Dangerous Idols

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Jealousy is typically a negative emotion. Our verse today says our GOD is a jealous GOD! This describes GOD’S vigilance in guarding our love for Him. Since we were created to love the LORD and be loved by Him, anything that competes for our devotion simply does not fit our life’s purpose.       

The most important mission of life is to love GOD with all our heart, soul, strength and mind (Luke 10:27). Without complete devotion to Him, we would pursue our own interests and neglect godly principles and goals. 

No idol whether it is a person, dream or an item is worthy of worship! But a holy and just GOD—whose love for mankind moved Him to send YESHUA, His Son, to die in our place—deserves our total loyalty and surrender.               

Deuteronomy 5:9A
You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.                              

GOD hates idols because He knows they are dangerous for us. They are a sure way of causing us to stumble and become ensnared in sin and forfeit our blessings! For our protection and His glory, let’s be true to our surrender and loyalty to our GOD!

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Uplifting Love

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

True love is more than a feeling! Whether or not thinking about someone causes a warm sensation inside us is immaterial! Feelings are fickle—they can easily change when the other person does something unpleasant to hurt us!

Unconditional love, on the other hand, is a decision, and GOD has chosen to love us for who we are right now, without expecting anything in return. There are no strings attached and no fine print. 

Our ABBA FATHER wants us to show others the same accepting and uplifting love that He has for us! 

Actually, as we see in today’s verse, it’s a commandment given to us by YESHUA.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

GOD commands us to love Him and one another. Righteous behavior, including acts of service, encouraging words and prayer should come forth from our commitment to obey our almighty GOD! This will please Him, and at the same time, we will be sharing with others His precious love!

 

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Read more blogs from Pastor Bruse and Suzi HERE!

Act of Love

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

We are in a war and the Bible teaches us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (natural) but are mighty through GOD for pulling down of strongholds: our Scripture today…

2 Corinthians 10:4

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…”

We need to get rid of wrong thinking: selfish, self-centered thinking! We need to forget about ourselves, our problems and start doing for others, even while we are going through our own trials! This is how we overcome evil! YESHUA, being our example, while on the cross in intense suffering took time to comfort the thief hanging beside Him (Luke 23:42-43). When Paul and Silas were in prison after GOD sent the earthquake to break their chains and open the prison doors, they remained to minister to their captors. They could have thought of themselves and run, but because of this act of love toward their fellowman (the captor and his family), all were born again, becoming believers in MESSIAH YESHUA! 

What battles in your life today need to be fought with an act of love?

 

Love & Blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Bring Me All Your Feelings

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

BRING ME ALL YOUR FEELINGS, even the ones you wish you didn’t have. Fear and anxiety still plague you. Feelings, per se, are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin. Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly. Use your Shield of Faith to extinguish those flaming arrows  Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. If you persist, your feelings will eventually fall in line with your faith.

Do not hide from your fear or pretend it isn’t there. Anxiety that you hide in the recesses of your heart will give birth to fear of fear: a monstrous stepchild.

Bring your anxieties out into the Light of My Presence, where we can deal with them together. Concentrate on trusting Me, and fearfulness will gradually lose its foothold within you.

Ephesians 6:16 
1 John 1:5-7
Isaiah 12:2

From the devotional: Jesus Calling for July 19th

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Lack of Confidence

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Because we consider certain emotions and behaviors harmless, we don’t pay much attention to them. In fact we regard some attitudes as “normal!” We just assume everyone feels them from time to time. One good example is discouragement. Some people view discouragement and disappointment as the same thing, but this is a misconception!

Since we cannot have success every time we try something, there is no way to avoid all disappointments in life. But we can avoid all disappointment; it’s a choice we make when we decide whether or not we will allow our times of disappointment to destroy our confidence. That’s exactly what discouragement is—a complete lack of confidence, a feeling of dismay!

Joshua 1:7
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.”

This verse tells us to be strong and courageous. If you are without courage, ask GOD to wipe away your fears and remind you of His mighty power.

Love & Blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation
Lake Worth, Florida