Shabbat Word
28/09/2021
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 45:1-18
45:1) For the Chief Musician.
Set to “The Lillies”.
A maskill by the sons of Korach.
A wedding song
45:2) My heart overflows with a noble theme.
I recite my verses for the king.
My tongue is like the pen of a skilful writer.
45:3) You are the most excellent of the sons of men.
Grace has anointed your lips,
Therefore `Elohiym has blessed you forever.
45:4) Gird your sword on your thigh, mighty one:
Your splendour and your majesty.
45:5) In your majesty ride on victoriously on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness.
Let your right hand display awesome deeds.
45:6) Your arrows are sharp.
The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king’s enemies.
45:7) Your throne, `Elohiym, is forever and ever.
A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of your kingdom.
45:8) You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness.
Therefore `Elohiym, your `Elohiym, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
45:9) All your garments smell like myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.
45:10) Kings’ daughters are among your honourable women.
At your right hand the queen stands in gold of Ofir.
45:11) Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear.
Forget your own people, and also your father’s house.
45:12) So the king will desire your beauty,
Honour Him, for He is your master.
45:13) The daughter of Tzor comes with a gift.
The rich among the people entreat your favour.
45:14) The princess inside is all glorious.
Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
45:15) She shall be led to the king in embroidered work.
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to you.
45:16) With gladness and rejoicing they shall be led.
They shall enter into the king’s palace.
45:17) Your sons will take the place of your fathers.
You shall make them princes in all the earth.
45:18) I will make your name to be remembered in all generations.
Therefore the peoples shall give you thanks forever and ever.
.A Word
To err is human; to forgive is divine
We are continually called to be more Messiah-like. Why do you think this is so? Is it because He led the perfect life? Is it because He came to reveal Father to us? The answers to these questions are: yes and yes. However, why is it that we need to more like Him? It is my belief that throughout His life, the Master showed us how to overcome our natural passions. What is our ‘second nature, must be replaced by a conscious effort to be like Him.
For example, if a person is asked what love is most answers will come back with an emotion that is sentimental sometimes bordering upon the soft fluffy pinkness associated with (the pagan festival of) St. Valentine’s Day. However, the Biblical view of love is never like this, but is always about putting others before ones-self, of service, of sacrifice. It is love that took Messiah to the execution stake at Golgotha. “He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Please remove this cup from me. However, not what I desire but what you desire.’” (Mark. 14:36). Nowhere is this more noticeable than the Master’s prayer shortly before His arrest. His natural inclination was not to endure the coming hours culminating with His excruciating death on the stake. Nevertheless, He endured this because He put every man, woman and child ever to be born before Himself; because He came to serve and not to be served; because He offered up Himself as an atoning Sacrifice on our behalf. Does this sound all fluffy and sentimental to you? Or was it the ultimate act of will over passion?
Forgiveness is very much like love. It is an act of will over instinct.
Ask anyone what they think forgiveness is and they will answer that it is when someone has done wrong, say that they are sorry and the apology is accepted. However, the more someone does wrong, the harder it is to forgive. This was the dilemma facing Shim`on Kefa when he asked, “…Master, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times.” (Matt. 18:21). Imagine his surprise when the Master replied, “…I do not tell you until seven times, but until seventy times.” (Matt. 18:22). The answer was not intended to be a definitive number but as means of changing our attitude towards forgiveness.
“Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” (Luke 17:3, 4). You may feel that the apology is not genuine, but leave this to Father. “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Set free and you will be set free.” (Luke 6:37). We are called not to judge as this is the privilege of Father.
“Yahusha said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing…” (Luke 23:34a). Can you see any apology coming from the wrong-doers? Our natural instinct is to wait for the apology and if none is forthcoming then there can be no forgiveness. This only causes the hurt to fester and it is the person who is unwilling to forgive that suffers the most. Many lives are ruined by unforgiveness and it is usually out of all proportion to the original hurt. In forgiving we will be set free.
“Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.” (Matt. 6:12). In teaching us how to pray, the Master called us first to forgive others before we can expect forgiveness from Father. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matt. 6:14). In forgiving others, we can expect to be forgiven. This is not a ‘tit-for-tat’ exchange. The sins that we have committed against Yahuah cannot be counted. Nevertheless, all these are forgiven if we forgive the relatively trivial wrongs done to us by others.
If you have not accepted Messiah Yahusha as Saviour, then for ALL and EVERY sin you will be held accountable.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:9, 10). Eternal forgiveness starts with the awareness that we are sinners; wrong-doers against both Yahua and Man. “…Who can forgive sins but Yahuah alone” (Mark 2:7b). “For you, Yahuah, are good, and ready to forgive; Abundant in mercy to all those who call on you.” (Psa. 86:5). Not only is Yahuah Father ready and willing to forgive, He is desperate to do so. Otherwise He would not have had His only Son suffer the execution stake for our sins.
“and they shall teach no more every an his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, “Know Yahuah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” says Yahuah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.” (Jer. 31:34). Although this is a picture of future events when people will not have to learn who Yahuah is because He will be amongst us, the inference is that right now people need to be taught who Yahuah is and what He is capable of doing. Not only is He ready and willing and desperate to forgive, but He will remember those sins no more. He does not forget them but chooses not to constantly bring these to mind. In this, if you take anything from this Word, take this: that by choosing not to remember those who sin against us, forgiveness will be a Messiah-like act.
“to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He freely bestowed favour on us in the Beloved, in whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,” (Eph. 1:6, 7). Yahuah requires of all sinners a price for His forgiveness of us. That price was paid in full by His Son, Messiah Yahusha when He shed His precious blood on our behalf.
Are you as ready, as willing, as desperate to ask for forgiveness of your sins as Father is to forgive you.
“Ask, and it will be given to you…” (Matt. 7:7a)
Father, we thank you for the power of your Word and that Word was made flesh in the Messiah Yahusha so that in believing in His life, death and resurrection we may have eternal life with you.
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.
“Do they not err who plot evil?
But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.” (Prov. 14:22).
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:
07/10/2021 – Rosh Chodesh 8th. 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 