GOD's Passion - June 14, 2014

Scriptures: Ezekiel 31-36

25 You eat meat with blood in it, you worship idols,[b] and you murder the innocent. Do you really think the land should be yours?
31 Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. - Ezekiel 33
4 You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.
26 I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. 27 The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord. - Ezekiel 34
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.[b] 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. - Ezekiel 36

Message:

GOD's passion goes to both the wicked and the righteous.

Observation:

GOD shows how passionate He is towards people by showering the righteous with abundant blessings and punishing and eliminating the wicked through destruction.

Application:

We ought to chose to live a life that is pleasing to GOD because GOD will always deal with everyone according to what they deserve. There's only two sides to the world, the good and the bad, there's no in between darkness and light. If you are not with GOD then you are certainly against Him. So make a decision today to do what is right and follow after GOD.

Seek GOD - May 10, 2014

Scripture: Isaiah 29-33
22 “My people will no longer be ashamed or turn pale with fear.
23 For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them,
they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Israel.
They will stand in awe of the God of Jacob. 24 Then the wayward will gain understanding, and complainers will accept instruction. - Isaiah 29

15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.
18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say,“This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.- Isaiah 30

2 But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you.

Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble. 

14“Who can live with this devouring fire?” they cry. “Who can survive this all-consuming fire?” 15 Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—16 these are the ones who will dwell on high.

The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress. Food will be supplied to them,
and they will have water in abundance. - Isaiah 33

Message:

The LORD wants us to depend on Him not on any human or thing else.

Observation/Promise:

When we trust in the LORD He will bless us because we wait and depend on His help and on His power alone. The LORD wants to instruct us, to guide us in everything that we do. 

The LORD wants to provide everything we need, He wants to bless us and shower us with His kindness and love but there is a requirement for those that seek His love and blessing. The LORD will only give His love and blessings to those who are truly seeking Him.

Application/Command:

We have to be dependent on GOD alone. We have to follow the ways of GOD, to be honest and fair in all our dealings, even in the thoughts of our hearts. We have to be righteous not by our own strength but by GOD's grace. We have to seek His will and follow Him diligently. We have to seek justice when there is evil in the land. We need to stand with GOD and His agenda. We cannot seek to live our lives for our own pleasure and benefit but for His pleasure and glory. We have to seek GOD and His righteousness, our lives should cling to Him and not on anything else in this world. 

GOD of Israel - May 2, 2014

Scripture: Psalms 12-145 

5 The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless,
and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”
6 The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
7 Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed,
preserving them forever from this lying generation - Psalm 12
5 But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. - Psalm 13
7 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When the Lord restores his people,
Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice. - Psalm 14

Message:

The Lord hears and acts for the ones that call unto Him! He will not fail on those who seek and trust Him.

Observation/Promise:

The LORD sees, He does not ignore or is not unaware of everything that goes on in the earth. We see violence and injustice all around the world but the presence of Evil does not mean the absence of GOD. He is waiting for the perfect time, to act and be known as the just and righteous GOD. There is assurance and confidence in the word of GOD. Let us trust in Him, let us cling to His word, for perfect peace comes only from knowing who He is and standing firmly in His promises, for HE will never fail. There is no GOD like the GOD of Israel, who comes from Mount Zion to rescue and restore His people, causing them to rejoice and shout with joy!!! 
Application/Command:

If you want to experience the true and living GOD, then you have to seek this GOD of Israel, for He is not only GOD to Israel but the GOD who created everything and loves everyone whom He created. HE is first known to be the GOD of Israel so that there is a distinction between Him and the other false gods. He chose Israel to let Himself be known throughout all the world but He is not an exclusive GOD only to Israel but to all those who believe in Him and seek His face, trusting in His character and strength. 

Righteous - April 23, 2014

Scripture: Genesis 12-15

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.[a]” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

- Genesis 12

14 After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. 15 I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants[a] as a permanent possession. 16 And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! 17 Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you. - Genesis 13
6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. - Genesis 15

Message:

Counted Righteous because of Faith.

Observation/Promise:

Walking with GOD is not easy. But it is the most amazing experience in life. There is nothing more fulfilling than to be like that of Abraham to know that everything you are doing in life is mandated and decreed by GOD. No matter what challenges may come your way, you can rely on GOD to rescue you and give you the victory because it is HE who has called you to be there in the first place. GOD will see you through no matter what. Taking on an adventure with GOD is wonderful and it is the only endeavor in life that satisfies the human soul more than anything in this world could ever offer. We are righteous in GOD's eyes when we believe everything that HE says. 

Application/Command:

How do we get the promises of GOD when we are not even seeking Him? To seek GOD is to read His word. We are blessed to have all GOD's promises written down for us in a nutshell called the Bible, but what about Abraham during his time? He had to seek GOD on His own with prayers and then he hears GOD speak to him through words, visions and signs. We already have the word, we just need to open the Bible and read. Seeking GOD is not just reading, it's reading with an expectation of receiving GOD's word into our Spirits. And when we receive a promise, believe, believe with all your heart and do not doubt. GOD will count you righteous when you simply believe. Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ can save you and accept this gift from the Father and you are eternally saved.

Soap Ezekiel 36:22-27 - The Holiness of GOD

SOAP - Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S: 22 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. 23 I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am theLord. 24 For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. - Ezekiel 36

O: God does great things for His people not because we deserve His goodness or are we worthy of His blessings but because He is a good GOD. His Holiness is greater than His anger. Even though HE is a righteous GOD that judges His people, HE does not treat us according to what we deserve. HE is so good that He is willing to do for His people what HE always wanted of them - hearts that love and worship Him alone. The Holiness of GOD is what makes HIM Righteous and Merciful at the same time.

A: I need GOD's grace and power to help me cleanse me and keep me pure and obedient to His will because without His Spirit at work in my life, it is impossible to please GOD. So with faith, we please GOD by believing that HE is who He said HE is. HE will, what HE said HE will do. I have to depend on HIS power and not my efforts to make me righteous.

P: Your Grace O Lord is what I need to live a life that is right before your eyes. I humble myself before You great GOD, make me clean, holy, pure and true. Fill me my entire being with Your Holy Spirit, for no one else can make me obedient to Your ways and give me the desire to do Your will than Your Spirit that is within me. So I need more of You and less of me, each day O Lord I depend on you, in Jesus Name, Amen!

End to Time

22 Give your burdens to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
23 But you, O God, will send the wicked
down to the pit of destruction.
Murderers and liars will die young,
but I am trusting you to save me.

- Psalm 55

The LORD does not listen only to you during the time that you talk to Him. The LORD is always there watching over you when you sleep, waiting for you to wake up, guiding you throughout the day, waiting until you hear Him call His name again. Do you have to wait for troubles to come your way until you call out to HIM? But even in difficult times, you will be amazed to know that HE is nearer than ever. His word says give your burdens to the LORD and HE will take care of you. More than taking care of you, He has loved you with an everlasting love. His grace are available to you anytime just ask and it is there.

But GOD's eyes are not only on the righteous, and those that need Him. His eyes are constantly watching over the wicked waiting for the time their wickedness is full grown and then bringing them down to destruction, never having any chance to turn back. His grace and mercy are also following the wicked. Waiting for them to turn away from their wickedness and so when they turn back to GOD, His grace and mercy meets them. But there is an end to everything. GOD has given us the chance to repent while we are still here on earth, enjoying what HE has given us. Do not waste your life away, there's always an end to time.

Yeshua the Righteousness of GOD

1 I come to you for protection, O Lord my God.
Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!
2 If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion,
tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
6 Arise, O Lord, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies!
Wake up, my God, and bring justice!
7 Gather the nations before you. Rule over them from on high.
8 The Lord judges the nations.
Declare me righteous, O Lord, for I am innocent, O Most High!
9 End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous.
For you look deep within the mind and heart,O righteous God.
10 God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.

- Psalm 7: 1-2,6-10

In this world the righteous and those who belong to the LORD most high are attacked by the enemies of GOD. David the King, often spoke about his enemies, be it the enemies of their nation, or enemies within his palace wall but in this specific verse David talks about a great and common enemy. He is talking about an invisible enemy which are the powers of darkness that use human enemies to be scare and stress David. The common enemy are the kind of enemies that will maul you like a lion and tear you to pieces without any compassion or mercy, this invisible enemy is the devil, the very enemies of GOD. 

We wait for GOD to someday be the greatest and only King this world will ever know and bow to. Someday the LORD will judge every living thing, punishing the wicked and defending the righteous. Righteousness is not just being right all the time but it is standing under GOD's grace because of our faith in Yeshua the Messiah whom HE sent to die for our sins. For we cannot attain righteousness on our own, therefore if we are standing under His grace we can never be the judge of others if they are indeed righteous or not. For the LORD alone knows those who are HIS, those whose hearts are true and right with Him. We have to focus our energies on pleasing GOD and not have to worry or give thought about what others think of us or even attempt to judge others because someday HE will judge us all, will He find you under His grace of faith, declaring you righteous?

Only One

5 For you are not a God
who takes pleasure in wickedness;
evil cannot remain with you.
6 Those who brag cannot stand before your eyes,
you hate all who do evil,
7 you destroy those who tell lies,
Adonai detests men of blood and deceivers.
8 But I can enter your house
because of your great grace and love;
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in reverence for you.

- Psalm 5:5-8 CJB

Who is the true and living GOD? What is HE like? We can understand HIS character and being only when we take time to know HIM by reading HIS word. King David knew GOD, and in HIS Psalm HE describes GOD who is a righteous GOD, who is not pleased with evil. HE is a GOD who hates the proud and will do away with those who do evil. HE will not let the wicked go unpunished, in fact HE will do away with men who tell lies, men who murder, and who is full of deceit. It is a wonderful thing to know that there is a GOD who  watches over good and evil, rich and poor and executes judgement on everyone according to the motive of their hearts and render justice.

Do you know this GOD? This GOD of the Bible? Yes, there are many gods in the world, many books of religion that tell about their god. But there is only one GOD that is true and alive. Only one GOD whose love for humanity is so great, it is a sin to ignore HIS love and reject His offer of salvation.  If you know this GOD, then you are one who can enter HIS house because you understand and have experienced HIS love and grace. There is no lack in life with someone who knows and loves GOD. He can worship GOD in His holy temple and have the greatest joy and fulfillment just by doing so...