A Guest Post!

 I share the same thoughts about Christmas as my friend Leslie and would like to share them with you as well.  Shalom.

You can click on the title to go directly to her blog. 

WHY I DO NOT CELEBRATE christmas

December 14th, 2010

MY REASONS:
Two things I’ve learned this year about Christmas:
1. It is nowhere in Scriptures and in no way accurately depicts the birth of the Messiah. In fact, there is a feast that does reflect the birth of Yeshua.
2. Not only is it not Scriptural, it is actually a pagan holiday- from the date to the tree, to the gift-giving and the wreath.
Now there are a few things I know about YHVH, our Elohim:
1. He is a jealous God.

“For the LORD your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24 (see also Exodus 34:14)

2. He wants me to worship Him in spirit & in truth.

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

3. He does not want me worshiping other gods- so much so that He gave it to Moses as the very first commandment.

“And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’ ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’” Exodus 20:1 (see also Deut. 5:6-7)

4. Nor does He want me to worship Him how others worship their gods. Those practices are detestable to Him.

“Take heed that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? –that I also may do likewise.’ You shall not do so to the LORD your God; for every abominable thing which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. “Everything that I command you you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to it or take from it.” Deuteronomy 12:30-32

“Thus says the LORD: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are false. A tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. Men deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” There is none like thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.” Jeremiah 10:2-6

MY FEELINGS:
Often times when I feel convicted about something, I only share the conviction but not the feelings that accompany it. I’m afraid this may cause me to seem like a stoic, heartless believer. And that just isn’t the case. My heart is no different than anyone else’s―it longs, it aches, it breaks. So, if you have the impression that I have no reverence for memories or tradition, or that I all too quickly toss aside anything that has the smallest hint of impurity in it or that I believe myself to be above it, please know that it is far from the truth. I must get down on my knees DAILY and repent. YHVH (Lord), our Elohim (our God) has much work to do with me still. Just so we’re all clear. This isn’t about being perfect, it is about following direction.
Some of my favorite memories from my childhood involved things like easter egg hunts and putting cookies out for Santa. And I was happily set out to make the same kind of memories with my own children. Now, I know some of you never included those activities in your religious celebrations, but we did not know any better. I first read the Bible as an adult, and for all I was aware as a child, God and Santa were good friends. That sounds a bit absurd, but honestly the thought never crossed my mind what the Lord, YHVH, wanted me to do. I just pursued what I wanted, and as I matured, what I “thought” was best.
As I grew in my faith, I knew what was bad, and I avoided those activities. I did not kill anyone; I felt guilty when I lied; I tried not to steal. I understood the blacks and the whites. And I thought Jesus just encompassed all the grey with his love. I believed (I think because I was taught) that all those grey areas, the iffy subjects, did not matter because I was a believer. Because I loved him, I would always be washed white— no matter how many stains I willingly got on my shirt. As long as my heart and mind were on Yeshua (Jesus), I did not think whatever worldly occasions I embraced really mattered. I did not know this, however:

“The inclination of the human heart is evil from youth.” ~Genesis 8:21
“Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences.” ~Proverbs 4:23
“All a person’s ways are right in his own view, but YHVH weighs the heart.”  ~Proverbs 21:2

Please hear me correctly: I certainly believe Yeshua ha’Moschiach came to redeem us from our sins so that would could be washed clean. But he will come again to gather his sheep, and who are his sheep? Those who listen to his voice and obey his commands. So, if there is something the Almighty commands us not to do, wouldn’t you want to know?
I did not come lightly to the realization that I needed to change a few things- that some things to which I’d grown accustomed, YHVH, in fact, detested. I am admittedly a bit sad this year, for the changing of traditions, for the fact it saddens others around me. Oh, how I wish we had not inherited futile, useless customs! I am trying my best to follow YHVH’s leading on this and pray for His guidance as each situation arises. There is a time for everything. There will be a time to speak and a time to be quiet, a time to participate and a time to stay away. And there will be a time to celebrate! YHVH gives us wonderful Feast days, all His appointed times, His prophetic messages. HalleluYAH!
May YHVH light your way as you walk the narrow path.
_________________________________
I leave you with a conversation I had the other day with my oldest son, who is 11:
Me : “I have to admit, honey, I am gonna miss Christmas a little.”
Son: “Don’t worry, Mama, as we celebrate the feasts more & more they will become fun traditions too.”


Filed under: "holy"days? Comments (7) Article tags: bible, Christmas, commandments, holiday, paganism, YHVH

Thankfulness...

The World is Mine

The World Is Mine
Today, upon a bus I saw
A lovely maid with golden hair;
I envied her_ she seemed so gay_
And, oh, I wished i were so fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle;
She had one foot, and wore a crutch_
But as she passed, she had a smile!

Oh, God, forgive me when I wine;
I have two feet! The world is mine!

And when I stopped to buy some sweets,
The lad who served me had such charm;
He seemed to radiate good cheer;
His manner was so kind and warm.
I said, "It's so nice to deal with you.
Such courtesy I seldom find."
He turned and said, "Oh thank you, sir!"
And then I saw that he was blind!

Oh, God, forgive me when I wine;
I have two eyes! The world is mine!

Then walking down the street I saw
A little boy with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched as others played;
It seemed he knew not what to do.
I stopped a moment; then said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word,
And then I knew he could not hear!

Oh, God, forgive me when I wine;
I have two ears! The world is mine!

With feet to take me where I'd go_
With eyes to see the sunset glow_
With ears to hear what I should know_

Oh, God, forgive me when I wine;
I'm blessed indeed! The world is mine!

- Author Unknown

A Challenge...

"Well, He knows my heart"

Oh how lukewarm I feel after watching this video...I desire a heart like David's, humble, ready to repent and CHANGE, accepting the consequences of my actions when I DO sin!  I want my heart to mirror Yah's heart!!  No more excuses,  but to dig into Torah and KNOW His heart so He can circumcise my own!  With tears I write this, as I know how selfish I am and how much I need to change and WANT to change! Thank you Abba for Your grace and mercy as I seek YOU and learn how YOU want me to worship You and live my life for You.

Struggles

Well, it's high time I updated my blog!
I will start by saying, I've been questioning a lot of things lately....mostly I've been struggling with the validity of the Bible....now before anyone freaks out, just listen to what my struggle was, and what I came up with, there's tons of room for comments at the end and I WOULD love to hear them if you have any!

We know that Yahweh told us not to add or take away from the Scriptures, right?  Deut. 4:2 "²Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." and again in Deut. 12:32 ^"32What thing soever I command you, observe to do it. Thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it."

So this began my troubled state...what then do we make of Paul's letters? that today's churches seem to preach from yet forsake Torah.  I had been stressed hugely this fall about this.  I KNOW that today's churches are NOT where I want to be, nor do I find them (generally) to be a holy place to worship Yahweh.
It seems to me that today's churches abuse Yah's grace way too much, otherwise we would see them still studying Torah.
It seems the church is trying to fit in with the world so that those who "visit" are comfortable there and come back...sheesh.  Talk about salt that's lost its savor!  If the Rauch HaKodesh can not draw people back then perhaps something is wrong with the church!  Are we not supposed to be a set apart people? a peculiar people is what Scriptures say! (Deut 14:2) That doesn't sound to me like we're supposed to "blend in" or make the world "comfortable".  Oy, the enemy seems to have deceived many....the narrow way is not that narrow anymore if you look at today's churches...and yet, it truly is just as narrow as it's ever been, and it makes me nervous for all those involved in today's churches. (I'm being very general when I say 'churches' please remember that)  I think about the church we left 2 yrs ago and how their goal was to be "fun and relevant in today's world"....the worship service was less about worshiping God and more about, "do I look and sound good to everyone?" and then there are the small groups that you sign up for, but if you're not "cool" enough no one phones you to join any of them (I'm not even kidding).  Oh and I forgot to mention the introduction of the pastor being more like a Jay Leno show! sigh...I forgot to mention the clothing issue...or the lack thereof...should I really have to cover my son's eyes during the worship service because the lady in front of him is wearing thong underwear and low rise jeans...oh dear, I'm getting way off track, where was I, oh yeah, we need to be the salt of the earth. Yahweh called His children a peculiar people, set-apart, in the world but not of the world.
Ok so back to adding to the Scriptures...
So everything after the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) was added.  That doesn't mean that those other books are not important! Just that we need to weigh them against the Torah...just like any non-fiction book out there.  Here is what my friend Sombra wrote on facebook recently, in answer to the question, why would she read the apocrypha.

Why are the Apocrypha writings any different from the BritChadasha(new testament) writings?? Who made the decision which books are for the Canon and which are not? - and do I trust the theology of those men???? I STUDY Torah... that is my teaching book..... but I do read from other writings, like the book the Heart of David by Dr. Hazim.. so why wouldn't I read a book written about what happened to Judah Maccabee and how God used him to restore Torah to the Jews? Have I read the other books of the Apocrypha? um, yes, some.. but can't recall anything at the moment, and there's also the book of Enoch and the book of Jasher and the Book of Adam.. but STUDY? I Study Torah.. and everything else is measured against Torah.

She just said it so perfectly well, I had to share it...and now I'm off to find a Catholic Bible with the Apocrypha!  Not to study mind you, but to read and perhaps learn more history of that time period! And I've never read the story of the Maccabees and Hanukkah IS in 30 days!!!
More wisdom from Sombra below...lol

And it says it LAST in Revelation... the question is.. what is THE WORD that is not to be added to?? If we're not to add to the BIBLE, NOR TAKE AWAY from it, then how dare we write any new commentaries, or discussions, or how we walked it ...out.. because that's what the New Testament is.. and if we're not to take away from it, how dare we say that words from the Torah are no longer relevant

so is the WORD of God, the 66 books of the Bible? Is the Word of God the 66 books and 15 books of the Apocrapha? Is the Word of God everything that happens in our lives? or is the Word of God the Torah? I think you could make an argument for each of those, but when it comes to adding or taking away, I think the only definition that fits is the Torah.

It's the 6th month...otherwise known as Elul.

First of all...how do you even say it?!  Eeelul?  Eloool?  sigh...Good thing we are going to start learning Hebrew this year...
Soooo what's so great about THIS month?  Well, it's the last month of the Jewish year....next month we start over in our Torah portions, back at the very beginning of the Bible.  The 6th month is a month of looking back over the year and making wrongs right, and extending forgiveness to those who have hurt us, whether it was intentional or not.  What a perfectly good way to start the new year, eh?  Starting with a clean slate...starting at B'resheet, the beginning.  This is the first year we have observed the Feasts of Yahweh.  And so far, I have not remembered to blow my shofar every morning when I wake up this month.  It's something I'd like to remember, simply so that I'm reminded to think about the past years and people that I've hurt.  It's kind of like wearing tzitzits...just to remind us of how Yahweh has commanded us to live.  Because I love Him, I want with all my heart to obey Him and I'm overwhelmed sometimes at the grace He extends as I seek Him and learn how He wants me to live and honor Him...I often feel like a little toddler learning to walk...very unsteady and lacking balance at times, and then sometimes being able to run wildly until I hit a wall...sigh.

What have you been up to this month in preparation of the Feast of Trumpets?

Moved and Settling....

Wow, we're all moved into our new place and trying to sort through and unpack the boxes....which is going rather slow because my little independent one yr old is acting out a bit by going from one room to the next being a whirlwind tornado leaving a disaster in a matter of seconds!  Seriously, I now understand why there are "mommy's helpers" for hire!!! 

The move went well, we hired movers, but they could only take about 3/4 of our stuff...sigh.  We do a better job packing a truck full, but then we're not as careful as they were and pack it pretty tight.  So the move ended up dragging from Sunday all through Friday....Friday being the day we did the walk thru and left the keys on the Stove and forgot our expensive milk in the fridge...sigh.

 Friday is also the day that while I was sweeping out the garage, Jamie and the kids made a final dump run before loading up the last tiny bit of outdoor things to be moved.  While at the dump, Jamie lost his footing and fell out of the back of the truck and landed on his head and right shoulder.  He tore a ligament in his shoulder and broke his left thumb!  So his right arm is supposed to be in a cast and his left thumb, wrist and forearm are in a cast with pins holding his thumb together...right now he's in tons of pain and is hopped up on Tylenol 3's with caffeine and codeine...oy....and yet extra strength ibuprofen works better for him.  Weird...lol

Today is a somewhat "normal" day.  We are trying to find a routine even though we are still in unpacking mode.  The kids and I need some semblance of normal.  A schedule of some sort so we know what is happening with our day, this will eliminate a lot of meltdowns and unmet expectations.

That's the update for today.  Check out my other blog for an update on my thoughts about birthdays!

Takin' a Break.

Yup, takin' a break from blogging for at least a month. Maybe two! lol  Am going to concentrate on purging and packing my house up and moving to the country.  I'm excited to get out of the country!  And Starbucks will still only be 5 minutes away! hee hee
You can read a better update on my other blog. 
Enjoy your summer! Shalom!

Feelin' Productive!

What an awesome day!  Even though we all slept in til 9am, I enjoyed such a good day! by noon, I had my Bible reading done, bread rising, 2 loads of laundry done, kitchen nice and clean and picked something up from freecycle!

It is now 4 pm, bread is in the oven, a huge garbage bag of toys is purged along with another garbage bag of clothes. The kids are happy, I am happy...what more can you possibly want??!!  Well, other than winning the lottery, but you have to actually buy lottery tickets to win...lol

 I was nervous this morning though and wondered what my day was going to be like...Malachi right from getting out of bed was literally running from one bad thing to the next, looking at me with a question in his eyes..."are you paying attention to me mom?"  yes...I was nervous indeed!  He's been a good little guy though with his new toys from freecycle! Yes this is why I purged a huge garbage bag of toys...lol to make room for more...but I DID get rid of more than I brought home! Yay me! lol

Off to make supper and brave the park later on!

A short and sweet explanation of things!

Yahshua is the groom. Israel was the bride. They were married at Mount Sinai. Did he throw away his bride and replace her with another? Or did he remarry his bride? He REMARRIED his bride. I praise YHWH that I am Israel! Through faith I am joined to his family and become his bride. Who was the law given too? ISRAEL.. his bride.

Who's in Your Home?

This was on a blogger friends blog, she had read it in a newspaper
and it was submitted anonymously.

A few months before I was born
my Dad met a stranger who was
new to our small town.
From the beginning, Dad was
fascinated with this enchanting
new comer and soon invited him
to live with our family.

The stranger was quickly accepted and was
around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up , I never questioned his place in my family.
In my mind he had a special niche.

My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me
the word of God, and dad taught me to obey it.

But the stranger? He was our story teller.
He would keep us spell bound for hours on end
with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics,
history or science, he always knew the answers about
the past,understood the present, and even seemed to be able
to predict the future!

He took my family to the first major league ball game.
He made me laugh, and he made me cry.
The stranger never stopped talking, but my Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us
were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say,
and she would go to her room and read her books.
( I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our house hold with certain moral convictions,
but this stranger never felt obligated to honor them.
Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home...
not from us, our friends, or any visitors. Our long time visitor,
however, got away with four letter words that burned my ears,
and made my dad squirm and my mom blush.

My Dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol
in the home, not even for cooking. But the stranger
encouraged us to try it on regular basis.
He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished.

He talked freely ( much to freely) about sex.
His comments were sometimes blatant,
sometimes suggestive,and generally embarrassing.

I know my early concepts about relationships were influenced
strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he apposed the values
of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked..... and never asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger
moved in with our family. He has blended right in
and is not as fascinating as he was at first.

Still, if you were to walk into my parents den today
you would still find him sitting over in his comer,
waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name? We just call him T.V.

(I'm happy to say that when we move next month, TV will not be coming with us!)

Aaronic Blessing

Walking as Messiah Walked:Guarding TORAH

Paralyzed by Grace....by Sombra Wilson

Paralyzed by Grace?

"In most churches we’re not

 only saved by grace, we’re paralyzed by it.  We’re afraid to do anything that might be a ”work.”  The funny thing is we will preach to people for an hour that they can’t do anything to be saved, and then sing to them for a half an hour trying to get them to do something…. People need to see that action is a receptacle for grace, not a substitute for it.  Grace is God acting in our lives to do things we can’t do on our own.  Grace is not opposed to effort; it’s opposed to earning.”(Dallas Willard, Interview, Leadership Magazine, Summer 2005, pge 23)

The gift of Grace is not an excuse to cease from doing – yes DOING what we are commanded to do once we have received salvation. Grace empowers us, sets us free so that we can step out of the ways of this world and be God’s peculiar people, walking in His ways, not a Christianized version of secular ways.  Read from Matthew 5 and see who it is who is blessed. These are the righteous who are living by Torah, and being persecuted for it. And the next part of scripture is the one about salt not losing it’s saltyness. What is salt without flavour?  It’s like a Christian who has no impact on this world because really, he looks just like the world. But what about the fellow who believes in Christ, and walks just as Christ did, as the Torah teaches us, wow oh wow do we stand out from the world, and wow oh wow are we persecuted for it, with words like “trying to earn your salvation” or “forsaking the gift of grace”, persecuted for the way we look and the way we live and what we believe and what days we keep.
No, I’m not paralyzed by grace, nor have I forsaken the gift of grace, rather, I have been set free to keep the righteousnesss and wisdom that is found in the Torah. Grace has set me free and I am DOING the will of God. "

I love it when I find words from others that mirror my heart and thoughts!  Bless you Sombra!

Ergo baby carrier giveaway!!!

http://raisingolives.com/2010/06/ergobaby-carrier-review/#comment-23635

Seriously!  This is awesome!  I've heard no bad reviews for an ergo yet!

The Shema

The children and I are learning The Shema. 


We will start with the first verse for now and learn the English words as well, since we don't know much Hebrew as of yet and it's important to know what we're saying even if we like how Hebrew "sounds"...lol

Very cool thread on facebook today!

So.. since the common theme of thought among the world is that Paul taught the law was a burden, done away with, and taught against it.. lets make a collection of all the verses where he says the total opposite of that. Just add one's you have on the top of your head to the comment. :)

3 hours ago · Comment ·

Suzanne McDaniel

Ro 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid

In Romans 7 he goes into great detail to tell us that the law is good and he doesn't die to it.. instead he dies to the law of sin and death.

3 hours ago ·

Suzanne McDaniel

Ro 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

The very next verse he tells us again that there is ANOTHER law (the law of sin and death) and that is what he dies to.

3 hours ago ·

Barbara Johnson Sandefur

Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

3 hours ago ·

Suzanne McDaniel

Ro 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

That comes after he tells them you are saved by faith, not works.. but just in case they got the idea they no longer needed to follow the law he throws that verse in to clarify.

3 hours ago ·

Suzanne McDaniel

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

(all scripture being good for doctrine would certainly include the ONLY scritpures they had at that time.. the old testament)

3 hours ago ·

Ken Cagle

Do we then make void the Torah through faith? Elohim forbid: yea, we establish the Torah.
(Rom 3:31)

3 hours ago ·

Christa Stone

1Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us KEEP THE FEAST, not with OLD YEAST OR with yeast of malice and evil....

2 hours ago ·

Christa Stone

Galatians 3:21 Is the LAW therefore contrary to Elohim's promises? Absolutly not!

2 hours ago ·

Scotty Heidi Fitzgibbon

Rom 8:4-9 "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk NOT after the FLESH, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the ... See Morecarnal mind is ENMITY against God: FOR IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, neither indeed can be. SO THEN THEY THAT ARE IN THE FLESH CANNOT PLEASE GOD. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

The Spirit will never lead a person contrary to the Torah of YHVH. Being led by the Spirit = walking in the Torah, the perfect Word of YHVH.

2 hours ago ·

Suzanne McDaniel

romans is certainly an eye opening book when you learn to put it in context! In chapter 7 he tells us that the law is good and holy and that is not the law we die to.. He then introduces another law which is the law of sin and death and tells us THAT is the law we die too. And then in that verse the previous poster put he tells us WHO is not subject to the law (torah).. the CARNAL MINDED and those who are at enmity with YHVH.

wow!

2 hours ago ·

Got a question for you!

Can you prove what you believe from the old testament alone? That's all Jesus and Peter and James and John and Paul had.

Fresh Starts...

They're really nice aren't they?  I find I need one every once in awhile.  Recently I deleted my facebook account, but found I really missed the fellowship of my TO friends!  So I rejoined. My handle there is the same as my blog, so go find me if you like!

The verse I posted above is a verse that is new to me....and hadn't realized (I have no idea why!) that word battles about Torah were wrong.  I would have people challenging something I posted on facebook and I always got caught up in the fight, in the desire to be "right"...it's not worth it.  I can only read Scripture and obey.  Others can (if they want to) learn from me by example, keeping in mind I'm human!!  I will try to spread the Word of God where ever I go because there are so many that are struggling to find meaning in life!  I MUST encourage them to seek God!  But to argue with other Believers is pointless and not godly!  Scripture speaks for itself.  I try so hard not to read it with man's doctrine in my head but because I was raised in it, it's hard to unlearn! I am a work in process....we ALL are!  I hope you will be blessed by the things I post, whether my own thoughts or others that I wish to share with you!