Just because our parents did something doesn’t mean that we are that. Just because our parents had something doesn’t mean we have that. We need to be accountable and responsible for our own lives and remember what we have to be and have to do!
Today’s reading starts with such a reminder from Moses to the people of Israel before they enter into the promised land…
The Ten Words
1Moses called to all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances that I am speaking in your hearing today, learn them and make sure to do them. 2Adonai our God cut a covenant with us in Horeb. 3Not with our fathers has Adonai cut this covenant but with us—all of us alive here today. 4Adonai spoke with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. 5(I was standing between Adonai and you at that time, to tell you the word of Adonai, because you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) ‘He said: 6‘I am Adonai your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7‘You shall not have other gods beside Me.
8‘Do not make for yourself a graven image—no image of what is in the heavens above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
9Do not bow down to them or worship them. For I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, 10but showing lovingkindness to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My mitzvot.
11‘You must not take the Name of Adonai your God in vain, for Adonai will not leave unpunished anyone who takes His Name in vain.
12‘Observe Yom Shabbat to keep it holy, as Adonai your God commanded you.
13Six days you are to labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is a Shabbat to Adonai your God. In it you are not to do any work—not you or your son or your daughter, or your slave or your maid, or your ox, your donkey or any of your livestock or the outsider within your gates, so that your slave and your maid may rest as you do. 15You must remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore Adonai your God commanded you to keep Yom Shabbat.
16‘Honor your father and your mother just as Adonai your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and it may go well with you in the land Adonai your God is giving you.
17‘Do not murder. ‘Do not commit adultery. ‘Do not steal. ‘Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
18‘Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
19“These words Adonai spoke to all your assembly on the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud and the fog, with a great voice. He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
Live and Prolong Your Days
20“As soon as you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, you came near to me—all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 21Then you said, ‘Adonai our God has just shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. This day we have seen that God speaks with man, and yet he keeps on living. 22Now then, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us! If we hear the voice of Adonai our God any more, then we will die. 23For 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? 24You go near and hear all that Adonai our God says. Then you tell us all what Adonai our God tells you, and we will hear it and do it.’ 25“Adonai heard the tone of your words when you spoke to me, and Adonai said to me, ‘I have heard the tone of the words that this people has spoken to you—they have done well in all they have spoken. 26If only there were such a heart in them to fear Me and keep all My mitzvot always, so that it might go well with them and with their children forever! 27Go say to them, “Return to your tents.” 28But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will tell you the whole commandment—both the statutes and the ordinances that you are to teach them. And they will do them in the land I am giving them to possess.’ 29“So you must take care to do as Adonai your God has commanded you—do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 30You are to walk in all the way that Adonai your God has commanded you, so that you may live and it may be well with you and you may prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
–from Deuteronomy 5
How will you remember? How will you remind yourself? How will you pass this along to the next generation? You are responsible and accountable for what you do! Will you prepare them? Will you teach them? Will you show them? Will you tell them? Will you share with them?
1“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and ordinances that Adonai your God commanded to teach you to do in the land you are crossing over to possess— 2so that you might fear Adonai your God, to keep all His statutes and mitzvot that I am commanding you and your son and your son’s son all the days of your life, and so that you may prolong your days. 3Hear, therefore, O Israel, and take care to do this, so that it may go well with you and you may increase mightily, as Adonai the God of your fathers has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
Shema Israel, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad
4“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one . 5Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These words, which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart. 7You are to teach them diligently to your children, and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. 8Bind them as a sign on your hand, they are to be as frontlets between your eyes, 9and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
When You Prosper, Do not Forget
10“Now when Adonai your God brings you into the land that He swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—to give you great and good cities that you did not build, 11and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns dug that you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you eat and are full, 12then watch yourself so that you do not forget Adonai, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 13You must fear Adonai your God and serve Him, and swear by His Name. 14You must not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15for Adonai your God in the midst of you is a jealous God. Otherwise the anger of Adonai your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you from the face of the earth. 16“You are not to test Adonai your God, as you tested Him at Massah. 17Diligently keep the mitzvot of Adonai your God, and His testimonies and His statutes that He has commanded you. 18You are to do what is right and good in the sight of Adonai, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and possess the good land that Adonai swore to your fathers— 19to drive out all your enemies from before you, as Adonai has spoken.
When Your Son Asks
20“When your son asks you in time to come, saying ‘What are the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances that Adonai our God commanded you?’ 21then you are to tell your son, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Adonai brought us out from Egypt with a mighty hand. 22Before our eyes Adonai showed signs and wonders, great and terrible—on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house. 23Then He brought us out from there so that He might bring us in, to give us the land that He swore to our fathers. 24Adonai commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Adonai our God—for our good always, to keep us alive, as is the case this day. 25It will be righteousness to us, if we take care to do all this commandment before Adonai our God, just as He has commanded us.’
–from Deuteronomy 6
Remember the Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it! Remember you have what you have because He gave it to you to be a good steward of it! Be it finances! Be it property! Be it people in your life – spouse, children, parents, siblings, friends, etc. Be a good steward of every good gift from God!
Trust Him with everything! Seek wisdom from Him in everything! Don’t make assumptions, but rather pray and get wisdom that is divine and direct.
Protect Me from Conspiracies
1For the music director, a psalm of David. 2Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint. Protect my life from terror of the enemy. 3Hide me from the conspiracy of evildoers, from the tumult of workers of iniquity, 4who sharpened their tongue like a sword, and aimed their arrow—bitter words, 5to shoot from hiding at the innocent, shooting suddenly at him, with no fear. 6They are firming up their evil plan. They talk about setting secret traps. They asked, “Who would see them?” 7They are plotting injustices: “We have completed a perfect plot!” A man’s inward part and heart are deep. 8But God will shoot them with an arrow— suddenly their wounds will appear. 9So their tongue will be their downfall. All who see them will flee away. 10Then all men will fear. So they will declare the work of God, and ponder what He has done. 11The righteous will be glad in Adonai and take refuge in Him. Let all the upright in heart give glory!
–from Psalms 64
So where does your hope come from? Where does your trust come from? As for me and my house we trust the Lord! Every step! Every word! Every action! Every thought! Every word! Put your trust in Him and allow Him to guide your steps.
Let’s work together for the greater good! Let’s come together in unity! Let’s be the body, each with our specific purpose!
1Since we are co-laboring, we also urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2For He says, “At a favorable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We give no cause for offense in anything, so that our ministry may not be blamed. 4But as God’s servants, we are commending ourselves in every way—in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleeplessness, in hunger; 6in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Ruach ha-Kodesh, in genuine love, 7in truthful speech, in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through evil report and good report. We are regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9as unknown and yet well-known; as dying, yet behold, we live; as disciplined yet not put to death; 10as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing yet possessing everything. 11We have spoken openly to you, O Corinthians; our heart is open wide! 12You are not restricted by us, yet you are restricted in your own feelings. 13Now in return—I speak as to my children—open wide to us also.
Preserving Sanctity in God’s Living Temple
14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15What harmony does Messiah have with Belial? Or what part does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement does God’s Temple have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God—just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17Therefore, come out from among them, and be separate, says Adonai. Touch no unclean thing. Then I will take you in. 18I will be a father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says Adonai-Tzva’ot.”
–from 2 Corinthians 6
So let’s turn to Jesus! Let’s be asking Him for wisdom! Not getting something? Ask Him for wisdom and discernment! Is it because there is something better? Is it because it isn’t as good as what you think? Is it a no or a not right now? We need to be willing to listen and hear what He has to say! We need to be willing to spend the time to be filled up! He has a plan for you! If you are willing to give Him the little you have, He can take it and multiply it and bless so many! We just need to trust Him! We just need to listen to Him! We just need to obey Him! And allow Him to work in and through us and our lives into the world around us! When we know the purpose, nothing will be able to deter us from completing the work God has prepared in advance for us to do!
Do You Still Not Understand?
1In those days, there was another large crowd with nothing to eat, and Yeshua called the disciples. He said to them, 2“I have compassion for the crowd, because they’ve stayed with Me for three days now and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them home hungry they’ll pass out on the way, for some of them have come from very far away.” 4His disciples answered Him, “How can anyone satisfy these people with bread here in a wasteland?” 5“How many loaves do you have?” Yeshua was asking them. “Seven,” they said. 6He directed the crowd to recline on the ground. After taking the seven loaves and giving thanks, He broke them and began giving them to His disciples to serve; and they served them to the crowd. 7They also had a few small fish and, after offering a bracha for them, He commanded these to be served as well. 8They ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over—seven baskets. 9About four thousand were there, and Yeshua sent them away. 10Right away, He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the area of Dalmanutha. 11The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, demanding a sign from heaven, to test Him. 12Sighing deeply in His spirit, Yeshua said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Amen, I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13Leaving them, He got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
The Un-Seeing Disciples
14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they had only one loaf in the boat. 15Yeshua was warning them, “Watch out! Beware of the hametz of the Pharisees and the hametz of Herod.” 16They began to discuss with each other that they had no bread. 17And Yeshua, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss that you have no bread? You still don’t get it? Don’t you understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Having eyes, don’t you see? And having ears, don’t you hear? And don’t you remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they say to Him. 20“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they say to Him. 21He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Eyes that Need Opening
22They come to Bethsaida. Some people bring a blind man to Yeshua and beg Him to touch the man. 23Taking the blind man by the hand, Yeshua brought him outside the village. After spitting on the man’s eyes and laying His hands on him, Yeshua asked the man, “Do you see anything?” 24The man looked up and said, “I see men! They look like trees walking about.” 25Then Yeshua put His hands on the man’s eyes again. The man looked intently, his sight was restored, and he began to see everything clearly. 26Yeshua sent him straight home, saying, “Don’t even enter the village!” 27Now Yeshua and His disciples went out to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28They told Him, “John the Immerser; and others Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” 29Then He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Messiah!” 30And He warned them not to tell anyone about Him.
Revealing the Mission
31Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He was speaking openly about this. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter. He said, “Get behind Me, satan! You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of men.” 34Then He called the crowd, along with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and keep following Me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. 36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37For what could a man give in exchange for his soul? 38For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels!”
–from Mark 8
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God's story through my life from 2005 to eternity... 
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