ISSUE: #40

MEM

Message

If we truly believe that Yeshua is our Savior, once we accept Him as our Master, we can have the assurance He will come and tabernacle with us. That being the case, we need to be a holy and acceptable tabernacle for Him to dwell within.

We are to take up our cross and follow Him. We are admonished to present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to YHVH. Each day is to be an experience of being yielded to Him, which means no matter what happens we must see that it is for our benefit and training; to prepare us for a future purpose. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (NLT otherwise NAS) Keep in mind that what happens to us personally may be for the benefit of others as well; Job is a good example, not only did he have a lesson to learn but so did his friends.

"This, my friend, is the secret of secrets. It will help you to reap where you have not sown and will be a continual source of grace to your soul; for everything that inwardly stirs you or outwardly happens to you becomes good to you if it finds you in this humble state of mind." Andrew Murray

When we learn that the whole Word of God includes the Torah, we may be inclined to get side tracked by man made rules added to Torah observance. We must keep our focus on Messiah.

Our whole life should focus on and be motivated by Yeshua. Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…

After Yeshua was crucified the disciples thought it was all over. Even with the empty tomb they seemed leaderless. Read the account in Luke 24:13-35. Yeshua had to appear to these disciples and point them in the right direction. Note verses 25-27 And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Therefore Yeshua says: John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

It is all about Yeshua. Are we being transformed into His likeness? Are we allowing the Spirit to mold us and shape us for His purpose? Is life now our college?

2 Corinthians 5:17 -20 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

We are the students, the Father and Yeshua the faculty (The body of teachers and administrators at a school), they empower us by their Spirit, and Their Word is our textbook. Study to show your selves approved.

*College (Quote by: Louisa May Alcott)
- 1) The body of faculty and students of a college
- 2) An institution of higher education created to educate and grant degrees… (WordWeb)

Proverb

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 3:11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD or loathe His reproof,

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life

Proverbs 23:12 Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

Saying (s)

Strong values let us chart a clear course in the midst of changing and challenging circumstances. Stephen R. Covey

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem* His name. (Malachi 3:16) It is how they lived their life.

*esteem - value - count

Bible Quiz

1. Complete Philippians 2:9; "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is …."
2. What is the name of the annual festival that commemorates the deliverance of the Jews in Persia from Haman?
3. Where did the LORD confuse the language of the whole world?
4. Through whom will God judge men’s secrets?
5. Why did God destroy the earth and all that was in it by flood?
6. What was the name of the son born to Abraham and Hagar?
7. Who said, "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered’?

Humility

God has so constituted us as reasonable beings that the greater the insight into the true nature or the absolute need of a command, the quicker and more complete will be our obedience to it. Andrew Murray

One might ask, "What does this have to do with humility?" We need to recognize the Creator gave us His instruction manual; 1) to understand Him and 2) to learn how to live. Each command has purpose; they have value for us. Our need is to discover what it is and how it applies to our life.

We often are quick to dismiss some of the commands as archaic or useless. There are no idle words written in His instruction manual. Be humble enough to realize our natural selfish nature needs to die and we need to be conformed to the image of our Savior. Ask for insight about the purpose of a command we may not understand; our Teacher will give us insight to the true nature and need of it, if we approach Him in all humility.

Did you know:

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 101%? What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

AND, look how far the love of God will take you

L- O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

Lighter Side

This five-year-old was a real terror. When he wanted anything he nagged, he bawled, or he had a tantrum until he got it. He was a spoiled brat.

Then came his first day at school. At the end of it, his mother nervously awaited the arrival of the school bus. When it did arrive and the boy stepped off, the questions tumbled from the mother’s mouth.

"How was school? Did you get along all right? Did you cry?’

"No," said the little boy, " but the teacher did."

(How is your Teacher doing? Yeshua wept…because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. Luke 19:41-44)

Children’s Story

Pierre had a good life both teaching and being instructed. He ended up finding the true pearl of great price. He went on to become a writer. With the proceeds from his writings he gave much to Missionary Bill. Who in turn supplied island natives with Bibles and school supplies. Pierre occasionally accompanied Missionary Bill on his travels, he encouraged others to put their faith in the One true God and live accordingly.

We now go to the United States where we catch up with a man named "Harry". It is the year 2006. (This is based partly on a true story.)

Harry was a man of slight stature. A full gray beard, with thinning hair on the top of his head. He loved children even though he had none of his own. He was a bachelor. He also loved his mother very much; she was now 93 years old and a semi-invalid. Now retired, Harry devoted his time to caring for his mother and studying his favorite book of all, the Holy Bible.

Harry was born on a farm; never moving from this place he saw a lot of changes about him in his life time. To better understand we need to go back in time when Harry’s grandfather came to America.

Grandfather Andrew, moved from the Netherlands, (which is in Europe) to America in 1898. Being newly married he moved where other Hollanders were; the Holland of America in the state of Michigan. Grandfather Andrew, wanted to be among familiar kin-folk. He soon learned, even though many people spoke the Dutch language, everyone appreciated their new country so much English would now be spoken.

It was not easy finding a new lifestyle in a new country, learning a new language. Andrew and his new bride found little jobs around the Dutch community until they could gain the right to purchase a farmstead of their own. It was the year 1900 when Andrew settled in a remote area some two miles north of the port in Holland Michigan.

Andrew put a small payment down for a piece of America. This would be his land, land that could produce crops, which would enable him to live in peace. A way of providing for him and future generations. Forty acres that had to be cleared, had to be cultivated, hard, back breaking work. But this was to be for his family, in this America blessed by God. What a privilege to be part of a growing country that gave them a stake in life now and the future.

It was not long before there were children and Harry’s father, Adam, was born. They had a good life on that farm. They accumulated the usual farm equipment and as it wore out and a new was purchased the old seemed to occupy places behind the barn or abandoned along the lane to the fields. An old horse drawn cultivator here, a worn out disk there, the first family car rusting away by the well house. In fact, these old items were like drawing cards for the cousins and neighbors as time went on, they loved to investigate and climb all over them.

As the family grew the remote area around Grandfather Andrew and his family began to multiply. The rich sandy soil and mild Lake Michigan temperature, was perfect for the growing of blue berries. Andrew’s children and later his grandchildren did well from his blue berry farm.

But as time went on the small town of Holland grew into a city. The farming community was being pushed further north and nearby farms were developed into housing. The dirt streets turned into paved streets. The horse drawn carriages and wagons gave way to cars and trucks.

The farm was inherited by Harry’s father in 1936. So Adam married and added a family of his own. He also added more farm equipment to their collection. Harry came along in 1941. It was right during the Second World War. He would be too young to remember any of it but he can still recall bits and pieces of the great celebrations at the end of the war in 1945.

For sure he can never remember a Sunday that failed to find their family in the traditional Dutch church of their community. He was raised with strict rules of what was acceptable and what was not. This was typical of early Dutch settlers in America.

Next time: Harry sows wild oats.

Quiz Answers

1. "Above every name." - Philippians 2:9

2. Purim - Esther 9:18-28

3. At Babel - Genesis 11:9

4. Yeshua the Messiah - Romans 2:16

5. The earth and all the people were corrupt - Genesis 6:12-13, 17

6. Ishmael - Genesis 16:16

7. David - Romans 4:6-7