Month: May 2023

Thy Kingdom come

When we pray The Lord’s Prayer, who’s kingdom is Thy? Of course, Thy is YHWH. We are making a proclamation that we desire that Yahweh’s Kingdom come. Not our kingdom, or what we think His Kingdom should be it is His and we, if we truly desire it to come, shouldn’t we do our best to understand what that means? i will be digging into this over the next couple of posts but first we need to go back to the beginning.

Yahoshua said, “This, then, is the way you should pray: Our Father . . .” Yahoshua is the King but the Kingdom is of the Father. Yahoshua is the revelation of the Father, the Word made flesh. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore YHWH Himself gives you a sign: Look, the maiden conceives and gives birth to a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.” Emmanuel means, Elohim with us. You see the Kingdom was present in that moment and the Kingdom dwells in the people of Elohim.

And having been asked by the Pharisees when the reign of Elohim would come, He answered them and said, “The reign of Elohim does not come with intent watching, nor shall they say, ‘Look here!’ Or ‘Look there!’ For look, the reign of Elohim is within you!” Luke 17:20-21

“And what union has the temple of Elohim with idols? For you are a temple of the living Elohim, as Yahweh has said, ‘I shall dwell in them and walk among them, and I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says Yahweh, and do not touch what is unclean, and I shall receive you. And I shall be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says Yahweh El Shaddai.’” 2 Corinthians 6:16-18

Given the times in which we live, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes in diverse places, famines, disease etc. i hear and see lots of posts about wanting the Kingdom of Elohim to come or as one post i saw earlier, “Whoa! Scary stuff. It can’t be much longer before our Lord Jesus rescues us!” It is this sort of thought pattern that is so prevalent within the Church today. What i believe we fail to understand is that the Kingdom is within us as the Spirit dwells within the believer. And that Kingdom will remain until the King comes on the clouds to sit on His throne and reign for a thousand years. If one believes and lives like the Kingdom is yet coming, VS the Kingdom within us, do you see how one might live in fear and anxiety?

Thy Kingdom come, is a call to action, to faith, to love, to grace, to mercy, to living not for ourselves but for the King!

“For the love of Mashiah compels us, having judged this: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them, and was. Raised. So from now onwards we know no one according to the flesh. And if we have known Mashiah according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know. Therefore, if anyone is in Mashiah, he is a new creation – the old has passed away, see, all have become new! And all is from Yahweh, who has restored us to favour with Himself through Yahoshua ha’Mashiah, and has given us the service of restoration, that is, that Elohim was in Mashiah restoring the world to favour unto Himself, not reckoning their sins to them, and has committed to us the word of restoration. Now then, we are ambassadors for Mashiah, as though Elohim were pleading through us: we implore you on Mashiah’s behalf, be reconciled to Elohim. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of Elohim.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

In the Yahoshua’s prayer recorded in John 17:14-19 He says, “I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do NOT pray that You should TAKE THEM OUT of the world, but that You should keep them fro the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.”

Do you pray for the Kingdom to come? The Kingdom is within you and you have arrived.

You are loved,
cj

Hallowed be THY name

“Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh thy Elohim in vain; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” Exodus 20:7

“I am Yahweh, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise unto graven images.” Isaiah 42:8

“Let them know that you alone, whose name is Yahweh, are the MOST HIGH over all the earth.” Psalm 83:18

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Hallowed means; holy, consecrated, sacred, revered, sanctified — set apart. To set something apart in a way that is Hallowed is to show honor. We are instructed over and over in Scripture to revere the name of Elohim, to set it apart, for there is no other god but Yahweh. i have written about this before, see links here: “What’s in a name”, “You shall have no other gods”, and “You shall have no other gods (part 2)”. Now as i am set to write on what we know today as the Lord’s Prayer, this causes me to pause even more . . . What does it mean for us to honor this: Hallowed be thy name.

There is no other god but Yahweh. He chose to reveal Himself through the Hebrews. And we know that in Scripture He is understood to be the Elohim of Israel. He is also the Elohim of all who call upon the name of His Son Yahoshua. In fact, no one comes to the Father except through Yahoshua, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Yet, we have so set apart the name of Elohim that we are using a translation 3 times removed for His Son by calling Him Jesus. Did you know there was no letter “J” until 1524? How honoring. Not only do we not use His name we don’t even call His Son by name, we basically made a name for Him and have said, you will take this name and like it. Prove me wrong. Outside of the name Jesus, we don’t use names only titles. We say, “god” and “lord”, putting titles for names.

His name is used by many. When showbiz people say they want to “thank god” who are they talking about? Can you tell? When you look at their lives, their music, their movies and tv shows, can you tell whom they worship? What about us? When we speak, when we talk about God, when people see us, do they know which God we worship? i have gone back to the Hebrew because i don’t want there to be any confusion that i am following the Elohim of Israel. That i have put my faith in the Way, the Truth and the Life, the only begotten Son of the Elohim of Israel, Yahoshua. In a time such as we live with so much confusion, and misrepresentation, itching ears, and false doctrines, let there be NO mistake about whom you worship.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve Yahweh, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.” Joshua 24:15

You are loved,
cj

Which art in heaven

Titles are all around us and we use them on a daily bases. Simple titles like sir, ma’am, Mr. Mrs. are to show respect. Mr. President, shows honor to a position as do military rank. i am sure you can think of dozens of examples where you use a title to show respect to someone’s position or authority and in normal day to day we use them without even thinking about. Elohim is the greatest title there is and we often use it without blinking. Today i want us to blink.

“In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

One can reason from this first line in Elohim’s book to His creation that there are levels or layers to what we see around us. Yahoshua in teaching His disciples/us to pray begins; “Our Father which art in heaven . . .”. Which heaven? Where did Yahweh exist before creating the heavens and the earth? The simple answer and really the only one we have is beyond, He lived beyond.

There is no place we can go to escape His presence. “Where would I go from Your Spirit? Or where would I flee from Your face? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; If I make my bed in the grave, see, You are there. I take the wings of the morning, I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, there too, Your hand would lead me, and Your right hand hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10 It seems like a cheap answer, an easy out, to say that Elohim existed beyond. But if He is truly Elohim with no beginning and no end then there is no other way for us to describe it, Elohim lived beyond.

This is something we have to believe simply by faith. We can see throughout Scripture that faith is a necessary part of our relationship with the Father. Yes, we have Yahoshua who reveals Yahweh. Clear history, written eyewitness accounts, and a constant reminder; “The heavens are proclaiming the esteem of El; And the expanse is declaring the work of His hand.” Psalm 19:1

i am sure we will get this answer when we see Yahoshua face to face. We will get understanding. But for now we have; “Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, ‘Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I ask you, and you answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who appointed its measurements, if you know? Or who stretched the line upon it? Upon what were its foundations sunk? Or who laid its corner-stone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of Elohim shouted for joy?’” Job 38:1-7

The point, Yahweh, El Shaddai (God Almighty) is above, is beyond, is under and is through, He is the creator of the universe. And when we pray we are to begin by reminding ourselves of this fact. Elohim is El Shaddai; “Let them be ashamed and alarmed forever; and let them become abashed and perish, and let them know that You, Whose name is Yahweh; You alone are the Most High over all the earth.” Psalm 83:17-18

This is the perspective Yahoshua is presenting. “Our Father which art in heaven . . .” El Shaddai is above us and He is worthy of our trust, love, and respect. “He has declared to you, O man, what is good. And what does Yahweh require of you but to do right, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your Elohim.” Micah 6:8

Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly . . . What better way to enter into prayer than to recognize the one to Whom you are speaking?

You are loved,
cj

Our Father

“… therefore pray ye: ‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by Thy name.’” Matthew 6:9

Today the king of England was coronated. i didn’t watch it but saw a few posts of it on twitter. The kings son, Prince William, said during the coronation: “I William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb – so help me God.” As i have been thinking of this post and Adonai’s Prayer, “Our Father,” i couldn’t think of better timing for an event to line up with this writing. The imagery, the spectacle of it all, and then to think and read and reflect on the Son of Elohim and His instruction to pray and His life’s example.

“So Yahoshua replied, “Most assuredly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” John 5:19

Couple John 5:19 with perhaps the most intense statement from the passion, “It is finished.” John 19:30 – And what do you get, well, you get a lot of things but absolute submission is the biggest. Yahoshua, fully submitted Himself to the Father, so when He opens His instruction on prayer with “Our Father” if you don’t pause, and reflect on that you are missing out on the true nature and relationship of Father and Son, Yahweh and Yahoshua.

Where have i read something like this . . . Oh yeah, Exodus 20:12; “Honour your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which Yahweh your Elohim gives you.” Now imagine the implication of this commandment if applied as understood from Yahoshua, “Our Father.”

i am currently reading in 2 Chronicles. It is a retelling of 1st and 2nd Kings. Some of the kings did what was good in the sight of Yahweh and some did not, and some had their heart in the right place but didn’t fully follow through. The kings that did what was right had long reigns and those that didn’t did not. What it seemed to boil down to was how they viewed their relationship with Yahweh. It is the same for you and i. How do you view your relationship with Yahweh? Are you willing to live as Yahoshua? To the end, “It is finished.” You see the Son came to reveal the Father, our relationship and understanding don’t stop with our faith in the Son.

Yahoshua said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 – Comes to who? The Father. When we pray we ought to pray, “Our Father . . .” The relationship that Yahweh Elohim wants to have with humanity is that of a Father. WOW. To honor Him as Father is in line with His commandments, His instruction to Israel, His Son’s example, and His coming again. To set as King His beloved son in Whom He is well pleased. What do you think about when you pray, Our Father or my Father as we are instructed also to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12-13

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is Elohim who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

To fully understand that if Yahweh Elohim is Father, therefore we are sons and daughters and by rule heirs certainly takes things to a new level. As we come and submit to Elohim, we then fully submit to His Son Adonai and King Yahoshua as He is the true heir, we are still princes and princesses in a Kingdom without end. If we endure, if we finish the race, if we surrender, if we die to ourselves . . . Then we are new in ha’Mashiah Yahoshua.

Our Father, is more than a title and opening line to a prayer, it is a call to relationship. Tell me your thoughts in the comments below.

You are loved,
cj

“Teach us to pray.”

What follows the request by the disciples of Yahoshua, “teach us to pray,” is referred to as The Lord’s Prayer. Even if you don’t personally use the KJV chances are that is the version you know by heart.

9 …Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13

If you attend a Bible believing and teaching Church it is more than likely you will have recited this at least once as a congregation. Maybe even had a sermon devoted to it where highlights are made and attention given to the Holiness of “God,” daily bread, forgiveness, temptations, and deliverance. It was probably a well crafted message full of cross references and anecdotes, personal or otherwise. You may have walked out of the Sunday message uplifted and maybe even prayed the prayer a few times with deep conviction. But like most things in life, other things, sermons, devotions, podcasts, enter your space with new things and soon this prayer is relegated back to “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name…”

Do you want to go on a journey with me, to explore this beautiful memorized prayer? Over the next several posts i am going to dive deep into it. Believe me when i say i pray this prayer every single day. It has been a constant thought of mine. Each word, line, and phrase. i don’t use the KJV however, although i do like it, i use words, lines and phrases that more easily roll off my tongue.

You can prepare for this journey by reading the following passages:

1. Matthew 6:5-15
2. Luke 11:2-4
3. Although not the “Lord’s Prayer” John 17:1-26

Here is the portion of my daily prayer in which i have integrated Adonai’s Prayer:

Gracious Heavenly Father, Yahweh our Elohim,
Thank you for this day, thank you for Your love, Your grace and Your mercy. Grant us wisdom to know You and discernment to choose You, continued grace and mercy, and teach us to love as You love and not as the world. For You are Holy and True, Your name be set apart. Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Grant us today the provision we need and forgive us of our sin, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Set Your angels around us to guard and protect us, and keep us healthy and strong that we may do Your will. In Yahoshua’s Name i pray, Maranatha . . . Amen and amen.

See you on the next post where we will dive deep into this OFTEN recited but under appreciated prayer.

You are loved,
cj