Morning Devotions; Psalm 107 :1-16

Late Spring Flowers at the Toy Box SubUrban Farm in Everett, Wa

So far this week we have looked at Joshua chapter 9 and Psalm 15 in our morning devotions. Both of these passages testify of our need to trust the Almighty with all that we are and to not make our own plans or path that we think will work best in this world. Just in case I have given the impression that mistakes in judgment or lifestyle will disqualify us from the Kingdom of God, let me show you Psalm 107.

Psalm 107:1-2 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary nasu

 
Lift up your hands in thanksgiving to the Almighty because of his goodness to those He has redeemed! Yes, we make mistakes that dishonor Him; yes we try to operate in our own power instead of his. It doesn’t always end in disaster but it never brings him glory. But the Almighty is good. The word lovingkindness is from the Hebrew word CHECED. The Greeks translated CHECED into their word which has been translated “grace” in English. The Grace of the Almighty is everlasting-eternal.
 
Do you get the sense that you have made such a mess of things that there is no possible way to untangle the web you are caught in? The Almighty’s love for you is eternal, it is powered by his grace, his lovingkindness for you, he knows who you are, where you have been, all of your experiences, but most importantly, he sees who you will be and is guiding you that way on an unbreakable path.

Psalm 107:6-8 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses.  He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city (The New Jerusalem in the Kingdom of God). Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!

 
The Almighty loves you. He will not force himself into your life, nor will he turn you into some kind of flesh covered robot. You are you and he created you just as who you are. But like the silver he refines (remember Psalm 12?) he will turn up the heat in your life to remove the impurities and cause you to shine for Him. Call out to Him and he WILL deliver you!
 
We have an Americanism, we say, “Stay the course.” It means stick to the path (The Way) even when things seem difficult or wrong. Trust the One who set you on the path and do not give up or try to find your own way, it will end in disaster! “Stay the course.” Thank the Almighty for His Lovingkindness.

Psalm 107:10-15 There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in misery and chains, because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore He humbled their heart with labor; they stumbled and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!

 
What if you have just flat out rebelled against the word of God? (Remember Y’shua Jesus is the Word of God made flesh). Are you doomed? Will you always be 2nd class? Useless? Condemned to a miserable life at the service of someone else?
 
Rebels who reject the Word of the Almighty may well find themselves in the misery of a humbling circumstance or life. He will let you go your own way, but he never takes his eyes off of you, like the Father of the Prodigal Son, he is ever watching, ever listening for your cry of help, ever hoping you “come to your senses”

Luke 15:17-24 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!  'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men." So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate. 

 
Why do we sin? Why do we do what we know is wrong? It is actually sort of fun and exciting for a while. The devil would have no tool to capture us if sin was not sweet for a season. It never stays that way. The prodigal son wanted to live a life of pleasure or he would never have left his father in the first place. He had his fun with his friends, but it did not last. He inevitably came to poverty and ruin after sin stole all that he had. My question isn’t why he left the father to live a wild life of pleasure, my question is, “Why was he allowed to come back?” Really what I want to know is if there is a way for me to come back after I have proven myself to be so unworthy. The best the prodigal thought he could hope for was to serve his father as a slave and at least fill himself with the good bread of the servants of his father. Why did the Father take this stupid child back?

Psalm 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary

 
Look back at verse 2 of Psalm 107. Who are the Redeemed?
 
Most of us know the story of Ruth. Boaz was her kinsman-redeemer. He bought her out of poverty, he paid the debt that allowed her to have her inheritance, he made her fruitful. She wasn’t even Jewish, but when she chose to serve the God of Naomi, when she crossed her spiritual waters and was therefore baptized into the people of Messiah, she became a Hebrew with an inheritance in The Land. Like the prodigal son, she had no idea that there could be more for her then mere survival in the Land of the People of the Almighty, and that was enough for her. But she was precious to the Almighty.
 
Boaz paid her debt. He ransomed her from the enemy of souls. She would never again be anyones slave, she would be a wife, a co-heir. Boaz, her kinsman redeemer would defend her, he would bring revenge to any who would do her harm. He would be closer than a brother, he loved her. Like Ruth, like the Prodigal Son, The Father loves us. Y’shua is our kinsman redeemer who has paid our debt and defends and avenges our life with his own. His inheritance is our inheritance, when we “come to our senses” and turn with humility toward the Father, the Almighty.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Psalm 107:1

Mrs. Hagerty, December 16, 2015

Morning Devotions; Psalm 30

Dedication: the quality of being devoted or committed to something.

Be sure to read today's passage before you start reading  the rest of the essay.

The simple meaning of Chanukkah is Dedication. What is it that is being dedicated? The original Chanukkah-dedication was the alter in the temple on Zion. The history we have been given is that a Greek conquer, Antiochus Epiphanes, whose name means “God (Zeus) Manifest” conquered The Land of Israel. He defiled (to make the holy place unfit for worship of the Almighty) the temple of YHVH (the LORD) by putting a statue of Zeus in it and sacrificing pigs on the altar of the Almighty. Pigs are completely unacceptable to the Almighty. The temple light went out.  
Antiochus Epiphanes required his conquered people to worship him by sacrificing pigs on YHVH’s alter in the temple. To the Hebrews the blood of swine (pigs) is an abomination (something horrible, shameful and immoral—disgusting!). Antiochus gave the Hebrews a choice to test their dedication to YHVH. Sacrifice a pig on the Alter or he would sacrifice them. Very quickly it was clear how deep the Hebrew dedication to YHVH went. They brought pigs to the temple instead of lambs. They would live and learn to worship God in a way that allowed them to live.
 
At that time there was a man, a priest of the Almighty, by the name of Mattathias who fought for his LORD. He offered Israel another option. Sacrifice a pig on the altar of the LORD and he would cause your blood to flow in the temple. He took a stand for the Almighty and the LORD brought him victory against the mighty Greek conquerors. One person took a stand for the Almighty and won an impossible battle. The story of Channakah is not about war, but about the dedication of the Alter of the Almighty. Why the Altar? Why not the victory? What is so special about the Altar?
 
Throughout the history of believers in the Almighty, men have built altars. Noah built the first one that we know about. Abraham and his son built many altars. Joshua is also famous for building altars. Why did they do that instead of simply kneeling down to worship the Almighty?
 
An altar is a place people come to worship. They have communion with the Almighty. We have come to think of communion as a time of drinking a sip of wine and eating a crumb of chalky stuff we call bread; but communion means a time of intimacy with YHVH. It is a time to remember the covenant we have with Him, a time to repent of our sin (breaking or going astray from the covenant). The altar is where we rightly approach the Almighty, repentant of our sin, with a proper sacrifice according to the covenant we have with Him. The fire at the altar represents the eternal flame of the Almighty. A proper sacrifice is slaughtered on the Altar, the blood atones (pays the price and makes right for sin we have committed) and the ashes of the burnt offering rises in smoke to the Almighty as a pleasing aroma, the scent of a believers commitment to Him.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;  and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.  Ephesians 5:1-2 nasu

 The great news about Chanukkah is that no matter how polluted and dirty you become in life, you can take a stand, repent, and come back to the Almighty.  King David built a house for YHVH, we call it the Temple. We are now the Temple of the Almighty. Y’shua-Jesus lives in the hearts of believers. The Altar we worship at is in our heart. Y’shua is our sacrifice, our offering and our Way to the Almighty. Chanukkah is a season of dedicating our self to the Almighty in Y’shua. A time to take a stand against the world and it’s ways and to follow the Son of the Almighty who loved us and gave himself for us.

who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Titus 2:14

 Celebrate your dedication to the Almighty, a beautiful and precious gift, a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1-2) to the Almighty. Dedicate your life to living life His Way, according to the covenant Y’shua gave his life for. You will be a light in this dark world, a flame that will draw others to the love of Messiah!

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child  born of Him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.  1 John 5:1-4

Mrs. Hagerty, December 11, 2015

Morning Devotions: Hebrews 13:5-21

Remember to read today's passage before you start.

The Almighty said it to Moses. Moses told the Children of Israel,

"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."  Deuteronomy 31:6  nasu

 
Before he died, Moses told Joshua;

"The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."  Deuteronomy 31:8

 The Almighty himself spoke to Joshua and said,

"No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Joshua 1:5 

 Y’shua-Jesus told the disciples (and if you are his disciple then this is also for you)

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, " All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

He is always with us. Let that sink in for a moment.
 
Whatever you are doing right this moment, He is with you. How does that make you feel about whatever it is you are doing in this moment? I hope it makes you feel confident.
 
From today’s passage we read,

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," (Joshua 1:5) so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?" (Psalm 118:6) Hebrews 13:5-6

 The winter holidays can be a difficult time to “keep your character free from the love of money, being content…” This is the season that every manufacturer and store in the country encourages you to be discontent with what you have. The television is giving a message to your parents (or children) that love is about what WE spend money on for THEM. The truth is, everyone from manufactures to advertisers to store owners love getting your money. They will make and sell whatever they believe they can get you to lust after. Lust is strong in us. It is fun getting and giving gifts, but honestly, it isn’t love. Fun is fine. Love is far greater.
 
Why are we called to “be content”? …THE LORD IS MY HELPER… is a pretty passage to think on. It is also a bad translation. The word translated “helper” and the words translated “to me” are the exact same Hebrew word. It is spelled with two Hebrew letters, “Lamed” (we get our letter L from Lamed) which is a picture of a shepherd-teacher, the one who guides us. The second letter is “Yod” (we get our letter y from Yod) and pictures a hand that guides. These letters make the Hebrew word LIY which is a prefix, but not a normal kind of prefix to a word. Whatever word follows LIY is permanently attached to you and the Shepherd of souls who guides us (his flock) Psalm 18:6 tells us that because of the shepherds hands, being afraid does not need to be part of our life. Psalm 56:3 makes a confident statement, “whenever I am afraid I will trust in You (the Almighty).” It does not say that we will never be in circumstances where we are tempted to be afraid, it just says, when I am afraid I will trust in the Almighty.
 
WHAT SHALL MAN DO TO ME? Because of the Almighty’s permanent attachment to us we do not need to fear.

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 

Are you able to live content with what you have in this world? It is more difficult than you might think. “I need that, I want this” are thoughts that cross too easily through my heart. I have everything I need in Messiah, he even gives me the desires of my heart. My desire is not for stuff (that is lust), my desire is for him and whatever he calls me to do. I am 58 years old and sometimes I still get desire and lust mixed up. It helps me to be actively content through the practice of Thanksgiving to the Almighty. I never have to “make due” because I am mighty in Him!
 
Finally,

Hebrews 13:13-16 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.  For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.  Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

 “Praise the Almighty!” Give thanks, do good and give. In the world but not of it. Honestly, He walks with you, guiding you through this world to the eternal life. Be not afraid. Happy Holidays!
Mrs. Hagerty, December 4, 2015

Morning Devotions; Romans 8:16-39

What is our biggest weakness? It is not assurance of Salvation (Y’shua means Salvation). If we know we are born again then we have two witnesses to confirm it. (Deuteronomy 19:15).

Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or sin that he commits; by the moth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. nkj (quoted by Y’shua in Matthew 18:16 and by Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:1)

Believers have those witnesses. Do you have those witnesses? One of those witnesses is the Spirit of the Almighty living in you. What is the other? Do you suffer with Y’shua? 

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God   Romans 8:16 , nkj

Our biggest weakness is that we do not know how to pray like we should. It is my weakness, it is probably yours as well. But the same Spirit that testifies that we are Children of the Almighty also intercedes for us while we stumble about trying to pray. When we are hurt or suffering from a trauma it is difficult to think, it is even harder to pray. To suffer means “to experience pain as one”. That is a good indication that you are a child of the Almighty. Suffering is not your lot in life, it is just your experience while waiting for the return of Y’shua-Jesus. His glory will be your glory, which Paul assures us is worth waiting for.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Romans 8:26 

We do not know how to pray as we should. We want relief from suffering. Even Y’shua asked that the cup of suffering be removed from Him, but asked that the Fathers will, not his desire, be accomplished. It is that way for us on a smaller scale.

Luke 22:41-43 And He (Y’shua) withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."  Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.  nasu

The Almighty has predetermined that those of us He has called will be conformed to the image of His Son, Y’shua (Romans 8:29). It is the Almighty who will show the world that those He called are righteous (justified). It is the Almighty who will infuse the lives of his own with dignity and honor which will be celebrated (glorified). The Almighty is for us. Who is against us? (the battle is not against flesh and blood even when people are used as tools or weapons against us).

 
Who condemns us? You know that the purpose of Satan is to accuse believers of being unworthy. Sometimes even we believe his condemnation of us. Never forget! Y’shua paid the full price of our sin with his own blood! The penalty is paid in full! We are free and we are being conformed to something the accuser HATES. The image of our Messiah! Y’shua ha Meshach sits on the right hand side of the Almighty—the place of mercy! Not only does the Spirit intercede for us, so does Messiah! (Romans 8:26 and 34) Two witness who confirm who we really are. The voice of the accuser is loud and distracting, but he is only one. He is also a liar (John 8:44)!
 
Yes, we will suffer with Messiah. I say “with Messiah” instead of for Messiah because what we go through is with him not for him. He has assured us that he will never forsake us or leave us. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 28:20)

 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:36-39

The Almighty will not give up on us, …neither will the accuser. Stand firm. The Spirit who lives in you intercedes for you, Y’shua at the right hand, the side of mercy, intercedes for you. They see the big picture of your life. The accusations of the father of lies, the accuser of believers will never take our LORD by surprise with some zinger of a sin you have committed and cause the Almighty to turn his back on you. His love is perfect. All he needs to do is point to the blood, the victory that set you free. Stand firm beloved! The glory to come is greater than the tribulation the earth is about to go through!

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28 

Mrs. Hagerty, December 3, 2015

Morning Devotions; 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, is written as an acrostic in Hebrew. We loose that in both English and Greek, but in Hebrew Paul had a lesson for us to learn from the picture language of the Hebrew alphabet. 

For instance…. 
Aleph: the first Hebrew letter represents the mighty leader, it is the first letter for both man and love. People are primary in creation. Love is primary with the Almighty. In love the Almighty gave Adam something that the rest of creation does not have, he gave language. Animals can communicate, but only men have language. We can say any crazy thing we want with our gift of language but if we speak without the love (ahab) of the Almighty we are just an irritating noise to a world hungry for the love of YHVH (the LORD). 

  
Love is primary to a believer in Y’shua-Jesus. In this world we have freedom to use our natural gifts to pursue just about anything we want. We can “follow our hearts” down any path in life that we believe will make us happy and fulfilled. But if the love that is from the Spirit of Y’shua does not own and direct us on The Way (the path of righteous living for the Almighty) then whatever we think we have to say is no more then irritating background noise. Our greatest accomplishments in education (verse 2) amount to nothing without love. 

If I have the gift of  prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.        1 Corinthians 13:2 nasu

If it were true that all we needed to “go to heaven” was more good deeds then bad, so that we are motivated to give away our wealth to the hungry, or gave ourselves as a consecration offering to the Almighty (a burnt offering, or what we might refer to as a "suicide bombing"), thinking that our life is a fair trade-in for heaven, we will end up with nothing but filthy ashes. It is only Y’shua, living in our hearts because of his love covenant with us, that gives our life and sacrifices any value. 

  
According to verse 5, all of our accomplishments and self-effort tend to make us proud, arrogant. What we do in selfish effort is for our self, not for the love of the Almighty and the people he loves. We do what we do for our own ego which is easily crushed and made bitter. However the Love of the Almighty sets me free to rest in hope (not "hope so" but knowledge that eternal life is mine to live now and in the after-life) instead of spending my time trying to earn my way to paradise. I am humbled by the love gift of Y’shua-Jesus and walk His Way in His Love. I speak what I know to be truth, not for applause but for the love of the Almighty and for others. I keep speaking truth in love because the author of love will be coming soon and there is no time to waste! 

Love is patient, love is kind and  is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,  does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.                1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

For now…. We see our future dimly, so we walk by faith in the truth. We like evidence of faith but we know that the evidence we see is not the full picture of the great love to come. 
  
For now… we know the little bits about eternal life that will one day come together like a puzzle when Y’shua-Jesus returns for us. 
  
For now… it is enough that we are fully known by the Beloved who fully loves us. That my friends is the greatest thing about the believers life!

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.   1 Corinthians 13:12-13  

Mrs. Hagerty, December 2, 2015

Strongholds

In one way or another I have been involved with the Christian church and Christians since I was 22 years old (in addition to vacation bible schools and a short time in Jr. Choir as a child). I have been hearing about strong holds and strong men who must be bound again and again by believers who are convinced that they can stop the actions of the spirit world if only they are strong enough and clever enough to bind an unseen strong man in their life. I am not sure that is an effective way to be free.

During this school year I have been teaching my ladies the book of Joshua. I think that I am the one doing all the learning.

We love the story of Rahab who lived in the most dangerous place in the city, the wall that would come down; but the Almighty kept her alive and not only put her into the community of Israel but into the line of their Messiah.

After Jericho, Joshua sent spies to little Ai, attacking that village as recommended by the counsel of his men. What a disaster! Dear friends and family members were struck down as the "IDF" of that day fled in humiliation. Joshua's response was to throw himself on the ground before the ark and whine as his parents probably did in the wilderness. Even so, the Almighty spoke to him. He was given direction by the LORD on how Ai would be taken. Half of Israel would attack and run as before. This time all of Ai would join in the fun and chase Israels army. Meanwhile, Joshua and his hidden soldiers would enter the city from behind and burn it to the ground. A pattern was begun.

Later, ambassadors from the Hivite's near by, mountain stronghold, of Gibeon came directly to Joshua acting as if they had come a very long way (with all the proper props) to make an unlawful treaty with Israel. The Hivites were a people the LORD instructed Israel to destroy, Joshua and the politicians of Israel did not consult the Almighty about the treaty, they simply enter into an agreement with men who represent a kingdom that is apparently far away. If Joshua had to run for office that year he would have lost. The general population was angry with Joshua for being deceived into this treaty.

...to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of YHVH, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3b 

Beauty for ashes It just so happens that the kings of five other cities were so angry with Gibon, that instead of attacking Israel, they attacked Gibon to punish them for their alliance with Joshua. This is where the idea of Strongholds and strong men comes in.

If I understand the teaching behind the story of Ai and the attack on Gibon, then the enemy must come out of his stronghold to be defeated. In their arrogance, all of Ai left the stronghold of their village to do what Jericho could not do, defeat Israel. Their stronghold was destroyed and they were "put to the sword" (killed). When Gibon was under attack from the five southern kings, they were able to hold out in their own strong hold. They were even able to get a messenger out of the city to ask Joshua to help them.

YHVH said to Joshua, " Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you." Joshua 10:8 nasu

Do no fear The Amorite armies (vs 6) had come in mass to punish Gibon. The word to Israel? Do not fear. Though they looked frightening, they were doomed. The strongmen had been drawn from their strongholds. Israel might have had to lay siege to each of their cities one by one. The losses to Israel would have probably been substantial. Instead the Almighty drew them from their strongholds and they were defeated.

"If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!   "But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.  Mark 3:26-27

I've always wondered, how can a strong man be bound in his own stronghold (house)? I doubt that he can. However if the Almighty draws him out of his stronghold, then he can be defeated and we who belong to the king and his kingdom can then occupy the stronghold. But it does not become our stronghold.

"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. Matthew 12:28-29 

The kingdom of the Almighty has come upon you. How do you know when that happens? When you are able to enter the strongman's stronghold. The squatters of the kingdom are cast out and we participate in their demise, not coveting their friendship, there pleas for peace or their luxuries. We are all about YHVH and his Word made flesh, Y'shua our Messiah.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

The LORD-YHVH is for us! We struggle and fuss about things that we perceive as strongholds in our life. Nothing changes. We lay siege to the walls of those strongholds and are shot with the fiery darts of our enemy. We listen to preachers tell us how to deal with stronghold, we gladly receive the teaching of our bible study leaders on how to defeat strongholds and nothing seems to happen. Only the Almighty is able to draw the strongman from the stronghold. He is helpless outside of his house. Do not fear, only be strong and courageous. The Strongman is defeated, not by our effort, but by the Almighty's. The day will come when you are given the privilege of cutting him down with the sword of Truth, the Word of God. Until then your fight will be as effective as Israel against Ai... the first time. So what are we to do? One of my top three life verses is Micah 6:8 which teaches me to live a just (Torah observant) life, to love mercy, toward others and toward yourself, and to walk (live) with humility before the Almighty. Your enemies are defeated at just the right time but right living starts right now.

There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. Joshua 10:14

The Almighty hears you when you pray and he fights for you. Stand firm in YHVH and in HIS strength, Stand firm against the schemes of the devil (don't fight him at his stronghold). Our battle is not against people, it is against the spirits of darkness. Stand firm in the full armor of YHVH! (Ephesians 6:10-20)

I love how Paul ends the chapter 6 of Ephesians (putting on the full armor of God). He asks us to remember him in his chains as he looks for open doors for the gospel... he is not bound even in chains and prison. It is the Strongman, the devil himself who is bound and defeated. We are to not be afraid but to stand firm.

Stand firm beloved
Mrs. Hagerty, January 5, 2016