B.E.S.T. Shabbat

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."” (John 8:32) To listen to the audio-only version click below  Giving Opportunity Message   Last chapter we looked at the liberation that comes from the “chesed” of God, His secret counsel that protects and delivers us strategically into a kingdom of abundance. Chesed is often defined as “mercy” or “lovingkindness”. This is the outer court reality of chesed, by which we mean that when we look at the impact of chesed, we see the operation of mercy or the expression of the loving-kindness of God. When we look deeper, to the inner court reality of chesed, we see that the word as defined by three main ancient Hebrew letters or characters, “chet”, “samech”, and “dalet” give us the composite definition that chesed is the secret counsel of the Lord that He encircles and protects revealing His covenant love. Psalm 85:10 tells us: “Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.” (Psalms 8...

“For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” (Isaiah 54:10, NKJV) To listen to the audio-only version click below  Giving Opportunity Message   There are some things that are beyond time and space. The hills and mountains are the most stable things in our planet. Yet the Lord tells us that beyond that is the permanence of the kindness of the Lord, the “chesed” of the Lord. Let’s dive a little deeper into the mystery of “chesed”. First the Hebrew letters, chet, samech, dalet. Samech dalettogether mean the word “secret” or “counsel”. “For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel, “sod” is with the upright.” (Proverbs 3:32, NKJV) As we have learned from the word for grace, “chen”, the chetcharacter means to encircle with a fence to protect what is inside. Tying this all together we see that the Lord is t...

“Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 6:6-7) To listen to the audio-only version click below  Giving Opportunity Message   The Spring feasts of the Lord begin the cycle of the Lord’s covenant love affair with His people. These times, mo-edim, are divine appointments that celebrate the chesed, or the loving-kindness of the Lord for His people. The symbolic act of celebration is the drinking of wine which represents the joy of love. “Go then, eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.” (Ecclesiastes 9:7) Wine is used in a celebration of a victory...

“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18-19) To listen to the audio-only version click below  Giving Opportunity Message   Communication is the heart of a covenant marriage. The parable of the sower speaks to us about the different ways in which we listen. The first heart condition is what allows Satan to snatch away the seed, the communication, through offense. The second heart condition is the shallow nature of the cultural concepts of what true relationships are about. The superficial joy vanishes when we realize that love is sometimes tough and requires sacrifice. The third condition of heart is the entangled heart. This is heart that is surrounded with a protection of thorns. Thorns are a protection nature uses to defend the flowers or the fruit. Those of us who live or ...

“For we know in part and prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with.” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10) To listen to the audio-only version click below  Giving Opportunity Message   Today, we are going to take a prophetic snapshot of some insights and understanding that hopefully will illuminate the hour we are in and give us some guidance on how to live and what to do. As the apostle Paul has told us, we acknowledge in advance, that we know in part and prophesy in part. We are waiting for the perfect One who will make all things new and partiality itself will disappear. Partiality is inevitable when we view ourselves through the lens of our identity, our roles in life and the strategies we have developed to survive. William Shakespeare once said, “all the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players”, We all have many roles but transcending the roles is our true self and that is to whom I want to speak to today. First, I am go...