“Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ so when He saw then, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a LOUD VOICE GLORIFIED GOD, and FELL DOWN ON HIS FACE AT HIS FEET, GIVING THANKS. And he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:12-16)

First of all, I want to admit that I know I am not great at thanking others for all the good things they do to bless us. If you have done something for me or have given me a gift and did not get a proper thank you, please forgive me. I often find myself praying, “Father, please thank so-and-so for me because I can’t thank them as well as You.” Maybe this is not a good prayer…but I do sincerely hope that the Lord will pour out on you all blessings that you cannot contain for all the good that you have done for me and my family.

Secondly, I was so impressed when I read that the leper fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him with a loud voice. This sounds a bit “over the top” at first, but then becomes a beautiful picture that we all can appreciate. How many of us say a simple, “Thank You, Jesus” for helping us with a problem or for giving us a blessing, and then go our merry way? Have you ever fallen on your face and screamed out your thanks and glorified God with a loud voice for anything? The Lord is still gracious and loving and merciful whether we thank Him properly or not, but how amazing it is when we literally pour out our hearts in praise and thanksgiving before Him! That is when the Lord can really do a great work in our life, like Jesus did for the leper who returned to thank Him properly.

”So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’” (Luke 17:19)

On this Thanksgiving Day, may we pour out our hearts in loud thanks to God, giving God the proper glory for all He has done for us!!

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The first passage is in Nehemiah Chapter 8. The Jews had just returned to Jerusalem after a long and difficult captivity in Babylon and were deciding how to reinstitute the Feasts of the Lord (the Fall Feasts of Rosh HaShana to Tabernacles fall between September to October–the seventh month on the Jewish calendar).

“When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities. Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square…and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel…And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people…and Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, ‘Amen! Amen!’ while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground…And Nehemiah…Ezra…and the Levites who taught the people said…’This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'” Nehemiah 8 (excerpts)

You might say, “That’s nice, but that was a long time ago and for a small remnant of Israel.” But here comes the beauty… now look at this passage in Revelation 7:9-17 (excerpts),

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number…standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes…crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God…and to the Lamb!’ All the angels…and the elders…fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying ‘Amen!… Amen!’…These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst…for the Lamb…will shepherd them and lead them to the fountains of the waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.“

How’s that for a gorgeous and rich connection?!? This future gathering will not be for just a remnant of Israelites, but YOU will be included in that group! Are your robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb today? Get your heart ready, for your redemption is drawing nigh! This Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), whether you sit in a sukkah or not, may you lift your eyes and hands to Heaven and begin praising the Lamb of God in anticipation of that great and awesome day that is coming soon.

P.S. I found many more connections between these passages than what I mentioned here. So I have also prepared a chart that shows all the connections with in-depth explanation. If you would like to view the chart, click here or on this word “comparison chart”.

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“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Our pastors have been given a weighty responsibility to shepherd God’s people with right teaching, and God holds them accountable for how they lead. Their assignment is to equip and edify the Body of Christ until… Until what? Until all believers are united in faith, until all believers become perfect men, until all believers measure up to the stature of fullness of Christ. This sounds like an impossible mission! They can’t do this in their own strength; they need more than just the Lord’s help to fulfill this calling. We also have a responsibility to help and uphold our pastors in their tasks.

“Remember those who lead over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, follow their faith and consider the outcome of their conduct…Obey those who lead over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do their job with joy and don’t cause them grief, for that would not benefit you (or them).” (Hebrews 13:7,17)

Let’s bless and help our pastors by living godly and generously. “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16) And be sure to let your pastor know this week how much you appreciate his faithfulness to guide you in your spiritual growth and walk of faith. And why limit your appreciation to one weekend a year? Return your love and support to him all throughout the year. He’s going to need it to fulfill his Mission Impossible.

The post A Special Gift from God appeared first on Rock of Revelation.

There is a curious verse in Deuteronomy 23:12-13 that refers to proper disposal of waste,

“Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse.”

Have you ever walked through a garden (or even a sidewalk) and stepped in a pile of dog poo? How disgusting! You’ve heard the old saying, “cleanliness is next to godliness.” Well, there’s a lot of truth to that. But there is application here also for spiritual, moral and mental conditions as well (please bear with me). And why should it matter if we clean up after ourselves or not?

“For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.” (Deuteronomy 23:14)

We all should do an inventory for refuse in our hearts, minds, and homes. These are any little things in your life that do not glorify God, things that He would find repulsive.

Have you set some evil thing before your eyes (movies, games/jokes, images, music) that is not pleasing to God? Do you allow your mind to be plagued by worries or thoughts that are not from God? Is there something in your house that you would be embarrassed for the Lord to see if He came to visit? Do you have a bad habit that you try to keep hidden?

God doesn’t want to step in our poo when He walks in our camp any more than we would want to step in a pile of dog poo. We ALL have little somethings that need to be dealt with properly in order for God to be welcome in our camp and to give us victory over the big enemies of our soul. So, I encourage you to do a little personal housecleaning today. Dig down within and turn those little irritating sins over to the Lord and get them covered by the blood of Yeshua. Only then can the Lord be free to walk in your camp and deliver you from your enemies without having to watch where He steps.

There is no better time like the present to make things right with the Lord. As we enter this holiest of holidays, I pray that you will find the joy of being atoned–being made “at one” again with God. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to confess these secret sins to the Lord. God loves you and wants only His best for you. He walks with you all through life’s journey, but He also desires for you to be perfect, just as He is perfect.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me…Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” (Psalm 51:10,12)

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This week I am grateful for my dad. He was always a gentle and loving teacher for me as a child, but he was also a man of his word. If he warned me of a consequence to disobedience and I disobeyed anyway, he would stick to his word even if it hurt his heart. He would try to teach me a new skill and made it look so easy. But when I tried to imitate him, I would usually be very clumsy and awkward. He would chuckle and tell me, “You didn’t hold your tongue right that time.” Now, as an adult, I honor and respect my dad as a good example in my life.

We all have a great lineage of faithful people throughout the Bible to set examples for us on how to live. But our greatest example is Yeshua Himself who suffered the most incredible hostility from sinners and even the cross with great joy because He knew it would make a way for us to come to Him.

So don’t get discouraged at the various trials and sins you seem to be striving with in your life. The Lord is always trying to gently correct you like a father does his children. Our earthly fathers did the best they knew to bring us up, but our Heavenly Father does everything not only for our good, but for our best so we can be holy like He is.

Therefore, strengthen your hands for the work He has given you to do, stand tall and strong in your faith and walk carefully in peace and holiness so you can inherit all the wonders of His glorious kingdom which will never be shaken. Serve God with grace, reverence and godly fear.

This is my summary of Hebrews Chapter 12.  I encourage you to read the whole chapter for yourself today. It is chock full of good tidbits for you. I love you and hope you have a blessed day.

The post Our Greatest Example appeared first on Rock of Revelation.

“Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

He felt like he was all the way at the end of the earth, maybe even at the end of his rope. He had lost his perspective. He couldn’t see where he was or where God was because he was so overwhelmed.

What do you do when you are lost and can’t figure out what direction to move in? You look for a rock or a tree that you can climb up on to see where you are or where you are going. Jesus is our Rock. He is much higher than all our problems. He is much taller than all our troubles. He can see everything from the beginning to the end. He knows right where you are right now, and He knows exactly where you are going. He knows the way when you don’t. That is why we run to Him when our heart is overwhelmed.

This Rock will be your shelter from the winds of life’s storms. This Rock will give you shade from the heat of the day beating down on your head. This Rock will be a strong tower that you can hide in from the enemy who pursues you relentlessly. This Rock will also give you water for your weary soul.

When the Israelites were wandering around in the wilderness, the Bible says that a rock followed them. This was the rock that Moses struck with his staff and water flowed out of it for all of them to drink. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 says,

“All our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea…and all drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

All of us are going through something, be it a heavy cloud or the billowing sea. But we are not alone. Our Rock, the Lord Yeshua, is rolling right alongside us. He will be with you every step of the way. He will lead you in the right way. He will bring you to your destination if you will stay right beside Him.

Do not worry or be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Cling to the Rock. Find a cleft in this Rock you can curl up and rest in. Let Him fill you with His refreshing water that flows freely for your weary soul. He can see your way; let Him lead you along your journey.

May you be blessed and refreshed today as you roll with life’s punches, because you have The Rock rolling along with you.

The post The Higher Rock appeared first on Rock of Revelation.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

Death could not hold Him! He has overcome all so you could be with Him in Glory.

“This promise is to YOU and to YOUR CHILDREN, and to ALL who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39)

The Lord is calling you right now. Will you accept His call? Have you received His promise of salvation? It is a great gift God wants you to have.

What a wonderful Savior we have! His name is Jesus. There is no other like Him! And He has endued us with His Holy Spirit and called us to be His witnesses in the world. There are myriads of people all around you who need to hear this simple, life-changing message. You don’t have to be eloquent or flamboyant, the power is infused in the simplicity of the Gospel. You need only to open your mouth and allow the Holy spirit to flow through your tongue. He can get the point across and pierce through even to the heart of those who hear you.

Let’s remember Him as the true Savior of Pentecost and proclaim the wonderful works of God to those standing outside our house just like on the day of Pentecost.

The post God is Calling appeared first on Rock of Revelation.

“Now therefore, Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in goodness…” (2 Chronicles 6:41; Psalm 132:8-9)

Before Yeshua ascended back to His Father in heaven, he commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Comforter to come.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

And on the day of Pentecost, the presence of the God came in like a mighty rushing wind to the Upper Room where they were praying and filled them with the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, all 120 people in that room were praising and shouting thanksgiving and prophesying of the wonderful works of God, each one in a different language. Suddenly, these lowly, uneducated fishermen were transformed into powerful proclaimers of the Good News of Yeshua’s saving grace. Now, not a physical building but each believer has been sanctified as the temple of the Holy Spirit. And when He comes to rest on us we are clothed with garments of salvation and filled with His glory and power and rejoice under the heavy, anointing presence of the LORD in our lives.

Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Do you want to have that rich and powerful presence in your temple? You can! He is freely available as a gift from God to all who will ask and receive Him. Just humble your heart and ask the Lord to come in and then start blessing Him and thanking Him for His greatness. Open your mouth and let Him wash over you, and arise to rest upon you with His glory and majesty. And rejoice in His embrace as He inhabits your worship. He will surely come in and transform you into a powerful witness for His glory.

I hope you have a glorious day as you enter into that place of worship where He can fill you to overflowing.

The post Our Sanctified Temples appeared first on Rock of Revelation.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”

There are five great principles that Paul was praying for His flock to receive in these three short verses:

1. That your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. This is a prayer that as you get to know the Lord and understand His will for your life, that your love for Him will grow and fill you to overflowing.
2. That you may approve the things that are excellent. As you grow in your faith and love for the Lord, He will give you wisdom to make right decisions and help you know how to please Him in everything you do.
3. That you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. In Spanish, the word sincere means “without wax”. When a pottery vessel was fired in a kiln and a crack or flaw appeared, the crevice could be filled with wax and then painted to make it appear perfect. But a vessel that was flawless after going through the fire was much more valuable. It was marked as a “sincere” vessel–one with no wax-filled imperfections. The Lord is working to make each of us perfect and without blemish. Sometimes we have to go through fiery trials to temper our resolve, but when He is finished with us, we will be the most valuable vessels of honor, fit for His most noble purposes.
4. That you may be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. As the Holy Spirit works in you to make you perfect, He will develop fruits in your life that will exhibit your righteousness to the world. These include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22) This prayer is that you will be filled with all the best fruits that delight your and God’s heart.
5. To the glory and praise of God. Finally, as the Lord develops love and wisdom and perfection and fruits of righteousness in your heart, your entire life will become a praise to God. He will receive the proper glory not only from you, but from those whom your life and light touch as well.

“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men…Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:15-17)

Be a light! Live for the Lord! Laugh for joy! Love well! For you are loved by God.

The post The Prayer of Your Life appeared first on Rock of Revelation.

“For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39)

The Lord is continually looking for people who will live for Him and serve Him faithfully. Are you one of His special servants? You can be!

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

The Lord is on your side if your heart is loyal to Him, if you walk in His ways and keep His commandments. The Lord has spoken His Words to you and has invited you to join Him in His holy mountain.

“For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?…Then the LORD said… “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!…Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left…that you may live and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days in the land…” (Deuteronomy 5:26, 29, 32-33)

Oh, that we all may have this heart in us that fears the Lord and follows His Word!! Oh, that we all may live well and enjoy the blessings of the Lord!! And how can you find this heart that pleases God?

“Give unto the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness…The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:2,11)

Don’t give up. Keep pressing forward toward the Lord in your daily work and walk. May you be blessed with peace today.

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