Off Course

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Do you ever feel as if your whole life has gone a little off course? All of a sudden you aren’t sure which way to turn. We all can get to the point when our spiritual sense of direction seems unclear. Our scripture today lays out a clear plan for getting back on track after stepping in wrong directions!

We’re to lay aside every encumbrance. Encumbrance here means “weight.” We should remove anything from our life that is weighing us down. Stress, guilt, fear, shame and regret are just a few of the burdens that can break our back as we strive to move forward in our FAITH walk in the LORD. We will simply never go far in our spiritual growth when we’re dragging around so much baggage!

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Even when we feel lost, GOD knows where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going! The course has been laid before us and YESHUA stands waiting at the finish line!

 

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Messiah-Like

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Is repentance necessary in the life of the believer? Yes! 

We see the critical truth in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, GOD is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Remember, “to repent” means to change our minds! For unbelievers, this refers to a decision about where to find security! But for us (children of GOD), it involves a change of heart with regard to behavior or attitude.

Repentance is an ongoing decision to lead an obedient, MESSIAH-LIKE life. GOD absolutely hates sin! So if we agree with Him about sin, then we are changing our mind about disobedience in our lives. 

Thoughts, attitudes and actions that once seemed perfectly natural will no longer fit who we are in MESSIAH YESHUA!

Proverbs 28:13

He who covers his sins will not prosper; but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Is there sin in your life that has become too uncomfortable to bear? Confess the matter to ABBA FATHER, and allow Him to change your mind about it and to turn away from it today, and you will receive His mercy!

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

I’m a Citizen of Heaven!

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Earth isn’t our everlasting home. Our citizenship is in heaven. Together we eagerly wait for YESHUA to come and take us to live with Him forever. In the meantime, we have direct access to God through the Holy SPIRIT. When days are long and nights are painful, we can remember where our real home is. This life of ups and downs are only temporary. In the loving arms of YESHUA, we can find grace and mercy in time of need.

We are united with our Savior. I am one in spirit with Him, and so are you! YESHUA doesn’t call us His servants; as a matter of fact, he calls us His friends. He tells us that servants do not know what the Master’s business is. “I have called you friend, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

YESHUA is with us while we wait for His return. It’s important that we spend time in His Word and learn who He says we are. We are His children, and for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

This world is not our home and for many MESSIANIC JEWISH BELIEVERS, we feel like we don’t belong. The hard truth is that we don’t belong here. We belong with MESSIAH in the heavenly places. The good news is that we can have heavenly moments with MESSIAH now! It’s in these times we find His strength to help us carry on.

Inspired by author—Lisa Brown

 

Love & Blessings,

Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation