‘Tis The Season

This is the season that several years ago, changed our lives forever. To be more precise, it was hindsight during the aftermath of this season that spurred our changing. In the midst of looking back over that recent 'celebration' of Christmas, we were led to go back to square one and determine the exact nature of our priorities and examine why we were doing what we had been doing.

As much as in years past, this kind of statement would make me roll my eyes and sigh with irritation at folks who did the same, our examination led us to completely revamp our celebrations of our Saviour's birth. We no longer observe Christmas, even though at one time I snickered at my impression of others who did not, assured that they were sanctimoniously "holier than thou". I was sure folks were making too big a deal of small issues and were highly uptight. Oh brother.

I'll not go into all the reasons why we no longer observe Christmas, but will instead share a few links that intrigued us in the beginning of our journey back to the beginning. Those that are interested may study further and those that are not can go on without feeling judged. I do not begrudge anyone else celebrating Christmas - it is definitely a personal decision - but I wanted to share because I was glad to have my eyes opened to what I was doing, and how it appeared to Yahweh. There may be someone else who will one day be glad I shared.

Assuming that they do not care enough to ask, it hurts our feelings some that close family members have never asked about our reasons for changing our practices.  But should you wonder, we still celebrate the birth of our Saviour, but now it is during the Feast of Tabernacles when the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We also now celebrate His conception during Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights (the biblical Feast of Dedication), because Yeshua is the Light of the World. We praise Yahweh for Yeshua's birth, life, death and resurrection all through the year as well.

From our Torah Class studies by Tom Bradford, here is a short message that may help anyone who is wanting to dig a little deeper. It will at least give you some stuff to Google. Blessings!

Hanukkah Is For Christians (text file)

Hanukkah Is For Christians (MP3 file -about 30 minutes)

Wee Ones Comment on Obama

I talk a lot. When you walk a Deuteronomy 6 lifestyle, it is part of the raising children package. Life is school, and as such it is a constant barrage of questions, answers and explanations. Sometimes, though, it is interesting to get the childrens' take on what they have 'heard' during these discussions.

This morning we were discussing Obama's election again, as we have discussed little else since election day. Every topic we land upon seems to bring up the dangers of this administration. Studying Ishmael, our bible lessons bring up his name; Math lessons morph into a discussion of taxation, which morphs into a discussion of Obama; checking email, with Mercola's mention of families who homeschool to avoid mandatory immunizations brings up Obama's name, even phonics lessons involve 'The One' this one:

"No, no, Buddy, it is a long O."

"Oh, you mean like O-bama?"

(Mom rolling eyes and sighing) "Yes, Bub, like Obama."

The only other topic that has been so popular lately is the subject of immunity. We have been in a season of actively building our immune systems, discussing how dangerous it is to have them weakened and generally thinking healthy thoughts. My intention with some of these talks has been to motivate my Littles to take their cod liver oil and elderberry syrup, but it appears that the danger mentioned in one discussion and the danger mentioned in the other have melded in their young minds into a whole new form of evil.

This morning at breakfast, toward the end of another Obama talk, and during the dispensing of the aforementioned cod liver oil and elderberry syrup, our seven-year-old 'Napoleon' added in all the sincerity of a wee one,

"Yeah, and Obama  has a poor immune system, too!"

Not to be out-done, four-year-old Doodle added a comment, (the censure of which possibly only my 'Messianic' friends will totally understand and appreciate),

"And I bet he eats Kosher pork!"

Interestingly enough, their Mother did not correct either of them.

Just Say No To The Ministers of Molech

Life matters. Because it matters to me, I am following Holly's example and posting this Randy Alcorn blog post. Despite the Grace-Covers-Licentiousness doctrine speaking to the contrary, we will face a day when we will individually need to stand at Yah's judgement throne and give account. That Day compels a lot of my choices on a day-to-day basis, and my choice for President is included. Instead of seeking to "send a message to the RNC", I choose to send a message to the unborn with my vote. To not vote, is to vote for Obama. To vote for a third party candidate is to vote for Obama. McCain leaves a lot to be desired, but it is the best choice I have that I believe will actually have a chance at getting elected. When I check "McCain" on the ballot, it will be a vote against Obama and a culture that encourages infant sacrifice. I urge you to consider your answer to Yah on That Day as you cast your vote.

Edit: I am not technologically adept enough to imbed this whole post without making everything else on the blog be out-of-whack, so I am posting a link and a quote. Please don't write this off. Please go read this post at Randy's blog:

I'm Not Voting For A Man, I'm Voting For Generations Of Children And Their Right To Live by Randy Alcorn

"Every Christian should take these teachings seriously. Is the unborn an innocent human being? If you claim to be prolife in the historical meaning of the word, then your answer is yes. Is abortion the shedding of innocent blood, the taking of human life created in the image of God? If you say you are prolife, your answer must be yes. (Please do not redefine the meaning of the word prolife and say "I'm prolife" if you're really not.)

So, is the candidate’s stand on the issue of shedding innocent blood important enough to disqualify him as a candidate? Yes. While a single issue can’t qualify a candidate, it can disqualify him. In my opinion, this issue clearly disqualifies Barack Obama, just as it disqualified Republican Rudy Giuliani.

I don’t think someone is a good candidate just because he is prolife. But he cannot be a good candidate unless he is prolife. Personally, if he is committed to legalized child-killing, as a matter of conscience I must vote against him."

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 14

This was the lesson that really started turning on light bulbs for me. I realize that not everyone has had the same experiences and upbringing as myself, but from where I have come...this lesson struck a nerve. I came from a family who told me that black people had evolved from apes, white people were created by "god" and the biggest insult one could fling was to call someone a "Jew"... and all this came from folks who prayed the rosary.

It was the beginning of a serious work of repentance ~ repentance for sins I did not even commit myself, for the most part. (For more information on the topic of repentance for the sins of our ancestors, please study Demolishing Strongholds, as this concept is only covered briefly in this lesson.) I did a lot of homework to see if these things were truly so... because I had never heard of this information before. Never. I remember a brief mention of the Spanish Inquisition in public school (where I was a straight A student, and loved History no less), but I could not have told you that it had anything to do with Jews.

Not only do I now understand the plight of the Jews throughout history, I can see the progression of how exactly we lost our Hebraic grounding in the first place. It makes perfect sense now. It is an accurate picture of that analogy of a ship being a fraction of a degree off-course at the beginning of a voyage and end up way off course by the end... and nowhere near their intended destination. Replacement Theology was not an overnight development (except possibly in the mind of Satan)...it evolved over time through an unfortunate series of evil events which began by being a wee bit off course. Satan has played this game well, and has deceived many, many people.

THE LOSS OF OUR HEBRAIC ROOTS

The Hebraic-Christians/Judaism Divide

The Church Encounters A Curse — The Plight of the Jews

Israel: What Is God Doing? What Should It Mean To Me?

 

Here's the link for Lesson 14.

 

Here are extra references for some of the books or articles mentioned in this lesson, in case you desire to do some more homework:

Protocols of the Elders of Zion

Civilita Cattolica

Justin Martyr: Dialogue With Trypho, A Jew

John Chrysostom

Origen (see #5 and #8)

"Concerning Jews and Their Lies" by Martin Luther

I am eager to hear your response to this lesson. Especially your answers to the questions Mike and Sue ask at the end...

1) Is the information we've shared here new to you? Yes or No? How does it make you feel when you read about the historic persecution by Christians of the Jewish people?

2) Has you attitude toward the Jewish people changed after reading this lesson? Yes or No? If yes, describe the changes.

And their last sentence...

"Please consider your own responsibility to God and to the Jewish people and respond accordingly. "

And one more thing... please, especially if some of the things we have been discussing throughout this study are foreign or totally new to you, go back and re-read ~slowly ~ the beginning of this lesson: Introduction to Section 2 (pages 1-3). Contained therein are concepts that were not just "not what I was taught", but truly opposed to that which I had always been told in my Christian walk. But when I studied, and finally learned what it was to be a Berean ~ not just believing without a question, but digging ~ I was shocked... and grateful that the Holy Spirit had led me to study on my own. My life will never be the same, and blessed be the name of Yahweh for that!

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 13

Here's a PDF link for the lesson, or just read below:

 

 

Section 1 - Lesson 13

A Hebraic Perspective

 

 

The Holy Spirit: Power Behind Spiritual Gifts

The Holy Spirit: Instigator of Communal Connectedness

A Hebraic Perspective

Holy Spirit: Power Behind Spiritual Gifts

“Now about spiritual gifts, brothers,

I do not want you to be ignorant”

(1 Corinthians 12:1).

“So also you: since you are

zealots of spiritual things,

seek that you may abound to the upbuilding of the called-out ones”

(1 Corinthians 14:12, literal translation).

What is a spiritual gift?

Simply, the Holy Spirit working through His people in a given manner at the time He chooses so that they can carry out the ministry appointed to them by God.

A gift endowed by the Holy Spirit can be identified by the motivation for its use. You walk in that gifting by being prompted or even impelled by the Spirit. His work in you will cause others to praise God as they see the result of His participation through you, just as those of Jesus’s day gave God thanks when they saw what He did!

Almost anyone you encounter has talents or capabilities that have been developed from either their raw genetic framework or from intensive training. These are not spiritual gifts. Gifts of the Spirit have a supernatural quality, since the Spirit of Christ has given them to you! In other words, a spiritual gift is received after conversion.

A friend years back wrote this insightful passage to clarify the topic of spiritual gifts: “Every believer has a gift or gifts apportioned to him or her. Every believer is responsible to exercise those gifts. Every believer has some gift, therefore all should be encouraged. No one has all the gifts, therefore all should be humble. All gifts are for the one Body, therefore all should be harmonious. All gifts are from the Lord, therefore all should be content” ^{(emphasis added).1}

Followers of Jesus are indeed privileged to be gifted by His Spirit. Yet, we are also held accountable by God to exercise that privilege as His Spirit prompts.

In the earliest Church, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were manifested in both the believers’ individual and communal lives to build up the Body in love-grounded obedient trust. Through exercise of these various gifts, the followers of Jesus were continually aware of God’s proximity and His loving concern for the spiritual growth of His people.

A further dimension of reliance on the Spirit within was spiritual warfare. They had no doubt that their Adversary, as dangerously ravenous as a roaring lion, had declared war on them for trusting in Jesus (see Revelation 12:17).

The reality of Satan and evil spirits wasn’t new to them. Examples of demonic manifestations and interaction with man are threaded throughout the Older Testament. (See 1 Samuel 16:14; 1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1:7; Zechariah 3:1.) Even more dramatically, these early believers saw firsthand or heard accounts of demonic deliverance by Jesus and the apostles.

So one of the functions of the Holy Spirit was to provide the followers of Jesus with particular empowerment by which they could do battle against evil.

Great spiritual lessons can be drawn from the history recounted in the Hebrew Bible. The God Who guided Joshua and David in battle knew something about fighting and winning wars!

The first lesson in warfare was that every soldier had a key purpose and specialty. Not everyone was a scout, an armor-bearer or a javelin thrower. The combination of specialized warriors functioned as an effective army unit.

“Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss” (Judges 20: 16). The angle of shot for a lefty was opposite that which an enemy might anticipate, and their accuracy was an especially prized skill as well!

Others among the troops were “armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed” (1 Chronicles 12:2).

Each unique ability was needed for the good of the whole, just as with spiritual gifting. And because God shows no partiality (Deuteronomy 10:17), we must not consider one anointing greater than another. Once again, the principle of equal value finds scriptural precedent for us today. David led his troops against the Amalekites who had captured the families of his men. But his most exhausted soldiers stayed behind to guard their possessions.

After the battle was won and the families recovered, David passed an ordinance: “The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike” (1 Samuel 30:24). Each did his part to meet the needs of the whole, and was rewarded accordingly.

When Paul refers to the variety of gifting intended to serve God’s purposes, he’s able as a Hebrew Bible scholar to call upon his remembrance of his people’s military history. Each and every assignment was necessary for the well-being of the collective called-out ones: “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11).

Paul’s military references in his letters to Timothy, Philemon and the followers of Jesus in Philippi reinforce the understanding that we are at war in the heavenlies. A warfare mentality demands that each soldier for Christ do his or her part through the power of the Holy Spirit. Much of the Church, however, has relegated the gifts of the Holy Spirit to something akin to an elective college course.

Whether at the level of home fellowship or congregation, the spiritual coordination and cooperation of the gifts to meet God’s purposes for each faith community is dependent on discerning and obeying the Holy Spirit.

Two chief reasons underlie the lack of coordination of gifts in faith communities:

• Failure to understand the nature of the spiritual warfare in which the Church is engaged.

• Ignorance of the importance of spiritual gifts in contending victoriously in this struggle.

The Church was called to take the offensive in waging war against the powers of darkness. As our Captain promised, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not withstand it” (Matthew 16:18). “Gates” don’t fight! They’re meant to be knocked down by our Lord’s troops as we invade enemy soil with the Sword of Truth.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit, the individual spiritual empowerment He gives as He judges best for each, equip us to fight vigorously and victoriously in the inevitable spiritual warfare we’ll encounter. The Spirit aspires to use every follower of Jesus to do his or her part.

Try to envision yourself and your faith community at war as the early Church did. Then try to grasp the nature of the power that’s required to wage and win the war. Again, a spiritual gift is not the same as a natural talent. Your natural abilities are put to use according to the impulse of your mind’s determination.

Spiritual gifts are imparted by the Holy Spirit to your spirit. Because they emanate from God to serve His purposes, spiritual gifts come to you after your conversion. At that point you are indwelled by His Spirit and available to be an instrument in His hand.

The Holy Spirit knows precisely which gifts are necessary within each faith community to wage the particular battles they encounter. No two battles are the same. Each must be fought with Spirit-discernment and with the weapons that will be effective when they are coordinated.

David, the warrior who had God’s heart and ear, was victorious because he was God-dependent in his battle strategies. Each time He sought His Lord’s tactics, God directed him differently yet precisely (see 1 Chronicles 14:10; 1 Samuel 23).

Spiritual gifts are a means by which our Father’s grace is poured out on His children. The Greek word for gift, “charisma,” comes from a verb meaning “to show favor, to give freely.” It is related to the word charis, which means “grace”. So our Father’s spiritual gifts are His favor freely given to you for you to walk in spiritual power on His behalf.

The gifts of the Spirit are also referred to as “pneumatikon”, as in “manifestation of the Spirit” (see 1 Corinthians 12:7). The indwelling Spirit manifests His presence in each believer through the particular gift or gifts He has imparted. His gifts are Spirit-breathed, and come with the power to use them and the wisdom to know when to use them.

Aren’t you overwhelmed with humble gratefulness as you consider the amazing love of our Lord to impart such gifts to mere humans? These gifts are completely unmerited by us, for they emanate not from natural inclinations or hope for recognition but from God’s desire to use us for His purposes.

Jesus spoke of the Spirit as “power [dunamis, dynamic power] from on high” (see Luke 24:49). Having walked the earth as a man, He recognized how frail we are in our own strength, no matter how noble our intentions. That’s why His promise is so necessary if we are to fulfill our Father’s plans:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Recognizing his own limitations, Paul relied on the wisdom and power of God to touch people’s hearts through him. The apostle insisted that his preaching was “not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power; not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:4,13).

Since the Holy Spirit was so vitally necessary to the work of the early Church, believers today must regain a biblical understanding of His importance.

[For more on spiritual gifts and their use in spiritual warfare, see our book, God’s Instruments For War. It contains a spiritual gift survey to help determine what gift(s) the Spirit has apportioned to you.]

Writers’ Observation:

In the military, people are assigned because of their particular specialty. For example, Mike was a helicopter pilot. His assignments were based on where a helicopter pilot was needed.

We’ve seen over the years that the most spiritually vibrant work of any marriage or faith community comes about as the individuals know and coordinate their spiritual gifts. Here’s a point for you to consider: What if our God, in His foreknowledge, has ordained certain of His followers to marry because of the gift(s) each brings with them into their marriage union? Sadly, we’ve found that the lack of knowing and using their gifts brings frustration into the marriage.

Oftentimes the Spirit draws people into a particular faith community because their gift(s) are needed there for the building up and service of that body. The individuals may not even be aware of the Spirit’s purpose for joining them to this family of believers. Yet, God’s Word speaks to this:

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

“A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24).

Even without your conscious awareness, our Lord designed that you marry a particular individual endowed with particular gifts(s), even if your and/or your spouse’s relationship with Him didn’t come about until years later! And, He has placed you in a particular faith community because your gifts are needed in their midst.

It’s important for you to get hold of this reality. It will change your spiritual perception of both your spouse and others in your faith community! As you come to know the gifts of others, your collective purpose in God’s service becomes all the more clear.

Do you know what gifts the Holy Spirit has apportioned to you? Yes or No. If yes, what are they? [If no, please see our book.]

If yes, would you classify yourself as someone who zealously uses your spiritual gifts in the body and in the world, or as a complacent spectator who is apprehensive to use your gifts? Have you resisted His use of you in your gifting? When?

Describe two or three instances in which you experienced the Holy Spirit using your gifts.

If you’re married, do you know your spouses gift(s)? Yes or No. If yes, how do you coordinate together in using your gifts?

Do you know the gifts of others close to you in your faith community? Yes or No. If yes, how do you coordinate together to use your gifts?

What benefits would derive in your faith community if each believer manifested the gifts of the Spirit to one another?

A Hebraic Perspective

Holy Spirit: Instigator of Communal Connectedness

“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church”

1 Corinthians 14:26

People share fellowship to not only worship God and praise Him communally (John 4:24), but also to stir one another in mutual edification (1 Corinthians 14:5,12). Communal worship and building up truly occur when the Holy Spirit within each person in the faith community is encouraged to participate (1 Corinthians 14:26, above).

Have you ever wondered why there are so few descriptions and instructions about faith communities in the Newer Testament? First, the apostles didn’t have to explain what was so very well known among the Hebraic believers who comprised the early Church.

As to offices and anointings, there were already apostles and evangelists functioning in the synagogues prior to the time of Christ. Also, elders and deacons oversaw the gatherings and collected and distributed alms for the needy. Their activities were not new developments that originated in the Newer Testament.

One particular element was critical in the fellowshiping together of the earliest followers of Jesus: communal participation. This was made possible by the presence of the Holy Spirit in their midst. The Hebraic model for faith community gatherings provided the freedom for participation, a pattern that was adapted into the Church.

Coming together as extended spiritual family was the means by which followers of Jesus were able to “one another” in obedience to the commands of Jesus. Paul’s instructions to the family of Jesus in Colosse are precise:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16).

These varied expressions of the Spirit’s work in their lives were part and parcel of their relational intimacy with each other as brothers and sisters.

The participatory enactment we see in the earliest Church did not just spring up in a vacuum. Far from it! The earliest Church understood their mutual accountability for communal righteousness. They communally stayed repentant in order that the Father would answer their prayers. Linked to their communal prayer life were communal responsibility and communal participation in their fellowship gatherings.

Many people who read the Bible in English are unaware that most of the commands in the Newer Testament are plural, addressed to the whole faith community — not singular, for the individual. Exceptions, of course, appear in personal messages to Timothy and Phile-mon, for example.

Paul’s instructions to the body of believers in Philippi address them all together: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). The majority of Christians who read this verse today would understand that they, alone, are to work out their own salvation. Not so!

Both the Greek verb and the pronoun which build off the Hebraic view of communal responsibility are plural. It would better be understood as “You all work out you all’s salvation with each other’s help.” We’re commanded to collectively and communally help each other on our pilgrimage to salvation.

Because of their heritage as a people called out for God’s purposes, our Hebraic ancestors in the faith clearly perceived themselves as an interconnected whole. They collectively desired to relate to God in love-grounded obedience. What we today might refer to as “body life” was an essential element of that communal awareness. Communal responsibility, communal righteousness, communal participation all flowed out of their mutual commitment to God and to each other.

With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, is it any wonder you see the enactment of their communal responsibility shortly thereafter? “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2: 44,45).

As it pertains to communal participation, giftings are manifested when the faith community of extended spiritual family is gathered together. Paul gives us a glimpse into communal participation as a means of sharing each other’s gifting:

If the gift of tongues is exercised, let it be by two or at most three, and each in turn; and let someone interpret. And if there is no one present who can interpret, let the people who speak in tongues keep silent when the congregation meets — they can speak to themselves and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, while the others weigh what is said. And if something is revealed to a prophet who is sitting down, let the first one be silent (1 Corinthians 14:27-30)

This is the way the extended spiritual family in Jesus functioned until the Hellenists introduced the pagan religious practices that are now hallowed as “church services”. Hellenist-influenced gatherings produce spectators. A few put on a performance for the many.

Communal participation is the indicator that the Spirit within each person is given the freedom to both worship God and build up one another (1 Corinthians 14:5,12).

Are you in a participatory faith community? Yes or No? Describe what it’s like for you during your fellowship time with others.

How does what you’ve written align with what we cited about the earliest Church gatherings?

Recap: Your Life With The Holy Spirit

The early Hebraic believers appreciated their unique relationship with God because it fulfilled the Hebrew Scripture prophecies of their righteousness in Christ. They also clung to one another as an extended spiritual family, a “body” in which each belonged to the other. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit in their midst assured them of their acceptance and chosenness, “a deposit guaranteeing [their] inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (Ephesians 1:14).

We want to encourage you: The same power that came upon Jesus when He rose up out of the Jordan River is available to you and to everyone else who puts their trust in Jesus as the Bible stipulates. Paul describes it this way:

...his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:19,20).

The Bible affirms certain signs that evidence the Holy Spirit is truly in someone who claims to be a Christian. In other words, it isn’t what someone without the Spirit claims to be, but proof of the Spirit’s presence that confirms his true status as our Father’s child. Romans 8: 9 sums it up simply: “...if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).

Let’s review a few indicators of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling:

First, the presence of the Holy Spirit in you indicates you’ve embraced the true Gospel. The 23,000 competing denominations worldwide each proclaim their own individual versions of the Gospel. Somebody’s distorting the truth! So the Spirit’s presence in you is your assurance that you’ve embraced the true Gospel.

Second, the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit causes you to live repentantly. You have a readiness to confess your sins and turn from them, and you’re reluctant to even tolerate unconfessed sin in your life.

Third, your life is empowered by the Spirit. As Paul reveals, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit... All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthi-ans 12:4,11). When you’re empowered by the Spirit of God in you, everyone who knows you will recognize it. Just look at the life changes in followers of Jesus in the Book of Acts! Out of your mouth will flow testimonies to our Father’s glory. The Spirit of God in you enables you to experience our Father and His Son.

Do you think that someone who experiences God can keep His mouth shut about what that Spirit is doing in and through him? We don’t think so!

Although the Spirit’s presence in you is unseen, His working in each of us is evident. Weigh these realities about the Holy Spirit:

• He’s either dwelling within you, or He’s not.

• You either live convicted, repentant and empowered, or you don’t.

• You either live communally responsible and actively participating, or you don’t.

Would you and those who know you well in the faith attest that they see indicators of the Holy Spirit in you? Ask them to describe evidence that the Spirit indwells you.

New Poster Awaits Bush

In the upcoming days, billboards all over Jerusalem will be plastered with a new poster on the eve of U.S. President Bush’s visit to Israel.



I'm just sayin'. He should.

Original article from Arutz Sheva  HERE.  Free High resolution version of the poster in PDF format HERE.

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 12

Now that the holidays are over with all the visiting, parties and busyness, I for one am looking forward to settling in to a long winter's study. We are two lessons away from moving into Section Two - which is the part of this study that shocked me at first, but led to many "Aha!" moments as I started seeing the pieces of a large and troubling puzzle fall into place.

This lesson and the next are not-too-long, so I will post them in fairly quick succession, so that we may move on to Section Two all the sooner.

 

A HEBRAIC PERSPECTIVE

The Holy Spirit : Giver of Spiritual Discernment

 

Here's the link for Lesson 12.

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 11

A HEBRAIC PERSPECTIVE

A Priesthood Change: From Levitical to Melchizedek's

Empowered By The Holy Spirit

Immersion In The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit As Teacher

The Spirit Of Conviction

 

Here's the link for Lesson 11.

 

Often as I have been studying the Hebraic foundation of our faith, I have been blown away by how interconnected the "Testaments" are. I had no idea how much the Newer Testament built upon and showed the fulfillment of the Older Testament. Let me know if you are as amazed as I was at learning the background behind Jesus' baptism. Things like this keep sending me back to the Older Testament to study more to see what else I will "see" that makes it all fit together so seamlessly. I keep having the same reaction over and over when studying these lessons: my mouth drops open, and all I can say for a while is, "Wow."

 

 

 

 

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 10

Happy Hanukkah to those who avail themselves of the blessings of observing this holiday! For those who do not, and wonder why a Gentile believer in Yeshua (Jesus) would want to celebrate this holiday, here is a great post by our friend Lisa, entitled "Why Hanukkah?". In a nutshell, the events leading up to Hanukkah were prophesied in Daniel chapter 8, and without the efforts of the Maccabees, frankly there would not have been a Messiah. Maybe that is why Yeshua himself traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate as well (my studies show this to be a three to five day journey ~ in winter).

 

In our study, this lesson is getting down to the nitty gritty details of walking out life together as the ecclesia ~ the called out ones ~ and growing in our roles as men and women of the Most High, Yahweh. This lesson, in particular reiterates the lesson that Mr. Visionary has been teaching our children about knowledge not being an end in itself, but is valuable only as it helps us grow in our obedience to Yahweh and His Word.

 

 

A HEBRAIC PERSPECTIVE

Elders, Our Father's Representatives

The Importance of Older Women

Growing Wise And Remaining Teachable

 

 

Here's the link for Lesson 10.

 

 

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 9

So, Thanksgiving is over here in the States, and life is ~fairly~ back to normal, so let's go on to Lesson 9, in which Mike & Sue discuss:

 

A HEBRAIC PERSPECTIVE

Life As A Pilgrimage

The Answered Prayer of The Righteous

The Home, The Basic Spiritual Building Block

Fellowship of Extended Spiritual Family

 

Here's the link for Lesson 9.

 

If profundity comes, please share in the comments. :)

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 8

Here's the link for Lesson 8.

If you have anything you'd like to share, please leave it in the comments section below! :)

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 7

"Oh, thank you...I appreciate your mentioning that. But, no Ma'am, we won't be needing it."

"Yes sir, they told us that you have a _____ (Children's ministry/Sunday school/Nursery). Thank you for mentioning it again...if we need it, we'll let you know."

There have been times, when visiting churches, that literally four or five people in a row (of steadily increasing "rank") have bullied pressured strongly encouraged us to utilize the programs that are available at their church when it became apparent that we were intending to ~ gasp ~ keep our children with us during the worship service. The pressure to parcel out our children was unrelenting, the stares of disbelief when we didn't were blatant and the overall disdainful atmosphere was thick as molasses.

For a girl who struggles with Fear of Man, each of these instances could have been a temptation to cave...to give in to the pressure, and go against my convictions and, in the words of my Firm-As-A-Rock-And-A-Little-Saucy husband, roll over and wet on myself. Had it not been for our (unknowingly) instituting the practice of halakah as described in this lesson, I surely would have caved.

We had already been taught Yahweh's plan for families by one of those few passages we had studied from the Older Testament. We had embraced a Deuteronomy 6 lifestyle which affected every area of our marriage and parenting. After determining through the written Word (logos) that we were to live this way, we had to determine exactly what that would look like walked out in our family. This is where the Word (rhema) came in. We so needed Yahweh to show us what He wanted this to look like for us.

Homeschooling? Check. That was logos.

What curriculum to use?
Would we use any public school programs?
What subjects to study?
What would our days look like?
Would we incorporate any other teachers into our children's education?
These questions were all rhema...not specifically stated in Scripture, but still things we needed to know.

Worshiping together as a family unit? Check. That was logos.

Would we be in fellowship that did not agree with this practice?
What if they made a stink about it and asked us to step out of the service?
What if they begrudgingly accepted it?
What about Sunday School, youth group, AWANAS, etc.?
These too, were rhema.

Because we had already walked through many of the big issues in our life, and were firmly grounded in the "Thus saith the Lord" of them for our family, we knew what we would do in each varied situation. There was no question at the time. Just as having a budget eliminates having to make so many financial decisions, having halakahs set up, prayed (and sometimes fasted) over, and ingrained in our walk, it eliminates a lot of temptation and stress. Whew.

On a side note, let me just discuss for a moment what we found rhema is not. It is not looking at the clearly stated Word (logos) and deciding that XYZ clear instruction doesn't apply to us. There are some things that are without question. "Do not murder" means do not murder...whether the victim is an unborn child or an elderly or handicapped person. "Be fruitful and multiply" means that married people don't have the option to "choose" to not have any children because it doesn't suit their career plans or "calling" in ministry. "Honor the Sabbath" means in the way and on the day He has stated...not in the way and on the day it is convenient to us.

This is also the reason why we have found it so crucial to decide based on the logos and rhema alone before trying to figure out how we will walk it out. When we determined that Yahweh desired for us to keep the Sabbath, there was no way, "on paper" that it was going to work out. We were so busy as it was, and had no time to complete all we needed...we had to just act on faith.

I am here to tell you that Yahweh is faithful to extend grace to those who walk with Him in obedient trust! We have experienced manifold blessings from this one simple act of obedience...just doing what He told us, without questions, and letting the pieces fall where they may. I will go as far as saying that it has changed our life. His grace to help us obey is unending.

Mike and Sue reiterate this here:

Grace is the power and desire to uphold God's truth in your life no matter what it costs you. (snip) God's grace will enable you to keep your new conviction because of your desire to lovingly obey Him. Continue to pray for grace. And repent of your failure for not having known these new truths or lived by them before this time.

It is a good thing, too. After a few recent events, it appears we have some more halakahs to make, and that grace will be put into use once again.

Here's the link to Lesson 7.

(Please note that this was a post in a series from a study we are working through on Restoring The Early Church. You are welcome to join us at any time! Please start at Lesson One, which is HERE.)

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 6

I'm sure it had to have begun much earlier, but this was certainly a defining moment in my spiritual journey. I know I heard him correctly, for the way this large man bellowed, no one could have missed it. His frankness in asserting that this was his "fifth time getting saved" left me dumbstruck.

His hair still dripping from his recent baptism, he confided that he "liked to do it every once in a while to keep things right with the Big Man". That same feeling I get when someone drinks a diet soda with a Quarter Pounder and fries, or follows a Vitamin C tablet with a drag on their cigarette...that same, "That. Just. Isn't...enough..." feeling smothered me. A choking desire to scream and sob all at once left me speechless. Judging from the others around me all smiling, hugging and slapping the back of this poor fellow, I must have been the only one with misgivings about what I had just witnessed.

I knew I was not completely alone, though. Mr. Visionary and I had just the previous week been discussing his first experience officially going "soul winning". On a Saturday, he was paired up with an "experienced soul winner" and spent the first half of the day walking around an apartment complex trying to find folks with whom they could witness. The tally at the end of the day for this pair was one soul "won". After Mr. Visionary explained that the woman to whom they spoke was stone-cold drunk, and barely able to repeat the "sinners' prayer", I could not help but wonder...what about all the other thirty souls "won" that day? The soul winners who announced their totals the next day in the worship service all seemed proud enough, and the music and applause afterward were certainly booming. Yet, the nagging whisper did not go away. If the numbers of folks who had been "saved" through this congregation's efforts were so vast, where were the folks? Or better yet, assuming they could have gone somewhere else to church...the numbers cited were approximately ten percent of our large city's population...why hadn't the face of our entire city been changed? What was wrong with this picture?

Our background coming into this lesson was certainly one of believing that something was missing in the church, that there had to be something more to salvation than what we had always been told (and believed ourselves). It was a frequent occurrence that I would walk someone through the Roman Road, sweetly assuring them that all they had to do was believe. I would calm their fears, and settle their minds. When they asked, "Isn't there more to it? Don't I have to *do* something?". I would always say, "No, that's the beauty of His grace...all we have to do is believe." When later, the same person was living like hell again, with no recognizable difference in their life, I would be sad and frustrated and think, "I know I said all they had to do was believe...but...but..."

A major truth that Mr. Visionary and I had to accept was that no true doctrine can lose anything by closer inspection. Inside, outside, upside down...the truth is the truth is the truth...and our tearing it apart to make sure it is true could only lead to two outcomes. Either we would discover that it was wholly or partially false, or we would be that much more firmly grounded in why it is true. "...Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" 1Peter 3:15b. There are no other options, and we could not lose.

We can fully relate to Kirk Cameron's testimony. He tells that he first got saved with the Jesus-loves-you-and-has-a-wonderful-plan-for-your-life spiel. It wasn't until much later that he heard the bad news that he had transgressed the holy standard of a holy God, and experienced true repentance. Since this was our story as well, we have for several years only preached the good news with the bad, to our children and those we come into contact with. But even with the Bad-News-First plan (Here's the law...see, you broke it...but here's what God has done to fix it), there was still something missing. We were determined to dig until we found it. Even if it meant that our neatly boxed paradigms were shattered once and for all. We were willing to take that chance to find the truth. Having already worked through the Demolishing Strongholds materials, and both of us having prayed earnestly that Father would remove from us any spirit of deceit...that we would see only His truth...and nothing else...we were ready to begin.

This lesson was pivotal in our journey to understanding the true gospel. What in the world did the Old Testament have to do with the gospel? What exactly was this gospel that the Early Church preached? I'm sure we had no idea...but we were going to find out. I was fully and forcefully convicted, however, that I could not keep saying that I believed the Bible was God's Word, that it was infallible, and utterly sufficient for all of life if I was to continue treating the Old Testament the way I had. The truth is, it had been good for stories for the children, for debunking the theory of Evolution, for pulling out a few gems for parenting, and for my self-righteous Reading-Through-In-A-Year plan, but I mostly ignored it as irrelevant. I had to repent, and in the changing of my ways, my Father has once again showed unending mercy toward me, by teaching me what it was I had been missing.

My prayer is that this would be your testimony as well.

Here is the link for Lesson Six.

(Please note that this was a post in a series from a study we are working through on Restoring The Early Church. You are welcome to join us at any time! Please start at Lesson One, which is HERE.)

Restoring The Early Church ~ Lesson 5

Sorry for the delay! We're working on a plan that will help with some of the technical difficulties some folks are having with being able to download the lessons. While we get the details worked out, let's go ahead with the next lesson.

Lesson Five is here.

 

( Please note: this post is part four in a study series we are beginning on Discussing Restoring the Early Church, in which you are welcome to join. You may find Lesson One HERE and the other lessons are posted on the sidebar.)

Restoring The Early Church - Lesson 4

( Please note: this post is part four in a study series we are beginning on Discussing Restoring the Early Church, in which you are welcome to join. You may find Lesson One HERE, Lesson Two HERE and Lesson Three HERE.)

He was trembling as he heard the words, his every muscle taut with the tension of the moment. As Shaphan finished the reading, all was still, the only perceptible sound the throbbing of his heart. The realization of all that the newfound scroll comprised struck fear in his very soul. His quivering hands subconsciously moved to clutch his throat when a wave of emotion enveloped him. The words of the law had been read. He immediately sensed the guilt that was upon himself and all the people.

Fearing the wrath of the God of Israel, he frantically ripped at his garments, violently tearing them asunder. The people, drawn by the sounds of his groaning agony watched in astonishment at this outward expression of the rending of his heart. Dropping to his knees King Josiah cried aloud, "Great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book." Echoes of his weeping reverberated throughout the palace and to the ends of the land...

The Holy Scriptures had been lost, and now were restored to Israel. He humbled himself, repented and received mercy. After the scroll had been rediscovered, King Josiah gathered the family leaders to hear the Word of the Lord so that they could rededicate themselves to their covenant with the Lord.

This is the place we are finding ourselves now. In a sense, the Word has been lost to us, buried in the doctrines of men. Adding to, changing, and reinterpreting the Word is a place we never want to be, and yet...

22,000 "Christian" denominations...

Hundreds of "Church Fathers"...

Councils, Edicts, Creeds, Doctrines...

Father, help us find our way back to your Word alone...for your glory.

Lesson 4, How Was The Word Lost? is HERE. Thanks for joining us!

On Your Mark…Get Set…Pause!

The word on the street is that we need to slow down a bit with our study. Sounds good to me, too. I have gone through the study before, but really, Mr. Visionary and I were so thirsty the first time that we flew through it in a weekend or two. It is richer this time, as Father has grown my understanding more since then.

We'll pick up with the next lesson on Sunday, October 21. That will give us all time to catch up with the lessons, gather our thoughts and converse and fellowship in the comments. Then, Lord willing, we will try out an every-other-day plan for new lessons. I will post the lesson one day, then we can have that day and the next to allow time for incubation and apperception.

Welcome to the new folks! This break is partially for you, as well, so that you have a chance to get on the same page as us. If you just got here, know that you are welcome to jump in with us at any point, but the lessons are much like mathematics in that each lesson is built on the ones before it.

For the ones wondering what is taking us slow-pokes so long, you can use your extra time to go over this article that Mike and Sue recommend:

The Gospel of the Covenant is the Pilgrimage to Salvation.

P.S. I am putting together a list so that I can pray for all those joining us in the study. If you have not commented, please let us know that you're here, either in the comments or e-mail, so I can pray for you as we walk through this together!

Restoring the Early Church ~ Lesson 3

Please note: this post is part three in a study series we are beginning on Discussing Restoring the Early Church, in which you are welcome to join. You may find Lesson One, the introduction, HERE, and Lesson Two, HERE.

Whether you are still plugging away, hoping beyond hope that somehow it will get better, or you have stopped going altogether...know this: you are not alone. The fact that you are reading this is proof that He is wooing you back to Himself. You're tired of going there for what feels like no good reason. You're "burdened by the meaninglessness of so much that is traditionally a part of our churches", and you no longer even "come away with a warm feeling"...just busy emptiness.

I know.          Me, too.          Me.          Too.

We say that our faith must be lived- that Christ invades us to transform every aspect of daily life. Yet we teach this faith in formalized classes or sermons far out of a life context... We say that every believer is a priest, gifted and responsible for building up others in the Body of Christ. And we bring adults to church, set them down and tell them to listen to a teacher or to the pastor. They have exercised no ministry, held no responsibility but to be quiet and orderly, and have helped no one by their presence...

The Emperor doesn't have on any clothes, and it is about time somebody said so. Much time is spent in this lesson assessing exactly how far off the mark modern Christianity is today, but not for the sake of pointing it out alone. This isn't church-bashing, this is taking stock. Until we individually realize, deep down, the state of affairs in the church, and in our own hearts and lives, we are impotent to make any changes more lasting than Band-Aids. How long can we stand to "merely go through the motions of the ministry, having a form of godliness but no power"? See the problems. Notice the lack of fruit from all the effort. Grieve over the emptiness. It is a step not to be skipped over.

You think you're pleasing God for all your activity and its results, yet beneath the programs and entertainment lies an emptiness that few will admit. Institutionalism deceives you into feeling good about yourself even after your responsiveness to God has ceased.

Once we have a clear vision of our state of affairs, only then can we move on to the next step. Making a decision. We can either continue to "effect repairs", adding Band-Aids on top of Band-Aids both personally and corporately, or we can accept the challenge of restoring the true biblical foundations of the early Church.

Going once again to the model of relational priorities, we know that the depth of our personal relationship with our Father and Jesus is of utmost importance if the Holy Spirit is to guide us into the truth God wants us to live by. We need to remember our first love...whom we love because He first loved us...and who saved us while we were wretched sinners.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works... Revelation 2:4-5a

I was so encouraged by the closing statements in this lesson. It is my prayer that this will be the fruit of this study: that His children will search and discover truth through His Word alone, and not the traditions of men.

If you understand that Jesus is the only Head and Builder of His Church, you need to search the Bible. Discover that which He and the apostles presented through the Hebraic framework in which it was initially addressed. Those who are willing to do this can work together in agreement with the Holy Spirit and in our time see a true expression of the Church of Jesus Christ. Will it be popular? Probably not. Will it be powerful? Yes, exceedingly so!

Father, by your Holy Spirit, please help us to see. We need You to breathe life into our tired souls, and lead us through your Word into a deeper, truer relationship with You...for Your glory alone.

Here is the link for Lesson Three.

We'll wait to hear from you. However, know that this is a lot to think and pray through. I do not want us to go through this study too quickly. If you're feeling that we should slow down, or pause for a day or two, before moving on, let me know in the comments. I do not want to rush a move of the Spirit...and Father is in charge of the timing.

Restoring the Early Church ~ Lesson 2

Please note: this post is part two in a study series we are beginning, in which you are welcome to join. You may find part one, the introduction, HERE.

This is a study that made me rethink a lot of beliefs I held tightly but did not own...things I believed because I was told they were true, rather than because I studied them myself. I had to slaughter a lot of my 'sacred cows', and tear down many high places as I went through this study the first time. Because my memory is intact concerning my own experience with the study is the reason we will move slowly through this. It just takes time to digest it all.

Before we begin, I want to encourage everyone to do your homework! What...there's homework? Well, not officially, but in order to own beliefs, one really needs to study for themselves. So get out your Bibles, pens and notebooks, and let's do the Berean thing.

"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17 : 10-11

So often it is a temptation to skim over Scriptures that are familiar to us, because, well, we've read the same ones a thousand times over. I want to encourage you to really meditate on the Scriptures in the study. Use your concordance to look up the words in the original Hebrew or Greek, make notes, and allow yourself some time for what you're studying to sink in. Ask Father, through His Holy Spirit, to confirm what you are reading...He will.

Here are a couple of quotes to notice as you go through this lesson:

Keep this in mind: Religion in itself would not exist if people weren't mislead into believing their distinct religious ritual and creed made them acceptable to God. And note:
Religion can exist without any relationship with God.

And regarding the two charts at the end of the lesson, Mike and Sue urge:

It's vital that you examine and judge your own faith practices. In the next few pages, we contrast different aspects of the Hebraic, relational way of interacting with God and each other, and Hellenistic, religious forms. Prayerfully go through the comparison to discern if you have been told the whole truth during your faith pilgrimage.

And one more:

One of the main difficulties in any discussion about "faith" is to admit that you might be wrong.

Throughout the study, I'll be sharing several areas where Mr. Visionary and I realized that we were indeed, dead wrong, once we compared "what we believed" to the Scriptures.

Here's the link for Lesson Two. Remember to come back and post your thoughts after going through it. We all will.

From Sick & Tired To Berean…Restoring the Early Church ~ Lesson 1

Sick and tired...all the time...is truly no way to live.

We have become very diligent about being trustworthy stewards of our physical health, in order to keep as far from the sick and tired state as possible. We stay fairly healthy most of the time, but have, for those times we do succumb to the sick and tired state, learned what to make as well as how to administer our own medicine to bring ourselves back to health and vitality.

For physical illness, we use physical medicine.

Oh, that sick and tired in the physical were the only type of sick and tired there was! Alas, Mr. Visionary and I have been far more sick and tired emotionally and spiritually than we have ever been physically. We have spent years in "traditional church", spinning wheels, going through the motions of all the acceptable church-sponsored activities, doing all that we were told would bring fulfillment and a sense of intimacy with Father...only to find it all lacking. In a very real sense we felt as if we were merely rearranging furniture on the deck of the Titanic. We have come home from more than a few church meetings to simply weep...feeling as spent and broken-down as we could be...only to have no answers.

No homemade tincture could ever fix this kind of sick and tired.

How we longed for some answers, for something to infuse the empty activity with meaning and change our listlessness to vigor. How we cried out to Jesus to show us what medicine would cure this longing! We had no idea how He would do this for us, but we were certain that if we continued seeking, He would answer us in some way.

Fast forward to a bad virus that hit our home this winter. Although Mr. Visionary and I were laid out flat on the Family Room floor, unable to move because of the nausea, we were able to do research on the computer. At the time our church was going through a restructuring process, and we were searching for information to help our pastor walk through it all. We "coincidentally" came across a study that later proved to be divinely inspired timing...and the answer for which we had been crying out to Father. Our life has been so profoundly impacted by this study, that I felt compelled to share it with a few friends.

Several friends and I have been going, individually, but simultaneously through this study. We have been blessed so tremendously in our discussion and sharing based on the study! Further, since I linked to this study before, I have gotten so much e-mail about it that I have prayed about doing the study on the blog, with whomever would like to join us.

If you have ever felt sick and tired of churchianity...and felt Father drawing you to something else...something more real...more intimate...more simple, then please pray and consider joining us in this study. We will have the comments open, and I believe several blogging friends will be joining in the discussion through the comments with us.

What He showed us through this study was that He had no desire to fill the empty activity, as He never desired it anyway. What He intended was to show us His heart for His people from the start...and how we left His original plan. Mike and Sue Dowgiewicz, especially anointed teachers, have a heart for taking us back to the beginning...to the church even before Acts, and walking us through history to see where things got off track. They teach the relational priorities from Scripture that Father intended for us, beginning with our relationship with Him, moving outward to the relationships within our own homes, and only then to our extended spiritual family and the rest of the world, as their diagram shows:

 

 

 

 

Here is the Introduction to the study. Read through it, and pray about joining us. You do not need to start right when everyone else starts ~ if you find out about the study after we have begun, jump right in at the beginning, and start commenting wherever you are! Father knows all about the timing...and we can trust Him in that. So come...be a Berean with us.

P.S. I spoke with Sue Dowgiewicz, and have their full blessing for doing the study and using their files. Their ministry is 100% funded by donations, and they allow and encourage anyone to copy and share their PDF files, audio lessons, and DVDs. It is very refreshing considering all the $39.95 tape sets and encouragements to "buy my latest book" from the radio guys.

I'm just saying. Refreshing is good.

***EDIT***

We will be posting the first lesson for the study on Wednesday morning, October 17. We will then be posting one lesson per day until we are through, Lord willing. It should be about 50 lessons total, which at first, seems daunting, but that is to make the study manageable for all. If you happen to get behind…DON”T GIVE UP…just keep plugging along with us the best you can, and comment along your way. We will discuss each lesson in the comments of that particular lesson.