Matthew 16:13-21  When Yeshua came into the territory around Caesarea Philippi, he asked his talmidim, “Who are people saying the Son of Man is?”  (14)  They said, “Well, some say Yochanan the Immerser, others Eliyahu, still others Yirmeyahu or one of the prophets.”  (15)  “But you,” he said to them, “who do you say I am?”  (16)  Shim`on Kefa answered, “You are the Mashiach, the Son of the living God.”  (17)  “Shim`on Bar-Yochanan,” Yeshua said to him, “how blessed you are! For no human being revealed this to you, no, it was my Father in heaven.  (18)  I also tell you this: you are Kefa,” [which means `Rock,'] “and on this rock I will build my Community, and the gates of Sh’ol will not overcome it.  (19)  I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”  (20)  Then he warned the talmidim not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.  (21)  From that time on, Yeshua began making it clear to his talmidim that he had to go to Yerushalayim and endure much suffering at the hands of the elders, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers; and that he had to be put to death; but that on the third day, he had to be raised to life.

When discussing worldviews and world religions two issues come to the surface that needs to be answered.
The reliability and authority of scripture – is it inspired of Adonai or the thoughts of man

The question of the divinity of Yeshua – was Yeshua really who he said he was – is He ELOHIM

John 1:1-2  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  He was with God in the beginning.

While Yeshua was here on earth there was a lot of debate about who He was. Members of His own family didn’t believe he was Adonai until after He rose from the dead. How would you respond to someone who was a member of a poor family, worked as a carpenter in a little village shop for as long as you can remember and then begins His own teaching and healing ministry and claims to be Adonai? Many embraced Him as a good teacher and miracle worker but not the Messiah or Adonai. Yeshua knowing the controversy decides to ask His disciples a critical question to see if they were fully convinced in their minds of who He was?

Who do people today say that Yeshua was or is? Some religions such as Islam see him as one of the great prophets. Some religions honor him as a good teacher. Some religions see him as the son of Adonai but not actually Adonai. The Jehovah Witnesses believe He was actually Michael the archangel. The Mormons teach that Satan & Jesus were spirit brothers born in heaven. Most people in general see Him as a wonderful man and a great moral teacher. In light of all the evidence there are very few who would make the case that he was a mythical figure who never really existed. There are other historical writings of Roman and Jewish historians that give evidence to the life of Yeshua Hammashiach such as the writings of Josephus.

The question Yeshua posed is still the question each person must respond to today. WHO DO YOU SAY THAT YESHUA IS? This is critical because if Yeshua was only a great moral teacher and not Adonai then He could not forgive us of our sins.

There can only be one of three answers to this question. Who is Yeshua? He was either a Liar and pulled off the greatest deception ever even to the point where people died for their belief in Him or He was a Lunatic and totally deceived himself in thinking He was Adonai, or He was Adonai as He claimed which means we need to take what He taught seriously for our own eternal destiny.

The option of only calling Him a good moral teacher and not Adonai is not a rational option.

How can He be a good moral man if he is deceiving people into thinking he is Adonai if He really wasn’t Adonai. If He is not Adonai then He is a liar and a cruel, evil, manipulating man, of the worst sort who deceived people to put faith in Him for their salvation.

C.S. Lewis, who was once a skeptic himself writes: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him. “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be G-d.” That is one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else He would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of G-d: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him L-rd and G-d. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about Him being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to.”

Anyone who seriously studies the teachings of Yeshua can not just call Him a good moral teacher and deny His divinity. Those that say such things are contradicting themselves for if He was a good moral teacher then you need to accept what He taught about Himself.

Let’s look at what Jesus said about himself.

Mark 14:60-62  The cohen hagadol stood up in the front and asked Yeshua, “Have you nothing to say to the accusations these men are making?”  (61)  But he remained silent and made no reply. Again the cohen hagadol questioned him: “Are you the Mashiach, Ben-HaM’vorakh?”  (62)  “I AM,” answered Yeshua. “Moreover, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of HaG’vurah and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

John 14:9  Yeshua replied to him, “Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, `Show us the Father’?

John 8:58  Yeshua said to them, “Yes, indeed! Before Avraham came into being, I AM!”

John 10:30-33  I and the Father are one.”  (31)  Once again the Judeans picked up rocks in order to stone him.  (32)  Yeshua answered them, “You have seen me do many good deeds that reflect the Father’s power; for which one of these deeds are you stoning me?”  (33)  The Judeans replied, “We are not stoning you for any good deed, but for blasphemy — because you, who are only a man, are making yourself out to be Elohim.”

Why is it that the Name of Yeshua is so controversial? Why is it ok to pray in the name of G-d in public but not in the name of Yeshua? Why don’t the names of Buddha, Mohammad and Confucius offend people like the name of Yeshua?

The reason is none of these others claimed to be G-d. Yeshua presents Himself as the only way to relationship with G-d, forgiveness of sin and entrance to heaven.

For many people this is too exclusive and too narrow. They want to believe there are many ways to Elohim. But the issue is not what we want to believe or think but if Yeshua is Elohim what did he say!

He said He is the only way to heaven.

John 14:6  Yeshua said, “I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.

There is much proof to the claims of Yeshua both in history and around us today.

Consider the disciple’s willingness to die for their faith in Yeshua. People only die for what they believe in. If Yeshua had not risen from the dead and they knew it was all a lie and a hoax they would not have been willing to die.

Consider the undeniable historical evidence that Yeshua rose from the dead – The resurrection is ultimate proof of his claims of being Elohim. All other tombs of other leaders of world religions are filled with dead mans bones. There is one empty tomb because only one is Elohim. English scholar Brooke Foss Westcott said: “Taking all the evidence together, it is not too much to say that there is no historic incident better or more variously supported then the resurrection of Christ”

Consider the emergence and survival of the Church – Yeshua birthed the greatest and most powerful movement on the face of the earth and the gates of hell can not prevail against it.

Consider the conversion of skeptics – beginning with Yeshua’ brother James and Saul of Tarsus. Skeptics and atheists who honestly search out the claims of Yeshua and scripture come to faith in Yeshua. CS Lewis was an Agnostic, Lee Strobel an atheist

Consider the miraculous answers to prayer. In the name of Yeshua we have authority over all the power of the Devil.

Consider the life transforming power of Yeshua – The lives of people of all ages, all cultures and nations, the well educated and not, the rich and the poor are radically changed when they put their faith in Yeshua.

Consider the transforming power of Yeshua to social structures – as evidenced around the world where cities and villages embraced the Lordship of Yeshua.

Consider the fulfillment of over 300 prophecies in the life of Yeshua – In the natural this is impossible.

Faith in Yeshua Hammashiach is not a blind faith. There is much legal-historic proof beyond the Scriptures. There is preponderance of evidence that is beyond any reasonable doubt to the authenticity of Scripture and validity of Yeshua and His claims of deity.

If you have not searched out the claims of Yeshua I challenge you to do so. If what I am saying is true then your eternal destiny hinges on what you do with Yeshua.

John 8:24-25  This is why I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not trust that I AM [who I say I am], you will die in your sins.”  (25)  At this, they said to him, “You? Who are you?” Yeshua answered, “Just what I’ve been telling you from the start.

Let me recommend several books for further study.

“The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel – a very readable book detailing his journey from atheism to faith as he asked the tough questions about Yeshua and the Scriptures.

Two books by Josh McDowell – A small book called “More then a Carpenter” and a book called “Evidence that Demands a Verdict”

Mere Christianity by CS Lewis from agnostic to Christian

Even thought the evidence is clear for any honest intellectual person to see, simply believing in the facts about Yeshua is not what Christianity is all about. The Devil believes the facts too because he was there and that doesn’t make him a Christian.

Conversion to Christianity:
    Is not intellectual assent to a set of ideas.
    Is not repeating a mantra in the expectation of something magic happening.
    Is not joining the church
    Is not deciding you want to do better
    Is not adding Yeshua to everything else you have going in life
    Conversion is an act of Adonai’s grace as we respond to the conviction of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), bringing about an observable change and allow Yeshua to be L-rd of our life.

We need to believe and receive Yeshua into the throne of our life.

John 1:12  But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God,

When we believe and receive him then we become Adonai’s children. This means we receive His forgiveness and turn away from our wrongdoing and commit our lives to following His teaching.

If Yeshua was standing in front of you this morning and asking you the question “Who do you say that I am?” What would be your answer? Call Him a good moral man but reject His claim to being Elohim? See Him as one of many options? Acknowledged Him as Elohim and Surrendered your life to his control?

John 20:29  Yeshua said to him, “Have you trusted because you have seen me? How blessed are those who do not see, but trust anyway!”

Shalom

G-d is like.
a FORD
He’s got a better idea.
G-d is like.
COKE
He’s the  real thing. 
 
G-d is like.
HALLMARK CARDS
He cares enough to send His very best.

G-d is like.
TIDE
He gets the stains out that others leave behind.

G-d is like.
GENERAL ELECTRIC
He  brings good things to life.

G-d is like.
SEARS
He has everything.

G-d is like.
ALKA-SELTZER
Try Him, you’ll like Him

G-d is like.
SCOTCH TAPE
You can’t see Him, but you know He’s there.


G-d is like.
DELTA
He’s ready when you are.

G-d is like.
ALLSTATE
You’re in  good hands with Him.  

G-d is like.
VO-5 Hair Spray  
He holds through all kinds of weather.

G-d is like.
DIAL SOAP
Aren’t you  glad you have Him?  Don’t you wish everybody did?

G-d is like.
the U.S. POST OFFICE
Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep Him from His appointed destination.  

G-d is like
Maxwell House. . .
Good to the very last drop  

Psalms 41:1-13  For the leader. A psalm of David: How blessed are those who care for the poor! When calamity comes, ADONAI will save them.  (2)  ADONAI will preserve them, keep them alive, and make them happy in the land. You will not hand them over to the whims of their enemies.  (3)  ADONAI sustains them on their sickbed; when they lie ill, you make them recover.  (4)  I said, “ADONAI, have pity on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 830  (5)  My enemies say the worst about me: “When will he die and his name disappear?”  (6)  When they come to see me they speak insincerely, their hearts meanwhile gathering falsehoods; then they go out and spread bad reports.  (7)  All who hate me whisper together against me, imagining the worst about me.  (8)  “A fatal disease has attached itself to him; now that he lies ill, he will never get up.”  (9)  Even my close friend, on whom I relied, who shared my table, has turned against me.  (10)  But you, ADONAI, have pity on me, put me on my feet, so I can pay them back.  (11)  I will know you are pleased with me if my enemy doesn’t defeat me.  (12)  You uphold me because of my innocence you establish me in your presence forever.  (13)  Blessed be ADONAI the God of Isra’el from eternity past to eternity future. Amen. Amen.

Adonai’s blessings being poured out upon those who minister and care for the poor.

If you are a person who has compassion and helps others, then Adonai will help you. It doesn’t promise that others will help you, but Adonai will help you.

A weekend fisherman looked over the side of his boat and saw a snake with a frog in its mouth. Feeling sorry for the frog, he reached down, gently removed the frog from the snake’s mouth and let the frog go free. But now he felt sorry for the hungry snake. Having no food, he took out a flask of bourbon and poured a few drops into the snake’s mouth. The snake swam away happy, the frog was happy and the man was happy for having performed such good deeds. He thought all was well until a few minutes passed and he heard something knock against the side of his boat and looked down. With stunned disbelief, the fisherman saw the snake was back, with two frogs.

(9)  Even my close friend, on whom I relied, who shared my table, has turned against me.

David’s friend that came against him was Achitofel (Ahithophel). This man was not only David’s close friend, but his counselor, his adviser. They were very close.

Achitofel was such a smart man that when he spoke, people trusted his advice as if Adonai Himself were speaking.

2 Samuel 16:23  In those days Achitofel’s advice was regarded as highly as if someone had sought out the word of God; it was this way with Achitofel’s advice both to David and to Avshalom.

Achitofel had close ties with David besides being one of his main advisors. His son Eli’am was one of David’s “Mighty Men”:

2 Samuel 23:34  Elifelet the son of Achasbai the son of the Ma’akhati, Eli’am the son of Achitofel from Giloh, thirty-seven in all.

When David’s son Avshalom (Absalom) rebelled against his father, one of the first people Avshalom asked to join him was Achitofel. After Avshalom marched into Jerusalem with his troops, he asked his advisers for counsel. Achitofel suggested to Avshalom that he take the ten concubines that David had left behind and have sex with them in a tent on the roof of the palace for the whole nation to witness. Achitofel wanted Avshalom to show such incredible disrespect to his father that everyone would know that Avshalom was in complete control.

Being betrayed by someone close to you is one of the deepest wounds. Sometimes we know what it is to be hurt by others, and so we put up little walls of protection around us to keep us from being hurt. We try not to get too close to some individuals because they look like they might hurt us. But when we find a friend, someone who looks safe, and we put our defenses down, it hurts when that friend turns and hurts us.

Blessed be ADONAI the God of Isra’el from eternity past to eternity future. Amen. Amen.

Shalom

Do you believe in what is often called “original sin”? (you know what I am talking about …. the idea that babies are already born with original sin….it is the reason many groups baptize babies …. many others believe in it too but don’t baptize babies.) What scripture verses can you give me for or against the idea of “Original Sin”?

I am studying the idea of original sin right now. Trying to study it and not just believe in something because the Catholic church did and the Protestants didn’t throw it out when they left Catholic.

Trying to find out if the church in the beginning believe in it or not.

You know Jews do not believe in Original sin. ( I just wanted to expand on this though……Many Jews do believe in “Yetzer Hara” meaning evil inclination. They believe that we got that after Adam’s disobedience. And believe that during the Messianic age we will no longer have to deal with yetzer hara as part of ourselves.)

Trying to find out if it is a scriptural belief.

Anyone have any thoughts????????

Psalms 40:1-17  For the leader. A psalm of David: I waited patiently for ADONAI, till he turned toward me and heard my cry.  (2)  He brought me up from the roaring pit, up from the muddy ooze, and set my feet on a rock, making my footing firm.  (3)  He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will look on in awe and put their trust in ADONAI.  (4)  How blessed the man who trusts in ADONAI and does not look to the arrogant or to those who rely on things that are false.  (5)  How much you have done, ADONAI my God! Your wonders and your thoughts toward us -none can compare with you! I would proclaim them, I would speak about them; but there’s too much to tell!  (6)  Sacrifices and grain offerings you don’t want; burnt offerings and sin offerings you don’t demand. Instead, you have given me open ears;  (7)  so then I said, “Here I am! I’m coming! In the scroll of a book it is written about me.  (8)  Doing your will, my God, is my joy; your Torah is in my inmost being.  (9)  I have proclaimed what is right in the great assembly; I did not restrain my lips, ADONAI, as you know.  (10)  I did not hide your righteousness in my heart but declared your faithfulness and salvation; I did not conceal your grace and truth from the great assembly.”  (11)  ADONAI, don’t withhold your mercy from me. Let your grace and truth preserve me always.  (12)  For numberless evils surround me; my iniquities engulf me – I can’t even see; there are more of them than hairs on my head, so that my courage fails me.  (13)  Be pleased, ADONAI, to rescue me! ADONAI, hurry and help me!  (14)  May those who seek to sweep me away be disgraced and humiliated together. May those who take pleasure in doing me harm be turned back and put to confusion.  (15)  May those who jeer at me, “Aha! Aha!” be aghast because of their shame.  (16)  But may all those who seek you be glad and take joy in you. May those who love your salvation say always, “ADONAI is great and glorious!”  (17)  But I am poor and needy; may Adonai think of me. You are my helper and rescuer; my God, don’t delay!

A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
A NEWS REPORTER wanted the exclusive story on his pit.
CONFUCIUS said: “If you would have listened to me, you would not be in that pit.”
BUDDHA said: “Your pit is only a state of mind.”
A PHARISEE said: “Only BAD people fall into a pit. You deserve it.”
A REALIST said: “That’s a PIT.”
The MOVIE LOVER said, “Is this Brad’s Pitt?”
A GEOLOGIST told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.
The COUNTY INSPECTOR asked if he had a permit to dig a pit.
A SELF-PITYING person said: “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen MY PIT!!”
An OPTIMIST said: “Things COULD be worse.”
A PESSIMIST said: “Things WILL get worse!!”
Adonai, seeing the man, took him by the hand and LIFTED HIM OUT of the pit.

People see what Adonai is doing in your life. They see Adonai taking you out of the pit. People are brought to Adonai through the witness of a life that has been changed.

Adonai’s thoughts towards us are innumerable. The Bible tells us that Adonai knows every hair of our head. Now if He is that concerned about things that are small, nonessential, how much more is He concerned about the big things in our life.

A bondslave was a slave who served his 6 years and in the 7th year he was free to go. But if he wanted to remain with his master because he loved him, he would be taken to the door post and there his ear would be pierced and a gold ring placed in it. That told everyone that this man freely has given his life to serve his master. That is what Adonai wants from us, our life! He is interested in your life, that it would be a sacrifice unto Him, a sweet smelling sacrifice.

One of the keys to getting out of the pit of depression is not to let yourself sit in a corner too long.  Get up and serve Adonai.  Do what you need to do.

Share your faith with others.  Don’t hide the treasure Adonai has given you. Adonai’s forgiveness of us ought to impact others. It ought to even affect the way we share our faith.

Shalom

I went to goodwill this morning. I love goodwill in this area. It is where I get a lot of my children’s clothes and mine too when I can find something. Today my main goal was to get “S” a few pairs of pants because she is growing out of hers. Mission accomplished and more…..I found stuff for me.

I took pictures to share.

This one is a top and ankle length skirt.

The top on this one is long sleeved

This is also long sleeved with black bottoms

lovely ankle length skirt

This has red bottoms

This has blue bottoms

And yes, this one is a bad picture

Hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures. I was so happy with my finds that I had to share them

Which one do you like best??? I think my favorite is the orange one.

Psalms 39:1-13  For the leader. Set in the style of Y’dutun. A psalm of David: I said, “I will watch how I behave, so that I won’t sin with my tongue; I will put a muzzle on my mouth whenever the wicked confront me.”  (2)  I was silent, said nothing, not even good; but my pain kept being stirred up.  (3)  My heart grew hot within me; whenever I thought of it, the fire burned. Then, [at last,] I let my tongue speak:  (4)  “Make me grasp, ADONAI, what my end must be, what it means that my days are numbered; let me know what a transient creature I am.  (5)  You have made my days like handbreadths; for you, the length of my life is like nothing.” Yes, everyone, no matter how firmly he stands, is merely a puff of wind. (Selah)  (6)  Humans go about like shadows; their turmoil is all for nothing. They accumulate wealth, not knowing who will enjoy its benefits.  (7)  Now, Adonai, what am I waiting for? You are my only hope.  (8)  Rescue me from all my transgressions; don’t make me the butt of fools.  (9)  I am silent, I keep my mouth shut, because it is you who have done it.  (10)  Stop raining blows on me; the pounding of your fist is wearing me down.  (11)  With rebukes you discipline people for their guilt; like a moth, you destroy what makes them attractive; yes, everyone is merely a puff of wind. (Selah)  (12)  Hear my prayer, ADONAI, listen to my cry, don’t be deaf to my weeping; for with you, I am just a traveler passing through, like all my ancestors.  (13)  Turn your gaze from me, so I can smile again before I depart and cease to exist.

David is not trying to hide what is going on in his life, but he does not want to give the unsaved an opportunity to come against Adonai by what he does say. We need to be careful in what we say, for when we speak foolishly, we make Adonai look bad.

Silence is okay. Sometimes it’s a good thing to learn to just keep your mouth shut.

Life is fragile. You’re not going to live forever. When compared with eternity, our life is but a vapor. But how many people are preparing for eternity? The mentality is grab for all the gusto you can, but that is tragically wrong.

Luke 12:15  Then to the people he said, “Be careful to guard against all forms of greed, because even if someone is rich, his life does not consist in what he owns.”

You see, that kind of lifestyle eat, drink and be merry is vanity. It is foolishness when you compare the brevity of this life with eternity. It is not the abundance of what you possesses, but in the G-d whom you trust!

Keep holding on to Yeshua. Follow in obedience the path of Adonai.

Shalom

I had a person ask me to do a post on this topic and I said I would try. The first things to pop in my head were my wedding day and the birth of all three children, But I have done posts on that before. So I tried to think of other things. I made a big list and then picked five. I almost picked the cows for one of the five because that is just the type of freak I am What can I say…I think the cows are cute.  But I decided against that too.

I finally picked 5 out of the many many things.

I will start with my granny. I can no longer see her. She died in 2008. Can you call a person a memory. I guess really they are composed of many memories. I have so many good memories with her. One being that every time I would visit her we would go to Burger King. Now you have to realize granny was what many people now would call “a Health food Nut.” She knew natural cures for all sorts of things and would eat very very health…..including things like sunflower seeds and natural peanut butter….but every time I spent the weekend with her we would go to Burger King. It was “our thing.” We had so much fun together.

A really beautiful site that I cherish that no one will ever see in person again is the old Ephrata Hospital. Yes, near the end it was falling apart. I always held out hope though that they would restore it. It was part of History. It was so beautiful. It really belonged there. I miss it so much. Now there is a big fancy hotel there. It is so ugly. It does not have the beauty that the old hospital had. It is sad that my children will not remember seeing that building in person. The world lost a beautiful place when they tore that down.

Did anyone else have a doll family growing up? I did. I loved my doll family. As weird as it may sound they are like a real family to me. Some of them are still in the family even though I am grown. My daughter has the two cabbage patch dolls in her room. I still have  my “daddy doll” (It was given to me by my father and is the biggest one in the picture) and blue bear (my care bear). They live with us in our bedroom.  People my think of me as weird but they are family members. Anyone says anything bad about them and they will be in big trouble. They are very important to me.

Oh, one dear memory…..my 5th birthday party at McDonald’s. Do they still do birthday parties? Mine was so much fun.

Our family is a hiking family. We hike a lot during the spring/summer/fall. I share pictures with everyone now and then. It is a time of family togetherness and fun. People are shocked at time how far our children hike. The one week we did a 16 mile hike. We all had to much fun. Walking in the nature is something that everyone should do at least a few times. If you don’t you will never realize the beauty and joy that you are missing.

Ok, I shared my 5 beautiful memories or sights that I cherish, now it is your turn.

Psalms 38:1-22  A psalm of David, serving as a reminder: ADONAI, don’t rebuke me when you are angry or discipline me when you are enraged,  (2)  for your arrows penetrate me deeply, and your hand is pressing me down.  (3)  Your indignation left no part of me intact; my sin made my whole body sick;  (4)  for my iniquities loom high over my head as a heavy burden, too heavy for me.  (5)  I have stinking, festering wounds because of my foolishness.  (6)  I am bent down, prostrate completely; I go about mourning all day long.  (7)  For my insides burn with fever, and my whole body is sick.  (8)  I am numb, completely crushed; my anguished heart makes me groan aloud.  (9)  Adonai, all my longing is known to you; my sighing is not hidden from you.  (10)  My heart is throbbing, my strength is gone, and the light in my eyes has left me.  (11)  My friends and companions shun my disease; even the closest keep their distance.  (12)  Those seeking my life lay snares for me, those seeking to harm me speak of disaster and think up deceptions all day long.  (13)  But I’m like a deaf man – I don’t hear it; and, like a mute, I don’t say a word.  (14)  Yes, I’ve become like a man who doesn’t hear and in whose mouth are no defenses.  (15)  For it is in you, ADONAI, that I hope. You will answer, Adonai my God.  (16)  I said, “Don’t let them gloat over me or boast against me when my foot slips.”  (17)  For I am about to fall, and my pain is always with me.  (18)  I acknowledge my guilt, I am anxious because of my sin.  (19)  But my enemies are alive and well, those who wrongfully hate me increase their numbers;  (20)  and, since they repay good with evil, they oppose me because I pursue good.  (21)  Don’t abandon me, ADONAI! My God, don’t be far from me!  (22)  Come quickly to help me, Adonai, my salvation!

Adonai is in control and He chastens us out of love. His desire is to draw us back to Him and away from sin.

David apparently had some sort of disease. He was miserable. What’s worse is that he sees some connection between his sin and his disease.  David is weak, broken and it seems that it took all this to come upon him for him to awaken from his spiritual sleep, to show him his sin.

As his friends and family saw what he was going through, they stood their distance. They were afraid of him, that they may catch what he has. Some of the toughest times can be when people step back from you. Especially people that normally care about you. Be careful about abandoning people when they are going through tough times. Be careful about letting people come between you and your family.

AIDS has caused great fear among people. It is a deadly disease. That does not mean we are to ignore these people or isolate ourselves from them and sharing Yeshua with them. Yeshua reached out to a leper, who had an incurable disease. We are not to reach out only to the good people, the high society people, the healthy people, but we are to reach out to all people. We are to share Yeshua with those around us. It is not always easy, but Yeshua never asks us to walk where he has not walked.

Everything was going wrong for David, but he was counting on One person to help, Adonai.

There are two kinds of sorrow. One that is sorry that they got caught doing wrong, which is worldly and meaningless. The other is one that leads to repentance, which is godly and draws us back to Adonai.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10  now I rejoice not because you were pained, but because the pain led you to turn back to God. For you handled the pain in God’s way, so that you were not harmed by us at all.  (10)  Pain handled in God’s way produces a turning from sin to God which leads to salvation, and there is nothing to regret in that! But pain handled in the world’s way produces only death.

David has some sort of illness. He has people out to get him. He also realizes that he has sin in his life. Sometimes we can just dig in our heels and get stubborn about our sin. We know we’re wrong but we aren’t about to admit it in front of others. Not until they at least treat us nicely. Stop running from Adonai and admit your sin.

Don’t think that just because you are doing good people are going to rejoice. Yeshua went around doing good and what did they do to Him? They killed Him! If you do things to be recognized by men, you will be disappointed. But if you do the things for Adonai, it won’t matter how they respond.

Shalom