Up to Half the Kingdom

/ Tekoa / 11 Comments

zeb 1

In this blog series, we will look at those like Esther, who stood before kings and made request, as well as the request of one man on the cross next to Yeshua.

At one point, I’ll ask you to sit with me, as we shine a light of introspection inside our souls. Even in our silence, we are always making request of the King. If we pray without ceasing, our hearts cry out.

There is nothing hated as greatly as truth.

Stephen speaks truth in the book of Acts and is stoned to death. John speaks truth and ends up on the menu.

“For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife! So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him” Mark 6:17-19.

Grudge in the Hebrew sense means to cherish an anger and nurture it.

Herodias wanted John dead. Her daughter dances for Herod on his birthday, and he tells her that he will give her anything, even half of the kingdom. She, like Esther, is standing before a king. What will she ask for? What will we ?

“The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”

Then she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”

And Herodias answered, “The head of John the Baptist.”

At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” Mark 6:22-25).

Immediately. Chop chop–literally.

During this blog, I hope you will pause here and there, as we ask the question: what are our souls requesting from the Master, the King of Kings? When the king waves his scepter and says, “Ask whatever you wish.”
Are we coming boldly to His throne room like Esther? If I die, I die? What does our request look like?

Some of my most significant accomplishments and life lessons have been birthed out of tragedies, mistakes, weaknesses, and fears. It is often on this journey under the sun that we find ourselves in circumstances that are incredibly uncomfortable. We may have moments that turn into seasons where we want to check out. We huddle up in a fetal position and hold our broken souls, or we run full throttle, keeping busy with life, never slowing down long enough to deal with our past or present wounds.

Can we sit still long enough to question why we take flight or sit paralyzed—why we scream to be noticed or slink into corners? Why we need to fill up a room with our grandeur, or why we feel invisible and unworthy of being seen.

As a society that makes millions off of social media and reality Television, can we capture sacred moments without publicizing them? Can we enjoy a sunset alone with our Creator without sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, every time.? Even if its royal purple and red? Are my treasured moments, thoughts, or accomplishments in life measured by the number of views, hearts, likes, or shares, I get? Can I be silent without ‘my’ opinion being stated?
Or worse, have i kept silent while Haman is erecting gallows for my people?

Who are my people?

sunset by Peter

In our sorrow or complacent posture, we ask questions to the King of the universe, or we request nothing.

Is it possible that our flesh grows louder, and is in fact, screaming for red stuff because our souls are as dead as a corpse?
Yeshua said, “You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25).

Self-indulgence: gourmet foods, pampering, massaging, plucking, plumping, sitting on ivory couches eating choice lambs.
DEAD.
Who will awaken the dawn?

In our deadened state, we tell the world we are alive and excited! Prosperous, even, but by whose standards? We say we are blessed, but how is this defined for us?

“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man” (Luke 6:21-22). Truth can get you killed by the sword or by men with sharp tongues.

We venture outside and see each person with fresh eyes, eager to learn from their wanderings, or we smugly think they have nothing to offer us. We magnify their faults and forget their strengths. We notice their blackheads while our pimples come to a head.
They offer us clothing, but we judge their shoes and where they’ve traveled as less than and dismiss their offerings–or we crave their attention so much, we tap dance for them and parade our peacock feathers in prideful fashion.
We get so caught up in the hustle, we forget about our soul and leave it on the counter like our lukewarm coffee cup.

“The soul is always whispering to us,” taught Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz.
“Then why don’t we change?” asked the disciple Reb Raphael of Bershad.
“Because,” said Reb Pinchas, “the soul never repeats itself.”

Spring arrives, and we are still naked. In our effort to sprout or bud with some form of life, we speak to our soul in the silence and say things like, ‘Has anyone ever truly loved me? How can I love my neighbor as myself after what I’ve done or failed to do?’ Why am I here? What am I created to do?

lonliness

We stare at scars where our breast used to be. We remove the wig and see a few spry hairs. We study the MRI report. We look at our ex’s new lover and make comparisons. We receive a frightening diagnosis, a foreclosure, job loss, family issues that seem irreparable, or worse a call in the middle of the night.
We replay the past and multiply our guilt. We say words like ‘if.’
“If I had only done this, or said that, perhaps things would be different. If I would have taken a different route that day. If I just would have made the phone call. If I would have taken them to the doctor sooner—replaced the batteries in the smoke detector, showed them love and not just enunciated the words carelessly—flinging them from my keyboard or lips with such ease.

I

l o v e

y o u

But can we love like a lamp with all its warm glowing light?
Can we love like Yeshua?
Would we know what love looked like if it slapped us in the face?
Have we ever felt it from someone? Who was that person that created a space for our voice, our sorrow, our joy, and our accomplishments? Can we be like them?

Have we returned an ear?

A shoulder to cry on?

Been silent long enough to listen—really listen.

When we lack stillness– we forget the birds sing to us every morning—when we don’t absorb the Sonshine, or actually taste our food, we wander over hills searching for manna on day 7, forgetting how it arrived effortlessly on days 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and doubled on day 6.

numbers

We purchase hair extensions instead of waiting like Samson for new growth. We try and fight for ourselves instead of being still or letting Him. We toss memes up with sharp points that stab people. “Aha, take that!”

We clean out our cabinets, closets, cars, toxic people list. We apply for new occupations, start new projects, enroll in a class and rearrange the furniture. Finally, we open the mini-blinds and allow light to sweep over us like a vacuum collecting debris. Our eyes squint at this beam of radiance as if its some foreign object of torture.
We forget that we are lamps.
We forget to buy oil.
We proclaim that we have oil. Meanwhile, our oil light flashes for all to see, but we don’t notice it.

We go through the motions and never enjoy the moments that make up our lives.
We are corrected and can’t admit that the other person has light to give us.
Have we ever really seen the other person?
Our spouses?

Children?

Family?

Friendships?

“We each have blind spots, just as every candle casts its own shadow. Only when you place a second candle next to the first, do the shadows disappear, illuminated by the other’s light.” Ariel Burger.

We study other humans and decide that we know them. We gaze at people over seasons and form an opinion of their soul—what needs removed, added–like a cake recipe, we have the formula.

cake batter
Yes, we have the ingredients they need for success, knowledge, health, better posture, greater peace, cleaner foods and how to live their best life now.
We don’t listen.
We don’t have empathy, because after all, our pain is more considerable.
We want them to measure our pain, and so we tolerate theirs until we can chime in.

Tolerate? Elie Wiesel, explains,

“I don’t like the word tolerate. Who am I to tolerate you? I prefer the word respect. I must respect you even if I do not agree with you. In fact, my disagreement may be an expression of my respect for you. If I truly respect you, don’t I owe you my honesty?”

Honesty? Didn’t John (Yochanan) say honest things to Herod?
Can we handle such a big word in a day and time where everyone gets a ribbon, a medal, and must never be offended? Isn’t pride the reason behind most of our offenses? Our flesh wasn’t noticed. Our feelings were hurt. Our work wasn’t honored or seen. Our talents overlooked. Our children were left out. No one thanked us for our generous gift or time. Or worse, the truth they spoke enraged us to cut off their head.

We wander about not knowing what those we meet daily are going through. We express the rudeness of the bank teller. Like Haman, concerning Mordecai, we say things like, “He didn’t even smile at me or greet me.” We look at the gas station attendant and say, “It can’t be that bad, smile.”

For all we know, they just lost a loved one, a pet, their home, etc.
“Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.” Proverbs 25:20.

We bounce words off the walls to describe the waitress who leaves our glass empty of tea or never returns with our check, never weighing that possibly she was raped the night before. Abandoned. Had a miscarriage. Is contemplating suicide.

We disregard our family members who put on smiles and utter “life is great! Sales are at an all-time high.” We call him or her pompous on our car ride home, not knowing they hide behind horrific loneliness, addiction, and depression. We accuse others of being hypochondriacs and needing attention. Meanwhile, they suffer with chronic conditions unseen to the naked eye.

We lack empathy.

What have we become? Mere mortals scrolling through our phones, computers, remote controls. Do they control us? Desensitize us? Entertain us? Are we becoming more remote due to them? “Remote–distant, having very little connection with or relationship to.”

We place on mask and hide behind them.

We lack vulnerability, so we build walls to protect ourselves.

“From the Latin word vulnerare, “to wound,” vulnerability is our susceptibility to be wounded.”

At times, there are people in our lives, who blurt out their sufferings with great vulnerability, but where are we while they stand naked before us? Where was Yeshua’s disciples when he cried out,

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up” (Matthew 20:18-19).

This passage is just placed in-between two bookends. We read no responses to Yeshua’s words. There are no words of sympathy. No, “I wish you wouldn’t have to suffer so.” There’s not even a “But on the third day, you’ll be fine!” Matter a fact, the next verse we read is the words of James and John’s mother requesting that her sons may sit on the right and left-hand side of Yeshua when he sits as King in his kingdom.

She bows before him and makes her request. It seems vastly different from Esther’s appointment with a king.

What are we asking of him to do for us in this season?

The gentile Kings, Herod, and king, Ahasuerus both offer up to half their Kingdoms. Kingdoms they wouldn’t have if it weren’t given to them by Adonai.

Herod means to flee or be a afraid. Are we afraid of the truth? Haman’s Name means a multitude of noise. He proclaims truth is what he says it is. Do we make noise when we hear truth?

“The council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen and dragged him out of the city.” Acts 7: 57.

“20Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”23But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.” Luke 7:20-23.

Haman’s request is to kill a people– Esther’s is to save. The sons of Zebedee and their mother request positions and titles. What are we requesting from such a Holy King?

In part II of this teaching we will look at more request given to kings and what the heart of the matter is.

 sources:

Quotes from Witness, by A. Burger

Photos by:

Gabriel Testoni —sunset
 
Gaelle Marcel —cake batter
 
 
Cristian –Newman hidden
Austris Augusts —numbers

The Naked King

/ Tekoa / 1 Comment

There is a children’s book written by H. S. Anderson titled The Emperor’s new clothes. I’ll be weaving this tale along with a man named Naaman in this writing concerning self-perception and denial.

“The name Naaman is derived from the verb נעם (na’em) meaning be pleasant, sweet, delightful, and beautiful” (Abarim Publications).

We can be all these things and still have a sickness. This man, Naaman, was commander of the army of the King of Aram. The Bible describes him as a mighty man of valor.

“A great man in his master’s sight (Naaman) and highly esteemed, because through him Adonai had given victory to Aram. Though the man was a mighty man of valor, he had tza’arat (leprosy).’(II Kings 5:1, TLV).

Many of us have this disease and don’t even know it.

Leprosy is incurable, and in advanced stages, the face is covered. This can produce a hideous disfigurement. As the disease advances, insensibility of the skin and paralysis follow, and the fingers and toes may rot away. Naaman had the esteem of men, he was famous for possibly wounding King Ahab, but all his wealth, honor, and fame could not make him clean. Like Miriam, he was separated from the people due to his condition.

In this blog we have two men, one is fictitious, and the other is real. The Emperor in Han’s Christian Anderson’s story was also a great leader of an empire, but he was so consumed with himself, he had no time for his officers or his kingdom. Every hour of every day was spent looking in the mirror and having royal garments custom made for him to parade around town in so all the people could see him. This emperor had leprosy too, but he didn’t even know it.

emperor 1

 

“One day two swindlers came. They told everybody that they were weavers and that they could weave marvelous clothes. Not only were the colors and the patterns of their material extraordinarily beautiful, but the cloth had the strange quality of being invisible to anyone who was unfit for his office or unforgivably stupid.

“This is truly marvelous,” thought the emperor. “Now if I had robes cut from that material, I should know which of my councilors was unfit for his office, and I would be able to pick out my clever subjects myself. They must weave some material for me!” And he gave the swindlers a lot of money so they could start working at once.”

There is only one King that I know of who has the ability to see our garments and know whether they are unfit for His Kingdom.

“But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:11-14).

The two thieves set up looms and act as if they are weaving beautiful garments, but secretly they have hidden the golden threads and fine silks. They are pretending to be able to dress the kingdom, but their hearts are greedy and interested in storing up riches here on earth where thieves break in and steal, where moths eat, and rust destroys. Vanities—chasing after wind, the wrong wind, instead of His Ruach Wind and Spirit, these men chase after what holds no joy. Our Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the flowers of the fields and He has beautiful garments for us.

But, let’s get back to Naaman, a real commander, and leader of the king. Naaman was more than likely the talk of the town, both for his ability to shoot a bow and injure Israel’s king, and also for being leprous. He needs new garments; only his involved fleshly skin.

A little maid girl, a captive taken in war, a servant of Naaman and his wife, has a cure for this leprous man. This young maid is nameless, faceless, and dressed in servant attire. She should be angry at being captured and made to work. Some of us if in her shoes, might have secretly swelled up with delight that our captor had leprosy. But not this young lady! She says, “If only my lord went before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his tza’arat (Leprosy).” (II Kings 5:3).

Her heart is for her enemies to be cleansed. This reminded me of Moses and his brother and sister. As they gossip about Moses, the Father hears it. “OUCH!

As Miriam turns leprous, Moses doesn’t say, “Aha! That’s what you get for messing with a prophet and leader!” No, he cries out and says, “O God, heal her, I pray!” (Numbers 12:13, NASB).

This is the heart the Father is looking for. Do you see your brother or sister and their condition? Have they spoken about you in a negative light? Or did they go to you in private? We need to address and handle situations the Torah way, if not, we may end up with a stinky mess.

 

I found the next information very curious. The king of Aram sends a letter to the king of Israel, and with it, he sends ten talents of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold and ten garments. This just sings ten lost tribes, scattered, leprous and in need of new garments. After 6,000 years, in the 7th year, we see completion, rest, restoration. Six days a week we work, and on the Shabbat, we rest and enjoy the fruits of our labor; the same is true with millenniums. And so we wait for our King Yeshua to come set up His kingdom.

Naaman goes to the king who writes a letter and sends it to the king of Israel.

“And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But consider now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me.”

8It happened when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel” (II Kings 5:6-8).

namaan

Before we get to the climax of the story, I want to return to the emperor and his new clothes. The emperor was very inquisitive as to how his new garments were coming along, but he remembered that those who were stupid or unfit for office would not be able to see the material.

“Everybody in town had heard about the cloths magic quality and most of them could hardly wait to find out how stupid or unworthy their neighbors were.

“I shall send my faithful prime minister to see the weaver,” thought the emperor. “He will know how to judge the material, for he is both clever and fit for his office, if any man is.” The good-natured old man stepped into the room where the weavers were working and saw the empty loom. He closed his eyes, and opened them again. “God preserve me!” he thought. “I cannot see a thing!” But he didn’t say it out loud.

The swindlers asked him to step a little closer so that he could admire the intricate patterns and marvelous colors of the material they were weaving. They both pointed to the empty loom, and the poor old prime minister opened his eyes as wide as he could; but it didn’t help, he still couldn’t see anything.

“Am I stupid?” he thought. “I can’t believe it, but if it is so, it is best no one finds out about it. But maybe I am not fit for my office. No, that is worse, I’d better not admit that I can’t see what they are weaving.”

“Tell us what you think of it,” demanded one of the swindlers.

“It is beautiful. It is very lovely,” mumbled the old prime minister, adjusting his glasses.

“What patterns! What colors! I shall tell the emperor that I am greatly pleased.”

The story continues until the evil thieves have taken all the money, gold, silver and fine silks for themselves. It’s like Egypt and the evil task masters. No one wanted to point out the truth. In doing so, they might be deemed stupid or unfit for kingdom work, so they pretend. They are pretending that those in authority are actually clothed in garments of beauty when in fact they are naked.

 

By the end of the story, the Imperial Majesty stands in front of a mirror, and the swindlers have him take off his clothes. He stands naked before them and his elected officials, but he doesn’t dare admit it. They fashion an invisible garment around him with a long flowing train.

A perfect fit!” everyone exclaimed. “What colors! What patterns! The new clothes are magnificent!”

“Well, I am dressed. Aren’t my clothes becoming?” The emperor turned around once more in front of the mirror, pretending to study his finery.

The emperor walked in the procession under his crimson canopy. And all the people of the town, who had lined the streets or were looking down from the windows, said that the emperor’s new clothes were beautiful. “What a magnificent robe! And the train! How well the emperor’s clothes suit him!”

emperor 2

 

None of them were willing to admit that they hadn’t seen a thing; for if anyone did, then he was either stupid or unfit for the job he held.

No one but a child!!!

“But he doesn’t have anything on!” cried a little child.

“Listen to the innocent one,” said the proud father. And the people whispered among each other and repeated what the child had said.

“He doesn’t have anything on. There’s a little child who says that he has nothing on.”

“He has nothing on!” shouted all the people at last.

The Emperor shivered, for he was certain that they were right; but he thought, “I must bear it until the procession is over.” And he walked even more proudly, and the two gentlemen of the imperial bedchamber went on carrying the train that wasn’t there.”

Oh, how very spiritual this story is! It is both a tragedy and a form of pride and being stiff-necked. We look in the mirror and never see what we truly look like.

The man Naaman becomes a lot like this Emperor. He has envisioned in his mind how things should come about. He thinks the mighty prophet Elisha will come out and possibly all the people, and he expects the mighty prophet in his mantle to call forth from the heavens and lay hands upon him and poof! Bingo! Ding! Ding! But, no, he must descend to the bottom of the Jordan on his own, and then he will be cleansed. He must immerse himself in the laver, in the cleansing waters of a Mikva. He must dip seven times as instructed by the prophet, but he is angry and wounded—insulted even. How dare him! Does he not know who I am? I’ve got better water, larger areas of water in my own area, he thinks proudly. Can Elisha not see my emperor clothes? Does he not know that I am over the whole army? I’m highly esteemed and a man of VALOR!

Naaman is so stiff-necked, he turns and walks away in a rage.

“Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.” (II Kings 5:13-14).

A little child calls out the emperor in public and tells all there just how stupid and unfit they are. Pretending to have royal clothing on in front of the people, when in fact we are naked is a fearful place to be in. We don’t even know our condition or perhaps we do know it, we look right in the mirror and see our nakedness, but like Naaman and the Emperor, we don’t want to confess to the people who have held us in esteem just how rotten our condition is.

emperor 4

There is a King who is very aware of our garments. He is preparing a banquet, and he will throw out those not dressed in wedding garments.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).

Sometimes the Father sends prophets to warn people, but they leave in a rage. Sometimes the Father send little handmaids to warn those in authority of a condition that needs to be healed. Sometimes a little child has to proclaim the truth in the streets.

“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:3-6, NASB).

May we clothe ourselves in garments of beauty before our King. May we become like the little maidservant and a child.

Blessings,

Tekoa Manning

“And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed— only Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27).

 

Sources: http://www.honolulutraffic.com/Emperors.pdf

Abarim Publications

NASB and TLV

Do we hate Him?

/ Tekoa / 2 Comments

 

Image result for free dove photo

“Though you have slept among the sheepfolds (the sheepfolds, שְׁפַ֫תָּ֥יִם Strong’s Hebrew 8240: fireplaces, ash heaps), yet shall you be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold” (Psalm 68:13, KJ).

Recently, I received an urgent prayer request for a little girl who is three years old. She was rushed to the hospital with a fever, the inability to breathe on her own, and a bleeding heart. We later learned that this precious girl named Kabreeyah (He will be Praised) had a heart murmur, and a rare condition called Cor Triatriatum. She had an extra layer of skin that needed cut from her heart. It is here that I must ask a serious question: Do you and I have a layer that needs cut from our hearts too? During this blog, I pray a spiritual scalpel knife will cut away our flesh nature. It may hurt, but afterward, we will be free.

 

What is Cor Triatriatum?

“First reported in 1868, cor triatriatum, that is, a heart with 3 atria (triatrial heart), is a congenital anomaly in which the left atrium (cor triatriatum sinistrum) or right atrium (cor triatriatum dextrum) is divided into 2 compartments by a fold of tissue, a membrane, or a fibromuscular band.”

Once I learned of this heart condition it reminded me of another condition.

“So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer” (Deut. 10:16).

To add to this story, after the child came through surgery, she was to remain sedated for three days. I was suddenly thinking of Yeshua in the heart of the earth three days and three nights, and His blood that covered all our sins. We often get caught up in knowledge and forget about blood and blood covenants. But before we dig into this blog, I am pleased to tell you Kabreeyah is doing well. Praise the Yah in her name.

awake

There are many incredible women in the Bible. Some of them we glance over while reading without thinking much about their tenacious spirits or their holy acts. One woman helped save a whole nation from bondage in Egypt by sparing her husband’s life. Her name is Zipporah which means ‘bird.’ She is found at a well trying to draw water among evil shepherds. They are harassing her as Moses comes to her rescue.

Zipporah was the 7th daughter of Jethro. The number seven represents order, completion and rest. The very root of her father’s name means to be at rest, but the definition of his name means ‘remnant.’ Hmm, a remnant at rest.

Zipporah is remembered as the wife who circumcised her oldest son or son’s so that the Father would not slay her husband. She is also known due to Aaron and Miriam calling her a Cushite (Dark) woman. Could it be possible, that in this one short story, the whole Biblical journey of redemption is hidden–hidden like the dark name Cush? Hidden like the Holy Set-Apart Spirit. Hidden like Moses in the Ark among the Sea of Reeds?

“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman” (Numbers 12:1, NASB).

Cush or Kush is thought to be the land of Ethiopia.

“The first part of our name Ethiopia is thought to derive from the verb αιθω (aitho), meaning to light up or kindle. The related adjective αιθος (aithos) means shining or blazing, and αιθοψ (aithops; also containing οψ, ops) means fiery-looking or sparkling. The ethnonym Ethiopian means Fiery Eye and implies Bright Eyed or Keen of Vision.” Abarim Publications.

Possibly, at this point, you are seeing how this woman, Zipporah, represents the Holy Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)?

“Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him (Moses or his son?) And sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.” So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision” (Exodus 4:24-26, NASB).

There are several different opinions on the matter. Some believe it was his oldest son who was going to be killed. Others believe that Moses was busy with lodging arrangements and his appointed task, and he failed to circumcise his sons.

“Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel, assumes that the resolution of the episode, the circumcision of the child, is intrinsically related to the entire event. According to this opinion, the intended victim is not Moses but his son. While this would clarify the identity of the victim, the motive for the attack remains obscure. When we recall the context, the discussion of the death of the first-born of Egypt, the threat of a child’s death becomes more intelligible — Moses’ hesitation in coming to redeem the people indicated some type of indifference to the nation described as “the first born of God.” Therefore, Moses’ own first-born is in peril.” Aish.com.

Why do we need to reflect on circumcision and our hearts?

“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” 10but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face” Duet 7:9-10).

Ouch! Sadly, we can think we love Adonai and that we are keeping His Commandments but instead we may actually hate or despise Him. How can that be?

Dr. Skip Moen explains this better than I can in his blog titled “Esau have I Hated.”

“Hatred” and “despise” are from the same Hebrew root, sane. To hate describes an emotional reaction of repulsion. In this state, a person wishes only to keep distant from the offense or the offender. Hate entails distance. It is just the opposite of love which brings about the desire for closeness. When the word is used in the Tanakh, it is often associated with idolatry, opposition, aversion, and ill-will. In this regard, the verb describes a reaction rather than a causative action. Something or someone acts in such a way that we react with a strong emotional rejection.”

Notice the word distance. This happens in our relationship with Him and with our family, and our brothers and sisters. That’s why it is always good to reach out to someone who has hurt you or someone you have hurt. If not, distance happens.

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In Revelation, Yeshua warns us to come back to our first love. He tells one church that he has this against them, they have lost their first love. They have distanced themselves and possibly you, and I have too? Desensitization and the things of the world can damage our love.

Zipporah says, “A bloody husband–A bridegroom of blood.”

Is our Father a bloody Husband? Let’s go deeper.

A blood covenant was not to be annulled. This very ancient covenant was given in Genesis 15. Abram brings a heifer, a goat, and a ram three years old. He also carries a turtledove and a pigeon. He splits each down the middle except the birds. It’s a cutting— a covenant. Think of a virgin on her wedding night and the blood—two becoming one. The husband carries his bride over the threshold.

The Father told Abram that his descendants will be strangers in a land and mistreated for hundreds of years, but He explains that He will judge that nation and free them by sending Zipporah’s husband.

“When the sun had set, and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram” (Gen. 15:17-18). This should remind us of Passover and the blood on the doorpost.

On Sinai, God made a covenant with His people Israel. All the people swore to uphold their part of the agreement by being obedient to God’s commandments and instructions. There are blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. We are to act in such a holy manner, we become priest, but we can’t do that if we hate Adonai or our brothers and sisters.

Paul writes letters to Corinth and the assembly there, and he speaks to immature people. He even confronts the leadership to throw some out who claim to keep this covenant.

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (I Cor. 3:1-3).

Paul becomes highly sarcastic, and in irony, he speaks more. Before posting Paul’s (Sha’ul’s) words, I want to add a snippet from Gill’s commentary.

“They were not full of Adonai, and divine things; nor of Christ (Messiah), and of grace out of his fullness; nor of the Holy Spirit, and of faith, as Stephen and Barnabas are said to be; nor of joy and peace in believing; nor of goodness and spiritual knowledge; but they were full of themselves, and were pulled up in their fleshly minds with an opinion of their abilities, learning, oratory, and eloquence, of their ministers, and of their own great improvements in knowledge under their ministrations. They fancied they had got to a perfection in knowledge and were brimful of it; and as the full stomach, from which the metaphor is taken, loathes the honeycomb, so these persons loathed the apostle’s ministry, and the pure preaching of the Gospel; imagining that they had attained to something above it, and stood in no need of it; when, alas! they were but babes, children in understanding, and needed milk instead of strong meat; so far were they from being what they thought themselves to be.”

Oh, friends! We can be right here and not even know it. We can pass by a mirror and not even see our true reflections.

I think you will be surprised by Paul’s words and his description of what it is like to take up a cross and follow Him. Before you read his words that cut as sharply as the surgeon’s tools on a three-year-old child, imagine him speaking it to your assembly. Can you imagine what the people would say?

He says in sarcasm,

“You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. 9For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.” (I Cor. 4:8-13).

He says he did not write this to SHAME them! He continues in chapter five with removing people from among them. Is that loving? Some would say, no. Matter a fact; some wouldn’t dare speak this raw truth. Where are the apostles? We need them in the body more than ever. Where are His prophets who hate sin and see the greater issues? Maybe I sound a tad strong or judgmental? I’m asking leadership to start  praying for the Father to send them to your assemblies. Look out among you and pray.

Let’s read more of Paul’s words that cut.

“I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.” I Cor 5:9-13, NASB).

He tells the people in chapter six not to be bound up with unbelievers. He asked them a question: What does light have in common with darkness?

This covenant is serious business.

I want to wrap this up with a closer look at the names of some of the key players and a closer look at our hearts.

The daughter of Pharaoh is named Bithiah. Strangely this Egyptian princess has a name that means, “Worshipper of Yah or daughter of Yahweh.” She, like Ruth, has cut a covenant with Adonai. She goes against her father’s wishes to kill the Hebrew boys and spares Moses. This woman draws Moses out of the ark (basket). Later on in our story, the Torah will be given to Moses, and he will place it inside the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark is the heartbeat of the tabernacle. This golden chest with its hidden Torah is to be circumcised on our hearts. It is more precious than GOLD.

“Yet shall you be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.”

The worshippers of Yah draw out water from His Torah. The Torah is an abundant fountain of water. Yeshua even informs a woman at a well that if she had but tasted His living water, she would never thirst again.

What are you thirsty for today? Fame, fortune, a spouse, a number one best seller like Paul’s letter here that was written in chains in a prison cell? His living springs bring more refreshing than any silver or gold. His sweet water and Holy breath are greater than any accomplishments, accolades, riches, or kingdoms of this world.

We are peculiar people. We should look and act differently. We should eat differently. Our clothing should be modest. We should celebrate differently. We have a different calendar. We are to speak words of life. We do not look like the world, and that is exactly what perks their appetite. Without Him in our lives, we are just drinking bitter water and complaining and searching for things that can never fill us up.

Oh, Abba cut me!

CUT ME!

Cut the fleshly skin from our hearts!

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“The Rabbis applied to the daughter of Pharaoh the verse from the “Woman of Valor” poem “She sees that her business thrives; her lamp never goes out at night” (Prov. 31:18). In the Midrashic exposition, the “night” in this verse is that of the plague of the firstborn, in which all the firstborn of Egypt died. The female firstborn also died in this plague, with the exception of the daughter of Pharaoh. Despite her being a firstborn, Moses was an advocate for her, and she was saved by merit of his prayer. Solomon, therefore, declared (Prov. 31:18): “She sees that her business thrives [ki tov],” since “ki tov” is an appellation for Moses, of whom it is said (Ex. 2:2): “she saw how beautiful [ki tov] he was.”

Noah’s Ark comes from Strong’s 8352 ‘tebah’ in Hebrew, and it is the same word used for Moses basket. Noah’s Ark saved eight souls and protected them from the judgment. Babies are circumcised on the 8th day, so why wouldn’t the man who the Father is sending to free His chosen people, why wouldn’t that man, Moses, circumcise his son or sons? One son is named Gershom (Exiles) or (stranger in a strange land). NOBSE Study Bible Name List Eliezer as God Is Help.

“Note the (assumed) phonetic similarity between the word עזר (azar) meaning help, support, and עשר (‘eser), meaning ten; to a Hebrew audience, the name Eliezer may have sounded like God’s Ten.” Abarim Publications.

And here we see the lost tribes of Israel needing the Holy Spirit (a pretty little bird) to bring them back into His covenant. A little bird, like a dove, descended on the spotless Lamb as he came forth out of the water.

After a bloody death on the cross, the lost sheep of Israel were able to come back into His covenant. He ascended to the heavens, and they waited for the promise, the comforter, the Holy Spirit, the dove, which was poured out at Shavuot.

 

Zipporah’s name means bird—(Holy Spirit)

Moses name means (He Who Extracts, or He Who Draws Out Of The Waters).

Moses mothers name, Jochebed, means YHWH, the Name of the Lord.

Jethro (Zipporah’s father) a remnant at rest.

The Father of Glory wants to live inside or dwell inside our temples. Our temples are supposed to be filled with His Spirit, lit with His menorah, and full of His Bread of life, giving a sweet smelling incense. May the Master surgeon take His Spirit and His scalpel and cut away our flesh, so we can live and draw water from His well.

“Then you will say on that day,

“I will give thanks to You, O LORD

For although You were angry with me,

 

           Your anger is turned away,

           And You comfort me.

2“Behold, God is my salvation,

I will trust and not be afraid;

For the LORD GOD is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation.”

 

3Therefore you will joyously draw water

           From the springs of salvation.

 

4And in that day you will say,

           “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name.

           Make known His deeds among the peoples;

           Make them remember that His name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:1-4).

Friends who shine like the Son

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I went to visit some dear friends a couple of weeks ago. I love these people. I love their hearts and how they have done missionary work in poverty-stricken countries. I love how they don’t have much money, but what extra they do have, they use to buy Bibles for orphans in Malawi or put a roof on a church that literally has an open heaven with rain coming inside.
Most of us wouldn’t even walk a mile to sit in a building in the rain with no roof. These people in Malawi are hungry in more ways than one.
My friend shared how she collected money and had a tin roof put on the church, and how the people lined up when she got out of the car. They were in such awe and crying tears of gratitude. They were running to honor her! One woman gave her a royal gift–a chicken!

So as I was saying, I went to visit my dear friends, Cheri and Wade, and Wade was diagnosed with ALS. I made a meal to bring with us in the car because they recently moved about two hours away.
We laughed and ate, and talked and prayed. It was Shabbat, and as I watched my friend feed her husband his taco, I wondered what it was like for her to hand feed her spouse. The movies usually depict a sexy couple feeding each other seductively with chocolate covered strawberries, but what is it like to look into the eyes of the one you are one with, and realize that each moment is sacred. Each smile. Each wipe of a cheek.
Her shoulders are pillars, and her legs are firmly planted. She is like a strong tree–a woman of valor.
Cheri is exhausted, but you would never know it.
After a bit of visiting and eating, I went to sit with my friend on his enclosed patio. He rode in his chair, and I followed. I plopped down on a cushioned seat and admired the beach theme and petted his dog, Tutt. After a moment, my friend said “I like to sit out here in the mornings and look outside. The sun cascades through the window and shines on my legs and my face.”

Wade hasn’t been able to leave his home for months. As he spoke, I remembered a time, shortly after my release of Walter the Homeless Man, when I had been to Mayo clinic and was very ill. There had been much stress and family issues that seemed to take me over the edge. I had to stay in bed upstairs at our old house, and my hubby had to make sure I had water, medication, and snacks– everything I would need because I couldn’t get up and down the steps while he was at work. I was much too weak. A few weeks later and a few rounds of IV steroids, I was able to take a car ride to a restaurant called The Overlook–Walter’s Pub. Floor length Glass windows on a hillside overlooking the water. It was fall, and all the leaves had changed from green to a beautiful golden orange that lit up the sky. I was weak, but, oh, so thankful to be out of bed. I cried most the way there. Tears of JOY!!! Have you ever cried over the color of the leaves? Have you ever cried over the sun shining in your face?
I love Abba, and I wouldn’t trade a minute of the journey– as Garth Brooks bellows in my head– I could have missed the pain, but I’d a had to miss the DANCE!
Oh, My SOUL!
May our SOULS SHINE! May we not ‘overlook’ His beauty and All of His wondrous creation.


My friend Wade never complained that day. The once strong carpenter, a trade of our Master and Savior, has gained some different tools in his toolbox. These tools were teaching me many lessons, and as the evening drew near, Wade struggled to cough up the stuff in his chest he needed to get out, after composing himself, he continued to smile and joke about the ball game. He spoke about how good it felt to sit in his recliner since my husband was there to help him in and out of it. He was enjoying the day. The Shabbat in all her Glory was shining on him.
My friend Wade didn’t lament about a whole host of things. Tiny things we take for granted. Tiny organs that lay hidden behind ribs and bones that one day will come together and stand dressed in glory, but for now, each day, my friend grows worse, yet stronger:

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
–II Corinthians 12:9-10, NASB
Meeting Wade and Cheri, has been one of the biggest blessings in our life! They are people of integrity, and one day I’ll dance with Wade and Cheri, and we will have a drink of the best wine we’ve ever tasted–poured out by the greatest Servant that’s ever walked this earth, but for now, time is a precious thing.

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A personal message on Cheri’s Facebook page recently ministered to me. She said this:

“One year ago, our lives changed forever. One year ago, we heard a doctor say “as a physician, this is one time I wish I could say you have cancer. I’m sorry.” That’s when the letters A L S entered our life, and invaded our home and the body of my sweet husband. But one year ago is also when we learned a few other things as well. 1 . Never take your loved ones for granted. 2. Pray big, worry small. 3. God is an ever present help in time of trouble. 4. Never ask why. Even our Savior Yeshua suffered on this earth. 5. Trust in Him with all your heart and soul. 6. Take that much needed trip. Before you CANT. 7. People disappoint, but Abba will never let us down. 8. Speak life, be a light to others, stop all the negative junk with yourself, and others. 9. Sometimes we are stronger than we ever imagined we could be. And 10. Sometimes our hero is right there under our nose….mine was. I love you Wade Fox. You are amazing.”

Each morning presents new obstacles and new sunrises — new colors of paint. Today, His Spirit lives in us, and we are said to have the very mind of Yeshua. May we try harder to reflect His foliage. Yes, let’s work harder to have compassion for the hurting. See the trees for the first time. Taste the rain when we are sick of it. Make a snow angel as a child would. Notice the people He places in front of us. Look at the sun like Wade does, and sing to the moon, for time is speeding faster and each day the mirror shows us we have grown older–weaker. Let us give Glory for our breath in the morning.  May we become more forgiving–more steadfast. Guard our hearts against those who would cause us to dwell on things that are toxic and meaningless.
I don’t care what kingdom you have built, what business, how much is in your bank account, how educated you are, how esteemed you are by men, it can all be taken from you in an instant.
Moses today you are going to walk up a hill and die.
Take this cup from me, Yeshua cried. Take this cup!  But not my will but Yours be done.
This life is such an incredible journey, no matter how long we are here. Each day is like putty in our hands, a paintbrush between our teeth, a golden ticket, a song, and we can feed a hungry child naturally or spiritually. We can collect money for a roof, notice the sun shining in our face and the color of the leaves or the bareness of a tree waiting to bud for the next season. Even a tree that looks dead has sap bubbling up underneath just waiting to blossom and bloom.

I hope this message ministered to you and that you will keep my friends in your prayers, and if you feel led to give this couple a love gift to help them during this difficult time or perhaps a gift for some of the orphans Cheri and Wade love, please click the contact box and send us a message. We will make sure every gift gets in their hands.

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In closing, We have never requested offerings for the ministry we do daily, but we will be adding a PayPal account to my blog sites—and possibly my ministry page. We long to help many folks with needs that are sent to our inbox periodically. With this in mind, I would like to leave you with our mission statement for this ministry: Thank you, Tina, for helping us with these words and Lynette for all your hard work on our websites.

“Everyone has a story, a past. And, for some, these stories include a chapter or two that stir up suffering, shame, and brokenness. Many times we feel as if we have lost our map and can’t find our way back home.
At Tekoa Manning, it’s our mission to bring hope, renewal, and community. We are committed to shattering the darkness and loneliness that surrounds anyone who feels forgotten or misunderstood.
To honor our mission, 100% of all book proceeds are used to minister to the abused, broken, orphans and homeless. We also strive to help unveil the truth of Our Fathers Torah so that the Body of Yeshua can become one.”

Blessings!

Tekoa

 

The scent of the Moon & Trees

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Recently, a friend brought to my attention a very unique flower.

Here in Louisville, at the YEW DELL Botanical Gardens, they had on display an Amorphophallus konjac–aka the Voodoo Lilly, also known as the corpse flower. The flower evokes a horrid smell and an unusual bloom for 2 to 3 days and is native to China. When the plant blooms, it stinks worse than a rotting carcass and multiple photographs resemble a mans member. ( a smelly seed?)

Related image

Multiple lessons ran through my mind as I read the article and watched men from our police department wearing gas mask while inspecting the flower.

It just so happened that the same day my friend sent the article, I read the following definition.

“The name Jericho, according to Jones’ dictionary, may mean the City Of The Moon. Norse Study Bible Name List defines it as a Place Of Fragrance.

If the name Jericho is indicative of the meanings above, what a lovely place to be!

“Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road” (Mark 10:46, NASB).

The Bible describes this blind beggar in Mark like this,

“He was the son of Timaeus.”

He needs the Son of David.

“The name Bartimaeus means Son Of Timaeus. . . And since the name Timaeus means Highly Prized, the name Bartimaeus means Son Of He Who’s Highly Prized, or Son Of honor.

Spiros Zodhiates (The Complete Wordstudy Dictionary) circumvents this conundrum by deriving the second part of the name Bartimaeus from the Hebrew verb טמא (tame), the regular Hebrew word for to be or become unclean. That would render the name Bartimaeus the meaning of “Son of the Unclean One, or Son Of Uncleanness. . .” Abarim Publication.

Sometimes what the world regards as highly prized is actually unclean. Sometimes a flower doesn’t have a sweet aroma.

When we read about various forms of sickness in our Bibles, many have a hidden message that has nothing to do with physical ailments.

Bartimaeus’s father’s name meant “highly valued” as in wealth or goods. These goods could represent knowledge or prophetic gifting or material wealth and esteem. He was known due to his father’s honor of great wealth or of having great goods, but he’s a beggar. His father’s name also meant “unclean.” He was the son of the unclean wealthy man, and he was “blind.”

‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,” (Rev. 3:17).

Miserable. What picture does that word evoke?

When we read the previous story in the book of Mark, chapter 10, we read about a rich young ruler who was righteous and had kept all the commandments since his youth, but Yeshua told him that he lacked in one area. He said go sell everything you own and give it to the poor and follow me. The man left sad.

What’s this have to do with Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus? Much.

Image result for have mercy on me son of david

 

Bartimaeus is blind, and he is crying out. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18: 38-39, NASB).

His father isn’t blind physically. If he is, we don’t read that, but what we do learn is that he is unclean.

“For no one who has a defect shall approach: a blind man, or a lame man (the man laid at the gate beautiful), or he who has a disfigured face, or any deformed limb,. . .” Lev. 21:18, NASB).

The list continues.

Just like the woman with the issue of blood:

“Now if a woman has a discharge of her blood many days, not at the period of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond that period, all the days of her impure discharge she shall continue as though in her menstrual impurity; she is unclean. ‘Any bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her like her bed at menstruation; and everything on which she sits shall be unclean, like her uncleanness at that time. ‘Likewise, whoever touches them shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. ‘When she becomes clean from her discharge, she shall count off for herself seven days; and afterward she will be clean.” (Lev. 15:25-28).

Each story is about a greater awakening and healing.

So Yeshua asked the blind man a curious question: “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51).

Seems like a bizarre question to ask a blind beggar. Isn’t it apparent that he would want to see? Do we want to see? Do we have an unclean area that needs to be healed? Are we crying out in the midst of the crowds around us who are yelling (be quiet)?

Do we see His beautiful moon, can we smell His fragrant flower.

Bartimaeus says, “Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

He was begging alms. Alms is the word for mercy.

I need mercy!

 

Inkfish has an interesting article on sight and smell. Can you smell the moon?

“Imagine the smell of an orange. Have you got it? Are you also picturing the orange, even though I didn’t ask you to? Try fish. Or mown grass. You’ll find it’s difficult to bring a scent to mind without also calling up an image. It’s no coincidence, scientists say: Your brain’s visual processing center is doing double duty in the smell department.

According to Jadauji, that the brain’s visual processing center is specifically involved in how we process smells. Marring the curriculum plans of kindergarten teachers everywhere, our sense of smell–or at least our skill at identifying different smells–may rely on our sense of vision.”

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And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God” (Luke 18:41-43).

Both stories deal with spiritual blindness.

Who is our Father?

How does His title differ from Timeaus?

What good things does He offer?

May we cry out to the Son of David to heal our sight and smell and to allow Him to crush us to the point a beautiful aroma comes forth that is pleasing to Him.

 

(2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV) “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. . .”

(Song of Solomon 2:13 ESV) “The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.”

In the book of Mark, chapter 8, there is a blind man, and Yeshua spits on his eyes. He sees men as trees.

In Parashat Shoftim, we learn that men are as trees.

“When you lay siege to a city for a long time, making war against it to capture it, you are not to destroy its trees by swinging an axe at them. For from them you may eat, so you shall not chop them down. For is the tree of the field human, that it should enter the siege before you? 20 You may destroy and chop down only the trees that you know are not trees for food, so that you may build siege equipment against the city that is making war with you until its downfall” (Deuteronomy 20:19-20, TLV). When translated it says, “For man is a tree of the field.” We, as trees, are known by our fruit.

An interesting tidbit was shared with me by my sister. We recently bought a house and the owners told us we had a persimmon tree on the property. My sister said, “You can cut open their seeds and inside will be a knife, a fork, or a spoon.” What? Yes, and its supposed to inform us of how bad of a winter we will have.  The folklore says that a spoon pattern inside the seeds indicates there will be lots of snow to shovel, a fork pattern inside the seeds indicates the winter will be mild with good eating, and a knife pattern inside the seeds indicates the winter will be cold with cutting winds. My point is, our fruit has a seed inside. Its either good or bad. The fruit of the spirit is 9 items. Just as it takes 9 months for a baby to develop in the womb. These 9 are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Image result for persimmon tree seed fork knife spoon

May The KING of GLORY spit on our eyes. May he lay his nail-scarred hands over our vision. May our candles be scented as sweet perfume in a dark world. May our trees have fruit so bountiful that our branches are weighed down to the ground! May His Holy Spirit blow away any scent of a corpse!

 

 

I’m going to wrap this up with a passage from Isaiah that makes my mouth water and my eyes see something glorious in the distant.

 

Is it not yet just a little while

Before Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field,

         And the fertile field will be considered as a forest?

 

On that day the deaf will hear words of a book,

           And out of their gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see.

 

The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD,

And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”  Isaiah 29:17-19.

 

 

 

Willy Wonka Meets Joni & Job, Soul Shine Part VI

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Image result for willy wonka golden ticket

We ended our last entry looking at two people, Hellen Keller and Nick Vujicic. In this section, we will look at Job, his four friends, and a woman who has inspired me numerous times. But before I lose half my audience, let me say, I do love researching good health and natural medicines. I love the plants and seeds our Father created in all their wonder!

 

“And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food” (Genesis 1:29, ESV). The Bible lists many healthy foods and tips for healing. Song of Songs has various oils and healing properties associated with them, and Deuteronomy can also teach us what there is to eat from in a good land.

No matter what we do to stay fit and care for our temples, these temples will never walk through walls like our Messiah nor will they dine with Him until ‘That Day.’

Paul also tells us that “just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:42-49), and John tells us that “when he appears we will be like him, because we will see him as he is.

But until then, we have pain, suffering, and death. (Romans 8:18, ESV) “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

sun rising

But until That Day, pain comes in many forms. Some of us get a taste of multiple layers of pain like an onion. There is pain that cuts our teeth, as we grind in our sleep. There’s suffering that knocks the breath out of us. Old age–creaking pain that bends backs over. Pain that chews our inner cheeks and nails down. Pain that oozes out of our hearts like blood and stains our clothing. Pain that keeps our minds occupied in the night. Pain, due to stiff necks–prideful pain of bitterness.

The pain of divorce, abandonment, losing loved ones, rejection, losing a spouse or a child, or both. There is the pain of homelessness while living inside a house where no one communicates except through anger, silence, and unforgiveness. We have trauma triggers, Soldiers suffering from wars, poverty and so on. No one reading this is getting out alive.

 

Pain shouts. It shrieks, it even roars, but there are treasures hidden inside of it.

 

TREASURES!

 

“TV NEWSMAN: And now, details on the sudden announcement that has captured the attention of the entire world. Hidden among the countless billions of Wonka Bars are five gold tickets. And to the five people who find them will come the most fabulous prize one could wish for: a lifetime supply of chocolate.”

“SOMEDAY SWEET AS A SONG

     CHARLIE’S LUCKY DAY WILL COME ALONG

     ‘TIL THAT DAY YOU’VE GOTTA STAY IN STRONG, CHARLIE

     UP ON TOP IS RIGHT WHERE YOU BELONG

LOOK UP CHARLIE

   YOU’LL SEE A STAR

     JUST FOLLOW IT AND KEEP YOUR DREAM IN VIEW

     PRETTY SOON THE SKY IS GONNA CLEAR UP CHARLIE

     CHEER UP, CHARLIE, DO

     CHEER UP, CHARLIE

     JUST BE GLAD YOU’RE YOU.”

 

Cheer up, Job, cheer up, pretty soon the sky is gonna clear up. Just be glad you’re you.

 

The Creator of All told a man sitting in ashes scraping his sores with broken pottery to pray for his healthy ‘friends’ to be healed of a heart condition. Job’s pain had become a jawbreaker, a gobstopper, but the sky was getting ready to clear up.

gobstoppers

 

Read chapters 38-42 of Job (Lyov) when you have time, but let’s look at a few verses where the Voice of Mighty (YHWH יהוה) thunders!

 

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,

2“Who is this that darkens counsel

           By words without knowledge?

 

3“Now gird up your loins like a man,

            And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

 

4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

           Tell Me, if you have understanding,

 

5Who set its measurements? Since you know.

           Or who stretched the line on it?

 

     6“On what were its bases sunk?

           Or who laid its cornerstone,

 

7When the morning stars sang together

And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

 

8“ Or who enclosed the sea with doors

When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb.

When I made a cloud its garment

And thick darkness its swaddling band,

 

10And I placed boundaries on it

And set a bolt and doors,

 

11And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther;

And here shall your proud waves stop’?

 

12“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning,

           And caused the dawn to know its place,

 

13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,

           And the wicked be shaken out of it?

 

14“It is changed like clay under the seal;

And they stand forth like a garment.

 

15“From the wicked their light is withheld,

And the uplifted arm is broken.

 

16“Have you entered into the springs of the sea

Or walked in the recesses of the deep?

 

17“Have the gates of death been revealed to you,

           Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

 

18“Have you understood the expanse of the earth?

Tell Me, if you know all this” (Job 38:2-18, NASB).

WOWZER!

 

The Book of Job is an ancient piece of comparative theology and a deep well of wisdom to glean from. By the time Job, a blade of grass, a worm, stood before the Mighty YAH, he was seeing himself for the first time in the light of how small and insignificant his knowledge and understanding were.

 

“ 1Then the LORD said to Job,

2“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

Let him who reproves God answer it.”

 

3Then Job answered the LORD and said,

 

4“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?

I lay my hand on my mouth.

 

5“Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;

Even twice, and I will add nothing more.”

 

6Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm and said,

 

7“Now gird up your loins like a man;

           I will ask you, and you instruct Me.

 

     8“Will you really annul My judgment?

           Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?

 

     9“Or do you have an arm like God,

           And can you thunder with a voice like His?

 

10“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,

And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.

 

11“Pour out the overflowings of your anger,

And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low.

 

12“Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him,

And tread down the wicked where they stand.

 

13“Hide them in the dust together;

Bind them in the hidden place.

 

14“Then I will also confess to you,

That your own right hand can save you” (Job 40:1-14, NASB).

job 2

 

Can you imagine? Do you tremble when thinking about what it would feel like to stand before HIM and hear the voice of thunder proclaim the message above while shaking in sackcloth and covered in sores? And I didn’t even touch the length and depth of suffering in the previous chapters.

Job is sitting in ashes scraping his boils. He has watched his life and identity collapse in front of him. His friends accuse and judge him wrongfully while giving him useless advice. They are scholars. His children are dead, and his wife tells him to curse God and die.

Suddenly, this man Job has eyes to see and healing to meet.

Abba speaks to him and tells him something unique. He informs him He has wrath for his friends, but first let’s look at how Job answered the Mighty King and Creator of ALL THINGS!

 

1Then Job answered the LORD and said,

2“I know that You can do all things,

And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.

 

3‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’

“Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,

Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

 

4‘Hear, now, and I will speak;

I will ask You, and You instruct me.’

 

5“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;

But now my eye sees You;

 

6Therefore I retract,

And I repent in dust and ashes.”

Wow, I want to repeat one sentence– read it slowly with me.

“I have heard of YOU by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees you;”

Oh, Abba help us all!

 

It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. 8“Now, therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” 9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job.

A sick, broken man scraping PUS, who has lost it all, is going to pray for the intellectuals— and they are going to make sacrifices.

We must rethink what we know. After losing his cattle, sheep, donkeys, servants, and children, this man does something unthinkable.

“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said,

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

And naked I shall return there.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

The epistle, James, tells us that Job was an example of how to endure trials, and According to Abarim publications, “Bildad the Shuhite probably had something to do with Baal, and Bel centered theology, and young Elihu, son of Barachel of Buz of Ram, probably represented the El cult of Canaan. Job’s friend Eliphaz the Temanite was roughly a contemporary of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, and the father of Teman. In that particular model, Job would represent a proto-form of Hebraic Yahwism, whereas Eliphaz would represent the belief system of Edom at large. Note that both Job and Eliphaz lived in Edom — Job in Uz and Eliphaz in Edom’s capital Teman — and the friendly friction between Job and Eliphaz may, in fact, be a re-visitation of the brotherly friction between Jacob and Esau.” Click Here.

But let’s continue pealing the onion and look at a woman with a heart for Him regardless of suffering. This next lady is an inspiration for us all.

I watched a show years ago on TBN where a woman gave her testimony, and at the end of the show, the host wanted to pray for Abba to raise her up out of a wheelchair. She said, “That’s great; I’ll take any prayers I can get, but pray for my heart to be right, pray for me to forgive quickly and be used for his glory… I’m paraphrasing, but I never forgot her; her name is Joni.

When I think about Joni Eareckson Tada, my heart wants to burst. A teenage dive into shallow water goes wrong. “She suffered a fracture between the fourth and fifth cervical levels and became a quadriplegic (or tetraplegic), paralyzed from the shoulders down.”

A woman with no ability to use her arms has written over 40 books.

A golden ticket!

“Want to change the world? There’s nothing to it.” Willy Wonka.

Back in the day, Joni learned to write with a pen between her teeth and paint with a brush there as well. For me to list all her accomplishments and works would take up this whole blog post, but I’ll share a few.

Image result for joni eareckson tada

Tada founded Joni and Friends in 1979, an organization to “accelerate Christian ministry in the disability community”[5] throughout the world. In 2007 the Joni and Friends International Disability Center in Agoura Hills, California, was established. The Joni and Friends International Disability Center runs a multi-faceted non-profit covering a number of program outlets. The longest running program is “Joni and Friends Radio” and can be heard each weekday on over 1,000 broadcast outlets. Tada also records a one-minute radio broadcast “Diamonds in the Dust” that airs daily.[7] Other Joni and Friends programs include Family Retreats (a camp/retreat experience for families affected by disability),[8] Wounded Warrior Getaways (which offer a similar experience for families of Wounded Warriors),[10] and Wheels for the World (collects manual wheelchairs and other mobility devices which are refurbished by volunteers in prison restoration shops then shipped overseas where the wheelchairs are fitted by physical therapists to people in developing nations).”

What would possess a person to help so many suffering souls? What would cause a person to refurbish wheelchairs and help wounded warriors?

Another wounded warrior!

A diamond in the dust.

She could have wallowed in pity and defeat but what amazing accomplishments she has acquired while running her race to get the gold. Her paintings and words help heal many who walk upright and use hands and feet and limbs that work perfect! She is running even though she cannot stand.

“GRANDPA JOE:

     I NEVER THOUGHT MY LIFE COULD BE

     ANYTHING BUT CATASTROPHE

     BUT SUDDENLY I BEGIN TO SEE

     A BIT OF GOOD LUCK FOR ME

 

     ‘CAUSE I’VE GOT A GOLDEN TICKET

I’VE GOT A GOLDEN TWINKLE IN MY EYE

 

  I NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO SHINE

     NEVER A HAPPY SONG TO SING

     BUT SUDDENLY HALF THE WORLD IS MINE

     WHAT AN AMAZING THING

 

 ‘CAUSE I’VE GOT A GOLDEN TICKET.”

 

“The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold. 11 Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him” (Job 42:10-11, NASB).

May He restore us. May we use our teeth, our thumbs, ears, every part of our body that will function because all the parts of the body joined together is like a well oiled machine.

Blessings, Tekoa!

Part #1 HERE

Part #2 HERE

Part # 3 HERE

Part # 4 HERE

Part #5 HERE

Sources:

Willy Wonka:

http://wonkadotcom.tripod.com/script.html

Abarim Publication: http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Job.html#.XDIIAE3sbUg

The Candy Man: Sammy Davis Jr.

Joni Eareckson Tada: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joni_Eareckson_Tada

Photos of Job: http://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/job/

Photo of Joni: Ambassador Advertising

Various photos of movie: Google

Willy Wonka and Soul Shine Part V

/ Tekoa / 6 Comments

What can healthy people learn from the chronically ill or those with disabilities?  I want to show you something extraordinary, but you’ll have to take some advice from Willy Wonka and his fantastic quote.
‘Strike that, now reverse it!’

Roald Dahl, the author of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, has many hidden gems– so many indeed, I’ll be sprinkling them throughout.

Yes, strike out what you’ve been programmed to believe and reverse it.
Grandpa Joe, in the movie Willy Wonka, got out of his sick bed when his grandson received a golden ticket, but I have some dear friends right now with ALS, MS, RA, etc. that haven’t been able to get out of bed for months—can’t feed themselves, bathe themselves, wipe their __ themselves. Unless Yeshua walks into their rooms and heals them, they are going to be gathered with their loved ones sooner than later. And HE can, but He hasn’t yet.

No golden ticket, Charlie.

I have another friend with RA that has been in a nursing home bed over a decade—a decade in bed, but she has ministered to me during some of my darkest hours. She ministers from a bed of suffering typing text on good days with her pinky fingers as her other ones are like crinkle French fries.

time

“Time is a precious thing. Never waste it.” Willy Wonka.

But I ask, which person would waste more time, a person disabled or one with good health? All of us are prone to waste precious time, but I think you’ll be amazed at some of the people I cover in this post. Many of them could have consumed their whole lives in pity, anger, doubt, and fear, but instead ministered and still are ministering to the masses. They don’t have long healing lines wrapped around buildings. They don’t make millions or own jets, but what they have sparkles and shimmers from the inside–out.

“Where is fancy bred? In the heart or in the road?” Willy Wonka.

I asked the Father some questions the other day. Perplexing questions. I was feeling overwhelmed by the many sick people He has sent across my path, and also not having the time or strength to be there for them like I want to be. Many times, I talk to the Father but don’t get a quick response, but that day He astounded me.
That day, multiple blogs, memes, and posts on social media were upsetting me, but not just me, friends as well. I’ll give a couple of examples:
“Start each day with a jog–eat these foods instead of these–motivate yourself, make kale chips, take a yoga class, gets some CBD oil/ essential oil, water mineral drops, bone broth, etc.”
Sometimes healthy people upset sick people, and sometimes sick people frustrate the healthier ones, especially those who’ve conquered obesity, Cancer, thyroid issues and the list goes on. They want to fix us.

While meditating, Suddenly, I heard this in my spirit.

 

 

“Nick Vujicic wouldn’t have the ministry he does encouraging people if he had limbs.”

Immediately there Nick was before me smiling.

legless man
I meditated on that for a bit. If you don’t know who Nick is, He is one of seven known cases in the world of people born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs. ” According to his autobiography, his mother refused to see him or hold him when the nurse held him in front of her, but she and her husband eventually accepted the condition and understood it as “God’s plan for their son.”

His bio is long, but here’ a snippet.

“Since his first speaking engagement at age 19, Nick has traveled around the world, sharing his story with millions, sometimes in stadiums filled to capacity, speaking to a range of diverse groups such as students, teachers, young people, business professionals and church congregations of all sizes.”

The Father speaks to Moshe, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11, NASB).

Let’s get back to what I heard:
“Nick Vujicic wouldn’t have the ministry he does, encouraging people, if he had limbs.”
What a profound thought! And possibly due to his smiling photo splashing in his pool, we only see one side of his life. If he was sitting in a wheelchair looking disparaged and weary, would we see him the same? Would our emotions change? Of course, they would.
Some would argue that if the Father healed him and he grew limbs, he’d have a more prominent ministry, but what has given him a ministry is his attitude and vigor to make something of this precious life regardless of his physical condition. By the way, two of the seven with tetra-amelia syndrome are sports writers and journalist.

I believe in healing and multiple ways of being healed, but is everyone healed physically? No. Not even the most righteous missionaries in the Newer Testament. Not even the great prophet Elisha who died in his disease. Wouldn’t they be eating foods that were grown the Torah way? Eating Kosher? Of course! Wouldn’t they have a better grasp of anointing oils and laying hands on the sick? Why would Paul (Sha’ul) tell Timothy to have a little wine for his stomach, if a swing of his suit jacket, a dab of oil and a “By His stripes you are healed” would work?

“Wrong sir, wrong!” Willy Wonka.

But let’s face it, there are many people with arms and legs that are suffering greater than smiling Nick. He encourages people to enjoy life and be thankful, grateful even, but if you give him enough kale juice, cut out sugar and carbs, slather him in oils, will he grow arms and legs? Not likely. These things work well for the person who is healthy, or for the ones who have taken their health for granted and have become couch potatoes.
I want to present a thought: Could Nick be more whole than you and I? More joyful–More thankful? Wasting less time than those with limbs?
Have you ever visited a nursing home, hospital, or orphanage to minister to someone and they ended up ministering to you? Happens every time!
There was a man named Lazarus who died and went to Abraham’s bosom. He wasn’t wealthy or healthy. He was sick and in need of food. He had sores oozing. However, in the next life, it was the wealthy strong man who was in torment.

The next life. . .

“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores” (Luke 16:19-21, NASB).

If you want to view paradise, take around and view it.” Willy Wonka.

I’ve written about sickness often, but possibly not in these shades of grey and the worse I suffer, the more I have to say. These blogs aren’t for everyone, but perhaps they will help a few.
People quote multiple verses on healing. They use them over and over for friends who just received a diagnosis, but most of these people boldly quoting, still wear prescription eyeglasses and see a dentist, take medications for pain or a Tylenol on occasion. Possibly many who claim divine healing took the chemo, had the surgery, etc. for extra coverage.
If a person who has paraplegia or a person with quadriplegia is brought into the room, will those who are shouting verses, and natural cures, will they walk over and yell “Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Stand up and walk! He came for you to have an abundant life!”  Would they be inclined to tell them to just eat some kale and drink some pomegranate juice– live the Torah way?
Doubtful.
He did come to give us life and life more abundantly! And Nick is living just that! But Lazarus wasn’t. He was right in front of the Rich man, but the rich man never poured wine or oil in, he didn’t medicate his sores or let him eat at his table. It was a healthy, wealthy man who needed to be healed of a heart condition.

By His stripes, we are healed,” is a popular one used for the sick.  Peter uses this verse to point out a truth. “…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1st Peter 2:24 NASB). Yes, often it’s talking about being healed from sin, and the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

Is there a measure used when regarding how Powerful Our Father is? Is someone with poor eyesight or an earache a better candidate to be healed than say, Nick, growing arms? Why don’t we pray to throw out our bifocals at 40? Why did a man who had vigor and perfect eyesight walk up a hill and die? Because Abba said, it’s time, Moses. Because Abba said its time, Son.
“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting” (Deuteronomy 31:14, NASB).
“Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated” (Deut. 34:7, NASB).

“Bubbles, Bubbles everywhere, But not a drop to drink” Willy Wonka.

bubbles

I know that most people want those suffering to get better–to live happily ever after. They do everything out of love, and they want the ones in anguish to be made whole! But what if the person in front of them is more whole than they are? Even happier?
Sometimes things are opposite.

“Strike that, now reverse it!” Willy Wonka.

Psalm 73,

“Surely God is good to Israel,
            To those who are pure in heart!
2But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped.

3For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4For there are no pains in their death,
            And their body is fat.

5They are not in trouble as other men,
            Nor are they plagued like mankind.

6Therefore pride is their necklace;
The garment of violence covers them.

7Their eye bulges from fatness;
The imaginations of their heart run riot.

8They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak from on high.

9They have set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue parades through the earth.

10Therefore his people return to this place,
And waters of abundance are drunk by them.

11They say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?”

12Behold, these are the wicked;
And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.

13Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence;

14For I have been stricken all day long
            And chastened every morning. (Psalm 73:1-13, NASB).
Do you feel stricken and chastened? Job did. Jeremiah did and many others.

Another person who was born with much adversity was Helen Keller, but she accomplished more than most people who were born with eyes to see and ears to hear.

“Anything you want to, do it; want to change the world… there’s nothing to it.” Willy  Wonka.

“Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The story of Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, was made famous by Keller’s autobiography, The Story of My Life, and its adaptations for film and stage, The Miracle Worker.”
What would her life have been like if she was healthy, had perfect vision, and powerful hearing?

AWW, BUT SHE DID!

helen_reading

She saw and heard things many did not, thanks be to her mentor, Anne Sullivan. Who are you mentoring right now that has greatness inside of them, things that need to be birthed for future generations?

One for Israel has a fascinating blog on the life of Hellen. Here’s a snippet:

“Helen visited Israel shortly after it was founded, to promote rights for the disabled and to be an encouragement to the newly-born state. There she met Golda Meir who was Israel’s Labor Minister at that time, and the friendship between the two continued through letters after she had returned to the United States.
She worked with the American Institute for the Blind for 44 years, and while in Israel teamed up with the Jewish Institute for the Blind, who presented her with a special silver-covered Jewish Bible when she visited them there.

Many of these facts, visits, and letters are not well known to the public, but possibly one of the most powerful pieces in the Keller archive is a letter to the Student Body of Germany, written in 1933. The German universities had been burning books that contradicted their evil agenda, including a book that Helen herself had written on socialism and social justice, and hearing of it shortly afterward, Helen’s anger and sharp words warned the Nazis;

“History has taught you nothing if you think you can kill ideas….
Do not imagine your barbarities to the Jews are unknown here.
 God sleepeth not, and He will visit His Judgment upon you.”(1). Click HERE

Would Helen Keller be the same bold, compassionate woman without her disabilities? Without her teacher? Perhaps, but doubtful in the measure of hunger she exuded. How many people with spiritually closed ears and eyes laid hands on her or prayed for her to see while they sat blind and naked without hunger or passion? We can have 20/20 vision and be blind as a bat.
Oh, friends, we must rethink some things.

“We have so much time and so little to see.
Strike that, now reverse it!”  Willy Wonka
We’ve looked at a few people with disabilities in this portion, but we will look at some with dis-ease, depression and mental health as we continue in our next portion of Willy Wonka, Part # VI.

wonka suspense

Part # 1 HERE

Part # 2 HERE

Part # 3 HERE

Part # 4 HERE

Part # 5 HERE

Part # 6 HERE

Grace

/ Tekoa / 7 Comments

cabin

The picture above is a cabin that was built out of refurbished wood from my grandpa and grandma Green’s home. It was built on their land, and I love it.

I entered this particular poem in a contest a few months back but did not win. However, I enjoyed writing it and since my husband and I just moved into our new home, with the lights of Hanukkah shining brightly, it seemed like a good time to post it. I hope you enjoy!

 

Even the quilts were tired here.
The bedraggled mattress sagged like an old man’s baggy trousers.
The tile floors were worn, and the grout had crept away little by little with every sweep.
The stairs hung like a sunken ship,
its stepping too exhausted to hold up feet.
The chairs, with their feeble legs, refused to offer any bones a place to sit.
The walls held each other in an embrace that looked like men coming home from battle.
One huff and one puff from the wolf would collapse the rooms like a cardboard box
still, the house hung on for dear life.

Rumples and cracks filled corners like spider webs.
The ceilings with their age spots and vein lines gave way to the constant dripping of tears that needed proper patching.
Pipes coughed up hairballs but never found the strength to feel a river run through them again.
The windows plucked their bushy eyebrows by shedding the moth-eaten cloths that covered their eyes. The sun had given up trying to shine through their glass panes coated in grime.
The front door hung on one hinge, swaying to the sound of the mulberry trees mournful refrains from the yard.
The foundation raised up in a few places, trying to gasp for a breath of strength but never falling back into place—stuck in passing.
The cupboards echoed with emptiness, no longer a place where little hands grasped the delicacies hidden on shelves.
No more little feet were running to greet its arms.

The shades closed their eyes, and the chimney stopped its breath.
And the dilapidated old house, board by board was falling to its death.
The autopsy revealed it had died of a lonely heart.

One day some men came.
The house straightened his torso as best he could, and attempted to hold the beams and the boards for the men’s girth and weight.
One young man looked familiar
As if the walls held bits of his laughter,
Smudges of his fingers and words soaked in plaster
Yes, the house had felt his presence, he was sure of it now.
Another man yelled, “Shall we bulldoze it and throw the wood in the fire?”
Another mouthed, “Yeah, doesn’t look like there is much left here to savage.”

The house gathered all his strength and mouthed an exhausted, “no.”

The following week a young man in a truck took the bones and stacked each limb, even the stair rail was placed neatly in the bed of the pick-up.
“Where are you taking me?” the disjointed pieces asked.
Shiplap, and refurbishing the old with the new, and the tired house straightened its shoulders as each piece was nailed in place. Each limb was given a new anchor to hold.
Once again was heard the sound of tiny feet, a bark, a yell, a chimney sweep–music and laughter, and chatter galore.
The old house felt as useful here with his new friends as before.
The windows needed no scrubbing. The stairs were sturdy and straight, and the stars danced on the roof with the sound of rain.
It’s like a dream thought the house as he looked around. Freshly coated paint and shiny new floors. No mildew, no spiders, no rotten floors. No broken down bedding or sheets with stains and the old boards embraced the books on the shelf, the scent of babies and freshly baked breads.

Suddenly, the front door opened, sturdy and straight adorned with a brass knocker, and from the front yard, a new maple tree waved as the new owners invited their guest to enter the threshold.

“I love what you’ve done with the place! Using grandpa and grandma Green’s wood from the old homestead was a magnificent idea! ”

And the chairs in the kitchen straightened their backs as the children sat down to enjoy a meal. The adults held their glasses up for a toast, “May peace, joy, health, kindness, and good fortune live here!”
And the house straightened his posture, and bowed his head and in appreciation said
Grace.

Can Angels Sin? Doctrines of Demons Part #1, Chapter 19.

/ Tekoa / 3 Comments

cherub

 

Can angels sin? Were one-third of the angels cast out of heaven? Many of the doctrines we have been taught contradict themselves, don’t line up historically or make no sense. More than likely, you have heard several interpretations from Genesis six. The most prevalent one is that angels fell into sin and slept with the daughters of men or the seed of Cain and this caused giants to appear on the earth. Let’s read:

 

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

–Genesis 6:1-2, KJV

 

As I said in the last chapter, I don’t believe angels can sin. Many believe Satan was an angel who fell due to pride and that one-third of the angels left with him. Yeshua’s words suggest just the opposite.

 

Yeshua answered and said unto them, ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the Angels of God in heaven.

–Matthew 22:29, KJV

 

Multiple teachers have confidence in the theory that the angels fell, slept with mortal women, and reproduced giants. However, after careful study, I believe this may be a false doctrine of demons. Of course, I was not there during that time period, but let’s dig in deeper and see if we can uncover some clues. The first portion of this chapter is written by my eighty-two-year-old father who has studied the Bible for years and will give you the accounts of what he believes happened at the beginning of Genesis. Let’s go now and look at my father’s theory and see if it holds water.

           Buddy Green’s theory is as follows:

I discovered a lot of things that I never heard any preacher or anyone else for that matter mention, let alone try to explain. I am NOT claiming to be an authority on doctrine. However, you will see what I am telling you is simply what I believe Adonai’s Word says. I am going to start with the gap theory. I am sure most of you have heard of this theory that may or may not have happened between Genesis 11 and 12. They claim this was a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. This may or may not have happened; it’s still just a theory. I want to talk about another gap theory that very few mention. That is the gap between the time Adonai created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden until the time they sinned. I don’t think anyone would just assume that they were given a paradise with everything they could ever hope for on the first day and then by the next day had already disobeyed a commandment Adonai had given them. (Jewish tradition suggests it took seven years). It could have been years; the Bible does not say. I believe they were still living in eternity until they sinned. You see, that is when I believe time started.

            Here is where I am going to say something that will probably blow your mind but don’t quit reading. Please hear me out. I believe Adam and Eve (Chavah) could have had a number of children before they sinned. It’s all there in Genesis. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: (Genesis 1:28, KJV). Then after they had sinned, He says in Genesis 3:16 “…I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;” (KJV). Now we believe Adonai can do anything. However, our Father knows how to multiply, and zero multiplied by any number is still zero. If there had never been the pain of childbirth before, Adonai could not have multiplied it. This is the first proof they may have had children before they sinned. The second proof is found in Genesis 3:20 it says, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living” (KJV). Then in the beginning of chapter four, it says, “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord” (KJV). She was already the mother of all living back in the third chapter of Genesis. You may be thinking, well, perhaps it was not written in chronological order. I say perhaps it was. For the third proof, we need to go back to the third chapter of Genesis and the last verse. “After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24, NIV). Why would Adonai do this? Why didn’t He just destroy the garden? I believe the reason he couldn’t destroy it then was because he was protecting the children and grandchildren of Adam and Eve. The sages believe the garden represented Israel. Possibly there were many generations that were still in the garden and had not sinned. I know some of you are thinking if this is true what happened to these people and why are they not mentioned in the Bible? Well, they may be.

            Let’s take a look at Genesis 6:1-2. “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (KJV). If these were not children of Adam and Eve that had not sinned, then who were they? I have heard some say they were fallen angels. But the Bible calls them sons of Adonai. (Sons who kept Torah) Let’s look at Hebrews 5. “For unto which of the Angels said he at any time, you are my Son;” (Hebrews 1:5, KJV). Furthermore, Romans 5:14 says, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression…” (KJV). Now think about this, to have sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, wouldn’t one have to of been in the garden and eat of the forbidden fruit in order to do that? Not necessarily, let’s look at a better translation for more understanding. “Nevertheless, death ruled from Adam until Moshe, even over those whose sinning was not exactly like Adam’s violation of a direct command.” (CJB). The point is the sons of Adonai were sinning, not celestial beings.

            The genealogy of Yeshua says, “The son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:38, NIV). Therefore, it makes sense to me if Adam was the son of Adonai, for he is listed, then we can assume that children born before Adam and Eve sinned would be sons of Adonai as well. Another reason they couldn’t have been demons or fallen angels is found in Genesis 6:4 it says, “…when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown” (KJV). If demonic angels could reproduce, we would be overrun with them. There would be one behind every tree and dozens in every closet. “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30, NIV). This indicates to me that angels do not reproduce. How could they when they are celestial beings?

Let’s go back to Genesis chapter 6:3, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years” (KJV).

            I have heard preachers use this verse and say, “Saints, if you turn away from the Holy Spirit, there will come a time when He will no longer deal with you.” Well, this may very well be true, but in my opinion, that’s not what He is talking about here. He is displeased with the sons of Adonai for defiling themselves with these daughters of men born after the sinful nature (Torahlessness). I have also heard some people read this and say this is speaking of when Adonai shortened man’s life to one hundred and twenty years. Personally, I don’t think that’s what he’s talking about here either. I think he was displeased with these Sons of Adonai taking wives and defiling themselves with these daughters of men born after the sinful nature. (Possibly, these men and women would not have been in the garden area, under the covenant with Adam as their High Priest. These would have been men who turned their back on our Father’s instructions and sought their fleshly nature).

My father has written some interesting thoughts here, wouldn’t you agree? It’s possible there were children before Adam and Eve (Chavah) fell. Who am I to say it’s impossible? I for one wanted to cut in and tell you some reasons why I think much of his theory holds water, and that is not just due to men in the Bible being referred to as “Sons of Adonai” but being referred to as angels as I explained earlier. Many have disputed my father’s theory; however, I believe much of this understanding of giants stems from Greek and Roman myths as well as other Asian cultures. I’m not saying the N’filim were not on the earth at that time, just that they are possibly not half-angel/half-man.

In Greek mythology, the Titans were a people of massive proportions who were the offspring of Olympian gods. It was believed that the Titans were imprisoned in a section of the underworld called Tartarus. II Peter 2:4 says, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (Tartarus) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; …” (NKJV).

  1. Marcellus Kik, a minister and teacher who has studied at both Princeton and Westminster Theological Seminaries. explains, “The Greek term aggelos (angels) does not always refer to such heavenly spirits. The meaning of the term must be determined by the context.” For example in the book of Matthew, it says, “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.” 11:10 KJV. This is clearly talking about John the Baptist and not an angel messenger. Many times the word “messenger” is a person and not an angel. According to the Jewish encyclopedia, the Hebrew word “mal’akh” is the standard Hebrew Bible word for “messenger.” This word refers to both human and divine.” [1]

Let’s rethink this verse in II Peter, along with the verse that coincides in Jude:

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their position of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

– Jude 1:5-6, KJV

Could the translators have erred when rendering the word “angels?” We will delve in deeper in part two of this interesting topic.

 

 

Part Two

angel

 

We closed our last portion with a verse concerning a very touchy topic, angels who did not keep their authority. From reading Jude’s account, we can see that this is talking about a circumstance that happened after Egypt when Adonai brought the children of Israel out. The topic has something to do with positions of authority. Let’s look at something that fits perfectly with what is going on.

 

Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s Tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.

–Numbers 16:8-10, KJV

 

This fits well when we see the angels (angelos) as men. If you read the whole chapter of II Peter, you will see that Adonai is talking about the wicked men in Noah’s day, the wicked men of Sodom and Gomorrah, and also these men who followed Korah. They did not keep their positions of authority because they wanted to usurp the priesthood! Let’s look at this deeper and see exactly what this casting down to hell is about.

 

Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.

–Numbers 16:28-29, KJV

 

As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!” Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

–Numbers 6:31-35, NASB

 

When we place all of this information together from Jude and II Peter and the timeline of Moses and Korah, we see even further that the whole topic is unified. Look at what else Jude has to say about this:

 

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams, these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

–Jude 1:8-10, KJV

 

These men of Korah rejected Adonai’s mighty prophet Moses’s authority, and the earth swallowed them up. Hell is a word that has multiple meanings, and in this particular case, it means Tartarus from the Greek word Tartaroo, which is used only once in the Newer Testament in (II Peter 2:4). This is not referring to a place of flaming fire, and you cannot chain celestial beings there. They walk through things. They disappear. They fly. I strongly believe this is the men who rose up against Aaron and Moses.

            “David Chilton makes the same point, showing that in the Older Testament the word mal’ak, often translated “angel,” is used for human prophets in II Chronicles 36:15-16; Haggai 1:13; and Malachi 3:1. The “angels of the seven churches” in Revelation are surely human leaders since it makes no sense to write a letter to a spirit angel. Spirit angels are members of God’s heavenly Council, and so are human prophets (and in the New Covenant, all believers). Thus, the term “angel” sometimes refers to a human prophet or messenger, and not always to spirit angels. [See David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Ft. Worth: Dominion Press, 1987), pp. 81-83.”

This should clarify and open your eyes to more understanding. I will use the next verse to elaborate more on this issue. “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8 NASB). This word “angel” is also a word for a prophet or a messenger of Adonai. Remember, John the Baptist was Adonai’s chosen messenger, but according to this verse, others could have preached another gospel. Other angels? No, other men. Can you imagine an angel standing in all its glory, able to soar and fly, appear and disappear, said to do all Adonai’s bidding, teaching a contrary gospel? Never!

“His created ones, who do His commands and obey Him. “Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!” (Psalm 103:20, NASB). He also has angels who He sends to wreak havoc and destroy, but one thing is certain, He controls them. “He sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels” (Psalm 78:49, NASB). He controls all of them, and as scripture explains clearly, they are His servants. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14, NASB).

Below is a quote from “Yahweh’s Restoration” titled “The Sons of Elohim:”

“The theory that angels mated with mortal women later crept into the Septuagint version. Of the three oldest manuscripts of the Septuagint, only the Codex Alexandrinus of the fifth century offers the word “angels” in Genesis 6:2 instead of “sons of Elohim.” Not one of the Hebrew manuscripts, however, has the word “angels” in Genesis 6:2. Instead, all Hebrew manuscripts read “sons of Elohim.’ [2]

Also, I would like to quote from the book of Jasher, which is referred to in Joshua 10:13 and II Samuel 1:18. Just as there were multiple copies of the book of Enoch, there were several copies of the book of Jasher as well. One published in London in 1751 and again in Bristol in 1829, these two were considered imitations. Below in italics is part of the introduction to the book.

            “During this same time, a legitimate book of Jasher was translated into English in England. Because of the unfavorable excitement caused by the bogus books of Jasher, the translator was reluctant to publish his edition. He chose to remain anonymous, and in 1840 he sold his translation of the book of Jasher to a Jewish newspaper editor and prominent New York publisher named Mordecai Manuel Noah.”

And this is the source I am quoting from. We will start at Jasher 4 verses 16, 17, and part of 18.

“And all the sons of men departed from the ways of the Lord in those days as they multiplied upon the face of the earth with sons and daughters, and they taught one another their evil practices and they continued sinning against the Lord. And every man made himself a god, and they robbed and plundered every man his neighbor as well as his relative, and they corrupted the earth, and the earth was filled with violence. And their Judges and Rulers went to the daughters of men and took their wives by force from their husbands according to their choice…”

This type of wickedness is currently something we see happening in the middle-east by extremists and sadly, all over the world due to sexual lust. I must continue to voice that I believe angelic beings were created perfect and were never put out of heaven. Many scriptures seem to imply that the angels are perfect and created for Adonai.

 

Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!

      Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!

      Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!

      Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For He commanded and they were created.

He has also established them forever and ever;
            He has made a decree which will not pass away.

–Psalm 148:2-6, NASB

 

Adonai just spoke in Psalms that He created the angels for Him and that He established them forever! He informs us that there is great joy in heaven over one sinner repenting. Having said that, we must realize by this point that it is clearly possible that Satan is not an angel. Also, Lucifer is a Latin word as we have already discussed in prior chapters.

I believe these angels Adonai created are perfect, immortal, and used by Adonai. The dragon many say is Satan is described in Revelations.

 

Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

–Revelations 12:3-4, NASB

 

Many say Satan is the dragon and the stars are fallen, angels. However, does Satan have seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on his head? No. These are kingdoms and rulers of these kingdoms. It is kings who wear crowns, not angels. It describes the worldly kings of the earth. Yeshua told the people, “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear my words? “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father” (John 8:43-44, NASB). Was their father literally the devil? These people were not angels nor were they fallen deities, they were men who could not hear the Word of Adonai. Their father wasn’t literally Satan. They had earthly fathers. Their fathers were the religious leaders who had brainwashed them.

“Among the Pharisees were two schools of thought, based on the teachings of two rabbis, Shammai and Hillel. Shammai called for a strict, unbending interpretation of the Law on almost every issue, but Hillel taught a looser, more liberal application. Followers of Shammai fostered a hatred for anything Roman, including taxation—Jews who served as tax collectors were persona non grata. The Shammaites wanted to outlaw all communication and commerce between Jews and Gentiles. The Hillelites took a more gracious approach and opposed such extreme exclusiveness. Eventually, the two schools within Pharisaism grew so hostile to each other that they refused to worship together.” [3]

The strict school of Shammai is where we get the term “synagogue of satan.” Those who sat under him were told their father was the devil (an adversary). They did not want Yeshua to be King. They were in control, and they loved the power, wealth, and control of the people (Anti-Christ). When they came to arrest Yeshua and Peter drew his sword, Yeshua told him this: “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:23, NASB). Twelve legion is more than 36,000 angels. He doesn’t seem concerned about any fallen ones or about these men who have come to arrest him.

Yeshua called men who were religious evil serpents: “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33, NIV). But we know these men were not literally snakes. This Babylonian system is one that will be hurled down at the end of days. This system that has destroyed and taken from the poor, the widows and the orphans, and has piled up for itself kingdoms on earth with money it has stolen from the needy, will one day be judged.

Have you ever noticed that the beast in Revelation thirteen also has seven heads? Perhaps there is even more to these scriptures. Did you know the constellation Draco is the Greek word for dragon and is referred to as the serpent, dragon, and devil? It really does have a tail, and it sweeps the stars and causes meteor showers.

Now, let’s revisit Revelations 12:1-5:

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Virgo/Rachel/ Israel) clothed with the sun (Father), with the moon (Celestial calendar/Feast/His seasons) under her feet and a crown of twelve stars (Twelve Tribes,) on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon (Constellation Draco/ adversary/ Babylonian System) with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman (Israel) fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days (3.5 years or 1st half of tribulation).

“Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun (Rachel) and the moon (Jacob) and eleven stars (Eleven brothers plus Joseph, all twelve tribes) were bowing down to me” (Genesis 37:9, NASB).

 

Do you still believe this dragon is a red horned angel with a pitchfork? This woman is Israel. There is much more. What is happening in the heavens is being played out on the earth. “On earth as it is in Heaven” might have a deeper meaning than we thought. We look to the moon for His calendar and Festivals.

 

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; it rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

–Psalm 19:1-5, NASB

 

This knowledge spoken of is increasing not just in the world but among Adonai’s people. Adonai has always used His skies for times, seasons, and yes, prophecy. Everything is not black and white yet. As we get closer to His return, I believe the gray areas will decrease as knowledge increases. I pray that the revelation in this chapter is a start at digging into Adonai’s Word with new ears to hear even more of what the Spirit has to say!

There will be more evidence and scripture reference concerning this topic in Doctrines of Demons Part 3. New release coming soon.

 

[1][1] [J. Marcellus Kik, An Eschatology of Victory (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1971), p. 147f.]

[2] https://yrm.org/the-sons-of-elohim/

[3] Bible Answers for Almost all Your Questions by Elmer Towns

The Story of Us

/ Tekoa / Leave a comment

jenn 2This blog is especially late and should have been posted right after Yom Kipper/ Day of Atonement, but life happens. I hope you enjoy this tribute to friends who have a unique story to share. Keith & Jenn, I wish you nothing but the best.

In Sleeping Beauty, due to a curse, the Princess falls into a deep sleep for 100 years until one day she is awakened by a kiss from a king’s son. What would cause a bride to forget about her wedding date, lose interest in her first love and fall asleep? It could only be poison.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. (Matt 25:1-10, NASB).

 

This blog post will tell a unique story of two lovers and their journey. Throughout this blog, you will hear two distinct voices, the voice of the bride, Jennifer, and my own voice. I will warn you, it is a tad longer than most my writings, but one of my favorites thus far. Before we get started on this journey, I want you to picture a Glorious King and our bridal clothing, clean and white, without spot or wrinkle. Brides get new names. Brides wear royal garments. You are about to enter a wedding ceremony on a most peculiar date. It’s not a lavish ceremony. There were no tuxedos, no grand ballroom displays. No champagne or limousine for the bride and her maidens, but there was something there, something tangibly felt. The wind of His Breath breathed on the people, and many of the people wept. The name Jennifer means ‘Fair one.’ Keith means ‘the Forest/ Wind.’ Both meanings hint to His Holy Spirit—a MIGHTY rushing wind blowing upon us.

Jennifer:

Our wedding date was chosen because it was 13 days after his birthday (Sept

5) and 13 days before mine (Oct 2).

I felt completely confirmed in the date because of not only our favorite number 13 (love, unity, covenant, and eternity) but also because the date would be 9-18-18. Nine (fruitfulness, fruit of the spirit, and the womb) being the number signifying birth and 18 (life, prayer, worship) being double that (plus 8+1=9 again). I felt it appropriate that we would be birthing our future, our permanence, and our ministry from the very day of our wedding onward.

 

This event was placed on a very unusual date indeed, the evening going into the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur, a Tuesday night at 6:30 pm. If you are unfamiliar with this day, I hope the theme of the wedding and the hidden nuggets from His Word spark your interest.

Jennifer and Keith had been young sweethearts; now 30 years later, they were becoming ONE. The non-denominational church where the event was being held is called ‘Awakening Church.’ How intricate our Father is. We blow the shofar in this season to awaken us from our slumber so we can prepare our bridal gowns. “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ (Messiah) will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14, NASB). Even the age of their first proposal reminded me of the 12 tribes of Israel. Remember, Judah was only one tribe.

Jennifer:

We met when I was 11 and he 12. We dated about a year and a half during which time he proposed to me at the old farmhouse I used to live in (I was 12 and he 13 at the time). We were broken up after that (in 7th grade) by his cousin who was my best friend and who deceived us with lies. We went through the rest of middle school and high school together watching each other grow up but never speaking. We were both destroyed emotionally by it, never speaking to the other one about it, and went on to pick multiple toxic and abusive partners.

 jennn

Years ago, I met the groom online, and learned that Keith was working on a murder mystery that’s now available on Amazon titled Foolish Pride. He picked up my fictional works and loved them. He opened up about his personal past and the many hurts he’d endured. After reading my fiction, he began to read my teaching books. Once while my husband and I were speaking at an assembly, he drove over an hour to attend, and he purchased more books. My husband and Keith soon realized they knew each other from their background in law enforcement. We heard from Keith periodically. We learned later on that he was going through a personal journey of crushing. Our hearts went out to him.

Jennifer: Fast forward to May 1, 2013, we found out that the breakup had been a lie and that neither of us had intended to leave the other. We spoke long enough to heal the old wounds and get closure. We lost touch for a bit but then began talking in late Aug of 2015.

Unlike Valentine’s Day, the Hebrew holiday of love happens each year in late August in the month of Av’. The single women borrow white dresses from one another, and they go out into the fields to sing and dance. The single men come out to gaze upon the fair maidens. Can you picture our Heavenly King?

“And the daughters of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards located on the outskirts of the city. And everyone who didn’t have a wife would go there. And what would they say? Young man, lift up your eyes and choose wisely. Don’t look only at physical beauty’ (Proverbs 31:30). “And the daughters of the rest of Israel would borrow from each other, so as not to embarrass those who didn’t have.” (Talmud, tractate Ta’anit 30b-31a).

“There were no better (i.e. happier) days for the people of Israel than the Fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur, since on these days the daughters of Israel/Jerusalem go out dressed in white and dance in the vineyards. What were they saying: Young man, consider whom you choose (to be your wife)?” (Ta’anit, Chapter 4)

Jennifer:

We finally saw each other face to face again in late Oct 2015 after 25 years of not seeing each other in person. I became certain that God wanted us together for a purpose and continued to place myself in Keith’s presence as often as I could until he was healed enough to see for himself that we needed to be together. Keith taught me about faith, patience, and how to seek God intensely with passion. By April 3 2016 he was willing to go on “a date” with me. He reminded me not to get my hopes up. But he also told me, when I asked what book of the Bible I should start with, to read Ruth. So I did. I believe that he deeply wanted to try again with me but was so broken that he didn’t want to hurt me or get himself hurt again. On my 40th birthday Oct 2, 2016, he kissed me for the first time (our second “first kiss”) and agreed that we were finally dating.

jennnnn

I wanted to chime in here again before getting to the wedding ceremony. Let’s relook at the date above. October 2nd of 2016 was the Feast of Trumpets in the year 5777. Another name for this feast is Yom HaKeseh, “The Day of the Hiding” or “the Hidden Day. Jesus/ Yeshua spoke about this day.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah” “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming (Matthew 24:36-37 42, NASB).

In ancient customs, a Jewish wedding proceeded with a betrothal period when the groom worked on building a room onto his father’s house for his bride.

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2, NASB).

While the groom was working on the house, the bride was working on her wedding garments. When the father told the son, ‘it is time,’ a shofar was blown, and the groom would go get his bride for the wedding ceremony. The bride was to keep her bridesmaids near, their lamps filled with oil, and her garments clean, white, and ready. The verse from Matthew above explains that we will not know ‘which day’ our Messiah is coming, but friends we can know the very season when we keep His holy days. They were still being kept throughout the newer portion of the Bible. Let’s look at this deeper. ”Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day” (I Thessalonians 5:1-5 NASB).

 

We do not have to be in darkness! We are to be sons of light and sons of the day. “Thief in the night” is a Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets/ Rosh Hashanah. These days are all about Jesus/ Yeshua and hold the keys to His coming return–the day He will set up His glorious Kingdom. The reason no man knows the day or hour is because the Feast of Trumpets always falls on a new moon. Since weather can affect the sighting of a new moon sliver, we soon realize why no man knows the day or the hour. They had moon spotters back then who would search the sky for the first sliver of the moon. The Sanhedrin, like our wedding couple, would need two witnesses (moon spotters). The world has its own calendar, but Abba has written His in the Heavens. The moon is ‘born again’ every month. Jennifer was returning to her ‘first love.’ Yeshua said this to one of the 7 churches, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4, NASB).

 

After some time, Keith informed us that he had reconnected with his ‘first love,’ and he was getting his CDL license. Things were looking up. Shortly afterwards, He came to one of our meetings and shared his testimony. It’s touching to see an ex-marine, truck driver, with a law enforcement background get teary eyed, but he did. He explained how reading Polishing Jade and Walter the Homeless Man helped him forgive his abusers and heal from the pain of his past. He shared his journey of faith with the Father of Lights and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

The next time my husband and I saw him, he had his soulmate by his side, and she was everything I imagined. Soft, kind, intelligent, a wordsmith, a caregiver, a counselor for those troubled in spirit, and I instantly liked her. We learned of their engagement, and they shared their story of how the Father brought them back together after 30 years. But guess what event he brought her to? It was none other than the Feast of Tabernacles/ Sukkot. This is our wedding day. When Yeshua returns to tabernacle among us.

Finally, the day of the wedding was here, and I was wondering what to wear. I was accustomed to wearing white on (Day of Atonement) Yom Kippur, but everyone knows the bride wears white. Ha! Yes, the Father was already putting the puzzle pieces together. I kept hearing “Just show up for the wedding!”

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8 NASB).

jen and maid

The theme of the wedding was ‘books.’ Ironic that it fell on the eve of the day when our names are said to be sealed in His Book for another year? Allow me to give you a short synopsis of this amazing event before going into the wedding ceremony.

The seventh month is called Tishri in Hebrew. Remember this is when Keith first proposed and also the exact date of their second kiss, its none other than the Feast of Trumpets.

“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:24, NASB). If a man were elected as King, he would not be crowned and eligible to rule until after his coronation during this time. This is the season we look for our returning King, Yeshua, who will be crowned King of the universe! He will be ruler over all the kingdoms of the world. Paul spoke about these awakening shouts!

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52 KJV).

Jesus/ Yeshua has fulfilled the first portion of feast called the spring feast, but we are still waiting for the fall feast to come forth. So after the Feast of Trumpets, known as Yom Teruah (Awakening Blast or Shout), we enter a time called the Ten Days of Awe, where we begin great introspection, repentance and trying to make right with anyone we may have wronged. Salvation isn’t a one-time prayer. Paul said we were to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1st Thessalonians 4:16, NASB).

During the season of this Feast, the gates of repentance are thought to remain open until the Day of Atonement, at which the judge makes His final decree. Yom Kippur is the holiest day. It marked when the High Priest would go behind the veil into the most holy place and make atonement for the sins of the people. Hebrews chapter 9:12-13 explains how our Messiah went one time for all. “He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God. . .

This couple unknowingly had picked the eve of this date to take their vows. Kol Nidre is an oath recited before sundown on Yom Kippur and it means “all vows.”

Oh, friends, think about this on a deeper level! What man hurries to pick a bride? Men of great wisdom carefully study a possible mate. They don’t just rush in and pick a woman that looks good on the outside; they look at her heart. They watch, study, and make sure the woman they become intimate with will be a wise woman who builds her house. Jennifer believed lies and left her first love. Through lies and deceit, Israel went far away from her husband, and He divorced His bride. “And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce” (Jeremiah 3:8, NASB). He uses the prophets to explain how one day He will gather them again. And He is! Yeshua said He came for the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

But let’s get back to the Book of Life and visit this very curious wedding invitation! Actually the most peculiar and inventive wedding invitation I have ever seen. It was a library card—old school! I want you to imagine the heading where it says author, and picture the Author and Finisher of our faith. “looking to the author and perfecter of faith – Jesus (Yeshua), who, over-against the joy set before him — did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;” (Hebrews 12:2, YLT). It is the story of us. I hope you are as touched as me as we watch this library card unfold in the spirit during this blog.

 

card lib

Truth was revealed at Mount Sinai. Acts chapter two is also about a Feast day termed Pentecost or Shavuot in the Hebrew. This was when the Torah was given over 3,000 years ago, and our wedding vows were said. This truth revealed matches their card. Just days later, on May 15, 2013, was the day of Pentecost or the Feast of Shavuot, rather. A shofar was sounded at that time as well.

First Proposal:

Abba Father (the Groom) and Israel (His Bride—the story of us) took their vows. The shofar waxed louder and louder, and our Father gave the people a moral code of conduct which we call the Ten Sayings or Ten Commandments, written in chapter 20 of Exodus. Before the commandments are even given in chapter 20, the bride says this, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!” (Exodus 19:8, NASB).

As my husband and I walked into the church, we were delighted to see the reception area adorned for the wedding supper. Each table held something mind-blowing. In the place where one would usually see flowers and candles, their tables were adorned with books tied with strings. Excuse me while I stop to sing.

“Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things!”

Books on the day of His Books! Amazing. And atop the books were glass jars that had written scrolls rolled up and sealed instead of flowers. Each stack of books on Jennifer’s tables had a typed quote or passage from a favorite book, and there at one of the tables, I spotted one of my own babies, Polishing Jade! My heart jumped with joy at all the Father was showing me concerning His feast day and our soon coming wedding day. He even whispered a vow He made to me concerning my pen.

books

Yes, like the quote from The bridge of Terabithia, just keep your mind wide open to these Feast. They are filled with wonder. Jenn and Keith were about to give their vows and say “We will do.” They were making vows on the day when our names are sealed in the Book of Life.

The Father knows the time of His first proposal to all of us. I was five or six years old, but I remember the day quite well when with tears in my eyes I asked the Father and His Son to accept me and change me. I also remember the day when I was like the prodigal son and went far away from my Father, living with swine and in drunkenness. I am thankful for a merciful Father who has made a way of redemption for us all, aren’t you?

In Acts chapter two, over 3,000 souls came back into their wedding covenant. Although they had sinned and He had scattered them across the earth—He had even written them a certificate of divorce, but now the blood of Yeshua had covered their transgressions and made a way for them to be united again. I’m singing an oldie but a goody, REUNITED and it feel so good.

After Rosh Hashanah or the Feast of Trumpets, we say to one another, “May your name be inscribed in the book of life.” It is during these ten days we try and repent for anything we may have done or any person we may have hurt.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelations 20:11-12, 15, NASB).

The Day of Forgiveness (Yom Kippur) is spent fasting and praying. Because this day is the most solemn day in the year, it is known as “The Day.”

“The First Trump,” blown and associated with Shavuot (Pentecost);
“The Last Trump,” blown and associated with Rosh HaShanah; Feast of Trumpets
“The Great Trump,” blown and associated with Yom Kippur.

It is on Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) when the Great Trumpet (Matthew 24)), known in Hebrew as the Shofar HaGadol is blown.

“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10)

 

doors

We entered the church (Awakening) and were seated in the sanctuary. It was dimly lit and lights shined from strands laced on the altar. Suddenly the bridesmaids (Wise virgins), (5 total), came down the aisle carrying their own stack of books tied in string. As they passed by I noticed one of my books in their hands. I learned later, that all the bridesmaids carried one of my books in their stacks. I wept more. How many times have I laid my books at His altar? Our Father is so intricate. He doesn’t miss a beat! He said, “Just go to the wedding, Tekoa!” He had treasures for me there. He has treasures for you there. He is saying, “Just come to my wedding feast!” This reminded me of several passages.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come” (Matthew 22:2-3 NIV).

“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves” (Luke 12:35-37 NASB).

The pastor opened up the ceremony and informed us that the bride to be and groom had requested to worship before they exchanged vows. The singers came forth, and the music started. Many arose from their seats and lifted their hands to the Father of Lights. A sweet smelling fragrance entered the room and then a song was played. This song touched us so much we were both in tears. The Title simply “History.” History is a love song from our Father to His Bride. A song of redemption. How far back do we go? Remember the first proposal! Oh, how He loves us!

You and I, we’ve got history
We go way, way back
We go way, way back
You and I, we’ve got history
We go way, way back
We go way, way back

[Verse 1]
For eons I thought about you
Before I ever made you
I wrote every moment down
You were all my idea
Above all I created
You are my most precious crown

[Chorus]
You and I, we’ve got history
We go way, way back
We go way, way back
You and I, we’ve got history
We go way, way back
We go way, way back

[Verse 2]
I saved words just to say to you
Before you ever met me
So take some time and hear them now
I gave you my greatest gift
My love cannot be measured
You’re my treasure, You’re my child!

So after the reception and book talk, we gathered around for cake and dancing and singing, then home to begin our fast. After the fast is over, we enter into a time of great celebration. The feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot. This feast is the 7th Feast and it happens in the 7th month and it last for 7 days. It’s our wedding rehearsal for the real deal! Oh Saints, think about the beauty of a bride on her wedding day. When Yeshua returns in all His Glory, and we rule and reign with Him it will be the season of our joy.

Remember those wise and foolish virgins at the beginning of our blog? They all had something in common, they all fell asleep. “As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6 ESV).

While the foolish went off to buy oil, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Notice what happens when the foolish virgins return from purchasing more oil, “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open up for us.’ “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.” (25:11-12).

Notice the five doors in the photo above. One door for each wise maiden. The symbols at this wedding were everywhere.

Like the inscription on the pillow below, “We are waiting for ‘just one more chapter!’ His Fall Feast. May we all return to our first love in this season. May we be ready and waiting with oil in our lamps, our wicks trimmed, our garments clean, our hearts prepared. May we see His Feast in all their glory and May the Father of Lights use this couple to spread the gospel with power and might. After 30 years they are reunited. It was at the age of 30 that the King of Kings began His ministry, our Messiah Yeshua, may He be lifted up!

Many blessing to this couple!

Tekoa

jenn and story