Jesus

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Bad Decisions

Have you ever made a bad decision that you wish you could undo?

If only you could turn back the hands of time and do it all different.

But you can’t. You have to live with what was done and perhaps try to make it right, though there may never be a way to do that.

The Bible gives an example of someone that made a bad decision.

Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. Heb 12:16

Esau thought he was going to starve. He wasn’t. You’d be surprised how long you can go without food, especially if you seek God. That’s called a fast.

The day came when Esau wanted everything to be alright. It did not happen.

For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. Heb 12:17

Some mistakes and decisions can’t be undone.

Even forgiveness cannot change it all. For instance, you may forgive a drunk driver that killed someone but it won’t bring that person back.

But it may just save and change the drunk driver.

In the end it all depends on trusting God, having faith, and loving others.

Abba, I have made mistakes and bad decisions. But one of them was not in accepting Jesus as my Savior. My life has been complete since that time. YES&AMEN

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When bad news arrives!

It’s bad news!

The report from the doctor isn’t good.
The car breaks down.
You’re being laid off.
A house fire, flooding, or a tornado destroys all.

The list can go on and on with bad, disturbing news.

How do you react?
Anger?
Throw a fit?
Perhaps you blame someone else or try to get even!

The bad news for Hezekiah was an army surrounding his city and boasting of the destruction they would bring. The Assyrians had surrounded many other cities and had all but destroyed them and taken the people as slaves.

Now they were at Jerusalem’s gate boasting of doing the same.

What did Hezekiah do?

And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 19:1

Hezekiah humbly sought God.
God powerfully delivered him and the city.

When life becomes more than you can handle, seek God!
It’s okay to go to the doctor or to appeal to family and friends for help – but look to God first and seek His healing, help, and protection for you and your family.

Abba, keep me calm today in the midst of trouble. May my eyes be kept on You for all things! In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Open Door

Look at a door that leads outside. If you opened it what will that do?

It will let in fresh air and sunshine. It will allow the sounds of the outdoors to enter your home – the sounds of a cicada buzzing away in a tree. The sound of a bird singing a beautiful song. The sound of wind in the leaves.

It will allow neighbors to walk up and talk with you.

It allows you the free access to go unhindered out or back in.

It also allows unwanted thing to enter. Flies, roaches, mice, snakes, wasps, or blowing dust could all makes its way into your home.

That’s the thing about an open door – it allows in the good and evil alike.

The same can be said of spiritual matters. When God opens a door many wonderful things can happen but Satan is always nearby to try to sneak in.

Paul said it this way:

For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Cor 16:9

He knew the blessings of an open doorway but also knew of the opposition to it.

Anytime there is a great move in church, there is opposition to it.
When revival breaks out, there will always be someone to dampen it.

Stand strong in the message from the Lord Jesus:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Rev 3:20

Abba, help me to recognize that open door and use it for Your honor and glory. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 5

This is my conclusion on the meaning of the shemittah.

The Law demanded the release of debt every seven years.

Deut 15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

The one indebt did not have to ask or beg for this release. It was given to the indebted at the end of the seven years by Law.

Likewise, we as Christians should be releasing those that are in debt to us. To say it better – Christians should be forgiving those that have sinned against us. It should be given without waiting for the offending party to ask.

Like the shemittah it should be automatically given.

Once the loan holder released the loan through the shemittah, he no longer had to worry about the debt owed to him. He did not have to worry about foreclosing on someone and ruining their life.
What a blessing it was to release someone’s debt.

And when you release someone through forgiveness, you no longer have to sit around ponder and grumble about it. You know longer have to feel wounded. You can be freed by releasing forgiveness.

How many times should you do this?

Matt 18:22 Seventy times seven.

Abba, I have been offended and I have forgiven. I have offended and pray I am forgiven. I do this release and receive this release in the name of Jesus. YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 4

Peter inquired about forgiving others involving the number seven, which is the number of years to forgive debt in the year of release – the shemittah.

Jesus replied and also involved the number seven.

Matt 18:22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Then Jesus tells a story about a certain king

…who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. Matt 18:23

Why would someone want to settle the accounts?
It could be because a shemittah year was at hand and he was looking to recover the loan before he was required by law to release the debt.

In the story it says the king

…was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. Matt 18:27

Released him, loosed him, forgave him the debt certainly sounds like shemittah.

You are in debt to sin. It has demanded a high price for you – death!

Jesus is the Shemittah! He is the One that can release you, loose you, and forgive you of that debt.

I do not know what will happen at the end of the next shemittah, which is September 13, 2015.

But I do know that putting your trust in Jesus will give you the peace and hope through any problems.

Abba, I am blessed that I have been released from sin’s debt. I will trust You to care for me no matter what happens. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah-3

As I mentioned in an earlier devotion, for me the spiritual meaning of a shemittah release is rooted in forgiveness.

With this thought in mind it will totally change the meaning of what Jesus taught Peter about forgiveness?

Matt 18:21-22 “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

It has been said that the Rabbi’s taught that forgiving someone three times was sufficient. I have found where a Rabbi Yosi may have taught this in the Talmud using the example of Joseph and his brothers as the backdrop.

But what I find interesting is that seven and multiples of it are used.

Seven is one shemittah. Seventy is ten shemittah. And seventy times seven is 490 or seventy shemittah.

What if Peter was not just talking about forgiving someone seven times but seven years!
A shemittah!

Then the response of Jesus is not to forgive someone 490 times but seventy shemittah’s or 490 years. That would mean your whole life!

Forgiveness is not an option – it is a lifelong lifestyle!

Matt 6:15 If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Abba, my forgiveness from You will become my forgiveness for others. I release them and free myself from any grudges. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 2

A study of the shemittah will reveal that it contains three releases.

First the release of debt.

Deut 15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

Second is the release or rest of the land.

Lev 25:2-4 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

And third is a release of your faith and dependence on God.

Lev 25:20-22 ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.

Can the U. S. possibly fall under the curse of God because we have not held to this principle?

More likely, I believe the U. S. falls under the judgment of God because we have not upheld the principles of Christ and the truth’s of which this nation was founded on.

To me, the spiritual implication of a shemittah is in forgiveness. There is no real forgiveness outside of Christ. Even those that call themselves Christian’s often struggle with truly forgiving someone.

I constantly hear things like “I’ll forgive but I’m not going to forget!”
That is not a release! That is clinging and holding onto the trespass.

Jesus said in the model prayer,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Matt 6:12

As for the U. S., our problem is not a government problem. It is a people problem. If Christians would have risen up in 1963 with fasting and prayer and stood their ground – then prayer may have remained in schools. It has been downhill ever since with one thing after another, including the government sanctioned right to kill the innocent unborn.

A release of forgiveness is not bound by law but is given by the heart that has been changed by the release and forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus.

Abba, I pray that I can shemitah anyone in debt to me, especially those that need my forgiveness. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 1

I did not know the word shemittah until I heard it from Rabbi Jonathan Cahn two years ago.

I do not know all there is about the Bible but I consider myself a good listener, quick study, and a disciplined learner.

What the Rabbi had to say in light of my Bible study made since, especially when he had the physical evidence of the collapse of the U. S. economy coinciding with the release (shemittah).

This period of rest and release is written into the Law of Moses as a agricultural rest for the land and a financial rest for the people.

Lev 25:2-4 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

Deut 15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

Though there were some financial crises in 1973, 1980, and 1987, the ones fresh in our memory took place in 2001 and 2008, all of which are 7 year periods.

And another shemittah year begins later this month.

For the sake of brevity in each devotion, I will continue with this next time.

Abba, I want to know Your word to the fullness and exercise it in my life. I want to release those in debt to me and be forgiven my debt, as my Lord Jesus prayed. It is in His name I pray, YES&AMEN

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Know the Spiritual

I will be the first to admit that I don’t know everything about the Bible. Even though I have read it, there are parts of it that just escape my knowledge and understanding.

However I recognize there are many more people that know less than I do. I have made it a lifetime priority to study God’s word and live accordingly.

Many others have loosely dabbled with the Word and are living accordingly. Some do not know anything about God or only know some very basic things like the crucifixion.

As a result I can get blank stares from people when I speak of the spiritual.

Matt 22:29 You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

I recall several years ago sitting with a family as a psychologist was talking to them. One of the girls in the family was having some problems.

The psychologist asked my opinion.

I told her that this family was under a generational curse that included some demonic activity.

You can guess how that went over. I got a blank stare from the psychologist and I’m sure she would have liked to recommend a psychiatrist for me.

She did not understand the scripture and the power of God.

It’s time for the church to stop thinking in the physical and begin thinking in the spiritual. There is much more to life than what is merely seen and heard.

Abba, Your word is strength and power. It is understanding and life. It is hope. Increase my knowledge and understanding that I may rightly teach others. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Affirming Sin

A few days ago I watched a video debate called “Can you be Gay and Christian”.

The debate is between Dr. Michael Brown and Matthew Vines.

Mr. Vines is very intelligent in his pro-gay part of the debate. He does not deny the what the Bible says in Leviticus 19 and Romans 1. But his main debate is that today people are capable of a caring and loving gay relationship as Christians.

Something Dr. Brown said caused me to think about myself.

He quoted Matthew 16:24:

Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Dr. Brown says you must deny yourself – not affirm yourself.

Wow! I’ve never thought of it that way.

It makes the following verses take a whole new meaning.

Matt 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Anyone that affirms their sin is trying to save their own life – trying to make the sin of no affect. They will lose.

It is not by my standard or yours. It is by God’s and His word is the standard.

Abba, I am guilty of affirming myself. Forgive me for not denying myself and affirming no other but You. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN