12/12/2020

Shabbat Word

12/12/2020

Shabbat Shalom!

Covid-19 continues to ravage the world. Every night, I pray this Psalm for the continued well-being, security and prosperity of Yahuah’s people, Yisra`el, His land, Yisra`el, His set apart city Yerushalayim and my family spiritual and physical.

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).”

Psalm 18:1-13

18:1) For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Sha’ul. He said,

18:2) “I love you, Yahuah, my strength.

18:3) Yahuah is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;

My `Elohiym, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

18:4) I call on Yahuah, who is worthy to be praised;

And I am saved from my enemies.

18:5) The cords of death surrounded me.

The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

18:6) The cords of She’ol were round about me;

The snares of death came on me.

18:7) In my distress I called on Yahuah,

And cried to my `Elohiym.

He heard my voice out of His temple,

My cry before Him came into His ears.

18:8) Then the earth shook and trembled.

The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken,

Because He was angry.

18:9) Smoke went out of His nostrils.

Consuming fire came out of His mouth.

Coals were kindled by it.

18:10) He bowed the heavens also, and came down.

Thick darkness was under His feet.

18:11) He rode on a Keruv, and flew.

Yes, He soared on the wings of the wind.

18:12) He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion around Him,

Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

18:13) At the brightness before Him His thick clouds passed,

Hailstones and coals of fire.                                                               (contd…

A Word

Better Felt Than Tell’t

This is an old Lancashire proverb saying that it is far better to experience something than try to have it explained to you by someone else.

“Oh taste and see that Yahuah is good.

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psa. 34:8).

This is one of those verses that readers have read over and over but do not take in the importance of every word.

If I gave you a glass of wine and said, ‘Taste this and see IF the wine is good.’ Now, it may be that I am saying that I think it is good, do you? Or that I think the wine has soured, do you? Both you and I are in some doubt as to whether you like the wine or its condition. This is not what the Psalmist was saying. Notice how the Psalmist invites us all to test Yahuah and come to the conclusion that He is good. There was no doubt in the Psalmist’s mind that He is so.

Be sure that I am not advocating trans-substantiation. That is, I am not asking you to break matzah at the Master’s Table and actually eat His broken body or drink His shed blood! The Psalmist is saying to test Yahuah in all things and know that He has our best interests at heart and does all things for our well-being, even if we do not think so at the time.

When you are trying to describe a thing, it usually requires comparing the object to something the listener or reader can visualise. The more detailed the description, the easier it should be to imagine. Unless, that is, it is the description of a highly specialise object such as a glass of wine.

Have you ever wondered how a wine taster can find so much in a glass of wine? ‘An intense dark ruby Cabernet Sauvignon, with cassis, blackberry and chocolate aromas. Juicy palate, with fresh notes of plum and blackcurrant, medium-bodied with a long finish’ (Vina Maipo, Chile). To me, this is just a red wine and try as hard as I can, I cannot get these smells and tastes. The above description may be of use to you, or are you more like me and cannot imagine the taste and smell?

OK, maybe that was a little unfair. How about trying to describe something more common, like the taste of pure, clean water? Does it depend upon the listener? How would you describe it to me or to a child in Sub-Saharan Africa? What about the smell of fresh air to someone living in downtown Beijing?

There are certain people who specialise in using words in describing objects, people such as wine tasters and word-smiths such as authors and poets.

Nevertheless, there are some things that defy words. There is absolutely nothing that can describe the joy of holding your new born baby in your arms for the first time. No matter how many words are used, some things are beyond description. This is the meaning of the title of this message. Some things are beyond the telling and can only be experienced.

If I was to ask, ‘What is joy?’ to the World, I would probably be given a reply that it is happiness. The World’s happiness is having lots of money or new clothes or a new car. These may make one happy for a brief time, until the money runs out, the clothes fade and wear or the car is in a garage more than it is on the road. Happiness is a fleeting thing and is totally dependent upon current circumstances.

“His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honour and majesty on him. For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.” (Psa. 21:5, 6). In this passage, the Psalmist gives us a hint at what is true joy. It is primarily based upon Yahuah’s salvation in His Son, Messiah Yeshua. With salvation comes the privilege to enter into the very presence of Yahuah. (Heb. 10:19). In His presence there is complete joy (Psa. 16:11). This joy is eternal and does not depend upon anything of the world can offer. If the world can offer anything, it can as easily be taken away. Not so with Biblical joy.

If it is difficult to express clearly an object, how much more difficult is it to describe an emotion? If you asked a person to describe what love is, they will probably answer differently according to their age. From a child, it may be a hug from its mother or a well done from the father. From a young adult, it may be the pink marshmallow of a first love (Greek or Western paradigm). For an old person, it may be the hard work of raising children (Hebrew or Eastern paradigm).

Even more difficult is asking not what love is but how does it feel? From the dawn of Creation, poets, songwriters, authors, sages and philosophers have all tried to express what it is like to love or be loved. Unless it has happened to you, you will not be able to answer. Even if you read all the books and poems and listened to all the songs and debates, you still will not be able to fully grasp how love feels.

Nevertheless, there is one Book that accurately describes love: that is the Bible. Many people are put off reading the Bible because they have been told it is a long list of do’s and do not’s. Yes, it does contain many commandments, but these are not meant as a means of control or killing any joy in life.

The World will give its own meaning of love and is usually the next stage up from liking a person. However, the Biblical definition of love has nothing to do about liking a person. In fact, it is quite possible to love a person without liking them. A parent must always love their children unconditionally and this is not always easy if the child is rebellious. The parent can still love the child, but hates their actions.

“For Yahuah so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

On the contrary, the Bible is the greatest love story in the world. It tells of a loving Father issuing instructions to His children on how to live a full and happy life. It describes the despair He has when His children turn their backs to Him and reject His love. Some of these children realise that all this was written in order to keep them safe, but cannot return back to their Father because of the consequences of their disobedience.

In order for the Father to welcome back His wayward children, He must see His only Son that did not disobey Him, die on behalf of all the errant children. That is what Yahuah had to do for each and every person to have lived. That is how much He loves you and me.

Another word that the World does not understand, that is the Biblical concept of peace. The World’s idea of peace is the absence of strife, worry or war. It can also be said that a person may have ‘inner peace’, but this is conditional to all external situations being calm. When the World says that it has peace, even in the calmest of situations, one may have chaos within themselves. It all depends upon external circumstances.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27 KJV). When the Apostle Yochanan (John) wrote this verse, Master Yeshua would have used the word shalom and not peace. This is because the word shalom does not mean the absence of strife, but covers a multitude of other concepts such as well-being, contentment, completeness, wholeness and fulfilment. The Master never promises lack of trouble. On the contrary, He actually promises that persecution will come to all professing Believers (Mark 4:17). Therefore, it is the preference of FGA to use the term shalom rather than peace.

What the Master leaves behind is not conditional upon external circumstances. He leaves us His Ruach HaKodesh, so that He may dwell in each and every Believer. WHEN persecution comes, Believers have the perfect remedy in His guidance and teaching. His grace alone is all-sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9), so that Believers do not have to worry about the chaos around them, freeing them for the service of the Good News (2 Tim. 1:8). It is not the absence of conflict that ensures shalom, but we will never be tested beyond that which we cannot cope. His grace is our guarantee of shalom.

True shalom comes only with the assurance of sins forgiven. The World would want us to believe that after death there is nothing. That way they do not have to worry themselves on their conduct throughout life. They try to put a calmness in their souls of their own making. If only that were true. Nevertheless, the only true way to shalom is to acknowledge that neither Man nor the World has anything to offer to secure that shalom. Only by confessing our sins to Father and accepting His forgiveness can we obtain that shalom.

Have you ever mislaid something of great value? So important that it takes your breath away and caused your heart to pound? What parent has been out shopping in a supermarket, and for a second took their eyes of the child, only to realise they were gone? There is a terrible sinking feeling, followed by panic and then the name shouting begins. What a relief, when seconds later the child comes back into sight. Those seconds felt like hours until the child safely returns. Only a parent can know by experience that panic.

My wife Ann tells of a time when she was in Liverpool city centre with our two eldest daughters when they were young, waiting to catch the bus home. She was distracted for a moment, but that is all it takes for the child to slip away. The panic set in with the realisation that the child may have got onto a bus without her. Fortunately, the child had gone back into the shop and was found safe. Unless you have experienced this as a parent, you cannot fully realise the horror of the moment. The quicker the child is found, the better. Once the child is re-united with its parent, first comes the release of tension in the form of anger, but this quickly subsides into the utmost joy.

Scripture tells us that while we still have our sins unforgiven by Father that we are in a ‘lost’ state. This loss is a loss of fellowship and all the privileges associated with it. When one sins, they turn the back on Father’s provision. There can be no joy in life, no shalom in the heart in this lost state.

“For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.” (Matt. 18:11). Fortunately for the World, this loss of fellowship did not prevent Father from loving us. That is why He sent His Son to take upon Himself, the full and complete punishment for the sins of every person. This is not a religion but the restoration of the personal and intimate relationship with the Father through His Son.

Imagine then, when you step up to the Judgement Throne (and there will be a Day of Judgement for us all) and realise, to your horror, that all those preachers you have heard and all the tracts you received out on the streets are true. That without Father’s forgiveness of sins through His Son, Messiah Yeshua, on Judgement Day you are condemned to everlasting punishment in Hell.

I now must contradict what I have previously said. There is an experience that I pray you never have. I pray that you will never have to experience that utter rejection and the punishment of Hell. Scripture tells us that Father has provided an eternal place with Him to all who have accepted His salvation through His Son. There are glimpses as to what Heaven will be like, but Scripture tells us that it will be far greater than anything that Man can think or dream (Eph. 3:20). This infers that Hell will be infinitely worse than anything that Man can imagine, even though there are many vivid descriptions in the Bible. I pray that my telling is sufficient and that you decide to have your sins forgiven, that you may not feel the punishment of Hell.

If you died at this moment where would you spend eternity?

Have you tasted Yahuah and know that He is good?

Have you come to know the true joy and shalom that only the salvation of Yahuah can provide?

Do you not think that Father’s heart is broken when we sin and stray from Him? And His uttermost joy when we return back to Him?

If you have any doubt, do not delay. As when a child goes missing, the sooner it is found, the better.

Seek forgiveness while it still can be found.

Ameyn. 

Halleluyah

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.

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.

“Tell wisdom, ‘You are my sister.’

Call understanding your relative,

That they may keep you from the strange woman,

From the foreigner who flatters with her words.”  (Prov. 7:4, 5).

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.

 Dates to remember

15/12/2020 – Rosh Chodesh 10^th. New Moon

13/01/2021 – Rosh Chodesh 11^th. 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.).