Hebrew Roots

In his new book, Temple Treasures, Steven Fuson writes, "It is a new day in God. We are anointed to reestablish the divine order of God so that His people today can experience the court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies in their pure state. Let the confusions of the past fall aside as the pattern burns bright with fiery clarity. Let God reveal His temple treasures in majestic glory and power."

I believe we are living in an age when God wants to reveal so many things to His people. We must remain open to all He has in store for us. This includes understanding our Hebrew roots. Every passage in the Bible can be interpreted literally, spiritually, and prophetically. This, of course, includes the Torah and all of the Old Testament.

There are treasures in the Torah that point us to Jesus Christ--Yeshua Hamaschiach--the Messiah, who lives within us. In fact, He is one of the treasures of the Temple, for we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus dwells within us. All power in Heaven and on Earth is found in Him and He lives within us. I believe this means that His power is available to us all the time.

Moses' tabernacle was a shadow and a likeness of heavenly things. It was a pattern of things to come. Let God reveal His mysteries to you, as you delve into the treasures of the Temple and the Torah.

The scarlet thread that holds all the Bible together is the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sin. David Davis writes, "As we enter into the fullness of the mystery of the 'one new man' of Jew and Gentile, those who long to sing Heaven's new song cry out together: 'You have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation'" (Revelation 5:9).

Let's rediscover our Hebrew roots. There is so much to learn from them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, which is perhaps one of the nicest holiday of the year because its focus should be on gratitude, family togetherness, and faith. However, all too often the focus of the holiday may be placed on less-important things--food, football, and sometimes even strife and complaining.

We need to remember something about how this national holiday began. Many people trace it back to the Pilgrims' first year in the New World. However, the truth may be that it actually began in St. Augustine, Florida, a few decades earlier. Whatever the case, Thanksgiving is a celebration of the blessings God has bestowed upon us.

H.U. Westermayer wrote, "The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have ever been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." What were these brave people thankful for? I'm sure at least a part of it was the fact that God had guided them safely to the New World where they could enjoy freedom of religion--a liberty that had been denied to them in England.

We still enjoy that liberty and several others for which we should be deeply grateful, and we should show our gratitude by the way we live. President John F. Kennedy said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." W. J. Cameron writes, "Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."

I like what William Jennings Bryan said about Thanksgiving Day: "On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence."

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Blessings

In Dr. John D. Garr's book, Blessings for Family and Friends, we learn of seven reasons why we should bless our families and friends through prayer:

1. You fulfill the instructions in the Word of God for blessing.
2. You establish and promote a culture and lifestyle of blessing.
3. You maintain a positive, "Good News" mind-set by blessing.
4. You manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit through blessing.
5. You confirm your dependence on God as your source.
6. You reinforce to yourself and to others that God's Word works.
7. You are always blessed even more when you bless others.

Did you know that the Bible is a book of prayers, and that out of 667 recorded prayers, there are 454 recorded answers?

As we enter this Thanksgiving season, let's remember to bless our homes and families. "God, our maker, doth provide for our wants [needs] to be supplied; come to Go's own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home" (From "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.")

Take the hands of those you love, look directly into their eyes, and speak the Word of God over them. Give them your personal blessing.

Remember these words: "God is the God of blessing. He always has been, and He always will be. He will never change: he will never compromise His covenant faithfulness that is ever manifest in the blissings He brings to His children. He will never stop blessing His children!" (From Dr. Garr's book, cited above.)

You can be the conduit through which God's blessing flows out to those you love.