Spring Cleaning

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a perfect time to do spring cleaning.  It’s an ideal time to clean both the in and outside of your cup.  Those who keep or at least commemorate The Feast of Unleavened Bread understand the importance of ridding ones home of any and all leaven.  Those of us who love Messiah knows no matter how many places you look or no matter how thorough you are there is a possibility you have overlooked some and found leaven in your midst.  Bottomline even when we strive to live a life without leaven (sin), it’s presence is always near lurking in the corners or recesses of our mind.  Not that we always reach for it or touch it, because it is far easier to keep from eating leaven for seven days then to locate all leaven that could be stuck in drawers or little fragments waisted here or there.  Thus as scripture says, “…when I would do good evil is present with me.” (Rom. 7:21)

Amazing thing for me is every year I observe the feast the more humble I become concerning it.  It helps me realize how vulnerable I am to sin and how desperately I need his wisdom and direction.  The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.  When starting to keep the feast there is this childlike zeal you get like finding hidden treasure.  You want to share it with those you love, but you want to make sure what you found is indeed real.  Once authentication has taken place and you begin to share this treasure with others you begin to find yourself in debates instead of being able to enjoy the fruit of your findings.  Your zeal can turn to dogmatic arrogance as the goal changes from sharing the treasure to debating its value.  You begin to understand that people can be looking at the same treasure and one sees its value while the other sees flaws.  Likewise, I look back at how often we shared the treasure of Yah’s feast and some saw it as legalistic rituals that didn’t apply to them and others saw it as the missing link.  The “more” they knew their faith possessed.  Today, I just feel grateful that Yah has opened my eyes to see the truth and to have a love for it even if it debunks my long held beliefs. I don’t feel it is my responsibility to prove its authentic value, but simply to present it for what it is and let others come to their own conclusion.  My prayer is that YHVH will open my eyes and theirs to all the truth and embrace where it leads us.

Having said that this year it dawned on me the physical health benefits of fasting from yeast.  As many people know yeast is the main culprit for fungus growth.  While I admittedly have not done an in-depth study on the link between fasting from it and improved health. I realize Yah’s commandments have fulfilment on multiple levels. We know Deuteronomy 28 makes it clear the keeping of Yah’s commandments produced physical blessings.  

They also take in consideration seasons and agriculture.  So I propose this, what if fasting from yeast provides a biological reset?  Like rest to the land every 7 years helps improve soil, could fasting from yeast the prescribed seven days help immobilize the overgrowth of fungus in our bodies, and aid in proper digestion of freshly created yeast after the seven day fast?  I can’t confirm this yet, but that will definitely be my quest, to research this link.  If you know of any research or have any thoughts on the topic would love to hear it.

Knowing The Time How Then Shall We Live

I am humbled when I consider how YHVH has privileged me in this day and hour to know both who I am and what time it is.  Living in a generation where counting to three has proven to be difficult, we have managed to effectively get wrong the one sign the Messiah has given to a wicked and adulterous generation. (Matt. 16:4)  The sign of yet another prophet, Jonah.  Whose life was a prophetic picture of what the Messiah would go through.  From sleeping on the boat during the storm to spending three days and three nights in a place associated with Sheol.  We have not only observed the wrong day, but the wrong feast.  Yet, this day Yah is opening the eyes of those who have a love for the truth.  Whereas through time, bits and pieces of the ancient paths have been metriculating through various individuals we are now beginning to see the flood gates of information opening.  As knowledge is increasing and men going to and fro the lines are being drawn and as it was in the wilderness, those who will stand with the Lord will be the remnant and not the majority.

This year our brother Judah will celebrate 50 years of Jerusalem being in the hands of Israel this Passover, and 70 years of being in the land that was promised to our forefather Abraham.  The name which was fittingly chosen for this land which is called Israel was given to Jacob by the Almighty. (Gen. 32:28)  Who in turn named this name upon Joseph’s two children Ephraim and Manasseh. (Gen. 48:16)  This fiftieth year celebration is not only a Jubilee for Judah, but it is also a Jubilee for the ten lost tribes who are the bearers of the name, Israel.  The name that was given to them by Jacob and in this day they who were scattered and lost are now being set free by the Gospel that was sent specifically to them. (Matt. 15:24)  So as promised in Gen. 15:13 now is the time that YHVH is ready to grant us freedom from the servitude and affliction that has been 400 years accomplished, and a transfer of wealth is going to take place, just as it did in the physical Egypt, so shall it be in the spiritual one.  The nation responsible for such affliction is going to experience judgment, and for that reason we should be making sure that we have taken off the pagan garments that we have sheltered ourselves with for so many years, and begin to yoke ourselves to the truth of Yah’s word.  Even as Messiah delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were, due to captivity, clothed in the clothing of their captors, thrown into a fiery furnace yet experienced no harm to themselves, but found themselves purged of the garments that clothed them of sorts in a consuming fire found themselves purged of the pagan attire, and found unharmed from the furnace, but to the wicked it shall not be so, they shall be consumed.  (Dan. 3)

Now, many of us have been told the truth and due to the power of tradition we continue to wear the pagan garments of Easter (Asherah) and Christmas (Baal), while others of us hungry for the truth find ourselves conflicted and slow of heart to change.  Nevertheless, scripture makes it clear that those who will escape in this hour are not simply going to acknowledge the truth, but love it.  To love it means to live by it, and because of the passion we have for it we are willing to throw away those singed garments desiring rather to be adorned in the apparel chosen for us by the Almighty.  I didn’t say it would be easy and like the three Hebrew boys mentioned earlier it will be a narrow walk which will bring about scorn and ridicule until YHVH openly rewards you with victory for your faithfulness to him.  As we read in Revelation many will rejoice at your demise, again only to have the Almighty raise you up in victory.(Rev. 11)  So, how then shall you live realizing these things?  Well, scripture says it best and I will leave this article with such words,

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.  (Rev 22:11-15)