War

“Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God” -Deuteronomy 18:3

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48

“...Be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 20:1

Satan is our enemy and his army of demons! But know that God will go before us in this spiritual battlefield –for the battle is not ours but the LORD'S (1 Samuel 17:47, 2 Chronicles 20:15)!!!! As God was present in the physical war so also is He in the spiritual War!!!!

“...Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” Deuteronomy 20:3-4

“For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that He see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.” Deuteronomy 23:14

“But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

The Criminal and The Law

If someone breaks the law and they are sentenced to death, and someone dies in their place—does that now mean because they payed their debt in full that the criminal can say “Thank you!” and go break the law again? Or is it expected that when his debt is payed, he is to be thankful due to the other person, and expected to not break the law again? But to pursue the law? Is he not expected to follow,  to pursue after it--the foundation of the nation in which he lives?

Even so with us according to God's law. We don't have the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) but we are to walk in the law (Romans 8:4), Not commit the crime again (The reason why Jesus died--to save us from our lawlessness). But in His Strength keep it as we ought. His Law is the foundation of the New Testament. Every Word Jesus spoke was Torah.

Beauty For God: Purity

Read Exodus 37:2. A layer of gold was placed on the outside of the Ark of the Covenant, but why did the inside of the Ark have to be layered with gold also? The explanation is symbolic to us—a person's outward appearance must be an accurate reflection of their inside as well.

“The Hebrew word for face -- 'paneem,' is nearly identical to the Hebrew word for interior -- 'p'nim' This teaches that the face we present must reflect our insides. Contrast this with the English word 'face,' which shares its origins with 'facade,' meaning a deceptive appearance.”

Dressing appropriately on the outside is the reflection of what's on the inside. Either it will show forth that the temple has been invaded with things it ought not, or it will be a temple of the Most High—inside and out, just like the Ark of the Covenant. It was of pure gold inside and out—I stress the word “and”. So many only focus on the outside and don't invest in the inside--the true and real beauty. Then there are those that only focus on the inside and don't consider the fact that God wants us to be beautiful and pure on the outside as well.

The Ark of the Covenant was both very beautiful and very pure on the inside and the out. The inside matters most, but if God didn't care about outer appearance why was it important for Him that the Ark (which would be in the Most Holy place within the Holy Tabernacle), be layered in gold inside and out? An inanimate object was to be covered in this beauty and purity inside and out--so how much more us?

Be pure—you represent God, your Father. Purity is Beauty for Purity is God. So Purity on the outside should be just as pure as it should be on the inside. Be layered with spiritual gold as the Ark was also was reflecting what was on the inside. Be pure. Clean on the inside for God and clean on the outside for God. We are His temple and examples to the world in every word that we say, in every thing that we wear, in how we behave, in everything that we do we are His temple and an example for others.

Either we are a defiled or purified temple. Corrupted or Sanctified example.

We are an example to the children of this world (either a defiled example or a purified example). Choose this day who you will serve; for who you serve reflects the temples beauty (purity and cleanness to God) or it reflects the ugliness of the temple—being defiled, messy and unclean unto the world (thus it fits the worlds standards but not that of God's Holy Word [for both men and women]).

It doesn't matter if we claim Christ, our fruits will show who we really serve. Glorify God in all things (1 Corinthians 10:31) and in your body as well, for you are His temple inside and out  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Yahshua also glorified His Father in all things—inside and outside of His body, what a holy example for us!

“For ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” 1 Corinthians 6:20

Beware Lest We Forget: Keep Your Heart Set In God Only

“Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve Him...” Deuteronomy. 6:12-13 

This was speaking of all the goodness God would bless His people with when they come into the promised land, and to beware lest they forget Yahweh. To this day we are to take heed to this Scripture. When we have been greatly blessed by Yahweh our God, let our hearts not be set on it (Psalm 62:10, Proverb 23:5), whatever blessings it may be. Focus on the Yahweh who created you and gave you all these things. Don't focus on these things and forget the Yahweh.

Also, if we focus on them they become idols in our hearts. Never let them become idols in your heart; honor, fear, desire, and love God FAR ABOVE all else. Never ever forget Him.

 Fear the Yahweh, remember Him and serve Him. Set your heart on Him and not on His blessings. Thank Him for the blessings and be humble, but never set your heart after materials. Never forget thy God which brought thee out of the spiritual land of Egypt with a mighty hand and by a stretchered out arm (Deuteronomy 5:15) through Yahshua--Jesus. Surely with a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm did Yahshua free us on the tree on which He died (and praise be to God-- He was risen the third day).  Do not forget who the Yahweh thy God is! Fear Him, keep His commandments. Serve Him only. Set your affection and your heart on Him only and Go after Him. Pursue Him with all your heart and soul. Read Deuteronomy 4:29. Pursue Him, and you will find Him. Pursue Him and get deeper in His Holy Presence.

“And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 6:24 all His commands are Just, so keeping it is doing Justice! He is Just and Holy! HalleluYah! In Yahshua's Holy Name Amen! :) :) :)

Know That He IS With You!

Sometimes we will to go through moments in our lives where we feel there is just no sunlight at all. Where there's only clouds blocking the warmth of the sunlight and the beauty of it's light from coming in. Where it's a moment in our lives where there's darkness. There's two things to do in a moment like this: Believe and know that the God IS there! He IS with us! Or to believe what we see: the dark clouds covering any light coming in for our eyes to see. But let me ask: When the sun doesn't shine in our physical world and all we see that day are clouds and it's kind of dark even in the morning because there's no sunlight, we can be sure that the sun is still out there giving us light so we would be able to see, right? We can't really see the sun too much but we know without a doubt it's there. So why are we so little in our faith with God?

Know we not that He said He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 3:18)? Know we not our Father? Why can we be sure that the sun is out even if we don't see it's light, yet we doubt God is with us when we go through tribulation or/and persecution? Know we not that God, that He is still there? God comes and we see His Light through His Son Yahshua. Yah tells us not to be afraid, that He is there and to trust Him—believe He is with us. Know He is with us.

No matter what we see or face, He is there and we must believe He is, because it is written that He will never leave us or forsake us. We must look at the face of our problems and be as David was with Goliath and have faith in Yahweh for He is with us as He was with David. And when we are tried in our faith and we can't see Him, it doesn't mean He's not there. When clouds cover the moon or the sun that we cannot see it, we know no matter how dark and thick the clouds may be--the sun and the moon are still there. Even so we must know and believe what God has said, and that is He will never forsake us. Belief in Him cries out “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4!

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“And the LORD, He it is, that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

“Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a solider.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” Psalm 32:8

Desert

Why did the children of Israel stay in the desert longer than necessary? Because they didn't keep/obey God's commandments. Are we still in the desert longer than necessary? How long have we personally been roaming around in circles? Just as they, so with us--we stay longer when we disobey. It's time to come back to the LORD, circumcise our heart (Deuteronomy 10:16), and love/keep/obey God's commandments which are Life, a proof we do know and love Him, and brings blessings.

“All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do. One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD. One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.” Numbers 15:13-16

Modesty

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2

“That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;” 1 Thessalonians 4:4

“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7