Secular Christianity

In the West, we have created with our actions a new category of Christianity. This new segment of Christianity is not focused on doing what is right but rather on fitting in. In an effort to be relevant to this generation we have chosen to be defiled before Yah. To reach the world we become worldly.  Today we would be hard-pressed to know the difference between a Christian and a non-believer. The practices of those who profess salvation mirror greatly the lifestyle of those who are not. Women who are backbiters, immodest in conduct and attire, drinking, smoking, and profane, with questionable character as their word is smooth as water yet lacks consistency. Ladies, we must do better, we must take off the world’s definition of Christianity which imitates that of the world and put on true holiness and godliness without which no man, nor woman will see God. (Heb. 12:14)

To the deflectors, many would say why am I being so hard on the women, and to which I would say as a woman because scripture doesn’t teach women to teach men. There is a purpose for which God has created me a woman and it is as a woman I live in this life. I believe that if we as women or if men as men would focus on the ministry that they are called to rather than always pointing fingers concerning the role and position of those who don’t walk in their shoes we would be able to make a difference in eternity. A deflector spends their life focusing on others as a way of avoiding the issues that they have with themselves. Please understand this article is not just written for your benefit, but as a two-edged sword to remind me that this is indeed a narrow walk we are called to.

As any parent who corrects their child does so in hopes of them rising above mediocrity, and encourages them to strive for achieving their best effort, so also does our Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want to look at us and be reminded of the world and the sorry state it is in, but rather He wants to see the reflection of His Son. If this wasn’t the case He wouldn’t have eloquently defined us as members of His son’s body. (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18)

Secular Christianity is so pervasive that if you put a Christian next to someone who doesn’t believe in God, you really couldn’t tell the difference. Yet this ought not to be so. Scripture teaches us that friendship with the world is enmity with God. (James 4:4) It goes on to say that if anyone is a friend of the world they are enemies of God. Thus the concept of secular Christianity is an oxymoron in and of itself based on the scriptures definition. What makes a secular Christian?  A Christian who fears hell claims Yeshua as a man on a plane claims a parachute in the event the plane crashes, it doesn’t hurt to have insurance, right? However, the idea that accepting Yeshua as savior (parachute) is fine, but giving him lordship (meaning he is master, and solely determines what we do) is completely different. You mean God has the right to decide what I can and cannot eat, what holidays I should or shouldn’t keep, what day I should rest, and how I should dress? Now, that is a different story altogether.

In the past nine years as we have journeyed deeper in the scripture and begin finding that our identity as followers of Yeshua simply means that, we have come to realize that Lordship means exactly that. It means that we have been bought with a price and we can’t make up the rules as we go along. (1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Cor. 7:23) We have learned that submitting ourselves to God’s will doesn’t mean that we can name and claim things, or demand the promises of God without living the life required to obtain those promises. Much as we can’t expect that our parents would reward us for disobeying their instructions. Or a judge would let us go for committing a crime. We have discovered rather that God’s love for us dictates that when we ignore his instructions that we open the door to the punisher so that the thing that God didn’t want us to have to suffer becomes the very thing we must go through to bring us back to him. It is far more merciful for us to reap our punishment on this end than to be a continual burnt offering in the lake of fire of God’s wrath which burns eternally for all the children of disobedience.

(Eph 2:2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

(Eph 5:6) Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

(Col 3:6) For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Indeed in times past we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, and yes if we have not been washed in the blood of Yeshua we are a child of disobedience and as we read in these passages above the reward for such who choose that path is less than desirable. Death is a terrible wage to work our entire lives for, yet the unfortunate fact of the matter is millions will end up there and truly sad is they would have on this end called themselves Christians, yet they will be as those who Yeshua said to depart from Him. (Matt. 7:21) Why will these who call him Lord, Lord, find themselves in the same lake of fire as those who openly denounced him? Because they operated in the same spirit as those who were secular (of the world), they operated in disobedience to the Creator. They were lawless, workers of iniquity, without law, illegalistic, all of the above. We cannot live for him and live any kind of way at the same time, such a person is called double-minded.

(Jas 1:8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Either we are married to the Shepherd or we are in it simply because we don’t like the alternative. Escaping hell may get you in, but it won’t be a strong enough pull to keep you there. At some point we must want to be with God because we love him, we recognize and trust that His way of doing things is the best way. The biggest fallacy that believers are tempted to except is the one that says God knows I am human and I will make mistakes. Once we open the door to the acceptance that failure is not just an option but inevitable. Those who are lukewarm will find themselves going in a direction that will get them spewed out of the mouth of the Almighty.(Rev. 3:16)

Secular Christianity has many aspects, and we have just seen a few, but one other aspect which especially affects women more than men and we see this especially with the account of Eve in the garden. We have a tendency to put our spin on the truth which tends to add to the truth. Just as Eve added “not to touch it” to the instructions, we too like to create an understanding of the Almighty that is not based on scripture. When we relegate God to what we think he means, rather than what He says then we have just pulled him down to someone we can relate to, instead of acknowledging who He said he was. Does God want us to relate to Him? Yes, but on his terms, not ours. We see many examples of man relating to God starting from Abraham, but if we study the way they related to God, we see the reverence in their approach, and when they petitioned God on matters that would seem to indicate a more intimate approach it is done so based on understanding. To sum it up His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts. (Isa. 55:8) Many of us don’t experience a breakthrough in areas we are pursuing God and expecting him to move because we don’t understand that principle.

We are all too willing to accept that Christ died for us, but not too willing to live in holiness, which scripture makes clear without which no man can see Him. (Heb. 12:14) Thus this is where we have a problem because to be secular is to be the opposite of holy, and if being relevant means embracing or walking, talking, or looking like the world to reach it than we have become an enemy to the Almighty.

The point I am making is that secular Christianity is NOT Christianity at all.  When the Father sees us does he see who he created us to be, or does he see who the world created?  Who we are in Christ should never be compromised regardless of where we go.  Even in the midst of sinners, it should be clear that there is something different about us.  If this is not the case and we have crossed the line then the fruit that we bear will be manifest.  I would encourage you to ask yourself some questions, how comfortable are those who do not know the Lord with you?  Do they see that there has been a change in your life?  How well do you fit in with the world?  If your answer to these questions indicate that there is no difference, if you fit in well, then you are secular NOT Christian.

How to Understand the Will of YHVH for Your Life: Part VIII Hearing Her Voice When She Calls

Understanding the seven characteristics of YHVH is the foundation for understanding the Will of YHVH for your life. Understanding is the necessary bridge we must cross in order to get to her, wisdom that is. If we think about knowledge as being on one side of a cliff and understanding being the bridge that connects us to the other side of the cliff we are trying to get to which is wisdom. The distance between the two being too far to jump across, and too deep to risk falling, then we find that we can have knowledge, but without the bridge of understanding the path is too far for us to get to wisdom, and unfortunately many people spend their entire lives paying for knowledge only to never even find the bridge of understanding to have wisdom before times up. If you find yourself having the fortitude to read this article and to have kept up with this series consider yourself in the minority of the entire world who will acquire degrees many, and will ever be learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim. 3:7) Whose eyes will always be darken though they search for her (wisdom) with all of the tools that knowledge has within it’s hands.

Don’t get me wrong, knowledge is necessary to get to the bridge. I mean if we do not have the ground beneath us to hold us up we are free falling in which the end of that person is destruction. So I do not minimize knowledge in this process of learning, I am simply saying that it is just the first step, but a necessary step it is. Those who neglect this step can find themselves as pointed out dead before they find the bridge. Knowledge is the basics that we can acquire and reveals that we are reaching for God, but understanding requires humility. It means that we have to depend on someone greater than ourselves to translate the information we have received. The lithmus test to our understanding is revealed in our application of the information we have, and wisdom reveals that we understand why what we did worked. A person who has wisdom understands the formula thus, they can duplicate the recipe in the event of repetition being required. This is why a wealthy person who loses their wealth can easily acquire it again as long as they understand why what they did worked.

Wisdom is spoken of in scripture in the feminine form, and while our male counterparts may find some solace in ignoring us because of Eve’s deception, it doesn’t erase the fact that in Yah’s infinite wisdom He chose to connect wisdom throughout the book of proverbs to that of a wise woman. Unfortunately, too many of our young men will go down the road to destruction because wisdom had called out to him and their inability to discern the virtuous woman of wisdom from the seductive woman of whoredom causes them to make poor choices that have destructive consequences to their future. Thus as stated earlier if we pursue wisdom instead of riches we will receive both. This is the understanding of why Solomon achieved such great success. He didn’t seek after riches, rather he sought after wisdom, and understanding that wisdom answers the “why something works” question, meant that all the other things would come. Wisdom ultimately representing the Kingdom of God, we can now understand why Matt. 6:33 instructs us to seek first the Kingdom of God, and all the other things will come. This was walked out in Solomon’s earliest days in power, thus, God gave him all the other stuff because he sought the Kingdom in his request.

Think about it, if you understand why your body functions better with certain foods rather than others then it stands to reason if you follow the wisdom you acquired your life will be healthier and longer. If you understand why your business formula produced wealth then you understand how to duplicate it thus your pockets get fatter.   This is why proverbs not only connects wisdom to the feminine gender but also compares it to rare jewels like rubies, or precious minerals like gold. It may take you a lifetime to find the formula, but if the formula is accurate it represents a greater wealth to leave down to the next generation then a handsome trust fund. How many children do we know who didn’t get their parents formula for success grew only to lose the wealth their parents acquired in their lifetime? Had their parents had the wisdom to pass down instead of the accumulated wealth then the family dynasty would be established for as long as they kept the secret.

The word of Yah is the timeless formula that has been passed down from generation to generation that if believers lived by it would see generational prosperity. The reasons many believers suffer from the very diseases that the God of Israel said he wouldn’t put on His people, is due to his people not believing or knowing what his word said about how to have life, and have it more abundantly. Yes we know the scripture that says that Jesus came that we might have life and that more abundantly, but we haven’t figured out the formula that Jesus walked in so that the blessings that were upon Him would be upon us. While the poor would be with us always, this was not supposed to be the case for His children. His children were called to be the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath, to be lenders and not borrowers, why? (Deut. 28:1-14) Because our wealth just like our works are supposed to connect those who are without to the Creator.

Our misunderstanding the instructions of God written in the first five books has caused us to be subject to the very curses that Jesus came to deliver us from in this earth. A child of God will not lose their eternal life for eating a pork chop, but certainly they will forfeit the quality and quantity of their life for not taking heed to the Father’s diet. Ignoring the wisdom of the Almighty costs us something always. Let us not think that our disobedient choices have no consequences otherwise we will find ourselves prey to the enemy and food for his menu. Understanding the will of YHVH requires that we have a heart pliable to Him so that when He speaks we will hear and obey without delay.

Next week we will start looking at biblical examples of those who walked in their purpose starting with Father Abraham. We will extract what common threads we can see in their life and examine ourselves to see where we may be falling short. Scripture makes it clear that the things that were written were written for us on whom the end of the world have come. There is no greater time than now that we need to know what the will of YHVH is for our life. We cannot afford to ignore the voice of the Almighty, and we must recognize that our lack of obeying can have dire consequences for both us, and those connected to us.

 

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Do you know why Jesus told us to Be as wise as a serpent?  Have you ever wondered why he said that?  Did you know the invisible things of God can be seen by the things that he has made?  (Rom. 1:20)  In this book based on Matt. 10:16 Torie zeros in on that phrase and shares from the characteristics of the serpent wisdom that transcends time.  Follow her through the scriptures and strategically begin applying the wisdom of the serpent to your life as Jesus instructed.

Experiencing 40: One Woman’s Observations About Life

I knew turning forty would be different, I just didn’t know how different it would be.  In some ways it seems crazy that one should have such expectations in such a short period of time.  I mean the day before your birthday you were enjoying the frolicking of that time frame and you were clinching on to 39 for dear life, then suddenly the moment hits when you know this is the day. The landmark day that you would have been on this earth four whole decades.  In your thirties it seems permissible even in your late thirties to hold on to some of your immature ways and in some ways you still feel like you’re young and can do anything.  That is until like Cinderella the clock strikes twelve and your sugar plum dreams turns into a plethora of questions and fear of the unknown.  Experiencing forty was both scary and thrilling like getting on a brand new roller coaster that has seemingly unending twists and turns.  You can’t wait to get on as you sit in the line, but then the closer you get to it, the more you begin to question, is this insane?  What will happen if this thing isn’t sturdy, or has this thing been properly tested for security? I expected to feel different, more mature.  But much to my amazement I felt the same way I did when I was 39, looked the same, and can do the same things I could do then.  Nothing visibly changed but the number that corresponds with my age on this earth.

However, I will say almost three months now into this thing that there are some very pleasant surprises.  Now, I wouldn’t advise you test this out unless you are married this particular observation is not for everyone, and kids may want to close their ears, but for those of you with less of an appeal for the upcoming years I will say that sex has never been better.  Granted I did start pretty young but for the most part the experience has been hit and miss with a lot less home runs then I would desire to have.  But forty it’s like your body awakens, at least it did for me.  Which I suppose isn’t too surprising, usually the description of women and pleasure is typically delayed.  At least from my girl talk encounters, and all that you read or see on television about the topic.  However, like a brisket slow cooked and marinated to perfection intimacy takes on a whole new level of greatness at forty that it just never had before that age.    I suppose that is a sign that even though we can’t calculate the changes physically that our bodies are undergoing by the number of years we have been here, our body does recognize that a change is taking place.

The importance of leaving your mark.  In my twenties and thirties I was always hopeful that every request that I petitioned to the Father would be answered, and in favor of what I wanted.  At age forty there are still some things on my list that I have not received an answer on, but rather than feeling depressed, the way I thought I would, my energy is more towards leaving a legacy.  In my mind I always felt like a legacy was a tunnel vision sort of thing, that dictated that you would work your behind off to leave something to your children.  But what if you have no children?  I have found myself thinking more about what I want to leave behind and to whom I would want to leave it.  I have begin to understand that not all children that you impact will be those who you have birthed, but they must be those who you have embraced.  We have endless opportunities to love people and rarely take that opportunity before us.  At forty you pay attention to those things.  The stuff that your world was built around in your twenties and thirties and you had to acquire, have little value or significance to you.  They in the whole scheme of things lose their appeal.  Your perspective on life changes.  At least this was my journey into forty.  Don’t get me wrong I am still all over the place as it relates to my dreams, but my desire for things are not so much internal as they are external.  Having a desire to make an impact on peoples lives and make a difference in the kingdom of God is paramount to me.

Learn how to live in the season you are in.

Finally, I am grateful above all else.  While I realize death is a reality that we all must face and in our day it’s a reality that both young and old are subject to.  I am most of all grateful to be forty.  See while so many can only see their lives as half spent I see my life as I have been blessed with another day to make a difference for the kingdom of God.  To pray someone into safety, to preach someone into the kingdom, to bless someone with nourishment, and to teach someone how to love their family and appreciate the value of what they have, which is right now.  We have nothing else promised to us.  I am so thankful for the breath  I have right now that I am able to see forty.  So often we get so caught up in the number that we forget that our life isn’t about us anyway.  We are on a mission, and it is a privilege not a right that we are still here to complete it.  Because there are so many who have died with their mission not complete, their purpose not fulfilled.  At forty, every lesson I have been taught matters and it is more important to me for that to get out then even my own life.   Too many of us at age 40 live in regret of what we didn’t accomplish before the age we are.  We either wish we would have traveled more, spent more time with our kids, would have settled down to have a family instead of pursue a career, and the list goes on and on.  We are so busy planning for the next season of our life that we never appreciate the one we are in.  Yah is teaching me how to appreciate the season of life that I am in.  Not to focus on the children I wanted but didn’t have, or the finances, or house, or business I wanted but didn’t get, or the places I wanted to travel but haven’t gotten there.  At this point in my life all those things seem so much less important than knowing that I fulfilled my purpose.  Because I could achieve all those things and miss the BIG picture.  I am learning to appreciate that some of the things that I didn’t get was because it wasn’t apart of God’s plan for me, and the things I did get are pretty amazing when I think about it.    Experiencing forty has taught me how to appreciate life for what it is, and not to spend the life I got being caught up in what it’s not.

Life Tips 101 Starting Your Day With Yah

Finding creative solutions for the hectic life to have quality one on one time with the Lord.  This is also a creative solution for extending your quality time with the Lord.  Find more organizational options for the hectic life @ The Purposeful Home.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/gj7yWB

Below is a website that you can go to and purchase this devotional or any other to begin starting your own collection of devotionals.  Don’t just buy one, because then you only have seed for the sower, but buy more than one to share with friends and loved ones.  Don’t just share the devotional, share the principles you are learning here with them so that they can make the time they need to have the refreshing necessary with the Lord for their day.  Remember sowing the word of God is one sure way you will get back a return on your investment.  There are three things I highly recommend a devotion to offer.

1. Key bible verses that connect to the topic.  What is the point of a devotion if you can’t see how what they are sharing connects to the subject they are sharing.  This is important so that you can see the practical application to your life.
2. Relevant to your life.  What a mother would need is not necessarily what a single career woman would need.  So for that cause make sure that whatever devotional you choose it will hit home where you are.  This should also apply as it relates to those you share it with.  Remember this devotional is for your personal time not your family gathering so it should fuel you for your day.  Getting a devotional for family gatherings is not a bad idea, but I personally would suggest as a family you pray and seek the Lord through His word as to what type of study you should do.  Remember two or three gathered in His name someone is sure to get direction concerning where He is leading you.
3. Make sure it gives you questions to ponder.  This is important you start your day with God, but the conversation never ends.  Part of growing in the Lord requires that you develop an ask and hear relationship.  As we ask God for answers, he hears and provides them for us.  Most of us never get to having our own bible study with the Lord because we have no questions to jump start our quest.  Thanks to the computer apps and software resources available it is so easy to do word and phrase studies.  Which means we can quickly find answers to our biblical questions.  The assistance of other biblical resources such as Strong’s dictionary and concordance, BDB, AHLB, and more we are now able to get to the original text and get even greater understanding. It will be these questions that you pursue Yah for the answers for that will help you grow in your relationship with God and with others.
   
   

Far Above Rubies

Know you not that Messiah Yahushah died for you?   He valued you enough to live the life you couldn’t, and to have his life be taken so that you could be with Him ALWAYS!  Be determined in yourself not to let anything separate you from the love of God.

Taking Hold of Your Senses

The Fifth Characteristic of a Serpent that Every Believer Should Have

We are constantly being bombarded with  news from every angle and often times it is hard to know what the truth really is.  However, it is so very easy to go off half cocked with all guns blazing when we read or hear something that strikes a chord on our heart string.  However, there is a reason why we are not to judge according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (John 7:24)  Appearances can be deceitful, and by itself makes a poor witness to condemn a man, not because of what we see but what we don’t see.  The seconds before the crime was done could determine if a person is guilty or if they had been framed.

One of the characteristics of a serpent that we can learn from in this instance is to take heed to how they receive stimuli.  They receive stimuli from their forked tongue, that is constantly tasting the surroundings as it moves along.  Thus it has something tangible to base it’s decisions on.  We already discussed before that its not sensitive to airborne sound, which can be a lot more deceitful then the tangibility of what you touch, or taste which requires direct contact with you making you a witness who experienced what you were exposed to.

It receives stimuli from the forked tongue that constantly tastes the surroundings as the animal moves along.  This means it is informed.  It hears both sides of the story and relies on something tangible, not on lip service or air waves which is fickle, but it has to have hard evidence to make it’s decision.  We are not to be bearers of untruth, false witnesses, or gossipers of unsubstantiated information.  But we had better have something that our senses have in some way encountered to base our decisions on.  Matt. 12:36; Mar. 7:15

Things to Ponder this week?

1. Have we looked sideways at a situation and made a verdict or condemnation based on half information?
2. Are we really concerned about truth or more interested in having something to tell? There was a man who witnessed the death of King Saul and in his excitement to tell the soon to be King David of Saul’s demise he communicated an untruth that he thought would rind him a handsome reward with the soon to be King of Israel, David.  In his haste he fail to understand that David was a man after God’s own heart and took no delight in the slaying of God’s authority even though that authority sought to take his life. (1 Sam. 31:4-5; 2 Sam. 1:2; 2 Sam. 4:10)  This mans reward was death, and that was what he was paid for his tale bearing.  We had better be careful about how quick we are to want to be the bearer of bad news, and take part in wicked schemes, lest we find ourselves receiving of the same sort of reward.

Our Real Struggle in the Flesh

Too many people are basing their love for Messiah on what other people are doing. There should not be one person who leaves Yahushah because of what the body does. For as Paul said, “was Paul crucified for you?” (1 Cor. 1:13) This same question we must remember when we are confronted with challenges in relationships with organized religious leaders, spouses, and parents. Our relationship with the Lord should not be hinged on those who represent or misrepresent Him. The failure of these key figures to mirror the example of Messiah for us doesn’t reflect on Messiah’s love for us, but rather reveals a lack of Messiah in those who don’t walk in the love he exemplified.

If my desire to be a Godly wife is based on my husband’s treatment of me or his reciprocation to respond as a Godly husband then I lose a great opportunity to walk like our Messiah. The example He set for us is that while we were yet sinners he died for us. We didn’t deserve, we didn’t love and we weren’t reverent. As the scripture also says we love Him because HE first loved us. (1 Jn 4:19) It took a love out of this world to come to this world to show us what love was. If it could have been found in a human being other than Christ then He wouldn’t have needed to come. Yah sought someone who could make a hedge between him and us and none was found. (Eze. 22:30)

By all means I encourage ministers, spouses, and parents to walk in the footsteps of Christ, that they lose not their reward, knowing that to whom much is given much is required. Yes, I implore you as leaders to walk and respond to others as Christ dictates because I truly believe that he meant exactly what He said concerning it being better for a millstone to be tied around one’s neck and they be cast into the sea then to offend one of His little ones. (Matt. 18:6) Nevertheless, we make a grave error if we allow abuse to be an excuse for turning away from God. We misjudge the longsuffering of the Almighty upon what looks like a person getting away with wrongdoing in this life. Living a comfortable life, with lavish things, and good health is not proof that someone walks with God, no more than being financially poor, sickly in health, or living in deplorable conditions necessitate that someone is not a believer in Christ.

Paul suffered poverty, lived in deplorable conditions at times, and suffered sickness, and was in the will of God when he was in these conditions. (Phil. 4:11-13) The operative word, the most important point of his discourse as it relates to this condition is he did it through Christ. You do yourself no favors doing it without him. Because whether in or out of the body you will go through something, but it is far worse to do so without Christ. The first attack that will come upon a believer when these sorts of challenges face them is against their helmet of salvation. Don’t allow yourself to get to the “why me?” syndrome, this opens the door to the attack. The enemy will send sucker punches to your mind to cause you to doubt your standing with the Lord. It is important at this time not to take off our armor, and certainly not to allow what man does whether it is leader, spouse, or parent to cause you to give your helmet to the enemy. Be resolved within yourself to let NOTHING separate you from the love of God, no matter how hard the challenge may seem.

If you are reading this and you have left the Lord because of abuse done to you in a local assembly, or because of a spouse, or because of parents not reflecting the love of God, come back to God. As stated earlier, abuse is no excuse to turn your back on He who never turned his back on you. Do not judge Yah’s love for you based on what others do, as Paul said, was he crucified for you? As he makes clear in 1 Cor. 11:1 follow him as he follows Christ. The implication being if he isn’t following Christ don’t you follow his example. This is a lesson for us all, as inspired as the men who wrote letters for us in the bible were, only One man was without sin, above reproach, and died for you, all else were subject to missing the mark. All else had struggles with their flesh, and so will you. As much as David was a man after God’s own heart, he missed it on several occasions. Don’t think that because you will miss it that you don’t love God, and don’t allow the enemy to cause you to leave your relationship with God because of what others do.

Now don’t misunderstand I am not saying you should make yourself a mark for the enemies target practice either. Loving someone doesn’t dictate that you give them ammunition to shoot you, if the situation dictates you removing your presence then do so. However, you don’t have to be bitter as you go, choose to be at peace when you leave. Sometimes opposition comes because God knows you wouldn’t leave otherwise, so he has to make you uncomfortable. Other times he may tell you to stay, to release you later, but make sure that whatever step you take it is ordered by Him and not by a whim. It’s not about trusting people anyway, because there is no scripture that tells you to put your trust in man, God wants you to put your trust in Him. This is the challenge that is placed before you. As with Messiah there were times he was to stand and face adversity, but there were also times he was directed to flee the situation. It is only as we walk with Him will we be able to discern which one we should do. But my friends think it not strange the fiery trial which is to try you. Don’t be deceived by ministers preaching immature messages that would lead you to believe that if you aren’t having your best life now that you are out of the will of God.

Paul didn’t have his best life now, Peter didn’t have his best life now, and certainly Christ didn’t have his best life now. What they all had was a life that fulfilled the purposes of God before they left and that is what a life following Christ gives you. He tells you, you will have tribulation, and he tells you to be of good cheer because he has overcome it. (Jn 16:33) He tells you, the servant is not greater than the master, and thus if what was done in a green tree by the “powers that be” took place to him do you really think you will escape the tribulation to come? (Luke 23:31) We like Yahushah, like Paul, Peter, John, Stephen, and a host of others will have opportunities to leap for joy if we stay hooked up and we follow His instructions. He will allow you to go through the fire, but you best believe you won’t be in it alone, he doesn’t always circumvent the lion’s den experience, but he is able to shut the mouth of the lion, and think not that it is impossible for you to be at the peak of your career yet be faced with the trial of your life. Is this not the story of Daniel who because of his faithfulness to God was put in a place of leadership when he and his people were under captivity? Was he not thrown in a lion’s den for following the instructions of Yah?

If you are going through some challenges in your relationships, if you have been betrayed, abused, or misused, don’t give up on God. Hold on to your faith, and know that God is for you, no matter who is against you. We put way more trust and faith in people then the scripture allows, and therefore we make sweeping generalizations based on human shortcomings. There is only one who died for you, and there is only one you can trust without waiver, and that is Yahushah. Politicians, religious leaders, or even family members should not have your uncompromised trust, nor should they have the power to separate you from the love of God. We can only overcome our flesh by walking in love, because while faith may waiver, where hope gets tired, love never fails.

What Yah Expects of Daughters?

 

 

Daughters, are the ground in preparation for the planting of the house seed. Her life reveals what is inside the covenant. As the bet () is the picture of the house, and because what is most important to Yah is not the structure of the home, but those who reside within it, it has the dual meaning of “in” or “inside”. In her resides the covenant of the house. She is indeed the mystery of what is inside the sign. She is a picture of the bride of Messiah which is the church, and therefore has an important role that should not be neglected in our society. As we see more and more cultures who embrace a son and seem to diminish the worth of a daughter we see more and more women throwing off the traditional position of their womanhood to compete in the world of men for prominence and prestige. We must begin to see ourselves as an intricate part of this unique puzzle in which every piece is significant in revealing its overall beauty, and no puzzle is complete with even one missing piece.

Our daughters should be a living legacy of pointing those within and without her home to the Tau () which is the “sign” or “covenant”. She is the representation of the bringing together of two houses; Prophetically this is what she is preparing for as a daughter. She walks as an expressed example of life and love. The greatest example in scripture of the mystery of the daughter is revealed in Sarah. Here we have a woman who was a symbol to the secular world of unbelievable beauty, yet within her was a treasure so special that the wrong person tampering with it was cursed. In a way she was a physical example of the ark of the covenant. The ark of the covenant had to be handled with care, and not just anybody could touch it, nor could it be carried any sort of way. Ignoring the rules of handling it led to death.   She in essence houses the sign and this is why such particular care is taken in choosing a mate for her.

The marriage ceremony places so much emphasis on who has the authority to give a daughter away to a man.  Let’s examine why Solomon married the daughter of an Egyptian? It is only through covenant did he have access to the secrets of Egypt, and that covenant required that he marry the daughter of the authority of Egypt to acquire. It is the responsibility of parents to both share the gift within them to her, as well as to protect her and handle her with care as the prized possession that she is. For Yahushah is the word of God, that is housed in the temple of His bride. Every bride is a daughter before she becomes anything else. She is the house sign that is birthed in the strong water of her mother’s womb.

One final special note, while in our Western culture we emphasize our children’s independence, we notice that Yah doesn’t do that for his daughters. We notice that every daughter that married Isaac, and Jacob, as well as Moses was found in their Father’s house, tending to their Father’s business. In Hebrew culture a daughter didn’t leave her father until she married. She always had a covering, even as the ark always had a covering. In her is kept the treasure of that family. How different our culture would be if we treasured our daughters the way Yah treasures us? If parents would esteem more value to their daughters and preparing them for God’s plan for them upon the earth? If we would see that daughters are the link to a healthy, sustainable, and strong society.

An Opportunity for Greatness

What does it really mean to be great in the kingdom of God? As women Yah has given us a unique opportunity to experience what it means to be great in His kingdom. However, this position is not for the faint of heart or those who have not exercised themselves to endure till the end because it will cost you your life to achieve, but the reward of it is out of this world.

As I was painting the floor in my in-laws home I could hear part of this scripture in my head, “the greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all”. Well of course I am always ecstatic when I hear the Father’s words echoing through my mind, but I didn’t realize how close to home that scripture was to where I am at this time in my life. It revolutionized how I viewed my role in the home.

Let me explain, I have been blessed not to have to work in the secular world since I married my husband in 2003. Instead, I became a home builder so to speak, one called to build a family instead of someone elses business. So after saying “I Do” I went from being independent woman to being a homemaker for my husband and stepchildren. It was the transition of a lifetime and though it was right where God wanted me to be it was an adjustment of going from being accountable only to God to now being accountable to my husband and three children who needed me. It was one thing to be a nutritional laboratory scientist as it related to finding out how to keep myself healthy, and something completely different to have to learn how to adjust that to now satisfying the palate of a family of four, complete with producing appropriate ratios. Now had that been my only challenge it might have been an easy win/win, but I quickly learned that stepping down from being one brick worker working in collaboration with a huge team of brick workers to build the empire of a company was a much easier position then building the empire of a family. My work position was like wearing a temporary hat eight hours a day five hours a week in which I could leave my work at the office, but family is a twenty four hour job in which you have to be on duty for at least sixteen hours a day and on call for the other eight. Nothing in my upbringing prepared me for this important evolution and I found out that my on the job training was a slow progress in the making.

Now, fast forward to my painting project which is years after homeschooling, I finally began to get a glimpse of what the Father was giving me. This understanding was right on time because as I begin to look at the things I always wanted and the things that I received let’s just say that after years of doing the same ole thing, but feeling as if my life was at a standstill and as though I was being punished or neglected in the trenches this word was dropped in my Spirit that revolutionized my view concerning how the Father felt about me and the mental torture I was going through at this juncture in my life. See you have to understand I didn’t just enter a blended family, but I entered a family that I wasn’t just a stepmom, but I was also the teacher and the counselor and at the time though I didn’t think about it until after they left the house time was continuing to tick, yet I had not had my own children which I desperately desired, and it didn’t dawn on me that the very energetic and vibrant man I married at the first was advancing his biological clock right along with me, and that the sixteen year gap between our age could put us at different places in our life and desires.

For the past year I felt trapped, trapped in this body that wasn’t working, trapped because here I want my husband to relive daddy days when he is ready to retire. I must say I am not happy about the thoughts that have pervaded my mind, but I will say that though resentful I affirmed to remain faithful to the process that the Father was taking me through, and this painting project was the moment that revitalized my hope. It was this scriptural phrase that didn’t change my circumstances, but changed my outlook. I took this extra long detour through my life because it was the necessary foundation to understand the main point of this article. What I couldn’t see was that Yah was preparing me to be great in his kingdom. So as I looked up that word in scripture the first one that came up in my search was Matthew 18:4 which says,

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 18:4)

Now keep in mind this is different from the phrase that I saw, but interesting because in His kingdom the “greatest” is the one who is humble. See the tendency when we see this scripture is to focus on the child, but the child is not the focal point because in this analogy he is clearly referencing a specific child as it says “as this little child”, thus Yahushah is focusing on the action of the child he is using as an example of what he wants. Yet at the same time he is also teaching another lesson, as a child is called to be subject to their parents, submitted to authority, having the least amount of control or influence over his circumstances and the direction his life will take, but has to submit himself to his parents, so likewise are we supposed to be submitted to Christ in like manner. A child’s circumstance makes him humble because he has to be completely submitted to others for his wellbeing. We see now why Moses was considered to be the meekest man during his time and how that mentality positioned him for greatness. (Num. 12:3)

Consider all the times that Moses made it clear he couldn’t do it without God, he wouldn’t bring God’s people into the land without him, he was completely dependent on Yah to keep the promise he made. In fact what caused him to not make it into the promised land is when he walked out of that and operated out of his flesh instead of staying in step with Yah. He allowed his emotions to carry him out of the will of God, and this is a mistake as women we are very guilty of making, but can cost us our destiny to be great in our Father’s house.

My study on this topic of the greatest was focused on the Gospels and the next scripture that came up was Mark 9:34-35, which says the following:

“But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” (Mar 9:34-35)

So here we go, contrary to the heavy weight boxer who exemplified neither humility in his strength, nor saw himself as last in any category scripture paints a different picture concerning those who will be great in His kingdom which is unmatched and unparalleled to any temporary glory we may receive for our talents on earth, that if we desire to be greatest (first) in his kingdom then we must be last of all, and servant of all.

This was the opposite of what I was striving for, and in the loving way that only the Father by His Spirit can do, he corrected my thinking about my life, and helped me to see that it’s not about what I get out of life that makes me great in his kingdom, but about how I serve others in Him in this life that makes me great. I was being mentally tortured by the enemy thinking that God was punishing me for my past mistakes or that I was out of the will of God because I desired a godly thing, but was being denied this honor, when in reality he was grooming me for greatness. I have for a while been doing the right things for the wrong reasons, because it was based on a wrong premise. Asking God for things I wanted instead of asking him how I can serve him or to make me a better servant. Desiring to be first and foremost instead of embracing the opportunity he was giving me to be last so that I can lift others up in him.

Is this not why he told the Ephesian church he gave some to be Apostle’s, Prophet’s, Evangelist’s, Pastor’s, and Teacher’s? For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body. Their role was to serve others not to be served. (Eph. 4:11-12) Contrary to the example we see in the Western church in which the flock is expected to serve the minister instead of the servant (which is the meaning of the word minister) feeding his flock. Amazingly we see in scripture where the disciples first fed the multitude before they ate, in our congregations the ministers are rushed to be fed before the masses. (Mar. 6:41) Servant’s (ministers) are rushed to be served before they serve, and with that in mind there is no wonder our flock has the mentality that God is our bellhop that we can command in His son’s name all sorts of things and act as if we should be able to get them. Because we are under the false allusion that our serving a man of God affords us the right to ask of God what we will and he must answer, rather than understand that we are called to serve God, trusting that as a good parent he will provide what we need and knows before we ask. Imagine if our children did to us what we do to God. If our children commanded us to do this or that what our response would be? We would teach them humility and that approach would open the door for such a lesson to take place with an appropriate rod.

Our role as women naturally puts us in the position to be greatest but the world’s definition has caused us to despise this position. In this hour it is vitally important that we get this lesson that he is preparing us for so that in the hour that it will be desperately needed we will fulfill our purpose. Are we ready to be the Harriet Tubman of the world or the Corrie Tin Boom of the world? Or are we looking for our reward where moth and rust does corrupt? Are we willing to make our robe in this world bloody standing for righteousness that we might receive the white robe that the Father has promised to His saints? As the woman was created last, and called to serve Adam, so now is the bride being called to do the same, but the natural picture hasn’t changed. Are we willing to humble ourselves to build His kingdom that bears his name, having no name of our own remaining or are we going to continue to fight for recognition by man which disqualifies our honor by Yah?

It’s a humbling position to say the least that requires that we die to ourselves, what we want, and what we think we deserve, and say not just with our head, but with our heart that we will lift others up without thought to ourselves because we know that he who we can’t see with our physical eye, sees us and is faithful to reward us for all we do in Him. Our God misses nothing, not a shred of hair unnoticed, or a tear lost.

So, will you take your opportunity for greatness? Will you dare to make your prayer life one where you ask the Father to show you, who you can serve today? Will you submit yourself under his hand not seeking recognition from the world, but seeking his will for your life? If so there is an opportunity for greatness available to you in which the riches of this world can’t compare.

Remain Calm

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Php 4:6)  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: (Jas 1:19)

It is important for us to realize when Yah is telling us to be silent. The worst thing you can do is speak when Yah has said to be quiet. Sometimes our thoughts become like a loud radio polluting the airways with unprofitable material. Knowing when to speak and when to listen is an acquired taste that most don’t have a palette to discern, yet synchronizing ourselves with our Creator makes for a fulfilling life. Desiring only to give Him pleasure and fulfill his purpose. There are a number of things on my mind but in this season I sense Yah telling me to just be still and know that He is. (Psa. 46:10) Not to get anxious, worry, or fret, but to just watch and see what He does next. Sometimes when we speak we give ammunition to the enemy or at the very least reveal the weak points in our infantry.   I’m learning a new technique of battle, and sometimes silence is the best weapon one can use against an unseen, unknown force. My life often mimics’ verses in scripture and when I discern what part of the script I am reading I can stay in sync with my purpose, but often times my mind is on a coffee break when the director has already yelled “action”. Most of my life’s choices have been my own, but at some point we find ourselves in need of something that we can’t make happen on our own and man can’t do it for us, this is the time to remain calm, get quiet, and wait on the Lord. Find a fueling station and get ready to fly because your strength is about to be replenished, your tank is about to be filled. (Isa. 40:31)