no answer to his prayer. Job’s desperation brings home to us as we too ask, God, “where are You”? Day and night we find ourselves submerged in the agony of doubt, Where is God? Our sufferings are not to be compared with Job’s sufferings, but everyone’s soul go through a valley or a desert hard enough to call on God for help. That’s where prayers from the soul cries to God in intimacy, waiting for His deliverance as Job, did.  In spite of his sufferings, Job still feared God. He had much to say that showed his faith and taught us patience. He so declared, “For I Know that my Redeemer and vindicator lives, and at last He will stand upon the earth and after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God, Whom I, even I, shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger!” (Job 19:25-27). That’s a declaration of faith knowing that his eternal future was secure in the hands of His God.

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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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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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The Price YAHSHUA Paid Positioned Us of no More Condemnation

That means that we are no longer debtors to the flesh, with its demands. We are now children of God and heir with His Son, YAHSHUA, chosen before the foundation of the world to be molded according to the pleasures of His will, to be like Him. So, All things work together for good, so God will accomplish His will of molding us into the image of His Son. It is a permanent thing from the time we were born again until eternity when we see Him face to face and as it, we will be as He Is. It is progressive from glory to glory; with unveiled face continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another from the Lord (II Cor. 3:18). Our salvation is a continuous work of sanctification, we must submit ourselves daily, moment by moment. Not only on Sunday while in church. We have been raised with Christ; our aim is to seek that which are above, where our Savior is seated at the right hand of God; our mind must be set and kept set on heavenly things. Because as far as the world is concerned, we have died for the world and our new life is hidden with Christ in God. And the beautiful promise is that when Christ appear, we will appear with Him. (Col 3: I-4) If you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul was made a minister (Col.1:23)

Now, if we were chosen before the foundation of the world unto salvation and sanctification, why do we think that leaving the path of sanctification will we be saved?  What does Romans 8:28 says?  That all things are working together for God’s purpose of our salvation and molding unto the image of His Son in a continuous plan until eternity, when all will be consummated in His time. That means We are in a new covenant- the covenant of blood with Him. YAHSHUA did His part of redemption and we are to do ours of agreement to its requirements.

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Come, My Beloved, Come!

Come, My Beloved, come!

The winter has been long

Waiting for your return

To take us to Your home

Here we remain. Come!

Come, my Beloved, come

Hear your bride’s cry

Echoing throughout the mountains

Sustained by faith- The force

That will take us up as one!

Come, my Beloved, come

We long to be with you

Forever worshipping you

Eternally adoring you

In harmony, loving You

Come, my Beloved, come

Whenever it will be

O, that You would rend the heavens

With the trumpet now

In an everlasting sounding of victory!

To fetch your bride

Forgiven, and sanctified

Forever free from sin.

What glory it will be

When Your face we shall see!

Behold, One Like a Son of Man Was Coming With the Clouds of Heaven

The glorious promise YAHSHUA left before He ascended to heaven is getting closer and closer to its fulfillment. The Word of God mentions in various places the promise of His return. Look up! For our redemption is very near! In one of the Prophet Daniel’s visions, he said, “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass way; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

ALLELUIA! So, that at the name of YAHSHUA every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and that every tongue will confess that YAHSHUA Messiah is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phi. 2:10-11).  Answering to the high priest a very question, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” YAHSHUA said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless, I tell you, here after you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:63-64). At the ascension, while the disciples were gazing intently into the sky while YAHSHUA was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This YAHSHUA, Who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Hours before His trials, while comforting His disciples He said, Do not let you heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go and prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also… (John 14:1-3). In YAHSHUA’S own words, the promise stands.  Daniel’s vision of hundreds of years earlier, is echoed and confirmed by YAHSHUA Himself – the Son of Man Daniel saw in his vision. In the message to the seven churches, John said, Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So, it is to be. Amen (Rev. 1:7). “AND BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY. BLESSED IS HE WHO HEEDS THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK.” (REV. 22:7).

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Jacob and the Stone Pillow

When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob (Genesis 25:24-26).

This is the beginning story of two brothers – Esau and Jacob. A story with future significance that has shaped their world and continues shaping, embracing the entire world as it turned to the future of yesterday and will continue writing its pages until the end. The emphasis is given to the younger brother, Jacob. To start with, his name means supplanter. Jacob well lived his name, bringing grudges between the two to this day. The older, Esau was supposed to be the right heir of the blessing before his father Isaac died. But Jacob was always envious of that blessing, so much so that he would not give his brother a bowl of soup without having him give up his blessing. That had come when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, so he could not see, he called Esau his older son, and said to him: My son! And he answered him, He I am. He said, See here now; I am old, I do not know when I may die. So, now I pray you, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out into the open country and hunt game for me, and prepare me appetizing meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat of it, to giving you my blessing before I die (Gen. 27:1-4). But Rebekah had a plan for her favorite son, Jacob, that of stealing the blessing from her older son to give to his brother.

Jacob hesitated for a while, but went along with it and deceived his father, dressed as Esau with a delicious meal which Rebeka- his mother prepared. In his desperation, when he came to receive his blessing, Esau tried to kill his brother from that day onward. Not a beautiful picture in the pages of History. But God had His plan to write on those pages- a story that would make a difference in the entire world through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As things were taking place in the lives of the brothers, Jacob had to flee to the house of his mother’s father, which was between six hundred to seven hundred miles from Canaan to Padan-aram, where his mother’s family lived. After that, Isaac blessed him saying, May the God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you until you become a group of peoples; may He give the blessing [He gave to] Abraham to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land He gave to Abraham, in which you’re a sojourner (Gen. 28:3-4). Years earlier, the righteous Abraham had been was tested, when God asked him to offer his only son to Him in the region of Mount Moriah. Abraham obeyed when he built an altar and Isaac, was put on the altar to be sacrificed. There, Abraham was blessed and, in his Seed, all the nations of the world with him for his obedience to God. (Gen.22).  The blessing continued through Jacob the day he fled from his brother. Nothing was interrupting God’s plan of salvation through Jacob’s descendance. His journey was going to be challenging, but God ‘s plan was going to be fulfilled in the fulness of time. Paul said, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Gal. 4:4). One of the beautiful things God does is to reveal His plan to His servants. He reveals to Moses, to Abraham, to the Prophets and still reveals to us today.

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We Are the Sweet Fragrance of Messiah YAHSHUA

The fragrance of jasmine vine flower is most delightful. It covers the garden with pleasant smell, attracting honey bees, bumble bees and other flying creatures to its smell. As a vine, it takes over spreading its branches far, reaching its world with incredible fragrance. It contains about 200 species; it is used by the global industry to make perfume. The rose bush in its different species and colors, is also known for its beauty and fragrance. The world is covered with flowers of all kinds, expressing beauty and pleasant fragrances. A gift our God gave us when He created the world. Some flowers have beauty, but not fragrance, or just a little. Any way, they serve to beautify the world and to bring joy to those who admire and appreciate a garden. The evergreen trees, for example, are just that, with a distinct, but not loud smell. However, they stay alive during the harshness of winter. Life continues feeding them, while snow falls on them and even ice. The strength they display is seen in every winter, while other trees around them fade and temporarily lose their leaves, in a picture of seemly dead, until the sun shines and the warmth of spring penetrates their branches. Some sparkle with beautiful flowers, specifically, cherry blossoms. Life with variety of colors fills the forests, blending with the evergreen trees, complementing them. Life, in its time and space, speaks loudly and clearly the wisdom of the Creator, Who holds it in His control.

Before God created man, he created all that pertained to his emotional and physical needs. He created the most beautiful and perfect garden for him to tend and care for. The fragrances that the garden expressed, brought a sense of comfort and calmness to Adam and Eve and to all created things. It also sustained them. Men and nature enjoyed harmony together, while God walked in the garden in the cool of the day, pleased with what He had created. He smiled, saying: “It is good.” We wonder, how could something so beautiful be destroyed in a split second? How could anybody want to change that beautiful environment of peace and joy? An environment that transcended men’s relationship with God the Creator?  As it was, at the decision of Eve, this beautiful and perfect garden became a garden of weeds; it had lost its beauty, its fragrance and its shine, for the dark clouds of sin overtook it. At the disobedience of Adam and Eve, not only they suffered the consequences, but also the entire world of God’s creation with them. In the letter to the Romans, we read that creation waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be revealed; for it was subjected to frailty, not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it; 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 not only creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the fristfruits of the [Holy] Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our  bodies, our adoption (Rom. 8:19-23).

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