ISSUE: #47

MEM

Message

Bible teachers tend to instruct their students with seven point messages; there is a message for every aspect of one’s life. These teachers go through the Scriptures and quote the verses that fit the topic. No better way to instruct students on their walk with their Creator. Well intentioned as these teachers may be, not every topic will precisely fit every individual. Each of us must fine-tune these steps until we find a sure way to enhance our relationship with our Maker.

It is not my intent to tell anyone when or how much one should pray and study; all I know is one must do so to maintain a close personal walk with the One who has all the answers.

For example; I normally eat a good breakfast; this will carry me all day long if need be. Now that may not be true for you so you will have to adjust your eating habits to meet your needs. Being a natural early riser it is easy for me to get in prayer, Bible reading and exercise, before breakfast. That way, if need be, it will carry me through-out the day.

Just this morning I read Psalm 145 (part of my daily reading includes a Psalm). This Psalm, for me, is filled with beauty, inspiration, instruction, brings praise and delight; it is my Redeemer communing with me. Take time to read this Psalm, you may see some wonderful things that will meet your need(s):

Note: Last month’s message was about the doxology of, ‘The Prayer’, Yeshua (Jesus) told us to pray (Matthew 6:9-13); this Psalm reinforces ‘The Prayer’. David was able to look forward to the coming Kingdom.[Click here to read last month’s issue.]

Psalm 145 (NAS unless indicated, emphasis added)

1 A Psalm of Praise, of David. I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable.

Here is the way to assure blessings for the future generations:

4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.

Something to think about - it will drive the Adversary crazy:

5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

6 Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness.

7 They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

Note the term "The LORD" (YHVH), in this Psalm:

8 The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in loving kindness.

9 The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.

Do we bless Him?

10 All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You.

What should we be talking about? Remember ‘The Prayer’ and the Kingdom.

11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power;

12 To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

Humility:

14 The LORD sustains all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to You, And You give them their food in due time.

16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

YHVH is:

17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways And kind in all His deeds.

Are we calling upon Him?

18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

What a promise:

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.

Which will it be?

20 The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

Every knee shall bow:

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

When one starts the day focused on His promises, being determined to praise Him for His marvelous works and to proclaim His Kingdom, that person will find the strength, the courage, and the love to joyfully shout His praises. Yeshua will supply the grace, all we have to do is acknowledge our need for Him.

How you apply the truth of His Word will determine the quality of your walk. Elohim is waiting to do His part – praise Him.

My Elohim, my King, You are Awesome, blessed be Your Name – Your Kingdom come, Your will be done!

Proverb

Proverbs 3: 1-6 …But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

Web Article

"My Sheep Hear My Voice", a new article about some of the ways the Master has communicated with those written about in His Word. But also holding out the promise of us hearing His voice also. Are we His sheep? What hinders us from hearing Him? Or what hinders Him from hearing us? Our Savior is desirous to communicate with us. Click here to check it out.

Saying (s)

"The two sides of the brain have different abilities. The left side talks; the right side does not. The left side attends to things one at a time in a sequence; the right side attends to complex patterns of things at once. The left side is logical; the right side, creative. The left side is time-oriented, the right side, timeless. It makes sense that we have these opposite talents so that they can work together." Stephen R. Covey

Proverbs 15:19 A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway.

Bible Quiz

1. In what three languages did Pilate have written, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews"?
2. What was called "bread from heaven"?
3. Where was Pharaoh’s army drowned?
4. To whom did Jesus give power and authority to drive out all demons?
5. What was the second plague that God placed on Egypt?
6. Who did God choose to help Moses bring the Israelites out of Egypt?
7. Who said, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?"

Humility

"No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang. Through all its existence it can only live by the life that was in the seed that gave it being. The full apprehension of this truth in its application to the first and the Second Adam cannot but help us to understand both the need and the nature of the redemption that is in Jesus." Andrew Murray

1Corinthians 15:45 So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

1Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Did you know:

- The average life expectancy in the US was 47.

- Only 14 percent of the homes in the US had a bathtub.

- Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

- A three minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

- There were only 8,000 cars in the US and only 144 miles of paved roads.

- The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

- Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California

- The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

- A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 a year, a dentist $2,500.

- More than 95% of all births in the US took place at home.

- Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee cost fifteen cents a pound.

- Most women washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

- Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.

- The five leading causes of death in the US were: 1. Pneumonia and Influenza, 2. Tuberculosis, 3. Diarrhea, 4. Heart Disease, 5. Stroke

- The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was 30.

- There were no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

- Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

- Eighteen percent of households in the US had at least one full time servant or domestic.

- There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire US.

Lighter Side

Ten best things to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk.

(That is if you own-up after you say it.)

10. They told me at the blood bank this might happen.

9. This is just a 15 minute power nap like they raved about in the time management course you sent me to.

8. Whew! Guess I left the top off the white out. You probably got here just in time!

7. I wasn’t sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm.

6. I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance.

5. I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work related stress. Are you discriminatory toward people who practice Yoga?

4. Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem.

3. The coffee machine is broken.

2. Someone must have put decaf in the wrong pot.

1. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Story of Harry

Harry truly longed to fellowship with others of like convictions. All the years attending a Sunday keeping church did not seem wasted. It was the conviction of wanting a closer relationship with the Savior that pushed Harry to follow the clear instruction of His Word; his only regret was that those same members did not want to hear about it. His question now was if he could find others that felt like he did. The large Seventh Day congregation seemed to over-whelm him with his first attendance.

Maybe this Sabbath he would stay home and study. Maybe he would take a ride to the park, or walk along the lake shore, or hike over a sand dune with his Bible in one hand and a lunch basket in the other. Maybe he just needed to be alone and think.

Then, just as the sun was setting at the beginning of the Sabbath, Harry opened his Bible to the Psalms; there in verse 1 of the 148^th Psalm was the answer: Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. It seems we are to be together as a congregation that we might learn from one another and praise Him together.

That night Harry determined it would best for him be in the congregation of those that loved and recognized the Sabbath; after all it is an appointed time to meet with the Creator. When Harry was sleeping that evening he dreamed again; this time he saw himself with a small group of people instead of the large congregation he visited the week before. Waking early he prayed; he cared for his mother’s needs, and then prepared to leave. The nagging thought of the small group of people was fresh on his mind when he drove out to the main road. Instead of turning south he turned north and headed for the building with no fancy sign, no large parking lot, no multiple entrances, just a plain but functional building that looked like a small school.

In a matter of minutes he was turning into a small parking lot that had a sign put up just for the Sabbath gathering. Three cars were there already and as he pulled into a parking spot, though early, he did not have time to sit and observe because cars were pulling in all around him. People were pouring out, carrying equipment and boxes and what looked like food items. Before he could get the engine shut off there was a tap on his window; an elderly gentleman with his wife were smiling and motioning him to join them.

Harry nodded and quickly grabbed his Bible with a note book and got out. "Hi, I am Jim and this is my wife Helen. Is this your first time?" as Jim put out his hand to welcome the unfamiliar person. "Why yes it is;" Harry replied, "and my name is Harry." Harry took Jim’s hand in the greeting. On the way to the building Jim’s bubbling welcome put Harry at ease. Jim explained how the group rented the building just for the Sabbath and came early to help set up for services. Harry offered to help in any way he could. "Great" said Jim, "you can help me set up the chairs."

It did not take long as others began to help arrange the chairs also; only about fifty chairs were set-up. Jim explained there were about forty regular attendees and about five that came when they could because of a long driving distance.

A piano was being rolled out to the front, by which they put about ten chairs for the musicians. The empty hall was gradually being transformed into a suitable gathering place.

Two young men were by the entry doors helping to carry items and opening doors; as people entered they were welcomed. There was a small kitchen area off to the left. Most of the women were there arranging things. Younger children were neat and respectful. The older ones seem to know when their help was needed, carrying a box, assisting an elderly person to a seat or placing bulletins on the chairs.

Harry felt good to be able to assist in a small way. As he tried to find a place for him to be seated, someone was always stopping him and introducing themselves then excusing themselves to hurry off to help do their part. It was still 30 minutes before starting time; the place was still a beehive of activity; the musicians were tuning their instruments, as the crowd grew the chairs appeared to be filling up with personal items; Jim motioned for Harry to help him set up a few more chairs because the group appeared to grow beyond expectation.

When this was done Jim invited Harry to sit by them if he liked. So he accepted as there was an empty chair next to theirs.

As Harry looked around it appeared each person (family) had something to contribute; their bright and smiling faces, along with their exuberance, attested to a joyful spirit.

Strolling toward the entryway, Harry noticed a table had been set up and was filled with information; a young lady was nearby poised to assist. He noted the sound system was now assembled and a projector and screen was set up as an aid for the words during the singing.

Harry was taken back by the genuine joy expressed by young and old alike. The congregation was dressed in clean, respectful attire. Ladies in conservative dress and gentlemen in slack pants and neat shirts. Some wore ties and some not. A few were in suits and ties. By now everything appeared in place; some individuals had begun to gather in small groups and leisurely talk as the starting time approached. Jim now made it a point to spend time with Harry, engaging him in conversation about their group and seeking any questions Harry might have.

A gentleman with shirt and tie approached the lectern, which had been placed to the front center; he motioned the sound person to turn on the microphone. In a low but clear voice he welcomed all to Sabbath services and we were invited to find our chairs as services were about to begin. The musicians launched into a peppy praise piece as the people took their places.

As Harry’s foot tapped in time with the music, a broad smile on his face he could not help but think this could well fulfill his desire for fellowship on a level he felt comfortable about.

Next time: Harry reviews the experience in a small group of Seventh Day Keepers.

Quiz Answers

1. Aramaic, Latin, and Greek - John 19:19-20

2. Manna - Exodus 16:4, 31

3. In the Red Sea - Exodus 15:4

4. His twelve disciples - Luke 9:1

5. Frogs - Exodus 8:1-6

6. Aaron - Exodus 4:14

7. John the Baptist - Matthew 3:1, 7