Month: January 2021

The Faithful God El Emunah

Moses’ second sermon begins in
chapter 5 and extends thru chap 26.
He opens with a reputation of the
Ten Commandments (hence the
name Deuteronomy – second law)
and exhorts the people to obey
the Lord from a heart of love,
to teach their children obedience
and to be careful not to forget the
Lord in times of prosperity. Victory
over the pagan occupants of Canaan
is assured as long as the people
faithfully obey God’s commands.
They will prevail, not because of
their strength, but because of
their Faithful all-conquering God.

All Praise be to El Emunah:
The Lord your God has chosen
you to be a people for Himself…
The Lord did not… choose you
because you were more in number
than any other people, for you
were the least of all peoples…
It was because the Lord loved you
and kept the oath He swore to
your forefathers that He brought
you out with a mighty hand and
redeemed you from the land of
slavery, from the power of Pharaoh
king of Egypt. Know therefore
that the Lord your God is God;
He is the faithful God El Emunah
who keeps covenant (Deut 7:6-9)

El Emunah, we adore You for the
faithfulness You show to us even
when we are unfaithful to You.
We praise You for Your covenant
of loving kindness and faithfulness.
We thank You Lord for recording
Your Word for us so that through endurance, the encouragement
of scriptures and of Your Spirit,
we might have hope. In Jesus’ name.

El Emunah, Your faithfulness
reminds me that I’m not always
faithful to You. Although I have
a heart to be faithful to You,
situations arise that evoke fears
and doubt, tempting me to make
choices of self-preservation
and selfishness. And so I confess
that I’m not fully faithful to You
Lord and to those around me.

El Emunah, remind us again and
again of Your faithfulness so that
we will grow to be more like You.
Strengthen the resolve in our
spirit to believe You are indeed
El Emunah for You’re faithful;
for You can’t make promises
You can’t keep for You can’t lie.
So we wait patiently upon Your
word for delay is not denial. And
Your promises shall come to pass at
the appointed time. In Jesus’ name.

Restoring our Worship of God

Backgrounder: Years after the
restoration from exile, the spiritual
conditn of God’s pple deteriorated
Again they lapsed into the same
sins that brought about captivity.
They tithe sporadically, ignore
the Sabbath and intermarry with
unbelievers. Their hearts have
grown hard and their love for God
has grown cold, yet Malachi comes
to remind the people of God’s love
for them. Malachi’ final warning
about the purifying Day of the Lord
marks the close of the OT period.

The Jews had not learned the lesson
of the exile nor had they listened
to the prophets. God deserves
our very best honour, respect
and faithfulness. But sin hardens
our hearts to our true condition.
Pride is unwarranted self-esteem;
it’s setting your own judgment above
God’s and looking down on others.
Lord, we’ll Offer Living Sacrifice;
Lord, we’ll Choose to Be Holy; and
Lord, we’ll Purpose to Fear You.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, we’ll offer Living Sacrifice:
You have despised My name by
offering defiled sacrifices on my
altar. Isn’t it wrong to offer animals
that are crippled and diseased?
Try giving gifts like that to your
governor and see how pleased
he is…How I wish one of you would
shut the temple doors so that
these worthless sacrifices could
not be offered! I am not pleased
with you, says the Lord (Mal 1:6-10)
Lord Jesus, we are grateful for
Your sacrificial death on the
cross to atone for all our sins.
In deep appreciation, we will not
give You God our leftover time,
energy and resource. But instead
we will give ourselves to You
God as Living Sacrifices as our
offerings of love & gratitude. Amen.

Lord, we will choose to Be Holy:
Who can endure the day of His
coming? And who can stand
when He appears? For He is like
a Refiner’s Fire… He will sit as
a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
and purge them as gold (Mal 3:2-3)
Lord, Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy
Purify my heart, Cleanse me
from my sin Deep within
Refiner’s fire My heart’s
one desire Is to be holy
Set apart for You Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You My Master
Ready to do Your will. Amen.

Lord, we Purpose to Fear You:
For you who fear My name,
the Sun of Righteousness (Christ)
will rise with healing in his wings.
And you will go free, leaping with
joy like calves let out to pasture.
Then you will trample down the
wicked; they will be ashes under
the soles of your feet on the day
when I do these things, says the
Lord Almighty (Malachi 4:2-3).
Sun of Righteousness, help me remember that fear of the Lord
is the foundation of true knowledge
And regardless of how life looks now,
we know that You God controls the future and You will make things right.
Let this truth sink into our inner being
so that we’ll leap with joy. Amen.

Preparing Day of the Lord (Jan 30)

Zechariah closes his prophecy
with overview of events in store
for Israel “in that day”. Militarily,
God would destroy all nations that
comes against Jerusalem (12:9).
Spiritually, idols and false prophets
would be removed from the land
(13:2-3) and Jerusalem would
become the focus of worship (14:20)
Politically, the Lord would be King
over all the earth (14:9). In short,
every aspect of Israel’s national
life would reflect God’s authority
– an exciting prospect indeed !!

The Messiah will come both to
rescue people from their sin and
to reign as king. He will establish
His kingdom, conquer all His
enemies and rule over all the earth.
Lord, we submit to Your leadership
now even as we get ready for
the King’s triumphant return.
Lord, we’ll Flow with the Spirit;
Lord, we’ll Come for Cleansing; and
Lord, we’ll Prepare for Your Return.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, we will Flow with the Spirit:
On that day, the Lord will shield
those who live in Jerusalem, so that
the feeblest among them will be like
David… And I will pour out on the
house of David… a spirit of grace
and supplication (Zech 12:8-10).
Lord, we receive the prophecy that
in the last days the Holy Spirit will
be making supplications for us and
confirmed in Rom 8:27 that the
Spirit makes intercessions for the
saints according to the will of God.
In response, we purpose to separate
ourselves from the world and to
yield ourselves to the leading of
the Spirit. Meanwhile, we rest in
the Lord and wait patiently as the
Spirit prays within us according to
the will of God. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, we will Come for Cleansing:
On that day a fountain will be
opened for the dynasty of David
and for the people of Jerusalem,
a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity. On that day,
I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more, declares
the Lord Almighty. I will remove
both the prophets and the spirit of
impurity from the land (Zech 13:1-2)
Lord, thank You for such a great
salvation, including the forgiveness
for which You paid so great a price.
Thank You for opening up a fountain
of cleansing and inviting us to be
purged of sins. Cleanse away Lord
the sins that have left shameful
stains on the interior of our lives;
and make us pure again. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Prepare for Your Return:
And on that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem…
And the Lord shall be King over
the whole earth. On that day there
will be one Lord, and His name
the only name (Zechariah 14:8-9).
Lord, we don’t know when You
will return; but we know that You
want us to be ready at all times.
Lord, grant us the grace to put
You God first in all that we do and
all that we are. Help us be ready
by living according to Your Word
consistently and sharing the Gospel
to the lost. In Jesus’ precious name.

Knowing God through His Names

The purpose of Deuteronomy
is to remind the Jewish people of
what God had done and encourage
them to rededicate their lives to Him.
This week we understand God
better thru His revelation of Himself
of various names, mostly related to
His ability to meet needs of people.
On Monday, we learn from Deut 3
that our God is the God Who Rules.
On Tuesday, we learn from Deut 4
that our God is the Consuming Fire.
On Wednesday we learn from Deut 7
that our God is the Faithful God.
On Thursday, we learn from Deut 10
that our God is the God of gods.
On Friday, we learn from Deut 33
that our God is The Lord My Shield.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

The Lord My Shield (Jan 29)

With the covenant reestablished
and the nation poised at the
Jordan River, Moses completes
his duties as leader of God’s people.
He commissions Joshua as his
successor with a sober warning
of Israel’s future rebellion. In order
for the people to remember his
message of life, Moses records
his final words as a song & teaches
the melody and message to the
nation. After pronouncing blesssings
on each of the 12 tribes, Moses
climbs Mount Nebo for a final
glimpse of the Promised Land.

All Praise be to Jehovah Magen:
This is the blessing with which
Moses blessed the children
of Israel before his death:
The eternal God is your refuge, and
underneath are the everlasting arms..
Then Israel shall dwell in safety…
Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is
like you, a people saved by the
Lord (Jehovah) Who is the Shield
(Magen) of your help and the sword
of your majesty! Your enemies shall
submit to you (Deut 33:1, 27-29).

Lord Jehovah Magen, blessed is
Your name & Your ability to shield
Your people and to save. You bring
help when help is needed and bring
protection when it is requested.
Thank You Lord for the goodness
of Your protecting power and for
the greatness of Your strength.
Thank You Lord for offering Yourself
as the shield of my life. Amen.

Lord Jehovah Magen, forgive me
for running out from Your Shield,
for not putting You first in my life.
You say that if I will seek first
Your kingdom and righteousness,
all the things I need will be given
to me, including Your shield of
protection. Forgive me for stepping
out from Your covering and seeking
my own. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lord Jehovah Magen, shield me
from the attacks of the enemy.
He seeks to remove me from Your
will, harden my heart to Your love
and lure me into temptation and sin.
Restore to me a spirit of faith so that
I will look to Your shield in every way.
For I am a child of the King and
an heir to Your kingdom. And I ask
You Lord to be my shield from
anything that tries to get me to
believe differently. In Jesus’ name.

God of gods Elohei Haelohim

Moses continues his review of
Israel’s history as an illustration
to the people of God’s faithfulness
thru their 40 year wilderness trek.
God’s provision in the past provides
confidence for the future. He will
continue to do great things for
His people if they continue to walk
in obedience to Him. But if they are
disobedient, ignore His commands
and worship other gods, God will
judge their rebellion. The facts are
clear: If Israel loves and obeys God,
she will experience blessing. If she
disobeys, God’s judgment is sure.

Praise be to Elohei Haelohim:
Moses: What does the Lord your
God requires of you but to walk
in all His ways, to love and serve
Him with all your heart; and to
keep the commandments for
your good. Indeed the heavens
and the earth belong to the Lord.
Be stiff-necked no longer. For the
Lord your God is the God of gods
(Elohei Haelohim) and the Lord
of lords, the mighty and the
awesome God (Deut 10:12-17).

Elohei Haelohim, You are the God
of gods and the Lord of lords.
No one can force Your hand,
and You do not bend to pressure
from people. You rule according
to truth and Your righteousness.
You are the great and powerful
all-knowing God! And we praise
You for everything we enjoy comes
from You. In Jesus precious name.

Elohei Haelohim, You are higher than
any other for You are God of gods.
Forgive us for looking to idols –
those things were look to in place of You, when in need or facing a trial.
Forgive us for making our vocation
an idol, or status, or even recreation
or relationship. Have mercy upon
us and draw us close to You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Elohei Haelohim, reign and rule
over the difficult circumstances
of my life that seek to defeat me.
You are stronger than all, higher
than all and wiser than all. And
nothing is impossible with You.
My issues and trials are nothing
to You. Please let me see You
supremely represented in my life.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

The Faithful God El Emunah(Jan 27)

Moses’ second sermon begins in
chapter 5 and extends thru chap 26.
He opens with a reputation of the
Ten Commandments (hence the
name Deuteronomy – second law)
and exhorts the people to obey
the Lord from a heart of love,
to teach their children obedience
and to be careful not to forget the
Lord in times of prosperity. Victory
over the pagan occupants of Canaan
is assured as long as the people
faithfully obey God’s commands.
They will prevail, not because of
their strength, but because of
their Faithful all-conquering God.

All Praise be to El Emunah:
The Lord your God has chosen
you to be a people for Himself…
The Lord did not… choose you
because you were more in number
than any other people, for you
were the least of all peoples…
It was because the Lord loved you
and kept the oath He swore to
your forefathers that He brought
you out with a mighty hand and
redeemed you from the land of
slavery, from the power of Pharaoh
king of Egypt. Know therefore
that the Lord your God is God;
He is the faithful God El Emunah
who keeps covenant (Deut 7:6-9)

El Emunah, we adore You for the
faithfulness You show to us even
when we are unfaithful to You.
We praise You for Your covenant
of loving kindness and faithfulness.
We thank You Lord for recording
Your Word for us so that through endurance, the encouragement
of scriptures and of Your Spirit,
we might have hope. In Jesus’ name.

El Emunah, Your faithfulness
reminds me that I’m not always
faithful to You. Although I have
a heart to be faithful to You,
situations arise that evoke fears
and doubt, tempting me to make
choices of self-preservation
and selfishness. And so I confess
that I’m not fully faithful to You
Lord and to those around me.

El Emunah, remind us again and
again of Your faithfulness so that
we will grow to be more like You.
Strengthen the resolve in our
spirit to believe You are indeed
El Emunah for You’re faithful;
for You can’t make promises
You can’t keep for You can’t lie.
So we wait patiently upon Your
word for delay is not denial. And
Your promises shall come to pass at
the appointed time. In Jesus’ name.

Consuming Fire Esh Oklah (Jan 26)

In his first sermon, Moses review the
past. God had promised His people
a new homeland but Israel failed
to possess it because of unbelief.
For 40 years they had wondered;
and now with the passing of that
unbelieving generation, God has
led the nation in smashing victories
over Sihon and Og, bringing them to
the threshold of the land once again.
But before they are ready to enter,
they must learn a crucial lesson
from the past – the lesson that
obedience brings victory and
blessing while disobedience results
only in defeat and judgment.

Hallowed be to Esh Oklah:
I (Moses) will die in this land;
I will not cross the Jordan; but you
are about to cross over and take possession of that good land.
Take heed to yourselves, lest you
forget the covenant of the Lord
your God which He made with you
and make for yourselves a carved
image in the form of anything
which the Lord has forbidden
you. For the Lord your God is
a consuming fire (Esh Oklah)
a jealous God (Deut 4:22-24).

Lord Esh Oklah, You instruct us
not to worship any other gods
because You are a jealous God.
We lift up Your name in praise and
thanksgiving for Your love & holiness.
Thank You God, that though You are
a consuming fire, You also show
restraint. Thankfully You have not
dealt with us according to our sins.
Thank You for the kindness of Your
patience and for Your love. Amen.

Lord Esh Oklah, we often set our
heart on things other than You.
We give so much time to leisure,
work or even simple distractions,
often just passing away the time.
Yet You are a jealous God and
a consuming fire that we should
not take lightly. We humbly ask
for You to forgive us. Be gracious
to us & draw our heart to You. Amen

Lord Esh Oklah, we don’t want to
minimise You in our life, but we
often do so simply out of neglect.
Remind us that You are consuming
fire but do it gently with Your grace.
Remind us Your sacrificial love
and cultivate in us the finest love
toward You Lord that we can have.
Draw us to You in faithfulness so that
we may not provoke Your jealousy.
Teach and train us to honour You
Lord as You are rightly due. Amen.

The God Who Rules (Jan 25)

In his first of three sermons to the
nation, Moses begins with a review
of the past. God had promised
His people a new homeland, but
Israel failed to possess it because
of unbelief. For 40 years they had
wondered and died. Now, with
the passing of that unbelieving
generation, God has led the nation
in smashing victories over Sihon
and Og, bringing them to the
threshold of the land once again.
But before they are ready to enter,
they must learn a crucial lesson
from the past – the lesson that
obedience brings victory and
blessing while disobedience results
only in defeat and judgment.

All Praise be to Adonai:
And I commanded Joshua at that
time saying: Your eyes have seen
all that the Lord your God has done
to these two kings; so will the Lord
do to all the kingdoms through
which you pass. You must not fear
them, for the Lord your God Himself
fights for you (Deut 3:21-22).
At that time Moses pleaded
with the Lord: O Sovereign Lord
(Adonai) God, You have begun
to show Your servant Your
greatness and Your strong hand;
for what god is there in heaven or
on earth who can do such works
and mighty acts.as Yours? Let me
go over and see the good land
beyond the Jordan (Deut 3:23-25)

Adonai, we worship You as the God
who Rules and The Master Over All.
Who can do the amazing and
powerful things You can do?
We acknowledge Your actions
to do as You please for You are
our Owner and owner of all things.
You Lord made us at creation;
bought us at Calvary; and You have
the right to rule our lives. Amen.

Adonai, I humbly bow and ask
for Your forgiveness for failing
to honour You Lord as I should.
Forgive me for the many times
I have gone about the day without
considering that You are the Lord
and Master over all. Forgive me
for my shortsightedness & lack
of faith in You and Your power.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Adonai, align our thots, desires
and actions to Yours and Your rule
so that we can fully experience
Your blessings. May we live out
all of our days in such a way that
we discover and do the calling
You have given to each of us.
And empower us to impact the
lives of those around us with
Your kingdom agenda. Amen.

Lord My Banner Jehovah Nissi

When Israel left Egypt, there were
two things the people could do well:
make bricks and complain. And
as supplies decrease, complains
increase. When their resources
run out, God supplies manna,
quail and water in abundance to
demonstrate that He is now their
reliable source of supply. And Israel
fights and wins its first military battle.

All Praise be to Jehovah Nissi:
Joshua fought with Amalek
while Moses, Aaron and Hur
went up to the top of the hill.
And so it was, when Moses held
up his hand that Israel prevailed
and when he let down his hand,
Amalek prevailed. But Moses’
hands became heavy. Aaron and
Hur supported his hands and his
hands were steady. So Joshua
defeated Amelek. And Moses
built an altar and called its
name: The LORD Is My Banner
Jehovah Nissi (Exodus 17:10-15)

Jehovah Nissi, I worship You for
being the banner over my life.
When I face trials and troubles,
I can look to You to cover me.
You have said that in the world
I will face tribulation but that
You have overcome the world!
Thank You for being my banner
and for helping me to move forward and let the past be the past. Amen.

Jehovah Nissi, I’ve wasted much
time fearing for things that I should
have looked to You to handle.
Lord, forgive me for the times
I have doubted by turning to my
fears rather than turning to You.
You promised in Your Word that
I will find You if I will seek You.
So I seek You Jehovah Nissi as
my banner and my victory. Amen.

Jehovah Nissi, You are my banner.
And without You the storms of life
come upon me and overwhelm me.
You are good and You are strong;
and I ask You to help translate
that knowledge into my emotions.
Then I will feel secure and at peace
in the midst of life’s storms even as
I look to You Jehovah Nissi as my
banner and my strong arm. Amen.