Memory Stone: Campfire

Sometimes its good for the soul to visit a memory stone. I was thinking about this blog the other day and although I  haven't posted anything in years, I thought I'd revive it.  I'll be reading my blog and if I see something that I think is meaningful I'll tweak it a bit and post it again.  

Condensed & Tweaked from November 12, 2009

It's true that GOD ignited a doused fire pit. He did so with Elijah in 1 Kings 18:`16-46.  HE can do it again, today with us!  We first need to prepare our hearts for His fire. A lightening bolt might start a fire but the best fires provide a steady source of heat. I believe that the supernatural parallels of the natural world. Building a campfire in the natural world carries with it a deeper meaning. 

Location:  If we consider that a campfire pit is a place to gather family and friends, tell stories and enjoy one an other's company, eat and warm yourself, then the location of a fire needs to be in a safe place. It should be free of trees, brush, and tall grass. Are we separated enough from the world? Have we found that safe place? Are we really ready for the fire?

Gathering materials and setting stones: We would outline our chosen site with brick or stones to protect the fire. Protect a fire?  Yes, lest it burn uncontrollably and burn out too fast or be in a spot where it wouldn't burn at all.  Spiritually, have we gathered our blessings and promises from GOD?  Have we searched the Word of God? Have we found the foundational stones and prepared a space neither too large or too small? 


Dig a trench:  In the natural world if building a substantial campfire, we would dig a trench in the middle of the site to keep it from flickering through the rocks and becoming unmanageable. Do we go off flickering self-righteousness toward others and set other fires? It's sad but true that many times we can be quicker to condemn than to love.  We need to dig a trench in our hearts in order to contain sarcasm, poor attitudes, and unrealistic expectations concerning others.

Make it level:  After digging the trench, we would scrape the bottom and pour pea gravel into the pit to level it and smooth it out to help with drainage. Ouch! did you get that? Scrape the bottom of your heart? You have to get serious to do this spiritually. As we scrape away old offenses we free our hearts to love others and to be loved.  As long as old offenses are there (starting as early as childhood), we will not have a healthy fire. We must get rid of hardened scabs.  No one can do this for us,  we can only do this for ourselves. We prepare for proper drainage when the rains will come but instead of accumulating in a huge puddle the storm waters will slip right through the gravels. These rocks represent scripture promises that won't be washed away but will filter and allow the pain and sorrow to escape our campfire site.


Add sand:   This is interesting. We don't often think about anything becoming a problem underneath us, but the sand is to act as fire prevention so that fire can't spread to the roots under the pit. This is another case where we are so closely knitted to others that some of them may be damaged from the fire because they are so close to us. This is usually our immediate family and generally are the tender roots of children. We become impatient and cross to the point of harm. It's not the HOLY SPIRIT fire but a false fire that burns within us! We need to protect others from our false fire so that none will be destroyed by our lack of preparation. The sand represents the flow of protection that comes when we study scripture and truly begin to want the best for others. We don't want any harm to come to our loved ones. The grains of sand are many. These are scriptures where spiritual concepts are mastered.


Build the fire:   Last, we gather the kindling and wood and build the fire. We build the fire in the natural, but our prayers are the kindling and the wood so that the HOLY SPIRIT may light the fire in the supernatural. Let the fire burn within each of us. May it give off enough light that others desire it for themselves so that they may realize it is of GOD. May it give off enough heat that cold hearts would melt and be filled with the true love of our Savior. May we continue to pray and invite others to be warmed by the fire and immersed in the light. 


As a final note, the lining of the large stones, the mid sized stones and the grains of sand are all natural elements in the building of a campfire pit.  In the spiritual, all these natural elements represent scripture.  The different sizes of stone represent our level of study and commitment to understand. We may have remembered scripture and those would be the largest stones of faith that surround our fire. Faith is what holds it all in place.  
Prepare for the fire of the HOLY SPIRIT to ignite within you that you might be a light in the darkness...

Heavenly Father,  Teach us to prepare our lives in such a way that we are always ready, willing and able to carry the fire of your presence with us where ever we go.  Help us to remember to pray.  Give us faith and favor when we are weak and struggling that we may not hinder others from your love and power.  In Jesus name. Amen

His Word to Me...

My early morning devotions began with face to the ground prayer. 

Next, when I sat down to read scripture, it was time to read Matthew 5, which has become one of my favorites.  Back when I was in my 20s, my favorite scriptures were from Proverbs. Who can say why? I only know that I enjoyed those best. Now that I'm (LOL) a little over half a century old, my favorites have changed.

In these words, He says "Blessed are you when..."

You may think it odd, but I wanted to see what "blessed" really meant and not just what I thought it meant.  I've heard it preached before as "happy" and for years have thought this whenever reading it.  Well, being happy may be part of it but I find that "happy" is a frivolous state of being and that it doesn't usually last very long.  Would God really be telling me to keep on being so frivolous?  Well, I don't think so and that's why I looked up the word blessed.  I found several different ways to describe and define what it is but through all this, I've come to know that to be blessed means, 'you are worthy, you are holy, you are consecrated in my eyes'.

Imagine that?!  It's not about being "happy" at all".  My Lord is saying,

• "You are Holy when you are poor and weak in spirit, when you recognize your state of being.
• You are Holy when you mourn and cry out in grief.
• You are Holy when you are meek and not conceited or stuck up thinking you are better than others.
• You are Holy when you hunger and thirst for righteousness because He is righteous.
• You are Holy when you are merciful (compassionate).
• You are Holy when you are pure in heart, without defilement of thought.
• You are Holy when you are a peacemaker.
• You are Holy when you are persecuted for righteousness.
• You are Holy when others revile you and tell lies about you because of Him.

In all this, My Lord tells me that he expects me to act and react in holy ways at all times. When I do these things, He blesses me, He calls me Holy! I am to do these things without working for them, without thinking of reward. But at the same time He makes promises....

He promises that:

•  the kingdom of heaven is mine
•  I will be comforted
•  I will inherit the earth
•  I shall be satisfied
•  I shall have mercy
•  I shall see God
•  I shall be called as a son (daughter) of God
•  the kingdom of heaven is mine!!!!

He goes on to tell me that I am to rejoice and be glad when others are cruel to me because of Him.

He reminds me that....

•  I am the salt and I am the light
•  He came to fulfill the law.

In all things he tells me what to do.  He tells me what to do with my anger~ duh ~ make peace. He tells me not to lust and not to divorce. He tells me not to swear. He tells me that I am not to be revengeful and to love even my enemies. Now, alone I am unable to do even the one of these things faithfully.

But he's not asking.  He commands me that I must be perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect.  That is what He expects. My duty then is to strive for His perfection and in so doing He will give me what I need to accomplish it! What powerful scripture to start my day! WOW!

Shemot | שמות | "Names " Jan. 14 2012

My study is taken from the Torah Portions from First Fruits of Zion, http://torahportions.org/.   This week's scriptures are:  Luke 5:12-39, Exocuds 1:1-61 and Isaiah 27:6-28:13 & 29:22-23.

Connections:
I like to find connections in my scripture readings and this week is no exception.

The Torah Portion title is "Shemot" (שמות),which means “names.”  Generally, titles for each Torah Portion can be found within the first verses of the portion. That being said, we find that the Exodus reading begins by giving the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt. 

My study habits have transformed from being satisfied with just surface knowledge into seeking to know more about the author and finisher of my faith, My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I have grown accustomed to asking deeper questions at the onset of my study.  One question has become, "What is the greater importance of the title and how is this connected to the scripture readings for the week?"

I have been taught that there is no Hebrew word for coincidence.  This just means to me that God's plan doesn't allow for coincidence. Since there are no coincidences then there must be a reason for the order and format of my study. Now, everyone will not agree with me on this matter, but that's okay.  I'll move on anyway...

• I began by looking at the scriptures from Luke and questioned how "Names" was connected. The scripture is interesting in that the the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this...?"  They seek a name, an answer to know who is it that does all these healing miracles?  Without realizing, they are seeking The Name above all names.  The answer is not clearly given to them, but with a deeper than surface understanding, we can see that The Name is Jesus, the Son of God. Hallelujah! 

· Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy …But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. Word of mouth drew the people to Him for what He could do for them, that He could heal them…


· Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man…Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal… And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” Yes, with the crowds, even the scribes and Pharisees came. But they came not only to see but to condemn. This reminds me that there will always be those around who do not understand and do not want to understand when God is moving. Those who think they know everything will not be willing to see God because they will have blinded eyes and deafened ears!
· Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew) …a tax collector named Levi…Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Still the scribes and Pharisees stand in judgement…

· A Discussion about Fasting “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” I wonder who is asking this question.  Could it be one of the scribes and Pharisees or just someone who has taken notice?  Is the qustion asked in judgement or from the perspective of a sincere desire to know?  We do not know the answer to this.  But God knows and there is a reason that it is recorded for us.   Is the bridegroom with us? Isn't He supposed to be spiritually speaking?  Or does it mean, physically? Has the bridegroom been taken away from us?  Questions to ponder...                                                                 

• Next, I read the Torah Portion and the title emerges: Now these are the names (shemot) of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob (Exodus 1:1).  Each son came with his own household:  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,  Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,  Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.  All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.  Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.  But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.  As we continue to read, we find the people, enslaved, being mistreated and mistrusted by Pharoah and the Egyptians. They cry out to God. Various events take place and God raises up Moses to act on His behalf.  But Moses is hesitant and questions God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”  This is the Name above all names!  At the end of this portion, the promise is given: But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”  Although in this portion, the people are not delivered out of Egypt yet, but God has not abandoned them.  The upcoming readings reveal the story.  Much of the surface of the story, we all know.  But what of deeper meanings?  How can the life of the people of Israel be likened to the people of the United States or even of any country?  How are we like Moses or Aaron, or not like them?  How are we like Pharaoh or the Egyptians, or not like them?  What lessons are here that reveal our relationship to God Almighty?  Each of us must answer these questions on our own...

Many things stand out in these scriptures, but the points highlighted in color were the most important to me during this study this time and represent the basis for my understanding.

· Exodus 1:1

Introduction ~ the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt…

· Exodus 1:8
The Israelites Are Oppressed …the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad…they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves… birth sons were to be killed…

· Exodus 2:1
Birth and Youth of Moses …saved for a greater purpose, raised in the Pharoah’s home, raised as royalty with all the advantages

· Exodus 2:11
Moses Flees to Midian …after killing an Egyptian, hides away and makes a new life… the new life is one of hard work and few advantages

· Exodus 3:1
Moses at the Burning Bush …God reveals Himself to Moses

· Exodus 3:13
The Divine Name Revealed …“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” “I Am has sent me to you.”

· Exodus 4:1
Moses' Miraculous Power …the staff of Moses becomes a serpent…that they may believe… the leprous hand was cleansed… the water of the Nile turned to blood… God send Aaron along with Moses to be his mouth…

· Exodus 4:18
Moses Returns to Egypt …the people believed and wanted to worship & sacrifice to the Lord

· Exodus 5:1
Bricks without Straw …but Pharaoh punishes the people

· Exodus 6:1
Israel's Deliverance Assured …God promises the people will be delivered

• Last, the reading of Prophets: Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23. Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:“Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale. For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.   Again, there it is the Name above all names!

 · Isaiah 27: …The time is coming when Jacob’s descendants will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole earth with fruit!

· Isaiah 28 …A Message about Samaria…proud people brought down… the Lord will send a mighty army against it…

· Isaiah 29 …A Message about Jerusalem…Suddenly, in an instant, I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will act for you with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire. All the nations fighting against Jerusalem* will vanish like a dream!


  



 

My Study of Sarah

I’m working on a Jewish roots study exploring the lives of Biblical women with a goal to uncover valuable truths and apply what I’m able to understand to my life. As you read with me, let’s ponder over the lessons, seek His guidance, and ask more questions. Let’s pray for His divine understanding and wisdom and finally let’s help one another during the process of  our learning and the overflowing revelation to others that we may all be better people (and in this case women).



I must first lay some ground work, in case you are unaware before getting into the study.  In Judaism, it is believed that Torah includes all rabbinic teachings. This means that the words of the rabbis are held along the scriptures themselves as inspired teachings. The scriptures of the Torah were handed down in both written and oral form. The written form is what most of us understand as the Old Testament. The oral form was written down much later to become what is known as the Midrash and Talmud. (Learning from these oral traditions is not unlike us when we read Bible commentaries. We, as Christians, can find commentaries in book form separate from our scriptures, but often these commentaries comes right in the Bible we choose to study from.)

Much of what is understood about Sarah from the Jewish perspective comes out of the oral traditions. (I'm not going to debate using oral tradition with anyone, but open it up and look at it.  In past times, the baby has been thrown out with the bath water and I just decided I was going to pick up that little baby, instead of leaving it there.) So...

The points I’m about to make are mainly based on an article from http://www.aish.com/ HA’AISH ~Advanced-level Illuminations on the Weekly Parsha~ Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1-25:18) By Rabbi Ari Kahn. I’ve also used Internet resources such as dictionaries, Jewish encyclopedia, and previous teachings too numerous to expand upon.



Point 1:

Sarah lived to be 127 years old. If you look at a Bible translation for Genesis 23:1 that says simply that Sarah was 127 years old then this translation misses the Jewish perspective which says “The lifetime of Sarah consisted of one hundred years, twenty years and seven years.” Now, this doesn’t seem to be so great a difference but it is taught in Judaism that her life can be broken down into three stages. It is further believed that she maintained the quality traits of each stage. Most people pass from one stage of their lives to the next, leaving the previous stage behind, perhaps taking with them some fond memories. But Sarah maintained her innocence as a 7-year-old. She had the strength of a 20-year-old and the wisdom of a 100-year-old.

When we look at scriptures; we see that Sarah is often regarded as a beautiful woman even when she is old and past child bearing years. My pondering mind wonders if this isn’t an outward appearance of a 20 year old. Could it be that because she always had the purity of an innocent 7 year old that she was unable to see the problems that would take place when she came up with the plan for Hagar to have a child for her? Personally I think that her wisdom was attained over the years from her own life experiences and that of her vast household. May God grant that my thoughts be innocent, that I have strength and youthful stamina and that my actions always reflect a wise heart.

Point 2:.

Sarah & Abraham were known as a team, together. His biblical life doesn’t really start without her and we see that Abraham seems to disappear after Sarah's death. The mantle of leadership passes on quickly to Isaac and Rebecca.

As soon as Sarah’s burial and mourning period ended, Abraham sent out for a replacement for Sarah in the family camp. It was important to establish a continuation of what God had birthed within them. A wife for Isaac was of the greatest urgency because someone had to fill the matriarchal role in the Hebrew nation.

Point 3:

Abraham & Sarah converted many to the belief in One God (monotheism). This is not something that we usually are taught or understand. We don’t think of Abraham as being on mission to convert. In Abraham’s day, the world was worshipping, but they were worshipping all kinds of gods (polytheism). Abraham and Sarah were on mission to convert the world to the One True God! They started with those of their own household, but in order to affect the world they had to move away from family. This may be the first time you’ve “heard” this nugget. (Read it again. I did at first.) They were “going forth” to affect the world for God. Abraham was a sojourner in the land and as he moved from one place to another, he would be seen to build an altar to God. This act of worship was seen throughout the pagan land. They were all watching! They saw him being blessed by God and in this Abraham was blazing a path for the world to God.

We must remember that the mission of “going forth” never stopped. It just transferred to us from the mouth of Jesus. It wasn’t a new mission. Jesus wasn’t something new, He was the fulfillment of scriptures. Our Lord Jesus was from the beginning with God. That isn’t new. Jesus was, and is and is to come! This is a hard concept that is only seen in faith. Abraham moved in response to God the Father. We move in response to God the Son and through the nudging of God, The Holy Spirit. We cannot proclaim God to the world until we realize and believe that Jesus is! The first proclamation is that God is one. We don’t have many gods to serve. We have just One God seen in three persons! Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. We can go forth as Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28: 19-20 Hallelujah!

So the first mission "to go" was given to Abraham, and of course included Sarah. The Midrash states: "Abraham converted the men and Sarah converted the women." Thus Abraham and Sarah were equals & teachers. To this day, devout Jews believe that their job is still to point the world to God. Tikkun olam (Hebrew: תיקון עולם‎) is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world." They were meant to be the light to the world in order to repair. Tikkun olam is a huge teaching in Orthodox Judaism.

Point 4.

The Jewish story behind Hagar. The Midrash gives biographical information about Hagar: "Hagar was Pharaoh's daughter. When Pharaoh saw what was done on Sarah's behalf in his own house, he took his daughter and gave her to Sarah, saying, 'Better let my daughter be a handmaid in this house than a mistress in another house'" [Midrash Rabbah, Genesis 45:1)

So Hagar was royalty & an aristocrat. Sarah saw Hagar as an appropriate partner for Abraham. She believed if Abraham was to have a child, that child must be the greatest child possible and Hagar, a Pharoah’s daughter would have been the finest choice. (Well, it’s hindsight but don’t we see how naive her thinking is? Isn’t this like the innocence of a 7-year-old? She can see the end result, which was a longed for child, but she didn’t think of the ramifications of her plan. Sometimes we are all very naive and we don’t wait on God. She knew she was past child-bearing and she knew God had promised children. She must have been thinking, “What could possibly be wrong with giving Hagar to Abraham, after all Hagar is mine to give?)

Genesis 16 relates that Sarah, in an act of complete self-sacrifice, invites the beautiful Egyptian princess to become a partner with her husband. Has anyone ever thought that it was self-sacrifice on Sarah’s part? Really stop and think about this for a moment. Could she have thought, “I’m willing to give up my husband so that he might be a father because it is clear that I will not be having a child.”? If we look at it in this light, it is self-sacrifice. God saw her heart and I haven’t found where He ever condemned her for her plan. Now, Sarah’s actions had a huge negative result but did God condemn her for it? It appears that God saw the attitude of her heart. God didn’t stop her from her plan. Did Abraham consult God on the plan? Should Abraham have stopped the plan?  What does this tell us????

Let’s look at Hagar. She was given to Sarah and would have been discipled by her. Once Hagar becomes pregnant and bears a child, she concludes that God has now chosen her over Sarah and thinks that Sarah is an unworthy partner for Abraham because Sarah has no child. Where would she have gotten this idea? I believe she would have gotten it from Sarah, herself.  Sarah may never have uttered a word in regard to her actions but we all know that actions speak louder than words.  Hagar may have thought, "Your God won't give you a child so you, Sarah, aren't good enough. But I must be good enough. Look at what God did for me!"  How many of us have thought things like this in regard to our prayers?  "If I were just good enough, God would do... (fill the blank)."  No, God doesn't operate that way.  Read the word closely and discover Him for yourself.  Don't just take my word for it!

So Hagar eventually becomes confused as to her role in the relationship between Sarah and Abraham. She begins to think of herself as a wife because she carries and gives birth to Abraham child. Isn’t she a second wife? In her confusion, Hagar tells the other women: "My mistress Sarah is not inwardly what she is outwardly; she appears to be a righteous woman, but she is not. For had she been a righteous woman, (she would have conceived) see how many years have passed without her conceiving, whereas I conceived in one night." [Midrash Rabbah 45:4]

We should remember that according to her birth as Pharoah’s daughter, Hagar must have believed she was born to lead. Taken from a luxurious life to be wandering around in a tent, Hagar must have felt that she was given the opportunity to rule in Abraham's house and be more than a simple handmaiden. She believed that she had received a divine sign that she, who was born to be queen, would indeed be the queen. We are not told if she believed in the One God of Abraham, she would have been raised to believe that her very father was a god. She is confused from the beginning, thinking that her father (a god) would have given her over to another man who worshipped another god.

Along with Hagar’s confusion, she was also mistaken when she assumed that Abraham alone led the people. She failed to recognize that it was a partnership, the combination of Abraham and Sarah, which was the basis for the great movement that she herself had become a part of. In giving Hagar to Abraham, Sarah responded, not out of selfishness, nor out of jealousy, but by understanding that she was an equal partner with Abraham. When Hagar gets carried away with her personal beliefs and starts mocking and making fun, Sarah informs Abraham that it is time to send Hagar away. Scriptures say that Abraham finds it quite difficult. But, we see that God confirmed that Hagar was to be sent away. God said to Abraham: 'Whatever Sarah your wife says you shall listen.'[Genesis 21:12]

Point 5.

The next area of understanding of Sarah comes from a supernatural phenomena. [Midrash Rabbah-Genesis 60:16] as explained by Rashi: "As long as ... Sarah was alive, there was a candle lit from Friday night to Friday night. Her dough was blessed, and a cloud was tied to her tent. When Sarah died, all these things ceased. When Rebecca entered the tent, all these phenomena returned."

Years ago, I ran across an explanation about God's blessing of the candles and the bread. Sarah was the first to light the Sabbath candles and it is said that God honored her by allowing her candles to burn continuously from one Sabbath to next. The second blessing was that of the dough that would not go bad from one Sabbath to the next. The last blessing mentioned was a new one for me. I hadn't heard of it and here’s the message of the cloud.

There is only one use of the phrase "a cloud tied to her tent" in the Midrash. But a the Midrash tells that a cloud is tied to something else. Mount Moriah would be the location and it was concerning the impending sacrifice of Isaac. Abraham looked up and saw a mountain with a peculiar cloud tied to the mountain. Isaac shared this vision, but the others who accompanied them saw only the mountain.

[Abraham] saw a cloud tied to the mountain, and said: "It appears that is the place where the Holy One, blessed be He, told me to sacrifice my son." ... He then said to him: "Isaac, my son, seest thou what I see?" "Yes," he replied. Said he to his two servants: "See ye what I see? " No," they answered. [Midrash Rabbah , Genesis 56:1-2)

The servants saw only the mountain, the physical reality, and not the cloud which represents the metaphysical, Abraham tells them to stay behind with the donkey. It’s interesting that the Hebrew world for "donkey," chamor, is related to the word for "physical," chomer.) Only Abraham and Isaac see the cloud tied to the mountain, and only they will continue the spiritual journey. They were able to see beyond the physical.

Abraham is described as one of three who "rides" on a donkey. The other two are Moses and the Messiah. The description of the coming of the Messiah riding a donkey is in the writings of Zechariah. So the physical realm is revealed with the Messiah in this passage. But we need to look not only at the physical but at the spiritual realm, from Daniel, “And behold, one like the son of man comes with the clouds of heaven”.

In Jewish thought, there is no tension between the physical world and the spiritual world. The physical is to be elevated and used in spiritual contexts. The physical is a means toward an end. The problem has been that many have seen the physical as an end unto itself. They must see all in the physical in order to believe, but without faith you cannot believe. Abraham and Isaac saw the cloud and ascended Mount Moriah alone for they were in touch with something beyond the physical.



Point 6

Nothing stopped with Sarah. We know her as the beginning matriarch of the Hebrew nation. Sarah understood more than the physical realm and had faith.  She worked side by side with her husband Abraham all her days. It's interesting to note that the death of Sarah is given in many verses.  She was a most respected woman and given great honor.  Abraham would not use a burial place without paying for it even though he was offered one without payment.

The place of burial is known as Hebron and its name is interesting. The name Hebron comes from (habar) meaning be joined, coupled, allied. Derivatives are: (heber), meaning company, association; (haber), meaning associate, companion; (hoberet), a joint (a connection, such as used in the tabernacle Exodus 26:10); (habbar), associate, partner; (mehabbera), binder, clamp.   So Hebron was the place where the first matriarch was laid to rest and later Abraham was laid to rest there beside her, as well as Issac and Rebecca when their burial times came.


 
After Sarah, Rebecca stepped into her position of authority because of faith. A cloud was tied to her tent. Although neither Sarah or Rebecca are said to have been on the mountain top, they had faith that God was with them even in their tents. In spite of living in a physical world they knew they were connected to the spiritual world of God and lived their lives knowing this. From Abraham and Sarah to Isaac and Rebecca the torch was passed. As women, we are to continue learning and living with the knowledge that we are connected to the spiritual world of God and not only connected but we are to walk in the center of the spiritual with God leading!


Please, I am no means finished with my study of Sarah. This has been the first leg of my journey.  Many things were viewed here that I'd not thought of or known before. Since this post represents more of a Jewish perspective, my next step is to look at her from what has been taught in a Christian perspective.  After this, I'll compare and contrast the perspectives in order to better comprehend the overall representation of Sarah and what she is supposed to mean to all of us, both Jew and Christian.  If  you strongly oppose this article or any portion of it, oh well.  Remember it is my study and I am not finished. God knows my heart and my questions are not doubting him but my hearts' desire is to know him better each day.  I hope you were sparked to research on your own... but don't forget while researching, you need to pray for understanding and wisdom.  God bless you.

My Study of Hannah

I recently began teaching a Women's Bible Class.  We started a few weeks ago with Proverbs 31 and now are in the study of Hannah.  I believe that I'm typical of most Christians and most of us generally skim and don't actually study scripture.  It's easy to read something and say that we've finished with it.  My second graders at school react just this way, too. They will read a selection but have no idea of all the things that the author meant for him/her to see.  Comprehension is very different than just reading. I pray that we all slow down a bit and actually ligner and meditate to comprehend God's intent for us.  In order to know Him, we must aquire a heart knowledge and not just a head knowledge.  In my case, my goal is to adapt more faith for my day to day journey by gaining a heart knowledge of God through the lives of the faithful.  We are all given a measure of faith, but what do we do with it?  I seek to expand it by using it.  That sounds strange but with God, love and faith grow when we use them and share them. 

Now, another thing is that many times we focus so much on the very strong and obvious faith of a Biblical character that we forget that they are human.  We must remember not to put them up on a pedestal because of their faith.  We need to observe them as we are, human.  Then we need to look at their faith in God as they approach life as a human being.  In doing this, the first thing that I discovered about Hannah that I hadn't noticed before is that she must have been very sick and tired of her life before she fell at the alter where Eli, the Priest, heard her prayer.

Although, I usually use either the King James, New King James or The Living Translation, this time I find that The Message Bible is my selection.  My brief summary from 1 Samuel 1:

• At first we read who Elkanah is and then we discover that he is not only Hannah's husband, but also husband to Peninnah.  Peninnah has children and Hannah does not, which she is quite upset about.  To add to Hannah's pain is the fact that Peninnah taunted her and rubbed it in that God had not given her children.  So every year, Hannah had to endure the shame of going to the sanctuary without children. According to 1 Samuel 1:9-11, we read of what took place there.  She prayed and was blessed by Eli. Time passed and eventually she had a son, Samuel.  While still a very young child, and after weaning him, she dedicated him back to God as she had promised.  Samuel was left with Eli for trianing.

Sometimes when we read this, we think of it only as a miracle story and don't really meditate upon it for long.  I pulled it apart in my study and found some parallels to my own life, perahps there are some things that ring a bell with you, too. 

Sick and Tired
Have you ever been sick and tired over something?  This is exactly what I think happened to Hannah. Take a look at all the things that I think she must have been sick and tired of.

• Hannah was possibly tired of being the second wife.  I say, she is second because she is mentioned second and also becasue a wife with children would have been considered the more important wife in the Hebrew culture.  The firstborn son inherited from his father so this mother would have been considered more important than a childless wife. (This fact is true even though Elkanah loved Hannah and favored her at times according to scripture.)  Now, perhaps you have never been the second to another woman but have you been second to your husband's friends, family, job, or hobbies?  You can relate to Hannah in this way if you have ever felt second place to a loved one for any reason.
• Hannah was tired of being pitied.  After all each year she would have to endure the pain of not having a child with her so that she and her child could receive portions of meat from the sacrifice.  She was given a large (choice) amount not only because she was loved by her husband but because she was pitied and childless.  Have you ever felt pitied?
• She was tired of watching Elkanah lavish fatherly care for his children.  She must have been tired of watching Pennah grow in pregrancy and give birth.  Then watching her nurse and care for her babies.  Have you ever desired something so much that you were envious?
• She was tired of hearing compliments to Peninnah and Elkanah for thier children.  Have you ever felt if you had to hear something one more time that brought you pain, you would vomit?
• She was tired of empty arms and an aching heart.  She had to endure Elkanah's love that she interpreted as pity.  It didn't matter what he might say, it was how she felt that mattered.  She must have been tired of feeling guilty before God and her husband for not producing a child.
• She had to be tired of crying and feeling sick.  There had to be moments that she was tired of arguing her pain with Elkanah because he just didn't get it.
• She had to be so tired of being misunderstood and at times tired that God would not hear her and do something.  She must have been tired of the bitterness and anger in her heart.
• She was tired of being tired and exhausted in her sorrow and grief.

Well, I don't know about anyone else but I have been tired of being tired and exhausted so I can relate.

I used study questions from James Knox and found that these questions and verses led me to discover great promises for us, when we are tired and impatient.  In these verses, I'm going to just write down the promises that I've discovered.  I challenge you to go to each verse, read and meditate upon it and discover what might be there for you.  Through the years I've found that he gives us what we need when we need it.  Here are the promises that I found for me.  I've personalized them in print so that I can linger in His majesty as a little child adoring her royal father who loves her so much, he gives her all things that are good for her.

God says:

•  Psalm 31:19 I have stored up goodness for you. I will protect you.
• Psalm 111:10  I will give you wisdom. 
• Psalm 112  I will give you joy.
• Psalm 147  I'll always love you!
• Job 23:1-12  I will listen.  I will make you pure.
• Jeremiah 24:5-7  I won't uproot you.  I care for you.  I will give you a heart to know me.  You will be mine.  You are mine!
• Jeremiah 29:11-14  I have great plans for you.  I'll give you a future and hope.  I hear your prayers. I am here for you.
• Jeremiah 31:10-14  I will pull you to me. I will give you great love and much more. I will give you a party. We will have a feast.  I will exchange your sadness for rejoicing.  I will give you good gifts.
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 I will give you comfort.
• James 1:2-4   I will make you perfect, needing nothing.
• 2 Corinthians 4:16-18  I will give you glory that lasts forever.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10  I will give you grace.  I will give you power.
• 1 Peter 4:12-14  I will make you a partner with Christ.  I will give you wonderful joy of seeing His glory.  My Spirit rests on you!

 I've looked at Hannah with a different perspective and just as Hannah was tired of certain things in her life.  I have my own list...  But when I trust in God and believe in His promises.  When I seek Him to guide me and obey what He has commanded, then being tired isn't the object of my thoughts but being with Him is.  Once I realize that I can't do much (if anything) about what I'm tired of AND trust God for help, change my attitude then He'll teach me to to overcome.

Pray like Moses

It is amazing to me that in Exodus 33, the script begins with God telling Moses, “Get going and take the people you brought up from the land of Egypt.” They were to go and claim the land that God had promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But God told Moses that He wouldn’t go with them, because if he did he would destroy all the stubborn and rebellious people along the way. He was sending his angel before them to clear the way so that they may claim their inheritance.

But what a horrible thought that God would rather stay away than to watch his children enter into their sinful ways of disobedience toward Him! When the people heard these words that God would not be with them, they went into mourning... But was their mourning only to serve themselves and not because they truly wanted God's presence with them?

God told them to remove their jewelry and fine clothes that they had brought out of Egypt while He decided what to do with them. Moses would go to the Tent of Meeting that he had set up outside of camp. They would all watch as Moses entered the tent and the pillar of cloud would come down and hover over the entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses face to face.

Moses’ Intercession:

“If I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight”

The Lord answers him…

Moses continues to say, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in our sight, I and your people? Is it not in our going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?

The Lord answers him…

Moses speaks again… “Please show me your glory.”

The Lord answers him…

Moses speaks… “The Lord, The Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

Moses bows and worships and says… “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

After this God’s Covenant was renewed…

Let me follow this example of Moses and pray not only for myself but for God’s children everywhere and especially those that I know personally. We have on the jewelry and fine clothes of the world so that we look and act no different than the world. This is our Egypt. We have become desensitized to how much the world has rubbed off on us. We need to be sanctified and separated to His Holiness and become holy because He is holy!

We need to realize that God is not with us when we are disobedient. He is around to hear us when we repent and call but evidently just as the Bible reveals here, He will not walk with us when we are walking away from Him. We must turn back and walk with Him! He does not chase us down but waits for our return.

O God, I desire to find favor in your sight. Please show me your ways in order that I may find favor in your sight by following your ways.

And if your presence will not go with me, O Lord, I will not go but if your presence is with me I will go where ever you desire me to go. Not only myself Lord, but my brothers and sisters need your presence. Teach us to listen and obey your in all things and not take matters into our own hands but to fully trust in you. Let your presence cover us and may we find favor in Your sight at all times. May we be known not because of who we are but because of who You are, O Lord.

O Lord, please show me Your glory. Please reveal Your glory to all who call on You as Savior.

Just as Moses said, I say…

You are The Lord, My Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.

And If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please go in the midst with me where ever you lead. Forgive my wayward self and pardon my iniquity and sin, and the iniquity and sin of my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. As we give ourselves to your, take us for your inheritance.

May your covenant be renewed in me...

Amen and amen!

EVEN THROUGH THE SEA OF IMPOSSIBILITY, GOD WILL PROTECT AND SAVE US IF WE BELIEVE AND FOLLOW HIM

In case you may wonder as you read this, today is 5 Nissan on the Jewish calendar.  http://www.jewfaq.org/current.htm


We have entered the month of Nissan on the Jewish calendar. It is a time of transformation in the natural as buds and blossoms and the signs of spring are everywhere. It is a month of breaking away from the cold and gloom of winter and entering into the warmth of a new season. It marks a time of freedom and making new choices. It is a time to simply leave the past behind and move forward to a greater faith in God and dependence upon Him. We can remember and experience this time as Passover begins on our calendar, April 18th (which on the Jewish calendar is the evening of the 15th of Nissan.)



This is a time to remember the Exodus described in the Torah… a time when the children of Israel left Egypt. They did not escape, but just walked away when the time was right for them to do so. They were ultimately set free because of Passover. When you follow the story, the enemy tried one last time to recapture them, but God had other plans. When we are finally free, the enemy will try to recapture us as well, but we must continue to follow wherever God leads us even if its through the sea of impossibility. God will protect and save us IF WE BELIEVE AND FOLLOW HIS GUIDANCE.



Moses led the Hebrew people out of Egypt and through the wilderness to Mount Sinai where the God of Israel gave them the law. They entered into a covenant with Him so that in exchange for their faithfulness, God would give them the “Promised Land” of Canaan. It was a complicated journey that had to start with Passover. When we remember their story and its importance, we can see the preview that was to come of The Messiah, Our Lord Jesus.



Few of us in America, are slaves to another with physical shackles on us.  The only people near this description would be those who are locked away in jails and prisions.  The plight of these people is different in some ways than those of us who have never been in jail or prision, but are the things that bind us any different? Perhaps an addiction to an illegal drug caused someone we know to be arrested and put behind bars?  This person may have been caught and convicted, but what about those who depend upon drugs to get them through each day, whether it be illegal drugs or alcohol.  What about the person who is abusing prescription or over the coutner drugs?  Is the person behind bars any different than the one walking around in public except for the fact they are behind bars?  What about the person that took another's life and have been convicted and behind bars or facing execution?  Is this person any different than the one who has rage in his/her heart and gets angered enough that thoughts of death and murder run through their mind when they become enraged?  What about the anger that wells up and causes them to speak against another?  Isn't this the same sin of anger whether we are behind bars or not? Aren't we all guilty?  We may not shoot off a gun or weld a knife but how many of us have shot off our mouth or cut the hearts of others with our sharp tongues????

There is an answer for all this.  It is Jesus!  Jesus is the answer.  He was and is the Lamb that sets us free so that we may walk away from (not run away in escape) but walk away from the things and people that hold us in bondage. We must be willing to walk away! We must be willing to walk away! We must be willing to walk away for He will not force His Will upon us. We must choose for ourselves the way we will go. Jesus has given us a choice by His sacrifice. It is our choice to stay in bondage or our choice to go freely. It is our choice to serve self or our choice to serve Him.



The Egyptians held the Israelites in a long period of slavery but God liberated them from that slavery. He is willing and waiting to liberate all of us. Let us lay down our bondage (whatever it is) on the alter. Pick up our things quickly and follow Him where He guides us.



God will never tell us where Point B is until we exercise faith in going to Point A first. In my personal journey, it is often something that I need to pick up at Point A that helps me when I get to Point B. Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? This is what I can tell you: read the Word of God, worship and pray to Him and follow Him in the things that you already know you are to do (this is Point A). Then when you do these things, He will then send you to Point B and you will know it is the Lord who sends you.



God bless you and may your mind be free of clutter, your heart, ears and eyes be open to spiritual truths and your hands and feet swift and ready to go where He calls you to go. Amen


Exodus 12:1-14  (The First Passover)   1 While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. 4 If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.

6 “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. 8 That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.  11 “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed,* wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! 13 But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 “This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time.
 
 
John the Baptist said: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29).
 Jesus is the true Passover lamb. All other Passover feasts were only rehearsals of what was to come.  Amen.

Living the Christian Life in the End Times

Why are Jews and Christians always on the chopping block? Why do the nations despise and hate the Jews? Why does the media find great pleasure in “slandering” pastors, evangelists, and other men and women of God?

There may be some Jews who have been false and not righteous. Their lives may have been slammed across headlines of recent days. It seems the world has need to blame someone for all their misery, and as a group, it has always been “the Jews” to blame. After all they have always been a little different and we can’t have that. (What ridiculous reasoning! Yet, it is taught to children around he world to hate “Jews”.)


Then Christians, who are truly Christians, come along and are the second most hated people. Don’t believe me? Just listen to how the secular world jokes about Christ and in so doing are joking about us. You don’t poke fun at that which you honor and love, but only that which you trample beneath your feet. Think about it…


Look at laws that have been created in the past and that are even now being created. The issue of separation of church and state is always at hand. It’s interesting how when tax money is the question, it can be debated that churches should not be tax exempt. Oh, so in essence lawmakers are saying that church and state are not separated!  Hmmm. But, on the other hand we are to maintain a secular atmosphere in our public and government buildings and grounds, so in essence lawmakers are saying the church and state are separate. You can’t have it both ways. Political man speaks with forked tongue! Think about it…


Well, back to my original thought, there are some who are “falsely” proclaiming to be Christians. There are some who were once on fire for God, but have fallen away and their lives have been scrutinized. There are some who stand up and say things in the name of Jesus, but they don’t know Him. We are all judged by the world according to the ones who have failed or fallen. But there is an ultimate judge who will be honored above every other judge or king.  He is the only one that is worthy of honor!  But we live in this imperfect world now, what can we do about this injustice now?


First, realize that the true Christian leaders are being hindered by what seems at first glance to be ordinary men and women. But principalities and powers are driving these men and women. God is the light and darkness is trying to hinder the Kingdom of God. These principalities and powers may cause havoc and we may experience great turmoil around us in the dark. But God says we are to be light! When we obey Him then we are the light.  When we obey Him, then we will know the peace and strength that comes from none other than our Jehovah Jireh, our Great Provider.


Second, we must study to understand fully that we were not promised that life will be easy; knowing that the more we walk forward sharing the good news of our faith, this light of God with others, that the more  darkness will try to hinder our ministry. (Yes, we must understand that it is a ministry to spread the light of God.) Our strength comes from the Lord. We must continue to commune with him daily through every circumstance whether these times are good or bad that we go through. We must read His word to find the “rehmah” word that is meant for us. He will provide understanding when we search. He will bring clarity to a muddy situation.


Third, then we are to always continue with the admonition that we are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. It is not our job to point fingers and ridicule others. It is our job to seek out from our Father what words he would have us use. If we are to continue obeying Him and saying nothing, then let’s be obedient. If we are to speak, then let’s be obedient. Each circumstance is different and He is to guide. He can’t lead us until we are willing to follow!


Fourth, God tells us we aren’t to be concerned with the circumstances that are ripping the atmosphere around us. He tells us that we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. His chosen people are not perfect but He is perfect. We are to obey. If we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, it is because God  revealed Himself to us and we had a choice of whether to repent or not.


I cannot explain faith to anyone, but when the Lord God reveals Himself to you, anyone or me then there was, is and no longer will be any excuse to disbelieve.
I can only give testimony of what he has done for me in my life. I cannot through my words alone make anyone else believe in the Lord Jesus. I cannot make my family and those I call friends believe. But, I know that when my Father is ready to reveal Himself and draw them to Him, not even my bloodline will have an excuse not to honor His calling. There won’t even be an excuse that all of us have been hypocrites. When dealing with us as individuals, God will not look at others. He will be looking straight at us as individuals.


God is not a hypocrite. He is Holy. I know Him and exalt Him above every person or thing that I have ever encountered in my life, even my own family, whom I love beyond imagination. Yet, I can love my family and friends more because He has taught me to love.  I can love Him above all others because that is the way in which he desires it to be and I understand the ultimate outcome of that order of loving.  He has loved me unconditionally. I haven’t arrived at that state in my walk with Him yet. I am on my way. The first step was forgiveness, but that’s another devotional entirely…


Lastly, we are to grow in faith, wisdom and understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Preachers are leaders but in actuality all Christians are called of God and are to be leaders in this dark world. So get ready leaders because the blessings of God begin in the house of God.

· Stop saying you’re too old… God says your best is yet to come.

· Stop saying you’re the wrong color or background… God says whatever your color or background, you are made in the image of God! You are made perfect and God is no respecter of persons!

· Stop saying if I were a different gender… God says that you’re a woman in His world… God says… Men be men in My world.

· Stop saying anything that sounds like put downs against others. Quit saying things against “those ____ people”

Remember that somewhere in the past parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and beyond have prayed for you. Christ, Himself prayed for you. He has given us power and authority to have restored health and wealth in this life. It is to be used for the glory of God, not just for ourselves but for God.


Why haven’t we been told this or understood this before? Why haven’t we utilized this information before? Why haven’t we been healed and made wealthy before? It’s all about God’s timing. When we begin to understand God’s timing, he reveals more and more to us and we will be blessed more and more...


Study to learn. Grow in wisdom. We are beginning to understand Purim. If you don’t know what it is; ask God to reveal through your study what it is.


Study to learn. Grow in wisdom. We are beginning to understand Malachi 3… Three times in a year we are to come to God and bring Him our due and offerings. He says come unto me and I’ll come unto you. Jesus told us give and it shall be given to you.

Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8


When we understand and do the things that honor God, He will honor us with blessings that we cannot begin to contain. The blessings will overflow us. When we study and learn these things, He will bless us in our coming and in our going. We are in the end times right now! Just look around.


Our Jewish roots are important. Read the scriptures… we have been grafted in and God dwells in the secret place! We must go there and dwell with Him. Jesus says, But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6


The secret place is when you are hidden in your closet, hidden in your tent, hidden under your tallit… I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. Isa. 45: 3…



If others aren’t going into the secret place, we are to do it for them. Go as an intercessor so that God might be revealed to them. As we receive His abundance let us share it.








Interesting Information and Food for Thought:
February 27th, this year was the beginning of the Hebrew month Adar. This year is a Jewish leap year. Here’s the explanation. It’s truly exciting knowledge! Enjoy the revelation. This was supposed to be here especially for someone reading this today!



The Torah says that Passover has to be celebrated in the spring. So, the second month of Adar was added for this reason to the Hebrew calendar. It is considered a leap year, but its not just a day that is added but an entire month. This means that seven times every 19 years, we have two months of Adar. (The Hebrew calendar is based on the lunar cycle. It has 354 days. So by having leap months occasionally, Passover occurs in a completely different season.)

"Mishenichnas Adar, marbim b'simchah - "When Adar begins, we increase in joy." (Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 29a) Simchah, or joy, is a necessary ingredient in Jewish life. This is especially true during the month of Adar when we celebrate the miracle of Purim. Tradition teaches that simchah (happiness) comes from k’dushah (holiness), whereas sadness and dejection come from the "other side."





My devotions were motivated by the teaching of Larry Huch. http://www.larryhuchministries.com/media/stream/#WatchVideo

The World was Created for Me!

(I've addressed this devotion to the Christian believer to have a deeper understanding of our purpose on earth.) 


"The World was Created for Me"   is a concept in Judaism. In it’s revelation we discover that we are each unique and significant to God. We are valuable because we simply exist. We don’t need to prove ourselves worthy because we are already worthy! God created us worthy to begin with!



But that's just on the Surface...
Many times our problem is that we don’t think we are worthy. Perhaps we had an upbringing where we were always judged or a relationship where we got the idea that we weren't "good".   We learned to think of ourselves as "bad".  When we think that way and don't acknowledge the worth that God placed on us, we are miserable. We spend our days constantly trying to prove that we are good enough to everyone else. But God created us worthy and in His plan He created the world for us! What a wonderful thing to know! We need to breathe that in. We need to embrace that thought and bring out our light and share it with others.  Indeed we are worthy, God made us that way!

Now someone might be thinking that this is wrong and against the biblical teaching that says all our righteousness is as filthy rags.  This doesn't take away the fact that God first created us worthy enough to have fellowship with Him.

You know the story... sin entered into Eden and man was cast out.  We needed to be redeemed.  We couldn't perform anything to bring us to righteousness. There isn't any deed that can be done to put us at that status.  Only by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus can we be redeemed and saved from our sinful ways.  Once we receive Him then we hopefully begin to grow...  spiritually grow...

So, what does it mean~"the world was created for me"

What more does it really mean? Is the world ours to consume without responsibility? The late Rav Noach Weinberg taught that the world having been created for me means it is “my responsibility”. How can that be?



What can I do for the world when I am such a tiny part of it? How can the vastness of the world’s problems such as the genocide in Darfur, poverty around the world, violence and death, hatred, and crumbling families be my responsibility?



The very fact that any of us think in these terms of how small we are shows that we recognize our responsibility. Usually the very thing that we do first is to excuse ourselves because we are so small in comparison to the problems of the world. What we forget to consider is that God is with us when we strive to make a difference. He is not only with us but for the believer He is in us. He is ready to empower us to care for His world when ever we finally realize our role!



But how?

Identifying the pain of others near us is the first step in taking responsibility for the world. Consider Moses, when the Torah says in Exodus 2:12 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens… Moses left  Pharoah’s palace not only to see the pain of his brethren but to identify with their pain. After all, even though he had been raised in the palace, he still had his Hebrew heritage and the influence of his mother.  He knew he was Hebrew and he wanted to identify. This was the foundation that his leadership was built upon. When we start to identify with the pain of another, that is when we begin to understand our responsibility.



It isn’t enough to just identify with the pain. If someone is hungry we are to feed them. If they are thirsty we are to give them a drink.



Wait, we just jumped from talking about the world to talking about our neighbor! You may think that the problems and issues of the world are too big. We see the problems and our reaction is that it requires too much of us to make a difference. There are just too many needs. So we sometimes rationalize and instead of trying to help anyone, many people (even Christians) just give up and end up helping no one. Our thinking is wrong here! It isn’t about us… we must consider that we can’t lift a finger without God giving us the power to do it. Even if we just help our neighbor, it is God who is the giver. If we try to take on this responsibility alone, we are wrong on many levels. We need to ask our Heavenly Father to help not only those in our immediate reach but to give us the understanding, power and resources to affect the world. He can show us that by reaching out to those near us, we are truly effecting a change in their world and in the greater scheme of things the world.  But we have to be willing to move forward...  How do we begin?



Pray for Understanding

Back ground knowledge is important to understanding new concepts. If we don’t have any background for a new topic then learning will be limited. We need to have our spiritual senses open in order to understand. There are places in the Bible that says “having eyes but not seeing and having ears but not hearing”. These are the most simple of senses to relate to when trying to understand our role as Christians.



Sight and hearing are just two areas, but the sense of smell, taste and touch are just as important. How could we ever understand physical joy or pain if we have never experienced some sort of it? How could we begin to understand longing for the Lord’s presence if we have never sensed Him near us?  The scriptures are loaded with references related to our senses to help us understand. Have you ever read the psalms of David and felt his weakness when he was weary or felt his strength when he was trusting in the Lord? Have you noticed the smell of the oil that was poured out on Jesus’s feet or that he was wrapped in when prepared for burial? Could you taste the difference in the wine at the wedding where Jesus performed his first miracle? The scriptures reveal it but do you comprehend it?



Ask the Lord to reveal all aspects of the scripture for you to build your background knowledge so that when you encounter each new day, you’ll recognize the scripture and bring His Word to remembrance in your walk. (Understanding is knowledge but it is not wisdom. Keep that thought because I’ll return to it.)



Pray for Love, Power & Glory

There isn’t anything that you or I can do in our own power for the Kingdom of Christ. In order to honor Him most, we need His love, power and glory in our lives. Look how Jesus prayed for us in John 17.

Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.



Does the love, power and glory strike you from His prayer? He prayed these things for you and me. He didn’t just pray for those who walked with him in ancient times. He prayed for us love, power and glory. Think about it…





Resources

We generally think about money and material possessions when we think of resources, but I’d like to suggest that we are confused as to the importance of these things. In our world today, we have been taught that the world revolves around money and things. To the Christian, we need to remember that our world revolves around Christ! We are not of this world but we are to be ambassadors for Chirst in a world that doesn’t know Him.



We have many resources. One resource is our head (mind) to be used to gain knowledge and wisdom. The knowledge is definitely the things we know but wisdom comes from listening to God. Another resource is our hearts to be purified by His blood that we might bring honor to His Name. When our head and our hearts are ready then we can begin to use the other resources more effectively.



He will tell us when and how to best use what He has given us. Another resource is our eyes to be used to see beyond what the surface shows that we might realize what He desires for us. Another resources is our hands to use to help others and create for the Kingdom of Heaven. Another resource is our feet to be used to take us quickly where He wills us to go. What about time? The clock that we view and the schedules we keep are all man-made and in order to live in this world we have had to adapt to them, but time really belongs to God!



Let’s pray that we understand more and more in the Spirit,. Let’s pray that we cultivate love, power and glory for His honor. Let’s pray that we learn how to use our resourses wisely namely: our time, heads, hearts, eyes, hands, and feet. When we do all these things then we will realize even more how the world belongs to us. It belongs to us to care for just as Jesus cared for us we are to care for the world’s people.



Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. Psalm 9:10-12 (in Context)


1620

How to Care for Your Soul

We all need a refresher course now and then to keep us on track when it comes to living the Christian life. My pastor gave such a refresher this past Sunday and I thought I’d share it today along with my take on it. So Pastor Bob, thanks very much!


Now, most everyone knows these things, but sometimes we get rusty and need some fresh oil applied. So get out your drip cloth and expect to be oiled up.


1.  Read the Word for yourself!

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

· We sometimes need our ritual habits cut away by the sharp edges of the sword. The soul’s “I want, I think, I feel” weights down the Holy Spirit so that we are not free to live as He wants us to live.

· We need to understand the difference between the hard joint and the soft marrow. Our joints are flexible and meant to move either by back and forth, side to side or rotating. The marrow keeps the bones alive by sending oxygen to all parts of our body and fights disease and germs. God must be allowed to get to our marrow. Sometimes He has to do surgery to get there... If we are to be alive, we need to read His Word.  If we are to be healthy, we are to read His Word.

· We need our thoughts and desires exposed by the light of His Word. Perhaps it’s the purposes for which we decide to do something that needs to be examined. His Word is alive and powerful to reveal the status of our inner being. We will know Him better by reading His Word for ourselves.



2.  Prayer is the gate we open and He comes through!

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.

· Nothing is hidden from God. God is omniscient! He knows everything. We might think since He already knows everything, then why should we pray. But “He” knows everything and “we” do not. We can’t embarrass or shock God. He loves us and He already knows what we have done before we pray. He knows every fear that we have and all the trials we have faced and every temptations known. He knows all of it even before we realize it!

· Prayer will reveal our motives even more clearly to ourselves when we articulate them in prayer. We might find ourselves repenting for our lustful desires and pride. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

· We must give an account. He wants us to be honest with Him.



3.  Confess to an accountability partner.

James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

· We need accountability in our motives, marriage, ministry and our mind. We don’t need to confess our sins to the world. The world doesn’t need to know our faults and weaknesses. When we discover our sins, faults and weaknesses during our own reading of the Word or prayer time, then we need to make confession to a trusted fellow believer, so that they may pray with us as scriptures reveals.

· Making confession to someone else won’t do anything but allow them to love and pray for us. It is not their forgiveness we need. When we have sinned and repent we tell God who has the power to forgive us.

o Confession allows our accountability partner the chance to come into agreement with us in prayer. It helps to heal the broken spirit and gets us back on track again.

o Confession allows our accountability partner the chance to hear how easily some sin has captured us and may help them to refrain from making the same mistake.

· Pray for forgiveness of our faithlessness in our motives, marriage, ministry and our minds.



4.  View everything in life that "all things" work together for good.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

God allows things to come into our lives so that we can go to Him. We are not to go by our means of rescue (example to borrow money) and we are not to go to others to provide the need before we have gone to God. God wants us to come to Him. (This is not to say that we should never borrow, but it is God who will direct if that is the path we are to follow. The point is that we are to go to Him and find out from Him what He desires of us! Your walk with Him is your testimony. We never know who may be watching us live out the Word. Do we have a faith in the Lord that is showing on the outside?  Or do we have only Sunday morning faith? )

Strength Building Scriptures that point to God first!
Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. God will take care of me.

Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! God will take care of me.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. God will take care of me.

Acts 20:35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ God will take care of me.

Proverbs 22:7 Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. God will take care of me.



5. Learn to enjoy our relationship with God.
Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.


[Two words need to be examined closely: “delight” and “desires”.  This verse is often misinterpreted by Christians and taken to mean that God will give me whatever we want (i.e. earthly blessings) if I delight in Him. But the Hebrew word translated “delight” (עָנַג, pronounced aw-nag) literally means to be delicate or feminine (Strong’s, עָנַג.) It carries the idea of being pliable or sensitive. In this particular context, it means to be dependent upon God and to derive one’s pleasure from Him.  Does this describe us? Would we rather spend time communing with God (in worship, the Word, prayer, even in our vocation) or with other people, engaged in other activities?  The verb translated “delight” is an imperative in the Hebrew, meaning this is a command. Does this put a new twist on the meaning for us? Delighting in the Lord is not a helpful suggestion, but a command from the pen of the inspired Psalmist. We are to strive to delight completely in God.

The term translated “desires” (מִשְׁאָלָה, pronounced mish-aw-law) refers to petitions or requests (TWOT, מִשְׁאָלָה.) In Hebrew thought, the heart was primarily the seat of the inner man. It was the source of the will. In other words, the Psalmist tells us that God will honor our delighting in Him by graciously giving us what we are asking of Him from the very depths of our being.  If we are delighting ourselves in God… then what are the desires of our heart? If we are relying upon God and deriving our primary pleasure in Him, then He is the desire of our heart. The promise here is not that God will give us the things of this world if we delight in Him. The promise is that God will give us Himself, if and when we delight ourselves in Him. The greatest blessing which we can ever receive is to know God intimately. Jesus said that eternal life is ultimately all about knowing God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
The greatest blessing imaginable is for God to make His face to shine upon us. Numbers 6:22-27 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: 24 ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. 25 May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. 26 May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’ 27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”   This highlighted text including the Hebrew tranlations is from MBC Globe ~ Pastor's Blog: http://mbcpastoringlobe.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/delight-yourself-in-the-lord-%E2%80%93-psalm-374/   ]



If you love Him and are faithful and honest… if you love the people of God then God looks on you and says, “What is it that you want?”

o Our attitude must turn. We must no longer think in terms of ‘I have to read my Bible. I have to pray. I have to go to church, etc.’

o We must think in terms of ‘I get to read my Bible. I get to pray. I get to go to church, etc.”

This is when true intimacy with God occurs and this is how we are to care for our souls.  So find your Bible and dust it off, invest some effort into making a place to study and pray in your home.  Think of an accountability partner and perhaps more than one for the various areas of your life (motives, marriage, ministry and mind).  Always remember that you are a child of God and He is in control.  There is nothing that happens that He isn't aware of.   You may be going through something to teach you a lesson or so that someone watching will turn to Him through the testimony of your walk!  Last, but not least, be perfectly happy and joyous in your relationship with the Lord.  Your life will just get better and better as your love grows deeper and stronger for Him who loves you!

Our Father, forgive us for forgetting you and help us to apply the truth of your Word to our lives daily.  May we reflect your honor, power and glory every day!
In Jesus' name. Amen.





Scriptures above are taken from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.


1599