Are You a Cat or a Dog?

    

    I have had many thoughts lately on the current status of the church in the United States. I have watched over the last few decades as over-all memberships have changed very little. One church grows at the expense of another as people move around to find the right fit for them and their family. I do understand this. There are certainly situations where that is a necessity.  I found myself there a time or two, so there is no judgement on that issue from me. 

    What concerns me more is the attitude and thought process of so many church members currently in the USA. Now this post is not about politics. I just think that, as Christians, we are looking for a speck in someone else's eye without noticing the obvious plank in our own eye, as we rave on and on about the sins of people outside the church while never noticing ours. 

    What I want you to think about is how the church has changed due to a very "I" centric, worldly point of view of its members. I would also note that churches aren't the only organizations dealing with this specific problem. Our society has become so self centered, there is little thought of how our noncommittal attitude affects everything around us. We only commit if nothing else better comes along. As the church we have become so worldly in our noncommittal that it is hard to tell if we belong to Christ. 

    During my childhood, youth, and young adulthood, families who were faithful to God would not plan anything that interfered with church. Christians were committed to God and church above all else. Oh yes, there were always those on the fringe who might be there or might not, but they were the exception rather than the rule. Over the past 20 years there has been a shift away from a ride or die philosophy toward a more nonchalant approach to God and church.

    We want our children to be involved in anything and everything except the one thing they need most, God and His Word. Let me preface what I am about to say with this, I am not against being involved in community activities at all! BUT, as Christians we need to learn when and where to draw a line. Our entire society is exhausted, eating unhealthy food several nights a week due to time constraints, and running ourselves ragged so we and our children can "do" all the things. It is not only weeknights, but every weekend as well. If we have a Sunday off from their events, we are so tired we simply cannot get out of bed to go to church. And do you know what most children really want? They want to be at home being children! They want a mom and dad that aren't stressed to the max. 

    The trend for the last 20 years hasn't been to cut out some extracurricular activities, but rather to cut out church. For many people church used to be Sunday School, Sunday morning Church service, Sunday evening service, and Wednesday evening service and children's learning. Many, many churches are now down to a one hour service on Sunday morning. Children's church for the young ones while everyone else sings a few songs and listens to a sermon is it. There is no discipleship, no training, no teaching. Just let me go for an hour on Sunday morning to fill my little cup that will be dry before the day is over. It is noticeable that some Sundays the pews are packed and the next week they are less than half filled. 

    This is a subject that has bothered me for several years, but the thing that prompted this post was a meme on social media showing a copy of Da Vinci's painting, The Last Supper. There were several frames showing each of the disciples giving an excuse as to why they weren't able to attend as Jesus was left alone during His last night on earth. The main caption said something on the order of, If the disciples had been as committed to Christ as many are today. 

    I began to ask myself how committed am I to Jesus. I try to always begin with the hard questions for myself. What is my commitment level? Am I willing to go to death with Him or will I take the easy road out? What about you? What is your level of commitment to Jesus? Have you, like me, let the world come into your life too much? What will it take for the Church to get serious about their walk with Him? We found out a global pandemic wasn't the answer. Will it be severe persecution? I pray not, but in other parts of the world the Church is growing immensely, with absolute life and death commitment, due to persecution. 

    Have we forgotten that Jesus said we must take up our cross and follow Him? A cross equates death. Perhaps not physical death, but death to oneself. Death to our way of thinking about our life and instead taking up life in Him which is absolute abundant life. Have we forgotten that eternal life begins the moment we give our life to Him? Without Him our life is perishable. Nothing this world offers can even begin to compare to the life He gives. 

                "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." John 10:10-11 NKJ

    Jesus gave His life for us. How can we ever be so flippant toward His sacrifice as to not be all in with Him? So, would you classify your spiritual life as an "all about me" cat or as a faithful, determined dog? Until next time, Shalom my friends.

Seeking the Living Among the Dead

     

    A thought occurred to me last night as I was getting ready for bed. I hear this phrase a lot when obstacles come into the life of people of God, "The devil has done everything to keep me from doing what God wants me to do." I do agree that satan works hard to throw us off track, but what if we took a different approach in our thoughts and words.

    Think about this perspective. In our world today, mass shootings are becoming commonplace. Whenever one happens I hear commentators say they refuse to use the name of the shooter, because they don't want to contribute to their legacy. Perhaps we should do the same when obstacles block our path. It kind of seems that we are giving the enemy way too much publicity. 

    What if we said this instead, "Man God is working in my life today! He has helped me overcome every obstacle I have encountered!"  

    Can you think of anything more offensive than for someone else to get the credit for something you have done? Can you just imagine how mad the enemy would be if we never mentioned his name, but started giving God the glory every time?

    John 24 recounts the story of the women going to the tomb on Sunday after the crucifixion of Jesus. They had an encounter with two angels who say to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised up!" Hallelujah! Jesus is alive and living forever and ever! 

    The enemy is dead. He has been overcome and his destiny is a lake of fire! Just like a condemned person on death row. They are as good as dead. So why do we seek Jesus among the dead? He is not there. HE IS RISEN! So let me challenge you to seek the living among the living! Stop looking for a demon around every corner. You know what? Jesus said, "Seek and you will find." Stop seeking the enemy and seek HIM!

    I know it is difficult, but start the practice of giving God the glory for literally EVERYTHING! Not feeling well, give Him the glory! Car won't start, give Him the glory! Unexpected bills happen, give Him the glory! Marriage disintegrating, give Him the glory! A horrible diagnosis, give Him the glory! Caught in traffic, give Him the glory!

    Will giving Him glory change our circumstances? Probably not, but it will change us! And you know what? It might not even be the enemy doing these things. Some of the obstacles may be God intervening to either keep you from harm OR to get your attention. Notice I said some, not necessarily all of them. 

    Can you imagine what the Israelites thought when the plagues came into Egypt, or when they saw the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night? Could they have been convinced, at first, that the enemy was descending on them? But God! Yes, it was God's hand working to get their attention and save them. What if they had attributed those things to the enemy rather than God! Do not give the enemy credit for anything! Give all the credit to God!

    Paul says in Philippians 4:4-13 NIV

        "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

        "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

    "I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."

    Here's to a new attitude and way of life! GIVE GOD THE GLORY IN ALL THINGS! AMEN!

A Fresh Start

 I said that when I retired I was going to write more, but that hasn't happened yet! I have tried to write something several times and I just seem to have writer's block. I still intend to finish my book series and I have written a series of children's books that I am having illustrated, but that takes time. I have even started a devotional series, but will not publish those until I have the series completed since it is a daily series.

I thought perhaps a new start to this blog would be appropriate at this time. I know the subject matter was just really too much for some, so I will start simpler and build on that. 

I don't usually choose a "word" or resolution for the new year, but this year I have chosen kindness as my word for 2023. I see so much hatefulness that I want to be intentional with kindness this year. I want to smile and be kind to every single person I come into contact with. Kindness costs nothing, but the reward is great. 

Kindness or loving kindness is translated from the Hebrew word chesed. It refers to God's attribute of his grace, loving-kindness, and benevolence. It denotes a love without end. A love that does not depend on circumstances or mood. A love regardless of the actions of the recipient. Love and kindness cannot be separated. It is one and the same. Love is the basis carried out in the action of kindness.

If God can love me that way, then why can't I love others in the same way? He loves me regardless of my past. He loves me even when I am not kind or loving in thought, word, or deed. He, in His loving kindness, gently speaks to me reminding me that as He loves me, so I am to love and treat others with kindness. I know that my unkind ways usually come from a place of weariness, impatience, worry, or fear. That is no different than the people I come into contact with. All of us face things daily that darken our spirit.

Kindness brings a light to the darkness. It cleans up the ugliness of the world and our world definitely needs more love and kindness, more chesed. When we focus on kindness toward others we have no regrets, no embarrassment, nothing to apologize for. There is no argument against loving kindness. There may certainly be those who do not understand our ability to be kind to people who are hateful or angry, but more hate or anger will not change things for the better. Only loving kindness can do that. 

I pray that this week you can make the choice to be kind to everyone you come into contact with. There are far too many people in our lives who are just one unkind word or action away from falling apart. 

For one week turn off anything that contains negativity and replace it with things that show loving kindness. We can turn our world around in 2023! Yes we can!  

Netzach of Hod - Enduring Humility

Several years ago I was out of town as a volunteer for a weekend event. I really didn't know anyone before I arrived. I make friends easily so I wasn't concerned. The biggest hurdle for me was that the event was not religious and I knew nothing about the backgrounds of the people by which I was surrounded.

Netzach of Hod or Enduring Humility is all about keeping it going even when you don't think you can or even when the temptation to do otherwise is overwhelming.  That weekend was a test for me.  There was no spiritual influence around me that I could discern.  It wasn't a bad situation, in fact it was a wonderful experience involving music.

I was in the midst of people with many different backgrounds and beliefs. There were plenty of people I connected with, but I had no idea if there was a spiritual connection.  I knew that I must rely on my Master for instructions and that is not always easy when you are exhausted and hungry, (I have food allegies so trying to get enough to eat when away from home is sometimes difficult.)

Enduring humility is deciding to listen to the master and follow His leading for the long haul.  No matter what the circumstances, it is of the utmost importance that you get plenty of rest and eat regularly.  You also MUST take time to read His Word daily and communicate with Him daily.  If not, you run the risk of separation from Him.

Is He worth the extra effort?  Is your life worth the extra effort?  Only you can make that decision.

Shalom!

Malchut of Netzach, Mature Endurance

Malchut of Netzach is the culmination of our entire week of the Counting of the Omer of Netzach.  Malchut is all about reaching the maturity level of endurance.  As I run this race of endurance, how am I perceived?  Am I a whiner who constantly complains about every little ache and pain and obstacle that arises?  Am I attracting attention to myself as I show off the things I accomplish along the way?  Or, do I bring glory and honor to the one who has called, equipped and given me all the strength to accomplish every inch of the marathon?

When I approach the finish line of this race of endurance, I want to hear the words,

"You have done well, good and faithful servant.........Enter your master's joy!"  Matthew 25:21

We begin a new week tomorrow, the week of Hod - Humility.  Are you ready?  Shalom!~~~~~~

Yesod of Netzach, Committed Endurance

Yesod of Netzach is being committed to the thing you are enduring about to the point of no return.  You will let nothing deter you from carrying out your task.

Do you remember the verse about "resisted to the point of the shedding of blood"?  That is commitment!   How committed are you to the person or thing you are enduring for?  I haven't really touched on our endurance possibly being for a person, (and I'm not necessarily talking about looking for a mate, single ladies out there!).  Are you enduring over someone who is lost?  Are you enduring to the point of even giving up your own life over someone who the rest of society has given up on?  Perhaps you should go back and read my post on "Broken Mirrors" from December 8, 2012.

 Shalom!~~~~~~

Hod of Netzach, Strength to Endure

Hod of Netzach is realizing the strength to endure comes not from within you, but from HASHEM. It is only from Him that you have the strength and ability to endure to the end and reap the reward of endurance.  This does not mean you are weak, but rather that you have an infinite source of power which goes beyond anything YOU can possibly achieve on your own.  In essence, it makes you undefeatable!  Remember that we are told in His Word:

"Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with His mighty strength!  Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary.  For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.  So take up every piece of war equipment God provides; so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist; and when the battle is won, you will still be standing.  Therefore, stand!"    Ephesians 6:10-14

Shalom!~~~~~~

Getting Re-aligned

   
     On Saturday I shared the thoughts I had while praying about the current pandemic. I talked about the verses in 2 Chronicles 7 where G-d answers Solomon's prayer about the Temple. Those verses tell us that G-d says whenever something horrific happens to our world it is up to His children, those called by His name, to humble themselves, pray, seek His face, AND turn from their wicked ways. Not just one of those things, but ALL of them, in order for Him to forgive us and heal our land.

     Today Jews around the world will celebrate Passover, beginning at sunset, and the countdown will begin to Pentecost. Those 50 days, referred to as the counting of the omer, are a time for introspection, a once a year in-depth look at oneself and make corrections or adjustments as needed. At least once per year we need to line ourselves up with the measuring stick, Jesus, and see how out of line we have become.

     In Amos 7:8 G-d says He is about to drop a plumb line in the midst of His people Israel. For those who do not know, a plumb line is a string or rope connected to a heavy weight. It is used by builders to ensure their walls are straight. If a wall isn't perfectly straight, the entire building will be off. The sages say G-d meant there would be strict judgement coming on His people.

     One of the things about learning the Hebraic teachings during the 1st century, is finding that the Rabbis of the day taught about fractals. A fractal, in simple terms, is a repeated, complex pattern. Perhaps you have seen a small picture that looks like the larger version of itself. Think of a picture of what appears to be an entire stalk of broccoli, but upon closer examination it is only one little branch of a stalk. If you are still unsure, please look up the definition and images.

     Prophecies are fractals that are actually fulfilled over and over as time goes on, but with each fulfillment they become clearer and clearer. We have actually been taught that concept in church. In Christian circles one example is what is referred to as a "type of Christ." For example Abraham, Moses, David all exude a vague "Christ type" persona, a messiah for their generations. With each fulfillment the picture becomes clearer and clearer until Jesus appears on the scene.

     Every year we should take the image of a fractal and look at ourselves in-depth to ensure the image we portray is becoming more and more clearly Christ-like. This is never an easy process, but we should want to become more like Christ and it will likely take a while to get all of the "Egypt" out of us.

     Before we begin that process I will need to explain the model that is used to work through those days of introspection. If you do this in the coming days and then repeat the process at this same time every year for the rest of your life you will begin to see yourself come into line with the true plumb line, Jesus. Just like a fractal your alignment will become clearer and clearer each year.

     That model is called The Tree of Life. Most of you have heard that term. It is mentioned in the 2nd chapter of Genesis. It is also mentioned in Revelation 22. I have always thought it was an actual tree, but is it? In Hebraic circles the term Tree of Life refers to the attributes of G-d. There are 10 attributes listed (for beginners).

     It is a theoretical view of G-d from behind. I have a diagram on this website that can help you understand better. Those attributes are:

1. Keter - crown (top of head)
2. Chochma - wisdom (right ear)
3. Binah - understanding (left ear)
4. Chesed - loving kindness, grace (right hand)
5. Gevorah - strictness, judgement (left hand
6. Tiferet - harmony, compassion (heart or kidneys)
7. Netzach - endurance (right leg)
8. Hod - humility (left leg)
9. Yesod - foundation, bonding (reproductive)
10. Malchut - kingdom, sovereignty, leadership (feet)

     For the counting of the omer only the last 7 are used. There are 7 weeks of 7 days.

Week 1 - chesed
Week 2 - Gevorah
Week 3 - Tiferet
Week 4 - Netzach
Week 5 - Hod
Week 6 - Yesod
Week 7 - Malchut

     Working through the days each attribute is cross referenced with itself and the other 6. I know this isn't the easiest to understand. It is really something you have to work through to know what I am talking about. I will walk you through every day of the omer beginning on Thursday evening. We take one day at a time. As you work through the 49 days in 2020, then again in 2021, 2022 etc., you will see the fractal of your relationship with G-d become clearer and clearer.

     For now get ready for Passover by reading the story in Exodus 6 - 12. Yes it is lengthy, but look for little gems you may have never noticed before. This year is probably the only year that Gentiles can truly appreciate and relate to the original Passover. In Exodus we see that the Israelites were quarantined in their homes away from other families, because a plague of death was about to move through their midst. As you sit in your home under the safer at home initiative to keep the Covid-19 virus from spreading, think deeply about the implications of the Passover story.

     Until tomorrow evening, Shalom!
   

A Pandemic

     The entire world right now is in the midst of one of the greatest crises of my lifetime, Covid 19.  We have seen smaller versions in the last 40 years, but nothing of this magnitude since 1918. Knowing that my husband, my brother, my sister-in-law, and I are at a greater risk due to age and health conditions, we are staying healthy at home. I worry a little about our children and grandchildren at this time. I try not to, but this virus really is no respecter of persons, race, religion, or gender. It is not quite as hard on the younger people and children which is a great relief, but none of us truly knows what underlying conditions we have.

     Several days ago I was a nervous wreck knowing that I could not protect my family. I spent some time on my knees crying out to G-d for them. During this prayer time the thought came to me about it being almost Passover and Easter. Today is the 4th of April, 2020 and Passover begins 4 days from today at sundown. I was recalling in my memories about the original Passover and the meaning. The Israelite people had been enslaved by the Egyptians.

     The slavery of that day was quite different from the slavery of the United States history. It was more of an indentured servant type of slavery. If they wanted to eat and live, they worked for the Egyptians. As time went on the Israelite people grew to an astounding number and the Egyptians did more and more to keep them suppressed.

     When the burden became too great they cried out for someone to rescue them. That is when G-d called Moses. He came to rescue them from their plight. But G-d didn't have Moses ride in on a white horse with an army to overthrow the Egyptians, He took His good sweet time. In fact, life for the Israelites would get much worse before their rescue.

     Moses and his brother Aaron first went before the Israelites to let them know that G-d had not forgotten them and had heard their pleas. Next Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. All they asked for was that he allow the Israelites to go into the wilderness for three days to celebrate G-d. Pharaoh's response was not welcoming. As a result Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters to make the work life more difficult for them. If you have ever worked in a factory that runs production you may be able to understand this better. They were not given the raw materials (straw) they would need, they were required to find those raw materials on their own, make them into the building materials (bricks), and still maintain the same level of production as before. When they were unable to meet their quota, the foremen of the Children of Israel were beaten.

     Some rescue right? They wanted to be released and free, not burdened more and treated worse. The foremen appeal to Pharaoh, but he is relentless. As they leave Pharaoh they happen to meet Moses and Aaron on the way and said to them, "May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." Exodus 5:21 NIV

     Moses then turns to G-d and says, "Oh Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all." Exodus 5:22-23 NIV

   Now G-d reveals His plan. Beginning in Exodus 6:1 G-d says, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: because of My mighty hand he will let them go; because of My mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." NIV 

    G-d is about to show who He really is. After these things Pharaoh will not only let them go, but he will drive them from the land. It wasn't merely an okay you can go, but more like get out of my sight and never come back!

     The commentary on this passage can be summed up like this, an event of epic proportions was about to occur. Though Pharaoh appeared to be invincible, he would soon crumble. Though the Israelites felt they were doomed, they would soon live to see one of the biggest redemption plans in history. A redemption that generations would celebrate forever more.

     What followed that day was, according to the ancient Hebrew sages, six months of miracles. Miracles that we see today as astounding, but at the time must have been some of the most frightening days ever in the lives of G-d's people. They were given a promise that G-d would; 1. bring them out, 2. free them, 3. redeem them, and 4. take them as His people. Exodus 6:6-7a. These four statements, also known as the four I wills, are reflected in the four cups that one drinks at the Passover meal. (There is a hint in the Gospels regarding these at the last supper.)

     The plagues can be broken down into groups of three and a final redeeming plague. The first three represent G-d proving His existence as I AM. The second three represent G-d's providential hand over earthly affairs and shows that He cares about material matters. The next three are to prove that He is unmatched by any power and lastly the final plague was to break Pharaoh down.

      The time from Moses appearing to Pharaoh until the exodus was also a time for the Israelites to work through the letting go process. They had to learn to remove Egypt from their lives. In our lives it is a way for us to work through the process of getting the Egypt out of us. Regardless of how horrible a life situation may be for any of us, sometimes the unknown is more frightening. Egypt was a hard life, but they had houses, animals, and plenty of food. How would they survive? Where would they find food? What lay just past that border?

     I started this post about the Covid 19 pandemic currently running amok on the earth. As of today there have been 1,140,327 confirmed cases, 60,887 deaths, and 233,930 total recovered worldwide. In the USA there are 278,568 confirmed cases, 7,163 deaths, and 9,920 total recovered. These numbers are staggering and climb dramatically every day. We aren't sure when it will end and at what cost to life, mental health, and the economy.

     I get it. We are all nervous and some are down right terrified. As I stated at the beginning I was praying about it and remembered the Passover and Easter. Both of those events were two of the greatest events ever, but also two of the most frightening ever at the time. As I sat pondering these things I wondered if these two events and the virus did not happen by coincidence. I truly believe G-d orchestrates things to bring us back to Him.

     We are at a crossroad. What part of Egypt have we allowed to come into our life? Have we strayed from His ways so far that He needed to get our attention? Another verse ties in so well with this situation. 2 Chronicles 7:11-16  "When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, the LORD appeared to him at night and said: 'I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will always be there.'" NIV

     Passover is a time for complete reliance and faith in G-d that He is who He says He is and that He will keep His word. This time of pandemic on our world is a time for complete reliance and faith in G-d that He is who He says He is and that He will keep His word. The first three plagues fell on the Egyptians and the Israelites. It did not differentiate, but the next six were different. Those fell only on the Egyptians until the 10th and final plague.

     The 10th plague required something from the Israelites in order to not have the plague befall them.  They were told to go to the Egyptians and ask for gold and silver vessels. They were also given explicit instructions to protect themselves and their family from the last and final plague. It must be followed exactly. On the tenth of the month they were to take for their household an unblemished male yearling lamb or goat. For four days they were to watch this animal to ensure it was spotless and on that fourth day every single Israelite family was to slaughter that animal in the afternoon. They were then to take some of it's blood and place it on the doorposts and the lintel of the house where they will be eating the animal. They were to roast it over the fire with a bread made without yeast and bitter herbs. They were also to eat it in haste fully clothed and with shoes on their feet and a staff in their hand. In other words they were to eat it as if they were going to have to leave in a hurry.

     The blood on the lintel and doorposts was extremely significant. When G-d came through the land, He would pass over any house with the blood. If the blood was not there He would take the life of every first born in the house.

     I want to fast forward to December of 2019 when we saw the beginnings of a plague come on this earth. As Americans we sort of sat back with a slight tinge of arrogance thinking it couldn't happen here, but it did. It is now almost out of control. We have neither a vaccine nor a cure. Some have no symptoms at all while others lose their life.

    What I do know is that for the most part the entire world has shut down. It is frightening. The stock market is dropping, sports stadiums are turning into field hospitals, places are on lock down, refrigerated trucks are being brought in to places like New York, NY to be used as a morgue, and we still have no cure. We sit in our houses and wait. We have learned words and phrases we never wanted to learn; Covid 19, flattening the curve, social distancing, PPE, N95, and healthy at home. We hear about a new case in our county and wonder when it will stop on our doorstep.

     As I prayed that night the thought hit me to pray for the blood to be upon the doorposts and lintel, not only on my house, but on the house of every family member. I don't believe in incantations or magic potions, but I do believe in G-d's word. It is His guide book to life for us. I also don't think we can just magically pray for the blood to be upon the doorposts and lintels and that makes it all okay. There was a long process for the Israelites to get to that first Passover. It was a time of reflection and waiting. A time to get the Egypt out of them.

     Right now we are being instructed to stay home and only leave to get essential supplies. I see so many people who are bored out of their minds. What if we took this time to work through getting the Egypt out of us by following 2 Chronicles 7? Would G-d then hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land?

     G-d has given almost all of us time right now. Time to study, to reflect, and to change. What gods have we let take over our life? What has crept in between us and G-d that should be purged?  I urge you to spend the next four days working through these things and then on April 8th at sundown, ask G-d to place the blood of Christ on the lintel and doorposts of your home.

     On the 9th we will begin to look at the next step in this process, a truly life changing way to minimize our personal life and get back to a deep, meaningful relationship with the Creator.

     

Happy New Year!

I have been so busy I have posted very little in the last couple of years. I will be semi-retiring at the end of January and hope to write, write, write. This post is actually a copy of last year's, but with the dates changed as appropriate.

Tonight, Sept. 29, 2019, at sundown a new year begins in Israel.  It will be the year 5780.  It is Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, and the shofar will be blown 100 times.  It is the anniversary of the creation of the first man and woman, the anniversary of the first sin, the anniversary of the binding of Isaac, and judgement day for the whole earth.

The sound of the shofar is a call to repentance and the proclamation of G-d as King of the Universe.  The language of the shofar is the only language the Satan can not understand. For the next 8 days choose life, choose repentance, choose to forgive, and most of all choose to ask for forgiveness of those you may have wronged.

On the evening of October 8 the Holiest Day of the year will begin, Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement.  It is on this day that our destiny, as to whether we live or die in the coming year, will have been determined and G-d will seal the books for another year. This is not a determination of life after death, but is a life and death situation. Have your deeds merited another year upon the earth?

Now is the time of repentance.  Awake, awake and repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  Today is the day of salvation.

"See, I speak a deep secret to you: we will not all sleep (the sleep of the dead), but we will all be transformed.  In a moment's notice at the sound of the final shofar.  For the shofar will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and those who are alive (mortal) will be transformed (to immortality)."  I Corinthians 15:51-52 (Hannah Rachel translation - HRT)

Do not wait, turn to G-d.........and listen to His voice.

"Then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven, and all families of the earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven (the Shechinah or glory of God) in power and great glory.  He will send forth His angels with the sound of a great shofar; they will gather His chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  Matthew 24:30-31 (HRT)

This will be the sound of the shofar tomorrow, listen for it......wait for it......keep your eyes set upon Messiah's return!

Sound of the Shofar
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/977030/jewish/Shofar-Blasts.htm

Shalom!

Listen...........

Tonight at sundown a new year begins in Israel.  It will be the year 5779.  It is Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, and the shofar will be blown 100 times.  It is the anniversary of the creation of the first man and woman, the anniversary of the first sin, the anniversary of the binding of Isaac, and judgement day for the whole earth.

The sound of the shofar is a call to repentance and the proclamation of G-d as King of the Universe.  The language of the shofar is the only language the Satan can not understand.

On the evening of September 18 the Holiest Day of the year will begin, Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement.  It is on this day that our destiny, as to whether we live or die in the coming year, will have been determined and G-d will seal the books for another year.

Now is the time of repentance.  Awake, awake and repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  Today is the day of salvation.

"See, I speak a deep secret to you: we will not all sleep (the sleep of the dead), but we will all be transformed.  In a moment's notice at the sound of the final shofar.  For the shofar will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and those who are alive (mortal) will be transformed (to immortality)."  I Corinthians 15:51-52 (Hannah Rachel translation - HRT)

Do not wait, turn to G-d.........and listen to His voice.

"Then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven, and all families of the earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven (the Shechinah or glory of God) in power and great glory.  He will send forth His angels with the sound of a great shofar; they will gather His chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  Matthew 24:30-31 (HRT)

This will be the sound of the shofar tomorrow, listen for it......wait for it......keep your eyes set upon Messiah's return!

http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/977030/jewish/Shofar-Blasts.htm

Shalom!

It's Called Karma Baby!

I came home from shopping today to find my husband in the middle of a sport's documentary.  I was immediately drawn into the story, not because of the teams or the sport, but for the human interest.  The entire documentary was centered around a fan who, during the playoffs 13 years ago, reached to grasp a fly foul ball and in the process the player on the field was unable to catch it.  The poor fan didn't even get the ball.  It bounced off his arm and landed in the hands of another fan.

Immediately the crowd went into riot mode, turning on their own fan both inside and outside the ballpark.  Chants began of, "Die @##$%^&!"  In fact, the entire stadium and surrounding streets began to chant those words.  The fan, a young man, sat silently as people from several rows away began to throw anything in their hands at him.  Sportscasters and camera men replayed the foul ball scene over and over and over, each time giving a close-up of the man's face.  Eventually as the riotous crowd grew worse, Security came and took the man away, hiding him from the crowd.

This was not the first incident of it's kind.  Many others like it had occurred at stadiums across the country over the years, yet this young man received death threats.  I have never hurt for someone more in my entire life.  He was not the only fan reaching for that same foul ball.  There were at least 5 others doing the same thing, it just happened that the ball hit his arm and bounced off.  He became, as a minister in the documentary put it, the scapegoat for that horrible loss.

I could write an entire post on the scapegoat issue, but the minister did a wonderful job covering it.  What struck me so and brought me to this writing is a clip shown during the aftermath of the game.  Before I take you there, I first want to go to a scripture that is probably very familiar. 

Matthew 7:1-2  (New American Standard Bible)

     "Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  for in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you."

I have heard a portion of this verse taken out of context many times and used inappropriately.  It is a convenient portion to use when trying to justify an action, but let me tell you a little secret:  you must read the entire segment.  This verse is referring to a principle in Judaism known as "measure for measure."

It also falls under a section on lashon hora: evil or negative speech.  The regulations surrounding lashon hora is so intricate it required an entire book called, Chafetz Chaim.  The book can be summarized with one statement:  Always speak and judge favorably.  Wow!  That's it?  Yes. 

In the principle of measure for measure, (just read the verse), it was said by the sages that G-d told His court to judge a man.  They asked, "But what judgement should he receive?"  To which G-d replied, "Give him a situation similar and however he judges, use that judgement upon him."  (This is not talking about eternal judgement.......different story and principle....just so you know.)

That situation is found in the book of  2 Samuel 12.  King David has sinned with Bathsheba, (who is now pregnant with David's child), and ultimately sent her husband out to battle to be killed.  Nathan the prophet goes to David and presents him with a situation. At the end of Nathan's story David blurts out a judgement on the rich man in the story.  In verse 7 Nathan replies:

Nathan then said to David, "You are the man!"

David is given his "judgement."  The baby would die.  This sounds extremely harsh to many of us, but remember that David first pronounced the judgement giving the heavenly court his own sentence.  He had ruled horribly unfavorable on another, thus himself.

Now back to the documentary.  A poor fan doing what any other fan would have done was judged by a crowd of millions.  He really did nothing that others had not done, nor did he do anything wrong.  His arm was within the stadium wall, not over it.  His name and face will be forever known to an entire city and much of the country. 

As the documentary showed various video clips of fans and sports commentators voicing their opinions, one clip had a picture of the governor of that particular state.  In this clip that Governor spouted off, "Let me tell you something about that guy, whoever he is, if he ever commits a crime, he will never get a pardon out of me."  (Oh the upper hand of seeing something after the fact!)  Immediately my husband and I turned to the other and laughed boisterously.  Not at this man, but at the statement. 

The governor who made that statement would, on Dec 7, 2011, find himself on the way to a 14 year prison sentence.  That would mean sitting in a prison cell until 2025.  Not only that, but just two weeks ago on Aug 9, 2016 a Federal Judge upheld that 14 year sentence. Always judge favorably....

Judaism calls this principle measure for measure.  Other religions call it karma.  Call it whatever you choose, but please always call it favorably!

What if....... part 2

     Do you know what it's like to believe something with all your heart and then suddenly, as if a curtain is opened, you see that thing in a totally different light?  Perhaps you have never had that happen.  If you haven't, let me tell you how absolutely awe inspiring it is! 

     Not too long ago I was having a conversation with a friend about current world events and I made an off the cuff remark.  Later I began thinking about what I had said and thought, hmmm what if....

     I now want to throw that idea out to you as well.  Within Christianity we have been taught that the anti-Christ is a person.  A charismatic person who will be so persuasive as to gain the confidence of the entire world.

     Now let me give you a what if.  What if the anti-Christ is not a person, but people.....a group of people?  In the days of Jesus there was an anti-Christ, but it wasn't one single person.  It was a group. In His day he was followed by throngs of common people and many of the religious leaders, but one group of people sought to take Him down. 

     They believed with all their hearts they were in the right.  They were, after all, the keepers of God's word.  They were the ones who had interpreted it, more clearly defined it, taught it, and carried out judgement on those who went against it.  They did their best to ensure that no one interfered with their interpretation and instruction.  They had become so self absorbed they could no longer hear the voice of God and in their zeal to uphold what they believed about the Messiah they actually were in opposition to Him and His teachings.  They had become so obsessed with the "Word" they were hearing it, but not doing it.

     Now if it is true as Solomon exclaimed in Proverbs that there is nothing new under the sun, then can we take the first anti-Christ and make a correlation?  If so, is the next anti-Christ the same?  If we read the entire Bible we can see that the same story seems to be repeating itself over and over, yet with a different generation and a slightly clearer picture.  Taking these things into consideration, could the anti-Christ be a similar group?

     Could these people be ones who believe with all their hearts they are in the right?  Could they be the keepers of God's word?  Could they be the ones who interpret it, more clearly define it, teach it, and carry out judgement on those who go against it?  Could they be people who do their best to ensure that no one interferes with their interpretation and instruction?  Could they be considered people who are self absorbed and can no longer hear the voice of God, and in their zeal to uphold what they believe about the Messiah unwittingly be thwarting Him and His teachings?  Could they be so obsessed with the "Word" they are hearing it, but not doing it?

     I am not making a prediction nor am I saying this is absolute truth, just throwing out an idea for you to think about.  If what I wrote about in part 1 of this post is true and that the first anti-Christ was the religious leaders and their faithful followers, could the correct interpretation of who the anti-Christ is actually be the "modern church" and it's followers?  I will just leave this idea here.  Remember it is just a thought of what if....

     Shalom!

What if.........

     I am one who truly enjoys thinking deeply into a matter.  As a child I would sit for hours and just think, "Me......," as I looked at my hands and tried to discern what made me different from others.  Not that I was "different," yet we are all different.  I was inside this body and I could never be anything but .... me. 

     I would also think to myself about what I would do in various situations.  You know like a kidnapping, or an earthquake or well any number of things.  I can "chew" on the meaning of a single word for hours upon end.  Then I grew up and now I think, "what if?"  What if the church isn't the truth, or what if everything I think I know for truth really is not?  Sort of like the Matrix. 

     One of my all time favorite books is The Giver by Lois Lowry.  I was introduced to this magnificent work by my youngest son.  He was required to read it for his 7th grade English class.  We actually read it together.  If you have never read it, please do.  It is powerful.  It is not a religious book, but boy could I ever preach a sermon using it as an example!  The book takes one on a journey into a civilization where perceived realities just might not be quite so real. I will leave it at that so as not to spoil it for you.  Please read the book BEFORE you watch the movie.....it just isn't quite the same.....just sayin!

     When I finished that book I began to ponder my perceived realities.  What if all the things I think are true are not?  What if the things I believe are fallacies truly are reality?   I could spend hours here on this post about all the things I have actually mulled over in my lifetime, but I will not bore you with those. 

      I would like to continue this post into at least two or three parts.  For tonight I want to leave you with this thought to meditate upon:  What if, within Christianity, we have the cart before the horse?  Like, what if we are doing the right things, but at the wrong time in history?  We proclaim Jesus as The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we sing almost all of our songs about Him, praise Him, pray to Him and proclaim everything in Jesus Name.  But what if those things are not to be done until He returns? 

     Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6  Does this imply that as of now we are to have the Father as our goal?  Read on, "And whatever you ask in My Name, that I shall do, in order that the Father might be esteemed in the Son."  vs 13.  "If you did love Me, you would have rejoiced that I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I." vs 28  "...in order for the world to know that I love the Father, and that as the Father commanded Me, so I am doing."  vs 31.

     If we place Jesus as the end all at this point, are we actually delaying the return of the Messiah?  Could it be that if we put Jesus in the proper place, we could see Him sooner?  Have we inserted the Messianic Kingdom before the return of the Messiah?  John's revelation is about the return of the Messiah, His kingdom on earth, which is then followed by the New Heaven and New Earth.

    Are we so consumed with being in His presence that we are of no earthly good?  Have we become the living dead rather than living water to the world?........ Shalom!

    

What I Have Learned On Yom Kippur - Well Shut My Mouth!

     Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, has just ended.  The past 10 days have been days of deep introspection.  I have taken this time very serious and as of last Friday I thought I had a good handle on my spiritual life.  That is until Saturday evening.  I attended a local competition event and left so angry I could spit.  After I returned home I began to grumble and growl with a slightly raised voice.  I was venting to my husband who simply gave me that look.  You know the one, a look which said, "That is about enough.  I don't want to hear it."

     When I realized the look he was giving I shut my mouth, thought about what I had said and suddenly felt like the smallest human being on earth.  I had to admit verbally that I was filled with anger.  Anger not only about the event I had attended, but just anger in general.  I come home from work almost daily filled with anger.  I do not look forward to going to church each Sunday, because I am ..... angry.  I can't even hear the names of certain people without becoming ANGRY!  (And the list seems to be growing!)

     I looked my husband in the eye and said, "I don't understand why I am so angry all the time, but it has to stop.  I have to find the source of my anger and deal with it.  So began my journey.  I knew Yom Kippur was coming up in only a few days, so it was absolutely necessary that I deal with this quickly.  I have flung myself headlong before God's throne each evening to beseech Him about this matter.  I have asked Him to show me the cause and how to deal with it. 

     The first answer I received was to be silent.  For someone who is kinda known as the mouth of the south at work, this was no small undertaking.  I love to talk and I love to joke around, but God said NO!  Again I heard Him say, "Be quiet."  My co-workers thought I was mad about something.  My husband gave a sigh of relief! Ha!  Well, I have tried very hard and have managed to do so for the most part.  I haven't been totally silent, but have tried to only speak words that are absolutely necessary.

     One co-worker in particular is a tremendous cause for my anger and for two days I was totally silent to him in particular.  I will just refer to him as "Jack."  My silence toward him is mainly due to him being one of the reasons I am so angry at the end of the day.  He kept asking if I was mad at him and I told him no.  I said I just don't feel like talking. 

     "Jack" irritates me so much that I have literally been praying for God to love him through me, because I cannot love this guy.  In fact I can barely tolerate this guy.  I know that something is not quite right with him and it is something he cannot help, but he drives me up the wall.  If things aren't done the way he wants them done, even if it has nothing to do with him, he pouts and whines like a five year old.  Yet, I know he cannot help the way he is.  If I had to guess I would say he falls somewhere under the Autism umbrella, most likely under the spectrum of Aspergers.  He does not seem to understand proper social protocol.

     Today as we were working, he again asked if I was mad at him.  I shook my head no and he turned his eyes up and said, "Thank you Lord."  I had to fight my mind and the things I wanted to say.  Later while helping a different co-worker I was astonished to learn something new.  "Jack" had shared with this man, a few years back, stories of things his parents did to him while growing up.  These stories were of physical abuse, some severe.  I really don't think "Jack" realizes he was abused. 

     Suddenly it was as if scales fell from my eyes and I saw "Jack" differently.  I no longer saw him as an irritating, immature man.  I actually felt sorrow.  Sorrow for a man who has known nothing but abuse and bullying.  Sorrow for my own sin of adding to the heap of thorns which have been piled on him.  How could I have allowed myself to become just another in his long list of bullies and abusers? 

     For the past 10 days God has reviewed the works of each and every man and woman.  On Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, God makes His judgement based on those works and records His final decision in the Book of Life or the Book of Death for the coming year.  At the close of Yom Kippur the books are closed.....the final verdict is sealed. 

     There are many scriptures read on this day in Israel and among Jews everywhere.  Modern day Messianic Gentiles add a New Testament scripture as well, Matthew 12:22-50.  During my morning break I read Exodus 34:28-29 and Leviticus 16:1-34.  At lunch it was Numbers 29:7-11 and the passage from Matthew.  The first three passages are the requirements for the High Priest on Yom Kippur.  The passage from Matthew has a verbal tally to Yom Kippur as well. 


     Matthew 12 contains a few verses one doesn't usually hear in a sermon.

Matthew 12:33-37,
33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. 36“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” NASB

     I read verse 36 and my heart felt as though it were going to stop.  Verse 37 didn't make me feel any better.  I stopped and I prayed.  I didn't want to be a bad tree yielding bad fruit.  I didn't want to have an evil heart.  I desperately want to have a good tree yielding good fruit and a good heart that brings forth from its good treasure things that are good.  That is what I want and what I need to do.  I guess I would have cried if I hadn't been in a very public place.  I poured out my heart to God and left all the bad fruit at His feet.  I begged Him to prune me and bring me back into proper alignment with Him and His Word.

     Lunch ended and I walked back to my area with a renewed heart.  I still kept my mouth shut more, but I made the decision to think over my words before speaking them.  I knew this fact already, but I suppose God had to show this to my face for it to sink in; everyone has a back story to their life.  Some stories are wonderful, while others have endured the unimaginable.  All people need to feel loved and believe their life has meaning.  Some have been mistreated by so many people they cannot see their worth or believe they are loved.  Many times those people act out in ways we deem socially unacceptable and we only add insult to injury by chastising them or making fun of them for their actions. 

     I know this issue is not over for me.  I have a long road ahead and 50+ years of misspoken words to undo, but according to Matthew12:33 it can be done.  I have chosen to pick off the bad fruit and cast it into the fire so that good fruit can grow.  I know that how I respond is MY choice and I need to take a proactive approach to these people.  It will require me to keep my mouth shut more and listen.  (Not easy for the mouth of the south!)   Choosing my words will not be easy, but is attainable.  I think I will eventually be overcome with a peace that envelopes me and those around me.  I MUST take all negative thoughts captive at the onset and cast them aside as well.  Verse 34 says that it begins in the heart and comes out through the mouth. 

     I pray that you will let these words of Matthew sink into your heart and life as well and if necessary, take the steps to make your tree a good tree bearing good fruit.  I pray that your name has been inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year!  Shalom!

Jots and Tittles.....Oh The Little Things!

One tiny seed can make a great impact.

                        

In the grand ole USA we have this thought process in general: carry on every day in our mundane lives waiting for the big moments to happen.  We just seem to get by on a daily basis.  I can almost guarantee that if you go into work on Monday and ask every co-worker this question, "How are you today?" the majority will reply, "I'm here."

What exactly does, I'm here imply?  That response implies that work and the daily routine is monotonous, boring and something we are obligated to do, but there is no joy in it.  We appear to find joy only in the "special" moments like; weddings, births, promotions, awards, etc.  So, what do we do with the "little" things?

In Christianity we do the same, do we not?  We go through our weekly ritual of services while looking forward to the special services of Easter, Christmas, revival or perhaps a special guest speaker.  We even seem to carry it out in our reading of the Word.

Listen to those who say they are Christians.  Hear their words.  Bring up the subject of sin and see which "sins" are mentioned first.  Chances are you receive a lot of talk on the ones mentioned in Romans 1, yet may never hear Romans 2:13 expounded upon.  That verse says, "For not the hearers of the Torah are righteous in the sight of Elohim, but the doers of the Torah shall be declared right."

James 1:22 says, "And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves."  

In my post 10 Things The Church Should Be Doing, a couple of weeks ago, I expounded upon this verse and the breakdown of being doers of the Word.  I won't elaborate further on these things, I only want to teach something very critical in Hebraic thought.  We should stop majoring on the majors and major on the minors.

During Yeshua's (Jesus') ministry on earth He performed many great and mighty miracles and tens of thousands of people followed Him.  They were looking for the "pizazz," the red carpet and golden globe moments.  Luke 13:10-16 tells of Yeshua teaching in one of the congregations on a Sabbath.  While teaching He saw a woman there who was all bent over.  She had been that way for 18 years.  Yeshua has compassion on her and heals her, much to the disdain of the Pharisees who respond with a ruling that there are six days of the week for healing, and not on the Sabbath.

After this healing and His rebuttal of the congregational leader it is said in 13:17, "And all the crowd rejoiced for all the splendid works being done by Him."

And what was Yeshua's response?  Read vs 18-21 remembering that He knew their thoughts, "Therefore He said, 'What is the reign of Elohim like"?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his garden.  And it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the heavens nested in its branches.'  And again He said, 'To what shall I compare the reign of Elohim?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened.'"

Can you understand what He was saying?  Look at it this way; a mustard seed is the smallest seed on the planet, yet one little mustard seed produces a very large plant.  Also, a minute amount of leaven produces a lot of dough!  The ratio of flour to leaven is 128:1, in other words it only takes 1/16 oz of yeast to leaven 8 oz of flour.  A very small and what seems like insignificant amount of something infiltrates and eventually consumes the entire amount.

When reading the Word it is absolutely essential that we remember this rule.  The people of His day even, were looking at the "majors" or things that stood out.  All throughout the Gospels we find examples of the people, especially the religious leaders, pointing out "laws" Yeshua has seemingly broken.  (Do we not do the same today?)  But each time Yeshua turned the conversation inward.

"It is written..." they would say and He would respond with taking their point to a deeper (more minute) level.  He took their placement of importance on something apparently blatant and revealed to them the deepest root to that particular issue.

The great sages taught that when the Torah, (or any scripture for that matter), barely mentions something it would be wise of us to look harder at that something than the words which stand out so very clearly.  It is in the intimacy of these depths we find our closest relationship with Him.

I have always loved the story of Elijah on the mountain.  I Kings 19 tells the story.  Elijah had just gone through a test with the 450 prophets of Baal.  Later as Elijah is on the run from Ahab, he is crying out to G-d and G-d responds in I Kings 19:11-12, "And He (G-d) said, 'go out, and stand on the mountain before G-d.  And see, G-d passed by and a great and strong wind tearing the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces before G-d, but G-d was not in the wind.  And after the wind an earthquake - but G-d was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire - but G-d was not in the fire, and after the fire a still small voice."

We see the big things in the world today as having G-d's name written all over them.  We see the results of storms, Tsunamis, earthquakes, lightening as well as breathtaking sunrises and lofty views of this great world and are reminded of Him, yet do we think the same when we see a leaf blowing across the yard in September?

We attend a packed house for a worship service or a specialized conference, hearing the latest greatest worship song and think, "Oh my, how strong was the presence of G-d in that place!  I could feel the Spirit!"  Yet do we think and feel the same when we hear the hum of Cicadas in June?

We call out the sins of others which we can see, but do we ever truly realize we are sinners for simply thinking a co-worker is an idiot?  It's in His Word.  If you don't believe me, read it for yourself.  We tend to overlook a tremendous amount of Scripture, because it isn't about big things.  One example: how many times have you read the genealogies with great interest?  There are tremendous nuggets within them which most people never see.

If we will but read the Word looking for the most insignificant things, we will find treasures without measure.  If we will but look at our everyday seemingly mundane activities through the same lens....oh what a difference we would see.

I want to leave you with one last thought.  The next time you hear the hum of insects imagine this, it is the latest and greatest worship song of the insect kingdom to their creator..... Shalom! 

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Tonight at sundown a new year begins in Israel.  It is the year 5776, the year of salvation.  It is Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, and the shofar will be blown 100 times.  It is the anniversary of the creation of the first man and woman, the anniversary of the first sin, the anniversary of the binding of Isaac, and judgement day for the whole earth. 

The sound of the shofar is a call to repentance and the proclamation of G-d as King of the Universe.  The language of the shofar is the only language the Satan can not understand.

On the evening of September 22 the Holiest Day of the year will begin, Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement.  It is on this day that our destiny, as to whether we live or die in the coming year, will have been determined and G-d will seal the books. 

Now is the time of repentance.  Awake, awake and repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  Today is the day of salvation. 

"See, I speak a deep secret to you: we will not all sleep (the sleep of the dead), but we will all be transformed.  In a moment's notice at the sound of the final shofar.  For the shofar will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and those who are alive (mortal) will be transformed (to immortality)."  I Corinthians 15:51-52 (Hannah Rachel translation - HRT)

Do not wait, turn to G-d.........and listen to His voice.

"Then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven, and all families of the earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven (the Shechinah or glory of God) in power and great glory.  He will send forth His angels with the sound of a great shofar; they will gather His chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  Matthew 24:30-31 (HRT)

This will be the sound of the shofar tomorrow, listen for it......wait for it......keep your eyes set upon Messiah's return! 

http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/977030/jewish/Shofar-Blasts.htm

Shalom!

10 Things The Church Should Be Doing

A friend of mine who has battled cancer more than once decided God was not done with her yet.  She realized there was a tremendous need in her community and started this great ministry literally from nothing.  I have been absolutely amazed (not sure why, because I know He can!) at the way God answered her prayers.

 
Recently I have viewed several articles on things the Church should stop doing or saying.  I have read them and for the most part I agree.  We live in a rather negative world and so I wondered, what is the positive spin on those articles?

 I have read study after study about the church of today and found something disturbing; the church is waning rather than waxing.  What does this statement infer?  The church is losing membership and, most importantly, the church is not changing the world.  It appears we have become so self-centered and egotistical that we are extinguishing the light of the Gospel rather than carrying that Light to the nations.  (I will, throughout this article use the church and The Church to denote those who say they are Christians and those who actually are.)

I know many of you will say, "Well that is exactly what the Bible predicts!  The Bible says that in the last days we, (the church), will be persecuted.  Just read Romans 1!"  I agree that Romans 1 paints a very dismal picture of the world around us, but we so often stick with our modern day dissection of scripture.  When written by Paul, Romans wasn't broken down by chapter and verse.  It is essential that we read the entire book as one letter.  If we stop with Romans 1:32 and do not continue on to 2:1-16:27 we are getting only a small fragment of the letter.  In essence we are taking a few verses out of the context of the entire document.  (Gee, sounds like a political ad!)  I urge you to read the entire book of Romans, putting aside any preconceived notions.  Go ahead, give it a try before reading further in this post. 

Now taking all this into consideration, I want to take you on a journey of the very words of Yeshua (Jesus).  After all, He is our example and our Savior and He was The Word made flesh.  If we follow any words or directions, let it be from Him first.  All the matters I am addressing come straight from His mouth.   I will start with the sermon on the mount beginning in Matthew 5, but let me give you a hint about Yeshua's words in this passage; nowhere in this discourse does He tell anyone what to believe, but instead He tells us what to do.  Please keep that in mind as we look at what The Church should be doing.

The Church should:

1.  Become poor in spirit.  We need to rely less on ourselves and more on God, putting the outside world's needs above our own.  We are so busy gratifying our spiritual obesity while the world is dying of spiritual malnutrition.

2.  Mourn: Yearn for God and His kingdom rather than the things of the world. Mourn any and all separation, of ourselves and the creation, from God.

3. Become meek: Psalm 37:11 - Humble ourselves, as we live in subjugation and are trodden down by a government that does not seek God and His ways.  Think about the Jews of Yeshua's day.  They were living under Roman rule.  As Christians in the USA, we are subjugated to our own version of Rome, the United Sates of America's rule and government.  God has allowed that government for a reason. 

4.  Hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God:  The Messiah.  We hunger and thirst for Him by deeply submerging ourselves in His Word as we yearn for the reversal of social and moral injustices.  

5.  Be compassionate:  Measure for measure - Hebrew idiom meaning that God will judge us based on the way we judge others so ALWAYS judge favorably.  (Matthew 7:2)  In the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46) Yeshua said His followers will:
          Feed the hungry
          Give water to the thirsty
          Welcome strangers and see to their needs
          Clothe those who are naked or have only rags
          Visit the sick and imprisoned
All of these have a literal and figurative meaning.  We cannot tell people about our God if they have physical needs which are not being addressed.  A starving person does not have the strength to listen until they receive food and water.  Figuratively they imply sharing the Gospel of Yeshua with: those who are searching (hungry or thirsty) for Him, those who have never heard of Him (the stranger), those who are vulnerable to or have been ravaged by the world (naked and sick), and those who are reaping the consequences of life without Him (imprisoned).         

6.  Pure in heart (mind): Psalm 24:3-4 people of integrity.  People who do not harbor deceit, unforgiveness, malice or immorality.  Meditates on God's Word, continuously!  Loving and forgiving those who treat us badly, including family and former friends who have wronged us.

7.  Seekers of Peace: Psalm 34:14 People who not only pursue peace with their enemies, but also pursue peace between others.

8.  Anticipate persecution:  which will come for those who seek to be all of the above as well as for our attachment to the Messiah.  We are persecuted for living a life that brings light into a dark world, yet we are to NEVER persecute those who are in darkness.

9.  Salt: The balance to all the evil, wrong and wicked of the world.  We are to be involved in the repairing of the world.  Salt cannot lose it's saltiness unless it is mixed with other substances and becomes less concentrated.  We must follow the teachings of God, responding to the world with grace.

10.  Light:  We should be conspicuously obvious to the world by our deeds [good works - Hebrew idiom for fulfilling the commands (connections) of the Torah].  Saying we have faith (a relationship with God) yet never connecting with the Torah is useless, which is hiding our lamp under a bowl.

The Sermon on the Mount discourse continues through chapter 7.  Often we stop at 5:16, but again I remind you that there were no chapter and verse divisions until a few hundred years ago.  This discourse contains a tremendous amount of scripture which is quoted often by Christians and non-Christians, although many times out of context.  Further in chapter 5, Yeshua elaborates on the words of Moses.  Verses 38-48 truly define in greater detail what appears later in the sheep and goats parable.

     "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor (Lev 19:18) and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you, so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens.  Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.  For if you love those loving you, what reward have you?  Are the tax collectors not doing the same too?  And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others?  Are the tax collectors not doing so too?  Therefore, be striving for perfection in order to be like your Father in the heavens is perfect."

He continues on to say in Chapter 7:21-27:

     "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Master, Master,' shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens.  Many shall say to Me in that day, 'Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?'  And then I shall declare to them, 'I never knew you, depart from Me, you who are Torahless.  (Psalm 6:8 Most English translations will say lawlessness, but in Hebrew the word is literally not obeying the Torah or living without the Torah)  
     "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, AND DOES THEM, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  
     "And everyone who hears these words of Mine, AND DOES NOT DO THEM, shall be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall."

James, the brother of Yeshua says this in his book Chapter 1:22-27:

     "And become doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like.  
     "But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah.  If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is worthless.  Clean and undefiled religion before the Elohim and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

     There are those in The Church who are carrying out these instructions, but what about all those who say they are a part of The Church and aren't?  Their words are speaking so loudly, the world hears the noise and is covering their ears while shutting their eyes to avoid them.  Paul himself said in I Corinthians 13:

     "If I speak with the tongues of men and of messengers (angels), but do not have love (compassion, mercy, kindness and forgiveness), I have become as a sounding brass or a clanging gong."

Imagine a child who is beating on pots and pans with a spoon.  We can only take that noise for so long and then we "go off the deep end."  Is this what the church has become, a clanging gong and a miserable noise?

I watch the social media feeds where people I know are passing around, for lack of a better term, propaganda.  They are anti-immigrants, anti-government handouts, anti-government, and anti- lots of things.  My thought is, then what are you doing about those situations?  I found a cartoon that adequately depicts the sad state of the church these days.  I will quote from it:

     "America should get back to Biblical Christian principles!"
     "So we should feed and shelter the poor?"
     "NO! I'm not paying for a lazy person!"
     "So, we should visit and comfort prisoners?"
     "No, they don't deserve that."
     "So we should pay our taxes without complaining?"
     "No, that's MY money and I want it."
     "So, we should show love and mercy freely?"
     "No, that has to be earned."
     "So, we should avoid violence?"
     "No, we have to take out the 'bad guys.' "
     "So, we should be gracious to foreigners?"
     "No, they shouldn't be here."
     "So, we should seek to end social injustice throughout the world?"
     "No, that's not our problem."
     "Then what principles are you talking about?"
   

What could and would happen in the USA if Christians began to do what Yeshua asked of them?  What if we were the ones feeding the hungry and giving water to the thirsty both literally and figuratively?  What if we were the ones giving strangers (foreigners) a home among us?  What if we were the ones providing clothes and a sanctuary for those who have been ravaged by the world?  What if we took the Light in a loving, merciful manner to those who were reaping the consequences of their own actions?

We complain about welfare recipients, being ripped off by corporations, and fearing for our safety.  Are these things happening, because the church hasn't fulfilled its obligations?  When those who are called by God's Name fail to do what He commands, the world suffers.

Let us, the True Church, begin to do more and speak less.  Let's stop judging and remember that we were once deep in sin as well.  Let's remind ourselves that we do not know the other person's entire story.  Let's stop complaining about the state of affairs and begin reaching out with a hand to those in need.  If we will do the things God asks of us we could possibly see the return of the Messiah very, very soon.

Shalom.

Learning to Become United

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Washington, D.C.  The picture above was taken at the WWII Memorial and shows 5 of the 56 pillars surrounding the memorial.  While in D.C. we also visited the Holocaust Museum.  The two are connected in what I believe to be the darkest part of our world history.  This horrible war, with it's many atrocities, actually began on November 1, 1936 as Germany's Adolf Hitler and Italy's Benito Mussolini joined forces to establish their domination of the world.  Twenty-four days later Imperial Japan joined them.  Three governments united for what appeared to be a common cause. 

For nine years war raged throughout all of Europe as Hitler and his partners invaded one country after another and millions died.  Yet during those years something else extraordinary happened.  Three other countries came together in unity as well, despite barriers of language, religion and life to overthrow an evil dictator.  During those years they would be joined by other countries along the way.  
When a common goal exists, mankind will overcome any and all obstacles to attain that goal.  Last week I talked about what might happen if all Jews AND Christians were to get on the same page.  Let me take that one step further.   

We may jump on board with a calendar of events, but what about language?  Could the number one reason we differ so much in theology be due to a language barrier?  Christians and Jews disagree greatly on interpretation of Scripture, but so do most Christians.  Don't think so?  Why are there so many different denominations and even so many different interpretations within even one denomination?  Have you ever given it a thought?  Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodist, Baptist (heaven knows how many different types of Baptist there are), Church of Christ, Christian (Disciples of Christ), Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Non-Denominational, Apostolic.  I could go on and on.  Two different Baptist Churches can't even agree on many details, let alone all these different flavors of Christianity.

Why is there such a barrier?  Christians DO NOT fully understand the language of the Bible.  We are very smug and claim to understand, why we understand it better than the Jews!  They didn't get it right in Jesus Day so we know they don't understand it now!  Those Jews just missed the boat!  How did they not understand that Jesus was the Messiah?  We see it, clear as day AND we know exactly how to interpret all those 66 books as well, correct?

That's funny.  Ask ten people within your own denomination this question, "What happens to the soul when we die?"  Oh that's an easy one.  We go to heaven or hell!  Well, I asked that question in a Sunday School class one day and received about five different answers.  Here they are: 1. Heaven or hell; 2. Soul sleep; 3. Purgatory; 4. Paradise or darkness; 5. Either Heaven (for a believer) or just cease to exist (for an unbeliever).  Hmmm, all that in a Southern Baptist Church.  To beat it all there were only about 8 people in the class and all of them age 30 and above.  

As Christians we should strive to seek the truth of the Scripture, even when that truth defies the very doctrine we have been taught in the Church.  One point in understanding Hebrew that is so often overlooked is a simple thing known as an idiom.  I have written on this point before, but let me take you down that road for a moment.

An idiom is a commonly used expression that is never to be taken literally.  In the USA we use idioms such as: Come hell or high water; She has a bun in the oven; It's raining cats and dogs.  Judaism does the same.  Some prime examples are: 
     Loved and hated - to love one more than the other (never literally taken as hated); 
     Abolish - to teach the Torah incorrectly;
     Fulfill - to teach the Torah correctly;  
     Evil eye  - stingy;
     Good eye - generous; 
     The third day - used to denote something miraculous; 
     On that day - the future or the world to come; 
     Little one - unschooled inexperienced disciple; 
     Drinking wine - studying Torah; 
     Favorable year of the Lord - year of Jubilee; 
     Go up - elevate oneself spiritually; 
     Thorn - small pointed stroke that is part of a Hebrew letter or something that might be considered insignificant; 
     Twinkling of an eye - the haste with which the Hebrews left Egypt; 
     Under the Law - a Gentile who had gone through the conversion process to become a Jew (this included circumcision for males and also a ritual bath known as a mikvah or baptism);
     In one's tent - deep study of Torah.  (When speaking of Jacob it is said that he stayed in the tent.  Christians have typically taught that Jacob was a Momma's boy, but this is far from the truth.  He spent his time seeking God.)

Did you think you knew what these terms meant only to see that you may have been a little off base?  As I researched this subject I looked at common English language idioms and their meanings.  I came across a webpage that named over 600, only to find that a few of them were not defined the same way I use them.  I wondered if this were pertinent to perhaps another area of the country from where I live.  I fully understand the difference in areas with things such as a soft drink.  In the south everything is a coke, while in other areas they are called pop or soda.  So what if you were to ask Jews from various areas and they understood those idioms differently?  How do we know the true meaning of them?  In those instances we MUST go to the 1st century A.D. to find how the Jews in Jesus' day defined them. 

If we could all get on the same page with idioms and their definitions, scripture might take on an entirely new meaning.  Could it possibly be that denominational names would drop and we could all become The Church as we were meant to be?  

Now that I have given you several to start, take these idioms and plug the definition into the scripture which uses them.  I certainly hope you have a new perspective on that scripture afterwards.  Until next week, Shalom!