The Lord Our Maker

Shalom, Mishpochah,

Today we look at the Lord our maker – עָשָׂה ‘asah. Some call Him Yahweh Hoseenu. It is He who has made us and not we ourselves. Whatever we may be, wherever we find ourselves in this life – He has done it. First, He formed us in the womb – we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Then He made us whatever we are. I have known people with gifts (like teaching) who exhibited those giftings even before they were believers. Some taught school long before they became Christians. After they were converted, the gift continued and even increased, many times branching out into teaching the Word. Many people never know what they were created for – even becoming world leaders because of the gifts placed in them by God.

What has God created you to do/be. How has He gifted you? He has created us all to be servants – to Him and to others. Paul’s use of the physical body to show how spiritual gifts word for the benefit of all is outstanding. Perhaps you have observed, or been involved in a Martha/Mary type conflict. Martha, an example of the serving motive, and Mary, an example of a teaching motive. The one with the serving motive says of the one with the teaching motive;

They are so heavenly minded, they are no earthly good; while the one with the teaching motive says of the one with the serving motive; ‘they are so earthly minded, they are no heavenly good.’ The fact is, they were created and gifted to complement each other. The server serves, tending to temporary things (coffee, donuts, squeaky hinges) so the one with the teaching motive is freed up to study the Word and teach.

We all have been created with differing gifts to benefit the entire body. Recognize that we are not in conflict with each other, we are meant to complement each other, build one another up, consider each other more worthy than ourselves. But God is worthy of all the praise, all the honor, all the glory. Praise His holy Name. Baruch HaShem.

John 10:10

Blessings, Pastor Bill

Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim

WOW

Shalom, Mishpochah,

Now we look at אֱלֹהִים. Look familiar? Yes it is – ‘elohiym. Are we stuck on that word? In a way. Although it has been translated ‘your God’ and ‘my God’ it is also translated ‘our God’, where we are today. It all has to do with relationship. That is how we relate to Him or He relates to us. He deals with us as individuals. He also deals with us as a group (His chosen ones, family, church). Hence, He is the Lord our God. He is the head of the body. He is the creator, the manager, the director, the CEO, the COO – HE IS!!! As such, He has given us orders (commands), directives and suggestions regarding how to relate to Him and to each other.

He has provided the ‘manufacturer’s handbook’, also known as the Bible. In its entirety, it is a love letter, an history book, a song book, a prophetic declaration, an instruction manual and so much more. We should have no doubts how to be happy, successful, blessed and a blessing if we follow the directions. He want to be OUR God. He has placed us among His chosen people as His chosen people. We are His people – let’s act like it, give Him reverence, respect, relationship that does not just include Him in all we do but include all we do in Him, for Him, to Him.

Ask and He will give us the nations. Not for us, but for Him. That all nations might see we are His PEOPLE. Give glory to God, yediyd. He is worthy. We were worthless, He made us worthy. Even though, or especially because, we did/do not deserve it! Bless His holy Name – Baruch Ha Shem!!!

John 10:10

Blessings, Pastor Bill

Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim

The Lord My God

Shalom, Mishpochah,

Now we look at ‘the Lord my God’, as opposed to last week’s word. אֱלֹהִים – ‘elohiym the same word again, but the Hebrew context necessitates a slightly different meaning. God is still God, but now declares a personal relationship with the speaker. In Psalm 7:1 David is singing a song to God, declaring Him to be his God. He wants us to let Him be God. This same Hebrew word also refers to rulers, judges, angels divine ones. So we discover from the context, usually who the speaker is, what the intent of the intended meaning is.

We need to declare Him to be our God through whatever means we have available. Preach the gospel at all times, use words if necessary. Yeshua said if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments. His commandments are not burdensome bringing us into bondage but freeing bring us into liberty. If all kept His commandments there would be no need for police or judges or jails, there would be no fear, no need for locks or keys or security systems. If we all operated within His will and His word there would be no divorce, no sexually transmitted diseases…

If every single person could truthfully say the Lord is MY God what a wonderful world this would be – no political parties and campaigns, no wars or rumors of wars. Oh, yeah, that world is coming. Hallelujah!!! We win!!! Our God reigns!! We won!!! (As we rest in Him, the battle is over.)

John 10:10

Blessings, Pastor Bill

Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim

Yahweh Elohiym is the Lord your God

Shalom, Mishpochah,

This week we will look at one way people often referred to God when they were in a place they shouldn’t be or doing something amiss or when God is reminding of His relationship to the hearer – the Lord your God. Yahweh Elohiym is the Lord your God. Sometimes we need to be reminded of Who is in charge. Many times in the Old Testament we would hear someone say ‘the Lord your God’ when they knew things were awry. Simon the Sorcerer asked the apostles to pray ‘to the Lord your God’ when they had pronounced judgment against him for trying to purchase the gift of Holy Spirit with money. He knew has actions and intents had put him outside of God’s will and God was no longer his God (money was). Even though he was a believer, he realized that he had fallen out of God’s favor.

So, when God refers to Himself as ‘the Lord your God’- it would appear the addressee may be forgetting or has forgotten. Don’t let that happen to you. Stand up for God, His will, His word and His people. When people ask you to pray to ‘the Lord your God’, recognize they may be feeling (rightly or not) separated from God. Treat them with gentleness, mercy and truth (in love) to draw them closer to Him, the One Who desires that none should perish. Help them come to a better place.

John 10:10

Blessings, Pastor Bill

Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim

Yahweh (Adonai) Zeker

Happy New Year, Mishpochah,

This week we look at יהוה זֵכֶר, Yahweh (Adonai) Zeker, the memorial name. As found in Hosea 12:5, His name is His memorial. He is to be remembered by His Name and His Name is to be remembered. In the context of this verse, He is referred to as the Lord of Hosts. We are to remember that He is Lord of Hosts – the angels and the saints (which we are among the latter). He is the Lord whom we need to memorialize. We should remember and call on His name – whatever we are doing, wherever we are, no matter who is around.

The Jews have such honor and respect for His name, they do not write it casually or try to pronounce it lest they make an error in so doing. They refer to HaShem (the Name) and where the tetragrammaton (YHWH, yod, hey, vav, hey) is found the introduce the vowel points for Adonai and will say that rather than mispronounce ‘the Name.’ Do we reverence Him by being extremely cautious how we pronounce or declare His Name? I think the ones who are most guilty of ‘misusing’ His Name, or taking it in vain, are Christians who declare this or that ‘in the name of Jesus’. We speak and declare in His name when He has not spoken, thinking that by using or repeating the name of Jesus things will happen. That is Christian witchcraft beloved.

When Jesus taught about agreeing (binding and loosing), He really meant we were to pray in agreement with what was going on in heaven and bringing that into the earth. Too often we declare it on earth and expect it to happen in heaven. We pray for healing or deliverance or whatever ‘in the name of Jesus’ and expect heaven to come into agreement with our declaration. I John makes it clear that we have confidence when we pray in agreement with His will which is established in heaven that we will have the requests we have made of Him.

Let us memorialize His Name by praying to find out what His will is in any given situation, then declaring that is what will happen and we can expect for that to happen, yediyd (beloved) that He might be the God who is remembered as being good – all the time.

John 10:10

Blessings, Pastor Bill

Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim