14/08/2021

Shabbat Word

14/08/2021

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 38:1-10

38:1) A Psalm by David, for a memorial.

38:2) Yahuah, do not rebuke me in your wrath,

Neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.

38:3) For your arrows have pierced me,

Your hand presses hard on me.

38:4) There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation,

Neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin.

38:5) For my iniquities have gone over my head.

As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

38:6) My wounds are loathsome and corrupt,

Because of my foolishness.

38:7) I am pained and bowed down greatly.

I go mourning all day long.

38:8) For my loins are filled with burning.

There is no soundness in my flesh.

38:9) I am faint and severely bruised.

I have groaned by reason of the anguish of my heart.

38:10) Master, all my desire is before you.

My groaning is not hidden from you.                                         (….contd.

.A Word

Worth Its Weight In Gold

I was born and raised in rented council (‘Corpie’) house. Although we never went without the basics and a few ‘luxuries’, finances were usually tight. If I asked my parents for an item, I would be met by one of several replies: ‘Money does not grow on trees, you know;’ ‘I am not made of money’; but the most common reply was ‘Who do you think I am…the Aga Khan’.

The Aga Khan III (Sultan Muhammed Shah) was reportedly the richest man in the world. On 19^th. January 1936, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of his Inmanate, was weighed and the equivalent amount of gold was weighed out and its value was given to charitable causes. At 16st/224lbs/101Kg. this came to just over £25,000. At today’s gold price this would be equivalent to £3.1m/$4.4m. Ten years later, to celebrate his Diamond Jubilee, he was weighed against gold and diamonds. So you can see from whence the expression came.

In 1936, £25,000 was literally a king’s ransom; very few people could ever imagine that amount of money, let alone have it. My maternal Grandmother (Nan) moved into a new Corpie house in 1934 and was a widow by 1936 with three children to support. (If you are a regular reader of Shabbat Word, my Nan pops up in several of them, such was her influence on me as child growing up in her house.) Her widow’s pension and child allowance came to about £1.00 of which over half went in rent. Employment for widows was especially difficult to find even for skilled women, yet my Nan managed to find work until World War II broke out and skilled women came into their own.

If you were the Aga Khan, what would you be worth today? £2m? £3m? More importantly, what value would you put on your life? If you asked your family, they would probably say priceless but in the movies the common phrase is, ‘Everyone has got their price’. If you were kidnapped, what would be the value the perpetrators demand?

Well, there is some bad news and some Good News.

First the bad:

“Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12). Since Adam’s disobedience, sin and its consequences became active in the world. Each and every person, except Messiah Yahshua, has sinned and is under the penalty of death. It does not matter if you are the most evil of people or the greatest benefactor, all of us are in need of a Saviour. If I had learnt anything during my time in Canada it is that even ‘good’ people need a Saviour. I had not murdered anyone, robbed a bank or even a habitual liar. To my way of thinking, I was quite a decent fellow; my thinking, not Yahuah `Elohiym’s. To Him, I was a sinner. Even those little white lies are an offense to a most Set Apart `Elohiym who does not distinguish between little sins and gross sins; a sinner is a sinner is a sinner.

“and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by it to its will.” (2 Tim. 2:26). Sin is the blindfold that haSatan uses to trap us and we become slaves to our sins; the more we sin, the harder it is to see a way out and so the trap tightens. This deepens into despair and a feeling of hopelessness. This is all part of the enemy’s plan. It uses lies to deceive us. Whether you are a young gang member or the worst of serial killers it tells you that there is no hope in our life. No one wants you because you are worthless. How can such a sinner as you be loved by anyone, let alone Yahuah Almighty? You might as well put up with things the way they are and go with the flow. Enjoy what life you have while you have it. Are these feelings you have, or has sin completely blinded you that you do not care anymore?

Now for the Good News:

“But Yahuah proves His own love toward us [that includes you and me], in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah Yahusha died for us [you].” (Rom. 5:8). This is not love as the world knows it that is now a take it or leave it attitude, one of little or no commitment. “for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify Yahuah in your body and in your spirit, which are Yahuah’s.” (1 Cor. 6:20).

What was this price? “He [Yahuah] who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how would He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). “Have this in your mind, which was also in Messiah Yahusha, who, existing in the form of Yahuah `Elohiym, did not consider it robbery to be equal with Yahuah, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:5-8). He who had everything gave everything up for you and I.

Far from being without worth, you are most precious in Father Yahuah’s sight. Far from being unloved, He loves you with an intensity that is impossible for humans.

What if you have already accepted Yahuah’s salvation through Messiah Yahusha? You know the price that had to be paid for your eternal life. Nevertheless, do you appreciate your worth?

During Creation, all things came into being by the same method; “Yahuah `Elohiym said…and it was so.” (Gen. 1:6, 7). The billions of stars, every creature, every natural law came into existence by the spoken word of Yahuah `Elohiym. This was a remote action.

All that is except Man.

“Yahuah `Elohiym formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen 2:7). Man came into being by the action of a loving Yahuah `Elohiym. The word ‘formed’ has the connotation of the action of a Potter who lovingly, carefully and intimately sculpts and shapes Man out of the dust of the earth. When He was satisfied, Yahuah `Elohiym breathed life into Man.

“Yahusha came to them and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth,’” (Matt. 28:18). “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 18:18). “He said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief. For most assuredly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matt. 17:20). When Yahusha was born, He set aside all aspects of His deity (Eph. 2:7) so that He could be like us in all things (Heb. 2:17). Nevertheless, because of His total obedience to Father, Father bestowed upon Him, His authority. This authority has been made available to any who believe without any reservation.

Are you ready to believe and not doubt? Are you ready to take His authority and say to the mountain, the cancer, the worry, haSatan?…‘Move from here (the current situation or person) to there (the Pit of hell),’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt. 17:20b).

Ameyn.

HalleluYah

Father, we thank you for the power of your Word and that Word was made flesh in Messiah Yahusha 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.

“How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!

Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” (16:16).

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

09/09/2021 – Rosh Chodesh 7^th. New Moon

09/09/2021 – Yom Teruah

17/09/2021 – Yom HaKippurim

23/09/2021 to 29/09/2021 – Sukkot

30/09/2021 – Shemeni Atzeret

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.).