We sometimes think that the world in which we live does not affect us. After all, aren't we Children of GOD Almighty? Don’t we read HIS Word on a daily basis? Are we not Faithful to Praise & Worship HIM? Don't we attend all of the local body gatherings? Don't we "go to church"?
Our delusions are quickly exposed as we continue seeking to deal with our own strongholds, our past and present hurts, old habits, new habits and even seeking to find a loophole to step outside of Holiness just to please those who remain in, and of, the world.
The world has forgotten YAHWEH, GOD Almighty. Have we unwittingly allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world? There is an old saying that The Church has less influence over the world because the world has more influence over The Church. Scary, I know!
When facing condemnation, we may even tell ourselves, "Do better and the guilt will go away!" But HIS Word teaches us to look to HIM, and HIM Alone, so that guilt and shame may be washed away!
HIS Word tells us to look to JESUS The CHRIST’S Victory on Calvary. It says, know yourself to be in HIM and thus dead to sin! It says, "Abide in HIM and HE will abide in you!"
When feeling worthless, we may tell ourselves, "Be good!" The Word of GOD says to see JESUS The CHRIST and see HIS Righteousness imputed to you so that you measure up in every way in HIM and are of immeasurable value!
When tempted to give up and give in, we may tell ourselves, "Hang in there!" GOD Almighty teaches us to draw Strength, Guidance and Joy from HIM! From HIS HOLY GHOST which dwells in us!
Is your walk one that forgets HIM or HIS Word when it becomes inconvenient to "Walk In The Way"? Do you ever find yourself engaging in things that you know are wrong and you continue til you're done?
Have you learned to focus on the Victory that JESUS The CHRIST has already won and are you rejoicing in it? Do not allow yourself to fall victim of the enemy, this old world/peer pressure or of the lusts of your flesh! Do not allow yourself to find yourself wanting to be “liked” or wanting to be like anyone else. Stand out. Speak up.
Shine for The LORD and leave a lasting impression of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, on those who come into contact with you.
Heavenly FATHER, Thank YOU, for all of the many Blessings that YOU so generously pour out amongst each of us on a daily basis. Oh, we Praise YOU for the chance YOU grant us just to get closer to YOU each day that YOU allow us to remain here on this earth. Forgive us Oh LORD, for allowing this world and the worldly to influence us, our thinking, our habits, ways and even our emotional bond to the things of this world. For we actually know exactly what we do LORD and we beg YOUR Forgiveness. Please allow YOUR HOLY GHOST to lead us & guide our steps along this path YOU have planted our feet on. We Pray to YOU in The Holy and Precious Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.
Shabbat Shalom Beloved!
Reading Judges 7:1-25 this morning….
1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.
4 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. 7 And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” 8 So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
9 That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. 11 And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. 13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” 14 And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”
15 As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” 16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
Gideon Defeats Midian
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.
24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.
Our delusions are quickly exposed as we continue seeking to deal with our own strongholds, our past and present hurts, old habits, new habits and even seeking to find a loophole to step outside of Holiness just to please those who remain in, and of, the world.
The world has forgotten YAHWEH, GOD Almighty. Have we unwittingly allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world? There is an old saying that The Church has less influence over the world because the world has more influence over The Church. Scary, I know!
When facing condemnation, we may even tell ourselves, "Do better and the guilt will go away!" But HIS Word teaches us to look to HIM, and HIM Alone, so that guilt and shame may be washed away!
HIS Word tells us to look to JESUS The CHRIST’S Victory on Calvary. It says, know yourself to be in HIM and thus dead to sin! It says, "Abide in HIM and HE will abide in you!"
When feeling worthless, we may tell ourselves, "Be good!" The Word of GOD says to see JESUS The CHRIST and see HIS Righteousness imputed to you so that you measure up in every way in HIM and are of immeasurable value!
When tempted to give up and give in, we may tell ourselves, "Hang in there!" GOD Almighty teaches us to draw Strength, Guidance and Joy from HIM! From HIS HOLY GHOST which dwells in us!
Is your walk one that forgets HIM or HIS Word when it becomes inconvenient to "Walk In The Way"? Do you ever find yourself engaging in things that you know are wrong and you continue til you're done?
Have you learned to focus on the Victory that JESUS The CHRIST has already won and are you rejoicing in it? Do not allow yourself to fall victim of the enemy, this old world/peer pressure or of the lusts of your flesh! Do not allow yourself to find yourself wanting to be “liked” or wanting to be like anyone else. Stand out. Speak up.
Shine for The LORD and leave a lasting impression of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST, on those who come into contact with you.
Heavenly FATHER, Thank YOU, for all of the many Blessings that YOU so generously pour out amongst each of us on a daily basis. Oh, we Praise YOU for the chance YOU grant us just to get closer to YOU each day that YOU allow us to remain here on this earth. Forgive us Oh LORD, for allowing this world and the worldly to influence us, our thinking, our habits, ways and even our emotional bond to the things of this world. For we actually know exactly what we do LORD and we beg YOUR Forgiveness. Please allow YOUR HOLY GHOST to lead us & guide our steps along this path YOU have planted our feet on. We Pray to YOU in The Holy and Precious Name of YESHUA, JESUS The CHRIST. Amen.
Shabbat Shalom Beloved!
Reading Judges 7:1-25 this morning….
1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.
4 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. 7 And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” 8 So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
9 That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. 11 And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. 13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” 14 And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”
15 As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” 16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
Gideon Defeats Midian
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.
24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.
