Can we obey 98% of the time?

As we enter into the fall feasts, we are given a wonderful opportunity to evaluate ourselves.  We need to look in the dark corners of our closets, peek under the cupboards, organize that high shelf.

So it is at this time that I ask the question:

Am I obeying YHVH 98% of the time?

Yahshua said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."  (Luk 9:62)


We have chosen to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We have studied Torah to learn His ways. But is there something lacking? Did we, in our haste, leave off that 2%? Have we rationalized and made excuses to protect that 2%? Does the 2% even matter?

I think the 2% does matter to YHVH.

• Achan only took a coat, some silver, and gold. What was that among all the treasures of Jericho? Probably less than 2%, yet it cost the lives of 36 men, and Achan and his family were stoned.
• Lot's wife only looked back at Sodom for a moment, surely not a long time, but as a result she turned into a pillar of salt.
• Saul only offered one sacrifice when he shouldn't have. That's not a big deal. But it cost him the kingdom.
• David only had one moment of passion, surely less than 2% of his life, but it cost him a child.

My fellow believers, the 2% matters! We must always be seeking to shed that last 2% and follow with our whole hearts. We cannot continue to say, "Look at all I'm doing right" while we hide the disobedience under the rug.

Do we eat kosher 98% of the time? But the other 2% is ingredients on the soup can that we choose to ignore.

Do we dress appropriately 98% of the time, except when it's inconvenient or when no one will see us?

Do we keep the Feasts and Shabbat, but delay dealing with trickier commands like the niddah laws?

Do we talk about our obedience and the things we have learned and forget to help those around us? Have we forgotten the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith?

But that's legalism!

Just a question: What is the opposite of legalism? Logic would dictate that the opposite is illegalism. So the question is whether we are obeying (legalism) or not obeying (illegalism).

The real question here is the heart. Are we busily occupied trying to take care of our 2% or are we demanding that everyone else deal with their 2%, while ignoring our own? 

Torah is very clear on what is expected of us. Sometimes we don't understand, and must lean on the Ruach HaKodesh. We have so much to learn and so much to put into practice. We obey our Heavenly Father because we love Him, just like a little child delights in pleasing their daddy. We are not saved by our works, but we work because we are saved. But let us not assume that we have arrived and are doing all we ought. We have put our hand to the plow. Let us not turn back from the plow, and let us not stand still looking at the plow. We must move forward, always seeking that 2%, that bit of obedience that is yet elusive. There is always room for us to grow closer to our Father. If we are truly seeking to serve YHVH 100%, when would we possibly have time to judge others for their 2%?

May we all grow closer to YHVH in this precious feast time! (I'm off to try to deal with my own 2%.)

Shalom!

Sheep and Goats

Scripture talks alot about sheep and goats. I raise both on our farm. They are as different from each other as night and day. This is surprising, since they often are mistaken for each other, particularly by the untrained eye.  Our sheep are rather wild. They do their thing, eating, chewing their cud, making lambs, etc. with little input from us. They take care of themselves. This is great, except for a little thing called parasites. The sheep get infected with parasites, and left unchecked, that little tiny organism can take down and kill a 100lb sheep. We do our best to provide preventive care. We have very effective treatment that would keep those pesky worms at bay. The problem is that the sheep don't understand we are trying to help them. They run in circles, leap into fences, and avoid capture at any cost. We literally have to round them up and tackle them to give treatment. When we try to feed them medicine in the grain, they run the other way, and the goats eat it. As a result we lose sheep to worms despite our best efforts.
      Goats are a bit different. They seem to come out of the womb friendly. Goats seem to prefer the company of people. With very little training, they will come when you call their name, and love to be petted. Obviously, they are easy to medicate, and will steal the grain right out of your hand. One of my milkers, Kiwi, likes to chew on the corner of my shirt. She followed me around the pasture while I chased a sheep that needed treated. Goats are also rather clever and mischievious, and can get in and out of places at will. On the flip side they always come home.
      So how do my observations fit in with scripture? Here are my thoughts, not doctrines, just thoughts. We are most often compared to sheep. I think if we actually behaved like goats and followed our master around and took our medicine and craved a good petting, we wouldn't be in such desperate need of a shepherd. We often act wild and try to do things our own way. The Good Shepherd has to chase us around the pasture, tackle us, and shove our medicine down our throats. If He didn't, we would surely die in our stupidity. But Yahshua did say that He came to save sinners, not righteous. We walk around the pasture, thinking we are in great shape, but we don't know about the little tiny worms (sin) that threaten our very existence. But when the Good Shepherd tries to help us with those worms, we run the other way. Yet He patiently leads us and cares for us in spite of ourselves.
      Perhaps we should make things easier for ourselves and start behaving like goats. We need to run to our Shepherd, take our medicine, and crave the attention our Shepherd willingly gives. To put it in plainer terms, we need to face our sins, accept our Savior's help, and delight in His presence.

Will you say baaaaaa like a sheep, or will you say maaaaaa like a goat?

When will Yahshua return?

Have any of the seals been opened?  Are we the last generation?  When will Yahshua return?  Where are we in end time prophecy?

I will anwer these questions with a question.

Can you tell me when Noah Ephraim will be born?  What time of day will labor start?  How long will the early contractions last?  What will transition be like?  How long will I be pushing?  What will his apgar score be?  Can you put it all in a chart so I can plan?

In Revelation we see the image of birth.
(Rev 12:2)  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.










The earth has been groaning as in labor, and is waiting to give birth to the kingdom.  Does this come without pain?  Does this come when least expected?  Surely we cannot expect to bring forth a child without difficulty.  We cannot know the day or hour when our baby will arrive.  Some contractions make us think we are in labor when we are not.  But eventually the time comes.  Eventually we take on the most difficult work of our lives, and are rewarded with a beautiful baby.

(Isa 66:9)  Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

The same goes for the coming of Yahshua.  We are simply told to keep oil in our lamps. 

(Psa 119:105)  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

We must have Scripture in our hearts, and our trust in YHVH.  Our house can burn down, and our food be all destroyed, but even then we need not despair.  We have YHVH, and that is all we need.

So keep oil in your lamp, and I have my birth kit ready.

Shabbat Shalom.

Healing, Part 3

Yahshua healed many people, and usually said something to the effect of, "Your faith has made you whole."

So what is faith?  Is it simply believing?  Is it an emotion?  If I have a weak moment of doubt, is it all over?  I hope not, because in the last 6 weeks, I've had some moments of doubt.  My husband would literally get two inches from my face, and say, "By His stripes we are healed.  You are healed.  There is no scar!"  I needed that from him, and I'm very thankful for it.

I've been trying to figure out what faith really is.  I did some word study, and went over to Brad Scott's website, Wild Branch Ministries.  Be sure to check out his free four part article on faith. 

Here is my humble understanding of faith, after much prayer.

The world gives us a picture of many religious roads, all of which lead to the same god.  I think there are many roads, but they all lead to different gods.  How do we know what god a person is heading towards?  By identifying the path they are on.  Each god has certain requirements, and if you are fulfilling their requirements, you are on their path.

YHVH's path is heading in an opposite direction from the other paths.  What identifies his path?  TORAH!  Who completely embodies torah?  Yahshua the Messiah!  How do you know you are on YHVH's path?  You follow Yahshua and keep torah. 

Faith is defined by what you do. 
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (Jas 2:17)

Faith is obedience, and trust.  The idea of trusting a father is also implied in the Hebrew word.  Do your children worry about whether they will eat dinner or not?  Or do they show up at the table and expect a plate of food to be put in front of them?  Hopefully they say thank you lol!

The same goes for us.  YHVH promised to care for us and heal us.  He wants us to rely on Him for everything.  Will we trust Him as a little child, expecting to be taken care of, with no questions?  Will we show that YHVH is the god we trust by following HIS path and doing what HE says?

I have had to say out loud that YHVH is the only God that can heal me.  He is the only God that promised to heal me, and I'm going to show I have faith by obeying torah and thanking Him ahead of time for healing me.

YHVH, help my unbelief!  You are the one and only true Elohim!

A Prayer for our week

YHVH, our heavenly Father,

We need you this week.  We want to please you in all we do.  We can't do anything without you, and we can do all things with you.  We ask you to remember your covenant with us.  You promise us blessing, success, and an abundant life.  We are trying hard to follow your precious Torah.  It is the very essence of life and we choose life.

Sometimes it is hard for us to follow.  We repent for the times this week that we left the narrow path.  Sometimes our house blows up (or so it seems.)  Sometimes we get very frustated with our kids and say things less than edifying.  Sometimes we are lazy and don't get our work done.  Sometimes we forget to spend time with you, our precious Elohim.  Please forgive us.

We give this week to you.  Take our tongues, and only allow good things to flow from them.  Take our husbands, may we be good helpmeets to them.  Take our children, let us teach them about your Torah.  Help us see the moments when their hearts are soft.  Give us wisdom to deal with them righteously.  Take our homes, and let them be a place of shalom, a place of growth, a place of safety, a place of righteousness.  Help us to be diligent in our calling.

We thank you for the victory!  We thank you for a blessed week that we are about to experience.  You are a wonderful Elohim, and we are honored to serve you.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

In Yahshua's name,
Amein