Showing posts with label watchman/intercessor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label watchman/intercessor. Show all posts

February 21, 2017

Daily Word: think carefully and focus on promise of good in rebuilding (Haggai 1818)

Haggai 2:18
God always speaks before a thing happens. What He has spoken always comes to pass.God makes it come to pass to show that the message is from God. What shall the hearers do? Just believe and go forward. All the great men of God in history accomplished great exploits following this simple key. Today we read from Haggai 2 this prophetic verse: “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.” (2:18-19)
This is spoken by God to a group of people who were uncertain about their future after starting to rebuild the Temple of God. They inherited a system of ruin (political, social, economic and religious) as a result of years of corruption, neglect, self-seeking among the rulers and administrators in all significant fields of life. They were also facing political and religious enemies all round bent on causing disruptions and distractions to prevent their nation rebuilding efforts.
Who are in this group of brave rebuilders whom God is addressing right now? The group of remnants who have sacrificially left their own comparatively safe and comfortable zone/homes in foreign land and returned to Jerusalem to rebuild. They have responded to a common calling: to rebuild their nation. In today’s language, they left their own personal agenda and responded to God’s agenda.
God also speaks to the anointed leader loud and clear. In the case of this prophetic passage from prophet Haggai, the leader is a prince, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, whom God calls, “My servant.”
Haggai 2:23 “But when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

October 16, 2016

a new message for Yom Kippur 2016 meditation (1): witness of the Light


RomansTree of Life Version (TLV)


Introducing Paul and His Message
1:1 Paul, a slave of Messiah Yeshua, called to be an emissary and set apart for the Good News of Godwhich He announced beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.
Concerning His Son,
    He came into being
        from the seed of David
            according to the flesh.
                He was appointed
                    Ben-Elohim
                in power
            according to the Ruach of holiness,
        by the resurrection from the dead.
    He is Messiah Yeshua our Lord.
Through Him we have received grace and the office of emissary, to bring about obedience of faith among all the nations on behalf of His nameAnd you also are called to Yeshuathe Messiah.
To all those in Rome, loved by God, called to be kedoshim:
Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah!
Eager to Visit
First, I thank my God through Messiah Yeshua for all of you, because your faithfulness is made known throughout the whole worldFor God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Good News of His Son. How unceasingly I make mention of you10 always pleading in my prayers, if somehow by Gods will now at last I will be granted a good journey to come to you11 For I long to see you, so I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you12 That is to say, we would be encouraged together by one anothers faithfulnessboth yours and mine.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,a]”>[a] that many times I planned to come to you (though I was prevented until now)—so I might have some fruit among you also, just as I have among the rest of the nations14 I have an obligation to both Greeks and barbarians, to both the wise and the foolish15 So I am eager to proclaim the Good News also to you who are in Rome.
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who truststo the Jew first and also to the Greek17 In it the righteousness of God is revealed, from trust to trust.b]”>[b] As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by emunah.”c]”>[c]
Yet All Are Guilty
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. In unrighteousness they suppress the truth19 because what can be known about God is plain to themfor God has shown it to them20 His invisible attributesHis eternal power and His divine naturehave been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made.d]”>[d] So people are without excuse— 21 for even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. Instead, their thinking became futile, and their senseless hearts were made darke]”>[e]22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools23 They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image in the form of mortal man and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.f]”>[f]
24 Therefore God gave them over in the evil desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies with one another25 They traded the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen26 For this reason God gave them up to shameful passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for what is against nature27 Likewise the men abandoned natural relations with women and were burning with passion toward one anothermen committing shameful acts with other meng]”>[g] and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And just as they did not see fit to recognize God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what is not fitting29 They became filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. They are gossips,30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents31 They are foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless32 Though they know Gods righteous decreethat those who practice such things deserve deaththey not only do them but also approve of others who practice the same.
Footnotes:
1.     Romans 1:13 Lit. brothers (in Messiahs community).
2.     Romans 1:17 Or from trusting-faith to trusting-faith.
3.     Romans 1:17 Grk. pistis; cfHab. 2:4(2:4 LXX).
4.     Romans 1:20 cfPs. 19:1-6Jer. 5:21-22.
6.     Romans 1:23 cfDeut. 4:16-18.
7.     Romans 1:27 cfLev. 18:2220:13.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
The Book of John chapter 1
The Word Becomes Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2He was with God in the beginning.
3All things were made through Him, and apart from Him nothing was made that has come into being.
4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.
6There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that through him everyone might believe.
8He was not the light, but he came to bear witness concerning the light.
9The true light, coming into the world, gives light to every man.
10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him; but the world did not know Him.
11He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.
12But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God.
13They were born not of a bloodline, nor of human desire, nor of mans will, but of God.
14And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15John testifies about Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘The One who comes after me is above me, because He existed before me.’”
16Out of His fullness, we have all received grace on top of grace.
17Torah was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.
18No one has ever seen God; but the one and only God, in the Fathers embrace, has made Him known.
Johns Witness to Israels Leaders
19This is Johns testimony, when the Judean leaders sentkohanim and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20He openly admitted and did not deny; he admitted, “I am not the Messiah.”
21What then? Are you Elijah?” they asked him. “I am not,” said John. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he answered.
22So they said to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23He said, “I amthe voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of Adonai,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24Now those sent were from the Pharisees.
25They asked him, “If youre not the Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet, why then are you immersing?”
26I immerse in water,” John answered. “Among you stands One you do not know,
27coming after me, whose sandals Im not worthy to untie.”
28These things happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was immersing.
Behold, the Lamb of God
29The next day, John sees Yeshua coming to him and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
30This is the One about whom I told you, ‘He who comes after me is above me, because He was before me.’
31I didnt know Him, but I came immersing with water so that He might be revealed to Israel.”
32Then John testified, “I have seen the Ruach coming down like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on Him.
33I did not know Him; but the One who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘The One on whom you see the Ruach coming down and remaining, this is the One who immerses in the Ruach ha-Kodesh.’
34And I have seen and testified that this is Ben-Elohim.”
Yeshuas First Disciples
35Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples
36and watched Yeshua walking by. He said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Yeshua.
38Yeshua turned around and saw them following. He said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39Come and see,” Yeshua tells them. So they came and saw where He was staying, and they spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.
40Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John speak and followedYeshua.
41First he finds his own brother Simon and tells him, “Weve found the Messiah!” (which is translated Anointed One).
42Andrew brought Simon to YeshuaYeshua looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Kefa (which is translated Peter).”
Disciples Offer Witness
43The next dayYeshua decided to go to the Galilee. He finds Philip and says to him, “Follow Me!”
44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
45Philip finds Nathanael and tells him, “Weve found the One that Moses in the Torah, and also the prophets, wrote aboutYeshuaof Natzeret, the son of Joseph!”
46Natzeret!” Nathanael answered. “Can anything good come from there?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47Yeshua saw Nathanael coming toward Him. He said, “Look, a true Israelite! Theres nothing false in him.”
48Nathanael said to Him, “How do you know me?” Yeshua answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are Ben-Elohim! You are the King of Israel!”
50Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe?” Yeshua replied to him. “You will see greater things than that!”
51And He said, “Amenamen I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man!” 

Footnotes:


  1. John 1:1 cf. Gen. 1:1Prov. 8:23.
  2. John 1:14 cf. Exod. 40:34.
  3. John 1:14 Lit. unique, sometimes translated only begotten.
  4. John 1:18 Some mss. say the only Son.
  5. John 1:23 Is. 40:3.
  6. John 1:29 cf. Exod. 12:21Num. 28:8Isa. 53:5-7.
  7. John 1:34 cf. Ps. 2:7Prov. 30:4.
  8. John 1:39 4 p.m.
  9. John 1:49 cf. Ps. 2:6-7.
  10. John 1:51 cf. Gen. 28:12-13Dan. 7:13.
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