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How to Be Healed of Spiritual Blindness

One of the curious things about spiritual blindness is that the one affected usually has no awareness of being blind!

Friend and blogger, Anne Elliott of Anne’s Coffee Break, has recently written an interesting piece exploring blindness.  Much good meat in this piece to consider.

How to Be Healed of Spiritual Blindness

May 13, 2016 by 3 Comments

Last week, I studied what the Bible has to say about healing, especially since I’ve been pondering blindness. This week, a verse in Revelation jumped off the page at me, and I knew I needed to study it further.

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

“‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”’” (Revelation 3:14-22, NKJV).

I thought about the spiritual blindness that is permeating our country — no, the churches of our country — and yet, as Yeshua says, we do not know that we are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

If 78% of Americans consider themselves Christians, according to an August 2015 report by the Barna Group, then why do we see such rampant sin in America? Why do we see “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like” (Galatians 5:19-21), which Scripture tells us have no part in the kingdom of God?

And how can this be healed? (Continue Reading…)

Kelly’s tallit is almost finished!! (pics)

Last night, I received an email followed closely by a phone call from Chana (Anita) who has been hand-weaving a custom tallit for Kelly.  You may recall a few of the updates I have posted besides the original article about meeting this very dear gifted lady.

Well, the pics of this beautifully crafted piece are well worth sharing!!  Several have come earlier, but last night’s detail of the eyelets for the tallit are special!  Enjoy!

013 May11.1 May11.4It appears she has tied off the fringes, so the next step, as I understand it, is to wash and work it a little which will tighten up the weave and make it look like cloth versus a screen.  Then, she will throw a few stitches in it to shape it so that Kelly can wear it without having it fall off of her very small frame.

We are very excited about this work of art!  For those interested in a hand woven article of any type, from challah covers and pot holders to full dresses and shirts as well as tallitot and all types of Judaica, please contact Chana.  Her email address is in a previous post.  😉

 

Christian and Jihad Conquest

Breaking Israel News has pulled no punches in honestly reporting the Pope’s idea of ‘evangelism.’  Seriously, we have had this discussion on here and across the web with some pope-arabparties vigorously defending the redeemability of the term ‘evangelize’ and then the Pope comes along and clearly demonstrates that he embraces the history of ‘conquest,’ validating every fear any reasonable Jew ever had.

The following article by Breaking Israel News clearly demonstrates why we must distance ourselves not just from the terms but the history of ‘Christian missionizing.’  The Papacy not only embraces and defends jihad, but they also seek to assist Islam into what they hope will be peaceful coexistence, a demonstrable disaster.

I’m just shaking my head in disbelief at this article and the plethora of errors it demonstrates from the assumed leader of Christianity. Wow.  Just more evidence the ride is gonna get bumpy and we need to draw near to God and to our brother Judah while distancing ourselves from the falsehoods our fathers walked in.

Pope Francis Defends Jihad, Says Christianity Has Similar Roots in Idea of Conquest

By Abra Forman May 18, 2016 , 1:30 pm

Islam and Christianity share the “same idea of conquest”, and for that reason, Islam should not be viewed as a threat, said Pope Francis in a newspaper interview this week.

“It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam,” he conceded to the French Catholic newspaper La Croix. “However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest.”

Ostensibly, the Pope was drawing a parallel between the Islamic “conquest” known as jihad, a holy war or struggle waged against infidels, and Christian missionizing.  Continue reading article…

 

Second Passover: Sundown, May 22, 2016

Is the Second Passover significant?

Quite possibly, it is VERY significant.  Consider, Numbers 9:1-15.

….Then Yehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead [f]person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to Yehovah. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it;

In numbers 9 we read the story of some men who were not able to partake of the Passover at the appointed time in the first month because they were unclean.  Moshe is then instructed by Yehovah to tell them to partake in the second month, on the fourteenth day according to the guidelines.

Several very interesting items pop out from, or are connected with, these verses:

  • Passover is so important that if one misses it due to ritual uncleanness, there is a provision for a second partaking.  No other feast has such an allowance.
  • Moshe requests on behalf of those unclean, but Abba adds an allowance.  those on a distant journey.  Who but Ephraim, and those returning home, are on a distant journey?
  • Noah entered the ark and was saved.  Studying the story seems to indicate that the animals came on the 10th day of the second month and they were shut up as the rain came on the 17th day of the month.  Certainly the story has Passover implications, but is it possible that Noah celebrated Second Passover and was ‘waved’ before Yehovah on the waters on First Fruits?  Consider, Methusalah died in the year that Noah floated, so was Noah unclean at the first Passover due to burying his grandfather?  Quite possibly.  (And, significantly, does this little picture have a meaning for those of us who live in a time period that is ‘as in the days of Noah?’)

Here’s the simple point:  If you missed Pesach, or know someone who did and wants to celebrate, there is still time!!  The evening of May 22 is the beginning of Second Passover and you have time to prepare!!  My wife and I have been invited to lead a small private Pesach for a couple people who missed Passover this year.  We will lead them in their first Feast and first Passover, ever!  We, and they, as so excited!! (Pray for this little gathering!)

Shalom and blessings!

 

Evangelism, Heresy and the Eighth Article

I have a friend, Tom, who just returned from his 15th or 20th trip to Israel.  He is a believer in Yeshua who looks very much like an Orthodox brother of Judah. For the last five or six years he has journeyed to Jerusalem for all of the pilgrim feasts, this time taking his 17 year old son for Pesach.

Each trip he prays for and is blessed with Divine appointments wherein he can share why he walks Torah and why he believes Yeshua is the Moshiach.  The stories are interesting and varied.  He does not have to initiate conversations and never pushes for some preconceived response.  Rather, he simply tells his story.

On this trip, a mutual friend invited he and his son to join her for Erev Shabbat with an Orthodox couple.  Upon arriving at the home, they found out the man of the house had not yet arrived, so the lady of the house and the lady who brought them began having a conversation.  Tom and his son were shown to the patio and, to Tom’s curiosity, the patio door slowly slid shut Continue reading “Evangelism, Heresy and the Eighth Article”

Guilt-free Rest!

I am a bit of a workaholic.  Some might say, ‘more than a bit.’

If I think I can squeeze something else onto my plate, I will find a way to do it.  It is just the way I am wired.  Part of the issue is that I love to work, part is that so many others do not.  If I see something that needs to be done, I do it.  Etc.

Whether this is good or bad is not my point.  What being a workaholic does lead to is exhaustion and that is not our Creator’s desire for any of His creation.  He desires that we be creative and accomplish much, but He also desires commands that we rest.Shabbat rest

Most workaholics have trouble resting.  Like me, they feel guilty if they are sitting still.  I mean, isn’t there something that needs to be done??

Well, this morning, I woke with the phrase, ‘guilt-free rest’ playing on my mind.  I was sleeping late as I do most Saturdays and experiencing the very reason why I LOVE this day, Continue reading “Guilt-free Rest!”

The single word that disassembles MUCH Christian doctrine…

One Hebrew word, used 438 times in theIsaiah 40 8 flowers ‘old testament,’ completely disassembles a wide swath of Christian doctrine.  Simply taking the time to understand a single word will peel the mask off of much man-made tradition and false doctrines derived from contextually ignorant theology.  Even a layman with a fifth grade education can study and understand one simple word then use it as a scalpel to dissect truth from tradition.

Are you willing to take the plunge?  Will you dare to see what Scripture says v. ivory tower theonastics?  (Okay, I made that word up.  It comes from theological gymnastics, or contortionism to arrive at a point wholly disconnected from Scripture while seemingly having some validity.)

Buckle your seat belt!

H5769       עלם / עולם     ‛ôlâm
BDB Definition:
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

Let’s consider a few uses that Christendom agrees with:

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever עולם .

Perpetual, everlasting Word!  Right?  The everlasting, unchanging, infallible Word of our God that stands forever!! Continue reading “The single word that disassembles MUCH Christian doctrine…”

The Omer, bread making and last Shabbat

omer-barley-crop-grindingThis past Shabbat we were blessed to host a couple local fellowships and have 50-60 people here for worship and food.  I invited our good friends, Tommy and Dorothy Wilson, to come do the teaching according to whatever the Father placed on their hearts.  We were not disappointed.  Then, today, a feature writer for Breaking Israel News, Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, posted an article that perfectly meshed with our lesson, even providing confirmation and pictures!!  More in a minute.

Tommy and Dorothy had been digging deeper into the meaning and reason for counting the omer and what might be the spiritual significance.  In her research, Dorothy found a terrific lesson on the omer which included a part she titled 10 Steps to Making Bread:

(The abbreviated version follows.  For the full notes she found, go here, but understand I have not read anything else on the site and therefore do not necessarily endorse….  yada yada…)

Being part of the people of God, if we desire to be one of those two loaves waved at Shavuot, then we need to consider the process of bread making. Continue reading “The Omer, bread making and last Shabbat”