Basic #3 - part 2 Angels and Demons! Told you I wasn't finished with it yet! and maybe you'll even get lesson #4!-

Oh yeah, the process!  Enough already!  Oh no, ladies and gents!  The process isn't over until we breathe our last!  Now, how has your week been?  If yours has been like mine, well rough I'd say.  I have been up and I have been down.  I have praised God one day and (I'll do a little confessing here).....I have spewed filth another.  Yes, you heard me right.  I have been angry half the week and been caught up in the rhetoric at work and due to my physical pain and disgust at situations beyond my control have chosen to use words that brought me down.

                 

God reminded me of that fact, in a strong fashion this morning, through a post on facebook by someone I graduated High School with.  Every day she posts a scripture verse and today's verse was James 3:9-10,

"With it we bless Adonai, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God.  Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing!  Brothers, it isn't right for things to be this way."  JNT

I didn't curse people, but oh how my mouth gets me in trouble!!!!  Am I the only person who has this problem?  Somehow I doubt it. This is the point of extending my previous post.  I want to use myself as an example.  Didn't really want to do this, but I might as well.  At least I can't sue myself, ha!

Do you struggle on a daily basis trying to live a Godly life?  Do you sometimes, or many times, feel like a failure?  Heaven knows I do or use to!  There are nights when I would go to bed feeling like the lowest of the low, because I believed I had failed God.  "Why did I say those things?"  "Why did I do that?"  "Why did I give in to that?"  Is this where you are?  Do you struggle with a sin, an addiction?  You know, a lot of people think an addiction is something like drugs or alcohol, but an addiction could be anything you can't leave behind.

The problem is exactly my problem throughout this past week, I had not been plugged in.  Let me divert for a moment to give you an example.  One of my jobs, at work, requires the use of a lift to raise the baskets of parts to a level of ease for our use.  On Thursday, I went to pull an empty basket out and replace it with a full basket, but the lift had not been charged up the night before and the battery was dead.  It would not move.  The Set-up brought another lift over, but the battery on it was also near death, so short story, we had to bend way over to reach our parts for 20 minutes or so.  Result - aching back!  One person did not do their job of plugging in the lift and others paid the price!

I did not plug in to the Word, both written and through prayer, this past week and the result was devastating both to me, to others and to my God!  I brought myself down through my words, I brought others down through discouragement and disgraced my God through my language.  I hope I learned my lesson!

To carry this lesson further is to even give you a basic lesson #4 The 10 Commandments aren't commandments!  I know you are probably like me and have grown up learning them as THOU SHALT NOT!, but nothing could be farther from the truth!  The Jews call them The 10 Words.  Each one is actually a heading for a section of corresponding in-depth instructions from God to the Children of Israel.  

The Jews teach that these Words are connections to God.  In essence, they are how we plug into God in order to keep charged.  If we want to connect to God, obedience is the key and he gives us the power strip with 10 outlets to plug into.  The key is that we have to connect to all 10 in order to charge correctly.  We cannot pick and choose which ones we want.

Have you ever tried to hook up a DVD player or gaming system to your television and left off one of the color coded plugs in the back?  You connected, but not everything worked correctly, right?  See what I mean?  You will still have a relationship with God, but you cannot have the best possible relationship until you connect to all 10 outlets!

What about reward and punishment?  Well, let's see, if I stick a paper clip into a power outlet and I get shocked, is that outlet punishing me?  Absolutely not!  I have connected with the power source, but not in the proper way.  I have received what is due me for not connecting properly.  If I plug my computer into the power outlet and turn it on, I get to play games!  Am I being rewarded?  No, I am connecting properly to the power source.  Am I making any sense?

Does this help?

Could it be that in today's Christian society and our somewhat disregard for the Older Testament, we have overlooked some of the connections?  Is this perhaps why so many Christians struggle with sin in their lives and day to day living?  Are we not plugged into all the outlets?  Have we picked and chosen which of the 10 we plug into or perhaps we have chosen how we interpret them or re-interpret them?  Have we decided over the course of history how God's connections are defined?  Perhaps we need to look at the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 to see how they should be interpreted and defined correctly!

I want to go back over all 10 of those connections with you and let God search YOUR heart as He has mine.  See if there is an empty outlet or perhaps just a spot where that plug-in has loosened and isn't connecting properly and remember they are not multiple choice.  

1. God spoke all these words, to respond:		א. וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר:
2. "I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.		ב. אָנֹכִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים:
3. You shall not have the gods of others in My presence.		ג. לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנַי:
4. You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth.		ד. לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְּךָ פֶסֶל | וְכָל תְּמוּנָה אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם | מִמַּעַל וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתַּחַת וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם | מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ:
5. You shall neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a zealous God, Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me,		ה. לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵל קַנָּא פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים לְשׂנְאָי:
6. and [I] perform loving kindness to thousands [of generations], to those who love Me and to those who keep My commandments.		ו. וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי:
7. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain, for the Lord will not hold blameless anyone who takes His name in vain.		ז. לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהֹוָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא אֶת שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא:
8. Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.		ח. זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ:
9. Six days may you work and perform all your labor,		ט. שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָל מְלַאכְתֶּךָ:
10. but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord, your God; you shall perform no labor, neither you, your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your beast, nor your stranger who is in your cities.		י. וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת | לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל מְלָאכָה אַתָּה | וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ:
11. For [in] six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.		יא. כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם וַיָּנַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עַל כֵּן בֵּרַךְ יְהֹוָה אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ:
12. Honor your father and your mother, in order that your days be lengthened on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you.		יב. כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ:
13. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.		יג. לֹא תִּרְצָח: ס לֹא תִּנְאָף: ס לֹא תִּגְנֹב: ס לֹא תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר:
14. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or whatever belongs to your neighbor."		יד. לֹא תַחְמֹד בֵּית רֵעֶך ס לֹא תַחְמֹד אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ וְעַבְדּוֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ וְשׁוֹרוֹ וַחֲמֹרוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ:

The text on this page contains sacred literature. Please do not deface or discard.

I want to leave you with one final scripture for today.  

"You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."  Deuteronomy 4:2

Are you connected and staying charged?  Don't get caught in the middle of no man's land and your phone is dead, okay?  Until next time, Shalom!

Basic #3 The Old Testament isn't relevant to us anymore.

How to build a deck, no need to read the instructions!

Wow, it's hard to believe July is almost over and school is starting in just a few days.  Where has the summer gone?  Teachers are quickly preparing their classrooms and writing lesson plans eagerly awaiting that first day.  Some await with anticipation and others possibly with a slight fear of the unknown, but one thing is for sure, all teachers will hope they can prepare their students for the next level in life.  Elementary teachers prepare their students for middle school.  Middle school teachers prepare their students for high school.  High school teachers prepare their students for life and / or college.  Each teacher builds on the teachings of the previous teachers.  If one teacher does not do his or her job, well we have a problem or if the student doesn't or isn't able to learn during a particular year then a step is left out of the process and this missing step can wreak havoc for the rest of their life.

There is always a process to everything in life.  A process in growth from conception to adulthood:  leave out a step and a human being (or animal for that matter) is either born with a birth defect or has a shortened life span due to an abnormal growth pattern.  The manufacturing process of a vehicle: leave out a step and either parts don't fit together correctly or as we have seen with vehicles in the news, lawsuits occur due to deaths or injuries.  There is a process to building a building and yes, even a process to our legal system.  Everything has a process that must be followed.

6 + 2 (5 - 9 x 8r + 4z) - 1 = y  try working that equation without following the proper order and I guarantee you will not get the correct results!  Now, could you even begin to work that equation if you had never learned to add, subtract, multiply and divide?  You see, even in mathematics there is a certain order in which we do things.  How many of you remember High School Chemistry class? If you do not follow the correct order.....BAD MISTAKE!    Were there any of you who weren't paying attention when the teacher told you what order to added the chemicals in the test tube?  Come on now...fess up!  Some recipes are also like that, girls you know what I'm talking about!

The point to all of this rambling is to drill home a VERY important point.  So many Christians do not want to hear anything about the Old Testament.  I have heard numerous times, "I don't care anything about all that stuff.  Those stories are for the kids, it has nothing to do with today's times.  I only want to hear what's relevant for me today."  I'll even have to admit that I kinda thought the same thing myself earlier in life.  I only wanted to hear sermons and lessons from the Gospels and the New Testament, but friends nothing could be further from the truth!

Just as everything in our lives has a process, so does the very Word of God, Himself!  Is the Old Testament difficult to understand at times, YES, but not impossible to understand.  I want to give you a new perspective for a moment.  Think about the time during which Jesus lived.  (Okay here's one of those WWJD moments....)  What would he have read? (insert Jeapordy music) The only things He had to read......The Old Testament, better known today as The Tenach (The Law, The Prophets and The Writings).  He would have also had the Oral Traditions better known as The Oral Torah (which would not be in written form, but only passed down orally) and The Targums - which are much like our Open Bible today, a paraphrase of the Tanach in written form.

So when Jesus was quoting scripture, what was He quoting from?  Well, Paul of course, NOT!  Let me clue you in on a little secret.  Every single word that is attributed to Jesus in each of the Gospels and in Revelation is a quote from one of the three citations I listed above.  I would bet you, like me, thought that most everything Jesus said was original to Him, didn't you?  Well, I guess in a way it was since He was the Word made flesh it all came from Him to begin with, so we are trivializing here, but Jesus was quoting The Old Testament or a paraphrase of it or a commentary on it with each word He spoke.  Now can you see why the Pharisees were amazed at His knowledge of the scriptures knowing that He was not one of them?  They knew He had not been accepted by a Rabbi as an understudy, so who was this man?  They were perplexed by Him, but also intimidated for sure.

I want to give you an example of what I am talking about in reference to Jesus words being either a direct quote or a commentary on the Tanach, Oral Torah or Targums of His day.  The following link is to an online Bible with many translations and paraphrases.  The one I have linked to is the Orthodox Jewish Bible.  I know it is very hard to read due to it's use of Hebrew wording and I am not asking you to understand what you are reading.  It is the scripture reference for John 8.  I am asking that you look at all the cross-referencing to the Old Testament in parenthesis.  I think you will find it very interesting!  (Just for reference: Bereshis-Genesis, Tehillim-Psalms, Vayikra-Leviticus, Shemot-Exodus, Yeshayah-Isaiah, Mishle-Proverbs, Devarim-Deuteronomy.  You will even see a reference to a Targum thrown in there and something else special....a reference to something to come....Hisgalus following verse 52 is referring to Revelation 21:8.)

 http://biblehub.com/ojb/john/8.htm


The Old Testament is SOOOOO relevant to us.  Without it we would really be totally lost.  If we never learn our alphabet, how will we learn to read?  If we never learn how to hold a pen, how will we learn to write?  If we never learn our numbers, how will we learn to add and subtract?  If we do not know what God said in the beginning, how will we know what He says in the end?  To quote a very famous passage of scripture which in itself quotes scripture, Romans 10:14-15:

"But how can they call on someone if they haven't trusted in Him?  And how can they trust in someone if they haven't heard about Him?  And how can they hear about someone if no one is proclaiming Him? And how can people proclaim Him unless God sends them? - as the Tanach puts it, 
'How beautiful are the feet of those announcing good news about good things!'" (Isaiah 52:7) JNT

Do you see how this passage reverses the order showing that there is a process to even proclaiming God's Word and the Good News!  God sends people, those people proclaim to others, the hearers trust and call on God!

I know this post cannot fully explain that fact so I will be expounding on that in the future.  This post is one of the foundation blocks.  Many of you have told me that for you my posts were like trying to put on a roof when there were no walls, frustrating and confusing, so I have backed up and started over in order to lay a very firm foundation.  It really appears there haven't been very many foundations laid in the Church unfortunately, and I am afraid that fact is why we aren't retaining our young people when they reach adulthood.  Without a firm foundation, a house cannot stand when even a small storm comes along.  Gee, where have I heard that story before?



******Please give me feedback on these posts.  I need to know if you are connecting with me.  I cherish your comments!

Basic Lesson 2 Never Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch!

Don't think it really is, but I'm calling this one; "Blue Moon over Kentucky!"

Whew!  It has been a long three weeks since I last posted anything and I have been as busy as a bee!  I was fortunate to have had three weeks of vacation which were used to get those once in a blue moon projects done at home and fine tune some others.  Now I have had one week under my belt back at work and I am plum tuckered out!!!

I hope I don't rub any of you the wrong way with this post and I ask that you not, jump the gun in your thinking process.  Please don't change your tune about my blog.  I haven't just pulled something out of the air, there is a point to this rambling no matter how it sounds and although it is late, I'm tired and it is raining cats and dogs outside right now.

Have you been able to understand anything I have said so far?  If you are a southern American you know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you?  Each of the phrases in italics are what is referred to in language as idioms.  An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally and is peculiar to a group of people.  In fact, just as I started to write this post I overheard a line from an old Western on television (which my husband was watching) that said, "Well, we can kill two birds with one stone with this one."  What perfect timing!  Ain't God good?

In America we use them every day.  I will never forget several years ago when I worked in an office and we had a young man working with us from Finland.  A co-worker, named Mike, in our office was dieting and every day he would bring a few small potatoes which he would microwave and then mash with a fork and top with lemon juice.  Our Finnish visitor asked Mike one day what he was eating to which Mike replied in his best southern voice, "smashed taters."  Tim rebutted, (imagine this in your best Arnold accent) "Smashed taters, never heard of such!"  We all had a good laugh!

I was suddenly awakened to the fact that the rest of the world was not as well versed on mashed potatoes as was West Kentucky and the rest of the Southern United States.  That fact can be reversed as well.  Tim taught us that fact all too well.  Another co-worker's college aged daughter stopped by one day and after she left Tim called this gentleman on the phone and simply said, "How much for the girl?"  After a long string of @##%$'s from the receiver, the phone slammed down on the other end and Tim looked perplexed.  We all began to scream, "No Tim!  You can't say that!  You can get arrested for that here!"

 Later we all had a good laugh when we found out what he really meant!  That phrase in Finland meant nothing like our thoughts on it in America!!!  To him it simply meant what would it take to get a date with the girl, nothing more or nothing less and it meant you ask the father first before asking the daughter.  The absolute opposite of what we had in mind!

My entire point in this story....idioms.  If you are from the south, we call them sayings.  Every culture, every people group, every country has them, even Jews.  And every people group uses them in their writings.  Yes, even in the Bible and do you remember the definition of an idiom?  A word or a phrase that is not taken literally?  So, how do you know what is an idiom and what isn't if you aren't familiar with the language?  You need a local who is familiar with the jargon of that area or people, right?  If that is so, then why have we been interpreting the Bible for thousands of years without a Jewish guide?  Could there be things we have taken literally that were actually idioms?  Could you imagine someone who is just learning English reading the first two paragraphs of this blog and taking everything I said, literally?

Well.....there are lots of idioms in the Bible and we have misinterpreted many of them and taken them literally.  Let me give you an example or two. Abolish and fulfill.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 "Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the words of the prophets.  I have not come to abolish but to fulfill."  I have always been taught that this verse is interpreted to mean that Jesus did not do away with the Law, but that through His death He fulfilled the Law so that we do not have to adhere to the Law any longer.  Hmmmmm that interpretation leaves lots of holes and questions, but no time to go there now.  The truth is that abolish and fulfill are legal terms.  Abolish refers to false teachers of the Torah or someone who is teaching heresy. Fulfill refers to someone who is teaching the truth of Torah and bringing honor not only to their Rabbi, but the Lord God Himself in doing so; they are said to be the Word in the flesh.  Goodness, does that make a great deal more sense to you in the context of that scripture?

Alright let me give you one more.  Old and new.  We have read the words in John 13:34 "I am giving you a new commandment: that you love one another."  Was this really something brand spanking new?  No!  Old referred to the original way something was viewed, such as Torah and new referred to looking at that same thing from a fresh new perspective.  Now, can you look at Matthew 26:28 the same; "Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the new covenant,....."  this is actually a quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34.  It is not a NEW covenant, but a fresh perspective on the old covenant with God's people.

Let him who has ears, hear and him who has eyes to see, see!  Jesus said in John 8:31-32; "If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."  Jeremiah 29:13 tells us: "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."  You can find the truth, but it must be sought.  The choice is yours.  Sometimes the difference between a truth and an untruth lies in a minor idiosyncrasy.  Perhaps it is something so small as the one and only letter which differentiates between the two words idiom and idiot!

Independence Day! Freedom! What does that actually mean?

Yesterday was the 4th of July.  Independence Day in the United States.  WPSD-TV in Paducah, KY had a little trivia on their local news about some things connected with Independence Day we might not realize.  They went on to list a few things the American public is often mistaken about or misunderstands.  Every now and then it is necessary to go back over the facts of a matter in order to re-align our thoughts with the truth.  This keeps us on the right track.    

Like the general public, I too must make sure I am on the right track and after talking with some of you, it has become apparent that my writings are difficult to understand.  I deeply apologize for that fact.  I had hoped I was giving enough illustration to explain the difficulties of the subject matter, but I suppose not.  With that thought in mind, I will re-direct my writing in order to help more of you understand the things I am trying to teach.  That re-direction means going back and starting over with some basics.

Basic #1:  Why should we study God’s Word on such a deep level?  Isn’t it enough that I have given my life to Jesus, I go to church and I read a little devotional most days?  I know several verses of scripture and I know how to find references to scripture in the Bible, so why learn all of this Jewish stuff?  We aren’t Jews and we don’t live under the law anymore, just read Galatians 3:25!

A)     Galatians 3:25 is an absolutely perfect example of WHY we should be studying God’s Word from a Jewish perspective.  In fact, it is one of thousands of examples I could give on why we should study God’s Word on a deeper level.  Most likely you, along with me, have been taught that Galatians 3:25 means that with Christ, the Law was done away with, but that could not be further from the truth!  The problem with my saying this is that many of you will call me a heretic and say that I have just said that Jesus was not who He said He was.  WRONG!  I am saying He is even more than we have ever believed He was!!!!

In Galatians you must first understand that Paul is answering a question for the Church in Galatia.  It is imperative that you know the question before interpreting the answer.  If you see this scripture from the Jewish side you can easily identify the question and interpret the answer. 

B)     By studying the Word on this deeper level we come to know the truths of the scripture that can answer questions the scientific and atheistic world have been throwing at Christians for years.  It also enables our children to not be those waves tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.  

Have you not ever wondered why so many young people walk away from the Church when they reach adulthood and many NEVER wander back in?  Perhaps it is because what little depth they have seen taught is so irrelevant to their life.  They need roots!  DEEP ROOTS!!!!  The Church is not giving them those roots, but a mere social place to gather until something better comes along. 

C)     God expects us to study His Word!  Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“Hear, O Israel:  The Lord is our God, the Lord is the One and Only.  You shall love The Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources.  And these matters that I command you today shall be upon your heart.  You shall teach them thoroughly to your children and you shall speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise.  Bind them as a sign upon your arm and let them be ornaments between your eyes.  And write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.”

The “matters that I command” began with what we refer to as the Ten Commandments, but known to the Jews as the Ten Words.  These Ten Commandments or Words are actually the chapter headings for many more words from God.  How can they be taught, if not first studied?  We cannot teach something we do not know anything about and even if you disagree with me and believe we are no longer under the law, does this mean we have the right to murder?  Do we also have the right to lie or steal or commit adultery?  These still apply today and we should know everything we can possibly know about God’s Law.  In fact, do you really know what God’s Law is?  

Jesus, Himself, said in Matthew 5:18-19;        

 “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 

Last time I checked, heaven and earth haven’t disappeared yet.  I think we need to keep studying so we can show ourselves approved unto God, don’t you?  Just a little tidbit of trivia:  some sects of Jews teach that if you don’t like to study Torah (the Bible) on earth, you will be studying Torah continually for all of eternity.  You will then have the ability to see the truth of who God is and who you were and are. You will be sorrowful over the life you spent on earth and want to repent, but it will then be too late to do anything about it.  It is here that two scriptures become very clear to me now.  The scripture in Matthew 25:30 which says,

“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This will be the hell for those who have been presented with God’s Word, but never thought it was a matter of importance.  They think about God from time to time, give Him a little credit every now and then for a beautiful sunset or an escape from danger and go on with their lives.   

The other scripture is from Revelation 21:4,

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…”

And this seems appropriate for those who were given the Word, read it, considered it important, but didn’t make deep study a priority.  These are people with a true relationship with Him.  They do study the Word, but they are content with understanding on the surface and never keep seeking the deepest hidden truths.  They will see the entire truths of His Word, mourn the fact they take His Word so lightly and never understood them while living and then not only weep, but grieve over that fact.  Moved with compassion at their grief, God will look at their heart and knowing the heart, as He does, He sees their brokenness and wipes away their tears which will never return. 

This, my friend, does not give us an excuse to say, “Well, He will forgive me then for not studying all this difficult stuff, because I really don’t have time for it.”  Is that the excuse you are seriously going to give God, the maker of the universe?  You don’t have time for His Word?  Have you forgotten that He created time and that your life is in His hands? 

In that same story from Matthew 25 there were three men.  All three were given “talents,” which is an amount of silver, by their Master.  A talent, or kikkar is approximately 45.1 pounds of silver and in today’s times would be worth approximately $600,000 (depending on the current market value of silver).  Each man in this story was given a differing amount of talents. 

When the Master returned he asked for an accounting of those talents.  The one who had been given five talents had invested his and returned them with five more.  The Master replied, “Well done!  You have been entrusted with a little, you will be put in charge of much.” 

The man who had been given two talents invested those and returned the two along with two more.  The Master replied, “Well done!  You have been entrusted with a little and you will be put in charge of much.”

The problem was with the man who was given one talent.  He didn’t invest it, but hid it.  When he came before the Master he simply gave Him back the one talent saying, “I know you are a hard Man and require a lot of things from your servants.  Here is your money.  I wanted to make sure nothing happened to it.”  This is the man who was, “thrown into darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  He is called a worthless servant.  

What have you done with that “talent” you have been given?    If you truly love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul, mind and resources you will want to know everything there is to know about Him.  And if you don’t love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, strength and resources?   I’ll let you seek and find the answer to that question.   The answer is hidden in the story that follows this one in Matthew 25.  I am willing to believe you may see it with different eyes now.  Have fun! 

Touching Death

The grave of one of my dad's relatives.  A cemetery is a place I only want to visit when necessary.
I certainly do not want to live there, what about you?

Have you ever touched death?  Can you touch it and if so, what does it feel like?  Can you describe that feeling?  Touching death must be a feeling to die for, you think?  Well, at least it seems that way, since so many people are obsessed with that feeling.  Have you noticed the obsession with death in the American Society or societies, World Wide for that matter?  If not, try this experiment; walk into any video rental store and take an inventory.  Go ahead and pause this reading if you want and drive right over to the store.  It should only take you about 30 minutes to complete this little experiment, if you live close. 

   Did you see what I was talking about?  Pretty frightening isn’t it?  Now, if you have one of those cable boxes that allow you to do a search by category, do a search on movies/horror and see how many come up and then follow up with a search on movies/comedy and compare.  This does not even take into account the non-movie programs depicting real-life or dramatized murders and violent crimes which are shown daily.  Still not convinced?  Perhaps you should pay closer attention to the games offered for each and every gaming system available.  Oh, and let’s not forget the nightly news!  More DEATH!  All in the name of news that we the people MUST know! 

As a teen growing up in the 70’s, we had a local body shop which towed in almost all the badly wrecked vehicles.  Whenever there was an accident with a fatality, usually involving a teenager, the vehicle would be placed in front of the body shop for all to see.  I can very well remember having my mom take me by the shop time after time to see those cars up close and personal.  There would always be a crowd of people gathered, peering inside to see the remnants left behind from the accident.  I can recall all the gory details of what I saw from the back of my mind, but I will not elaborate on those here.  So what was and is the fascination with this thing, called death?

In the Torah reading for this week we are given the ritual of the Red Heifer which is all about…..DEATH and LIFE.  The reading of Numbers 19:1-22:1 begins with God’s instructions regarding the ceremonial killing of the Red Heifer.  This is a very detailed service and also very complicated.  I am not going into that much detail at this time.  The direction which I am led to take my readers in for this year is a much different one. 

Anytime a person touched death, they became unclean.  Being unclean did not imply they were a “bad” person, but rather unable to enter the Tabernacle or Temple.  The Temple contained, Life!  Death could not enter where Life resided. It really was simple after all, not complicated.

   

This applied to priests as well.  What did it mean to touch death?  To come into contact with anything or anyone who was dead.  Absorb that for a moment….people or animals or possibly insects….anything or anyone.  Add to that, if I have touched death and then touch you……well? 

The priests were always on duty of some kind or other.  If they were to touch death they could neither carry out those duties nor could they eat their priestly portions.  This subject can get rather deep if we keep digging.  Now, on a daily basis, this wasn’t a problem for the average person.  If you lived in the surrounding plains or hills no problem, but those three times a year when all Jewish males must make a trek to Jerusalem to the Temple?  Well, now we have a problem.  There must be a way to cleanse all those people so they can offer their sacrifices as prescribed and on a regular basis there must be a way to make people clean anytime they needed to come to the Temple, right?

This problem was already taken care of by God, Himself!  The short version of the story is this; The Red Heifer solution is that the Clean (Priest) becomes unclean (by touching a dead animal) in order to make the unclean (the person who has come into contact with the dead), clean!  Now, let me say that again without all the ( ).  The Clean becomes unclean in order to make the unclean, clean!  This all took place outside the city gates, thus the reason the clean became unclean, (sound familiar?)  Jesus who was clean became unclean so we who are unclean could become clean!  This is an entire post within itself, but no time for that now.  (If you are a rabbit chasing geek like me, go ahead and read the first section of the Torah reading about the Red Heifer and then turn to the Gospels and read every account of the Crucifixion and compare!)

I was privileged to hear Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, Abraham Greenbaum, speak a couple of weeks ago on this section of the Torah portion.  One thing he said that stuck with me regarding the subject of death was:

“The reason young people don’t want to be around old people is because, older people are so close to death.”

If this statement is true, then why are young people so absorbed with movies, games and stories about death?   And why do we continue to hear of news stories involving teens and young adults inventing new things to try that are volatile and deadly?  Why are all of us so obsessed with death rather than life?  What is death anyway?  Is it not just the absence of life?  If so, then what is life?  Is it a beating heart, breathing lungs or brain activity?  Or is life God, Himself and His Son?

John 5:24-26

“Amen, amen, I say to you, one who hears My words and believes the one who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, for he has passed from death to life.  Amen, amen, I say to you that an hour will come and is now here in which the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who hear will surely live.  For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He has also granted the Son to have life in Himself.”  (The Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels)

John 11:25-26

“I am the rising and the life.  The one who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.  Anyone living who believes in Me will never die.  Do you believe in this word?”  (The Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels)

John 10:10

“The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.”  (Jewish New Testament)

Now, let us get back to the Temple and the Red Heifer for a moment.  We don’t have to go to the Temple any more, right?  I mean, we aren’t Jews and there is no Temple, so this Red Heifer thing and touching the dead doesn’t apply to us now does it?  Well, let’s do the math.  We know that God’s presence resided in the Temple until Jesus came.  Where has His presence resided since Jesus came?  If you aren’t sure of the answer here, turn to Acts 2 and start reading to refresh your memory!  Perhaps I can help your memory with just one word – Pentecost! 

Step 2:  If believers are the Temple and the Temple is where the Life resides and death cannot be where the Life is then you do the math.  Jesus has already cleansed us with the ashes from the Red Heifer, but now I have a question for you.  Touching death is an inevitable part of life, but how much unnecessary touching are we doing?  Are we crowding out the Life with death?  Every time we look upon death on television or a movie screen or our computer, does Life have to turn His head? 

Abraham Greenbaum also made the statement that this obsession with death in our society is very likely the reason we see so much depression among us.  I had already made that observation and totally agree.  A person who stays in the graveyard with rotting corpses and wilting flowers will never know the beauty of true Life.  Jesus even tells us about a man who came from this type of situation.  In Luke 8:26-39 you can read the story of the man who was living in the graveyard.  He was so deranged the people in the surrounding country were terrified of him, but when Jesus gave him Life he left the tombs!  He certainly didn’t want to live in the graveyard touching death any longer!

You see, Life is so much greater than death!  Death is taking something away and Life is giving something back!  Now, how are you going to treat the Temple where the Life dwells from this point on?  Will you dwell in the land of graves and darkness or Life and Light?

Oh Be Careful Little Ears What You Hear...............

Is your life in turmoil at this moment?  Is everything falling apart around you?  Does it seem God is a million miles away or perhaps you are questioning whether He even exists?  What about the world around you?  Natural disasters, terrorists, threats of war, identity thefts and a darkening global economy stare us in the face every night in the news.

Does it sound like the only reports you hear are bad?  Well, maybe you are listening to the wrong reports.  What is a Child of God supposed to do in times of peril or bad news?  Parashats Shelach, (Numbers 13:1-15), and Korach, (Numbers 16:1-18), both have a great deal to say in regard to this matter.  Remember the scripture must be read with a Hebraic eye, not a western one!

Shelach recounts the report brought back by the 12 spies.  These men were not only leaders, but the sages know them as Princes of each of the tribes.  They were royalty, well known by their own tribe, each of which numbered into the tens of thousands, if not more.  Last week I told you how the people after witnessing miracle after miracle and yet still in the midst of a miracle began to not only seek out, but join in with the Rabble as they grumbled and complained against God.  We thought God taught them a lesson in that one, but now here they are at a most pivotal moment in history and it doesn't seem they learned anything!  They are at the threshold of obtaining the very thing for which God has brought them out of Egypt, across the sea and the desert to: the Promised Land!

Twelve men were sent out and all have arrived back with not only a report, but samples from their venture.  Clusters of grapes so large they had to be carried on poles!!!  Now the test!  God has brought them to this location, given them his wedding vows, (which they accepted), and has given them a picture of their new home.  What is their choice?  Is the Bride going to settle down with the Groom or is she going to run back home to Momma and Daddy?  Is she really ready to do what it takes to make a home with him?  Hmmmmm?  This is where the Bride has to make a decision.  What friends should she listen to?  Whose report does she believe?

I would venture a guess here and say that at some time in your life you have been in this situation.  Something has occurred in your life and there have been numerous people giving you advice.  The majority have been on one side of the fence and one or two have been on the other.  Whose advice did you listen to?  How do you know which ones to listen to or should you listen to either?  After all, these people couldn't just open their Bibles to Matthew 10 and find out WWJD, could they?

God wanted them to WANT to go on with Him from there.  He wanted them to make their home with Him in the land He had promised them, but He wanted it to be their choice!  He is no different today.  He wants us to choose a life with HIM, but it is still our choice!

What about our twelve Princes?  Ten of them began their report with great things about the land then went on to say, BUT we can't conquer it.  There it is.....that BUT stuck in the middle of things.  I know you said you were faithful God, BUT.  I know you say you love me God, BUT.  I know you gave us all these commandments God, BUT.  I know I should be reading your Word more, BUT.  I know if I were choosing to spend more time in prayer and deep Bible study and doing Your work I would see blessings I never dreamed of, BUT.  I know I should be tithing, BUT.

Just in case you think I am trying to be a smart-alec or be off color, just read for a moment with me in Numbers 13:27

"They reported to him (Moses) and said, 'We arrived at the Land to which you sent us, and indeed it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.  But - the people that dwells in the Land is powerful, the cities are fortified and very great, and we also saw there the offspring of the giant.'"


The other two men, Caleb and Joshua, immediately jumped in with:

"We shall surely ascend and conquer it, for we can surely do it!"

WOW!  No buts in that sentence, only confidence!!!!  The problem is, the other ten now make a come-back with a shout of we can't do it, wah, wah, wah!!!  Now, the choice of whose report to believe lies in the hands of the people themselves.  Do they believe the ten or the two?  Should the majority always rule?  What I want you to see next is so very important, because it is what we so often do ourselves in times of trouble or bad news.   Numbers 14:1-4

"The entire assembly raised up and issued its voice; the people wept that night.  All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the entire assembly said to them, 'If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in the Wilderness!  Why is HASHEM bringing us to this Land to die by the sword?  Our wives and young children will be taken captive!  Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?'  

So they said to one another, 'Let us appoint a leader and let us return to Egypt.'"

Do you see what I see?  The first thing they did was start wallowing in pity, the second thing was start looking back to the pig pen and the third was to reject the leadership God had placed over them.  Does any of this sound familiar to life today?  "Why is this happening to me?  I don't understand it.  This wasn't what I had in mind!  I never expected life to be this way for a Child of God!  I think perhaps I need to find a new church or maybe the Church just needs to find a new preacher."

Why did they not ask Moses to seek God on their behalf?  They knew God would come down upon the Tabernacle and meet with Moses to answer questions during difficult times, so why not for such a time as this?  This event is so significant.  The people at this point were not only rejecting the Land, but were rejecting God as their Groom.  They basically said, "You aren't worth fighting for!"  Hold that thought, because I want to go right on into the next Parashat, Korach.

The incident with Korah took place shortly after the report of the spies.  Korah, a Levite, along with four others, who were Reubenites, stood together in opposition to Moses leadership.  I guess they took the words of the people to heart when they said, "Let us appoint a leader."  These men now begin to question why Moses and Aaron think they are such "hot stuff."  The text reads:

"They gathered together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, 'It is too much for you!  For the entire assembly - all of them- are holy and HASHEM is among them; why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of HASHEM?'"

Last week I made a statement about the Rabble within the camp.  They took just enough of the truth and mixed it with a lie to make it sound believable.  What it actually did was create doubt about God which in turn creates discontentment.  In both of our Parashats today, the same thing.  The Ten Spies and Korah took a little truth and a little lie and mixed them together to create doubt and discontentment.  Korah said something very true, the entire assembly was holy and HASHEM was among them.

This incident has a very unhappy ending, I will let you go on to read the rest of the story.  There is a point I want you to see in all of this.  Actually there are two points in this lesson.  The first is from Jewish thought that when we complain we are akin to an atheist, because we are saying we don't believe.  Let that one sink in for a moment.  Complaining about the manna, about the giants in the land, about the leadership......we don't believe God is who HE says HE is and HE is not capable of doing what HE says HE will do; therefore making Him null and void.  If you don't believe in something it doesn't exist, right?  

Secondly, the Rabble, Ten Spies and Korah all bred discontent among the people.  When we find ourselves discontented with the place God has put us, then we are open to rebellion.  The first seeds of rebellion are an ungrateful heart (I Thessalonians 5:18).  Rebellion often begins simply in refusal to accept the authority of those who are appointed to lead.  Blame shifting is a tell-tale sign of a rebellious heart.  Rebellion skews your vision of everything and your worship, especially prayer, is a litmus test for it.  Rebellion is infectious, but most of all God hates it for IT IS IDOLATRY!  (Seems like I remember one of the 10 connections having something to say about idols!)

The incident with the people weeping over the report of the Spies was so significant, God proclaimed that day as a day of mourning in perpetuity for His people.  That day on the calendar was the 9th of Av or also known in Hebrew as Tisha B'Av.  I have spoken of this day before, but I will give you a little homework on it.  Here is a link to read about all the things that have occurred on that date in history  http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/946703/jewish/What-happened-on-the-Ninth-of-Av.htm  You will be astonished.

So, as this world is crumbling around you.........whose report will you believe?  I need no explanation about why or what next, I simply need to remember that God is who He says He is!  I will believe the report of the Lord!  I will, like Paul press on toward the goal and I will not even think about returning to Egypt!  As for me and my house.....we will continue to serve the Lord!

Who Will Feed Us Meat!!!! Those Blasted Rabble-Rousers!

Wonder how many Israelite families this guy would of fed?  

I have taken a little break, it seems.  I didn't intend to, I have just had a lot of business to take care of and writing had to take a back seat.  As I opened up the website I noticed the final post was entitled, "Its Here.....Can You Hear the Wind?"  I had no idea of what the future would hold within that coming week.  I considered writing a post about the destruction in Moore, Oklahoma and how we should see it from a Biblical perspective.  I chose instead to make my comments on the posts of the many other bloggers who have weighed in on the matter or on my Facebook page rather than posting here.  

Many of those who have written or tweeted about the tragedy are absolutely wrong about the cause and are misinterpreting scripture.  It only proves they have NOT sought to learn God's Word from God's very own people who know His Word inside and out.  These kinds of tragedies are no mystery to the Jewish people.  They understand them full well.  Just ask them.  

Now on to this week's Parashat!  (It is a mouth full!)  Beha'aloscha - When you set up.  This Parashat is from Numbers 8:1 - 12:16.  It begins with the dedication of the Levites and ends with Miriam being stricken with Leprosy.  Yet tucked away in the midst of this reading is something so applicable to the Church, both individually and collectively, within today’s society I could not escape it.  It is the story of the people's grumbling about not having any meat.  

I have always read the story of the people’s grumbling about eating manna and just thought, “Well yeah the Israelites were tired of eating the same ole thing day after day!  I would be too”, but oh no!!!!  Read it again, with me! 

The Hebrew translation says in Numbers 11:1

"The people took to seeking complaints; it was evil in the ears of HASHEM, and HASHEM heard and His wrath flared, and a fire of HASHEM burned against them, and it consumed at the edge of the camp."

They were seeking complaints?  What does that mean?  Consumed at the edge of the camp?   Before I go any further let's take a look at verse 4.

"The rabble that was among them, cultivated a craving and the Children of Israel also wept once more and said, 'Who will feed us meat?'"

The Jewish scholars tell us the rabble and the reference to the edge of the camp refers to the non-Israelites who had come along with them when they left Egypt.  These Gentiles had begun to create discontent within the camp.  These men, women and children would have been required to remain in the outer fringe of the camp.  The Israelites, you see, were lined up around the Tabernacle in a specific manner detailed by God, Himself.  (I guess I now know where the term rabble-rousers, comes from!)

Apparently there was contentment (serenity, gladness, satisfaction, gratification, ease) until….. a craving was cultivated (developed, promoted, encouraged, enriched).  Have you ever been at a place in your life, whether it be food, clothing, a house or a “feeling of” contentedness, just to have someone come along and tell you about something you were missing out on?   Did this begin to stir a craving within you for something you didn’t have before?  A craving can sometimes be dismissed or diverted unless it is cultivated by us or others.

As an example perhaps you were fine with having leftovers for dinner until someone mentions “Mexican."  Now you have a sudden craving for “Mexican” food, right?  You think about it for a minute and then dismiss the idea only to have that same someone just keep on with “Come on, let’s go to the new Mexican restaurant in town!  I hear they have the best chicken fajitas ever!!!  And, their grand opening special is all you can eat for $3.95!”    This person not only stirred a craving within you, but cultivated that craving!  This is true discontentment which can only be satisfied by eating at this new restaurant then it is good-bye leftovers! 

The Israelites, along with these Egyptians, had just witnessed the greatest miracles known to mankind!  The plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the cloud that moved with them by day and a pillar of fire that moved with them by night, the presence of God on Mt. Sinai!!!  Oh yeah and the miracle of the giving of the manna as food, which by the way according to the Sages tasted like whatever you were craving at the time!!!!  To put it in redneck terms; in the morning it tasted like biscuits and gravy, at noon it tasted like a turkey sandwich and in the evening it tasted like steak and potatoes!  (Well sort of!) 

The point of this rambling of mine is they were only a short time removed from all those miracles and still in the midst of receiving the manna when suddenly they began to grumble and complain.  Have you been there?  Are you there now?  Are we any different?  We could blame them for letting outsiders influence them.  Outsiders who knew no different, but those outsiders knew about all those miracles.  Those outsiders had witnessed every single miracle themselves!  They didn’t really grow dissatisfied with the manna, the “rabble” as the Torah puts it dredged up something much, much deeper.

This is what I see in the lesson and one the Sages teach also.  The Israelites now had the instructions from God on how to connect with Him.  The Egyptians, who were with them, knew these things also, but they took just enough of the truth and mixed it with a lie to breed unhappiness.  They not only introduced an idea, but they then cultivated the idea until it began to grow.  Like a gardener planting a seed and then caring for the seed until it produces fruit.

Perhaps it went something like this:

“I know that Moses said you could only marry within your own people, but what could possibly be wrong with marrying one of our daughters?  Didn’t we come along with you showing our loyalty to your people?  Here look at our daughters, see how beautiful they are.  Now you can never have them again like you did in Egypt.  They are off limits to you.”

Or perhaps:

“Moses said you are to worship only the God, Yahweh, but in Egypt our gods were kind to us and we have brought them along.  Our gods have given us many wonderful things and blessings and have done you no harm, so what is wrong with worshiping them also just as we also worship your God?  In Egypt our gods provided you with many different foods and didn’t put restrictions on you such as only being able to marry within your own race of people or observing one day as holy.  What kind of god puts restrictions on his people?” 

Can you imagine other such conversations?  I could come up with many, many more.  Think about what goes on within your own life and the life of the Church in our society today.  We see it every day within the Church.  The music is too modern or too old fashioned.  The people are too stuffy or they dress too casually.   Churches are splitting every week over some paltry little issue where someone has bred discontent.  These things should not be among God’s people!!! 

Now, let me introduce something totally abstract to you----could it be there are times when someone SHOULD breed discontentment within you or within the Church?  Think about the Church at Laodicea.  We are told they were a lukewarm Church and due to that fact God said to them, “I will vomit you out of My mouth.” 

Do you wish to be a person God says this of?  Do you wish your congregation to have this said of them also?  I am so afraid many, many Christians and congregations are in this boat OR in the boat of the Church at Sardis who were told; “you have a reputation for being alive, but in fact you are dead!” 

I think it is time we shook things up a little bit.  Every Church and every Christian should face a questioning from time to time.  Its’ called, accountability!  It is what keeps us on the right track.  There are a few questions we need to ask and if it breeds discontentment, perhaps it needed to.

1.      Do we teach the entire Word of God, every verse, not just the verses we like?

2.     Do we teach our children from the Word daily in our homes?

3.     Are we striving to live our lives by the Word and the Word alone?

4.     Is God the first priority in our lives?  (Look at your appointment calendar if you aren’t    sure.  Or check out your Facebook status history!)

5.     If what we think we believe were not true, would we want to know?  What do we    believe and is it the truth?

6.     Are the individual groups, (youth, senior adults, men, women, etc.), within our church doing a lot of activities, but not a lot of Bible Study?  (I.e. concerts, eating out, volleyball games, golf tournaments etc.)

Number 5 is so crucial, because many people who classify themselves as Christians do not truly know what they believe.  They can quote a few statements that sound like scripture and may contain scripture, but they cannot expound any further on the issue.  Many church-goers actually quote people more than scripture.  Even within one single denomination there are soooo many different explanations or answers to any one question on doctrine or belief.  Don’t agree?  Ask just one question that may not seem so cut and dried such as, "What happens when someone dies?"  You may be a bit surprised.  Many times the response goes something like this:  “well, I believe…..”  “I”, should not be part of the equation.  The answer should always be, “The Word says,….”

Number 6 is also a lightning rod for accountability.  This is where you find out if your church is a “Sardis” church!  Is the calendar for your church always full, but yet very empty?  Is there a whole lot of “nothin” goin on?  If so, there should be a lot of red flags going up over this one!!!! 

We need people who are willing to be “rabble-rousers” within their own congregations to create discontent for lukewarmness and then cultivate a craving for the Word of God!  We desperately need people and Churches that have ravenous cravings for the Word of God!  Individuals and Churches that are screaming, “Who will feed us meat!” because they are the ones who go into the world and MAKE DISCIPLES!!!!  They also feed the hungry and give the thirsty a drink, share their homes with strangers, clothe the naked, take care of the sick and visit the prisoners.  Jesus said in the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:34-40;

 "The King will say to them, 'Yes! I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did them for me!'"

Do you know what the Word says?  Do you know how to find the answer?  Do you need to breed a little discontentment within your congregation and cultivate a craving?  Did I breed a little discontentment within you?  I hope I have stirred a craving in you that can only be filled with the Word of God.  I would love to be a “rabble rouser” who causes an insatiable craving inside of you!

Until next time……(This is where I normally say Shalom, but not today!  Today I want there to be unrest within you!  Unrest that so many people DO NOT want to feed on the Word of God!  May you not find peace until you help cultivate a craving for the Word of God, my friend!)