Seed for Nov 26

In short, Paul said it like this:

2 Tim 3:12 "Everyone who will live a life devoted to Messiah Yahushua SHALL suffer persecution."

Messiah said it like this:

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

I will sometimes channel surf through "Christian" TV stations; and almost every single time I do, I hear someone preaching the prosperity message. The crowd is "praising" and "rejoicing" at the message...and the offering plate surely has more money in it than if they had preached on suffering and enduring hardship. It is appalling to see those who would be leaders in the Body, appealing to the fleshly desire for comfort and riches; rather than preparing disciples for genuine life in Messiah.

I am reminded of the declarations of the Old Testament prophets who said judgment was coming because of the failure of the rules, the prophets and the priests...and lastly, the people. Those with responsibility are charged with greater accountability.

Grace and peace,

Dana

Seed for Nov 25

Sometimes in Christian living our hopes are delayed. The Bible calls that the trying of our faith. Joseph spent 2 years in a prison waiting for the Lord to release him, and not for anything that Joseph did wrong. Job was tested for over a year, and there was no guilt found in Job. David was chased by Saul for 16 years after he was anointed King of Israel. Abraham waited that baby's cry in Sarah's tent for 25 years, before he saw the faithfulness of the Lord. There is a prosperity doctrine (false doctrine) in the world today that says follow the Lord and everything will go smooth. Actually follow the Lord and watch all hell break loose! The enemy doesn't have to fight you when he's got you! Just try to leave Egypt (the land of sin) and watch the devil attack! Remember Christians are not immune to problem, trials and test. We have the answer to every problem, and the solution to every question. Wait on the Lord and believe to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Be blessed.

Seed for Nov 24

Brother Billy,
In reviewing your last SEED email, I have to say that I agree more with what you had to say about 'The Days of Resting' as each and everyday for a Born Again True follower of Jesus.

There are conditions of life for each of us that MUST reflect the Day of Sabbath, or day of rest from our Labors, that is NOT just a once a week obedience of The Law.

And is without question something that the Pharisees of the Jewish ruling class kept on occasion, as they felt they were above the law and even so convinced of their own superiority above the lower classes, that it gave them numerous opportunities to do what ever they saw fit to do!

Was it shame that brought them down? And was it anger and fear of The Messiah? Which eventually resulted in the wrongful trial of an innocent Man called Jesus, who paid in full for theirs and our sins by going to the Cross and all that the Romans had in store for common criminals, Death by torture and asphyxiation, and finally a spear in Jesus side. However the breaking of the bones like the tibia and fibula, did not happen to Jesus! I believe this was to show that Jesus was someone in a higher realm, and the fulfillment of Prophecy.

I am probably way off base here but at least you got me to think more about the so-called Sabbath Day, and how it relates to the Christian man/woman since it was written to us ALL!
In Jesus Precious Name,
MikeNSharNBear

Seed for Nov 21

Paul explains in Romans 7, that a woman is bound by the law of marriage to her husband until the husband dies. Then she is free to marry another. Well, rather than the husband (the law) dying, the woman died in this illustration. We who are in Messiah, died in Messiah...freeing us from marriage to the law so we might be married to another...the resurrected Messiah.

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto Elohim..

Note that THIS marriage brings forth FRUIT unto Elohim. Nowhere does the Scripture say that keeping the Law brings forth fruit. The keeping of the Law is something the flesh does. This can be illustrated by understanding that it is YOU that keep the speed limit without need of the power of the Spirit in your life. Even the lost are able to keep the speeding limit. Does that please Elohim? No. Paul states plainly in Romans 8 that it is impossible for anything that emanates from the flesh to please Elohim.

Thus, we are separated from a fleshly existence of keeping laws to walk in the power of the Spirit, after we are united with Messiah. We need not concern ourselves with the Ten Commandments when we are walking in the Spirit; because Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that the life that is produced by the Spirit is one against which there is NO LAW. He also says it produces FRUIT unto Elohim...which brings us right back to Romans 7:4.

Billy rightly declares that our freedom comes as a consequence of our having died in Messiah. That is the fundamental necessity to deliver man from the works of the Law; but it is not a mindset that comes to us easily. That is probably why Paul spends the first seven verses of Romans 6 trying to explain this reality to us.

Now, there is a movement that seeks to bring believers back to keeping the law; but not to obtain righteousness (for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified - Gal 2:16), but to please Elohim. This, of course, completely misunderstands the two-fold purpose of the Law: (1) Convince us that we are sinners and are impotent to keep the law perfectly; and (2) to bring us to Messiah. Once we have come to Messiah, the Law has fulfilled its purpose, like a pedagogue that has trained a child to walk and act and live maturely. The objective of a pedagogue is to make himself redundant. Once the child becomes mature, keeping the pedagogue around is just absurd and foolish.

A great question...thanks for the opportunity to blog on it.

Grace and peace,

Dana

Seed for Nov19

Israel acted out in real life the plan of God. One day a week they were to cease from their own labor and rest. They were to do no work. They were to relax and think about the goodness of God. They acted this drama out every week and were reminded to keep this covenant forever! The Bible says that what they did was only a shadow of the real thing. What was this day of rest speaking of? Are we to keep a day of rest? Is Sunday really a day of rest? Or is Saturday the real Sabbath? Are we Christians to keep the Sabbath? No! That was an example of the plan of God in a Christian's life. The real Sabbath, that Israel got no part of, was the "rest" experience of the Grace of God. When we, in reality, cease from our own labors (religious efforts) and enter into the real Rest of God, the true Sabbath, the Holy Ghost experience. I marvel at how many are so bewitched into believing they have to keep a day holy, when our experience in Him keeps everyday holy. Did we do away with the Sabbath day? No! Now everyday is our rest in Christ. We entered into the real "rest" of God, where we stop working to be good, and let God's grace declare us the "righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." Be blessed in the real Sabbath, the Holy Ghost of God. Are you keeping one day holy, or are you living the holy day everyday? It is Christ in Us, our only hope of holiness.

Seed for Nov 17

The Lord does not love us conditionally, but unconditionally. He loved us so much He gave us Redemption. The Bible says, While, we were yet sinners, He died for us. Another verse, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! Once we get a vision of the love He loves us with, it should create in us a passionate love toward God. Man's love is turned inward. "I love you if you love me". Man's love at best is "selfish". But God's love is giving, outward flowing, and free. He loved us first, then we came to know Him and His love and began to love Him back. The problem was that our natural love was inadequate to love Him with, so He fills us with His Spirit of Love to love Him with. That is a powerful thought. Since my love was not enough, He filled me up with His love to love with. Beloved love one another. Be blessed

Seed for Nov 14

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. From this verse we are able to see something very important. Who will make me glad? I will! I am not going to wait around for someone else to make me happy, or take away my happiness. I make the choice that I will rejoice and be glad in this day, if for no other reason than, the Lord made this day! Too many people sitting around being unhappy, and waiting for someone else to change their mood or attitude. "Well, if this or that happens...I will be happy" or "If this person or that person would only do this or that, then I would rejoice and be glad." When your joy and happiness in life is dependent upon others, you are going to have a real miserable life! The Joy of the Lord is our (Samson hair) our strength. Let the devil, the world, or Delilah cut off your joy and here you go, blindness, chains and slave labor awaits you. Rejoice in the Lord and be exceedingly glad, if for no other reason than this is the day He made! Be blessed.

Seed for Nov 13

Unfortunately many people spend most of their Christian lives trying to "stay" saved. When real Christian living is walking and living in the Spirit. Most religion describes Christian living as keeping rules, when in reality the opposite is true. We are just living out the life of Christ within. When we learn how to walk in love and grace it takes the "struggle" out of the Christian life. If you find yourself "trying" to be a Christian, or "trying" to "act" like "Christ," then someone has bewitched you into believing it is something you can do. It is nothing that we do, other than present ourselves to Him, for Him to live out and express Himself in us. If you are struggling, you are doing it wrong. He said His burden is light and yoke easy. Religion (religious laws) is a hard taskmaster. Resting in Him is allowing Him to live in you. And it is a restful life! Be blessed.

Seed for Nov 12

There is nothing to compare with true joy in Elohim. The Scripture declares that "in His presence is fulness of joy." That one statement shows us where the fountain of joy originates; and also explains why most believers have happiness (which depends upon outward circumstances) rather than joy (which comes from inward peace). Most believers never spend any time in the presence of Elohim. They rely, instead, on an academic understanding of having been "saved," and allow that belief system to provide what passes for joy. It isn't joy, however, which is why it fluctuates in their experience. True joy does not fluctuate, for its source is unchanging.

Grace and peace, and thanks for today's seed.

Dana

Seed for Nov 10

Our experience in Christ is a living relationship. We are to grow in grace and knowledge. We are to grow up into Him in all things. We are to no longer be children, but to come to full stature in Christ. All these admonitions from the Word tell us that our relationship is like that of a child to adult relationship. We start out as infants, and are to progress to Heirship. As long as we are infants in the Lord, we are like servants. But the goal is to become Him in the earth. The actual manifestation of His Body, the manifestation of His presence to a dark and dying world is our the goal. Listen to Paul, "Let this same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God..." That is a profound thought. Let that mind be in you that was in Christ. Who made no show of His flesh, but plainly and simply manifested God to the people. He was the living Word. What a great responsibility we have, to manifest the invisible God and His Word to the people. Be blessed.

Seed for Nov 7

The Bible speaks of a people that will "ever learn" but never be able to find the Truth. You go to this Church or that Church, this denomination or that denomination and hear them say "We have the Truth," as if their religion has copyright on Truth. "Our doctrine is the Truth, we have discovered the Truth and to have Truth you must worship here" and on and on go the sayings. For this reason we have over 400 denominations in America all claiming to have the Truth and many claiming to be the only ones with the "Truth."

Let me say loud and clear right here, "Jesus is the Truth," not our pet doctrines, or biblical understanding of some passage, or denominational linage, but Jesus! Only Jesus is the Truth. If you have found anything else but Jesus, then you have not found the Truth. Don't let anyone bewitch you into believing any denomination has a "corner" on Truth. Don't let anyone bewitch you into believing their brand of religion is the only Truth around, and unless you are like them you don't have Truth. Jesus is the Truth the Way and the Life. He that has the Son has Life and he that has not the Son has not life. That verse said nothing about a brand of religion, or pet doctrine, or some other discovery, but he that has the Son!

I think we will all be surprised how many of us, who thought we had it right, really had it wrong! If it were not for the Real Truth, Jesus, and His grace and mercy, there is not a single person that would stand a chance. If you are not firmly planted upon the solid Rock of His word, then you don't have truth. He said I am the Truth. There is no other. Be blessed

Seed for Nov 6

What is our boast? In what do we put our confidence? It is easy to trust in our own ability, riches, brains, etc., but a Christian's boast should be in the Lord. We all know we are only one breathe from eternity, and there is not a one that can ransom his or her own life. But trusting in Him the source of all Life and Health and Healing is the walk of a Christian. We are to pray and then believe He is leading. More blessed are those that believe and have not seen! That is us! We are guided by the Unseen Hand. Our boast is in Him and not in what we can do. He is leading guiding us, and it is not within a man to direct his own steps. Everyday we live of the Tree of Life, our source. Everyday we walk in the Light of Him, for He is that shinning path growing brighter and brighter day by day. Trust in the Lord, lean all your weight upon Him. Cast your cares and burdens upon Him (the Ox) and enjoy the rest, peace and joy that comes from knowing, "My God can and will!".