It is exciting to me when the Lord reveals a new revelation of the truth. The last week I was watching a video by Jacob Prasch, a Hebrew scholar and a Messianic Jew. He is like a St. Paul and not afraid to speak the truth. He tells it like it is.
On this particular video he explained the Hebrew interpretation between a pure heart vs a clean heart. Jesus said in Matthew, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." In Psalm 51 King David says "create in me a clean heart". Is there a difference?
He explained that the Kings James Bible got it wrong in Psalm 51 and why. King David was crying out for a pure heart-- a heart without mixture. David had a heart after God. He did not want any mixture of the spirit of this world, his flesh or the devil in it. He knew that only God could create such a heart in him. He loved the Word of God and desired nothing more then to obey His God with all his heart, soul and might.
A clean heart could imply a dirty heart made clean. Even after many washing, the heart would be clean but not pure. There was a difference and David knew it. Only God could create such a heart--with a single minded, focus on the Lord and His glory.
Now I have a better understanding of what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." It is the mixture of this world, self and the devil that has kept me from seeing more of God. I have been double minded--in love with the world and the Lord at the same time. The book of James says, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say I am." he answered Him "Thou art the Christ, son of the Living God." That is the truth without any mixture. This is the foundation we build our faith--Christ alone our cornerstone.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
ALONE BUT NOT FORSAKEN
Recently I was cleaning out some files and I ran across the following word that the Lord gave to me in 1993. Twenty years later is just as fresh and relevant as it was back then.
"My daughter, there will be times when you will walk in dry and desert like places. You will wonder, "Where did I go? Am I still with you? Have I forsaken you? You will miss Me and feel frightened because you don't hear My voice. You will feel lonely, desperate, abandoned and rejected. I am sharing this now to prepare your heart for the days ahead. In moments like these you will be able to identify with My sufferings. I was rejected, lonely, forsaken and abandoned. But now, I am Your High Priest and I feel your infirmities. There is no one in the whole world who loves you like I do. Look only to the cross and experience my death as yours. All your pain and sorrow I have consumed into Myself at the cross. I have taken it. Rejoice, my daughter, I am working out your salvation. You belong to me and I will protect you from evil."
A few days later, darkness did cover my soul. I began to struggle with unforgiveness. A close friend totally misunderstood me and started spreading a lie about me in the church. It hurt. I felt betrayed, abandoned, alone, and most of all rejected. The lie spread and I could not stop it. I confronted my friend and tried to talk with her to no avail.
Then I remembered the word of the Lord a few days before. He told me that that I was going to experience the way of the cross. I would be misunderstood, rejected and betrayed just like Jesus. Why should I be surprised. But, I was. I had to ask myself, how did Jesus handle unfair accusations and misunderstandings?
The answer was simply and uncomplicated--forgiveness. It was only a matter of forgiving my friend like Jesus forgave me-- "I forgive you. Dorothy, for you do not know what you did to me. It hurt, but I chose to forgive you." For the first time I understood a 'pinch of an inch' of the sufferings that Christ endured for my forgiveness.
By the Grace of the Holy spirit, I was able to extend God's forgiveness to my friend as my own. I chose to believe, that if she knew how much she hurt me, she would not have told that lie. The result was amazing. Shortly after my forgiving her, she came to me with an apology. The Lord's ways are so marvelous and too wonderful for comprehension.
.
"My daughter, there will be times when you will walk in dry and desert like places. You will wonder, "Where did I go? Am I still with you? Have I forsaken you? You will miss Me and feel frightened because you don't hear My voice. You will feel lonely, desperate, abandoned and rejected. I am sharing this now to prepare your heart for the days ahead. In moments like these you will be able to identify with My sufferings. I was rejected, lonely, forsaken and abandoned. But now, I am Your High Priest and I feel your infirmities. There is no one in the whole world who loves you like I do. Look only to the cross and experience my death as yours. All your pain and sorrow I have consumed into Myself at the cross. I have taken it. Rejoice, my daughter, I am working out your salvation. You belong to me and I will protect you from evil."
A few days later, darkness did cover my soul. I began to struggle with unforgiveness. A close friend totally misunderstood me and started spreading a lie about me in the church. It hurt. I felt betrayed, abandoned, alone, and most of all rejected. The lie spread and I could not stop it. I confronted my friend and tried to talk with her to no avail.
Then I remembered the word of the Lord a few days before. He told me that that I was going to experience the way of the cross. I would be misunderstood, rejected and betrayed just like Jesus. Why should I be surprised. But, I was. I had to ask myself, how did Jesus handle unfair accusations and misunderstandings?
The answer was simply and uncomplicated--forgiveness. It was only a matter of forgiving my friend like Jesus forgave me-- "I forgive you. Dorothy, for you do not know what you did to me. It hurt, but I chose to forgive you." For the first time I understood a 'pinch of an inch' of the sufferings that Christ endured for my forgiveness.
By the Grace of the Holy spirit, I was able to extend God's forgiveness to my friend as my own. I chose to believe, that if she knew how much she hurt me, she would not have told that lie. The result was amazing. Shortly after my forgiving her, she came to me with an apology. The Lord's ways are so marvelous and too wonderful for comprehension.
.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
" HEAR MY VOICE"
If man was created in the image of God and we know that God is three persons i.e. the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is there a place in their fellowship for us? Can we experience an intimacy to hear God's voice again? The intimacy that man lost in the Fall of Adam?
Jesus said,"My sheep hear My voice and they fellow me." How can we hear God's voice? Is He speaking to us today?
I don't believe that He has ever stopped speaking. Man lost his spiritual ears and eyes, when he willfully chose to disobey God's commandment and elected to serve himself. His once close relationship with his creator was taken from him. Adam and Eve were cast out of God's presence. Man was lost: spiritually lost. His ability to spiritually see and to hear His God was gone. Only his conscience was left to discern good and evil. We know how that has turned out. Now everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes.
The question is asked,"Is there hope to hear God's voice again?"
Thankfully there is. What we lost in Adam, we have gained back in Christ. Through the good news of the gospel, we can repent of Adam's sin as our own. Our human nature is no different than Adam's. It just manifests itself differently through our personalities.
When we repent, we receive God's forgiveness through the precious blood of Jesus. The power of the cross justifies us as if we had never sinned. God's forgiveness is an incredible gift of love from the merciful, gracious heart of God. Our spiritual eyes and ears are opened and we can begin to hear God's voice again.
Today, the voice of God comes to us through the person of the Holy Spirit. He will convict us of sin, righteousness and judgement. He will lead us into all truth and speak only what He hears. He is our teacher and confirms everything He says by the Word of God. He is the person of the Godhead who releases the grace of God to overcome the World, the Flesh (our lower nature) and the Devil.
The Person of the Holy Spirit comes to apply the blood of Jesus to our hearts to enable us to once again, hear God's voice. His is the most gentle, thoughtful, generous, faithful, caring voice I have ever heard and it has never changed. Even when He corrects me, His voice is kind and I want to repent. He has captured my heart to pursue Him and follow Him forever.
Jesus said,"My sheep hear My voice and they fellow me." How can we hear God's voice? Is He speaking to us today?
I don't believe that He has ever stopped speaking. Man lost his spiritual ears and eyes, when he willfully chose to disobey God's commandment and elected to serve himself. His once close relationship with his creator was taken from him. Adam and Eve were cast out of God's presence. Man was lost: spiritually lost. His ability to spiritually see and to hear His God was gone. Only his conscience was left to discern good and evil. We know how that has turned out. Now everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes.
The question is asked,"Is there hope to hear God's voice again?"
Thankfully there is. What we lost in Adam, we have gained back in Christ. Through the good news of the gospel, we can repent of Adam's sin as our own. Our human nature is no different than Adam's. It just manifests itself differently through our personalities.
When we repent, we receive God's forgiveness through the precious blood of Jesus. The power of the cross justifies us as if we had never sinned. God's forgiveness is an incredible gift of love from the merciful, gracious heart of God. Our spiritual eyes and ears are opened and we can begin to hear God's voice again.
Today, the voice of God comes to us through the person of the Holy Spirit. He will convict us of sin, righteousness and judgement. He will lead us into all truth and speak only what He hears. He is our teacher and confirms everything He says by the Word of God. He is the person of the Godhead who releases the grace of God to overcome the World, the Flesh (our lower nature) and the Devil.
The Person of the Holy Spirit comes to apply the blood of Jesus to our hearts to enable us to once again, hear God's voice. His is the most gentle, thoughtful, generous, faithful, caring voice I have ever heard and it has never changed. Even when He corrects me, His voice is kind and I want to repent. He has captured my heart to pursue Him and follow Him forever.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
THE CALL OF THE DESTINED
Jonathan Cahn, author of the "Harbinger" encourages a Messianic congregation and to all of us who believe in Yeshua/Jesus as our Savior/Lord., Jonathan Cahn has a good word to share about St. Paul and how his story relates to us. The Lord has called us to a purpose in His Kingdom. It will encourage you to faith. I pray that it will bless you today.
If you have the time you will also want to listen to the BRIDE video. It is outstanding how it relates to the church and Jesus today.
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