Be Forgiving

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

 I am sure you are familiar with the parable of the unjust servant.  The servant in this story owes the king a lot of money, but when he begs the king for mercy and promises to pay it all back if he will just give him a little more time, the king forgives the debt.  

Then the servant sees another servant who owes him a little bit of money (nowhere near the amount he owed the king!), and he demands that the servant pay him back immediately. When the servant begs for more time, he refuses and has him put into prison until he can pay back the full amount.  

The other servants are horrified at his behavior and tell the king what has happened.  The king calls in the servant and has him turned over to the “tormentors” until he can pay back the full amount.  

Any offense against God is a major offense, and yet God has forgiven us, and forgives us over and over again.  We pray the model Prayer asking God to forgive us AS we forgive others.  I’m not sure we mean it.  

Is there someone we still can’t forgive?  I’m not saying anything about forgetting.  Have we asked God to help us forgive?  The problem here is that a lack of forgiveness does nothing for the person not forgiven, but it can keep us from moving on in life spiritually healthy.  In our families, it can keep brothers and sisters or  parents and children apart, causing problems for generations.  Let us be more like the King and less like the unworthy servant. 

 

PRAYER:

Loving and forgiving God, sometimes there are people in our lives who have hurt us deeply and whom we find it hard to forgive.  Please help us to forgive so that we may have peace in our hearts.  In Yeshua’s Name. Amen. 

With lots of prayers & love,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Spiritual Journey

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

 

The life of a FOLLOWER of MESSIAH is a journey; it has stages of growth we need to reach on the way to spiritual maturity.

First: Salvation—we all begin our journey in the same place, spiritually dead and uninterested in what matters to GOD (Ephesians 2:1-2). Only through salvation (accepting YESHUA as your Savior and Lord of your life), can we receive the Holy Spirit, who creates in us a desire to know GOD and His Son! 

As we learn more about our triune GOD, our faith deepens and our hearts will swell with thanksgiving!!!!

That leads to the next step of our journey—serving Him! Our hearts will desire to give back to GOD in appreciation for His grace and mercy toward us!  But then we must focus on GOD’S plan for our life and not our plans. 

We’re to listen attentively to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He brings forth fruit in us (Galatians 5:22-23) to draw us into unity of service with fellow believers. Ephesians 4:15 … but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him who is the head of His body, the BODY OF BELIEVERS.

Growth is a key principle in a believer’s life. Spiritual maturity begins with salvation and follows with a lifetime commitment to be a servant for GOD. 

Are you dedicated to serving Him? It’s such a great, amazing blessing to know and serve Him! Wow!

 

With lots of prayers, love & shalom,

 

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Lake Worth, Fl

Battling Faith

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Sometimes we may feel like our  life swings back and forth like a pendulum between faith and doubt! This is a common problem when trying situations come our way. Even though we know what GOD’s Word says, our feelings (the flesh) often tell us something totally different!

The question is not if we will experience this but rather how long we will remain on one side or the other. Three factors determine whether we lean toward faith or doubt: 

(1) Strength of our faith at the time of our trial. 

(2) Our knowledge and understanding of GOD and His Word.

(3) Our experience with failure or success in past trials! 

To grow in faith, it’s really necessary to change not only our focus but also our thinking and listening practices. 

We need to set our mind on GOD’s promises, not our feelings! 

Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit—not Satan’s lies.

And remember GOD’s past faithfulness in trials!

James 1:6
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

By choosing to walk by faith, it will be possible to bring feelings of doubt, anxiety, fear and anger into true full submission to what we know is true—GOD’s faithfulness will see us through! 

Yes! “PTL!” 

With lots of prayers, love and blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

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

Being in Awe

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Being passionate about our life and our purpose begins and continues with being passionate about GOD our FATHER! We should always live in amazement about Him and His ways. Everything that once thrilled us about GOD’S character should continue day by day, filling us with awe of Him and who He is.

So what can we do if the wonder and excellence of who GOD is and what He’s done for us begins to fade? 

  🤔

The answer is found in our Scripture today. 

2 Timothy 1:6

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  

The apostle Paul is giving instructions to Timothy when he started battling with fear. Paul told him to stir up (rekindle the embers of & keep burning) the gift of GOD (the inner fire) that was in him. It was the gift of faith Paul was talking about.

We have the ability, and it is our responsibility to fan the flames of our faith!! Don’t delay; start today, stir up the fire of passion in your heart for the things of GOD and the awesomeness of who He is: “THE GREAT I AM”!

 

Love & Blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation