Psalms 37:1-40  By David: Don't be upset by evildoers or envious of those who do wrong,  (2)  for soon they will wither like grass and fade like the green in the fields.  (3)  Trust in ADONAI, and do good; settle in the land, and feed on faithfulness.  (4)  Then you will delight yourself in ADONAI, and he will give you your heart's desire.  (5)  Commit your way to ADONAI; trust in him, and he will act.  (6)  He will make your vindication shine forth like light, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  (7)  Be still before ADONAI; wait patiently till he comes. Don't be upset by those whose way succeeds because of their wicked plans.  (8)  Stop being angry, put aside rage, and don't be upset - it leads to evil.  (9)  For evildoers will be cut off, but those hoping in ADONAI will inherit the land.  (10)  Soon the wicked will be no more; you will look for his place, and he won't be there.  (11)  But the meek will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.  (12)  The wicked plots against the righteous and grinds his teeth at him;  (13)  but Adonai laughs at the wicked, knowing his day will come.  (14)  The wicked have unsheathed their swords, they have strung their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slaughter those whose way is upright.  (15)  But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.  (16)  Better the little that the righteous has than the wealth of all the wicked.  (17)  For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but ADONAI upholds the righteous.  (18)  ADONAI knows what the wholehearted suffer, but their inheritance lasts forever.  (19)  They will not be distressed when times are hard; when famine comes, they will have plenty.  (20)  For the wicked will perish; ADONAI's enemies will be like sheep fat, ending up as smoke, finished.  (21)  The wicked borrows and doesn't repay, but the righteous is generous and gives.  (22)  For those blessed by [ADONAI] will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will be cut off.  (23)  ADONAI directs a person's steps, and he delights in his way.  (24)  He may stumble, but he won't fall headlong, for ADONAI holds him by the hand.  (25)  I have been young; now I am old; yet not once have I seen the righteous abandoned or his descendants begging for bread.  (26)  All day long he is generous and lends, and his descendants are blessed.  (27)  If you turn from evil and do good, you will live safely forever.  (28)  For ADONAI loves justice and will not abandon his faithful; they are preserved forever. But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.  (29)  The righteous will inherit the land and live in it forever.  (30)  The mouth of the righteous articulates wisdom, his tongue speaks justice.  (31)  The Torah of his God is in his heart; his footsteps do not falter.  (32)  The wicked keeps his eye on the righteous, seeking a chance to kill him.  (33)  But ADONAI will not leave him in his power or let him be condemned when judged.  (34)  Put your hope in ADONAI, keep to his way, and he will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.  (35)  I have seen a wicked man wielding great power, flourishing like a shade tree in its native soil.  (36)  But I passed by again, and he was no longer there; I looked for him, but he could not be found.  (37)  Observe the pure person, consider the upright; for the peaceful person will have posterity.  (38)  But transgressors will all be destroyed; the posterity of the wicked will be cut off.  (39)  ADONAI is the one who saves the righteous; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.  (40)  ADONAI helps them and rescues them, rescues them from the wicked and saves them; because they take refuge in him.

1 John 2:15-17  Do not love the world or the things of the world. If someone loves the world, then love for the Father is not in him;  (16)  because all the things of the world - the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and the pretensions of life - are not from the Father but from the world.  (17)  And the world is passing away, along with its desires. But whoever does God's will remains forever.

Prayer should not be about Adonai getting your will done. Prayer ought to be about us getting in line with Adonai getting His will done.

Some see Adonai as some kind of cosmic Santa Clause and whatever you ask of Him, He is bound to give to you. That is not what David is saying here. If the focus of your life is the Lord, if He is your joy, then your desires will be His desires. That is a promise from God.

Let the problems of life roll off us and onto Adonai. Give them to Him. Let Him guide and direct you. No matter how things may look, don't try to handle it yourself but place your full trust in Adonai and He will direct your paths, He will smooth out those bumpy roads of life.

What happens when you trust, delight, commit your life to Adonai? The result is Adonai will use you as a witness. His love will shine forth through you.

We see persecution growing today against those who stand up for the things of Adonai. Don't be discouraged, Adonai is in control. Man may try as hard as he wants to fight against Adonai by persecuting His people, but they will not get away with it. And understand this, if you are persecuting Adonai's people, you are persecuting Adonai.

Acts 9:1-5  Meanwhile, Sha'ul, still breathing murderous threats against the Lord's talmidim, went to the cohen hagadol  (2)  and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Dammesek, authorizing him to arrest any people he might find, whether men or women, who belonged to "the Way," and bring them back to Yerushalayim.  (3)  He was on the road and nearing Dammesek, when suddenly a light from heaven flashed all around him.  (4)  Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Sha'ul! Sha'ul! Why do you keep persecuting me?"  (5)  "Sir, who are you?" he asked. "I am Yeshua, and you are persecuting me.

Sha'ul(Saul), in persecuting the Christians, was in reality persecuting Adonai!

David is looking at both the righteous and the wicked. And he is encouraging us to follow Adonai for He will exalt us and give us the land to dwell in. On the other hand, the wicked, as much as they have now, spreading their evil and grabbing all they can, will not inherit the kingdom. Both futures are sure, but the choice is ours!

Shalom

I love income tax time. We always get a refund. We filed early this year and got our refund this week. So we were able to get some things the children need like new sneakers and shirts and stuff like that. We were also able to get some stuff for fun.

I thought I would share my joy with you.

First of course is Girl Scout Cookies. Those yummy yummy things.

Then the next is Hebrew Supplies

We also got a great Torah commentary

Flight of the Navigator
Disney's 1986 Flight of the Navigator combines a strong ensemble cast and classic '80s soundtrack with dazzling special effects for a high-flying sci-fi adventure. While searching for his little brother in the woods, Even more mystifying is that David hasn't aged, nor can he account for the time lapse. Meanwhile, NASA officials stumble upon a futuristic spacecraft and are determined to assess what David knows about it by locking him in a top-secret lab for scanning and testing. His only chance of escape is in the spacecraft manned by Max, a wisecracking robot.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
This is supposed to be a really really good documentary. I look forward to watching it.

Schindler's List
A movie that everyone should see.
The movie is (based on truth) the story of Nazi Czech business man Oskar Schindler, who uses Jewish labor for a factory in Poland. As World War II progresses Schindler's motivations switch from profit to human sympathy and he is able to save over 1100 Jews from death in the gas chambers.

Blossom seasons 1 and 2
A 1991 TV series.
It centers around Blossom's life at school and at home, where she lives with her father, charming musician Nick Russo, who tries hard to be an exemplary parent, and her two older brothers, Anthony and sweet but kind dense Joey. Her best friend, Six LeMeure is almost always around at the Russos.

Also my new shoes.

WAKE UP! YOU SLEEPYHEAD
GET UP! GET OUT OF BED
SEE HOW THE SUN IS SHINING
STAND UP AND MOVE YOUR TOES
TELL THEM IT'S TIME TO GO
YOU'VE GOT A LOT TO DO TODAY.

FIRST YOU'LL FLUFF UP
YOUR PILLOW
AND PUT IT ON YOUR BED
THEN YOU'LL GRAB
A GREEN RHINOCEROS
AND STAND IT ON YOUR HEAD

THEN YOU'LL
GRAB A GREEN RHINOCEROS?
AND STAND IT ON YOUR HEAD?
THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE

ARE YOU DREAMING?
YOU ARE DREAMING!
DON'T GO BACK TO SLEEP,
WAKE UP, WAKE UP!

WAKE UP! YOU SLEEPYHEAD
GET UP! GET OUT OF BED
SEE HOW THE SUN IS SHINING
STAND UP AND MOVE YOUR TOES
TELL THEM IT'S TIME TO GO
YOU'VE GOT A LOT TO DO TODAY.

YOU'LL SAY,
"MOMMA, GOOD MORNING!
I LOVE YOU, YES I DO!"
THEN YOU'LL TAKE A WATERMELON
AND YOU'LL STUFF IT
IN YOUR SHOE

THEN YOU'LL
TAKE A WATERMELON?
AND STUFF IT IN YOUR SHOE?
WHERE'D YOU GET THAT IDEA?

YOU'RE DREAMING AGAIN
YOU'VE GONE BACK TO SLEEP
DON'T GO TO SLEEP
YOU'VE GOT A LOT TO DO TODAY
WAKE UP!

WAKE UP! YOU SLEEPYHEAD
GET UP! GET OUT OF BED
SEE HOW THE SUN IS SHINING
STAND UP AND MOVE YOUR TOES
TELL THEM IT'S TIME TO GO
YOU'VE GOT A LOT TO DO TODAY.

OH, YOU'LL GO TO THE KITCHEN
AND GET A BITE TO EAT
THEN YOU'LL JUMP
INTO AN AIRPLANE
AND FLY UP AND DOWN THE STREET

THEN YOU'LL
JUMP INTO AN AIRPLANE?
AND FLY UP AND DOWN
THE STREET?

I DON'T BELIEVE THIS
YOU'VE GONE BACK
TO SLEEP AGAIN
YOU'VE GOTTA QUIT DREAMING
YOU'VE GOT SO MUCH TO DO,
WAKE UP!

WAKE UP! YOU SLEEPYHEAD
GET UP! GET OUT OF BED
SEE HOW THE SUN IS SHINING
STAND UP AND MOVE YOUR TOES
TELL THEM IT'S TIME TO GO
YOU'VE GOT A LOT TO DO TODAY.

OH, BOY, I THOUGHT YOU'D
NEVER WAKE UP
NOW, LET'S SEE WHAT'S
FIRST ON YOUR LIST

YOU'VE GOTTA FLUFF UP YOU PILLOW
AND PUT IT ON YOUR BED
THEN YOU'VE GOT TO
GO DOWNSTAIRS
AND GET SOME BREAKFAST

DON'T FORGET TO TELL
YOUR MOM YOU LOVE HER
AND GOOD MORNING
THEN RUN OUTSIDE
AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY
OKAY?

YOU'VE GOT A LOT
TO DO TODAY
YOU'VE GOT A LOT
TO DO TODAY.
BOY, ALL THIS SINGING
HAS MADE ME... (YAWN) SLEEPY.

Psalms 36:1-12  For the leader. By David, the servant of ADONAI: Crime speaks to the wicked. I perceive this in my heart; before his eyes there is no fear of God.  (2)  For, the way he sees it, crime makes his life easy that is, until his wrongs are discovered; then, he is hated.  (3)  His words are wrong and deceitful; he has stopped being wise and doing good.  (4)  He devises trouble as he lies in bed; so set is he on his own bad way that he doesn't hate evil.  (5)  ADONAI, in the heavens is your grace; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.  (6)  Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, your judgments are like the great deep. You save man and beast, ADONAI.  (7)  How precious, God, is your grace! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings,  (8)  they feast on the rich bounty of your house, and you have them drink from the stream of your delights.  (9)  For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.  (10)  Continue your grace to those who know you and your righteousness to the upright in heart.  (11)  Don't let the foot of the proud tread on me or the hands of the wicked drive me away.  (12)  There they lie fallen, those evildoers, flung down and unable to rise.

Jeremiah 17:9  "The heart is more deceitful than anything else and mortally sick. Who can fathom it?

It may be because of the long-suffering of Adonai, they feel free to sin all they want and laugh at those who live according to Adonai's Word. But if they don't fear Adonai now, if they don't respect Him now, Adonai will force them to respect Him., The cup of Adonai's wrath will be poured out on those who reject Him

The wicked love evil so much, they are so proud at what they are doing, that they brag about it. What is found in their heart will flow from their lips. In fact, evil has become so normal, so naturally in peoples lives that they think nothing of it.

If we follow the Words of Adonai we are wise, for He is all knowing. If we don't follow the Words of Adonai, it makes us unwise, a fool.

If we look to Adonai and His Word we see light and truth. When we look outside Adonai and His Word, we find ourselves confused and in trouble.

Adonai will deal with the wicked. Their rebellion, their sin will not continue on forever

Revelation 21:8  But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars - their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death."

Shalom

Psalms 35:1-27  By David: ADONAI, oppose those who oppose me; fight against those who fight against me.  (2)  Grasp your shield and protective gear, and rise to my defense.  (3)  Brandish spear and battle-axe against my pursuers; let me hear you say, "I am your salvation."  (4)  May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to confusion; may those who are plotting harm for me be repulsed and put to shame.  (5)  May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of ADONAI to drive them on.  (6)  May their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of ADONAI to pursue them.  (7)  For unprovoked, they hid their net over a pit; unprovoked, they dug it for me.  (8)  May destruction come over him unawares. May the net he concealed catch himself; may he fall into it and be destroyed.  (9)  Then I will be joyful in ADONAI, I will rejoice in his salvation.  (10)  All my bones will say, "Who is like you? Who can rescue the weak from those stronger than they, the poor and needy from those who exploit them?"  (11)  Malicious witnesses come forward, asking me things about which I know nothing.  (12)  They repay me evil for good; it makes me feel desolate as a parent bereaved.  (13)  But I, when they were ill, wore sackcloth; I put myself out and fasted; I can pray that what I prayed for them might also happen to me.  (14)  I behaved as I would for my friend or my brother; I bent down in sorrow as if mourning my mother.  (15)  But when I stumble, they gather in glee; they gather against me and strike me unawares; they tear me apart unceasingly.  (16)  With ungodly mocking and grimacing, they grind their teeth at me.  (17)  Adonai, how much longer will you look on? Rescue me from their assaults, save the one life I have from the lions!  (18)  I will give you thanks in the great assembly, I will give you praise among huge crowds of people.  (19)  Don't let those who are wrongfully my enemies gloat over me; and those who hate me unprovoked -don't let them smirk at me.  (20)  For they don't speak words of peace but devise ways to deceive the peaceful of the land.  (21)  They shout to accuse me, "Aha! Aha! we saw you with our own eyes!"  (22)  You saw them, ADONAI; don't stay silent. Adonai, don't stay far away from me.  (23)  Wake up! Get up, my God, my Lord! Defend me and my cause!  (24)  Give judgment for me, ADONAI, my God, as your righteousness demands. Don't let them gloat over me.  (25)  Don't let them say to themselves, "Aha! We got what we wanted!"or say, "We swallowed them up!"  (26)  May those who gloat over my distress be disgraced and humiliated. May those who aggrandize themselves at my expense be covered with shame and confusion.  (27)  But may those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad! Let them say always, "How great is ADONAI, who delights in the peace of his servant!"Then my tongue will tell of your righteousness and praise you all day long.

Asking Adonai for deliverance.  A prayer that Adonai Himself battle against the foes.

There is a reason that people may hate us......

1 Peter 4:14-16  If you are being insulted because you bear the name of the Messiah, how blessed you are! For the Spirit of the Sh'khinah, that is, the Spirit of Elohim, is resting on you!  (15)  Let none of you suffer for being a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a meddler in other people's affairs.  (16)  But if anyone suffers for being Messianic, let him not be ashamed; but let him bring glory to Elohim by the way he bears this name.

Sometimes they just hate us because they hate us...no real cause.

The word for destruction used in verse 8 is Hebrew Sho'ah - it is the term now used for the Holocaust.

All my bones = my whole body

My whole body will say "Who is like you Elohim?" There are none like Him.

Many times the enemy is much stronger, more powerful than we are, UNTIL we come to Adonai for help. He tips the scales in our favor and will deliver the poor and weak from the enemy.

Repaying good for good or evil for evil is human. But repaying good for evil is godly. That is what we are to do.

Matthew 5:38-48  "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.'  (39)  But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too!  (40)  If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well!  (41)  And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two!  (42)  When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him.  (43)  "You have heard that our fathers were told, `Love your neighbors -- and hate your enemy.'  (44)  But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  (45)  Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike.  (46)  What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that!  (47)  And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that!  (48)  Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Romans 12:19-21  Never seek revenge, my friends; instead, leave that to God's anger; for in the Tanakh it is written, "ADONAI says, 'Vengeance is my responsibility; I will repay.'"  (20)  On the contrary, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For by doing this, you will heap fiery coals [of shame] on his head."  (21)  Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Let Adonai take care of it.

Shalom

Psalms 34:1-22  By David, when he pretended to be insane before Avimelekh, who then drove him away; so he left: I will bless ADONAI at all times; his praise will always be in my mouth.  (2)  When I boast, it will be about ADONAI; the humble will hear of it and be glad.  (3)  Proclaim with me the greatness of ADONAI; let us exalt his name together.  (4)  I sought ADONAI, and he answered me; he rescued me from everything I feared.  (5)  They looked to him and grew radiant; their faces will never blush for shame.  (6)  This poor man cried; ADONAI heard and saved him from all his troubles.  (7)  The angel of ADONAI, who encamps around those who fear him, delivers them.  (8)  Taste, and see that ADONAI is good. How blessed are those who take refuge in him!  (9)  Fear ADONAI, you holy ones of his, for those who fear him lack nothing.  (10)  Young lions can be needy, they can go hungry, but those who seek ADONAI lack nothing good.  (11)  Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of ADONAI.  (12)  Which of you takes pleasure in living? Who wants a long life to see good things?  (13)  [If you do,] keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceiving talk;  (14)  turn from evil, and do good; seek peace, go after it!  (15)  The eyes of ADONAI watch over the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.  (16)  But the face of ADONAI opposes those who do evil, to cut off all memory of them from the earth.  (17)  [The righteous] cried out, and ADONAI heard, and he saved them from all their troubles.  (18)  ADONAI is near those with broken hearts; he saves those whose spirit is crushed.  (19)  The righteous person suffers many evils, but ADONAI rescues him out of them all.  (20)  He protects all his bones; not one of them gets broken.  (21)  Evil will kill the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.  (22)  But ADONAI redeems his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Adonai deserves our praise and gratitude.  All the time.  No matter what our current circumstances are. Sometimes we are aware of reasons to praise Him.  But sometimes we aren't.  He still deserves praise.

sought – darash – (Qal) to resort to, frequent (a place), to consult, enquire of, seek

David had been running from Sha'ul (Saul).  Sha'ul was David's father-in-law, his boss, and his king.  From David's victory over Goliath to his victories on the battlefield, David had become famous.  Even though David was a faithful servant of Sha'ul, Sha'ul wanted David killed simply because he was jealous of David.  Sha'ul had already made several attempts on David's life, using David for target practice at dinner, even sending agents to kill David when he went home at night.

1 Samuel 21:10-15  The same day, David took flight from Sha'ul and went to Akhish king of Gat (11)  The servants of Akhish said to him, "Isn't this David, king of the land? Weren't they dancing and singing to each other, 'Sha'ul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands'?"  (12)  These remarks were not lost on David, and he became very much afraid of Akhish king of Gat.  (13)  So, as they were watching, he changed his behavior and acted like a madman when they had hold of him, scratching marks on the doors of the city gate and drooling down his beard.  (14)  Akhish said to his servants, "Here, you see that the man is meshugga; why bring him to me?  (15)  Am I short of meshugga'im? Is that why you've brought this one to go crazy on me? Must I have this one in my house?"

David was afraid of Sha'ul.  He was afraid that one day Sha'ul would catch him and have him killed. David was afraid of Achish and the Philistines.  After all, David is now hiding out in the city of Gat, the hometown of Goliath. In order to keep from being killed by the Philistines, David pretends to lose his mind.  He acts crazy.  He scribbles graffiti on the walls.  He drools.

What are you afraid of? Speaking in front of a group? Heights? Insects and bugs, financial problems and deep water? Sickness? Death? Flying? Loneliness? Dogs?

The Bible says that we are to handle our fears and anxieties with prayer.

Philippians 4:6-7  Don't worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving.  (7)  Then God's shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.

Who is the Angel of Adonai?

This phrase the angel of Adonai, or literally, the messenger of YHWH, is a specific phrase used in the Old Testament to indicate a specific person. He made many appearances to many different people. The actual Hebrew phrase appears 58 times in the Old Testament.
He appeared to Abraham when he was going to sacrifice his only begotten son on Mount Moriah (Gen. 22).
He spoke to Moses out of the burning bush (Ex. 3:2).
He was the one who called Gideon to deliver the Israelites (Judg. 6).
He was the angel that David saw at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite on Mount Moriah, which led to the purchase of the property for the Temple (1Chr. 21).

I believe that this angel of Adonai is an appearance Yeshua. A manifestation of Adonai.

There's a real, practical side to righteousness.  We don't say evil things, we say good things.  We don't do evil things, we do good things.

This all flows from a fear of Adonai.  If I get a clue as to who Adonai is, it ought to affect my behavior.

What flows from your life, what is manifested in your actions, should be pure and not evil. If your life is bent on evil, you will not enjoy life. If you do what Adonai has for you, you will be blessed.

As much as people want to deny it, sin destroys peoples lives. For instance AIDS, I don't believe it is a judgment from Adonai, but it is the result of a sexually promiscuous lifestyle that Adonai warned us against. Many times it even affects those who are not involved in this kind of lifestyle. Sin touches the lives of many people, and not in a good way. If Adonai warns you to avoid a certain action, and you do it anyway, it is not Adonai's judgment that has affected you, but the consequences of your sinful action. Sin does have built into it certain consequences.

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen. Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper." Sally just smiled and said, "Well, that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help. She whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Has Satan been using your guilt to make you his slave?

Adonai too sees your sin.  He knows all about it.  He's waiting for you to get to the point where you'll come to Him and confess it.  He's waiting for you to get tired of having Satan beat you up.

Come to Adonai and He will forgive you.

Shalom