Tag: Messianic

Sifting…sifting…sifting


“For behold, I am commanding,
And I will sift the house of Israel among all nations
As grain is shaken in a sieve,
But not a ]kernel will fall to the ground.
10 “All the sinners of My people will die by the sword,
Those who say, ‘The calamity will not overtake or confront us.’

Amos 9:9-1

Recently, I have been pondering sifting, bread making and walking in the ways of the King.

We are yet a ways away from Shavuot, but one of the marks of the holy day was/is the waving of the two loaves before Yehovah, a waving that I believe represent the House of Israel and the House of Judah. The process for making the bread involves many detailed steps, one of the final ones being sifting. The flour was sifted, by tradition, thirteen times before it was fine enough for so holy a purpose.

For the grain of flour, being ground and sifted, sifted and sifted, must have felt like an eternity, but for those grains being included in the final loaves, it must have been gloriously worth it. They had been sown, grown, reaped, threshed, winnowed, parched, crushed (ground) then sifted, sifted and sifted before testing, baking and finally waving. At each step of the way, fellow grains, might we say, ‘friends and family’ fell away until they were left in the final pure and perfected hands full that would be used.

How often the process of following the Father, of growing in obedience has felt like crushing and sifting. How many along the way seemed like they would walk this path forever only to turn back at some level of refinement.

Many times I have looked around and been despondent at the ones who gave up or turned back, much like the thousands and thousands in Gideon’s original reaping. The sifted ones numbered a scant 300, yet Yehovah used them unconventionally to destroy a HUGE army of the fearsome Midianites

Do you feel like you are being sifted? Has the Father led you through one new test and new revelation after another until you feel as though you have no friends left yet you know the Father is leading and teaching and you cannot turn back? Fear not! Eventually, the sifting will end. Will you be left in the pile having submitted yourself entirely to the Father and His Word and ignored the tongue wagging of self righteous men?

If you have written the Father a blank check, be reminded, you no longer have a right to count the cost. Now, He has your permission to crush, sift, repeat.

If you’ve never asked to be sifted, I dare ya! It’s the only way to get closer to Him!

Instructing God in righteousness…

The other day my wife, Kelly Clayton Rambo, showed me a meme that was on her Facebook page. I read it and immediately stated the corollary back to her…

“Righteousness, even if contrary to the traditions of men, is still righteousness, regardless of what everyone else thinks!”

While I have no idea who Russell M Nelson, the assumed author of the quote at left, is, I do know the quote is true. Scripture says so in multiple ways, but the most significant is,

Whatsoever thing I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add to it nor take away from it.

Deut. 12:32

See? The two initial statements above, Nelson’s and mine, state in part the same truth. Let’s look at them in a little more detail.

“Sin, even if legalized by man, is still sin…” Man can’t change God’s Law by ignoring, overwriting, legislating or even erasing it. His Law is eternal and unchanging. To paraphrase God about some of His prophecies, ‘If you can make the sun stop coming up, or the sea cease to rush to shore, then you may be able to change the Torah.’ Murder is still murder, regardless of what the general populace believes, the government legalizes or how many copies of the Bible you burn. Murder (or, insert any other action condemned by God) is sin. Period.

The corollary for this is also true. Righteousness is righteousness, even if you don’t like it. Maybe people who keep the Feasts of the Lord, something He commands on multiple occasions, rankle you. Maybe it really irritates you that they choose to ignore, or even point out the verifiable pagan roots of some holidays. So? Keeping them is still righteousness, whether you like it or not. Same for Shabbat. Same for God’s everlasting dietary restrictions in Leviticus 11.

What is particularly interesting is when ‘believers’ don’t like a fellow follower of the Word because that follower actually does or believes what the Word clearly teaches. Imagine: someone studies the Word and sees that going to Jerusalem for the feasts is a commandment and begins to actually keep it while others, who may not understand or be convicted of that commandment, tear them down or separate from them. Does that action in any way undermine or change God’s commandment? No, it just exposes the sin and rebellion in the heart of the divisive.

How about a believer who separates from another because believing what the Bible says about a matter is ‘bad for public perception or public relations.’ Division and shunning is better than truth? Really? Pray tell what you think the Father’s opinion is of that course of action. I don’t see a single example of righteous men suppressing truth that ended well. In fact, the righteous in Scripture, prophets, apostles and the Messiah Himself, were willing to die for the hard truths, traditions and customs of men be damned.

Bottom-line: Sin is sin only if God says that it is sin. Righteousness is defined by Scripture, therefore, if Scripture calls something righteous, then we can’t call it otherwise. And, if God never calls something ‘unrighteous’ then we can’t either.

This really is simple stuff, yet people get wrapped around the axle. Do Bible stuff in Bible ways. Everything else is just religion and ‘religion’ is man-made rules for self-righteousness which, if based on man’s self made rules, is, by definition, sin!

So, do we instruct God in righteousness, or does He, the Lawgiver and Judge instruct us?

Meditate.

o/ Can I get a witness? o/

So, I’m learning a new job that will have me doing some classroom instruction.  Typically, I can be anywhere in western SC with a class that will last four days or so.  Yesterday, as I shadow my trainer, I began with a class of 12, just north of Greenwood.

This morning, while setting up, I asked if there were any questions and a hand immediately went up.  The late 20’s lady hesitantly said, “Uhm, what, uhm, are those string things you have on your side?”

I smiled, inside and out, and took three minutes to quickly explain my background, what my tzitziot are, what they mean and where I get that from Scripture (Numbers 15:37-41).  At least seven of the students were very interested with one even asking to look more closely and ask follow on questions.

There is a debate that has gone on for a long, long time as to whether this command is a private or corporate command.  I.e., do I tuck them in and let them remind only me, or, as a peculiar people, do I wear them out as a reminder to others to keep the commandments and as a witness to who I am as a keeper of the Commandments.  Personally, I have always worn them out and been convicted of such.  I do not intent to fuel the debate so much as say, “If they had been tucked in, would I have had opportunity to give a witness to the veracity of the Torah and walking as the Messiah?”

Shalom!!

Do you study the Scriptures Paul studied?

In 2 Timothy 2, Paul says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Ever pondered what he considered to be Scripture?  Funny that most of Christendom majors on Paul instead of going to his source: Genesis to Malachi. 

Maybe, we need to spend more time in that which he calls Scripture so that we can rightly understand what he says…

The Jerusalem Debate: An excellent series on a challenging topic….

20161023_093414-1Having just returned from Jerusalem and celebrating my second feast in the Land, I can tell you that being there changes me.  You may also understand from numerous travel posts concerning our most recent trip, being in Israel at the pilgrim feasts has a profound effect on Judah to see us in the Land.

Oddly, there are a number of objections given for why some people do not go up for the feasts.  Following is an introduction to the subject written by Sue Wyatt with some forewords by the Barking Fox and then a series of short articles written by Bob Parham and hosted by Lamb’s Servant.

I HIGHLY recommend taking the time to think through and wrestle with this material.  You will be challenged and, I think, changed!   Buckle your seat belt….

The Jerusalem Debate – Introduction | The Lamb’s Servant

 

The Jerusalem Debate – Eleven Objections and Responses | The Lamb’s Servant

Tolstoy on the Messianic Message…

Actually, Tolstoy was referring to something else, but this quote perfectly fits the Messianic message.

“I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.”

    — Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, 1828-1910, Russian short story writer, novelist, playwright, and essayist.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to walk out what we are learning as living examples.  When we speak it must be in love and with patience.  And, we need to know when to shut up!  Too often, in our zeal, we say too much.  Paradigm shifting truth can only be absorbed in small increments.

Let the Ruach (Spirit) do His part in His time.  Our job is to simply plant and water….

(A ‘thank you’ to Ed Boring, BYNA Elder, for forwarding this quote…)

The Sanhedrin Performs Rare Biblical Commandment

The calendar can be a bombshell issue.  For my family, we have recognized that the Hillel II is not perfect, but that Judah will get it right when Abba is ready.  In the meantime, we have chosen to walk with them knowing many of the end times prophecies are contingent upon them and therefore they will be observing on the right day in order to fulfill God’s purposes.

Well, seems Abba is doing His work and I need not worry…  Neither should the rest of us!  Check out this article in Breaking Israel News.

Sanhedrin Performs Rare Biblical Commandment Not Seen For 2,000 Years

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz March 15, 2016 , 9:30 am

Last Thursday, a Biblical commandment that hasn’t been seen in 2,000 years was fulfilled. In the Cardo neighborhood of the Old City of Jerusalem, two witnesses stood before the Sanhedrin and gave testimony that established the beginning of the new month.

Setting the new month by witnesses is considered by Rashi, a prominent commentator on the Bible, to be the first mitzvah (Biblical commandment) the Nation of Israel received after leaving Egypt. With great spiritual meaning, establishing the calendar is far more than a convenience. It is so important that it takes precedence over the Sabbath. In Biblical times, witnesses were permitted to break the Sabbath in order to arrive in Jerusalem and stand before the Sanhedrin.
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/63610/sanhedrin-performs-rare-biblical-commandment-not-seen-2000-years-jewish-world/#0RRvWef8vMJSz1rs.99

Bottom-line: The Father is going to work out all the wrinkles in HIS timing.  We need to concern ourselves with Him and getting our own House in order….  😉

Countering the Mark of the Beast…

The ‘Mark of the Beast’ is a pretty common prophecy topic, but have you ever noticed that holy to the Lordthere are several ‘marks’ God puts on HIS people?  By those ‘marks’ can you KNOW that you are one of His?

The mark of the Beast is supposed to be a sign on the ‘right hand or on the forehead,’ as Revelation 13:16 reveals. The exact same terminology* is used in 14:9, 11; 16:2 (2); 19:20 and 20:4.  “Head and/or hand…”

But, what if you knew what the mark or sign of God’s people is?  Would it be worth researching and studying it out??

In fact, Scripture gives several very clear signs or marks that distinguish God’s people.  Consider these very clear verses: Continue reading “Countering the Mark of the Beast…”

Prophesying to the Dry Bones…

Shema line 1 Shema line 2

Ez. 37 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out [a]by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of IMG_20151205_073732866_HDRthe valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord [b]God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, HEAR [shema; שְׁמַע ] the word of the Lord.’ 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause [c]breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Last Shabbat, I posted a quick note about a global praying of the Shema asked for by a Rabbi on behalf of Judah and the need for the Mashiach to be revealed.  In that post I stated that in addition to being a prayer, Continue reading “Prophesying to the Dry Bones…”