The next video in our community series is up on Youtube! Also.. hint, hint, it is posted in the Communities to Clans Group! Come join us for discussion, ideas, etc...
The next video in a series as we share our journey as a fledgling community. Lessons learned, thoughts, how we are doing what we do, etc...
Today's Poem: What shall I Render?
And did the Holy and the Just
The Sovereign of the skies
Stoop down to wretchedness and dust
That sinners lost might rise
Yes, the Redeemer left His throne
His radiant throne on high
Surprising mercy, love unknown
To suffer, bleed and die
He took the dying traitor’s place
And suffered in his stead
For man, O miracle of grace
For man the Saviour bled
Jesus, my soul adoring bends
To love so full, so free
And may I hope that love extends
It’s saving power to me
What glad return can I impart
For favours so divine?
O take my all – this worthless heart
And make it only Thine
PRAYERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT --- PART 2
O YAHVEH, whose eternal providence has embarked our souls in our bodies, not to expect any port of anchorage on the sea of this world, to steer directly through it to Your glorious Kingdom, preserve us from the dangers that on all sides assault us and keep our affections still fitly disposed to receive Your Holy inspirations, that being carried strongly forward by Ruach HaKodesh we may happily arrive at last in the haven of eternal salvation, through our Adonai Yeshua HaMashiach. (Exodus 14).
May the strength of YAHVEH pilot us? May the power of YAHVEH preserve us? May the wisdom of YAHVEH instruct us? May the hand of YAHVEH protect us? May the way of YAHVEH direct us? May the shield of YAHVEH defend us? (Exodus 19).
Grant me O Adonai, to know that which is worth knowing, to love that which is worth loving, to praise that which pleases You most and to esteem highly that which is precious to You. (Exodus 25).
O Eternal Light shine in our hearts; O Eternal Goodness delivers us from evil; O Eternal Power be our support; O Eternal Wisdom scatters our darkness; O Eternal Pity have mercy upon us, that with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. We may seek Your face and be brought by Your infinite mercy to Your Holy presence, through Yeshua HaMashiach our Adonai. (Exodus 34).
I need You to teach me day by day, according to each day’s opportunities and needs. Give me O my Adonai, that purity of conscience which alone can receive, which alone can improve Your inspiration. My ears are dull, so that I cannot hear Your voice. My eyes are dim, so that I cannot see Your gifts. You alone can quicken my hearing and purge my sight and cleanse and renew my heart. Teach me to sit at Your feet and to hear Your Word. (Leviticus 6).
Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, we have offended against Thy Holy Laws, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. But Thou O Adonai, have mercy upon us, spare thou those who confess their faults, restore thou those who are penitent, according to Thy promises declared unto mankind. In Yeshua HaMashiach our Adonai; And grant, O most merciful Father, for His sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous and sober life, to the glory of Thy Holy Name. (Leviticus 16).
Grant us we pray, almighty and most merciful YAHVEH, fervently to desire, wisely to search out and perfectly to fulfil all that is well-pleasing to You this day. Order our worldly condition to the glory of Your Name; and, of all that You require us to do, grant us the knowledge, the desire and the ability, that we may so fulfil it as we ought; and may our path to You, we pray, be safe, straightforward and perfect to the end. (Leviticus 19).
Adonai, give us hearts never to forget Your love; but to remain there whatever we do, whether we sleep or wake, live or die or rise again to the life that is to come. For Your love is eternal life and everlasting rest; for this is life eternal to know You and Your infinite goodness. O let it’s flame never be quenched in our hearts; let it grow and brighten, till our whole souls are glowing and shining with its light and warmth. (Leviticus 25).
Almighty YAHVEH; You have made all things for us and us for Your glory. Sanctify our body and soul, our thoughts and our intentions, our words and actions that whatsoever we shall think speak or do. May by us be designed for the glorification of Your Name. And let no pride or self-seeking, no impure motive or unworthy praise, no little ends or low imagination stain our spirit, or profane any of our words and actions. But let our body be a servant to our spirit and both body and spirit servants of Yeshua HaMashiach. (Numbers 3).
Bless all who worship You, from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same. Of Your goodness, give us; with Your love, inspire us; by Your Spirit, guide us; by Your power, protect us; in Your mercy, receive us now and always. (Numbers 6).
Behold a company of guilty supplicants at Your footstool. O YAHVEH of all grace, work in us to will and to do Your good pleasure. Transform our being so that we may be the joy of many generations. Our understandings are darkened. Our heart is a heart of stone. Our very conscience also is defiled. Our affections are earthly and sensual. Open the eyes of our understanding. Purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living YAHVEH. Set our affections on things that are above. As He who has called us is Holy, so may we also be Holy in all manner of conversation and godliness. To the only wise YAHVEH, our Saviour, be glory and Majesty, forever and ever. (Numbers 21).
Ok, so we named a men's ministry for our house church...now what??!?!
Truthfully, I am not 100% sure where to go next, so I will share what is on my heart and hopefully it will resonate. Since the moment I became a follower of Messiah I knew I wanted to find other men who also believed in Him for their salvation. Together we would go out as a band of brothers and reach other men who also needed to be saved. Before Christ, I had brothers who I would go to war with, who carried me when I was injured, who comforter me when I grieved and celebrated with me in victory. But those men also marched happily with me towards eternal damnation. Since become a disciple of Christ, most of the time I have felt very alone. I miss my brotherhood. I miss my brothers, but they rejected me after my conversion. They treated me as if I betrayed them, and perhaps I did. I was a mercernany of death and now I am a servant of Yeshua, the Christ, the would not come where I was going and I could no longer go with them on their journey. So I have been alone. So I am seeking a bortherhood. Men who know the Truth of our Savior and desire to serve Him. Men who want to lead their homes, encourage other men to come to the Light and to lead their families and communities to salvation.
What are the Sons of Thunder supposed to be?
In Exodus 19, the nation of Israel has been set free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt and they now come to Mount Sinai, in the wilderness. The encamp at the base of the mountain, and will hear of God's great love and care for them. Here in the wilderness, the LORD will tell of their destiny, His promise, and call them to be a priesthood for and to Him. It is here that they are called to be HOLY as their God, YHVH is HOLY. I have always been excited that our Savior, Yeshua/Jesus called the apostles John and his brother James, "Sons of Thunder." They were young, passionate, zealous, and willing to follow Christ whereever he went.
These men would one die for their faith in Christ. James, the elder, was said to have been beheaded in Jerusalem. John, the younger, the author of the Gospel and letters, including the Revelation of Jesus Christ, We know that the apostle John was exiled for his faith late in life (Revelation 1:9). The Bible does not give us details on how the apostle John died, but tradition gives us a few theories. The most plausible theory of John’s death states that John was arrested in Ephesus and faced martyrdom when his enemies threw him in a huge basin of boiling oil. However, according to the tradition, John was miraculously delivered from death. The authorities then sentenced John to slave labor in the mines of Patmos. On this island in the southern part of the Aegean Sea, John had a vision of Jesus Christ and wrote the prophetic book of Revelation. The apostle John was later freed, possibly due to old age, and he returned to what is now Turkey. He died as an old man sometime after AD 98, the only apostle to die peacefully.
So Who Are the Sons of Thunder?
My hope is that we would become brothers who would encourage one another to be Holy. Me who would be light in the darkness, gathering others by advancing the Gospel through the Great Commission.
That we would make our voices heard. Speaking truth in love and acting in righteous deeds.
Just as the mountain shook at the sound of thunder when the LORD spoke causing Israel to tremble in fear and awe of the LORD, so too must we act as Disciples of Christ.
I can't help but think of nature when this comes up. Lightning strikes and then the thunder sounds.
Yeshua, the Light of the world has come first and now it is time for us, the Sons of Thunder to make some noise!
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Hi, Chag Sukkot Sameach. I was blessed to visit friends on Moday and Yesterday to sit and eat in their sukkah, but living in a first floor flat myself, with not even a balcony, I can only build a sukkah out of Lego. Here are pictures of my attempt this year. In the 2nd picture is the best I had in my available bricks for a lulav, bread [a croissant!!] and wine [we'll pretend the wine has been drunk and just the empty glass is left.]
Hope everyone is having a blessed time.
Hi, Chag Sukkot Sameach. I was blessed to visit friends on Moday and Yesterday to sit and eat in their sukkah, but living in a first floor flat myself, with not even a balcony, I can only build a sukkah out of Lego. Here are pictures of my attempt this year. In the 2nd picture is the best I had in my available bricks for a lulav, bread [a croissant!!] and wine [we'll pretend the wine has been drunk and just the empty glass is left.]
Hope everyone is having a blessed time.
Hi, Chag Sukkot Sameach. I was blessed to visit friends on Moday and Yesterday to sit and eat in their sukkah, but living in a first floor flat myself, with not even a balcony, I can only build a sukkah out of Lego. Here are pictures of my attempt this year. In the 2nd picture is the best I had in my available bricks for a lulav, bread [a croissant!!] and wine [we'll pretend the wine has been drunk and just the empty glass is left.]
Hope everyone is having a blessed time.
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