Home » Salvation (Page 3)
Category Archives: Salvation
The First Step of Faith
“Faith has the power to make you what God wants you to be; only you must be ready to step into the plan and believe His Word.” Smith Wigglesworth
“How do I take that first step?” Glad you asked.
You can begin to walk in faith by taking one small step, just like a young child learning to walk. You begin by taking the smallest of actions in a new direction. That first small step is the first step toward the life of victory in which God has created you to live.
Consider the smallest Hebrew letter, the “yud.” It looks like an apostrophe (‘). From that small letter, we get our Roman letters “I” and “J” and the Greek letter “iota,” as in “not one jot” and “not one iota.” However, this smallest of letters is the first letter of some of the most powerful, meaningful names in our world. It is the first letter of God’s Name “YHVH.” It is also the first letter of Jesus/Yeshua. It is the first letter in the name of the most important city on the face of the earth, Jerusalem/Yerushalayim. Yes, in both English and Hebrew.
Just as the greatest words begin with the smallest stroke or letter, the greatest works of God begin with the smallest strokes of action. Whether it is creation itself, a new life in the womb, your new life in Him, or your walk of faith with Him, all great things and people start with one small “yud” step at a time – one small step of faith that becomes another and another as you step into God’s plan for your life.
What is your first small step?
- If you have never acknowledged the call of the Gospel of God by accepting Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then that is your first small step. Pray to Him today! Repent of your sin. Acknowledge that He died just for you so that you could live with Him now as part of His family as well as for eternity. Then join the rest of God’s family in the next step…
- If you are a believer, step into the plan God has for you by stepping into and living the faith He has given to you. As you take that first step, He will guide your feet in the correct direction for the next, and the next, and …
In both instances, be assured that through your sincere confession and faith in Him, God has made you part of His family and changed you.
Until next time…“May the LORD bless and protect you…May He give you Shalom.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
Bill
Thought for Jan 24, 2017
Thought for Jan 24, 2017:
“The strength of a nation lies in the homes of its people.” (Abraham Lincoln) Undeniably true! But these homes must have GOD at the center. The strongest homes are those that are led by men and women who have accepted redemption through Messiah Yeshua, GOD’s Son. As a result, GOD is at the center because “God is with the man [and woman] who dares to believe His word.”!! ( Smith Wigglesworth)
Until next time…“May the LORD bless and protect you…May He give you Shalom.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
Bill
Acharit Hayamim
Acharit Hayamim is Hebrew for “the end of days” (Gen 49:1). In the context of Gen 47:28-50:26, this phrase seems to incorporate both the first and second coming of Yeshua. Jacob (Israel) pronounces blessings on Joseph’s two children and on his own sons as he is about to die. These blessings prophecy what is to come in the end of days. Jacob promises one who is to come, a descendant of Judah, the Messiah, whom he calls Shiloh. Shiloh will bring peace, wholeness, and restoration to the children of Israel and through them to all people. Yeshua of Nazareth was and is that promised one, the Messiah. He came once to proclaim repentance and salvation from sin. He will soon come again to bring true peace to Israel and the entire world!
Until next time…“May the LORD bless and protect you…May He give you Shalom.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
Shabbat Shalom
Bill
Thought for Jan. 11, 2017
Thought for today:
Our children have been entrusted to us by God, children made in His image and for whom Christ died. Our primary responsibility is not to make sure they have the best clothes and live in the best houses. It is to make sure they grow up in homes where God is present and the love of Christ reigns so that they will come to know God through His Son. Billy Graham
Until next time…“May the LORD bless and protect you…May He give you Shalom.” (Numbers 6:24-26) Bill
Up to Here Adonai Has Helped Us
“Up to here Adonai has helped us” (1 Sam 7:12)
“Up to here”… Up to this place, this point-in-time, Jan 1, 2017, He has helped us, He has guided our lives, walked with us during what we saw as good times and bad times, in the hills and valleys of life. And He promises to walk with us going forward into 2017.
Only He knows what 2017 will bring. Regardless of the hills and valleys, the planned and unexpected experiences we walk through this year, we can count on one thing–that He will be there in every instance! If we are a follower, a disciple, of Yeshua (Jesus), whether we sense Him or not, Father God in the form of His Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) will be there because He resides, tabernacles, in us.
For some, there will be valleys of despair, but you can be confident that He is your protector and refuge, a stronghold where you are safe. (Ps 31:2).
Some will experience times of storm on the mountain top where storms are at their worst. During these times, He will be your shelter, a strong tower that protects you from your enemy. You will find shelter in the protection of His wings. (Ps 61:3-4)
You can rest assured that during the trials you encounter climbing the hills, mountains, and the traversing valleys of 2017, you will encounter His grace and be showered with blessings. Trust in Him because, although you don’t see what loss, sorrow, and trials are accomplishing, He will come near, and if you allow Him His way you will be a better person–more like Jesus.
During 2017, you will also experience valleys of peace, like sitting beside a stream of cool running water. You will also experience fantastic times on the mountaintop, experiences of joy and happiness akin to viewing a beautiful panorama from a high mountain peak. However, during those times of exhilaration, remember that your Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, gave them to you. They were not obtained by your efforts, even if you have expended much effort and/or expense to experience them.
As you start 2017, I challenge you to join me in declaring along with the Psalmist:
“I trust in you, O LORD!
I declare, ‘You are my God!’
You determine my destiny!” (Ps 31:14-15a)
—————————–
In case you are reading this, but are not positive you are a follower of Jesus, I want to offer you the opportunity to become one right now. A true follower or disciple of Jesus the Messiah (Christ) is someone who has answered the call of Jesus by repenting of his wrongs (sin) and acknowledging that Jesus came to earth to give His life for him (that’s you!). Allowing Jesus into your life is as simple as saying “Jesus, I acknowledge that you are the Son of God. I repent of my sins and accept you as my personal Savior and the Lord of my life.” Give your life to Him today and start walking with Him by your side! There is no better way to start 2017. (If you do, please send me a note telling me of your decision so I can pray for you–wjbsturn@gmail.com)
————————————-
Until next time…May you have a Blessed 2017; May the LORD bless and protect you…May He give you Shalom.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
Bill
Sing and Rejoice – God Dwells with Us
Adonai dwelt in Spirit with the Israelites in the Tabernacle as He taught them in the wilderness. He came in Spirit and dwelt with the Israelites when they rebuilt the Temple. He came to dwell with mankind in the bodily form of His Son, Yeshua. Today, He dwells with all true Believers in the form of His Holy Spirit, in our bodies, which are His Temple. In the near future, Yeshua will dwell with us in bodily form once again.
Until next time…“May the LORD bless and protect you…May He give you Shalom.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
(Graphic Biblia.com)
Sowing Seeds
What Kind of Seeds?
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov 14:34). Wickedness all too easily usurps the place of righteousness. In the place of justice and fairness, there is wickedness (Ecclesiastes 3:16). By God’s grace national righteousness can be restored (Isaiah 1:21, 26–27), but His people have a part to play in sowing the seeds of righteousness (2 Chron 7:14; James 3:13–18). (“For Meditation” from 365 Days with Spurgeon-Vol 6″, 11/20; edited by WJB.)
Are we, the followers of Yeshua, sowing seeds of righteousness or are we just “playing church” and living like the rest of the world?
The referenced scriptures are quoted below from the NET Bible.
Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
Ecclesiastes 3:16: I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness.
Isaiah 1:21: How tragic that the once-faithful city [nation-USA] has become a prostitute! She was once a center of justice, fairness resided in her, but now only murderers.
The Light of the LORD
THE LIGHT OF THE LORD
LORD, fill the world with Your light, the Light of Yeshua!
May Your light shine like the sun on a bright, clear day;
Like the full moon on a clear night.
Fill me with Your light, LORD!
May Your light shine on the world through me;
May I never obscure the illumination of your light;
That all who You bring across my path will be drawn to You and be encouraged!
———————————–
Until next time…“May the LORD bless and protect you…My He give you Shalom.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
He’s Coming
No, I don’t mean Trump, though he has to be better than the alternative. I do mean Yeshua (Jesus), the Saviour of Mankind, the Son of the One True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Bible accurately foretells the future and it tells us that Yeshua will soon return to earth. (E.g., James 5:8; Rev 2:20; 3:11; 22:7; 22:12). If His return was soon almost 2000 years ago, how close must we be today? With all that is occurring throughout the world, I’d say very, very, very close, as “on the brink”!
If you do not know Him as your Saviour, I suggest that you accept Him immediately. He wants a personal relationship with you as you continue to walk this earth. He also wants you to spend eternity (that’s forever, as in “never-ending”) with Him. That is why Father God created mankind! Once you do, find a place of worship that teaches about Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah and learn how to live as His disciple.
Until next time…“May the LORD bless and protect you…” (Numbers 6:24-26)
WJB's Turn 