Intimacy with the Holy Spirit

I wake up every morning to the call of the Holy Spirit.

It is in these quiet times, just before dawn, that the Lord

speaks to my heart. This blog is an attempt to share some

of what I hear and to encourage others to listen for His

voice because…

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning and I am all ears!  His counsel is incredible and His communications with His Beloved profoundly personal.  When we come to accept Yeshua (Jesus) as our "Personal" Savior, sometimes we fail to understand His call for intimacy when we do.  

Intimacy is what a personal relationship thrives on. If we were to keep our spouse at arm's length, we would not enjoy the deepest blessings of our marriage and be willing to settle for a glorified roommate:  Someone who is there when you want or need them for something, but absent or invisible when you don't.  This intimacy cannot be based upon someone else's relationship; it must be yours.  

The Holy One speaks personally to each one of us. Just as our salvation is a personal decision that no one else can make for you, so is our intimacy with Him.  

Over time we come to recognize His voice as Jesus likens it to the familiar voice of the shepherd to His sheep.  In our day-to-day thoughts and as we bring those thoughts into captivity, causing them to be obedient to Jesus as the Word commands, wisdom flows and intimacy follows.   

How many of us misunderstand the Love the Lord has for us and His desire to live out life here on earth with us as well as eternity to come.  How many of us focus on His Presence as only in the "supernatural" or think His requirement is for us to be "super-spiritual" in order to garner His attention.  We pray in times of great desperation for Divine intervention and then let the relationship go silence in the day-to-day mundane things that represent most of our life on planet earth. 

We know, by faith in the Word of God, that the Holy Spirit dwells within us as God Himself and has indwelled believers in Yeshua since Pentecost for those who know Biblical History recorded in the Book of Acts.  But how that is applied to our daily lives, leaves much to be learned and understood in the way Holiness desires and is willing to operate in us. 

If we interpret His Presence as merely our "Get out of jail free" card and only when it comes to life after death here, we are missing the magnitude of relational blessing He is willing to provide us here and now. We are His vessels.  Jesus said, "apart from Me you can do nothing".  The "Me" is the Holy Spirit who is the source of our lives: our identities, our fruit, our strengths, our gifts, even our faith.  

The Indwelling Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made to send another "Comforter", when He left this earth after His death and resurrection, but He is also the fulfillment of the plan of Yahweh Elohim our Creator to dwell with His Created Ones.  A plan that was first introduced in the Garden of Eden.  Just as it was in the beginning, Yahweh's plan has always been to dwell with His Beloved humanity in an environment of timeless leisure and endless beauty. 

While the fall of man may have dictated the timing of God's plan, it did not change the plan itself.   There is great purpose in the earth years we live.  God is Sovereign.  He knew every player in the Garden of Eden and what each would do and what He planned for human redemption. Jesus is the Messiah promised and The Holy Spirit is a "deposit" who guarantees our future inheritance until we come into possession of it.   

Ephesians 1:13-14.  

"13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

As we come to know and accept the saving knowledge that Jesus came to save us and it was through His crucified death on the Cross that He redeemed us for all eternity, we receive His Holy Spirit within and unity with Him becomes our "Sacred relationship" with our Creator God.  The Definition of redemption is:  "to recover ownership of, by paying a specified sum".  

Our "inheritance" is eternal life, immortality and all the blessings that come with and from our Heavenly Kingdom's King:  Jesus.  As we live out our earthly lives, we are being prepared for an amazing eternity and the lessons we learn in submission to His ruling authority here, I am convinced, will somehow impact our role there.  

In these crazy times and hard days, we can settle in with Him and grow in the Sacred Romance or Beloved brotherhood He is offering to all the devoted followers of Jesus, the Savior of the world.     

Intimacy with the Holy Spirit brings all the peace and joy of our emotional wellbeing as well as wisdom and understanding of the Will and Ways of Our Lord from the One called the Holy Spirit of Truth if we will but turn our attention toward Him.

Today is a great day to learn and listen for His voice. because:

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?  

Facing our Fears

Looking back over the years of this blog, some of the conversations I have had in the early morning hours just before dawn are as fresh as if just yesterday.  Life is surely repetitious, but each new experience is like a brick in a faith wall I have been building year by year. 

Today I found this one tucked away in the archives, but the message is as relevant today as it was back then.  The timing of this blog was right before we came to know that my husband of 30 years had terminal cancer.  We were facing other life challenges, but this blinding fear was on the horizon and not yet understood.  Looking back, I know it was Adonai's preparation for what was to come.  (Nick finished his earthly race July 5, 2012).

Permit me to reminisce and maybe someone will find this helpful in today's life circumstances.  

Feb 9, 2012:  The Holy One calls me today.  I wake up to the reality that nothing changed in my circumstances since yesterday.  The only relief I find is that each morning the Holy One meets me at the moment my mind registers that it is a new day.

Yesterday is gone.  We cannot go back and change anything.  We must press on in spite of our failures or victories.  The journey with Jesus is life and eternity long, but not always on an easy, level pathway.

The latest part of the journey has been a huge mountain to climb.  A long, narrow, winding pathway.  The discomfort has been at times, like a fiery furnace burning my flesh and at other times, like deep thorns piercing my mind. The pain I feel and the agony I suffer is not just mine but also for what others are going through as well.

The injustice, the unfairness, the bitter things in the fallen earth.  Things I know my Savior can change with one word from His Throne. Then the Holy One calls me to sit with Him.  I know He doesn't have to explain Himself, but He does.

His gentle voice speaks to my heavy heart.  "I know it may be hard for you to understand looking on.  But I am taking my Beloved children, even you, into places of their greatest fears, not to destroy them but to heal them."

Fear is one of those hot button issues for me. I deal with it on a daily basis.  The Lord in His mercy has given me great victory over many fears, but there always seems to surface some nasty, ugly, fearsome thoughts as I face the threat of harm in each new situation.

Long ago, the Holy One told me to assess things correctly and that the "threat" of harm is not harm itself.  Fear is like a phantom, dark and foreboding until the light of the Son shines and reveals it is nothing more than that:  a phantom.

Fear is spoken of throughout God's Word:

  

Provb.1:17, The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Provb 19:23, The fear of the Lord, teaches a man.....leads to life.  Then we are also commanded to "fear no evil" and taught that "fear of man is a snare".

I sit with my Counselor, my mind swirling with the various forms of fear I read about in His Word.  Then He takes me to Isaiah 33:5-6:

"The Lord is exhaled for He dwells on High.  He will fill Zion with Justice and Righteousness.  He will be the sure foundation for your times. A rich storehouse of salvation and wisdom and knowledge.  The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure."  

Our God is the God of justice and righteousness, a sure foundation for all who trust in Him.  He is our Source for all things and greatly to be praised.  Reverence is in reality the "fear of the Lord".  

The absolute supremacy of our God and King is assured in my mind.  The Holy One continues to speak His wisdom in what He has allowed.  "fear in my servant's heart and mind is the one thing that will immobilize them and neutralize their effective service for Me in a fallen earth.  I must take each one of you into places of your greatest fears so that you will know no fear.  To get past fear, we must walk through it .......TOGETHER!"

Each step of the way my Shepherd leads me.  And as I look back at other places where fears hung me up, I realize He got me through those things, never to fear them again. He has proven over and over that He is faithful.

The truth will set us free.  The Truth is that we have a Shepherd/Savior all rolled into one.  Interesting.  He leads us into places to save us...out of our fears, out of our ignorance, out of our unbelief, out of all those things that would cripple us and neutralize our victory over the works of darkness here on earth.  

Jesus said that He came to destroy the works of the devil and left us in His place to do the same.  The things we fear hold us in bondage.  Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to set us free that we might serve Him more powerfully.

"The Lord is exhaled for He dwells on High.  He will fill Zion with Justice and Righteousness.  He will be the sure foundation for your times. (The Lord will be a sure foundation for MY times,) a rich storehouse of salvation and wisdom and knowledge.  The fear of the Lord is the "Key" to this treasure."

Somehow, I knew that despite all my worries and concerns for myself and others, despite the way the world looks like it is spinning out of control, My Lord is in control, and I am thankful that He takes the time to remind me of that fact.

So when we wake up and find ourselves in what seems to be a prison of circumstances, let us remember that we don't have to remain there.  The Holy One says, "I have the key, and I will set you free".

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

Remain Faithful in the Hard Things

 The Holy Spirit has been repeatedly showing me a visual and with the message: 

"Remain faithful in the hard things".

The visual is the last moments of Yahshua's flesh life and John standing at the foot of the cross (execution stake). John 19:25-27.   He was the only disciple that is identified in scripture, sharing the horrific suffering scene along with Mary the mother of Jesus and two other women.  

It is written that all the other disciples scattered and left in fear.  Each, I am sure, was handling the shock and heartbreak of the death of the one they respected, loved and hoped would end their bondage under Rome, but John despite his deep personal trauma, remained to the very end.

What happened in those final moments of Yahshua's flesh life was John receiving perhaps the greatest, most important assignment of his life up to that time:  John, the beloved of the Lord, was given the delegated responsibility for Jesus's earthly mother.  Jesus was tying up all the emotional loose ends and thoughtfully providing for his mother's well-being after His departure from physical planet earth. 

Despite the deepest grief and pain, they were both experiencing, Jesus and John were deeply connected in John's faithfulness and loyalty, a connection that allowed for Jesus to leave His earthly life with the last bit of a son's obligation and love for his earthly mother to be passed to His friend.

Our world is imploding on so many levels.  Heartache and grief are felt by all but the most calloused.  We face deeply troubling situations in our families and among our friends and faith communities.  We are seeing such brutality and abuse of humanity; it is hard to look at it day after day.  Many of us want to run away and hide from the pain we are feeling at what we are witnessing. Just like the disciples ran from the crucifixion and death of their "hope".  

Unlike the disciples who fled, however, we know the end of the story which should give us the strength to stand firm in these days in the face of hard things and remain faithful without fear or depression over the evil we see manifesting in our world.

Standing at the foot of the cross, present for the final breath our Lord drew did not destroy John but rather set him up for even greater things that would come.  Can we trust that our Lord will do the same in and through us as we face and remain faithful in the hard things? 

Thankfully the rest of the disciples found their courage and loyalty once they saw their Lord resurrected but then incidentally, what they feared that kept them in hiding, was where they finally stood firm.  All were martyred but John, who reportedly died peacefully in his old age.

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

Shabbat Shalom: A Day of Rest

Shabbat Shalom to all my beautiful family and friends.  It's a day of rest, given by our Creator to prepare us for the ultimate Sabbath rest for the people of Adonai.  What a gift it is but how much greater will be our appreciation, when we understand what and when the ultimate Sabbath will be. 

Following Yeshua is such a fascinating journey with ongoing lessons that teach of the incredible mystery of our Sovereign Creator: Yahweh Elohim.

As all things in creation, mystery surrounds the epic eternal plans of our God, but it's in the pursuit of Him that causes such great excitement in our lives.  The Sabbath rest is no exception.   

This morning as I awaken to the dawning of the "traditional" Sabbath morning, (Saturday in America) I hear the Holy One say, "Your creativity is an act of war!"  My mental wheels start turning, to grasp where He is leading me this morning into all truth.  It is Shabbat after all. 

He continues to impart a new perspective, "You are in a Kingdom war against the fallen Elohim (celestial beings who inhabit the unseen realm). The war against evil and its chaos and destruction is to strategically defeat such things with the Truth and enact creative GOOD just as Yeshua did when He came to earth."  

When Yahweh created our world, of everything He spoke into being, He said "It is Good".  When the original pair rebelled the one rule in the Garden and ate from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the door for evil to enter into the fabric of creation was opened and evil began to rule over the hearts of mankind. 

The once trusted "elohim" turned into traitors and began to instruct humanity with the knowledge of evil and how to destroy what Yahweh had created. In their pride, they set up various "religions" whereby these little "g" gods could steal for themselves worship that belongs to Yahweh alone.   Sadly they taught humans how to do the same. 

As these fallen beings spread their corruption to humanity, chaos and lawlessness rules, and destruction follows. 

Misrepresenting Sabbath is one of the ways evil has distorted "human" understanding of Yahweh's Character.  The "law" given as instruction back in the day, was meant for good yet was twisted to become oppressive.  

Things such as abusive power-lust led the Pharisees to use the Sabbath as an excuse to control all Israel and even limit "good" creative works on that day of the week.  Perhaps, in an effort to offset "lawlessness", the ruling religious authorities piled rules upon rules in Shabbat observance.  No travel was allowed limiting fellowship outside a small boundary.  Plucking even a grain of wheat was included in the no-work policy possibly limiting the hungry from finding a bit of food.  As Jesus began His healing ministry, that too was considered "work" and condemned by the religious of the day. 

As I ponder the influence of the fallen elohim, I realize that their agenda is served by our misunderstanding of the ways of our Creator God. Yeshua came to change what was out of order in our human understanding of Holiness. His creative miracles, that eliminated human suffering occurred even on Sabbath days.  

The message of this morning is a reminder that we can participate in this Kingdom battle through creative GOOD works actively overruling evil things, for the benefit of others and for the glory of Yahweh.  

I am not to let anything stall my good works and creativity overcoming the evil I see, even on "Shabbat".  There is a measure of temporal "rest" that can be gained when I function in my God-ordained role, accomplishing good works though creativity when and wherever I see evil destroying other lives. 

Jesus came into our world to destroy the works of the devil and take back what belongs to Him.  All creation is His and since the unleashing of the Holy Spirit, humanity has the ability to participate in the war for our own "Kind".

For many years on my Journey with Jesus, I have been engaged in what has been termed 'SPIRITUAL WARFARE".  I see life as a great battle between 2 kingdoms, one that is good and one that is evil.  God our Creator is Good, and all He created is magnificent. 

In the ancient and eternal past, an enemy declared war on Adonai's kingdom, and formed a mutiny of rebellion against the Creator, Adonai.  We are told in Ezekiel this enemy of God was at one time a "guardian Cherub" created to encourage humanity to seek and worship God our Creator. But that celestial being became "proud" and wanted to be "like" God and so moved on humanity to turn all the honor and respect to himself and away from the One who is worthy of all our worship.  Ezekiel 28:11-15. Rather than being a guardian for God's Glory, Satan became a usurper of it. 

The battle rages every day between good and evil over our lives.  Focusing on the war, we might not have ever asked what the battle is really about?  Lately I listened to a teaching that has really opened my eyes to the fact that I have so much to learn about the spirit realm and the fallen elohim (angels) who inhabit the unseen realm and yet are free to pass back and forth between the seen and unseen realms.  

In these end times, we are witnessing an intense "collision" between The Kingdom of Heaven and the opposing forces of darkness.  I hear the Lord say, "Brace for impact".      

We get a few clues about these powerful beings through the account of Job.  We know that Satan kept an eye on humanity and brought charges against Job regarding his ultimate loyalty to His Creator.  Satan had the power to create havoc for Job but was restrained from going beyond God ordained boundaries relative to human life.  

When we look at the description of the evil one in Genesis, and then again in Job, it is apparent that Satan (an adversary) has as his ultimate goal, the separation of humanity from our Creator God.  Understanding God's Sovereignty enables us to stand firm when evil rears its ugly head and threatens our relationship that has been reconciled and renewed and is now protected by the Blood of Jesus. 

Shabbat can be what it was always intended to be in the very beginning of time, back in the Garden of God.  For followers of Jesus (as well as Israel) it can be a day of rest from the ordinary labor of life.  A day to enjoy all that God created for our delight and benefit.  The most important reason no matter what we consider delightful or beneficial, is that we share it with Him.  And the greatest blessing and gift is our Salvation, that requires no performance or "work" on our part. He is the Creator and the Source of all that is good in our world and life.  

Take the time, enjoy the day, find the good, the pleasant, the delightful and share it with The One who makes your joy possible. Shabbat Shalom!

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?  

 

  

        

 

    

   

God's Grand Eternal Plan

 The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning.  His Presence is the sweet comfort I need when I wake up in a world that most often seems to be spirally out of control. 

He always brings me back to His grand plan and provides pieces that are almost like those of a jigsaw puzzle. Each one has a specific place, and I am to find where each fits.  

In this season of life, I am learning much about the overarching big picture of Yahweh's Divine plan that we are living out on our days upon the fallen earth.  Distinct from the day-to-day challenges and trials we weather, comes the Truth about Yahweh's Eternal Sovereignty and His Control over our days and times.  

The Book of The Revelation of Jesus the Christ is the last recorded message and completes the cannon of Divine revelation of His eternal Being and what is to come at the "end of days" and on into the glorious plan for our eternal habitation with our Creator, whose desire it has been to dwell among His Creation with Humanity since the very beginning. 

To merely look at the big picture in bits and pieces is to miss the grandeur of it. 

We are the center piece of a "Never-ending-Story" that has unfolded chapter by chapter since the beginning of time itself. The eternal nature and character of our Sovereign Creator is a mystery we cannot comprehend in our finite minds.  But we have the hope that the clues we have been given in His Word, enable us to seek and find a few of the answers to the many questions "inquiring minds" might want to know.

In His great mercy and the record of His delight in what He created in the beginning when it is written that, "He saw that it was good", we can actually rejoice in the value He has placed upon us and for the relationship He desires to have with us. 

What began as a companionable relationship in a beautiful garden, became a test of human free will response to the love offered to abide with Him and live within the boundaries of protection He set.  There was only 1 rule the original pair had to observe and live by:  Avoid the tree bearing the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.  That one rule was to preserve the innocence of their design and keep them safe.

Humanity was created with a "free will" and with that freedom came the necessity of options with which to exercise that "free will".  The one rule provided the opportunity for the original pair to exercise their free will.  Enter the "tempter" and a convincing lie that over-ruled the truth:  "If you eat of this fruit, you will become "Like God".  They did not consider that in reality they already were "Like God" for in Genesis 1, His Word tells us:

 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.   (KJV).

The seed (from the forbidden fruit) embedded in that careless act of rebellion, was the penalty of death.  Toxic and poisonous, the pair experienced the death in their relationship with the Creator and died in their radiant glory as Yahweh's imagers. I can only imagine the horror of suddenly being wrapped in skin with the original glory dimmed and exchanged for a body of sin.  More than nakedness as we might understand in our flesh, I would imagine the sudden awareness of separation from the Creator's comfortable Presence and loss of innocence was indescribable devastation.  

Praise the Lord, the amazing plan of Yahweh our Creator, did not end with the rebellion in the garden that day.  Because Yahweh Elohim is Sovereign, knowing the end of everything from the beginning of anything, planned for a future rescue for His imagers from the death penalty.  

Perfect justice required the penalty to be paid, but perfect mercy provided a flesh representative to pay it for all humanity.  That "flesh representative" was none other than God's own Son, Jesus.  Just as in the original free will choice to rebel, we each are given a free will choice to accept a substitute who died in our place. 

The death penalty will have to be paid by every human ever born, and not just the death of our temporal flesh, but the eternal death of our relationship with our Creator.  And yet, our merciful Creator God, has provided a way of escape if we choose to take it.  

Paul sums it up in Romans 7 where he gives word to the cry of our hearts and praise to God for our rescue.  

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

As we come to accept the One who died in our place, acknowledge our need and His sacrificial death in our behalf, an amazing supernatural thing takes place within us.  We are beneficiaries of a new nature.   That new nature restores us to our original glorified immortality when upon the physical flesh death, we are fitted with a new and glorified body that will not decay and will instead provide what we need for our eternal existence.            

This is why Jesus modeled for us His resurrected body as a preview of our own.  The resurrection of Jesus is the embodiment of our hope. 

Paul speaks of it in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Paul argues that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, making Christian faith futile and leaving believers still in their sins. 

The resurrection is therefore essential to the gospel, validating both Christ’s victory over sin and the hope of eternal life for believers. 

In God's grand eternal plan, a resurrected glorified body is necessary to house our being. Non-believers will not have a resurrected body to inhabit.  The soul lives on but not in a "body".  

As we learn more and more about God's Grand Eternal Plan, it is our privilege and responsibility to share such knowledge and wisdom we have gleaned with others along the way.  The Gospel is meant to be shared.  The story of our Savior. Jesus, who came, died to pay our debt and then resurrected to show us the future of all who trust in Him, is meant to be shared.  God's Grand Eternal Plan is too good not to.  

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him? 

I Will Bless Those Who Bless You.

We were born into a world at war.  The battle we are told is not against flesh and blood (each other) but in conflict with dark and deceitful entities who inhabit the unseen realm. The author of the deception that convinced original man and woman to rebel God's ruling authority is alive and well today.  

Let it be understood that the battle is for the mind and the power of the evil one is in the lies and deception he whispers to an unguarded mind, that our flesh considers and chooses to act upon.     

As we march toward the end of temporal time and toward the renewal of this planet according to the eternal plans and purposes of our Sovereign Creator, the deceptions continue to grow in an effort to manipulate hearts and minds to reject God and hate His chosen. 

Way back in the beginning of time, after the fall of man and the penalty was issued, it was conveyed on the Sacred Scrolls of history that at a certain future moment, a Savior would come to defeat the enemy of God's people (humanity).  

This Savior would come forth from a woman and there would be animosity between woman's descendant (singular) and the enemy's descendent (singular).  That singular "Descendent" from woman is Yeshua, the Redeemer and Savior of the World. 

In our day and times, antisemitism is reaching a fever pitch. Israel as a nation was brought forth and designated as chosen by Yahweh (God) to represent Him and His Kingdom to the world. The world has hated the "children of Israel" and yet they are Beloved by God and have their future completely secured by His Mighty Hand.  

This hatred is ungodly and inspired by those who refuse to live in submission to Yahweh's ruling authority and who seek worldly power and self-rule in and of themselves.  Despite any failure on the part of Israel to represent His Kingdom, hatred of Israel is inexcusable for a true Christian and lover of Jesus.       

The bottom line is that the Savior of the World of humanity came to us as a baby wrapped in Jewish flesh, walked among His creation, lived in perfect submission to God's ruling authority and died the death penalty we all have been required to pay for flesh rebellion.  

He came to die so that we might be reconciled to our Creator and by faith in His sacrificial death, become eligible to be restored to our original immortality and eternal life with Him.  He is a Holy God and cannot abide with sin in any form.  Rather than have all to perish, a great exchange was made possible.  

In a magnificent supernatural way, we are able to exchange our rebellious sin nature for Yeshua's Holy one and that, not by performance, but only by trust and faith in His promise recorded in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, (Yeshua/Jesus) that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life      

Over 2000 years ago, Yeshua (Jesus) was conceived by way of a of Divine conception, born in Bethlehem, lived a perfect life as a Jewish man under the terms of Torah, was crucified and then resurrected in Glory making physical appearances for His disciples and others to see, touch and feel Him alive before He returned to His Heavenly Throne. 

The Church was established upon His death and resurrection message. The Original Disciples and therefore the original community we call the "Church" were Torah observant Jews and followers of their long-prophesied Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus).  When He came to earth, He was wrapped in Jewish flesh but Divine in Nature, as Yahweh Elohim, the Son of God.

It is a mistake to try to understand our faith in Jesus, apart from understanding the Jewish culture He was born into.  It is also a mistake to regard the Nation of Israel as "perfect" because in truth the great tribulation is the event that will bring them into alignment with the ultimate and final recognition of Yeshua as their Messiah. (true Salvation). The Book of Revelation tells of that coming and glorious day. 

Hatred of Israel is hatred of those God loves.  Hatred of the "Jews" is hatred of Yeshua's kinsmen.  When He returns there will be a price to pay for those who have ravaged His Beloved. 

As we approach the final chapter of earth before Yeshua's return, it is important to understand Divine justice and judgement within the Jewish culture as it will (most likely) be part of the tribulation and Millennial Reign of Yeshua.   

That said, here is an important thing to understand.  In the culture of the Jewish nation of Israel, there is a "Kinsman Redeemer" role which entails being a "Blood Avenger" of His people. The cultural responsibility to avenge the family follows and is within the definition of the kinsman-redeemer: A kinsman redeemer is a close family member in biblical times who had the responsibility to rescue or restore a relative in need, which could involve buying back family land or marrying a widow to preserve the family line, or avenging the bloodshed of a family member. This concept is prominently illustrated in the Book of Ruth, where Boaz acts as a kinsman redeemer for Naomi and Ruth.

This is a picture of Yeshua, Jesus, who is the Messiah promised to the descendants of Abraham and the Children of Israel. 

True "Christianity" is founded on the Nation of Israel and the One Who was promised and foretold by the Prophets, as they spoke over the course and history of Israel and over the world we know. Do not miss this by failing to dive into the riches of our Redemption story. 

We know that Jesus came for the salvation of all of humanity, first the Jew and then the Gentile.  Speaking as the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:14-16, Jesus declares, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; (born-again Gentiles) them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."

Rather than live in animosity with God's chosen nation why not seek to understand His will and ways though it's culture and history?  One day we will all be in unity as "One flock and having One Shepherd".  Until then, why not value the nation who brought us the lineage and story of our Savior.  Yahweh Himself promises to bless those who do.    

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

 

 

Do You Know HIM?

 The Holy One calls me this morning. Together we are working to rid my heart of any and all unbelief. Actually, the unbelief seems to start in my mind with lies by the enemy of my soul and without realizing the toxic nature of the lie, the "evidence" supporting it begins to surface, and it seems like truth.. 

As the "evidence" falls into place, there comes a heart shift, subtle at first, but left unchecked the heart becomes cold, indifferent and resigned to what the enemy wants me to believe. 

People around me are sick and some have died. Compromise in the lives of those who claim to be "Christian" is obvious and yet we are told that grace covers all sin. Doom and gloom prevail with famine and drought, physically and spiritually being experienced by most of us who live on the earth. Yet when Jesus came, He brought such relief to those suffering the same things we experience today.

The Holy One has taken me to the gospels to recall the account of the Centurion who brought the plight of his paralyzed servant to Jesus for a healing "Word". Matt 8:5 begins the account and Matt 8:10 reveals how Jesus felt about this Gentile and his faith in a "Jewish Carpenter". "When Jesus heard this (the Roman's statement of faith) He was astonished and said to those following Him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith". The Centurion's servant was healed at that very moment.

Reading past this account are many other accounts of Jesus confronting a variety of infirmities and physical suffering. All were "healed". All were "cured". Then the Holy One brings me to the encounter between Jesus and a ruler named Jairus, whose daughter had just died. In Matt 9:18 the short version of the story captures my attention. 

What is interesting to me is that, as this Synagogue ruler told Jesus about his daughter he said, "but, come, put Your Hand on her and she will live." This seems to speak of an even greater faith in what Jesus could do. The confidence of the ruler demonstrated by his words was faith in Jesus to resurrect his daughter from the dead.

As I ponder the two accounts, I wonder why this man's faith for a resurrection was not the subject of similar astonishment to Jesus? Knowing my thoughts the Holy One gives understanding. Jairus knew Jesus. By all the Holy writings the Jews had in their hands, they knew and recognized Jesus was the Messiah and knew what Messiah would do when He came. Jairus' faith was expected from one who knew who Jesus was: the promised “Messiah."

Then it hits my mind, the Centurion came out of spiritual ignorance and decided that Jesus was One in whom great authority rested. His faith was based on what he heard or saw Jesus do. "Even if you do not believe in My words at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." John 14:11

Faith from the Jewish ruler was expected for all he knew about the coming Messiah. The Centurion on the other hand took the initial but huge leap of faith to believe in the One standing before Him.

Holiness takes me back to the issue of unbelief. Then comes the hard truth:

"Unbelief prevails because you don't really know Me. Doubts arise because you are too busy to come to Me. Fears rule your circumstances because you refuse to trust that I can or will take care of you". 
 
As soon as I start to object, I realize the truth He has just spoken. Until I acknowledge the problem I cannot begin to be healed. Unbelief is like a disease. Unbelief kills hope. Unbelief kills dreams. And unbelief, ultimately, kills the soul. The only cure for unbelief is to really get to know the One I have trusted my eternity to. For those of us who have the Holy writing available, there is no excuse to remain in ignorance and unbelief. 

The Bible embodies the Person of our God. It is a living testimony of our Creator for all who feed on its Truth. The Gospels tell of the day when God came down from Heaven in a form (wrapped in Jewish flesh) that humanity could relate to in every sense of the word. Jesus came in flesh form as the exact (copy) representation of God's Being. Heb 1:3. 

When He returned to His place of Glory, after demonstrating His power over death through resurrection, the God of all Glory sent my Counselor called the Holy Spirit to teach me personally about Himself. He is the One who calls me every morning and moves with me throughout every day. And He is the One who enables me to know God in ways that the infamous sheep know their Shepherd.

Familiarity brings trust. Like dealing with a very vulnerable sheep, the Good Shepherd, guards, protects, provides for and loves...me. Even as my penchant is to wander past my boundaries, He always brings me back to safety. At the end of the day, even if I do not grasp all the whys and wherefore's of what life brings through what He allows or what He doesn't, I just must trust in His love.  

I know that changes have to be made. I purpose to spend more time with Him. To know better and trust more completely the One who gave His life for me. He bids me come. When I do, I know the doubts will fade, fears will vanish and unbelief will never find a habitat in my heart ever again. 

The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?