Wholehearted Love

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

GOD wants us to serve Him enthusiastically and wholeheartedly! He doesn’t like half-hearted effort. Our verse today warns us against being lukewarm and teaches us that being neither hot nor cold is not acceptable to GOD. He would prefer that we be cold toward Him, rather then lukewarm! Why? It seems lukewarm is better than nothing, right? Well, this is because lukewarm people are easily deceived into thinking they are doing what they should be doing, when in fact they are not! 

Example: these people might go to church as an obligation, but in reality they do not want to be there at all! They are offering sacrifice, not whole-hearted obedience!

Revelation 3:15-16

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot, I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.

Our LORD never does anything half-way and we should not either! We need to work unto the LORD, heartedly (with all our heart)! Never lag in zeal and in earnest effort; be aglow with your love of GOD, heart, soul and spirit!

Love & Blessings,

Bruce & Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Day of Reckoning

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Every person without exception will one day stand before GOD and give an account of their life. I encourage you today not to live like there is no tomorrow because tomorrow always comes.

Yeshua will come for us when we least expect it and then it will be too late to do all the things we intended to do but never got around to! One of the spiritual laws we see throughout the Bible is that we always reap what we sow. Everything that is now done behind closed doors will one day be brought out in the open! We should be sure that we realize nothing is really eternally hidden!

Revelation 22:12 And behold, I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.

Our salvation is a free gift from GOD; it is given by His amazing grace through MESSIAH and is to be received by faith. We do not get into Heaven because of our good works, but as our verse today teaches us, even so our works will be judged and rewarded according to what we have merited. That “Day of Reckoning” will one day be upon us; let’s be ready.

 

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Religious Fluff

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

How important is the Word of God to you? If you don’t really care enough about the Word to abide in it, you are going to be in trouble in these last days in which we live. 

“Religious fluff” is not going to be enough to get you through; we have to be deeply serious about meditating on the Word while the Holy Spirit leads us.

When we know the Word, ABBA will protect us and keep us from being sucked into deception! Simply stated: deception happens when we believe the lies of our enemy, Satan! He knows our weaknesses and He lies to us every chance He gets! Without thorough knowledge of GOD’S Word, we won’t even recognize His lies!       

John 8:31-32
Then Yeshua said to those who believed Him, “If you abide in my word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

A deceived heart will not do for anyone who intends to be victorious in their Messianic Jewish faith walk! We need to be diligent to root out any areas of our lives where we are susceptible to deception (Satan lies). We need to live openly, honestly, abiding in the light of GOD’S truth as He reveals in His Word!

 

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Perfect Peace

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Are you at peace today? Nothing is worth anything if you don’t have peace! Even having great wealth is no good without peace! You cannot put a price on the value of peace.You can spend your whole life trying to climb the ladder of success and it could consume you with pressure, stress and rob you of your peace, joy and time that should be spent with your family.

We are never truly successful unless we have peace. Peace comes from knowing who we are in MESSIAH YESHUA (the Prince of Peace) and having the peace of GOD, which surpasses all understanding

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.                                    

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

GOD wants to see us (His children) having our needs met & blessed in abundance & being in a position to bless others! But ABBA  never wants it to be a cost of exchanging our peace for it. Seek the prefect peace of GOD in all you do & always refuse to live without it!

 

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Fear Not

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Fear has been a part of man’s emotional makeup since the fall! When Adam and Eve rebelled against the LORD, they hid themselves from Him and were afraid (Genesis 3:10). Things haven’t changed much. Anxiety often affects our thinking and controls our actions. It can keep us boxed in!

Let’s look at some truths written in the Word of GOD to help us defeat fear.

GOD is almighty; through our Savior’s perfect life and sacrifice on the cross, our two greatest enemies have been defeated (Satan & death)! 

Next, GOD is always with us; because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at our time of salvation, we have GOD not only near us but also in us. Nothing can separate us from Him (not past mistakes, present circumstances or difficult people).

Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Almighty GOD “Himself” is the reason we should not be afraid! Next time fear overwhelms you, grasp hold of the truth of His awesome power, presence and total involvement in your life. He has you in the palm of His hand!

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation