Archive | April, 2021
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The Secrets of The Hidden Scrolls

30 Apr

The Secrets of The Hidden Scrolls…

Growing up, I was taught that the idea of Jesus dying for sins was totally not Jewish even to this day. However, the disclosing of an ancient parchment, text 4Q285, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls refuted all that.

It says of the Messiah: “They will kill the Prince of the People…” In other words, Jesus will be killed, and everything we were taught was wrong. It is Jewish to believe in Jesus who is killed.

The Dead Sea Scroll continues: “They will kill the Prince of the People with khalal.” Khalal is the same word found in Isaiah 53: “He was pierced through for our transgressions.”

The word for wounded or pierced through is khalal. So the scroll which was hidden in the Judean desert for two thousand years and then kept hidden from the public another forty years revealed to have said that Jesus will be killed in the same manner as the Savior of Isaiah 53, through piercings.

If you know anybody like that, He’s the Savior who gave up His life for you. There’s only one thing you can do… follow Him with all your heart.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought peace wason him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Thank God today for the gift of salvation, the price He paid, for all the blessings in your life, and live today as a gift of thanks back to Him.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

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The Sunrise Commandment

29 Apr

The Sunrise Commandment…

People often say, “You have to be a realist. It’s fine to have faith and dreams but ultimately you have to be a realist.” I’ve got news for you…You don’t have to be a realist. In fact, you shouldn’t be a realist.

We’re supposed to be like God…God isn’t a realist. God doesn’t just accept things as they are, nor does he limit Himself by the reality of the world. He made the world when there was no world.

If He were a realist, He would’ve just looked at the situation and accepted it. He would have said, “Well there’s no light and we just have to accept that.” He never did because God isn’t a realist.

He said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. In the same way, if you call yourself a child of God, then you also cannot be a realist, nor be bound by what is real. You’re not called to accept the world; you’re called to change the world.

So whenever you’re faced by a situation of darkness, don’t accept it. Say, “Let there be light!” And there will be light. For God is your father, and your Father is no realist!

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Matthew 5:14

Don’t be a realist! Don’t be bound by the reality of your circumstances or problems. But, in God, live in faith, by His better and overcoming reality.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

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Wherever You Dwell

28 Apr

Wherever You Dwell…

In the Book of Ruth, Naomi, the Jewish mother-in-law, tries to convince her Gentile daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to leave her as she returns to her homeland, Israel.

Orpah agrees, but Ruth still refuses. Finally, Naomi gave up and let Ruth come along. She saw that Ruth was amats. Amats in Hebrew means steadfast, stubborn, courageous, fortified and hardened.

You say, “it’s not good to be stubborn and hardened.” Not quite. It’s not good to be stubborn in sin and hardened to God. It’s very good to be stubborn in love and hardened for righteousness.

It’s not enough to follow God… we must be amats in our following. Like Ruth, amats must chacterize our walk. We need to be stubborn in our faith, steadfast in our love, hardened in our commitment, fortified in our hope. Ruth was stubborn and refused to be discouraged.

So Naomi gave up and let her come. And, when the enemy sees that you also are amats, he too will give up. Be steadfast in faith, unwavering in hope, and stubborn in love.

Be an amats believer, and nothing on earth will keep you from all the blessings God has in store.

 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Ruth 1:16

Today, make a commitment of devotion to the Lord – In one way or another to say: “I will not turn back from following You. Where You lead me, I will go. Your people shall be my people.”

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Prayer

27 Apr

Prayer…

Having the advantage of growing up on an Indian Reservation, I know the importance of Solitude, especially when you are looking for answers to your prayers. The bible tells us to hide in a closet while we pray or to pray in secret, but doesn’t really explain why that is necessary.

Grandfather would always have me go find a quiet place in the canyon when I came to him for answers telling me the answer is there I just have to listen to it. As a small child, I didn’t understand his statement.

Now as an adult I have found more truth and understanding in the reality of his words. The answers are right there if you are willing to listen and it is so much easier to hear them in quiet Solitude.

Bob Dylan wrote a song on the early sixties called “Blowing In The Wind” which tells us the answers to our long standing questions are out there but just out of reach. In reality they were within reach but we didn’t listen for them.

Prayer is a private conversation between you and God. He listens and then answers according to your needs. Many times the answer is just a soft whisper in your ear, which is why He says pray in Solitude so you can hear the answer. Yes, sometimes the answer is not what you want to hear, but as you continue down the path the reason becomes much clearer.

I have listened to many people complain that prayer is useless because they never get answers to theirs. I tell them it is important to listen more and talk less for the answer may come as a soft whisper in their ear.

I am an early riser, so I use the early morning Solitude for my conversation with God. We cover a wide range of subjects from the needs of others and the lost to my dreams and He fills my day with hope, peace and love.

 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  1 Timothy 2:1-2

Throughout the day I ask for guidance when I come to a rough area and He leads me through it. To me prayer is a continuous conversation and His answers are always within reach. The importance of listening can not be overstated. He is always there and always has the correct answer.

Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.  1 Timothy 2:8

If you find it hard to find the answers to your prayers, try finding a little solitude, a quiet place where you can have a private conversation and listen for that whisper. He always answers. You will find a new world of peace in your life.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

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The World, Your Bridal Chamber

27 Apr

The World, Your Bridal Chamber …

Every bride seeks to appear beautiful in the eyes of her groom. The custom of the ancient Hebrews was the bride and groom would stay separate for a year.

The groom would prepare a place for the bride, the bride would prepare herself for the groom; her mission was to make herself beautiful. A woman making herself beautiful knows things often get worse before they get better.

It’s a necessary part of becoming more beautiful. If you’re born again, you’re the bride and now is your time of preparation.

That’s why you and Jesus are separated; its the time given you to prepare for marriage, to become beautiful in His eyes, beautiful in spirit, in love, in faith, in joy, in peace.

Often, before we become more beautiful, we must appear less beautiful. So, if you’re looking at yourself, your heart, your attitude, your spirituality, your selfishness…it can be pretty scary…Don’t be discouraged.

For it’s in seeing her lack of beauty that the bride becomes beautiful in the Lord. So you’re not the picture of beauty or spirituality. It’s okay. This is the time of your preparation. You don’t have to be beautiful. You have to become beautiful.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Revelation 19:7

Seek today not to look good but to become good, not to appear beautiful, but to become beautiful in the eyes of God.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

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The Blessings of The Meek

25 Apr

The Blessings of The Meek…

The word is ‘Seh.’ Seh is Hebrew for Lamb. Jesus is the ‘Seh Elohim,’ the Lamb of God. The Bible speaks of Jesus being a Lamb, and at the very end, it gives a glimpse of the Lamb sitting on the throne, reigning over creation.

The Lamb is king. How radical! A lamb is meek, defenseless, and small. Yet in the kingdom of God, in the world to come, in the realm of heaven, it’s the Lamb who rules. We think, to succeed, we have to look out for “Number One.”

But, it’s all wrong; in God’s kingdom, it’s the Lamb who sits on the throne. It’s the Lamb who reigns, who prevails, who wins. Stop lifting yourself up. It will not be a strutting rooster that sits on the throne. Stop fighting. It will not be a raging bull that ends up on the throne. Stop manipulating. It will not be a crafty snake on the throne.

It’s the Lamb who sits on the throne. Be like a lamb: gentle, loving, pure, full of faith and trust, spotless and humble before God. And you will win your victory; you will reign in the Kingdom of the Lamb.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 23

Consider the Lamb in everything – And seek to do all things as He would, and in His power.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Our Hardheads vs That Quiet Voice

24 Apr

Our Hardheads vs That Quiet Voice…

How many times, as you are about to take a step, have you heard some small voice in your head saying don’t? We all have at one time or another stopped dead in our tracks because of some feeling that it would be better to go a different direction. That voice or feeling is God gently telling you to think about what you are about to do.

If you’ll be sensitive to the still, small voice, the promptings, the suggestions, the alarms, then God will save you from a lot of heartache and pain.

If we would just listen! There lies the problem! We are too tied to our own way of doing things or looking at our cell phones to hear that soft voice guiding our steps. We are human, we know what’s best for us and we don’t ask for help even though we know we need it. When it comes to being hard headed, we are at the top of the pack.

Do you ever notice the animals God has blessed us with? I ask this because they always seem to work so well together, helping each other is second nature to them and they just seem to know what to do at just the right time. Isn’t it something that animals and nature automatically help each other out while humans can’t seem to get it?

When I need that reminder, I take comfort in this story from 1 Kings. After Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal, he sought rest and truth from the Lord:

“The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by. ‘Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper”  1 Kings 19:11-12

I used to be that hardheaded, but overtime have learned to ask for help and to trust that little voice in my head to lead down the right path. My heart aches, headaches and disappointments have all but gone away. Oh, every once in a while I still get overwhelmed and forget to listen to that little voice and have ended up with egg on my face.

If we can silence the loud voices of the world, those meant to distract us and steer us off course, to confuse us or fill us with anxiety and worry, we’ll find the peace that only comes from Jesus. If we can take a deep breath, close our eyes and lean into the thin still voice, we can hear His gentle whisper. Encouraging us, guiding us, loving us.

If you’ll be sensitive to the still, small voice, the promptings, the suggestions, the alarms, then God will save you from heartache and pain.

Maybe if you see again it will serve as a reminder that it is ok to be wrong once in a while, but if we take the time to listen, maybe we will be happier and more settled. God is always communicating with us, we just need to pay attention and listen. He won’t lead us down the wrong path.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

If You Have A Shepherd – You Have To Move

24 Apr

If You Have A Shepherd – You Have To Move…

I’m sure you know it. “The Lord is my Shepherd…” It doesn’t say “The Lord is my Farmer.” If the Lord was your Farmer and you were a vegetable, then you wouldn’t be going anywhere.

A shepherd is one who leads his sheep through changing scenery – through mountains, valleys, deserts, plains, rivers, and then home to the sheepfold. ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ means your soul is to journey.

You’re not to stay in the same place, you’re to be moving. You’re to be stepping out and moving on. He will guide you. He can’t guide you if you’re not moving. Yet that’s what most believers do after a while. They stop moving. They stop moving in faith, maturity, strength, love, prayer, moving in the Spirit, changing, growing, becoming.

If God is your Shepherd, then you must be moving. It’s His job to shepherd you. However, it’s your part to move, follow, to go where you know He’s leading you. Break out of your pen of spiritual stagnation. For the Lord is your Shepherd, and you need to get a move on.

Nothing says it better than the 23rd Psalm: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Today set your goal to move in the Lord, to move forward, to go with God, where you never have before.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

The Dayspring

22 Apr

The Dayspring…

In the book of Zechariah, Messiah is called the ‘Branch.’ When the Rabbis translated this prophecy into Greek, they rendered the word Branch as Anot-Ol-ay, the same word that is translated as Sunrise or Dayspring in the New Testament.

How do we get a sunrise out of a branch? The word for branch in Hebrew is Tzemach, which means that which sprouts, to sprout up, grow, bud, to spring forth. A branch springs forth, but so does the dawn.

Jesus will come forth springing forth like a shoot, springing forth like the dawn, the sunrise. For Jesus is the Tzemach. If you belong to Jesus, that means it’s your nature, in Jesus, to likewise, rise, blossom, spring forth as the dawn, and increase in light as the sunrise.

The sprout doesn’t start out fully grown, and the sunrise doesn’t start out light. Your walk might not be much, but that’s not the end of the story. It’s just the beginning.

For you are of the Tzemach. It’s your nature to rise and blossom. So rise, blossom, spring forth, shine like the dawn in the light of Him who is your Redeemer, the Tzemach, the Branch, the Sunrise.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah 60:1

Seek to grow today, to blossom, to not only shine your light but to increase and shine more greatly than you have before.

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

Our Commission

21 Apr

Our Commission…

In Acts 5:12, it’s written: ‘And at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico.’

There’s an important connection there. Apostles and miracles go together. The connection is found in the word ‘apostle’. It means the ‘Sent ones,’ or ‘The ones who go out.’

Apostles are those who go out in the Great Commission, step out in the Spirit, and journey out into the purposes God has for them. The first apostles went out and miracles followed.

However signs and wonders can’t follow, if you’re not going anywhere. You too, are called to be an apostle because if you belong to Jesus, then you have a mission. You are a ‘Sent one.’

Then leave the comfort of the old and the familiar that you might have the freedom of the new and the joy and the adventure of God’s best. For those who live in the Spirit must go forth in faith.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

There are miracles waiting to happen in your life. But if one who is sent, doesn’t go, then there’s no miracle. Do you want your miracles? Then get moving in the Great Commission, step out in the Spirit and live your life as if you were on assignment from God.

That’s exactly what your life is now. Get moving little apostle, and miracles will follow.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Matthew 8:38-39

Do one thing today that moves you closer to what the Lord desires you to do. Today get out of your comfort zone and share the gospel with somebody that needs to know about His love and joy!

Walk daily with God at your side!

Love always,

Ed

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