Footprints in the Sand

In my mind it has been a long time since I wrote a blog.  But it doesn’t seem so long ago that I reached out for your prayers of healing.  Let me first tell each of you, prayer does work.  Without rehashing the accounts and what happened and etc., let me simply say, there is no doubt in my mind, without your praying and pleading with our heavenly Father, the healing would be very,  very slow; if at all.  I have complete faith in YHVH Elohim and I pray constantly to be in His favor.  Not a day goes by that I don’t witness something that reaffirms my faith and allegiance.

There were two occasions when I started to get down and to feel like I won’t have the strength to hold on.  But each time, He showed me the results should I not continue to believe and trust.  We have all read the ‘prayer’ about footprints in the sand; let me tell you, when I walk into the wound center for the hyperbaric treatments and see the wheel chairs lined up, I see the footprints in the sand.  When I go to the cath lab for measurement of blood flow and see the myriad of patients with a grimace on their face, I see the footprints in the sand. 

 

Most overwhelming was when I was privileged to be brought to the Rivers in the Desert Conference, although for only a brief period of time, and I felt the love of all of you, I knew He had me in His hands. No words can ever describe the feeling I had and I know I am not worthy.  How does someone like me deserve so much? 

The conference was fantastic.  I am watching the recordings during my two hour treatment sessions each day.  Just lay back in the chamber, and watch the TV that is placed nearby and pay attention to the speakers.  The nurse puts the disc in the machine and starts it and then takes me to atmospheric pressures beyond this earth!  Try this site for good general information: http://drcranton.com/hbo.htm This probably will be a very short blog; I can’t see for the tears of joy in my eyes!

My Heavenly Father told me not to give up, not to give in, not to become discouraged!  He told me a lot of other things too.  He said I needed a little bit more humility. He wants me to remember that nothing occurs on this planet without His express permission.  I have done nothing for me compared to what He has done with me.  I do believe that this incident that has occurred is a teaching tool for everyone.  Without belaboring the point, I have learned that it is incumbent upon each of us to be on the lookout for our neighbor.  It is of paramount importance that we do not shun the outreach of those about us.  It is okay if someone wants to help.  And it is okay if that someone wants to help us. 

Tonight I am a bit exhausted and will go to bed a few hours earlier than normal.  That seems to be the way it is here lately.  But I don’t want to go until I tell the world how wonderful and kind my wife is.  Yocheved never complains.  She is constantly there to assist me and seems to know what I am in need of before I can figure it out.  I ask each of you to please include her in your prayer for continued strength and determination.  She is a Proverbs 31 woman.  It is through Yocheved that I established a very close relationship with YHVH.  She saved my life almost twenty years ago, introducing me to YHVH, Who I did not yet understand.  Now, she is at my side to help me live that new life.  I love Yocheved very much. Yes, I am truly blessed! 

I love you all and I pray for the day when we can all rejoin and laugh and run and play as children in His Kingdom. 

Shalom, shalom

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking all the time

Searching for the Gold

You missed it!  I just erased the blog that I was writing because for some reason it took a turn from being positive to being an acknowledgment that the enemy may be overcoming my positive mental attitude.  Can’t have that stuff swimming around! 

The good news is that starting Monday, should all go as scheduled, I will be undergoing treatment every day for a month in a hyperbaric chamber to rid my foot/toe of gangrenous growth and to increase oxygenated blood flow.  All I have to do is become able to lay flat on my back for two and a half hours.  This is an obstacle.  So, I am praying for guidance from my Father and should He deem it proper, I will be in the chamber on Monday morning.  This means that I practice laying flat throughout the day and night, trying to lay still and not focus on the pain.  The Docs are working with me on a way to overcome this.  The chamber is very picky as to who can enter and what can be in their system when they do.  I am told I am a good candidate.  Great!

So, with all this going on, I continue to ask you all to please grant me all the quiet time I can get.  Yes, this means I am asking you not to drop by just to visit for a few minutes.  A call on the phone is not prohibited as long as you understand that should I not answer it, I will call you back when I can.  I am not wanting to be rude, it’s just that I have no idea from one moment to the next when I will be sitting, standing, engaged in wound care, trying to sleep (since night sleeping is out the window), trying to walk, laughing, hiding my crying, etc.

 

Yocheved and I are learning a lot right now and we need a lot of time for study.  She is carrying the load, right now, I am the baggage.  So, we continue to ask family, friends, mishp’kha, etc to call ahead, and don’t be dismayed when we express reluctance to invite anyone in.  With all the Dr. appmts (three this week alone) on top of an already full plate, we are both exhausted.

For all who have jumped up to the plate and pitched in to ensure the Shul continues to be a place of Worship and Shalom, we thank you dearly.  We try not to call upon anyone to do anything that would cause distress in their own family.  And we would not think of burdening anyone if we didn’t need the help and know their gifts.  Knowing that YHVH wants a nation of Priests, it is good to know that Kol haMashiach is a breeding ground for what the Father wants.  For some, a gentle reminder that we are a House of Worship is apparent. But that goes without saying.  We all need reminders from time to time, of where we are and the reason we are there.  Let us not forget the great influence adult behavior has over our children.  What they see, they interpret according to their own experiences. They then behave accordingly. Please be a strong influence for Torah compliant behavior for everyone.

I pray to rejoin you all very soon.  Please don’t stop praying; not only for me, but for all of Yah’s Kingdom.  These are tough times we are all going through and the gold is under fire to get rid of the dross.  May we all find joy in the burning knowing that we will be purified in His sight.  

Romans 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Todah Rabah Dawn for reminding me)

Shalom, shalom

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking all the time.

More than Thanksgiving

There is so much that I want to say but when I start to put it to paper it all seems so limited! It seems so nasal! It seems to be empty of emotion and devoid of meaning when I read it from the page…but if you could be here right now you would be able to witness the array of emotions I am experiencing as I try deep within me to say more than “Thank you”!

This is the week when most people in this country, focus on Thanksgiving… when we give Thanks to YHVH for all the blessings He has bestowed on us. Hold on; read that last sentence again….when we give thanks to YHVH for all the blessings He has bestowed on us. What a misguided statement that is. Can you see now why I am having difficulties writing a simple little blog to say thank you to all of you for your prayers and concerns during the past few weeks. Please don’t stop…prayers work.

But back to the “Hold on….” Statement. This time of the year most people focus on giving thanks to the Father for all the blessings…we should be giving thanks to Him daily. Setting aside one day a year for family and friends to get together to give thanks really insults the One doing the blessing! Our Father deserves more. He is the One giving the Blessings! Nothing comes from us or from any man. On top of that, pausing one day out of the year to thank family and friends for all they do and their constant love and devotion is also insulting. Let us thank everyone everyday for everything and remind one another that YHVH T’Zvaot makes it all possible. 

 

By now you all probably know about the situation I am having with my foot and legs. These past few weeks have been very testing. This testing has sparked a part of me that I thought existed but was not aware of the full extent of it. Until we have been subjected to the test, we don’t know if we have the correct answer. While the test is being administered, the teacher is not speaking. The speaking has been done. It is time to now check within ourselves if we have the answer the teacher is looking for. Our Heavenly Father is a fantastic teacher. He is guiding me daily and I praise Him for guiding me. This little trip is different than all others I have been on. I know where I want to go but a map is not available…and the Teacher is not giving me more than what I need at any given moment. I am dependent upon The Great GPS (God’s Positioning System – Torah!) to guide me. 

[as an aside: a friend was speaking with me the other day about my physical situation. She began to tell me of an incident she had when her son was a teenager. He tore the Achilles tendon from the bone in a sports incident…during the recovery process her son told her one night that he didn’t know how much more recovery time he can manage…the pain was tremendous…the Mom asked him if he had been praying…his response was of course I have been praying….she then asked if he prayed recently for tolerance…and his answer was yes. She then told him that his prayers were being answered….he stared at her with a lost look….she reminded him that YHVH is the great teacher and uses all opportunities to teach us…and by teaching us, He answers prayers. She also reminded him to use caution in what he prays for…YHVH does not send an advance copy of the lesson plan……] 

Anyhow, I am learning a lot from all this and have surprised myself at how accepting I am of it all. The humbling part for me is the massive response Yocheved and I have received from all of you. Our Mishp’kha is truly hand picked by YHVH. There is nothing more shocking than going from a hundred miles an hour with nothing but “youth” in your sails to coming to an almost complete stop and the wind run out. I was so concerned with who is going to keep things in order and how will they know this and know that? I was told by several in the Congregation to sit down, shut up and get well. What an awesome undertaking. Things are being taken care of that I even forgot about. Then we realized that this all happened within the week of Sukkot and there was no forewarning. .. like a light switch flipped…from fully functional and no history of poor or degraded health to a full stop…the legs just stopped working! (I won’t go into that again..) Suffice it to say, the Shul will run just fine whether I am there or not…. I do miss being there but I rest a bit easier knowing that we serve the Father, not man, and this ensures that the Father’s Word continues to go forward. Please forgive me one and all for even having a fleeting thought that it would be otherwise. So easy to fall back on old attitudes, values and beliefs. 

 

I love you one and all, thank you for caring and know that our Father is smiling and preparing another lesson plan. Be ready!

Shalom, shalom

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking all the time

Taking Things for Granted

These past few weeks have been real eye opening for me.  As most of you know we had a fantastic Sukkot and the in-gathering was phenomenal.  As I wrote last time, seeing the outreach taking place with all the people coming to assist one another and enjoin in conversations with open minds and willing hearts was truly the work of our Heavenly Father.

A couple of weeks have now passed and we are attempting to get “back to normal” while moving forward toward the River’s in the Desert Conference.  While at the same time I am nursing an injury to my foot while waiting for a surgical procedure to clean out my arteries.  This last part baffles me.  Not to beat a dead horse, but as succinctly as I can put it, I am about to have a procedure done to both lower legs to open the arteries because I have extremely minimal blood flow.  Rule out diabetes, cholesterol, plaque build up, heart disease, smoking, etc.  Does not exist!  And until I had my foot injured, had no reason to have my arteries cleaned out!  Have I been taking myself for granted all these years?  Have I become a victim to my own blindness?  The medical people told me they had the answers;  they ran all the tests, they now say they are stumped..but we will get to the bottom of this!  I hope so.  I am very much aware that miracles do take place and healing comes without any intervention from us as long as we have faith.  But what about doing all the right things and living the correct ways and observing Torah and being healthy and keeping healthy thoughts, etc.  How can it be that someone could truly end up the healthiest man in the grave yard?

None of this bothered me until about an hour ago.  My biggest complaint was that my great toe hurt.  I was not concerned with the rotor rooter going into my legs tomorrow morning and bringing blood flow back.  But it just dawned on me!  Why did the blood flow stop?  No one knows, as yet!.  And when it is corrected, do we just accept it as something that happened along the way, while searching to see His Face?  There is a part of me that strives very hard to not complain and accept what the Father blesses me with.  I also believe there is a blessing in everything and therefore we should not complain about anything; ie. The injury to the toe/foot led the way to finding reduced blood flow and the need for corrective measures; so I don’t want to be ungrateful for the injury.

This event in my life has brought the Spiritual aspects of my faith into the physical aspects of my being.  Probably won’t make a bit of sense, but just for the sake of going along for the ride, go along with me a bit and see if you don’t find that I am the one who may be experiencing the physical component, but we all are or have or will be experiencing the spiritual component whether we want to or not.  

YHVH has a fantastic way of teaching us.  There were many times in my life when I questioned whether or not I had enough faith to follow without having enough good reason to follow.  Many times along the way I asked myself if “this” (He, YHVH,) was real.  I know about the miracles of the oak tree and etc., but accepting something just because it is, can be quite a challenge. One of the difficult things to do is explain how we can believe in something we cannot see.  We can see the supposed results of the Divine intervention, but we are not capable as yet, to see the Divine.  Thanks to the ever so many miracles that have occurred in my life, I am able to say that I have faith in a supreme being that I believe created me.  I believe He did know me before I was conceived.  I believe in the miracle of birth, which isn’t hard to believe in when you see how many in the “count” that did not make it.  These are easy things to have faith and belief in.  The more difficult things are the interventions that occur in our lives that had we not been believers, would have been written off as something that just happened, for no rhyme or reason.

With a great startle I woke from a “dozing” sleep a while ago and realized, my foot was injured to get my attention to take a look at my life flow (Life is in the Blood) and do something about it.  In other words, YHVH woke me up to assure me that He is nearby and looking out for me… and to ensure that I pay constant attention to Him and never turn away.  He is in charge, and I am grateful.  So, when I tell others that I have no fear for tomorrow, I can now rest assured that I am being honest.  My Father has told me so.  Jeremiah 8:8-9;  John 7: 17-18

Shalom shalom; 

Thank you one and all for your prayers and concerns; I love you all.   

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking All theTime

What Can I Say

Time has passed since I last posted anything…not that there wasn’t anything to post… with a double Shabbat beginning and ending Sukkot there is a lot to say. With a hundred and fifty or so people pitching Sukkahs’s there is quite a bit to say…with ten full days of festivities and four of them Sabbaths words can’t say enough. And don’t forget that leading into all this celebration was the double Shabbat at Yom Teruah and the double Shabbat at Yom Kippurim….(our Congregation follows the agricultural calendar as in the days of old and in Scripture…watching for the moon over Yerushalaylim).. the day will come, yes the day will come…Yom Shekulo Shabbat…the day when it’s all Shabbat. Then what do we do?

That simple question, "Then what do we do?" is answered best by the passage that says to be prepared…it does not say, get prepared! Be Prepared! Make sure you participate in all the rehearsals. Woe to those who don’t even bother to rehearse the weekly Shabbat …the first feast day to be commanded! Be alert to what is happening about you. No need to focus on the world out there; focus on your life in Torah! Yeah! I feel like shouting! What an awesome time we all had…and for some it didn’t end until after the eleventh day!.... How come we can visit with some people and after two hours everything has been said and it is time to go home. But get with the Mishp’kha and a week goes by and we still have lots to share…. Oh the tears of joy !

 

This season we focused on getting back to basics…. getting back to the days when we were first called by the Father to return to Him…when we learned that we were beyond the warm milk of the faith stream we were in and were ready to bite down on some meat! That is when we learned that we knew very little, and still know very little. But we were called, and thus He gave us an ability to put aside the differences and look for the similarities. To not walk as “they” walked, but walk as “He” walked. To reach out to one another not to take, but to give. To be happy to proclaim the Name of YHVH! To cease being afraid of what others might say, but to begin having a healthy fear and respect for our Creator, and realize it is what He says that matters.

This Week of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was so filled with the Spirit and Awe of the Father. I observed young children reading Torah to one another. I watched as the tiniest of the wee-uns to the oldest of the young adults, pitched in, saw things to be attended to and attended to them. They did not have to ask permission or to be told. They were doing what they read in the Word…love your neighbor as yourself. I witnessed so many acts of kindness….and all this with desert like conditions…first we had scorching heat, followed by monsoon like rains and the cold hit upon us. No one turned back. We were in this march to the end. Some talked about the eighth day when He asks those faithful to stay just one more night…and then realized our Gracious and Most Divine Father already factored in two extra days! You just can’t make things like this happen…He can though.

But then came the tears…there was talk about most pulling out early on the Sunday morning….well, a couple pulled out, but “most” didn’t exit our Eastern Gate until after we all had breakfast and lunch together. Each one helping the other to pack. They came from all over the country. They had long drives to make to get back and rejoin that which they had managed to leave outside the camp. I thanked my Father for putting my homestead ‘just around the corner’. 

 

This could go on forever, but I think you may be getting the message….for those who have never kept the Feasts of YHVH, you really have no idea what you are missing. It is like trying to describe going to 'Eretz Yisrael' for the first time…. man’s words are insufficient…we have a lot to learn. So we must rehearse, practice, study and Sh’ma! Shalom…

It would be remiss of me not to mention the manna! If Moshe ate manna like we ate manna, he would have made a couple extra trips around the mountain…Halleluyah! did we eat good! Todah Rabah, Yocheved and your Kitchen Angels… Shalom shalom….

Love you all,

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking all the time.

The Righteousness of Avraham

Genesis 21: 11-13

Don’t be distressed because of the boy and your slave-girl. Listen to everything Sarah says to you, because it is your descendants through Yitz’chak who will be counted. But I will also make a nation from the son of the slave-girl, since he is descended from you.

Avraham became very distressed over the matter of his son Ishmael . A little earlier, Sarah, Avraham’s wife, told him to throw the slave-girl Hagar and Hagar’s son Ishmael out of their camp. Avraham has to make a tough decision. He wants to please YHVH and he wants to keep peace in the family. YHVH previously made a covenant with Avraham; that Avraham would have as many descendants as the stars in the sky. Ishmael is a descendant of Avraham. How can Avraham discard that which YHVH has given him; even though it is apparent that Avraham took it upon himself to fulfill the promise of the Father to have a child. Thus, Sarah introduced him to Hagar. Oh what a tangled web they weave!

Coming up in ten days from this writing, we will be reading/studying D’Varim 33: (Parashah 54) V’Zot HaBrachah (This is the blessing). Back in Genesis, our life as we know it today was mapped out for us by YHVH. Because of the compassion YHVH has for His people and His Word, the world as we know it today was also mapped out. YHVH’s covenant with Avraham did not overlook his descendant Ishmael. In the last portion of Torah (Parashah 54) Moshe is in the process to go rest with his ancestors. Before doing so, he speaks blessings over all the people of Israel except the tribe of Shimon. Shimon was very rebellious and constantly doing things as he saw fit, not as YHVH would approve.

This Torah portion puts all the previous portions together. This is where we can take a close look. What tribe are we from?  Who leads us?   Are we worthy to be called ‘Righteous’?  With Yom Kippur only days away, we find ourselves soul searching for just who we are and where we are in this world that was mapped out for us so very long ago. There is even an avenue for Ishmaelites. 

 

This is now. Torah is now. Are we so strong in belief and faith that we can be called of the tribe of Levi, who said of his father and mother “I don’t know them”. In observing the Word of YHVH, Levi didn’t acknowledge his brothers or children. He only observed and preserved the word of YHVH and the covenant. Levi placed YHVH and the covenant above all else; even family.

On the other extreme there is Reuven. His blessing from Moshe came in the form of a prayer statement; “Let Reuven live and not die out, even though his numbers grow few” (Deut 33:6) Could it be that should Reuven live long enough, he will eventually fall in step with Torah?

Please read all the blessings for yourself. When you do read this portion, go ahead and do some self-diagnosis. See which blessing fits best. Is there one tribe in particular that your behavior and your heart are drawn to?  Maybe there is a combination of two or more?  Have you experienced a division in your family because of your love for YHVH as Levi did?  Or do you have one foot in and one foot out as seemingly does Reuven? Do none of them strike a cord? Is there some Shimon in your motivation? Or even still, what about Ishmael? 

 

The intent of this writing is not to find fault, make judgment or tell anyone how to live. That is what Torah is for. We are about to call upon our Father to hear our pleas and forgive our transgressions. I believe that unless we can identify who we are and what we stand for, then we are not able to honestly present ourselves to him for any reason.

Shalom, Shalom

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking all the time

Without faith in ourselves, we do not have faith in Him!

Yesha’yahu 43: 1-3a But now this is what YHVH says, He who created you, Ya’akov, He who formed you, Isra’el: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I am calling you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through water, I will be with you; when you pass through rivers, they will not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you will not be scorched – the flame will not burn you. For I am YHVH, your Elohim, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior –

Yirmeyahu 33:2-3 “Thus says YHVH the maker, YHVH who formed the universe so as to keep directing it – YHVH is His name; ‘Call out to me, and I will answer you – I will tell you great things, hidden things of which you are unaware’”

The above passages from Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) and Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) are very straight forward. For me, they say YHVH who created me will protect me in all situations and adversity. They tell me that He created me along with the entire universe to be His and follow Him. He seems to have an ‘open door’ policy. I am permitted to call upon Him at any time, day or night. He is telling me there is no reason for me to spend one moment in despair or aggravation. This is quite a bit of undertaking by someone whom I cannot see! In order to accept the above passages, and all the passages of the Word of YHVH, I am expected to trust, have faith and just simply obey. How in the world can I do that? Just trust and obey, show a little faith, sit quiet and be patient and wait and the miracles will happen before my very eyes! Right! That is all that it takes!

How in the world am I going to do all that? First off, I must get my head out of the world! I will not be able to do all that is stated above as long as I am attempting to be worldly and look for an ‘out of this world’ experience. Unless I have faith in myself, to do what He asks of me, then my faith in Him, YHVH, will not mature. Reading the Bible and reciting all the nice verses and wowing my fellow congregants is not enough. As it is written, faith without works is dead. I need to develop faith within my own self to demonstrate to my Father in Heaven that I fully trust Him. I trust Him with my life! It is not ‘MY’ life, it is His Life. He created it (me)! He wants to enjoy time with it! He entrusted me to be a part of it. As Jeremiah said; He formed the universe so as to keep directing it…all I have to do is call out to Him and He will reply. Even better, more will become known to me than what I imagined. He will tell me great things, hidden things that I haven’t the foggiest notion of. He will do this because He develops a trust in me. He knows Himself well and trusts Himself. He is showing me that He knows and trusts me because I follow Him. This makes it all the more important that I get to know myself well and trust myself! What an awesome relationship is forming.

My faith in me will not occur as long as I have even one fleeting thought of not being able to be Torah compliant. Faith in myself to be Torah compliant will occur when I stop treating myself as less than my neighbor. If I am able to believe and accept that YHVH, Elohim, created the entire universe, of which I am a part, then what stops me from believing that I can follow Him? Remember, He wants to direct His creation continually. His continually directing me occurs when I continuously strive to follow the precepts of Torah.

Shalom, be blessed

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking 

Dayenu! Do I ask for more when less would be sufficient!

There comes a time in a person’s life when we ask, “Have I taken on too much?"  There comes a time when we may even ask, “Why, Father, do you want me to do this?” I have not questioned YHVH with a “why” or “how come” statement from the moment He permitted me to open my eyes and see just what it is I am here to do. I do not and will not question Him… But let me tell you, I question me a lot!

There are times when I ask myself “what in the world were you thinking Frankie Bee to even hint that you could do this or do that?” Why is it that I can’t keep my mouth shut? The answer to these questions was given to me this week from sources I would never have imagined even knew of my dismay. And the sources are not even aware, as far as I know, just how much they have helped me. The answers came without me asking.. The answers came because I “just happened to be there” praying to be away from “there” and about my Father’s business. Maybe the answers came because my Father was about His own business.

Don’t misunderstand. I was not and do not pretend that I can do the Father’s job. I go about my Father’s business because I work for the Father. He’s the boss. And so when I hear comments like, “I just got so caught up with all the rules and laws, I LOST INTEREST!”… AND QUESTIONS LIKE “How can anyone say they believe in the Bible and not love Jesus?’ And the same person defends the pagan practices? How can the person with that question believe with heart, mind, body and soul in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and still not see or understand that we are to do what He says. It reeks havoc with me! Then I find myself complaining that a person I called upon to complete a task, of which he told me call whenever you are ready, does not respond for two days. I make a decision to find someone else whom I can depend on. Minutes later the phone rings and I'm told by this "non-dependable" person that I just deleted from my ‘call upon me’ list, that he apologizes for not getting back to me, but he just got in from his pre-op for cancer surgery!   How much more must I learn before I learn that the Father only puts on me what He knows I can handle. In other words, my Heavenly Father has faith and trust in me so much that He enjoins me on this earth to provide comfort and encouragement to His people! What an awesome responsibility! Anything more is of my doings. That means, I may be losing sight of my purpose in life.   He put me here with purpose! Dear Father Above, may I not ever let you down!

When I take control of my life (my self), am I possibly promoting myself to be a bit more righteous and a lot less humble? That too I heard this week! I was, not being singled out or put upon or lectured to, but tasting my own words: Strive for Righteousness;  Salvation only comes from YHVH! Please, YHVH, forgive me for my transgressions and please do not give me more than I can handle or less than what I need. I thank you so very much for permitting me to speak with and listen to all the peoples You have sent my way. Without them, I know deep in my heart, I would not have heard You.

These past couple of weeks, I have learned not to become so caught up in what I may think is doing the Father’s business. I am reminded to become caught up in living the Father’s Torah. There must be more than meets the eye, for He sure is supersizing His boot camp so we can all be prepared! (Ex 16:9-12)

Thank you all for your tolerance. You all teach me so much!

Shalom and Shalom with love and like!

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking

Hazak, hazak, v’nit’chazek!

Events of these past couple of years have left me dizzy.  The pace is quickening and down time is precious.  Tasks seem to be growing rather than diminishing and yet there is a calmness and peace about each individual day.  When I realized that I had not began this little blog last night, I wondered how the time is flying by so fast. Is it my age?

Many years ago when I was a youngster and believing in all those holidays that weren’t truly His days, I recall the longest time of the year was between thanksgiving and christmas.  It took forever for the turkey to be digested and the pagan celebration to arrive.  I have since come to my senses and no longer recognize those events.  Now the longest time of my year seems to be from Chanukah to Passover.  Even counting the Omer is rather rapid.

As Yocheved and I begin to plan the events of Sukkot we parallel our thoughts with Chanukah and the Rivers in the Desert Conference.  Someone asked me a week or so ago when we could “get together” for a couple of days and just be.  My answer was, without thinking, probably February.  I was promptly reminded that this is only August.  The shortest period of the year for me then is from August to February.  I am so grateful that our Father programmed us scheduled down time to do nothing but sit, relax and focus on Him.  What a vacation schedule He has outlined! 

It seems to me that if I can have unfinished chores but just stop in my tracks for our Father when the sun goes down and  the Feasts begin, I could do the same for others.  What prevents me from just stopping in my tracks when someone asks when can we get together for a couple of days and just be?  I know that chores must be done and we must be good stewards of His Kingdom. I also know we are to love one another.  The chores will be there!  I want them to go away!  Yes, I am still trying to finish the remodeling of the interior of the house!  Yes it has been two years (or so) now…Yes I do remember why I started and YES! I knew when I began that it would be a close call.  The longest period of time I have is so short and I am too stubborn to give in! 

Hazak, hazak, v’nit’chazek! Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened. It really doesn’t matter that there is only a little bit to do.  What does matter is I am no longer devoted to me and “my accomplishments”.  I am devoted to Him and recognize all accomplishments belong to Him. Sometimes I laugh and say if YHVH wanted the baseboards back in place, they would be in place!   I want the baseboards back in place! But, I can’t see them in my sleep, and other things are more important when I am awake!  So why do I keep having dreams of the house being finished?  If it was finished I’d just have to do something else during my “downtime”.  It is during my downtime that I plan and prepare to start another cycle of rehearsals (Mo’edim) and being about the Father’s business.

So, it’s not a bad deal!  The house will be finished right on schedule.

Barukh attah YHVH Elohenu Melekh ha olam!

Shalom, shalom

Pinchas, a/k/a Frankly Speaking All The Time

I Never Asked To Be Born /Reading the White of the Page

In Yochanon (John) 15 Yahshua (Jesus) tells us who He is, who His Father is and just who we are.  He lays out the foundation so eloquently that most of us pass it by.  We spend our time trying to convince others just how much we love Him and He loves us.  But, I personally don’t think most of us, includes me of course, are listening to just what He said.  At times we tend to forget that we are there with Him in Spirit and the Word is Now….not back then!

15:1 I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.  3 Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned.

He tells us who He is, who His Father is and that we are pruned.  He has told us that we are fruitful; that every branch which is part of Him but fails to bear fruit, He (YHVH) cuts off. Only the fruitful get pruned. 3 Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned.

This current thought process goes back to the blog “Be Fruitful and Multiply” written on May 10, 2011 explaining the root, the vine and the branch.  The root is in the ground (grounded) which sustains the branch which bears the fruit. So, YHVH must be the root and Yahshua is the vine.  He wants us to be the fruit that He bears.  And He wants us to multiply (reproduce) the same fruit!.  The only way to do this, according to verse six is to remain united with Yahshua, who guides us back to the Father.  If not, then like a dried up branch we are cast away to be burned up.  YHVH is a consuming fire!  (It is written).  Yahshua goes even further to tell us to ask whatever we can and it will happen for us.  Some say this is open season for any and everything.  This is a big stumbling block for many people. Often I hear from others that no matter how much they pray, their prayers are never answered.  This covers a variety of situations, but the common denominator remains in His declaration in verse 7.  He said that if you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask..His Words are found in Torah.  Could be that He wants to hear His words through our mouths. His Words are the will of the Father…so forget winning the lottery etc., those things can lead to idolatry. His Words are the Will of the Father.

Look at 1 Chron 1 Verses 7-12:  7 That night Elohim appeared to Shlomo and said to him, “Tell me what I should give you.”  8 Shlomo said to Elohim, “You showed much grace to your servant David my father and have made me king in his place.  9 Now, YHVH, Elohim, You have been faithful to Your promise to David my father; for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth.  10 So now, give me wisdom and knowledge; so that I will be able to lead this people. For who is equal to judging this great people of Yours?”  11 Elohim said to Shlomo, “Because you set your heart on this – because, instead of asking for riches, wealth, honor, the death of those who hate you, or long life, you asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so that you would be able to judge My people, over who I made you king -  12 not only are wisdom and knowledge being given to you, but I will also give you riches, wealth and honor such as no king before you has ever had; and no king after you will have as much.”

Shlomo’s faithfulness to YHVH is rewarded greatly.  We might say that Shlomo has prospered.  The word prosper in the Hebrew equates to wisdom.  We are told that the fear of YHVH is the first step to wisdom.  The fear, (read as awe and respect,) of our Heavenly Father gains us wisdom, thus we prosper.  Keep in mind, we are reading the white of the page.  We are not changing or abridging the Word, only grasping a deeper understanding of the most simplistic teachings of Yahshua.

Yahshua continues to remind us about His Father’s love for Him and His love for us (Vs 9-14).  Simply put, Yahshua kept His Father’s commands and the Father continued to love Him and all that He (Yahshua) loved.  Yahshua loves us and so YHVH loves us, whether we are worthy or not; If we keep His commands, it is a given. He wants us happy. He wants us to be as loving to others as the Father is loving to us, whether they are worthy or not.  Just do it. Love one another. He tells us this so that His joy may be with us and our joy be complete.  No more temporary, periodic happiness.  No more one day is great and the other we wish we never got out of bed.  Our joy, according to Yahshua was/is somehow incomplete.  With this love for one another, and Yahshua and YHVH, our joy becomes complete (Vs11).  No more church hopping, no more watching everything and anything that purports to be the truth of the Word.  Now we learn to eat the fish and spit out the bones.  This love is so strong, and so important to Yahshua and the Father, that the greatest sacrifice seals it.  Yahshua will lay down His life for those He loves…and He loves His Father.  Thus He layed down His life for us by default!  He did as His Father asked of Him. Trusting that we would love Him enough to realize the sacrifice He made and repent, sin no more, then go and bear fruit!

Yahshua had no secrets.  He didn’t hide behind closed doors.  He tells us everything.  We must learn to listen. He couldn’t have made it plainer…He says a friend is someone who will die for you… He tells us we are His friends, not His slaves,  “because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to You” (Vs  15).   He puts us in our place!  We did not ask to be born! We were chosen.  We were known before conception!  We must do as we have been commanded. We must be fruitful in the word!  The Torah is the fruit we must bear. The Fruit that lasts forever!

The world is resistant to our Creator.  Could it be that the world is the prodigal son?  Maybe the world needs to realize its origin and get back to basics.  In Yochanon 14:30, Yahshua explains that He will not be “with us” much longer. He states that the “ruler of the world” is coming and that He, Yahshua cannot be claimed by him.  This is where the resistance comes from.  So, as Yahshua is not accepted by the world, neither will we be for accepting Yahshua.  But not to worry, He comforts us by letting us know that we are not of this world.  Just imagine, all was starting to go just fine with the transgressors in their own little space…defiling and denying!  But YHVH seems to have said that we didn’t want to listen to Him, or Moshe or the Prophets! We didn’t want to do that which we knew should be done…He then gives us a bit of grace by inferring that maybe we just didn’t understand what He commanded.  So He sent someone to show us.  Kindergarten and Grade School show and tell stuff. Torah is not for the righteous.  Torah is for the sinner.  Yahshua messed up their lives by coming in person to show us how love and obedience works. He showed us what a true relationship means. But some remained defiant. And that is what brings us to this point in time. 

This occasion where Yahshua speaks to us to love one another and continue loving one another is NOW!  In Verse 25 He assures us that the hating from the world has happened to fulfill Torah.  He states, “They hated me for no reason at all.”  This I call the broccoli syndrome verse. It is like giving a child broccoli for the first time.  Most cases they reject it.  They say they don’t like it.  You ask if they have ever tried it and they say No.  Never had Yahshua/Torah?  Never tried Yahshua/Torah?  Don’t like Yahshua/Torah for no reason!  Yet it is Yahshua and Torah that can make our joy full.  He can direct us to the Torah and the Prophets and thus to our Creator who loves us.

At verse 26 He promises us that He will send us a Counselor known as the Spirit of Truth.  We sure can use some good honest counseling with all that is going on about us.  And this Counselor is the Spirit that testifies on behalf of Yahshua.  The Spirit never stops or goes alone.  We must never stop or go alone either.  The Spirit is within us, but unless we are in unison with the Spirit, it won’t be in us for long.  The Spirit does not OVER POWER us, it EMPOWERS us.  Therefore, with empowerment of the Spirit, we can testify concerning Yahshua also.  He tells us so in verse 27. And you testify too, because you have been with me from the outset.

Shalom and be blessed

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly Speaking All the Time

Listening with our Eyes

    

       Many people who have known me over the years know that I do not enjoy talking on the phone.  They also have realized that I do not enjoy E-mailing, twittering, face-booking and all the other non-contact communicating media available today.   This is a primary factor in this little blog being such a challenge.  This behavior surprises even me.  When I was in the military, my primary function was communications.  Details are not necessary.  One of my duties was to communicate or enable communications with persons unseen.  Very exciting.  I could only imagine what the contact looked like.  When telling a plane to wave off, or screaming at a chopper he’s about to hit kingposts,  I could only imagine the reception I was receiving.   And I equated the one on the other end with me.  I could hear me and I could hear them.  But it was difficult to determine to whom I was talking.  Even more difficult to determine just who it was that was talking back to me. Without seeing the affect, watching the eyes, witnessing the smile or lack thereof, it was just another person.  Unless, by chance we arranged to meet some place to greet one another, the person on the other end was just a voice in the wilderness.  These events were surreal.

To truly hear someone, or even something, I believe we must be able to see what we are listening to. 

            [Note: when I read the previous sentence during proofing, I stopped and     researched how does a physically blind person really hear.  There is so much      involved but it all goes back to “seeing” what is being heard.  There are‘devices’ now available where a person without physical sight can listen to the sounds of the environment and learn to “see” that which is vital in the    hearing.  I have a lot to learn in this area, but I am convinced that the blind can “see” what they hear. The McGurk Effect    Click   or copy and paste in browser: http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~karchung/Phonetics%20II%20page%20seventeen.htm  for report

            In a report from Howard Hughes Medical Institute “Seeing, Hearing,             Smelling the World”,  c. 1995 Jeff Goldberg writes….in Quivering; the             bundles that hear:

            “There are only 16,000 hair cells in a human cochlea, compared to 100        million photoreceptors in the retina of the eye, and they are extremely           vulnerable. Life in a high-decibel society of pounding jackhammers,   screeching subway cars, and heavy metal rock music can take a devastating    toll on them. But whatever the cause—over exposure to loud noises,  disease, heredity, or aging—people tend to lose 40 percent of their hair cells by the age of 65. And once destroyed, these cells do not regenerate.”

     The above referenced data indicates that vision has a tremendous enhancement to our hearing.  A few years ago, I was involved in an exercise used for heightening effective listening capacity.  The protocol was to simply have the group just stop and listen.  The group was instructed to “inventory” all the sounds they heard.  After a few minutes, without notice, all lights were turned off.  The group was asked to continue taking inventory.  Then the AC was shut down, then the clocks, etc. The list grew in abundance.  When the noise making equipment was turned back on, the group was then asked what they heard.  Observation showed that as each person looked about the room, they began to hear more than the first two phases of the drill.  The result proposed that when we focus our hearing through vision, we fine tune our hearing to stimuli not noticed at first “glance”.  Human sensitivity tends to degrade over time and exposure. We do not use 100 percent of their senses. Which brings me to the point of this week’s blog: Listening with our eyes.   

Scripture tells us to listen with our eyes. 

In Deut 6:3 we are told “Hear (Strong’s H8085) therefore, O Israel and observe (H8104) to do (it) that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

The word Hear (u-shmoth ) is Strong’s H8085: shama’  shaw-mah’;  to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc; causatively, to tell, etc. ) 

The use of  ‘observe’  (u-shmrth)  is Strong’s H8104 shamar  shaw-mar’; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), IE. Guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.

Please pay attention to the tightness (closeness) of hear and observe.

In Deut 6:4
 we read: Dta hvhy vnyhla hvhy larsy imw

Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil YHVH Eloheinu YHVH echad  

(Heb to Eng)   Hear (Strong’s 8085) you Israel Yahweh Elohim of us Yahweh one)

                                                           

Deut 11:13 says                     

                         ytvjm la vimwt imw ,a hyhv

                                                V'hayah im shamo'a tish'm'u el mitz'votai
                        (Heb to Eng)   and he becomes if to listen (Strong’s 8085) you shall listen to                                                           instructions of me

Store all that data and let’s read Numbers 15:37-40

rmal hwm la hvhy rmaYv

Vayo'mer YHVH el mosheh lei'mor
and he is saying Yahweh to Moshe to to say of   (Heb to Eng)

,hla trmav larsy ynB la rBD

Dabeir el b'nei Yis'ra'eil v'amar'ta aleihem
speak you to sons of Israel and you say to them (Heb to Eng)

ypnK li tjyj ,hl Vsiv

,trdl ,hydgb 

Tlkt lytP [nKh tjyj li Vntnv

v'asu lahem tzitzit al kan'fei vig'deihem l'dorotam
v'nat'nu al tzitzit hakanaf p'til t'kheilet
and they make for them tassel on hems of garments of them for generations of them and they give on tassel of the hem twine of amethyst  (Heb to Eng)

vTa ,tyarV tjyjl ,kl hyhv

hvhy tvjm lK ta ,trkzV
VrVtt alv ,ta ,tysiv 

,kynyi yrxav ,kbbl yrxa 

        ,hyrxa ,ynz ,ta rwa

V'hayah lakhem l'tzitzit ur'item oto uz'khar'tem et kol mitz'vot Adonai
va'asitem otam v'lo taturu acharei l'vav'khem v'acharei eineikhem
asher atem zonim achareihem

and he (Strong’s H1961: hayah  haw-yaw; to exist, ie. Be or become, come to pass [always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxillary]) becomes to you to tassel and you see him and you remember  (Strong’s H2142: zakar  zaw-kar’  properly, to mark [so as to be recognized], ie. To remember, by implication, to mention])  all of instructions of Yahweh and you do them and not explore you after heart of you and after eyes of you which you ones prostituting after them  (Heb to Eng)

 lK ta ,tysiv VrKzt ]iml

,kyhlal ,ywdq ,tyyv ytvjm 

L'ma'an tiz'k'ru va'asitem et kol mitz'votai viyitem k'doshim lei'loheikhem
so that you shall remember and you do all of instructions of me and you become holy ones to Elohim of you

     This all tells me that when we hear intelligently, when we combine that hearing with guarding and protecting, that when we see that which has been commanded, in this case, tzitziot, that we see Him and His Word.  This is about as close to His face we can get for the time being.  So. We must see to hear Him. 

Step outside and take a look.  He is everywhere.  See Him…Hear Him! 

That is what He asks of us. 

D’varim / Deuteronomy 4:1!!!

Shalom and shalom…

Pinchas a/k/a Frankly speaking all the time