April 24, 2026
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Praise:
Shabbat's Torah portion emphasizes God's call for Israel to be holy – that is separated from the world and the flesh in order to serve Him alone (Lev. 19:2; cp. 20:26). This is the same call on believers, yet as Yeshua's exposition of the law in His "Sermon on the Mount" reveals, God's expectations are beyond what anyone can reach. Thus once again we see that no one can be righteous by their own efforts, so that we must trust totally in His grace and mercy (Zech. 4:6-7; Eph. 2:8).
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Lord God, we see what You desire of us, yet it is impossible to achieve by ourselves, so we praise and bless You for Your mercy and grace granted to us (1 Kin. 6:46a; Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:23).
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We thank You for Leviticus 20:7-8 in Shabbat's Torah portion which gives us great encouragement of that truth:
Sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am YHWH your God… who sanctifies you.
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Thank You Abba that Paul encouraged us with this same concept in Philippians 2:12b-13.
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Yeshua Lord, we praise You for loving and sanctifying us (Eph. 5:25-26; Heb. 13:12).
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We also praise You for asking Your Father to sanctify us in the truth – Your Word (John 17:17).
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We bless You King Messiah, for affirming that You were and are a Man of War throughout Your Word (Ex. 15:3; Psa. 24:8; Isa. 42:13; Rev. 19:11-16).
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