It's Time For A Toxic Spiritual Cleanse!

I apologize for not posting in almost a year.  I took a slight hiatus to work on my book, which is now published in e-book form on Amazon.  Hopefully by the end of next week it will be in book form also.  It is a novel entitled An Unexpected Bend In The Road.  It is also the first in a series I have entitled 5776.  I think the series will have three books, but who knows!

Last fall my company was at an all time record high in build plans which required mandatory six day weeks for nearly six months.  I was exhausted and overwhelmed, to say the least, wanting to finish the book I had begun, and writing this blog.  Something had to go, and well the rest is history.

Now I feel it is time to pick the blog back up and go on with it.  I have also changed medications which is a very good thing.  If you have read my previous posts you will understand that my brain was in overdrive and I can see now that some things just clearly didn't make a lot of sense.  Seizure medication is like that.  They all come with side effects!

This past week I began to see a picture of what I should write for my first comeback post.  Today is the fourth day of the Jewish month of Elul.  This month is so special, because it is a time to spend cleansing ourselves of sin and our own personal demons, so to speak.  Personal inventory time!  If there are bad habits in our life, this is the time to purge them.  God has planned a special time for us to meet with Him.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to get caught in my underwear!  How embarrassing would that be?

In our western thought process we have a hard time understanding why this month is the optimal time to purge our lives of the dross within.  Can this not be done at any time?  Certainly, but when we understand the way God works and His timetable, it becomes very clear.  The sages have always taught that God has a calendar and there are special times He has placed on it.

I want to think of it in this manner, we can visit a family member at any time, but think of how special the times are when you are specifically invited to their home.  Sometimes it is for a time of heartbreak, to share in a sorrow, but most of the time it is for a celebration.  How wonderful it is to be invited to share in an extra special occasion.  Which has more meaning to you, to have someone wish you a happy birthday on social media or to give you an invitation to meet with them to celebrate it in person?  To think that this person loves you so much they would take time to plan a birthday party for you!

This is the way God's calendar works.  Before the beginning of time He planned a calendar with special events scattered throughout and gave you an invitation to each and every one of them the day you were born.  The best part is that this calendar has a purpose with each event; communion and connection with God Himself.  It is not like those dinners to which you are invited with the purpose of signing you up for a "job" that will bring you great wealth and prosperity at the expense of others.  An invitation with the host's interest in mind, not yours, kind of like a political fundraising campaign.

God's purpose has your best interest at heart.  You can certainly celebrate your birthday at any time of the year, but isn't it just the best when someone loves you enough to plan a special celebration ON your birthday?  Elul is the special time of year where God placed on His calendar a time for you to take care of business in your own life.  Yes, we can do it anytime, but this month of Elul was the time set by the Creator just for this purpose.  Call it a personal fall cleaning or preparation for an even more special day, because an even greater celebration is coming and we must be ready.

Just around the corner, beginning the evening of the 3rd of October on our calendars, is Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement.  This is the most Holy day of the entire year, for it is on this day that God applies His redemption to His people.  It is THE DAY OF ALL DAYS!  It is the day when the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies in order to atone for the people, (Hebrews 10:19-25 http://biblehub.com/aramaic-plain-english/hebrews/10.htm ).

Sandwiched in between the beginning of Elul and Yom Kippur is another day of great importance....Rosh Hashanah, which this year is Sept. 24-26.  It is the civil new year, also known as the Feast of Trumpets.  Hint, hint....  It is the day when we will personally meet with Him in order to go over our spiritual inventory list together.  I want to hear Him say, "Well done good and faithful servant!  You spent your time of preparation correctly and came ready for the celebration."  I certainly do not want Him to say, "Can I ask you why you weren't prepared for this day?  This is a palace and I am a King.  Why are you still in your pajamas?"

I think perhaps as western Christians it is hard for us to see this day as more special than Good Friday or Easter, but it is those two days which make Yom Kippur even more special.  Before Jesus came to earth there was Yom Kippur.  God's grace and unmerited favor were already being poured out on those who wanted a relationship with Him and were willing to prepare correctly to meet with Him.  Want to know what those preparations were?  Check out Leviticus 16:1-34.  Now that Jesus has come to Earth, we can understand even more clearly why this day and the role He plays in it are so special.

Think of it in this manner; those who love the King and yearn for a relationship with Him, when invited to a special event, will do everything in their power to be prepared for that event.  Those who do not take that relationship with intense sincerity will not properly prepare.  They will most likely say, "It doesn't matter, because it really isn't that big of a deal to me."  They will not prepare and then be totally embarrassed or horrified when they arrive.  Then there are also those who gladly receive the invitation, but either don't fully read it or they read it and interpret it from an outside point of view.  Some may say, "I can go without all those preparations.  They are old and archaic and really don't matter anymore, besides I'm not perfect just forgiven."  Or to even say, "Look everyone I am with the King!  He and I are buddies!"  (Have you ever attended an event to which you were invited and you didn't really read the entire invitation?  Did you show up in casual clothes only to find out formal wear was to be the attire or vice versa?  Or have you attended an invitation only event hoping someone would think you were special?  Oh goodness, there is that "I" again!)  

All of the festivals and Holy Days will be celebrated perfectly when the King returns and we should be prepared to celebrate them with The King.  The really bad thing is that all of those things we are asked to give up or eradicate during the month of Elul (preparation), are things which if left unchecked will result in us ruining the event for ourselves.

Let me enlighten you with some examples: if you are a relatively heavy smoker will you be in that event not enjoying the time with the King, because you are waiting for a break to go catch a smoke? (I am not picking on smoking, but thinking about things we are addicted to that cause us to not be able to focus on the beauty before us, because we are too busy feeding the monster inside.  That monster could be ego, smoking, drinking, drugs, drama, sugar...etc.)   If your heart is full of unforgiveness or anger will you erupt with emotions and outbursts if that person's name or a particular issue is mentioned?  Do you really want to be a drama king or queen at The King's event?  How much of your life has already been spent feeding the monsters inside of you?  Time which could have been spent in peace and health.

We have been invited for a one on one meeting with The God of all creation.  Will He see us looking back at Him with total admiration or will we be preoccupied with the things we are still harboring in our lives?  The Mishna, which was written less than 100 years after Jesus, is a collection of oral traditions among the Israelites.  Regarding Rosh Hashanah it says:  "At Rosh Hashanah all flesh passes before Him like the members of a flock." (m.Rosh Hashana 1:2, cf b. Rosh Hashanah 16a).  As each person passes before Him, their name is either written in the Book of Life or the Book of Death.  It is 10 days later at Yom Kippur that God Himself, closes the books on and proclaims the fate of those who passed before Him, for another year.  Ultimately there will be a final day for this and itwill never take place again.

If this is true and Jesus believed these things, then Matthew 6 ( http://biblehub.com/aramaic-plain-english/matthew/6.htm ) and Luke 12:1-32 ( http://biblehub.com/aramaic-plain-english/luke/12.htm ) along with Matthew 25:31-46 ( http://biblehub.com/aramaic-plain-english/matthew/25.htm ) make perfect sense.  The first two scriptures tell of Jesus speaking and states, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..."  The last scripture is a reference to all the nations of the world being gathered before Him and he will separate the sheep on the right and the goats on the left.  The rest of the sermon is in regard to a King pronouncing judgment on those who are on each side and why.  If you read the entire discourse you will see that those on the right were the ones who prepared adequately while those on the left did not.  In other words, the ones on the right did the correct preparations without thought to themselves.  They did not do it for personal gain since they had no idea they were doing it for the King Himself, but they did it because their hearts were pure and had been purged of all unrighteousness.  There was no "I" distracting them.

Introduction over and now I am ready to share with you the thing revealed to me about this post.  Please do not become offended if you have a true illness and are doing everything the doctor says or within your power.  This comment is not meant for you.  People all around us are sick with various symptoms or diseases.  You are properly preparing yourself for the next visit to your physician.  The others gripe about their symptoms or complain about them.  They have been told that certain measures can either alleviate their symptoms or eradicate the disease, yet they don't want to do the treatment.

I will give you one example.   I have a condition known as Celiac's.  This entails eating nothing made from wheat, barley or rye.  I also have an allergy to dairy...ALL OF IT!  Now I could have chosen to continue eating whatever I wanted from the day of my diagnosis and paid the price or I could follow the doctor's orders.  By following the diet restrictions as much as I possibly can, (there can always be something hidden that is not listed on the package....ugh!), I am relatively symptom free!  When I do make the choice to eat a "forbidden" item I pay a hefty price.

There are tons of people around me daily who have many of the same symptoms I had and I have talked with them about being tested, yet they wave me off.  Their reasoning?  The doctor's diagnosis of this disease would require denying themselves something which is a fleeting and temporary gratification.  They do not want to be healed, but would rather indulge and worry about the consequences later or even live with their pain.  After all, the pain and discomfort is familiar.  Changing their diet would mean also changing their lives and they are too complacent to make that move.  Oh my, there is that "I" again.  Satisfying the self at all cost.

Elul is upon us.  Do you wish to purge your life of the things which are making you sick or do you wish to continue wallowing in your pain in order to receive a moment of gratification?  Shalom!    

Mary did you know? What about Amtilai, Rachel and Jochebed and......Part 1.

I have always loved the song, Mary Did You Know, written and sung by Mark Lowry.  It is a most powerful Christmas song both in word and musical performance.  It is about Mary the mother of Jesus and wondering if she knew the full implications of what her baby boy would do, but looking back have you ever wondered about other women in history?

What about Amtilai?  Don't recognize the name?  Don't feel bad, most people wouldn't.  According to the Talmud (Baba Batra 91a), Amtilai was the name of Abraham's mother.  I searched long and hard for that one and found it here:  http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/586401/jewish/What-was-Abrahams-moms-name.htm 

Do you think she had any clue that her baby boy would be the father of many nations?  That he would become a father at the age of 100?  If the Jews and their writings are correct, Abraham's father was an idol worshiper and most likely his mother was also.  The story the Sages tell is a very interesting read. http://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=9168&showrashi=true&p=7   

If the stories the Jews have passed down for centuries about Abraham's father are true and the possibility that his mother was like the father, how does a righteous, Godly man like Abraham come from such people?  Are you living in the midst of what you perceive to be an evil, ungodly surrounding?  Is every day a struggle?  Take heart!  Don't quit and hang on.....!

Now what about those other moms.  Mary did you know that your baby boy, would someday rule the nations.  This line in the song is one most Christians understand has yet to be fulfilled for the Savior Jesus, but what about....Joseph?  Rachel did you know.....?  I want to go over the words to that song so you can really, really see what I see.  Hear what I hear.  Know what I know.  Wow!  That sounds like a Christmas song!

Mary did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water?
Mary (Rachel) did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
(Rachel) Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
(Rachel) This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary (Rachel) did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Mary (Rachel) did you know that your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when your kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know 

(Rachel)The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, (Rachel) the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb 

Mary (Rachel) did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary (Rachel) did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am 

I know you may have never seen Joseph in this kind of light before, but trust me I could apply even more verses of this song if I wanted to.  Don't get me wrong, Joseph wasn't super human or even deity, but he was so much a fractal of Jesus it is more than you could ever imagine!!!

I think you get the part about ruling the nations right? What about saving our sons and daughters?  If Joseph had not have been placed in charge of rationing supplies he could not have saved the nations, especially the Israelite nation which would eventually lead to a Davidic line and an ultimate Savior.

As a leader of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, Joseph had power.  By his word or by the raising of his hand he could silence an entire nation.  He was...the Man!  He calmed a storm of grumbling, complaining, hungry people with his authority.  By his hand of provision and planning he calmed the storm of famine.

Those last three phrases that I set apart are something Joseph did, but are symbols of something Jesus has yet to do.  It is a story of redemption for his own people.  A story of love for his brothers.  Are you ready to hear that story?  Chances are you have never heard this story.  This story is about more than redemption or healing.  This story, my friend, is about a forgiveness you and I cannot know.  It is about a brothers love that you and I cannot know.  It is about blinded eyes being opened, deafened ears being able to hear and those who were dead now being able to live.  I know as Christians we may have applied these things to our lives, but my friend we cannot know them in this light.

I think of it in these terms; it was just this past week that the world lost a great humanitarian in Nelson Mandela.  Throughout the last few days we have heard the news reports of what he accomplished during his lifetime.  I will neither fully understand what apartheid was like nor the significance of breaking free of it.  Although I am a white southerner in the United States who grew up in the 1960's I still cannot, nor will I ever understand the full impact of racism in America for I am not an African-American.  No matter how much I may love my fellow man or feel oppression and then find release from that oppression, I cannot know true racism the way the African-American population did in the early part of the 1900's or prior to that time.

In the same manner, we as Western Gentile Christians cannot ever understand what it is like to be a Jew; one of the true brothers or sisters of Jesus.  They are family by physical birth.  Nothing will ever change that fact and someday He will reveal himself to them.  Someday.......

Back to our song.  Genesis 45.  I have always loved this passage and now I know why!  The compassion!!!  If you know the story (if you don't, go back and read starting with chapter 37 and read forward), you know that Joseph seems to have been toying with his brothers who have not recognized him at this point.  BUT that really isn't the case! Everything he did he had to do for the dreams to become reality.  (The sheaves bowing down remember?)  Not only that, but he recognized them.

He required they bring their younger brother with them and now all 11 brothers are present in front of him.  Joseph in verse 1 is so overcome with emotion that he calls out (I'm guessing that means shouts, but that's just my interpretation), for his servants and all the other Egyptians to clear out leaving only him and his brothers.

Does that statement ring any bells with you?  Hmmmm?  Then it says..... "Joseph wept!"  So loud that he could be heard by the Egyptians all throughout the house.  Why did he weep?  His brothers didn't recognize him.  Then what comes next?  Two words in Hebrew or three words in English.  "Ani Yosef!  Ani Yosef!" (or in English)  "I am Joseph!  I am Joseph!"  I have a feeling there were great big sobs in between the words while the brothers stood there with mouths agape.  Half in horror yet half in awe.  What to do?  Do you run toward him in an embrace or toward the door for your life?  What will he do next?

Joseph's next words are probably anticipated by them.  "Is my father still alive?"  They know that as long as Jacob is still alive they will probably live, but when is gone.....well then Joseph will get his revenge.  The scriptures say they could not answer for they were basically, "in shock."  Wouldn't you be?  Then Joseph does the unthinkable.  He asks them to come close and tells them to not be sad and let it not trouble them that they sold him, for God sent him there for a great deliverance!  (will soon deliver you! vs 7)

He continues on with his speech asking them to go tell their father that he is alive and wants the entire family to come and live with him in Egypt.  He will care for them and see that all their needs are met.  In verse 12 he says, "And behold your eyes see" and yes their eyes did see!  Suddenly their eyes were opened and they knew that this man, this ruler over all the land of Egypt truly was the brother who had returned from the dead!" 

Joseph also gives his brothers a message to give to his father.  Verse13, "And you shall tell my father of all my honor in Egypt,"  In Rabbinic literature Egypt refers to the Gentile nations.  Marinate on that one for awhile.  Chapter 46:1 we read something very interesting.  "And Israel and all that was his set out...."  Not Jacob, but his other name is used here Israel!  How significant!  All the house of Israel went to live with Joseph.  Hmm.

Now the last point.  46:2-3, "And God said to Israel in visions of the night and He said, 'Jacob, Jacob!' and he said, 'Here I am.'  And He said, 'I am God, the God of your father.  Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.'"  Come to make you new maybe?

The story of Joseph must be read in light of a future time period.  We will continue this discussion later, but until then do your eyes now begin to see?  Do your ears now begin to hear?   "Ani Yosef!  Ani Yeshua!"  Do you see what I see?  Do you hear what I hear?  Ringing through the sky little lamb?

Until next time, Shalom!
   

Haunting Words: I hope you hear them the rest of your life

Since my last post I have been through the fire.  I didn't intend to be in the fire, but I kind of set an intentional controlled burn and suddenly found the fire burning all around me.  If I had it to do all over again, I would still set the fire and I would still be willing to take the heat. To be passionate about lost souls and take a stand for them is always worth it.

I was reminded of that very thing this morning as I pulled into the parking lot of my church building.  I was listening to Christian Radio's WAY-FM as they talked about a recent episode of The Biggest Loser where a contestant broke down about her childhood.  The contestant began to cry telling how her mother abused her over and over while family members sat silently by, doing nothing.  As she cried, she made the statement, "No one would save me, no one would save me, and I was worth saving."  Wow!

Saving lost souls......how is that done?  What part do we play?  It is my conviction, and I can prove it Biblically that our part is NOT TO TELL PEOPLE HOW SINFUL THEY ARE!  Our part is to love people where they are and show them the Love of Christ, PERIOD!  When they see our love they see Christ and Him personified in us.  Then and only then will they want what we have.  When they receive Him.......then the HOLY SPIRIT takes care of the sin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You mean I ain't responsible for pointing out the sins to all those lost people?  I ain't gotta get em cleaned up before I bring em to you and I ain't gotta be the one to get em saved?  WHOO HOO, WHOO HOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  That is the most freeing thing I have ever heard in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  All I have to do is love people and help them in any way I can!!!!!!  Meet needs?  I can do that!!!!  WOW!  I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off my back!!!

The work of the Holy Spirit - the Ruach HaKodesh is to convict the world of sin, that is not OUR job!!!  We are to love our neighbor as our self and which one of us knows but that the neighbor we are loving is that little girl crying out, "Someone save me, someone save me.  I am worth saving."

Part 2: When the Holy Spirit Came He Did Away With Education...or did He?

Have you thought about those questions?  If your answers are like the ones I received they sounded something like this:

1. The 3000 who were saved at Pentecost were made up of many different people, but we don't really know. 

2. The righteous will be taken and the unrighteous will be left.

3.  Paul is speaking to the Galatian Jews.

4.  Here is where it gets a little tricky....some of you said yes, while others said no.

Well, not too bad for starters.  My original post, after all, was about education.  God wants us to study to show ourselves approved unto Him.  He does not want us ignorant, especially where His Word is concerned.  Nothing makes me angrier than to hear someone say, "I never study for a class I am teaching (or a sermon I am preaching), I just wait till I get there and let the Holy Spirit give me the words."

My next question for that person is, "What does the Holy Spirit have to work with?  You've given Him a box of marbles and you've even lost all but one of them."  Oh well, so much for my sermon on that little off-shoot.  

Now, back to the matter at hand.  I have always believed that the best teacher NEVER gives you the answer you seek, but rather teaches you how to search for and arrive at the answer.   My sons will be the first to tell you that it always irritated them when they came to me for a quick answer and I would give them, "Look it up!"  

In order to find the answer to the four questions, let's take a look at each of the scriptures above.  

The story of Pentecost is found in Acts 2:1-12.  In true literary style, we must ask a few questions.  Do you remember what those questions are?  Does the old, "who, what, when, where, why and how" ring a bell?  You got it!!!  Those are the questions we start with.  Who are the people involved in the Acts 2:1-12 story line?  Well, my Bible says in verse 5, "There were Jews living in Jerusalem devout men from every nation under heaven."  Verses 9-11 goes on to list the nations they represented.

What was going on and when did this event occur?  Verse 1 tells us it was Pentecost.  This special day occurs; 50 days after Passover.  If you want to read all about how they were to observe Pentecost, go back to Deuteronomy 16:9-12, but the original Pentecost was much earlier.  To read about it go back to Exodus 19-20.

Where did this event happen? Verse 5 mentions that there were devout men in Jerusalem. In keeping with the Pentecost celebration, (and if you study the requirements for it), you find that Pentecost or Shavuot as the Jews refer to it, is one of three festivals requiring all males to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.   (Deuteronomy 16:16 Pentecost or Shavuot is also the culmination of the Feast of Weeks.)

Okay, why and how?  Ooh, this one is going to get deep.  Are you ready?  (I am leading you through this one to give you an example, okay?)  For every antithetical action, there must be a corrective action. The very first Pentecost took place 50 days after the first Passover.  This is in Exodus 19-32, but there is one very important verse of scripture.  Exodus 32:28, but I would ask that you read the entire 32nd chapter.  It is very important and verse 28 is only a part of the why and how.  Our English translations can only convey a portion of the true Pentecost story.  Oh, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have only known in a very small part and we have missed so much of the story!!!!!!!!!!

Now, on to question 2: Matthew 24:37-44  Let's look again at our six questions.

Who does Jesus use as a reference in the taking away comparison?  Genesis 6:1 - 9:17

What type of person then will be left behind, the righteous or the unrighteous?

When will this occur?  Where will the ones go who are taken away?

If it were not going to be carried out in the same manner as that particular time in history, why did he not compare it to the taking away of Elijah instead?
How are we to prepare for this taking away?

Question 3 and 4:  Paul addressing the Galatians; Who were these believers, Jews or Gentiles and was he telling them that the Law was no longer valid?

Look very closely at the scripture in question, Galatians 3:1.  It is absolutely imperative to back up a few verses in order to see the issue clearly in this passage, because this question goes hand in hand with question 4.  Now back up to Galatians 2:1.

Who is Paul directing his message to?
Where was Paul going with this issue?  Is he saying the Law was completely done away with?
If so, when was the Law done away with?
If the Law has been done away with, how can Jesus say in Matthew 5:17-19

 17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." 

If the Law hasn't been done away with, then what is the main subject matter of the discourse?
Why is it necessary for Paul to address this issue?

Can you see that some of the scriptures you thought you knew well........maybe you didn't know quite as well as you thought?  Does asking some hard questions about those scriptures make you stop and think a little more?  Perhaps we need to think a little more on the last subject above.  The Law really isn't what you have always thought.  It isn't and never was a means of salvation.  The Law is and always was a means of connecting to the Father.  Just in the same manner a husband and wife connect and communicate to keep their marriage vibrant, alive and intimate.

Now, ask yourself these questions:

a. Did Jesus observe the Law?

b. Did Jesus tell others to observe the Law?

c. Did Jesus ever tell anyone NOT to observe the Law?

d. Did His disciples continue to observe the Law after His death and resurrection? (if not, why were they observing Pentecost see question 1)

e. Did Paul observe the Law throughout the New Testament?

If Jesus did away with the Law, then are we free to commit adultery and murder, to lie, steal, and covet and no longer need to observe the Sabbath?  Oh, and we can now take the Lord God's name in vain?  Imagine a marriage where a spouse did those things and had no desire to spend time with their partner on the designated date night.  Well?  If the Law is no longer valid........you know if the speed limit is no longer valid, then I can go as fast as I want and nothing can happen to me, right?

THINK ABOUT IT!  LET IT SINK IN!

Do you think you have enough educational help for now, to find the answers to all four questions? 

Can you begin taking these steps to look at other scripture in a different light?  Reading the Bible is about more than picking out a verse and making an entire theology out of it.  We must educate ourselves about the Scriptures and what God is and isn't saying.  For far too long men have taken a verse here and a verse there and have preached sermons and taught lessons or based entire theologies on those verses alone.  Take the churches that handle snakes or even the Westboro Baptist Church for example.  Both of those beliefs are as off base as the entire Muslim religion.

If the scripture you are interpreting appears to be in contradiction to other scripture you are missing something in your interpretation, for scripture NEVER contradicts itself.  God is not a God of contradiction or confusion!    The problem is us!  We read a verse and build a belief on it.  When we begin to educate ourselves on the truth of the Word, we find that the Word flows like honey from Genesis to Revelation and is smooth as silk!

Let me say this again.....  Church we can not take the liberty of picking one verse here and there!!!!  We would never dream of taking a verse from a Mozart opera, a line from Edgar Allen Poe, a quote from Martin Luther King and a sermon or two from Billy Graham and building a congregation of believers from that.  That example unfortunately is how we view scripture.  We take a verse from a song (Psalms),  a verse from a poem (Song of Songs), a verse from one of the Gospels (John) and a few verses from Paul's writings and put them together to build an entire theology.  The reason our way doesn't flow like honey is due to the fact we don't look at the verses we choose in context and from the perspective of the people who wrote them.

It is of the utmost importance that we look at EVERY single word of scripture from the proper perspective and this requires us to educate ourselves on what that perspective is.  I will let you in on a little secret......it is not a modern day American perspective!!!  God wants us to know the truth and when you know the truth....IT WILL SET YOU FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Keep on studying so that you will not be ashamed when you stand before your God on judgment day!  I know you want to hear Him say, "Well done good and faithful servant!!!"  

When the Holy Spirit came He did away with the need for education!

Oops!  Did I really say that?  Perhaps it is all the drugs I have been taking lately or just the virus inside me.  You see, I have been home for several days with Type A Flu!  They have just started offering the flu shots at work and already the bug is starting.  I haven’t had the flu in 30 years!  I am zapped!  This is the first day in four days in which I have felt like a human being.  I am taking Tamiflu (a lifesaver) and took Tylenol for the first couple of days. 

I haven’t been able to read, watch TV or look at a computer screen without my eyes crossing.  In fact, my husband must really love me (after all he has been with me for 36 years), today is the first day I have showered in four days.  I looked and smelled pretty bad, I’m guessing on that one since I have no ability to smell at this point in time.  Of course, my first day with the flu followed him having two days of the intestinal bug in which he was, you know, not the most pleasant of roommates.  I pray he does not get this mess!  I would not wish this on the worst of my enemies.  PEOPLE: GET THE FLU SHOT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, on to the subject matter stated in my headline.   I am a person who, all my life has been one who searches for truth.  I don’t care what the standard or norm has always been.  If there is even a hint of non-truth in it, I want to know.  I want to go all the way back to the origin and start there and come forward to find out where the truth got off course.  It is beyond me how anyone can accept something other than the truth. 

The United States of America prides itself in being a nation based on educational values.  In accordance with figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and yes I spelled that first word right.  That is the way they spell it on their web site http://www.oecd.org/about/  in 1999 the USA was 1^st among the industrialized nations in education, but in 2013 we are at best 12^th. 

We push our children to better educate themselves and go farther.  We are constantly raising the bar in education and in the workplace, requiring higher education to qualify.  Now, let’s think about this; the people who make up the church, what occupations do they have outside of the church?  Well, let me think about the people I know.  I’ll list them:

Physicians                                     Lawyers                                       School teachers

College Professors                         College Administrators                   Factory workers

Building Contractors                       Law Enforcement                         Business Administrators

Day Care Workers                         Accountants                                  Bankers

Jewelers                                        Speech Pathologist                         Secretaries

Librarians                                      Coaches                                        Underwater Welder

Painting Contractor                        EMT                                                   

It seems the Church is made up of all occupations of life.  It also seems as if the Church is made up of a wide range of educational levels.  It is one of the few organizations on earth where you will find so much educational variance among its members.  Now, this is not to say that factory workers do not have a college education or that some of the highly skilled occupations like underwater welding have a diverse education.

My question to you now is this, if we are filled with such a diverse and educated membership, why are we so ignorant on the scriptures themselves?  When in the work world we say, “Wait a minute, I’ll need to check the source of that material out.”  Yet in the Church we just sit back and say, “Okay.”  It is as if when we walk through the doors of a church building we lose our educational sense.  We just sit back and relax and think, “Tell me what to think, cause I have to think every other day of the week and I don’t want to have to think on Sunday.  Besides, you have the Holy Spirit and all those guys who translated the Bible from the Greek to English had the Holy Spirit, so I don’t need to think.  Just lay it out there for me!”

Why have we allowed ourselves to be taken captive by those who “told us” what the scripture meant, without taking into account whether those people were legitimate?  So as not to be misunderstood, I am not talking about your local pastor but, perhaps it is time we went back for a little history lesson to see where we were misled.

Just for starters, let me ask you a few questions to see how you answer them:

1.      Who were the 3000 people saved on Pentecost?

2.      In Matthew 24:37-44, there will two working in the field, who will be taken and who will be left?

3.      In Galatians 3:1, who is Paul addressing his famous “bewitched” speech to?  Jews or Gentiles?

4.      When Jesus died and rose again, did he do away with the Law?

Have you thought about these?  I want so much to get into these today, but I want discussion….from you!  Not to put you on the spot, I just want to see how educated my readers and the general public are.  So?  What are your answers to the four questions?  I’ll pick this post up in a few days!  Shalom!

I guarantee you can't pass this test!!!!!!!

Can you identify by the picture the religion it represents?  I will give you the choices to pick from (in alphabetical order): Atheist, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jew and Muslim.

 

Did you get them all right?  If you did, you achieved something I could not do.  You see, I can’t tell the Atheist from the Christian in the photos.  In fact, I don’t know if either of those are Christian or if either of them are Atheist.  The point of the test is that outwardly there is no difference between them.  A Christian doesn’t usually stand out in a crowd but neither will an Atheist.  Every major world religion stands out in a crowd except Christians, am I right? 

Why do all other world religions stand out?  Look at them; they dress differently, eat differently, act differently and sometimes even talk differently.  So, why don’t Christians follow this same pattern?  Now, before you go all out with that, “Well, Jesus set us free!  We don’t have to do all those things,” speech, I want to take you to a place we have touched on many, many months ago, but I want to show you something new and exciting about some scripture that is probably very familiar to you.

It has been one year since I began this blog and this coming year I am going in a brand new direction!  I intend to show you something you have perhaps never noticed before.  I hope to show you how every verse of the New Testament is actually a commentary on the Old Testament (The Tanach).  So, are you ready to begin?  Something old is about to become new again!!!  Let’s go!

Something very important in Judaism is a thought process called verbal tallies.  These are words or phrases that connect you back to a section of The Torah.  Are you ready for it?  Turn to John 1:1-5

 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  Everything was made to exist through Him, and nothing that was made to exist was made to exist except by Him.  There was life in Him and the life was light for the sons of men.  The light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not overtake it.”

Does anything in this scripture give you a verbal talley?  What jumped out at you when you read it?  Did this verse take you back to Genesis 1:1-5? Let’s see those verses:

“In the beginning of God’s creating the heavens and the earth – when the earth was astonishingly empty, with darkness upon the surface of the deep and the Divine Presence hovered upon the surface of the waters – God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and God separated between the light and the darkness.  God called to the light: ‘Day,’ and to the darkness He called: ‘Night.’  And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”

Wow!  Lots of verbal tallies, wouldn’t you say?  If you have been raised in the Church you have been taught this Word is referring to Jesus Christ, but what about the Light?   Light in Jewish teaching as far back as you can go is, in it’s simplest terms….Torah!  More in-depth it is spiritual illumination or wisdom.

As we are starting a new year of teaching, the Torah reading for this week has been Genesis 1:1 – 6:8 so I want to give you more verbal tallies to that passage.  Go a little deeper into John.  Do you remember last week when I mentioned Jesus speaking up at the water drawing and pouring ceremony on the last great day of Sukkot?  Well, I had a misprint in that post.  It was on the 7^th day of the festival (so sorry, but I wanted to correct that and will go back and correct it on the actual post).   After making his famous, “If anyone is thirsty” speech he then says the following:

“I am the light of the world.  Anyone who follows me will not walk in darkness, for he will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

Both the “If anyone is thirsty” and “I am the light of the world” statements are made on the same day at the same festival.  It is the Last Great day of the festival of Sukkot.  This day is called the “Great Salvation.”  This day is a “Great” day of celebration culminating seven days of living in personal booths known as sukkahs.  The entire festival is a fall festival which is known for its thankfulness for a great harvest and beseeching God for rain for the coming year, thus the water drawing and pouring out ceremony every day of the festival.  On the last great day of the festival there is overwhelming joy and special celebrations containing lots of singing and dancing. 

I want to give you a word picture of Jerusalem on this day as described to us in the Mishna:

“there were four golden menorahs with four golden bowls at the top of each and four ladders each leading to a bowl.  Four strong young cohanim (priests) would climb up with pitchers each holding 9 liters of oil which they would pour into the bowls.  From the worn-out drawers and girdles of the cohanim they made wicks and with them they lit the menorahs; and there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not lit up by the light of the Beit-HaSho’evah (festivities).  Pious men and men of good deeds would dance around (the menorahs) with lit torches in their hands, singing songs and praises, while the Levites played harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets and innumerable other musical instruments…” (Sukkah 5:2-4)

In Sukkah 52b it reports that these menorahs were 75 feet high.   Can you get a feel for the surroundings at the moment Jesus shouted out his famous lines!  More like a concert in the middle of a huge outdoor arena with all the lights on than probably what you have had in your mind all these years, isn’t it?

Now, if you went to your Bible, you probably noticed the story of the woman caught in adultery thrown in between the two sections of Jesus shouting out about living water and being the light.  And, if you read it closely it says, “In the morning” which implies that after Jesus talked about being living water one day the statement about being the light was on a different day.  Well, let me straighten one thing out.

John 8:1-11 from what the experts can figure out is true, but it is not John’s writing.  It is believed (by many scholars) to be the work of one of Jesus’ other disciples, but which one is quite the mystery.  Along with that tidbit is the fact that no one is quite certain about the timeline in Jesus ministry as to when this event took place.  It was placed here in John’s Gospel early on in the Church’s beginnings and has been left there.  It is believed to have been an Oral tradition with the early Church that found its way into the early manuscripts.  Now, if you are OCD, like me, don’t get too hung up on this passage being inserted at this point and just trust what the experts tell us. 

Now, back to our original conversation on the Word and the Light!  John tells us the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled or sukkahed) among us!  Yes He did!!!  The Great Salvation had come: The Torah and Spiritual Illumination had become flesh and was living among us and would soon be dwelling IN US!!! 

Great news!  What could be wrong with that?  Well what did Jesus say about the Light?  “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light which gives life.”   If light dispels darkness, where is this light in the world today?  All I hear about is the darkness in the world and how bad the world is becoming, yet the majority of America claims to be Christian.  If Christians have the light which gives life, shouldn’t we be dispelling the darkness? 

Why can’t you pick out a Christian in a crowd of people?  Should Christians not look different?  The fact of the matter is; if you are a true Christian then you are going to look, think, talk and act differently and you will eat differently.  (That lesson comes much, much later.)  If everyone who says they are a Christian actually were a Christian, congress wouldn’t have to be on the verge of a shutdown.   Welfare, food stamps, homelessness would all be a thing of the past.  Our United States federal income tax rate would drop to an all-time low, because there would be no need for federal or state programs to take care of those needs I listed.  There would also be no need for FEMA or mandated health insurance programs.  No child would be falling through the cracks of the court system.  Prisons would become desolate wastelands and there would be NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!

If we are reflecting the Light of the World, we are His hands and feet and we will be carrying out the following:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me……Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”  Matthew 25:34-36, 40

Well, how do I know Christians are supposed to have this light? 

“You are the light of the world.  A city that sits on the mountain will not be hidden, nor do people kindle a lamp just to put it under the bushel measure, but on the menorah, to illuminate all who are in the house.  So also, shine your light before sons of men, so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16

That is you and me, if we have Jesus!  It doesn’t say to do these things so they will praise us.  NO!  Heaven forbid!  It is so they will see the Father in the Light we reflect out of us!   If you have ever worn a shirt or necklace that had a little mirror type ornament on it, you know how it catches the light and reflects it onto everything!  That is what I want you to take away from this!  When people look at a picture of a crowd, I want them to be able to pick out the Christians, because they are reflecting the Light within us!!!  May that reflection be so bright the people are blinded by it!!! (I like visuals!  lol) 

One of the smallest, tiniest almost non-existent slivers of light can break the darkness, BUT NO AMOUNT OF DARKNESS, NO MATTER HOW LARGE CAN DISPEL THAT SMALL SLIVER OF LIGHT!!!!  Never ever forget that concept!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, go spread some light this week!!!!!!  SHALOM! 

How about a little delectable dessert? Come on, one little bite won't hurt you!

What does your facebook newsfeed look like lately?  If yours is anything like mine it is mainly pictures of delectable desserts and luscious meal ideas that you must try.  In fact, some nights it seems that food is all I see on my news feed.  Of course, it may be something you barely pay attention to, unless you are hungry, but for me it stands out like a bright flashing light.  The problem?  I have food allergies and 99% of those recipes are completely off limits to me.  For the most part many of them have so many different items in them I cannot have; I am not even able to make substitutions.  Ugh!

I’ll admit there are times I think to myself, “If I make that and eat it just this once, how bad a reaction will I have to suffer through?”  I know that none of my allergies are life-threatening, so my reactions are going to only be uncomfortable.  I suppose if they were life-threatening I would never, even have that thought.  Then, I get sick without eating them and suffer the same debilitating results and remember, “Oh yeah, I DON’T EVER WANT TO GO THROUGH THOSE SYMPTOMS AGAIN!”  Just like my current situation.  I was in the Doctor’s office yesterday and left with a diagnosis of sinusitis.  I have been miserable for almost a week now and boy has it brought back memories of 20 years of agony!   Drainage, coughing, ears stopped upped and feeling like I am under water every morning, clearing my throat constantly….NO THANKS!  Within 48 hours of completely cutting dairy out of my diet….it all stopped.

I now live a life free of dairy and gluten (I also have Celiac’s disease)!  Some days it is a difficult chore just to find food to keep me alive.  For the past four years I have lived on meats (pure meat, no processed luncheon types), vegetables (frozen or fresh since they have no additives) and fruits.  Now, cook with those and be creative without falling into a rut! 

There have been many, many days since my diagnosis, that I have been so hungry I have literally cried and asked God, “Why do I have to go through this?  It is too hard!”  I am laughed at for carrying a large lunch box everywhere I go. 

“Hungry there?” people say to me.  If I had a dollar for every time I have explained why I must carry a larger lunch box than everyone else, I could buy my son a new car! 

I have to explain, daily, why I can’t go to certain restaurants to eat, take part in the potluck at work or church, or just take off on a road trip on the spur of the moment.  Traveling is almost a nightmare.  I need a hotel with a refrigerator AND a microwave in the room.  I even have to question chewing gum, candy AND all medications including over the counter medications.  I cannot trust anything that goes into my mouth….even toothpaste. 

I become a little depressed at times and it seems as though EVERY commercial is a food commercial showing things I CANNOT have.  Now as I have learned more and more about the Torah, I have become very convicted about eating Kosher.  (I am not asking you to do so, but God has been asking me to do so and I have taken on the daunting task of now doing away with meat since kosher meat is almost non-existent in my neck of the woods.)  As I cut my list down further I looked at God and said, “God, I am not sure I can do this….it’s too hard.”  That is when God clearly replied to me, “I didn’t say it was too hard for me to send My Son to atone for your sins and neither did My Son say it was too hard for Him to give His life to atone for your sins.”

Wow!  Put me in my place, very quickly!  Suddenly my allergies and decision didn’t seem like such a hardship after all and then the song which had been stuck in my head for weeks suddenly came full circle.  I realized why that song had been stuck in my head.  God had been preparing me for this moment.  The song?  ‘Already There’ by Casting Crowns.  The words of this song, especially the bridge, say,

               “One day I’ll stand before you

               And look back on the life I’ve lived

               I can’t wait to enjoy the view

               And see how all the pieces fit”

“Aha” I thought!  “That is it!  That is why I was given the food allergies!  It was so I would be able to ease into the kosher eating!”  I had already been on a four year struggle of learning new ways to eat and the battle had been half won before I made the decision to go Kosher!!! 

Now, why am I telling all of this?  Well, I do have a reason other than my struggle with allergies and kosher cooking.  It is the festival of Sukkot or better known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths.  The point of this festival is for the people in Israel to move out of their houses for one week and live in manmade “tents” or sukkahs.  This “roughing” it for a week, helps the people to remember the time after leaving Egypt when the Children of Israel lived in tents.  It is a reminder of God’s provision and that all our “stuff” is just that, stuff.  All the luxuries we enjoy and the things of this world are only temporary and all of it is a gift from God. 

What does that have to do with my allergies?  Well, if you recall, the people while in the wilderness with Moses began to mourn the loss of all the “stuff” they had left behind in Egypt.  As they did, they began to become ungrateful.  An ungrateful heart is a heart that will begin to become discontented, then angry and eventually will turn away from God.  The worst part of this equation is that ungrateful heart is not the only heart affected.  One person’s sin is never his own, he always takes someone with him.

 

Sukkot is a time for reflecting on the truly important things in life.  The provisions which can only be given by God and God alone, to allow for a thankful heart.  A true sukkah must be comprised of a roof of leaves thin enough you are still able to see the stars at night.  There is no furniture, appliances or closets full of clothes and jewelry.  No garages full of cars either.  Days are full of singing and dancing and thankful hearts to God!  Night time in Jerusalem is filled with Sukkahs and candles and each day is filled with singing which ends with a water drawing ceremony. 

The 7^th day of this festival is also called “Great Salvation.”  It was on the last day of this great festival when Jesus, during the water drawing ceremony, shouted out those famous words;

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’”  John 7:37

Does that verse seem a little more eye-opening for you?  Can you see how much understanding we have missed over the years?  Have we understood this verse properly?  Well yes, but in its fullness?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!   What a difference a little background information can make. 

Now back to my original train of thought.  How often are we thanking God for His provision, yet eyeing that forbidden dessert thinking, “Well, maybe one bite won’t have too many consequences.  After all, it is easier to ask forgiveness than to ask for permission!  Ha Ha!”  A verse of scripture keeps coming back to my mind over and over and it applies so well, not only to America, but to the Church as well.

 

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired, I refused my heart no pleasure.”  Ecclesiastes 2:10

Or perhaps this one:

“What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?  …..This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones and there I will store all my grain and my goods.”  Luke 12:18

We are constantly looking around and accumulating everything our eyes desire.  In fact, we accumulate so much stuff; we have to add on to our houses, add storage units to our property or rent storage units to hold it all!  The worst part, most people don’t even know what all they have in those units or rooms.  Do you have any idea what is in your attic or closets? 

And the Church isn’t much better.  “We build bigger buildings and mega congregations filled with the latest technology and programming gimmicks and yet are people any better off? 

Why don’t we stop looking at all the things that aren’t “kosher” and keep our eyes focused on the things which are.  Personally, I had to change my attitude.  Instead of being upset about all the things I couldn’t have, I changed my attitude to say, “Look at all the things I can have, but most importantly what a wonderful connection I will have with God by keeping my eyes focused on Him!”

So, what do you focus on, the prize or the distraction?  The choice is yours.