THE GIFT

​A friend of mine recently took a trip with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. When describing the trip after they returned, both of them agreed that they had a terrific time - with each other! Fifteen years ago their marriage nearly ended because of the condition of their relationship. However, today their marriage is strong and their relationship is the best it's ever been. The change began when his wife surrendered their relationship to Yahweh, God.* She knew that the only thing she could do to make a difference in their difficult situation was to allow G-d to have His way in their lives. As she spent time with G-d she came to realize that, in addition to surrendering their relationship, she also had to surrender all of her self to G-d. As she learned to surrender, and she knows that the surrender process is still going on, his wife saw a difference in their relationship. In her heart she found a love for her husband that she had not known before. In fact, when asked many years ago, "What is it that you love about your husband?", her answer was, "Nothing!" When asked that same question today, she answers, "Everything!!" The relationship they now share is truly a gift from G-d.

Another relationship that is truly a gift from G-d is Israel's relationship with G-d. A look at Scriptures reveal the origin of this gift. "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."' (Gen.12:1-3)

"Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am G-d Almighty (El Shaddai); Walk before Me, and be blameless. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly. ' And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be G-d to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their G-d." (Gen. 17:1-8)

Yahweh chose Abraham and his descendants to be the recipients of an everlasting covenant relationship with Him. Such a relationship no other people have known. He also specifically designated the descendants through whom the covenant relationship was passed down...."Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him."' (Gen. 17:19) "Then G-d appeared to Jacob (Isaac's son) again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. And G-d said to him, 'your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.' Thus He called him Israel.
G-d also said to him, 'I am G-d Almighty (El Shaddai); Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you. And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you."'(Gen. 35:9-12) From the beginning of G-d's covenant with Abraham, through his son Isaac, through his grandson Jacob, and then all their descendants, we see that G-d set them apart as a special people. They didn't ask to be chosen, nor did they do anything to earn this selection. It was, and still is, a gift.

If you look closely at these Scriptures, and others, you will also see another gift that Yahweh gave them - the land of Israel. "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates...(Gen. 15:18) He gave it to them as an everlasting possession (Gen. 17:8). He showed it to Moses, saying, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants....(Deut. 34:4). Yahweh gave His people Israel His land. "The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me." (Lev. 25:23). It is special to Him. "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it." (Ps. 132:13, 14). Yahweh's relationship to the land is forever. Therefore, the land is a gift to Israel forever.

CURRENT EVENTS

Today we see a tragedy unfolding that causes such profound grief to the gift-giver, Yahweh. The people of Israel are willing participants in a "peace process" that involves His Land of Israel. The Arabs are demanding to be given the land that belongs to G-d's People Israel. The most discouraging part is that the people of Israel are so willing to give it away. How can they give away this etermal gift that Yahweh says is their land forever? Unfortunately, there are many people, Jew and Gentile alike, who do not know the Truth of G-d's Word, or who refuse to accept it as Truth. As a result we have agreement after agreement that serve only to continue the tragedy of contradicting the establishment of Yahweh's eternal relationship with His people Israel and His/their Land of Israel. Mankind, just as he has done from the beginning of creation, has chosen to serve other gods. He has chosen to ignore the promise of blessings and curses of which G-d spoke in Genesis 12. If we could listen to the conversation of the heart of man with the heart of G-d, we might hear, "Man, what is it that you love about G-d? "NOTHING!"' Yahweh knew from the beginning of time how mankind would turn away from Him to serve other gods and that the result would be eternal separation from Him. Out of His great love for His creation He provided the gift of redemption - Yeshua HaMashiach, the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of G-d. Many have come to know Yeshua as their Messiah; many have not. It is difficult to know the Son without knowing the Father. It is difficult to know the Father without knowing the Son. For those who do not know Yahweh as Father, let us unceasingly intercede that they might open their hearts to the Truth of Who their Father is and the love He has for them. For those who do not know Messiah Yeshua, let us unceasingly intercede that they would open their hearts to receive the most perfect gift in all of Yahweh's creation.

If you do not know Yahweh and/or Messiah Yeshua, we are praying for you!

FROM THE BRIDEGROOM

"I am asking you to acknowledge that I am God - I AM THAT I AM - Yahweh, the only living true God and creator of all things; that I am your God." (Sept. 21, 1995)
"I am in your heart waiting for youtocome to Me with hands held out only for My Gift ... the Gift of Myself."

Bottom Line

"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our G-d, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your G-d with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart." (Deut. 6:4, 5)

These are the directions that Yahweh commands us to go in order to receive the gift(s) He has for His children. Just as my friend's wife had to surrender her life to G-d, Israel, and all or mankind, need to do the same. Then we can answer the question,

"What is it that you love about G-d?" with a resounding "EVERYTHING"!