11-24-07 Matthew 12:11, 12

Matthew 12:11, 12 (NAS)
And He said to them, "What man shall there be among you, who shall have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it, and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
Matthew 12:11, 12 (Philips)
If any of you had a sheep which fen into a ditch on the Sabbath day, would he not take hold of it and pull it out?" replied Jesus. How much more valuable is a man than a sheep? You see, it is right to do good on the Sabbath day.
Matthew 12:11, 12 (NLT)
And he answered, "If you had one sheep, and it fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you get to work and pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, it is right to do good on the Sabbath

You have had times when you are walking along, seemingly without a care, and then suddenly, you stumble and fall. Perhaps there was a loose stone under your feet or the pavement was uneven. Through no fault of your own, you find yourself lying on the ground. You could be hurt or just embarrassed. In either case, you could use a hand to get back up.

The Lord Yeshua referred often to His people as sheep. Without a shepherd's guidance, sheep can easily find themselves in trouble. As they walk along, these gentle, but stupid creatures can find themselves falling into a ditch or cast down into a pit. In the cast down position, lying on their backs, sheep are not able to get back up without help. They need their shepherd who has the power and the strength to lift them onto their feet again. He will hold them in his hands until they are stable and able to walk.

As the shepherd values his sheep, so too does the Good Shepherd value you. Therefore, when you find yourself in a pit, cry out to your Shepherd. You can be assured that Jesus will quickly come to your aid. He will raise you up again and set you on your feet, for He always desires be good to you. You are precious to Him and He wants to make your life beautiful and excellent in every way.

11-23-07John 12:26

John 12:26 (NAS)
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

John 12:26 (NLT)
All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them.

John 12:26 (Philips)
If a man wants to enter my service, he must follow my way; and where I am, my servant will also be. And my Father will Honor every man who enters my service.

The Lord Jesus has placed a call on your life to serve Him and you have placed yourself in a position to minister to His interests. You are always willing to execute His commands, as you stand at attention to meet His needs. When He speaks, you run swiftly to reach the goal.
In this you please Him, for Yeshua desires you to follow Him in all things. You, therefore, should eagerly pursue and seek after Him. Earnestly endeavor to acquire everything from His presence that you can. Side with Him, proving yourself to be His true disciple.

You know, that wherever the Master abides, there shall the servant be, as well. Since Yeshua dwells with Adonai, His Father, you know that you shall have your dwelling there also. And the Father shall honor and esteem you. He holds you as precious and especially dear. He has made you of great value; for He paid the high price of His Son's blood to ransom and redeem you.

11-22-07 John 10:27-28

John 10:27-28 (NAS)
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:27-28 (NLT)
My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me.

John 10:27-28 (Philips)
My sheep recognize my voice and I know who they are. They follow me and I give them eternal life. They will never die and no one can snatch them out of my hand.

You have become a child of the Kingdom of Light. Your wild sinful nature has been exchanged for the gentle and tame nature of a sheep. You now abstain from the works of darkness, not indulging in any vice and criminal activity. You are a child of the day and no longer a creature of the night.

You now belong to Yeshua, the Good Shepherd and with Him you go forward. He has endowed you with the ability to hear His voice. He allows you to perceive and understand His speech, language, and tongue. He has brought you into the light and has made Himself manifest, so that you clearly comprehend who He is.

Even as you know and comprehend the Lord, He also knows you. He understands your thoughts and feelings. He desires an intimacy, like that of a husband and wife, with you. He wants to experience you personally, as you experience Him. He wants you to develop an unwavering trust in Him, so that where He goes, you will follow as His disciple.

Now you have received a life without end, that you have devoted to God. You are blessed with the saving care of your Lord. He protects you from destruction and ruin. You will never perish or be lost. No one will seize or carry you off by force. None can snatch you out of Yeshua's hand. You are continually supported by His might and power, the same power that created the universe. Now He determines and controls your destiny.

11-21-07 James 1:5-8

James 1:5-8 (NAS)
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:5-8 (NLT)
If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
James 1:5-8 (Philips)
And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel guilty—and he may he quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts. For the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from the Lord, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn.

God has provided for every need that you have. If you do not understand what you need, He has provided for that as well. If you are destitute in any kind of knowledge or wisdom, you should ask Him for it. He will give, supply and furnish it in abundance. He will generously extend His open hand to you. He will not shame you or revile you as undeserving, but freely give yo you.

However, when you ask the Lord for anything, you must believe that He will hear you and answer you. You must be convinced that He will do what He said. Put all your trust and confidence in Him and His words. You should not try to decide if what the Lord tells you is right or wrong; it is not your place to judge God's words. Do not hesitate in carrying out His instructions. If you doubt, you appear hostile to the Lord and are in opposition to Him. You are like a dashing, surging wave of the sea that is driven and violently agitated by the wind. When you waver between hope and fear, you are as destructive as those wind tossed waves.
If your thinking is ruled by your emotions, which are as changeable as the winds and the waves, you will never receive anything from God's hand; you will never possess any of the promises that the Lord Jehovah has spoken to you. Your mind is divided and wavering; you are unstable and restless wherever you go and in whatever you do. The Lord your God is not able to appoint you to adminster any of His offices, for He cannot trust you to stand firm in the face of oppositon.

Therefore strive to believe what Yeshua tells you. You will possess the land that He has given you through His word. You will receive His blessing in every area of your life.

11-20-07 John 7:38

John 7:38 (NAS)
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’

John 7:38 (NLT)
If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.

John 7:38 (Philips)
The man who believes in me, as the scripture said, will have rivers of living water flowing from his inmost heart.

You have been persuaded of the truth of the gospel and have put your confidence in Yeshua, the Messiah. Your faith has brought you into a saving relationship with Adonai. You believe that God exists and that He is the Creator, the Ruler of the universe, and your Provider.
You also have believed in God's Word, His Scripture. You know that it is here that Adonai declares His thoughts and brings His essence and character to light. He exposes Himself to public view. Through what the Lord says, you begin to understand how He reasons and what is in His mind.

From your belief in God and His Word, you receive many benefits. He causes rivers and streams of refreshment, strength, and nourishment to flow out from your innermost being, your heart. These floods of water have vital power and are life giving to you, as well as to others. They make you fresh, strong, efficient, and powerful.

Therefore, choose to drink from the living water. Center your thoughts, feelings, and soul on the Source of that water and you will have a continual supply

11-18-07 Haggai 2:7

Haggai 2:7 (NAS)
And I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations; and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Haggai 2:7 (NLT)
I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD Almighty.

We all go through upheavals in our lives, times in which every thing seems to be shaking and we are no longer on firm, solid ground. Perhaps you feel that you have had more than your fair share of shaking, but if you take time to look carefully at those times, you may discover that good things have come forth from them.

Adonai has promised to shake the nations, causing them to quake in fear. However, afterward, He has promised to bring what mankind has desired, what is precious and what will bring delight.

Then the Lord will fill the house with His glory and His abundance will satisfy even the leanest soul. All that He wants will be completed and accomplished. He will put the weight of His honor and reputation on those who are of His family. He will rebuild, restore, and establish them.

Therefore, expect to see Jehovah's restoration. What was shaken will be strongly rebuilt again.