Shabbat Word
11/07/2020
Shabbat Shalom!
Psalm 91:1-16
91:1) He who dwells in the secret place of Ha`Elyon,
Will rest in the shadow of Shaddai.
91:2) I will say of Yahuah,
“He is my refuge and my fortress; My `Elohiym, in whom I trust.”
91:3) For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
91:4) He will cover you with His feathers.
Under His wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
91:5) You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day;
91:6) Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
91:7) A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it will not come near you.
91:8) You will only look with your eyes,
And see the recompense of the wicked.
91:9) Because you have made Yahuah your refuge,
And Ha`Elyon your dwelling place,
91:10) No evil shall happen to you,
Neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
91:11) For He will give His angels charge over you,
To guard you in all your ways.
91:12) They will bear you up in their hands,
So that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
91:13) You will tread on the lion and cobra.
You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.
91:14) “Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him.
I will set him on high, because he has known my name.
91:15) He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will deliver him, and honour him.
91:16) I will satisfy him with long life,
And show him my salvation (yeshu`ah).”
A Word
An ass does not stumble twice over the same stone.
I can recall vividly my first day I joined a ship as a Cadet Engineer. I had just finished two years of college and thought that I was Yahuah’s gift to engineering. Large engines, machines and boilers; bring them on. Can you imagine my thoughts when the first tool that I was given was a sweeping brush. Once I had mastered its use, I was promoted to the mop and bucket. From that day onwards, I always look at this important lesson as being the foundation of a highly successful career. The two ‘teachers’ Jimmy and Big John were engineroom cleaners, but they taught me lessons over the coming months that I gladly passed on to many a new engineer or apprentice. Another ‘teacher’ during those most informative of months was the Mechanic, Spanner Jack. His favourite lesson was to learn by experience making sure that it was other people’s experience from which one learnt.
Another ‘teacher’ that I learnt from was my Uncle Tom. He served his time as a Tool-maker for Rolls Royce and what he could not do with a piece of metal, could not be done at all. This is obviously exaggeration, but not greatly so. He had the knack of being able to do many things not necessarily associated with engineering. My grown up children still remember the times we were all invited over for dinner and we feasted upon home-made bread or ice cream or sampled his home-made wine. He did everything by the book. He was the only man that I knew that read instruction manuals for appliances from a toaster to televisions. Some of his most often quoted lessons was that ‘nothing ventured; nothing gained’ or ‘any engineer who did not a mistake never made anything at all.’ His attitude was that it was not a disgrace to make a mistake, but it was to repeat the same error.
Lessons like that are good for life, not just for engineering. Even just the other day, one of my daughters and her young daughter made meringues, but they did not turn out. I asked my granddaughter why she thought that they failed. After several moments of thought, she said that it was probably due to them having to hand-beat the egg whites. I then told her that her answer ensured that the meringues were not a failure after all as she had learnt a valuable lesson. Not only was it necessary to use a mechanical whisk but that failure is not wrong so long as lessons to improve are learnt from the failures.
Beloved, no matter how strong we are, there will always be occasions when we will stumble and fall. Nevertheless, we all must learn from these occasions essentially that we do not keep falling down at the same temptation. Is there anything that keeps tripping you up? “If your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into eternal fire.” (Matt. 18:8). This may seem drastic, but for those who have gangrene this is a life saver. Gangrene is a condition where blood fails to flow to the extremes of limbs and tissue dies. Corruption sets in and the gangrene spreads until it consumes vital organs and death results. The only remedy is amputation.
So it is with Believers. Without the Ruach HaKodesh flowing freely around our bodies, teaching, leading and warning corruption can easily set in. Ignore the warnings, the heart becomes hardened and the Ruach is quietened, making the warnings harder to hear. So on and so forth in a downward spiral into sin. The deeper the spiral, the more drastic is the remedy. “Therefore brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.” (2 Peter 1:10).
“it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.” (Luke 17:2). There was a television series wherein hidden CCTV cameras where located in car parks. The programme was highlighting the rise in thefts from cars. To do this, there were valuables placed in full view in cars. With the cameras rolling, there were scenes of people looking into cars, breaking in and stealing the contents. I find this, at best a disgrace and at worst falling foul of Luke 17:2. The valuables on view were there to entice a person into sin. OK, they should not be looking in the first place, but who amongst us has never cast a glance into a car as we were passing by?
“I ask then, did they [Yisra`elites] stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall, salvation has come to the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy.” (Rom. 11:11). Stumbling is not always a bad thing as Yahuah is in ultimate control. The Yisra`elites were blessed with Yahuah’s Word and with Messiah Yeshua coming to live amongst them. It is because of their stumbling that salvation spread out to the rest of the world. The Good News radiated out from Yerushalayim where the Saviour died and was resurrected. It was this perfect life that was given up so that all men (Yisra`elites and Gentiles) may come to know the grace and mercy of Yahuah `Elohiym. All sinners can only be judged and all found guilty of their sin. The punishment for this sin is eternal damnation where suffering and torment will never end.
Nevertheless, Father sent His one and only Son to live and die for all Mankind. Messiah Yeshua took upon Himself the punishment due to all sinners; if only they believed this fact. His resurrection was the proof that Father accepted His sacrifice on our behalf.
Father, we thank you for the power of your Word and that Word was made flesh in the Messiah Yeshua so that in believing in His life, death and resurrection we may have eternal life with you.
HalleluYah
Ameyn.
If you want to accept Father’s offer of salvation through the Messiah Yeshua, you need to ask Him in prayer along these lines. You may use these or your own words but they must be genuine as Father knows our very hearts and nothing is hidden from Him.
“Father, I am a sinner who needs forgiveness of my sins through your Son, the Messiah Yeshua. Please forgive me of all my past sins as I accept that, Messiah Yeshua my Saviour, has taken upon Himself my punishment. By your Spirit, help me to live a life worthy of His sacrifice. Thank you, Father, for making the perfect way back to you.”
Remember, the Judge looks into your heart, mind and future.
If you have honestly said such a prayer as this, and truly renounced the sin in your life and accepted Father’s salvation through the Messiah Yeshua, then please drop us an e-mail or call us at FGA to let us know. This helps build up our faith and offers an opportunity to prayerfully support you. Even if you have Believing friends or family, we at FGA would be privileged to pray for you. Please contact us at ezra710@firstgenerationassembly.com. Having believed and prayed, now please find a local faith-based church to attend. Drop FGA an e-mail or call us so that we can rejoice with you and pray and support you over the coming weeks.
If you have sincerely called out to Father for forgiveness, then eternal life is assured. Salvation does not take away the day-to-day questions of life, nor is it a short-cut away from trials or tribulations. Nevertheless, knowing your eternal life is secure, any temporary trial can be overcome by looking at the completed work of Messiah Yeshua.
All blessings to you.
“Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter end.
There are many plans in a man’s heart,
But Yahuah’s counsel will prevail.” (Prov. 19:20, 21).
Breaking Matzah
Our Saviour welcomes all His Family to join in this memorial. If you have accepted Messiah Yeshua as your Master and Saviour please take the next few moments to seek Father and to ensure that all is right between Him and you and between you and your Brothers and Sisters. If not, please put this right before continuing.
If you have not yet accepted Him into your life, then we encourage you to seek Him while it is still possible, as time is running out. When He returns or if you pass away then it will be too late. Please do not partake of the matzah and wine as in doing so, it gives thanks for the broken body (matzah) and shed blood (wine) for and a witness of salvation.
On the night of the Master’s betrayal, He took the matzah, blessed it and broke it saying ‘This is my Body broken for you; take and eat it as a memorial to Me.’
Bless the matzah saying: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the Universe, who brings forth matzah from the earth.
Break and eat the matzah (sharing it if within a group setting):
After the meal He took the Cup, blessed it saying ‘This is my Blood poured out for you for the remission of sins; take and drink it as a memorial to me.’
Bless the wine saying: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Drink the wine (sharing it if within a group setting):
Thanksgiving prayer: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the universe, who gives us, in Yeshua, all that we will ever need. In your lovingkindness and mercy, you rebuild broken lives. You bless us, in Yeshua, with a perfect blessing. Ameyn.
Please note the up-and-coming special days.
21/07/2020 – Rosh Chodesh 5th. New Moon.
Father willing, we will meet again next Shabbat.
“Y’varekh’kha Yahuah v’yishmerekha,
Ya’er Yahuah panav eleikha vichunekka,
Yissa Yahuah panav eleikha v’yasem l’kha shalom.”
(May Yahuah bless you and keep you)
(May Yahuah make His face to shine upon you and show you His favour)
(May Yahuah lift up His face toward you and give you peace.).
First Generation Assembly 