During my bible study today, I was challenged to take a closer look at life. I came across a passage that challenged me to closely examine my choices, my agreements, and who I fellowship with and how these choices impact my daily walk with Father God. I hope it challenges you to take a closer look and brings blessings into your life too.
A word of instruction and encouragement:
2 Corinthians 6:11-17 and 7:1
“Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you, we have opened our hearts wide. Any constraint you feel has not been imposed by us, but by your own inner selves. So, just to be “fair” (I am using the language of children), open wide your hearts too.
Do not yoke yourselves together in a team with unbelievers. For how can righteousness and lawlessness be partners? What fellowship does light have with darkness? What harmony can there be between the Messiah and B’liya‘al? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
What agreement can there be between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God — as God said,
“I will house myself in them, . . .
and I will walk among you.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
Therefore Adonai says,
Go out from their midst; separate yourselves;
don’t even touch what is unclean.
Then I myself will receive you.
In fact, I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters.’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
Therefore, my dear friends, since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that can defile either body or spirit, and strive to be completely holy, out of reverence for God.”
Dear Christian, stop and think before you move forward.
I have wondered why followers of Jesus of Nazareth will cross over sunset to sunset, day in and day out, making decisions, but forget to stop, think, pray, and test the spirit in a situation.
“My loved ones, I warn you: do not trust (believe, agree with) every spirit (everyone, every person, everyone who claims to have something good for you, everyone who claims to follow God).
Instead, examine them carefully (pray, test them, weigh and examine what they tell you) to determine if they come from God (or come from something else, not everyone who talks about God actually comes from God),
because the world is (corrupt and) filled with the voices of many false prophets (people who lie, people who give false statements, false testimony, false teachers, lying preachers).” 1 John 4:1
Why are people more afraid of what other people think of them (at work, church, clubs, community, family) than they are concerned with what Father God thinks about a situation?
The devil is deceitful.
The devil will try every which way to deceive people into following him.
He lures them into opening a door or window in their life for his demons (and people filled with his demons), to enter.
The devil wants you to trust him (or trust someone or something he has set up) for something you need.
He is Santa (s a t a n) with a big red bag of tricks and lots of elves (demons, ‘hel’pers) at his beck and call. He knows all about you. He roams the universe. He roams back and forth through the heights of heaven to the earth looking for the people he can deceive.
“Keep your mind clear, and be alert (be watchful, be sober, be vigilant, self disciplined, temperate, on guard, spiritually awake). Your opponent (enemy) the devil (the accuser) is prowling around (walking about) like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour (trick, attack, surprise, deceive, defeat, catch, swallow, eat, trap).”1 Peter 5:8
Be careful what you wish (hope) for dear brothers and sisters.
It looks good. It looks innocent. It might smell and taste good. It might push you closer to achieving your goals. It might bring in money. It might result in people looking up to you. It might fill your every dream.
But understand this, everything the devil gives you has a price. Like credit, you get it now and he collects on it later.
The devil makes wishes come true for the price of tormenting and trapping your soul.
So what can you do?
One step you can take that will make a big difference is praying to Father God and asking him about a situation and whether or not you should participate.
Another step you can take is research. Look closer. Ask these questions:
Who is making the offer?
What is their character?
Who is their god?
What are the possible outcomes of agreeing to the task or working with them?
Is this a distraction or could it become a distraction?
The bible says that because of the pure sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth who full-filled the law, all things are permissible (except blaspheming the holy spirit), but not all things are beneficial.
Jesus of Nazareth, Yahusha HaMeshiac, pointed out many things that are not beneficial:
trusting in other gods
having other loves or idols
money
following traditions of men
disobedience of the 10 commandments (He came to full-fill the law, but He did not do away with the law)
divorce
self preservation
self determination
lack of charity
and more
Test the spirit and ask the hard questions.
How will this situation benefit the kingdom of God?
How will this situation benefit your relationship with God?
If after taking time to pray and research a situation (a task or relationship), and you don’t see how it will be beneficial in your relationship with Father God, then it would be better to walk away than to proceed.
Take time to stop and think.
Pray and seek the Father, from sunset to sunset. Trust Him and allow Him to lead the way each and everyday.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away, and the sea was no longer there.
Also I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “See! God’s home is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away.”
Then the One sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!”
Also he said, “Write, ‘These words are true and trustworthy!’”
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’ the Beginning and the End.
To anyone who is thirsty I myself will give water free of charge from the Fountain of Life.
He who wins the victory will receive these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.
But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshipers, and all liars — their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death.”
We spend our lives pleasing ourselves and others. But what about our Creator? Do we stop to think about how we can please Him?
Looking into the scriptures, here is what I found…
Hebrews 11:6
“without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he is a Rewarder to those who seek him out.”
TRUST is Faith. It is impossible to please Father God, Yahuah, Adonai, without complete trust in Him.
Trust him for everything.
Salvation.
Healing.
Guard and Protect.
Provision.
Food.
Covering, Shelter, and Clothes.
Restoration.
Nurture and mature.
Companionship.
Family.
Fertility.
Comfort.
Joy.
Understanding.
Discernment.
Tomorrow
Future.
and more.
TRUST Him to meet every need you have. He wants you to come to him for your needs. Trust Him just as a little childtrusts their parent to meet their needs. They don’t worry. They have simple faith. They simply seek Him and trust Him and move forward knowing with confidence He will meet their every need.
John 15:16
“You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you.”
When you get time, check out the full chapters of John 15 and Hebrews 11. John 15 is about staying connected to the source (you stay connected to the Son and he is connected to the Father), trusting Father God, and bearing fruit. Hebrews 11 is about people who pleased God because they trusted in Him and He helped them do amazing, and some would say impossible things, bearing much fruit for the Kingdom of God. We know with God all things are possible to those who love Him and are called according to his purpose.
We spent this last weekend celebrating Father’s Day. It was a wonderful weekend and we didn’t want it to be over so fast. We are thankful for the hard work Dad does to care for the needs of our family. So our efforts to celebrate him this past weekend seems to pale in comparison.
We have another Father to celebrate too. Our Father God is also a GOOD FATHER! He spends our entire lifetime caring for our needs. He knows what we need even before we ask him. He meets our needs over and over and our cup overflows with his goodness and blessings. He is amazing! He can do anything! Don’t forget to thank him. Don’t forget to celebrate him. He is good and his mercy endures forever.
One of our favorite songs is “Good Good Father”. If you haven’t heard this before, I would encourage you to take a minute and listen to this video:
Be sure to check out our Father’s Day Weekend story about all the fun times we had with Daddy on Saturday and Sunday. In the story I am writing today, I wanted to share with you our wonderful Father’s Day Miracle that happened on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon, we drove to a place along the river and took a drive around the adjoining lake. We tried to find a quiet place along the shore with access to fish and with shady cover. Most areas are privately owned and there are many houses all around the water’s edge. We ended up returning to a little cove we had fished at six months ago. Though it was a quiet spot in December, it was jam packed in June for Father’s Day.
We eventually found a small piece of shoreline with a few trees that we could use. It was just what we needed. One of our boys got out his binoculars and did some bird watching. Another one of my sons put up his hammock in the shade of the trees. The rest of us set up our fishing poles and got busy casting them out into the water as far as we could.
Then after about an hour, some people next to us ended their Father’s Day get-together and after they left we were able to spread out more and have a larger area of shoreline to fish, and now more trees for shade, and we acquired the use of the picnic table too.
I love fishing. It is one of my favorite activities. This is something I did with my dad growing up. He loved to fish too. He died many years ago. But I have fond memories and think a lot about him on a day like today, especially because it is Father’s Day and we are fishing.
I am so glad my husband and kids like fishing too. It was a hot day to be out fishing. We spent about four hours in the heat, casting our lines. One casting reel of one of the fishing poles broke when it fell on some rocks. We also got some gear caught on a log out in the water, etc. As usual, we kept Dad busy fixing things. Despite the heat, we kept faithfully casting our lines even though we only had a few nibbles.
The younger kids got bored and eventually fished by hand for minnows with small hand held nets. They actually caught a few.
During this time of fishing with my family, I prayed and sang to Father God quietly. I felt so full of joy. Even though it was hot, and even though I had not caught a single fish. I was still filled with joy over the blessings Father God has given me. I noticed as I sang, what appeared to be 100 small minnow size fish would show up very close to me in the water. It was strange because when I didn’t sing and I just walked along the shore, the kids and I would notice maybe five to ten little fish nearby. But when I would sing, nearly 100 would suddenly appear and stay until I stopped singing. I have never seen fish do this before.
One of the prayers I prayed was to ask Father God to send fish to bless my husband for Father’s Day. I wanted him to have a good experience fishing today. I wanted him to catch a fish. I wanted him to go home with some good memories and good sized fish to eat.
I asked Father God for a crazy request, and I knew that nothing is impossible with God and if it happened then no one could say it was their skills or their fishing gear that led to the outcome. When my prayer would be answered, all you would be able to say is that “Father God made it happen”. I prayed He would send a whole school of fish all at once for us to catch so that no one could deny that He had blessed us. For several hours I believed without a doubt that He would send the fish.
My youngest son also started telling me about how he believed Father God was going to send fish, because He said he knew that “Father God could do anything”. He was so happy when he said that. I agreed with him.
I told him the story about the men in the boat on the lake who had fished all day and all night and hadn’t caught anything. Then Jesus of Nazareth, Yahusha HaMeshiac, called out to them from the shore and told them to cast their nets on the other side. They were so discouraged and basically said what is the use? But then they obeyed and trusted him. Next thing they did was haul in so much fish the load almost sank their boat. They had to call for help and have more men bring their boat to help them too. That was a miracle!
“Simon Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.” They said, “We’ll go with you.” They set out in a boat, but throughout the night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus. Jesus called to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” He said, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” So they did, and there were so many fish that they couldn’t haul in the net. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they weren’t far from shore, only about one hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire there, with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you’ve just caught.” Simon Peter got up and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three of them. Yet the net hadn’t torn, even with so many fish. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples could bring themselves to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.” John 21:3-13
Then my son said “Mom, did you know the son of God can feed millions with bread and fish?” I agreed with his wisdom and faith at such a young age of only six years old. Then he continued to tell me the story about how Jesus of Nazareth, Yahusha HaMeshiac, fed 5,000 men plus women and children with 5 fish and 2 loaves of bread. After he prayed and blessed the fish and bread, he divided it and fed all the people. Then his followers collected 12 baskets full of leftovers. My son knows the truth and he knows Father God and His Son will feed you when you are hungry, and he can feed you in a special way that is bigger than anything you can imagine.
“When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick. That evening his disciples came and said to him, “This is an isolated place and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said to them, “There’s no need to send them away. You give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves of bread and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to me.” He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples. Then the disciples gave them to the crowds. Everyone ate until they were full, and they filled twelve baskets with the leftovers. About five thousand men plus women and children had eaten.” Matthew 14:14-21
So we continued to trust Father God for our bounty of fish, even though it got later and later and the sun was starting to go down.
While the younger kids enjoyed trying to catch minnows in their little nets, the older boys enjoyed other activities to pass the time. One of the boys whittled sticks. He found several buoyant very hard sticks to whittle and play with that must have spent a long time in the water before they washed ashore .
Another one of the boys just enjoyed watching the water and wildlife from his hammock and enjoyed relaxing. Another one of the big boys had brought binoculars and enjoyed bird watching. There were geese, a variety of ducks, herrings, etc. to see. Before long, a huge four foot tall snowy egret with a huge wingspan flew in and landed very close to us. He was so thrilled.
About 7:30pm, a boat pulled up to our fishing spot. I was a little irritated that they pulled up right in the middle of us fishing. The boat was carrying three men. One of the men jumped off the boat at the shore and walked up the hill to retrieve his truck and trailer. As he passed by our fishing poles, folding chairs, and picnic table, as he kept walking hurriedly, he quietly asked do we need any fish and he kept walking up the hill. He never stopped, but just spoke as he went. I thought at first he was being friendly and saying “Hows the fishing?” Which seemed a little insulting after pulling a boat right through the middle of our fishing poles. But then as I thought about it, I was sure he didn’t say that, but instead said ” Do you want any fish?” He kept walking at a fast pace, so it was hard to hear exactly what he said.
He walked to the back of the parking lot to his vehicle. Then he backed his trailer down to the boat dock to pull the boat from the water. We were not fishing at the boat dock, the dock was around the corner in deeper water. So the boat entering our shallow water fishing spot was really out of the ordinary and is enough to scare any and all fish away.
I felt disappointed. All of my family felt it too. They all looked back at me and then at the boat several times as if they didn’t know how to feel. I felt that if Father God had brought the fish in to take our fishing lines, surely this boat had just ruined our only hope of catching anything. However, I was making a big mistake, because that very disappointment showed that I was at risk of forgetting how big and amazing my Father God is. I swallowed my discouragement, and put on a smile, and eventually I mustered up a friendly wave to the other two men in the boat as they drove their boat away. We are told to forgive, pray for and bless others, no matter how they treat us. So I let the dissapointment go. I now waved at them with a genuine blessing of peace and kindness.
Internally, I thought to myself “Where was my faith?” I had just trusted Father God to bring us a school of fish, and I know He is God and if I put my complete trust in him, then why would I doubt his ability to overcome a boat that might disrupt his answer to my prayer?
God is AMAZING!
Before we knew it, the three men we had just seen come to shore in a boat, were now in the parking lot above us. Their boat was securely on their trailer and they were doing the last steps of putting their gear away before leaving. They asked us if we had “something to put some fish in?” I said “we have a cooler”. They said “is it cold?” and I said it had a little ice left from chilling water bottles earlier and that we would stop and get more ice on the way home.
Next thing I knew, there was fish being pulled out of the belly of their boat. I wouldn’t have believed what I was seeing had I not said the prayer and trusted Father God to answer my prayer earlier. I knew without a doubt Father God had worked a miracle for me. He proved it was him.
It wasn’t a special fishing pole, or special gear, or the right spot along the shore, or anything that I could have done to “bring in the school of fish all at once”. No, instead Father God answered my prayer His way, by sending three men on the water enjoying Father’s Day together. They were lead to show up in the middle of our fishing trip in the middle of our fishing poles and stir the water and bless our family with their school of fish they had caught. It was truly a miracle that only Father God could have done.
This Grandfather, Son, and Grandson trio of fishermen just kept pulling out more and more fish from the boat.
I told the men what had happened. I told them all of it. I told them how I trusted Father God for a whole school of fish that would arrive all at once. I told them how my youngest son believed fish were on the way too. I could see their shock and amazement on their faces. I told them that I knew Father God had sent them. I shared with them about the prayer I had prayed and how I had trusted Father God to answer my prayer.
Then the oldest Father in the group said “never doubt what Father God can do, he can do anything!”
YES! Father God is amazing! He is a good Father! He can do anything!
“Stay united with me, as I will with you — for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from me. I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can’t do a thing. Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up. If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. This is how my Father is glorified — in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my disciples (talmidim – student teachers – followers). Just as my Father has loved me, I too have loved you; so stay in my love. If you keep my commands, you will stay in my love — just as I have kept my Father’s commands and stay in his love. I have said this to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy be complete. This is my command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is about; but I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you.” John 15:4-16
May your day be filled with special moments and special memories. May you be blessed beyond measure and your cup overflow.
I want to encourage you today to draw near to Father God, Yahuah, through his Son, Jesus Yahusha HaMeshiac. He is the source of life and the source of every blessing. He is deserving of our highest praise. Our Father God sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. (John 3:16) When you confess that Jesus, Yahusha HaMeshiac, is the Son of God, and ask forgiveness of your sin, then God dwells in you and you dwell God. God dwells in the praises of His people who believe and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
May you believe, repent, and receive the blessing of eternal life and dwell each day in the presence of Father God. May your joy today and everyday increase by a 1000%.
I am at a loss for words to describe the power and beauty of these ocean waves…
So I thought I would share a few scriptures about the Creator of the sea, our Father God.
Psalm 93:4 “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.”
Isaiah 51:15 “But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name.”
Jeremiah 31:34-35 “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name.”
Luke 21: 25-26 “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”
May you be blessed today with knowing our Father God who is the Creator God. He created you and me and the ocean waves.
Whether we realize it or not, we are all dangling on the cliff of eternity, our soul in this human body, but this place is not our eternal home.
For those who trust Father God, Yahuah, He is our rock, and his son Jesus Christ, Yahusha Ha Messiach, is our lifeline.
Hold tight! He has got you in his grip! Tune out the surroundings. Fix your eyes on his eyes, and see and feel his out stretched arm as it embraces you, and tune your ears to the frequency of his voice.
Do not be afraid. Though this place is not our home, He is with you and He will hold you. Like a child who trusts, trust him, he has a hold of you and will not let you fall. He will support you through the adversity. As you walk through life on this earth and the valley of the shadow of death he will hold you. He will deliver you out. He will deliver you from evil. Do not fear.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Mat 6:13
You will bring him glory because you trust him. Your testimony will shine as a beacon of light in a dark world and others will come to know him because of your faith in him to do the impossible, to do what no man or other god can do. Only He can heal you, only He can save you. When you trust Him to heal you and save you, you give him glory as the one true God.
I looked up the “verse of the day” this morning before writing you. I have spent all day asking Father God for the words to say in this moment, when you need to hear a word of encouragement from Him.
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12
Then my conversation with him went something like this: Wow, Father, this is a great verse, thank you, and I can’t wait to receive the crown of life and I love you with all my heart. BUT how is “he that endureth temptation” a word of encouragement for this dear sister who is hurting and asking for prayer? How dare I tell another Christian to endure temptation and wait for their crown? Then he told me to look closer at the verse. I realized there must be a bigger meaning to the words written there because I could not understand how “enduring temptation” applied to folks going through illness or difficulties that were no fault of their own.
Stumped, I went to the dictionary to find the meanings.
Dictionary meaning of “temptation”:
1. temptation is the act of tempting; enticement or allurement.
2. tempation is something that tempts, entices, or allures.
3. temptation is the fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil.
4. temptation is like the temptation of Christ by Satan, (Matthew 4).
Ok, so this is what I understood temptation to mean. It is what I was taught. According the dictionary, it means being tempted to sin, the act of being enticed and allured to sin, and it even references when Jesus was tempted by Satan to bow down to him. However, this still did not make sense how going through an illness and a failing body organ such as a kidney, or someone loosing their job, or losing their home or their child, could be related to temptation…
Still stumped, I went to find the biblical meaning of tempation. So I went to the Greek translation and Strong’s concordance for a biblical understanding. Again, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to give me understanding.
My eyes were opened to the meaning of the word temptation. It has more meanings than what we are taught and different meanings than what is provided to us in our dictionaries. Yes, it can mean being tempted by sin, as mentioned in the dictionary, but this is only one of several meanings that the dictionary neglected to give. No wonder we as Christian’s miss the message so often. We do not understand what is being said.
Biblical meaning of “temptation”:
Temptation is to “try” or to “test”
1. Temptation is to try or test one’s faith,
2. Temptation is to try or test one’s virtue,
3. Temptation is to try or test one’s character,
4. Temptation is an experiment, attempt, trial, proving, trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy, a putting to proof (by experiment (of good), experience (of evil), solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity.
Now when we read this verses from James 1:12 it makes sense:
Going through a difficult experience, such as an illness, can be a temptation or test of one’s character and constancy of our trust in him during the adversity. When we love God and stay constant with our love and trust in him (to save, heal, deliver, provide) as we endure the difficulty we will receive the crown of life that he has promised.
I prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide my words. I have faith that when I pray and ask, he gives the answer. In the bible, Jesus said the Holy Spirit will give us the right words to speak at the time it is needed.
Temptation is a trying of one’s faith.
Temptation is a test of one’s character.
Temptation is an experiment of good and evil.
Temptation is adversity and difficulty in our daily walk and proving of our character.
This is exactly what Job went through. The devil, the accuser, who goes around the earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and brings accusation against the followers of God. He got permission from Father God to attack Job, to bring adversity, in many different ways all in an attempt to tempt, test, and “prove” Job’s trust in Father God as having all authority, and to prove Job’s character.
Who won? Who won the showdown between Father God and Satan? Father God won. Father God knew Job’s character. He even told Satan, “there is none like Job.” Job didn’t succumb to temptation during his illness and loss of family, wealth, employees, and friends. He continued to say, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away as He sees fit.” He refused to play god in his own life, or to try to change the outcome or seek out someone else to try to change the outcome, and he refused to curse Father God for the bad things he was going through.
Satan lost the battle with Job. He was only allowed to go so far to “try” to “prove” otherwise, but God knew that Job could handle this attack on his body, family, and wealth, and he knew when to end the trial and restore Job and everything Satan had tried to steal and ruin. God received the glory, because of Job’s temptation and “trying of this faith” through this adversity.
Now we can have a better understanding in our life today. Temptation is the trying of our faith, it is the testing of who we place our trust in, and our love of Father God. Temptation is our faith put on trial. Temptation is the testing of our faith in who we patiently wait on to deliver us from evil in adversity and difficulty in our daily walk and temptation is the proving of our character.
Jesus told us to pray like this:
“After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6 : 9-13
When we rely on Father God, he will provide a way through the temptation during adversity and protect us from evil.
May you be encouraged to put your complete trust in him today.
Jesus Christ, Yahusha HaMashiach is our Passover Lamb.
He is the only begotten son of Father God, Yahuah. Our Father sent him to us because he loves us. He lived a sinless life by the power of God in him. He was born of a human mother, and he wore human flesh just as you and me. He walked on the earth as a human for 33 years, day in and day out facing the same experiences each and every person goes through. He over came temptations and lived a sinless life. He spent the last three years teaching about the kingdom of God, forgiving sins, casting out demons, raising the dead, and healing the sick. He taught us to walk with God is to love and obey God above all else, and to love our neighbor as we love our self.
Then, as the pure Passover Lamb, he gave his life for me and for you, so we could escape eternal damnation, so we can be forgiven of our sins, so we can be healed, and so we can walk in an eternal relationship with Father God. Jesus Christ is our mediator between us and God.
To accept his free Passover gift of forgiveness of sin, healing, and eternal life, we must believe he is the only begotten son of God, and that he died for us, conquered sin and death, and believe he rose again on the third day, and ask him to forgive our sins, and accept him as our Lord and Savior. We must confess our sins, and he will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
My prayer for you today, is that you will love Father God and accept his free gift of the Passover, his son Jesus Christ, Yahusha HaMashiach, and that Father God will be glorified and his kingdom will increase in all the earth!
Would you like to bear fruit? Would you like your children to bear fruit?
I came across a recipe in the bible.
It is a recipe for fruitfulness in our walk with God.
On judgement day, we will be examined. Two specific things will arise and be examined. First, are we a believer in Jesus Christ the Messiah and son of Father God and therefor have our name written in the Lamb’s book of life? If our name is found in his book of life we will be sorted out from the unbelievers. Those who believe will be placed on the right side as sheep, and those who didn’t believe will be placed on the left side as goats. Next our life will be examined for fruitfulness in the Kingdom of God. When he examines our life, he will either say “well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of the Lord” or he will say “depart you wicked servant”.
According to Jesus in Matthew 24, he will examine us by our fruit. We are expected to produce good fruit for the kingdom of God. Some produce 30, some 60, and some 100 times increase from the kingdom of God seed they were entrusted with.
“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Matthew 24:14-46
When he examines our life, and he will evaluate if we were loving and loved our neighbor. He will either say “well done” you gave me food when I was hungry, drink when I was thirsty, you cast out demons, set me free from bondage, you visited me when I was lonely, and cared for my needs”, or he will say “depart from me I never knew you”, because you did not have love, “you did not care for my needs, you did not give me food, nor drink, nor shelter, nor healing, nor compassion, etc”.
There is a process of maturing in our faith. Father God did not leave us without a method for it. He gave us the recipe for this maturing process. It is like a young tree who after receiving water, nutrients, and sunshine it matures into an productive tree and it produces blossoms and then it is pollinated and then it’s fruit develops and ripens for harvest. Our faith is also like this. Our faith needs nurtured and matured so we can produce a harvest for the kingdom of God.
Father God gave us the recipe for producing good fruit. We are to first of all love and obey Father God with all our heart. He gave us only 10 commands to live by and gave us the gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help us. We are to believe in Jesus his only son who gave his life as a ransom for yours. Confess your sins to Father God and ask for forgiveness. Tell him he is Father God of your life and you serve no other gods. Next, Love your neighbor as yourself.
Then we are to add one ingredient at a time, and then add the next ingredient, and the next and so on. When we have added all of the ingredients, our recipe will be complete and our life will produce good fruit for the kingdom of God.
Recipe for Kingdom Fruit
Give all diligence
Faith in Jesus Christ the Son of Father God
Virtue
Knowledge
Temperance
Patience
Godliness
Brotherly Kindness
Charity
Produces FRUIT!
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-8
May we know him, love him, and serve him with our life, and produce good fruit for the Kingdom of God.
