Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, June 25, 2020
Shalom,
Yesterday we were focused on the value of prayer. Let’s continue with that thought. Yeshua spoke to Peter to tell him that after Peter comes back (from denying Yeshua) he will be saved from the destroyer by the prayer of Yeshua. Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon! Indeed, satan has demanded to sift you all like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
In fact, that verse informs us that all the disciples were accused by Satan. Yeshua says with authority, “But I have prayed for you… that your faith will not fail.” Good news… you are included in that prayer of Yeshua.
In fact, it gets better…. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit as a result of the prayer of Yeshua. John 14:16 I will ask (pray) the Father, and He will give you another Helper so He may be with you forever—.
You might be tempted to just assign that to the blessing of Yeshua being the Son of God; of course, His prayers will be effective. Easily said, but the Scriptures tell us that we share in His anointing. Let’s back up a few verses to find the evidence.
John 14:12 “Amen, amen I tell you, he who puts his trust in Me, the works that I do he will do; and greater than these he will do, because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask (pray) in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask (pray) Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
Everything we have with God and in God is the result of prayer. Let’s meditate on that thought.
John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me.
Week 26
Memory Verse: Daniel 6:27(26) I issue a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom people are to tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. “For He is the living God, enduring forever! His kingdom will never be destroyed, His dominion will never end. 28(27) He delivers and rescues. He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions!”
126 6/22 Monday: Daniel 5-6
127 6/23 Tuesday: Daniel 9-10,12
128 6/24 Wednesday Ezra 1-2
* 129 6/25 Thursday: Ezra 3-4
130 6/26 Friday: Ezra 5-6
Question of the day: What 3 things are we going to talk about today?
Answer: Here they are. I’ll even number them for you.
- What is the “take-away” lesson from Ezra 3:6? Ezra 3:6 From the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to Adonai, though the foundation of the Temple of Adonai had not been laid. This is something the Lord has spoken repeatedly to me over the last year and a half. “Do what you can with what you’ve got!” The rebuilders of the Temple didn’t wait to have a Temple, they immediately prepared an altar and began to sacrifice on it. The altar is the place of commitment. It’s the place where life is given over to the service of God. What are we waiting for?
- What is an occasion of joy to one may be an occasion of sadness and grief to another. Everyone saw the beginning of the restoration of the Temple. Some cried with sadness as they realized the rebuilt Temple would never have the grandeur of Solomon’s Temple. Others cried with delight at the privilege of building the House of God in their day. Ezra 3:13 People could not distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of the people’s weeping. For the people were shouting so loudly that the sound was heard far away. Which will we be, the people who are glad or the people who are sad? I vote for glad.
- We must be wise concerning who builds with us. Everyone who offers to help is not really there to help. Ezra 4:4 Then the people of the land began discouraging the people of Judah and making them afraid to build. There is no end to the “trouble makers” in this world. There are always those who want to interfere with the work of the Lord.
I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow to read how all this turns out. It ends today on a pretty discouraging note. But that does not have to mean we are discouraged. Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.