Shabbat Word
15/05/2021
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 33:12-22
33:12) Blessed is the nation whose `Elohiym is Yahuah,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
33:13) Yahuah looks from heaven.
He sees all the sons of men.
33:14) From the place of His habitation He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
33:15) He who fashions all of their hearts;
And He considers all of their works.
33:16) There is no king saved by the multitude of a host.
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
33:17) A horse is a vain thing for safety,
Neither does he deliver any by his great power.
33:18) Behold, Yahuah’s eye is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His lovingkindness;
33:19) To deliver their soul from death,
To keep them alive in famine.
33:20) Our soul has waited for Yahuah.
He is our help and our shield.
33:21) For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we have trusted in His set apart name.
33:22) Let your lovingkindness be on us, Yahuah,
Since we have hoped in you.
.A Word
Love – The Only Inexhaustible Commodity
In 1977, I was on an oil tanker taking crude oil from Mexico to Houston TX and St. James LA in the U.S.A., back and forth for months. I was in St. James the day Elvis passed away and the terminal all but shut down for the day. Even at this early date, the American authorities realised that fossil fuels, particularly oil and gas, are limited. They were buying oil from other producers and pumping it back into the old, dry wells that had previously been full of oil and were pumped dry. This is one commodity that will be finally exhausted. It may take ten years or ten thousand years depending upon the development of new technology (renewable energy sources, nuclear fusion or new oil producing areas).
Water is another commodity that is in increasingly short supply. Although the polar icecaps are receding due to global warming and more water is being released, the consumption is growing at an exponential rate. It is quite possible that wars in the near future will be over water rights as there were over oil rights. No matter how Mankind uses or abuses the natural resources that Father has provided for our wellbeing, there will be some time in the future when they will be exhausted.
However, there is one (and one only) commodity that has an infinite supply; it will never be exhausted nor will it run out. On the contrary, it is ever on the increase. This commodity is Love.
I have four adult children and six grandchildren and I love then all. Now if one of my children has another baby, the amount of love that I have will not go down but will actually increase. If I had two units of love for my wife and for each child and grandchild, I would have twenty two units of love. With the birth of a new grandchild, I would not have to share the twenty two units between twelve people but would now have twenty four units of love. My time is finite and would have less to spend on each individual, but the love would increase.
Therefore, the more opportunities to love someone, the more love will increase.
At the very heart of First Generation Assembly Mission statement is the four love commandments.
- “Hear, Yisra’el: Yahuah is our `Elohiym; Yahuah is one: and you shall love Yahuah our `Elohiym with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your resources. These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart;” (Deut. 6:4-6). In Matt. 22:38, the Master calls this the first and greatest commandment. Believers need to love `Elohiym, not because of what He has done, but because of who He is.
- “A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’” (Matt. 22:39). The Master defines who a neighbour is in a person who is in need. This may be a daily occurrence.
- “But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” (Matt. 5:44, 45). The Master calls Believers to love even more people, even though those that need to be loved may not have our best interests at heart.
- “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of Yahuah; and everyone who loves is born of Yahuah, and knows Yahuah.” (1 John 4:7). The fourth group of people to be loved are other Believers. So, if love was a finite commodity, it would be spread so thinly between `Elohiym, neighbours, enemies and other Believers that it would not be of any use.
“But Yahuah commends His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us.” (Rom. 5:8). The four groups above show how much love is needed and put out by Man. However, all this love is a direct result of the love `Elohiym has for His Creation. His love is for all those in need. As sinners, all are destined to an eternity of punishment and torment. `Elohiym created the place known as hell for HaSatan and its fellow demons, not for Mankind. Father’s righteousness requires sin to be punished but His love allowed for a way back to all those acknowledge their sin and turn back to Him and seek His Salvation through the faith in the atoning work of Yahusha.
“But Yahuah commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us.” (Rom. 5:8). As with my wife and children, Yahuah loves each and every person exactly the same and no matter how many people will be born, His love cannot and will not be diluted. If I was the only person ever to be born, in His love for me, Father sent Messiah Yahusha to win me back to Him.
“In this is love, not that we loved Yahuah, but that He loved us, and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 Jn. 4:10). I am no better or worse than you and certainly have not merited His love. If there is to be 100 billion people, His love cannot be exhausted.
“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). How much does Father love us? He gave His only begotten Son as the one and only way back to Him and an eternity in peace.
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.
“Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth.
How good is a word at the right time!” (Prov. 15:23).
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
04/04/-22/05/2021 – Counting of the Omer
11/06/2021 – Rosh Chodesh 4th. 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 