Morning Prayer 05-15-2024

Posted on 05/15/2024 by goodnewsfromadistantland — Leave a comment

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Tagged with: Bible, Christian, Commitment, Guidance, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prayer, Teachable, Youth
Posted in Commitment, Faithfulness, Guidance, Holy Spirit, Obedience, Prayer, Youth

Acquiring A Wise And Discerning Heart

Posted on 05/12/2024 by goodnewsfromadistantland — Leave a comment

Many of us would like to have a wise and discerning heart. All of us are drawn to wisdom. There is something profound about wisdom. Everyone seems to know instinctively that by wisdom, they will gain direction and proper solutions. And, we seem to know that by wisdom, we will probably be able to avoid problems and sorrows.

Can we gain wisdom by acquiring knowledge?? No. Knowledge/education is a good thing, but having knowledge is no guarantee we will have wisdom! Knowledge is not the same as wisdom. Education and knowledge can not impart wisdom and discernment. There are many highly-educated, knowledgeable people who do NOT have wisdom!

Are some people born with wisdom?? No. We tend to think a person is wise if they seem to be clever, or have a measure of ‘common sense’. But this is not the case. Wisdom goes deeper than any mental abilities.

Get A Package of Wisdom??

Acquiring wisdom is not easy. You certainly cannot go to the local, corner market and pick up a package of Wisdom. Wisdom is too valuable, too expensive for such an easy purchase!

The ancient Prophet Job tells us that wisdom cannot be bought with gold or silver. He says “the price of wisdom is above rubies!” (See Job 28:12-28). Even Job himself was looking for wisdom! He asked the question:

But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? (Job 28:12-28)

Since Job is one of the ancient Prophets of the Bible, then it seems logical that other prophets in the Bible would also mention the timeless topic of wisdom and the exceptional value of wisdom. Yes. The Bible has much to say about wisdom and learning how to BE wise. In fact, in the Proverbs alone, the word wisdom appears 54 times and the word wise appears 66 times. And, there are several verses in the New Testament that are direct references to the principles presented in the Proverbs.

The LORD’s Wisdom

The written Scriptures teach that the wisdom of the LORD God (Yahuwah Elohim) is enormously superior to human wisdom! The LORD’s wisdom surpasses all human counsels and imaginations:

For My thoughts, says the LORD (Yahuwah), are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways! For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel that can prevail against the LORD (Yahuwah)! (Proverbs 21:30)

God is exceedingly bigger than you and me, in every way!! No matter how much ‘brain-power’ we might possess, we are simply little, weak creatures, in comparison to the wisdom and abilities of the LORD God Almighty, the CREATOR of heaven and earth! (See Genesis 3:19 & 18:27; Job 4:19).

The Beginning of Wisdom

IF we desire a wise and discerning heart, then we must start at the place where True Wisdom begins! Only the LORD God can tell us the place of wisdom’s beginnings:

The fear of the LORD (Yahuwah) is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endures for ever. (Psalms 111:10)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

These are only two of the verses in the Bible that reveal where the very Beginning of Wisdom is: the Fear of the LORD.

No one really comes close to having True Wisdom unless they have a measure of the Fear of the LORD (Yahuwah). So the Fear of the LORD is foundational to gaining wisdom! It is the Beginning of Wisdom!! And as we saw in The Wisdom of the Fear of the LORD, there are some astonishing rewards for walking in the ‘Fear of the LORD’!

IF we desire to acquire a wise and discerning heart, then we must seek for this treasure by yielding to the Holy Spirit’s nudges and begin talking to the LORD God. We must pursue a close relationship with our heavenly Father and read His Word, the Bible.

The LORD wants to impart unto us wisdom and understanding and discernment. But we must turn our heart to seeking the LORD diligently, asking Him to give us His Holy Spirit to empower us, direct us, and reveal the truth that will set us free: And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32; Luke 11:13)

The More we learn about God through the pages of the Bible,
The More we learn about the heavenly wisdom that comes from above (James 3:17),
The More we will begin to acquire, by God’s mercy, the excellence of a wise, discerning heart!

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom!” — (Luke 12:32)

Thank You LORD, for Your Word that shows me where to find true wisdom! Help me God, to look to You, learn more about You, and seek You for the strength to walk according to Your truth. In the name of Your Son, Jesus the Christ (the Messiah), I pray. Amen.

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Tagged with: Bible, Children, Christian, Guidance, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prayer, Wisdom, Youth
Posted in Building Character, Commitment, Holy Spirit, Mercy, Prayer, Wisdom, Youth

Preparing to Hear the Joyful Trumpet Sound

Posted on 04/28/2024 by goodnewsfromadistantland — Leave a comment

When God’s people read any passage in the Scriptures referring to the ‘Sound of a Trumpet’, we automatically remember one of the annual Feasts of the LORD – The Feast of Trumpets!

In Matthew 24:31, our Saviour, the Messiah, was perhaps referring to The Feast of Trumpets when He mentioned ‘a great sound of a trumpet’ — “And He shall send His angels with a Great Sound of a Trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

The apostle Paul also mentions The Sound of a Trumpet in two places in the Scriptures:

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at The Last Trump: for The Trumpet Shall Sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1Corinthians 15:52)

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with The Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1Thessalonians 4:16-17)

All of God’s children – the people belonging to the Almighty LORD God (Yahuwah Elohim) – are eagerly looking forward to that special and most-mysterious Day when ‘The Trump of God’ shall sound! It is the Special Day when ‘the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven‘ to gather His Elect – His Chosen Ones!

Perhaps – Maybe – that Special Day will occur on The One Day of the year when The Feast of Trumpets happens!

Certainly, our Lord told us “Watch therefore, for you do not know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes.” (Matthew 25:13) So yes, it is true that we will not know The Day of our Lord’s return, but we can be alert and watchful and have an understanding of the signs and the probable time of His Return.

The Starting Day

However, as we saw in Preparing For His Appearing, one of the distinctive features of the annual Feast of Trumpets is that the Starting Day of this Feast is well-known as “The Day in which no man knows the day or the hour”!

Why is that?

The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the first day of the seventh Biblical month, which occurs sometime in the Roman calendar month of September. It begins the moment the New Moon is sighted in Jerusalem, and that moment is to be accompanied with the Blowing of the ‘Shofar’ (or Trumpet). This moment marks the Beginning, the Start of the first day of the seventh Biblical month, as well as the Start Day of the Feast of Trumpets.

Since it is not always easy to predict exactly when the sliver of the New Moon will be sighted, the Start Date of this particular Feast is therefore known as being The Day in which “no man knows the day and hour”. No one can predict exactly when the Starting Day of this Feast will begin. Additionally, the New Moon must be seen by two or three witnesses, in order to establish the matter of when the Feast begins (see Matthew 18:16).

The Annual Biblical Feasts of the LORD

Learning about the Feasts of the LORD (see Leviticus 23), is a fascinating study of God’s plans for all of His people, including the many ‘wild-branch, grafted-in, Born-Again‘ Believers in Christ Jesus (whose Hebrew name is Messiah Yahushua)!

As we saw in Coming Home to the Truth, our participation in the annual Feasts of the LORD is a major ingredient in our preparations for Messiah’s return! These Feasts of the LORD are ‘Appointed Times’! They are specific times that the LORD Himself has declared as His specific Appointment Dates with His people.

In the Hebrew words, the Feast of Trumpets is the phrase Yom Te’ruah which means a ‘Day of Blowing of Trumpets’. In Leviticus, the LORD God (whose Hebrew name is Yahuwah Elohim – Strongs#3068) directs His people to observe this Feast of Trumpets, and keep it every year as a High Sabbath, a Holy Convocation:

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, you shall have a [keeping of] Sabbath, a Memorial of blowing of trumpets [te’ruah], an Holy Convocation. (Leviticus 23:24)

And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have an Holy Convocation; you shall do no servile work [labour or service]: it is a day of blowing the trumpets [te’ruah], unto you. (Numbers 29:1)

The Hebrew word for ‘blowing of trumpets’ is te’ruah (Strongs #08643). That word [te‘ruah] can mean a variety of things — clamor, or herald of joy, or a battle cry, or a loud noise of trumpets as an alarm, or the blowing of trumpets (or shofar), or joy, jubilee, loud noise, rejoicing, shouting, joyful sound.

So this Yom Te’ruah is a ‘Day of Blowing of Trumpets’ — a Day with much loud joyful noise! (Most likely the trumpets used were the ancient musical horns, the shofar, made from the horn of a ram.)

As we saw in Preparing For His Appearing, we went into detail regarding the significance of This Feast of Trumpets as a Memorial Day – a Day of Remembrance, and how it is a Day that we need to prepare for!

But for now, let’s take a brief look at a particular passage in the Psalms, along with the Hebrew word meanings.

Hebrew Words

Since the Bible was written by Hebrews in their own language, we can gain a greater understanding of the Scriptures by studying the Hebrew words. With the help of the Bible software program, E-Sword, we can see the Hebrew words and their meanings for the following passage in the Psalms.

We will focus on three of the Hebrew words from this passage. (The other words in the passage are translated accurately according to the Hebrew, except for the Hebrew name of the LORD, as discussed in a separate page):

Blessed are the people who know [Strongs#3045 – yada] the joyful sound [Strongs#8643 – te‘ruah]: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Your righteousness they shall be exalted [Strongs#7311 – rum]. (Psalms 89:15-16)

We have already seen that the Hebrew word [te’ruah] means ‘the blowing of trumpets’.

The Hebrew word [yada] has a great variety of meanings that include – to know, recognition, acknowledge, be aware, consider, discern, have knowledge, understand.

The Hebrew word [rum] also has various meanings that include – to be high actively, to rise or raise, exalt, go up, lift up, mount up, take up.

Now let’s insert the Hebrew word meanings into this passage and we will see a greater insight into the very special annual Feast of Trumpets.

Blessed are the people who know, recognize, are aware, have knowledge of the blowing of trumpets: they shall walk, O LORD (Yahuwah) in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they shall rejoice all the day: and in Your righteousness they shall be high, exalted, raised up, lifted up, taken up. (Psalms 89:15-16)

For me, this is very interesting!! Of course, I am NOT a Hebrew scholar, but just knowing the Hebrew word meanings definitely enlarges the possible relationship of this passage with the annual Feast of Trumpets!

My Conclusion is This:

IF we are participating in the annual Feasts of the LORD,
IF we are preparing for the specific Annual Feast of Trumpets,
IF, IF the return of Messiah will be on the Starting Day of the Feast of Trumpets,

THEN

We will be aware of and recognize The Great Sound of the Trumpet at the moment it occurs,
We will hear The Trump of God when the Lord (Messiah) Himself shall descend from heaven,

AND Therefore

IF we are IN Messiah and IN His Righteousness,

THEN

We will be taken up and we will be among His Gathered Elect!

For me, this is very exciting! (There are other phrases in the Psalms that have very similar meanings: see Psa 9:13-14; Psa 27:5-6; Psa 9:13-14; Psa 27:5-6; Psa 37:32-34; Psa 113:5-7.)

Overall, for me, the above conclusion makes my commitment to observing the LORD’s annual Feast Days even more firm! Also, it makes the verses in Luke 21:27-28, even more pertinent for those who are eagerly looking for Messiah’s return:

And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near! (Luke 21:27-28)

May it be that all the LORD’s people will be ready for, listening attentively for, and Able To Hear that Great and Joyful Trumpet Sound on that very Special Day when He gathers together His Elect – His chosen ones!

Thank You Father God, that Your Son is returning for His chosen ones! May it be that each one of us will be alert and will have ears to hear that joyful trumpet sound! In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ (Yahushua Messiah), I pray. Amen.

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Related Articles:

The Torah: The Key to Unlocking God’s Word
If You Will Hear God’s Voice
Only The Wise Shall Understand
Preparing Our Heart to Seek God
Hebrew vs Greek Thought – approx. 10 minute teaching video
EliYah.com – many excellent articles and teaching videos examining the Hebraic roots from a Biblical perspective

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Tagged with: 1Corinthians 15:52, Bible, Feasts of the LORD, Jesus, Rapture, Salvation, Torah, Wisdom, Youth
Posted in Commitment, Encouragement, Family, Guidance, Heaven, Messiah, Torah, Youth

5 Honorable Characteristics of the Upright

Posted on 04/21/2024 by goodnewsfromadistantland — Leave a comment

Being of an upright character is something that all of us should strive for. It is very honorable and respectable to be upright in our character. If we know someone who is upright in their character and behaviour then we tend to want to be like them and learn from them.

Let’s consider what it means to ‘BE upright‘ according to the Scriptures!

Biblical uprightness means walking in a ‘straight‘ way — straight meaning without deviation, not disorderly. In other words, walking in honesty, integrity, and committed to righteous, virtuous behaviour.

These beautiful qualities, as we saw in Lead Me in Your Truth, describe our Creator, the Almighty LORD God (whose Hebrew name is Yahuwah Elohim):

To declare that the LORD (Yahuwah) is upright; He is my rock, and there is NO unrighteousness in Him! (Psalms 92:15)

The LORD (Yahuwah) is righteous in ALL His ways, and holy in ALL His works! (Psalms 145:17)

And the LORD (Yahuwah) passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God (Yahuwah Elohim), merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth! (Exodus 34:6)

Aiming For Uprightness

It is possible to possess the beautiful and honorable character qualities of uprightness! In fact, the LORD God is searching for people with these characteristics:

For the eyes of the LORD (Yahuwah) run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. (2Chronicles 16:9a)

To have a heart that is ‘perfect’ toward the LORD means to have a heart that is committed to God, that strives to be faithful and truthful to God, earnestly seeking to keep His commandments (1Chronicles 29:19) and be in agreement with His WORD, the Bible.

IF we have a desire to possess the honorable characteristics of the upright, and if God’s Holy Spirit is living within us by way of the New Birth, then the LORD’s amazing grace and mercy is available to strengthen us and help us! With the help of His Holy Spirit, who is A Very Present Help (Psalms 46:1), then He will guide us and strengthen us to walk uprightly!

Let’s look at 5 of the characteristics of the upright, as we see in the Bible.

1. The upright depart from evil! – The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He that guards his way preserves his soul. (Proverbs 16:17)

2. The upright seek to preserve their integrity and honesty! – The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on You O God. (Proverbs 11:3 and Psalms 25:21)

3. The upright speak the truth in their heart, maintaining honesty within themselves! – LORD (Yahuwah), who shall abide in Your tabernacle? who shall dwell in Your holy hill? He that walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. (Psalms 15:1-2)

4. The upright receive strength and understanding because they walk in the Ways of the LORD God (Yahuwah Elohim)! – The Way of the LORD (Yahuwah) is strength to the upright, but destruction to the workers of iniquity. A man of understanding walks uprightly. (Proverbs 10:29 and Proverbs 15:21b)

5. The upright live according to The Truth of the Gospel by believing and trusting in the Saviour, Jesus Christ (whose Hebrew name is Yahushua Messiah) and in His teachings! – But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to The Truth of the Gospel, I said… (Galatians 2:14a)

The above characteristics of uprightness are beautiful! There is something deep within us that earnestly desires such good and noble qualities!

“It is not learning that makes a man holy and honorable, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God.” — Thomas, à Kempis

The Reward of His Goodness

The heavenly Father God WANTS to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose heart is committed to Him, determined to be faithful, truthful, self-LESS, and in agreement with His WORD, the Bible.

If our heart is turned toward the LORD, desiring to honor Him by keeping His Word, living in honesty and integrity, then we will know the reward of His goodness.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD (Yahuwah) will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly! (Psalms 84:11)

Father in heaven, thank You for Your perfect Ways and Your wonderful Word! Help me seek You diligently and study and learn Your Word so that I can walk uprightly, walking in Your Ways. Help me delight in Your Ways and seek You first in all that I do. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ (Yahushua Messiah), I pray. Amen.

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