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