Rebuilding The Temple With God

JOY:  Psalm 63:5
an act or instance of traveling from one place to another

MEAL:  Matthew 8:15
a portion of food eaten usually at designated times in the day to satisfy appetite; an act or time of eating

PRAISE:  Psalm 63:3
to worship, command, or give honor to

REST:  Proverbs 4:16
to sit or lie on; to cease from action or motion; to take relief or respite

SERVANT:  Matthew 8:8
one who performs tasks under the direction of another

SLAVERY:  Exodus 13:3
submission to a dominating influence; the practice of slaveholding

YEAST:  Exodus 13:3
a fungus used for making alcohol and bread

The fear of the Lord brings joy to my heart.  I remember my life in Egypt.  The confusion, the resentment, the pain, the fear, the pride, the loneliness-the slavery.  In fact, the Lord rescued me from all of it recently.  The yeast in my heart caused a great decay within, and it was detrimental to my soul.  I held the trauma inside to the point of bursting-from my wrong living and from religious people and their leaders.  I wouldn't forgive myself or others, and I used the gifts God gave me to destroy them.  I committed myself to destruction, and there was no rest for my soul because of it.

I remember when the Lord began chasing me down with intention and intensity.  It was terrifying.  I was terrified because all I'd ever known up until then was decay and short lived peace.  I thought he was punishing me, but really, he was pruning me-breaking me and then loving on me-both, with precision.  He pierced my heart in the most poetic way.  So, yes, I will praise God for the rest of my life, both here and after.  How could I not?  The joy of the Lord has consumed me and I don't have time for much else these days.  He has proven what is right in his sight through correcting me.  He corrects the one he loves.  Now, he honors me, and I am honored to reflect what he has taught me back into the world.

Through it all, from slavery to servant, from suffering in slavery, to victory in Christ, to share a meal with Jesus-I am truly grateful beyond words.  I never thought the day would come when I'd be grateful for the trials and tribulation-but God!  Isn't it so refreshing to be loved unconditionally?  What love!  Love conquers all.  Love covers a multitude of sins.  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  ~1 Corinthians 13:13~

I pray we never forget the great kindness he has shown us.  I pray whoever is reading this-if they are still in Egypt-that the Lord chase them down with his love and break the yoke of bondage, and may he cleanse the yeast in their land.  I love you.  Jesus loves you.  Shalom Shalom

Jesus Makes Us Whole

BLOOD:  Exodus 12:22
fluid in the circulatory system; signifies human life; kinfolk; of animals, used in priestly sacrifices; of Christ, effective for the forgiveness of sins; on hands or head, symbolic of guilt

BRANCHES:  Exodus 12:22
limb of a (family) tree, part of a complex body (of knowledge); figurative of offspring and of disciples (of Christ and his disciples)

FRUIT:  Matthew 7:20
a product of plant growth; product or result

POUR:  Psalm 62:8
to move or come continuously; to supply or produce freely

PURIFY:  Psalm 51:7
to make pure or remove (physical or moral) blemishes; to make ritually clean

TREE:  Proverbs 3:18
woody perennial plants, many of which produce crops; highly treasured natural resource; often linked to the worship of pagan gods; symbolic of a growing believer

TRUST:  Proverbs 3:5
to place confidence or depend; to commit or place in one's care or keeping; to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of

WASH:  Psalm 51:7
to cleanse-of physical, ceremonial, or spiritual significance

There is a significant difference between ritual and obedience.  I'm just now discovering this as a growing believer in Christ.  Ritual living looks like treating others in a way that Christ would disapprove and then asking forgiveness-rather than showing compassion from the get, and living wrong 6 days a week, then playing Christian on Sundays(observing festivals and ceremonies).

But there is grace in Jesus Christ.  There is grace when we have a continual relationship with him(pouring out our heart to him), accepting his truth, and producing good fruit as we grow in our relationship with our Father.

Jesus makes us clean,  He washes us in his love and mercy.  It's taken me a long time to realize this.  It's taken me a long time to realize I don't need to strive for his love because he loves us freely.  My wrong living produced much guilt and shame, and in turn, made it difficult for me to accept him-to accept that it is his sacrifice, his blood, that makes me clean.  Not my own works.

It is good to do good works.  But that can't be the sole mission.  Excluding Christ(excluding  love, mercy, and truth), and relying on one's own understanding produces bad fruit-loveless knowledge.  I find that loving others is difficult at times because I am exalting my own feelings, rather than accepting his truth and redistributing it(good fruit).

I pray we continually seek after and pour out our hearts to God.  I pray we embrace his love, rather than our own resentments.  I pray the blood of Christ over you and your family.  I pray you pray the same for me 🙂.  I love you.  Shalom Shalom

Claim Your Inheritance

FIRSTBORN:  Exodus 11:5

The eldest offspring; one possessing special rights of inheritance

INHERITANCE:  Psalm 61:5
the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations; something that is or may be inherited

INSIGHT:  Proverbs 2:3
the power or act of seeing into a situation; discernment

SEEK:  Matthew 6:33
to go in search of; to try to acquire or gain
see also SOUGHT

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Jesus is the only begotten son of God, given up to sinners and resurrected for the salvation of all.

Our portion is Jesus.  He is our inheritance.  When we seek out Jesus(the Truth), our inheritance in Christ becomes a tangible thing.  Life(wisdom), and insight and understanding(discernment), to name but a few of the many attributes gifted from God through seeking Him.

The Word of God is a living power.  While we have salvation through living in Christ, and we cannot justify ourselves through our works, seeking God through His Word is an empowering act of faith that helps us mature in the fruits of His Spirit.

So, do not grow weary in seeking out our Father.  It only becomes religious when we choose to live by the Law alone.  It only becomes religious in nature when we exclude Jesus.

I pray we remain faithful to Christ through the way we live, and that we utilize His word to edify ourselves and the Body of Christ.  In Jesus name.  Amen.  Shalom Shalom