Quiet Corner

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Obliterating The Cup​

The story is told of Leonardo DaVinci painting Messiah's last supper. He ended up spending three years on the project, meticulously working on every detail. He painted Messiah with his arms outstretched and holding a cup in his right hand. The cup was painted with detailed realism. When the painting was finished, DaVinci showed it to a friend and asked for his opinion. "It's wonderful," said his friend. "The cup is so real I can't take my eyes away from it." Immediately, Leonardo took a brush and wiped it across the sparkling cup. "Nothing shall take away from the figure of Jesus," he said. The truth is, it's very easy to become distracted from the Lord, even by good things of the Lord. But there's nothing as beautiful as He is. So whatever is in your life, whether good or bad, don't let it become the thing you dwell on. You only have one focus, one first love, and one redeemer. Let your heart be filled up with Him only. For even the cup of the Lord is nothing without His hands to hold it

Philippians 3:10
Today, put away, put out, and put behind anything that is taking your attention off of the Lord

 

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The Suffering Messiah Of The Rabbis​

There's a fascinating story in the writings of the Jewish rabbis about the Messiah. It's about a vision where God speaks to the Messiah and tells him of his future mission. He tells the Messiah: "For their sins; the sins of the people; you will suffer. You'll be forced into an iron yoke, and your tongue will cleave to the roof of your mouth. Do you accept this?" Messiah says, "Yes, so that every soul should be saved from Adam onward." The rabbis write of Messiah taking on Himself a mission in which He bears the sins of His nation, and the sins of all who were born from the time of Adam. There's only one person in the history of Israel and the world who can match that description. So even the rabbis, who don't believe in Yeshua Jesus, still, without realizing it, bear witness of Him. Yeshua, Jesus, truly is Messiah and Lord of all. So be blessed. Your sins are gone, every single one of them, and there's nothing left. For He is so good that even the rabbis bear witness of Him

Psalm 103:12
Today, pray for the Jewish people to find the true Messiah

 

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The Thanksgiving/ Joy Connection​

Thanksgiving has to be one of the best American holidays ever. But do you know that Thanksgiving actually comes from the Biblical Feast of Tabernacles? Every autumn, the people of Israel would gather in Jerusalem bringing the fruits of their harvest for the year. They would give thanks to God for all His blessings. The Feast of Tabernacles was the festival of joy and thanksgiving. Notice, the Bible says, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. The two are connected. If you want joy, then give thanks. The more you complain, the less joy you will have. When you don't give thanks, and you take your blessings for granted, you end up losing them. But when you give thanks, your blessings multiply. Don't let a day go by without giving thanks to God for His blessings. Bless the Lord, O my soul, forget none of His benefits, because the degree you give thanks will be the degree of your joy. Make your life a feast of Thanksgiving, and your life will become a celebration of joy

Psalm 95:2
Today, rejoice and give thanks for all of God's gifts to you

 

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The YHVH Simplicity​

At the burning bush, Moses asked God, to tell him His name. God replied, "I AM." I AM - you can't get any simpler than that. In Hebrew, the name comes from the root word "to be." It's the basis of every name. When we communicate our name, we say, "I am Jonathan," or "I am Mary." But God's name is so simple; it's just I AM. It's like saying, "I am me." Some people think that God is complicated. Yet, when He revealed Himself, He didn't do it in a complicated way. It was the simplest and yet the deepest statement - I AM. Man's nature is to make things complicated. But God's Word is simple. Sometimes we make our walks, our lives, and our faith complicated, but God's Word to us is simple. Faith is simple. Has your life, your faith, your ministry, or your walk become complicated? Get away from the complicated bondage of Egypt. Get alone with God. Take off your shoes; take off your sandals like Moses, stand on holy ground, and learn the great secret. The name of God is I AM. The answer is simple


John 14:6
Today, take time to get into the simplicity of God, the simplicity of His presence, the simplicity of His love, the simplicity of your salvation

 

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The Other Ministry Of The Priest​

The priests of Israel, the kohanim, had many facets to their priesthood and ministry. They offered sacrifices and oversaw the functions of the Temple. But one of their most important ministries was praise and worship. They were the ultimate keepers of praise and worship even over the Levites. The priest was in charge of the praise of God, with words, music, psalms, harps, flutes, trumpets, and tambourines. I Peter 2:9 says, "You are a royal priesthood." That means you are called to many things, but chief among them is to be a keeper of praise and worship. God has appointed you to keep praise in your heart, on your lips, and in your mind. The people who know God declare His praises. Those who don't praise, don't really know God, because God is praiseworthy. So rid your lips of complaining or tearing down. You were born again for praise and to worship the Lord. Nurture lips of praise, a mind, a heart, a life of praise, thanksgiving, and worship. The kohanim were the keepers of praise - and you are one of them. So fulfill your course and live a life of praise!

Psalm 66:17
Today, rise to your calling as a priest of the Lord. Become a minister of praise and not of complaints

 

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Not A Honeymoon, But Marriage

Imagine if a couple spent their lives expecting their marriage to be like the honeymoon, trying to recapture the euphoria of it, thinking that's what marriage is about. They would end up miserable. And yet, many believers do just that, trying to recapture a spiritual honeymoon. But marriage is not based on a fleeting honeymoon. Marriage has to be deeper, stronger, and more enduring. The Spirit-filled life is not solely about experiencing spiritual highs in the Lord. It's about growing in God, growing in love, righteousness, holiness, character, and faithfulness. It's about loving Him when you feel like it and when you don't. It's about letting the Spirit touch every part of your life, and having your love for God go deeper and deeper. It's not those in a fast mad dash that will win this race, but those who run with endurance, living a spiritual life. Because the Lord is your husband, and that means you're not only called for a honeymoon, you're in it for a marriage, for the long run, and forever

Ephesians 3:16-19
Today, spend time and go deeper with the Lord.

 

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Singing A New Song In Prison​

Captive in their prison cell, Paul and Barnabas should have been miserable. It would have been natural for them to be afraid, depressed, and worried. Instead, they rejoiced, praising God, and the whole prison burst open with an earthquake. Instead of being angry or afraid, they subverted the system. The Lord wants you to subvert the system of the enemy. Don't get caught up in playing the same old tune of hating those who hate you, rejecting those who reject you, or hurting someone else when you're hurt. That's the world's tune. God wants you to confuse the old tune by playing a new song of love and peace. Love those who hate you. Turn the other cheek. Be at peace when the world is in chaos. Paul and Barnabas sang a new song of praise in prison, not the blues. And you, in whatever situation you're in, start singing a new song in spite of it, a new song of forgiveness, hope, and unconditional love. And those who sing the old song will get confused, and even prison walls will come tumbling down in your life

Acts 16:25-26
Today, don't live by circumstance - sing a new song

 

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Descenders And Ascenders

There are two kinds of Israelis: the Olim and the Yaradim. Olim comes from the Hebrew word olah, which means to go up. The Olim are those who ascend or go up. They're the Jews who move to Israel. Yaradim comes from the Hebrew word yarad, which means to descend or go down. They're the Israelis who leave the land of Israel to live in the nations. In the same way, there are two kinds of believers: the Olim, those who go up, and the Yaradim, those who go down. We're either going toward the New Jerusalem, God's holiness, and calling - or going away from it. If you've loved God more in the past than you do now, you're a Yaradim. But God's called you to be an Olim, to make it your aim to move closer to Him all the time. Follow Him more zealously than you did last year or last week. Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14, "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward... the upward call of God in Messiah." You do the same, and you'll be one of the Olim

John 10:27
Today, be an Olim and ascend higher in the Lord

 

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Head On In Jerusalem​

The Gospel was first preached in Jerusalem after the resurrection. Jerusalem was the place of the crucifixion and those who opposed Messiah. And it's where the resurrection overcame the crucifixion. Messiah said, "Go preach the Gospel to Jerusalem first." Why? Because the power of life in Messiah is stronger than death. The power of the resurrection isn't in your life, so you can avoid problems, run away from darkness, or live in defeat. The power of the resurrection came so that you could take on the darkness, the problems, and the opposition to overcome and win. So don't be afraid of the enemy, the past, or what is against you, but take it on. For the Gospel must first be manifest in the place of conflict. God did not come into this world to avoid conflict, and He did not come into your life so you could avoid it. He came into your life so that you could overcome it. He came into your life to give you the same power of the resurrection. Therefore, go and overcome whatever you have to overcome in your own Jerusalem

Acts 1:8
Today, don't avoid the problem, the challenge, or the conflict - overcome it

 

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Hitler And The Enemy's Encouragement​

The enemy has been trying to wipe out the Jewish people for 2,000 years. He knows that when the Jewish people come back to Messiah, his time is over - the Kingdom will come. So as the time came closer for Israel returning to the world and the Jewish people returning back to their land, the enemy went crazy; Hitler and the Nazis rose up and tried to wipe them out in the Holocaust. Why? Because the enemy knows that the coming of Israel back into the world will ultimately lead to the return of Messiah. So too, in your life, the enemy doesn't waste his energy. If you find yourself barraged with problems, conflicts, and attacks, start rejoicing and be encouraged. Keep pressing on all the more. God has great things for you, and all that opposition is only a sign of how great God's plans are for you. The only thing as encouraging as being in the center of God's love is to be in the center of the enemy's hate

Isaiah 58:2
Today, no matter what the problem or opposition, rejoice and be encouraged that God has great things for you