Tag: Yeshua

Quilt Analogy…The Power of a Yielded Life

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As I was in the process of making a quilt for my grandson, a thought struck me…an analogy between quilting and our lives. In quilting, we take whole pieces of fabric and cut them up into pieces only to sew the pieces back together again. And, in the end, we end up with something more beautiful than when we started.

So it is with Yeshua and our lives. As we yield ourselves to Him and give Him the pieces of our lives, He stitches it back together into something amazingly beautiful. He gives us beauty for our ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness so that we may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3) Praise Yahveh!

One thing that I have realized as I have been walking out my salvation is that I need to be willing to yield. I need to be willing to let Him do the work in me. There is action involved on my part…Yahveh is a gentleman, He won’t force Himself into the places that I am still clinging to. I will be the first to admit it is not always easy to yield…but as I forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead and I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)…it becomes easier and easier to yield to Yahveh…to allow Him to transform me through His power…His righteousness…His will.

I believe God is calling each believer to come out, be separate, be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16) As we yield our lives to Him, piece by piece, He transforms us into His image. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” That is what the world is looking for…something real…something different than what the world has to offer…something so powerful and so appealing…they can’t help but to want what we have. They don’t want to see hypocrisy. They don’t want to hear our mouths say one thing and see our actions do another. They need to see genuine faith in the One who has the power to heal broken lives, to change us from the inside out, to recreate our life pieces into something beautiful.

Am I Willing…

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As I was in prayer this morning, I began to question…Is Yahveh, who is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:33), really going to leave his children to follow and worship Him any way they see fit…by how they “feel”…by what it means to them…by what seems right…Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way  of death.” And Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things. And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” And then God reminded me he has given us His Holy Spirit and His Word. He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) And, He  will not contradict Himself.

I used to live by my feelings. I used to twist the Word to justify my actions. I used to follow the ways and traditions of man rather than God. And…I used to pray for more…for a deeper walk with God…for a truly changed life that follows after God and His Righteousness and His Holiness. And now that Yahveh is answering my prayer and my life is changing and my walk is stronger and deeper and because of who Yahveh is and all that Yeshua has done for me…am I willing?

Am I willing to give up my ways, ways of man, ways of excuses, ways of doing what “feels” right…

Am I willing to examine my beliefs and convictions…

Am I willing to die to self…self-will, self-righteousness, selfish desires, self-fulfillment…

Am I willing to lay down my life and offer it as a living sacrifice…(Romans 12:1)

Am I wlling to conform my life to that of Yeshua’s…(Romans 8:29, Romans 12:2, 1 Peter 1:13-15)

Am I willing to count the cost…(Luke 14:25-33)

Am I willing to worship Yahveh the way He demands to be worshipped and follow Him the way He demands to be followed…(Deuteronomy 13:4, Jeremiah 7:22-24, Micah 6:8, John 14:15)

Am I willing to do all to stand (Ephesians 6:13) for Yahveh, for His Word, for Truth, for His Righteousness and Holiness…

Am I willing…

YES!!! Praise Yahveh!!! I am willing…are you?

Lead me in your Truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:5)

 

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:24-25)

Perfecter?

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Can something that is perfect be made “perfecter”? By the very definitions of perfect, the answer to that question is a resounding NO!

1.conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type: a perfect sphere; a perfect gentleman.
2. excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement: There is no perfect legal code. The proportions of this temple are almost perfect.
3. exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose: a perfect actor to play Mr. Micawber; a perfect saw for cutting out keyholes.
4. entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings: a perfect apple; the perfect crime.
5. accurate, exact, or correct in every detail: a perfect copy. (dictionary.com)

Which leads me to the question, “If the Law of the Lord is perfect as it states in Psalm 19:7, can the law become “perfecter”? And this leads me to the question that is the point of this post, “Has the Law been done away with?”

I am not sure why this has become such a hot topic when Jesus’ own words in Matthew 5:17-18 make it perfectly clear that His coming did not destroy the Law.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till Heaven and Earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

If God is the Word (John 1:1) and He doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6), and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), how can people legitimately say His Word has changed? I could go on and on and on with scriptures that support the fact that the Law is still for today, but let’s get to the crux of the matter.

Herein lies the problem. People who practice “lawless” Christianity don’t understand one very important key principle. They don’t understand the purpose of the Law. You see, the Law was never intended for salvation. Even the Jews leaving Egypt were saved by the blood of the lamb. No one can be saved by keeping the Law. And if you try, the Law becomes burdensome and salvation becomes unattainable.  “For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

The purpose of the Law is to point out our sins so we can confess them and be cleansed. (1 John 1:9). His Law is there to clearly outline His Standard as we seek to live our lives in obedience and gratitude for The One who is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. His Law is there to guide us as we pursue (notice the action verb) holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14) His Law is there to show us The Way as we work out (again, action involved!!!) our own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)

Take some time to read Psalm 119. It is full to the brim of the author delighting in the Law of the Lord. “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Law is truth.” (Psalm 119:142)