I Remember Daniel Landis And God Remembers Me

Two years ago, Daniel Landis left my womb and entered eternity in heaven. He was my miracle baby, he was the gift I had waited for for seven years. He was the answer to my prayers for Stuart's heart to change and be completely submitted to Adonai in all things, including the size of our family and the provision for our family.

February 25, 2003, my dreams were dashed, and Landis was gone. Around me, I had an unwed friend who was still pregnant, I had doctors treating me like I was a number, treating me like what had happened was as simple as a runny nose. I was put in a room where the respect for life was nil - where sterilization seemed the optimum, and abortion the next best thing. Why had this happened? Why was the world so unjust, why did I lose my baby and my friend got to keep hers?

But God spoke to me. He told me Psalm 30:11You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy. And he did. I learned that my baby was not lost, but rather found. He was alive in heaven, he was living the God Most High, he was nestled at El Shaddai's breast in a perfect body, never to skin his knee, never to break his heart, never knowing sickness and sorrow. I'll see him one day, he'll be there waiting for me when I get to heaven. My life went on and Janney came to us, I've been blessed, I don't mourn anymore, I am returned to Joy!

We lit a candle in rememberance today. Not sorrow, but joyfully thanking Adonai for the 12 1/2 weeks he was here with us. And today, Adonai repeated his promise to me. Twice I read this same message. While the boys and I were reading Esther, he gave me this from Esther 9
The Festival of Purim
20Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the king's provinces, 21encouraging them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days. 22He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts to each other and to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.
And from our family portion reading
Jeremiah 31 Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone. 13The young women will dance for joy, and the men--old and young--will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.

Now if we weren't on this path, would I have been searching for information on Purim today? Would we have been reading our Portion today? I'm so pleased, I feel like these two reminders of Adonai's promise to me are confirmations that I'm on the right road. I will treasure these in my heart, and pray for the days to come, to reveal to me what Elohim is doing in my life.

Family Portion

We've been reading our family portion from Jeremiah these last few weeks. Tonight it was Chapters 21-14. We all read, and Chapter 23 was my reading. This stood out at me.

Jeremiah 23
1"I will send disaster upon the leaders of my people--the shepherds of my sheep--for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for," says the LORD.
2This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: "Instead of leading my flock to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. 3But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from wherever I have driven them. I will bring them back into their own fold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4Then I will appoint responsible shepherds to care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one of them will be lost or missing," says the LORD.
5"For the time is coming," says the LORD, "when I will place a righteous Branch on King David's throne. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. 6And this is his name: `The LORD Is Our Righteousness.'[a] In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.
7"In that day," says the LORD, "when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, `As surely as the LORD lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.' 8Instead, they will say, `As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.' Then they will live in their own land."

In that day.. in that day... in that day he will be called `The LORD Is Our Righteousness.' Jehovah Tsidqenu - Our Righteousness. Wonder what that means? Let me seek out Kay Arthur's Lord I Want to Know You book and look it up.
"And the blood of bulls and goats can't change a man's heart. Then there is no hope, is there? Yes! There is. And it was in this dark hour of judgment and failure that God revealed to His people another of His names, Jehovah tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. And with that revelation came the promise of a new covenant, the covenant of grace - and with it, a new heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:26-28; Hebrews 8:6-13).
These are His sheep. They shall not want! Jehovah-raah is their Shepherd. And as Jehovah-jireh, their Provider, He promises a righteous branch. 'This is His name by which He will be called, the LORD our righteousness' (Jeremiah 23:6).
Man can be right with God! Righteous is more than goodness; it is a right standing with God. Righteous means to be straight. It is to do what God says is right, to live according to His standards. But righteousness in man requires a new heart. And man can have a hear heart!"

AH, in that day.. in that day.. rigteousness is a right standing with God, and Jehovah Tsidkenu will bring this into being, and we will say 7"In that day," says the LORD, "when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, `As surely as the LORD lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.' 8Instead, they will say, `As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.' Then they will live in their own land." The people of Israel will be brought back to their own land from the north. AH, more prophecy about the end times, the return of the Yeshua HaMeshiach. Yes, Adonai is Jehovah Tsidkenu, He is Yeshua HaMeshiach, who will ride out on a white horse to claim his bride. That new covenant says Kay Arthur, is promised with this revelation of Jehovah Tsidkenu, who will bring the righteous branch back to the Promised Land. Yes, that will be Jehovah Tsidkenu sitting on that white horse, bringing the people from the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.

Later in her chapter on Jehovah Tsidkenu Kay quotes "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

Someone at church the other day was talking about "there but not fully there" or about how it has been revealed, but there is still more to be revealed. I can't remember the exact words, nor the context, but this is how I feel about this last quote of Kay's.. We have that His Spirit within us - and he is causing us to walk in His Statutes and ordinances.. but there is more to come, there is a going to be a more complete revelation of what it means to be righteous at the end times, when He comes for His bride. Could this be why we are being called back to the Torah?

I love your Word Adonai, so many rich treasures to be found within.

Building our House

Stuart and I have been talking about home renovations in the last few months.. it's going to take planning - not just what to renovate, but how, and how we'll pay for it, and what will be best renovations to get family value out of the renovations.

1 Corinthians talks about building your house. Stuart and I have been building our spiritual house for nearly 12 years now.. the 28th will be the 12th anniversary of our Christian Walk, and so our "house" is nearly 12 years old. In 12 years we have been part of a Brethern Church where we were Born Again throught the blessing of premarital counselling, married, baptised and began our learning. Then because of a university change, we moved and attended at a Baptist Church, where we were blessed immediately with loving kindness, welcomed into a fellowship group, deepened our walk with the Lord through education and service and fellowship relationships. However, we were also challenged, as the Ruach Hakodesh was teaching us that some of the teachings of this church were not what He had planned for us. And so on we marched.

Then came another move and another church search, leading us to the Pentecostal Church, where the leading of the Ruach Hakodesh was telling me things.. but I wasn't listening this time, I was listening to the teaching of the church. But there was nothing to hold me in this church, we weren't growing, not fellowshipping and not serving, so we started to look for those things in "a church".

1 Corinthians 3
Paul and Apollos, Servants of Christ 1Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to mature Christians.
12 years ago, we were babies in the Lord, no one could talk to us as mature Christians, we were still trying to learn who this Christ - this Messiah - who Yeshua was.
I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.[b] 2I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn't handle anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, 3for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires.
12 years later I think we've moved past this point, we now are better able to chew on some meat, having started to build our house, having started with the milk, and moving on to "solid food".
You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don't belong to the Lord.
I guess I'm at the point of understand that though I'm excited about the house I'm building, I need to trust that Adonai is in control of all the other houses being built, and that people are where YHVH wants them to be right now. I don't want to ever be known as one who doesn't act like she belongs to Yeshua, but I do falter from time to time. There are times I push too hard, wanting others to catch on to the things I'm learning, but I have to realize that it's just not where they're at right now.. and leave it there. I don't want to quarrel.
4When one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I prefer Apollos," aren't you acting like those who are not Christians?[c]
One thing I've always felt was that no matter where I was worshipping/learning, I was a Christian, not a Pentecostal, not a Baptist, not a Brethren. I think this is what Paul is trying to get at here.
5Who is Apollos, and who is Paul, that we should be the cause of such quarrels? Why, we're only servants. Through us God caused you to believe. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. 7The ones who do the planting or watering aren't important, but God is important because he is the one who makes the seed grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. 9We work together as partners who belong to God. You are God's field, God's building--not ours.
God's field, God's building.. Yes, that's who I am, who Stuart and I are. So why, now that I'm at the Messianic church, why do I feel the stronger tug to take on this name. I think it's because I feel like a WHOLE Christian now, starting to really get into the meat, having spent the last 12 years really drinking up the milk, learning about the Messiah, learning to walk in His Truth, learning to, seek HIM for my direction, eagarly leaning on the Ruach Hakodesh for all that I am to know and learn. Yes, I'm being taught, but more than ever, I'm teaching myself to SEEK HIM.
10Because of God's special favor to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder.
Foundation ~~ Funny thing about foundations, in talking to others about how we can expand our home, do some renovations, foundations really come into play. We can build up over the original foundation, but we can't build up over the extensions, as their foundations are not strong enough to support a second story. If our spiritual foundation is Yeshua - Yahushua -Y'shua - Our Salvation. If we add extensions.. Salvation=Yeshua + works; or Yeshua +baptism; or Yeshua + baptism in the Holy Spirit; or Yeshua + a certain style of dress or head covering or lifestyle.. then you can't build UP from those extensions and still expect your house to stand. NO, the foundation is Yeshua - not a denomination, not a church, not church fathers, not even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - JUST YESHUA.
Now others are building on it.
As long as those who are building on it, are building on the same foundation!
But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have--Jesus Christ.
Stuart and I are building on this foundation. We're learning what it means to be saved through the work of Yeshua on the cross, how we live because he has taken our burden of sin, how to worship, how to hear and obey.
12Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.
When we first started our walk, we thought we were building with Gold, Silver and Jewels. - We were eagar to build with these materials, but we sometimes found that the teaching was teaching a "wood", or a "hay" or "straw". We didn't want this as our building materials, and so at first we just rejected the teaching but stayed in the church, and then eventually, had to decide to leave the church altogether. Our goal was to build a house as best as we could witht he bes materials.
13But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value.
Now there are some who don't really care what their house is being built out of, and there are others who DO care. Those who care are really wanting to build their houses out of gold, silver and jewels, but I do think that if the foundation has been twisted, has been distorted - away from Yeshua, or in addition to; then a house built with the best intentions, can still be built out of straw. I may be building a house out of straw, even though I think I'm building it out of gold, silver and jewels. When I go through the fire, I want my house to be standing.
14If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward.
I want a reward.
15But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss.
I don't want to suffer great loss.
The builders themselves will be saved, because the foundation is Yeshua but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. Do I want to barely make it to heaven? Do I want to be the bride who's had to take a taxi through heavy traffic, arriving late to her own wedding? or do I want to be the bride who arrives at the appointed time in a beautiful horse draw carriage. Just like I don't want to invest money on a renovation that in 5 years will fall into the ground because I've built it over an extension without a sure foundation, I am eagarly seeking to build my spiritual house on Yeshua.
16Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in[d] you? 17God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple.

18Stop fooling yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you will have to become a fool so you can become wise by God's standards. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
"God catches those who think they are wise
in their own cleverness."[e]
20And again,
"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are worthless."[f]
21So don't take pride in following a particular leader. Everything belongs to you: 22Paul and Apollos and Peter[g]; the whole world and life and death; the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Elohim has not changed since he created the world and the universe. He will not change between now and when He returns riding on his white horse, with his robe stained with the blood of his perfect bride's purity, and on into eternity. His Whole WORD is the material for building MY House. I'm understanding His Word like never before I have the Ruach Hakodesh to thank for that. Not that he has given me a new baptism, not that I have a new special gift, just that I am seeking HIM, the obey HIM and to know him. Each step I take in obedience to HIM brings everything into better and better focus for me to understand and obey and rejoice! Baruch Hashem!

Elu Elu, hotzianu, hotzianu miMitzrayim, hotzianu miMitzrayim, dayenu, daydayenu, daydayenu, daydayenu, dayenu, dayenu, yenu,dayenu
Elu Elu natan lanu et ha Torah, Dayenu!
Elu Elu natan lanu et Yeshua, Dayenu!

New Covenant

So let's talk about this New Covenant. I've never really looked at this New Covenant before. Something was briefly mentioned at Shabbat last week. It answered a question I'd been asked by a friend about us living in the New Covenant, and the Torah being written on our hearts. I was cofused about how to answer, not knowing much about the New Covenant, and having only just recently been introduced to the Torah, I wasn't really understanding her stance on the Torah being written on our hearts.

Here's my understanding on it it. I've got both the Hebrews 8 and Jeremiah 31 portions here in two different versions.

English: New American Standard Bible
English: Young's Literal Translation

Hebrews 8 [Commentary]
1.
Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
And the sum concerning the things spoken of [is]: we have such a chief priest, who did sit down at the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens,
2.
a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
of the holy places a servant, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord did set up, and not man,
3.
For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.
for every chief priest to offer both gifts and sacrifices is appointed, whence [it is] necessary for this one to have also something that he may offer;
4.
Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law;
for if, indeed, he were upon earth, he would not be a priest -- (there being the priests who are offering according to the law, the gifts,
5.
who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."
who unto an example and shadow do serve of the heavenly things, as Moses hath been divinely warned, being about to construct the tabernacle, for `See (saith He) thou mayest make all things according to the pattern that was shewn to thee in the mount;`) --
6.
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.
and now he hath obtained a more excellent service, how much also of a better covenant is he mediator, which on better promises hath been sanctioned,
7.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.
for if that first were faultless, a place would not have been sought for a second.
8.
For finding fault with them, He says, "BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;
For finding fault, He saith to them, `Lo, days come, saith the Lord, and I will complete with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, a new covenant,
9.
NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD.
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day of My taking [them] by their hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt -- because they did not remain in My covenant, and I did not regard them, saith the Lord, --
10.
"FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
because this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write them, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to Me for a people;
11.
"AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, `KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.
and they shall not teach each his neighbour, and each his brother, saying, Know thou the Lord, because they shall all know Me from the small one of them unto the great one of them,
12.
"FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."
because I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I will remember no more;` --
13.
When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
in the saying `new,` He hath made the first old, and what doth become obsolete and is old [is] nigh disappearing


I see that the OLD Covenant is ready to disappear, but I don't see that it HAS already disappeared.

"BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, - both say the days are coming, the one in Hebrews doesn't say the DAYS ARE HERE, so it seems it's still prophetic, but let's keep looking.

I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;
or
I will complete with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, a new covenant,

Well from this it would say to me that a New Covenant is with the House of Judah (Tribes of Judah and Benjamin) and the House of Israel (tribes of Reuben, Zebulun, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi). But according to the way things are right now, we only know who the House of Judah is, and the House of Israel is still "missing", "Lost", geneologies not available, so how can that covenant be revealed to people who don't even know they are part of it?

"FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
because this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write them, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to Me for a people;

It says after those days. After what days? Well, we need to back up to the verse I skipped NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. It would seem to me that the Israelites still do not follow the covenant, because they don't know the Messiah, they haven't completely walked with YHVH so that they would accept Him in the Flesh. If you look at the Romans 11 verses, where it talks about the branch being cast off, it will be returned to the Tree, but this hasn't happened yet.

So, back to "after those days"... "I will put my Laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people." If we look at this, one would have to believe that we already are part of either the House of Israel or the House of Judah to be part of this new covenant and have the law written on our minds. If you don't believe that you are part of the House of Israel, this covenant is not for you. I do believe that I am part of the House of Israel, but I don't have the Torah written on my mind, I have to search the scriptures to know what it says, and I have to search really hard to figure out what it MEANS.. I still don't know all that it means, but later on in this verse it says
"AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, `KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.
But I do still neeed to be taught, because I don't have complete understanding of God's Word, even if it's just the Pentetuch or if it's all the 66 books, I don't have complete understanding. We do also have to tell one another about The Lord, for there are many who don't know him, there are many from the House of Judah who still don't know him, and many from the least to the greatest, there are MANY who still don't know the Lord. We also can't look around and say that everyone standing next to me is a brother, for there is not complete peace in the world. So, for me, my understanding of this New Covenant is that it is still a future Covenant, not a current covenant. The New Covenant will come when Yeshua returns.

Lord, if only the Torah was written on my mind, I'd know for sure if my understanding was correct.

Yeshua Rejected

Sorry, I'm going to step away from Acts for tonight, but it is tied in with what I've been talking about with regard to the Jews not receiving the Gospel.

Today I worked with Myles helping him read his morning Bible reading. He's reading through the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 4, Yeshua (I'm not going to keep pounding on the Sabbath thing, but it's there too) goes to the Synagogue in Nazareth - his boyhood home - and read the Scriptures. - Oh can I just say I was "so there" when I was reading this. I've read this so many times before, but it wasn't really personal before, but look at this. Yeshua stands up at the front of a room full of his friends, family, relatives, peers, neighbours, those who knew his father, those who knew Mary as an unwed pregnant teen, those who knew him the time he went missing because he was in the Temple in Jerusalem. So Yeshua stands up and reads

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, ~~Remember Yeshua's baptism
for he has appointed me to preach Good
News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim ~~ Authority
that captives will be released, ~~like Moses from Egypt - salvation
that the blind will see, ~~Miracles
that the downtrodden will be freed from
their oppressors, ~~ released from bondage to HaSatan and this world
and that the time of the Lord's favor has come. ~~ After reading this, I nearly stood up and yelled, Look it's him, he's reading about himself.. look, look it's right there about why he came!

He puts the scroll away, and suddenly they all realize what he's read, that he's read about himself. Yeshua then says This scripture has come true today before your very eyes.

Then Yeshua continues in telling them that they won't believe him, that everytime we are asked to believe what's right before our eyes, we don't..

You see, belief in Yeshua has nothing to do with proof, it has to do with faith. We know He's Messiah because he fulfilled the prophecies, but that's not why we believe. We also don't believe because we witness miracles. We believe because we have willing hearts, because we want to believe. Proofs afterward help us understand who he is, miracles give us hope. People don't believe with their eyes, they believe with their hearts.

So, the question about why the Jews didn't believe... those who didn't believe, didn't because they were looking with their eyes, not their hearts. Remember, the eyes in Hebrew are an idiom for the heart.. good eye means a generous person, and a bad eye means a stingy person.

Open my heart Lord, make me see what's in your Word.

To the Jews, To the Gentiles

Acts 22. Paul give a testimony to the authenticity of his Jewish upbringing and and walk and then tells about how Yeshua revealed himself to him, and how Yeshua tells him to "Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't believe you when you give them your testimony about me." then "Leave Jerusalem, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles." And then the crowd revolted and wanted him killed.. Imagine that, the Lord was right!

Paul tried, he went to the synagogues everywhere he went and tried to speak to them, he went as a Jew, living the Torah, to the Jews, and yet they didn't believe him. And yet the Gentiles who didn't previously know anything about the Lord received the message with gusto.

Had a conversation with a girlfriend today - I know this isn't scripture study, but I want to record it here. We were talking about Catholic and Protestants, and how if you're a Bible believing Christian, it's thanks to the Catholics who decided which writings were actually canonical, and which weren't, and so Protestants who say they are "Bible Believing" are so, thanks to the Catholic Church. I was saying I don't consider myself a Protestant. Her reply was, if I'm not part of the Catholic Church, then I must be protesting it, no matter what church I'm in. But I don't agree. Before there was a Catholic Church, there were Christians, both of Jewish and non Jewish origins. Peter may have been the Bishop of Rome - the beginning of the Catholic Church they say, but Peter was a Jew, Paul was a Jew, and they all had the Tanach as their foundation, even if the writings of the Brit Chadashah had not been formulated into one collection. Before there were Gentile believers, there were Jewish believers who were Torah keepers. Before there was a Catholic Church, there was the Acts Chapter 2 Church. I'm not protesting the Catholic Church, I'm just interested in what the Word says. Am I thankful that the men in the 3rd century put together the Cannon? Sure.. do I give them the glory? No, they were HaShem's vessels doing the work that He wanted them to do.. just as I'm thankful for Wycliffe, and all the others that have given me the opportunity to read the Bible in many different languages and versions to compare and really get into understanding it.

Here's something that came up on an e-loop today.
2 Ti.2:15 Study to show thyself approved onto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD of truth. KJV
Now, this old English makes it sound like we are to divide God's word into things that we deem as truth, and things that we can cast off as untruth. In today's world, there are denominations who want to cast off the Pentetuch, the Torah because it doesn't seem to fit with their idea of Christianity, so why have it.. 'it's neglegable now that Messiah died on the cross.' Gimme a break! If it's God's word, it's God's word! If God didn't want it in his Canon, he wouldn't have allowed the Catholic Church fathers to put it in there nearly 2000 years ago! If God knew the Jew's weren't going to receive the message, then why did he bother sending the message through the Jews, why not do away with them the same way he dealt with the rebellious people in Noah's day. He did, because there's a message in there, a teaching, and we shouldn't miss it.. it's got to do with the Olive tree and the branch that was cast off.

God had a purpose, and his purpose is to be fulfilled, it started with the Torah, God's word to reveal the Messiah, and then Yeshua even said. Matthew 5:13 "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until it's purpose is achieved. So, if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But I warn you - unless you obey better that the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all."

Yeshua came because he gave the Torah, Yeshua came because He is the Torah. It hasn't been abolished, it is to be followed until heaven and earth disappear. I'm still living on earth, it's still here, so the law of Moses is to be obeyed to every jot and tittle, every word, every detail. Does this negate the Mercy of YHVH? Does it deny my salvation through the work of Yeshua on the cross? NO, not at all.

Peter and the leaders in Jerusalem sent Paul out to the mission field with a letter that said that the Gentile believers were to Acts 21:25 They should not eat food offered to idols, nor consumer blood, nor eat meat from strangled animals, and they should stay away from all sexual immorality" These are like the baby steps of obeying the Torah, the bare essentials. They aren't the details, but Peter wasn't refuting what Yeshua said about keeping every detail, he was getting the Gentiles started, just as we don't teach our children to ride motocross on their first day on a bike, we start them off on a tricycle, or a bike with training wheels...Peter was starting the Gentiles off with an introduction to the Torah.. Torah 101 if you will.

Taking the Whole Gospel

On the Sabbath, we heard a message from Eddie Chumney elaborating on the Passover and how it relates to Messiah, and why we should still be celebrating Passover.

Exodus 12
The Passover 1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb [a] for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire-head, legs and inner parts. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover.
12 "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-both men and animals-and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD . 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
14 "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat-that is all you may do.
17 "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread."
21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. 23 When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
24 "Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' 27 then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD , who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.' " Then the people bowed down and worshiped. 28 The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron.

I'll give scripture addresses, but you'll have to look them up, or this post will be a mile long.

Passover - Pesach - is called the Festival of our Freedom

The blood on the doorposts is to teach us about Messiah~~ John 1:29

We are called His house~~ Hebrews 3:6, 1 Peter 2:5

Messiah is the door~~ Sorry missed this reference

We are to circumcise the foreskin of our hearts ~~ Philippians 3:3

The blood of Yeshua redeems us from sin~~ Ephesians 1:3, 1:7, 1Peter 1:18-19

The body of the lamb must be eaten ~~Exodus 12:8-9

Yeshua is our Passover Lamb~~ John 6:4, 6:51, 1 Corinthians 5:7

Eat the lamb means believe that Yeshua is the Messiah ~~ John 6:52-57

Flesh in Hebrew is Basar - meaning flesh of humans or animals. It is also the same word as Basar - meaning to announce, good tidings, preach, publish, announce salvation as good news.

Isaiah 52:7 and 61:1 both have the word Basar meaning good tidings

When you eat the flesh you are proclaiming good tidings.

Do not let anything remain of the Passover lamb ~ equate this with do not leave anything out of the gospel - believe it all~~ Mark 1:14-15 2Corinthians 5:21, 6:2

Eat the Flesh with Unleavened Bread~~ Exodus 12:8

Leaven is our sin~~ 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Unleaven bread represents being without sin - Holy~~ Leviticus 9:2, 1 Peter 1:15-16

Yeshua is unleaven - He is without sin

The lamb was eaten with bitter herbs Exodus 12:8

Bitterness represents being disobedient to YHVH and his Torah~~ Jeremiah 2:19, 4:17-18
Bitterness represents rebellions, rebelliousness, wickedness. In Hebrew the word is M'ror meaning bitter thing, bitter herb, bitterness. A similar word in Hebrew is marah to be contentious, be rebellious to be discontent.

Exodus 12:8, 15:23, Jeremiah 4:16-17

hardship and trials, testing in bitterness~~Exodus 15:23, Lamentations 1:4, 3:1, 3:15

Yeshua drank of a bitter cup at Gethsemane~~ Mark 14:32-36
Gethsemane means drawing out the oil from the olives, means a place of pressure.

We are to press on through, no matter what the trial or hardship.

Roasted with fire Exodus 12:8

Fire represents judgment ~~ Genesis 19:24, Exodus 9:23, Jeremiah 52:13, Revelation 20:10
Fire represents refinement and purification~~Psalm 12:6, Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:3
Fire represents the trials of our faith~~ 1Peter 1:7, James 1:2-3, 1:12

The head of the lamb must be eaten~~Ex 12:8

The head represents the mind of Yeshua~~Philippians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 2:16

Our minds should be renewed in Messiah ~~ Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23

Torah should be written on our minds~~ Deuteronomy 6:6, 6:8, Romans 7:25

The legs must be eaten~Exodus 12:8-9

Legs represent our walk with Yeshua and following the Torah~~Colossians 2:6, 1John 2:6, John 14:15 1John 5:3

Walking in Torah is walking in Truth~~Psalm 119:142, Psalm 86:11, 1 John 1:6, 3John 1:4

Walking in Torah is walking in the Light~~Proverbs 6:23, Isaiah 2:5, Ephesians 5:8, 1 John 1:7

Walking in Torah is also walking in Love~~ Ephesians 5:2, 2John 1:6

We are to walk in the Ruach Hakodesh~~Ezekiel 36:27, Romans 8:1, Galatians 5:16

We are to walk by Faith~~ 2 Corinthians 5:7

We are to walk in the Ruach Hakosesh, not according to rabbinical law, nor any other man made law.

We are to walk in newness of life~~ Romans 6:1-4

The entire lamb must be eaten~!~ Exodus 12:8-9

We are to dedicate our lives to the kingdom of YHVH~~1Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 12:1

The lamb must be eaten in haste~~ Exodus 12:11

We should quickly leave the ways of the world and follow Yeshua the Messiah~~ Luke 19:5-6

Yeshua is our target~~ Philippians 3:13-14

The lamb must be eaten with our loin girded Exodus 12:11

Our loins are girded with Truth~~ Psalm 119:142, Ephesians 6:13-14

The lamb must be eaten with shoes on our feet~~ Exodus 12:11

Shoes represent messengers who preach the gospels of Yeshua~~Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15, Ephesians 6:15

The lamb is to be eaten with a staff in your hand~~Exodus 12:11

A staff represents power and authority to rule and reign~~ 1Samuel 17:40, 45

Pharaoh is a broken staff~~Isaiah 36:6
The authority of this world is a broken staff

The staff of the Good Shepherd brings comfort~~Psalm 23:1, John 10:11, Psalm 23:4

The Messiah gave his authority to his people to rule and reign~~ Matthew 28:18-20

It is YHVH's Passover~~Exodus 12:11-13
Yeshua is our Passover~~John 5:24, 1 Corinthians 5:7
Passover is a memorial~~Exodus 12:14
We are to remember the exodus from Egypt ~~Exodus 13:3, Deuteronomy 24:18
We are to remember to keep the Torah~~Numbers 15:38-39, Deuteronomy 16:12
YHVH remembers his covenant with The Fathers to Redeem his people~~Exodus 2:23-24
YHVH remembers his covenant ~~Luke 1:63, 67, 68, 72, 73
The Passover lamb is to be sacrificed in Jerusalem~~Yeshua was crucified in Jerusalem at Golgotha
The Passover lambs bones shall not be broken~~ Exodus 12:43-46 John 19:33
There is to be an explanation of the Passover and it's events~~ Luke 22:15, 19-20
The Egyptians were spoiled by the Israelites~~Yeshua spoiled HaSatan, the enemy~~ Psalm 68:18, Ephesians 4:8, 1 Corinthians 2:8, Revelation 1:18

The Right Hand defeated the Egyptians~~Exodus 15:6, Psalm 98:1
The Passover Seder ends with the cry "Next Year in Jerusalem!"~~ Matthew 26:30
The Future redemption is the song of the lamb Psalm 137:3,4, Revelation 15:3

Hebrews 8:8 the New Covenant. We are not yet in the new covenant. When we see all of Israel obeying the Torah and understanding their Messianic message, then we will not need to teach the truth, for everyone will know it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well if that wasn't enough to digest, let me just tell you about My Portion for today, Sunday, in Acts 19 we read about Paul's third missionary journey to Ephesus where he found several believers, who did not have the Holy Spirit. Now, in the past I've been taught that they didn't have the Holy Spirit because that's a secondary event. But if we look at this passage, they didn't have the whole gospel.. Remember in the Passover lesson, we need to eat the WHOLE LAMB - have the Whole Gospel. These "believers" didn't have the whole gospel, they hadn't been told about Yeshua, they had only been prepared by John for repentance. As soon as Paul told them the Whole Gospel, about Yeshua, then they believed and were baptized and received the Holy Spirit. Not a second event at all.. THE Event of Salvation.

We can take our children to church, teach them at home, have them read the scriptures for themselves and together as a family.. all in preparation of the heart, but until they believe for themselves, they have not received Salvation and can't even know The Holy Spirit. It's all a personal decision.. not several events, but one event.

I Love your Word O Lord

Gospel to the Jews

A Story
One year in Tel Aviv a group of YWAMers found a pile of bread just sitting outside on the ground. So they thought "Oh a blessing" then they went around and gave it to Jews and told them about Jesus!! It was passover. Some family went inside to get the matches and came out to find their bread gone!!!!

Remember yesterday I was talking about circumcision not being a pre-requisite to salvation, well, in tonights reading of Acts 16, right there in the first 3 verses, Paul and Silas arrange for Timothy to be circumcised. HELLO? What? Ok, let's look at something for a minute.
Acts 13:5 Paul and Barnabus go to a Jewish synagogue to preach the word of God.
Acts 13:14 Paul and Barnabus, on the Sabbath went to the synagogue for the service.
Acts 14:1 In Iconium, Paul and Baranbus went toghether to the synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.

It seems Paul's mission is to the Jews, and as a by-product, the Gentiles believe. So why is it that they get Timothy to be circumcised. Well, when you're mission field is to a certain culture, it's important to be sympathetic to that culture. If you read the story above, you'll see that the YWAM missionaries were not prepared for their mission field. They were trying to give the Jews the Gospel, using a symbol epitomizing sin! What Jew would receive that message? So, as Timothy is going to be ministering to the Jews, the circumcision becomes a symbol of understanding the Jewish culture. It's not about salvation in this context, it's about making the communication smoother.

SHEMA - Hear and understand, Hear and put it in your heart. How can we communicate our message of salvation through Yeshua unless we understand the one who is to hear the message, and present it in a way that person will SHEMA the message.

I don't want to be that fellow offering bread at Pesach, as a symbol representing Yeshua - no matter what the culture or nationality of the person I'm speaking to. May God open my eyes to hear what I need to know, in order to share Yeshua and his salvation with those around me.

The Council at Jerusalem

In reading Acts 15, I'm seeing that the first question was; Should the non-Jew believers be circumcised in order to receive salvation? The Apostles discussed this and decided that God knows people's hearts and so there was no distinction between non-Jews and Jews in faith. So, to burden the non-Jews with this circumcizion isn't going to gain me - a non-Jew any more salvation than a circumsized Jew. The other part of the question, down in verse 5 was whether the non-Jews should keep the Law of Moses.

The message that was sent out to the Gentile Believers in verses 23-29 was that they needn't be circumcised, but that they should "abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or eating meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality." To me this equals the Law of Kashrut and the Law of Niddah. If I'm not to eat food offered to idols, I wonder what the foods are offered to idols? Well, I've looked and looked and can't find it, maybe that's what the Lord will reveal to me in time. But I do know that the offerings to the Lord were cattle, lamb, goat, pigeons, doves - so those things wouldn't be offered to idols and they wouldn't be offensive to God. So that means I can eat those, and I do... well chicken instead of doves. The instruction in Leviticus 17 teaches us
10 " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood-I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood."

And then Leviticus 18 is all about forbidden sexual practices, which includes verse 19 " 'Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period." which is the Law of Niddah.

In Act15, the Apostles said of the Phariseical comment 5Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”The decision was 10Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” So is it the circumcizion that is a heavy burden? The whole Law? Clearly by the letter sent by the Apostles to the Gentile Believers, the part of the Law which seems to be Niddah and Kashrut must not be too much of a burden, because they encourage the believers to do this.

Jesus said
Matthew 11
28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Is this yoke Jesus is speaking of the same yoke the Apostles were saying was a burden? He's saying this to those who believe in him, those who believed when they saw the miracles he had done.

I don't find the "Yoke" of keeping the Law of Niddah and the Law of Kashrut a burden that is unbearable. It does refresh my soul and give me rest. I find peace in the walk I'm on. I am learning from Yeshua many new things, things I'm searching for, things he's showing me, things I'm being led to.

The Service.

You know, in my Christian life, I've seen in the scriptures... what has been revealed to me. But my eyes were not always completely open, sometimes I refuse to see what is there, sometimes I'm blind to what is there, and sometimes I only see what I'm led to see.

Tonight, as the family was reading our Daily Portion, I saw what I'd never seen before. It made me wonder if I've ever read this portion before.

Acts 13
13From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”
16Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said:

So what is it? What was it I saw for the first time? Paul went to talk to the Jews, on the Sabbath. There was reading of the Torah and the TaNaCH. And then there was Midrash. Why have I never seen this before? Well, because up until this year, this format was foreign to me. To me, Church never looked like this. Church was a Sunday thing, and Singing and Preaching.. and then leaving. Now that I'm at Lighthouse to the Communities, I recognize this format, as this is how our weekly service goes.

Sadly, the other thing I saw was the Paul - a Jew- went to talk to Jews in other areas, and was rejected, and it was the non-Jews who listened, who heard, and who followed. Why is that? Well Acts 13:45 says that the Jewish leaders were jealous, but it goes deeper than that. Look at this: Measuring God's word against itself

Psalm 118 22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;

Zechariah 13
7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is close to me!"
declares the LORD Almighty.
"Strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered,
and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land," declares the LORD ,
"two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
yet one-third will be left in it.
9 This third I will bring into the fire;
I will refine them like silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
and I will answer them;
I will say, 'They are my people,'
and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.' "

1Peter 2
5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”[a]
7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,[b]”[c]
8and,
“A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”[d]
They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for.

May Adonai give me ears to hear and eyes to see.