I Believe in Angels

Last week I decided I would submit a blog with deliberate intent and not one of those "it's the last minute and she, who must be obeyed, wants it now" blogs!  Yup!  Started on Sunday, of all days and now it is Tuesday night and going on ten pee emm......and she wants it now.  

So, as I sat and talked with my dog Jet, (my life saving dog), I decided I would just transcribe our conversation.  Made that subtle comment aloud and "she" overheard me.... told me it would probably be better than a fairy tale. (She didn't say fairy tale, I did).  That is because the notes of the blog I was going to write on Sunday and Monday has the expression 'fairy tale' in it.

That was going to be a tell-all blog.  One of those digging into the roots and beyond the dirt!  We discussed digging into the roots in the Isaiah Study this afternoon.  Roots that run deep run long and forever.  So, get in touch with the Roots of Your beliefs.... Messianic Roots!

Got sidetracked; back to where the fairy tale really came from:  Some of you may remember Abba and the song "I Have a Dream"  http://youtu.be/t_HupoJ2_oc  If you do, then you will know about the lines that say " I have a dream, a song to sing    To help me cope with anything"  When I was of that age, I used to daydream a lot.... I used to escape to my little corner of the world to drown out the bad thoughts.  I would sing a song to help me cope with everything.   Funny thing; now-a-days, we escape to our "man cave" to drown out the reality!  Nothing has changed, just our age.

So, the song goes on and tells me " I believe in angels   Something good in everything I see -- I believe in angels      When I know the time is right for me       Ill cross the stream – I have a dream"  That little-bitty-ditty says a lot.  I believe in angels...Scripture tells me they exist..... I believe in something good in everything I see.... Scripture tells me this has to be true...our Father created everything I see....then the clincher - when I know the time is right, I will cross the stream!  Oh my, Heavenly Father, I did not know so many years ago that that refrain would echo in my head for so many years.  When I finally came into the belief that Torah is real, Torah is alive, Torah is now!  Then and only then did I cross over.  Then and only then did I cross the stream.... But enough of that.  This is about my conversation with Jet.

Jet and I are sitting on the floor and he is letting me know just how inconsiderate I am.  He lies next to me and lets me rub his belly.  He acknowledges when I do it right and corrects me when I am not quite on the mark.  Last night he remembers that he did not get a snack.  Jet is more accurate than a Timex!  He takes a beatin' but he keeps on tickin'.  NO! I do not beat him.  I make sure I never raise my hand to him.  Somewhere along the way in his early life he must have been abused.  He is slowly getting over the fast motions and quick remarks.  

Jet knows when it is 5:30PM, 8:20PM, 10:10PM, 3AM and 8:10AM.  We start the day in the afternoon.  Jet gets to eat! Then after he takes care of business, he wants a very small snack at 8 or so.  At 10 or so he wants to go walking on the trails we have set up in the back yard (it's a very large yard...bigger than a measured yard but smaller than an open field, if you can picture that....maybe I should have written the fairy tale!)  He is a firm believer that if he goes all the way around the trails then he deserves a bit of a crunchy.  The 3AM thing gets me the most.  That is the time I get most of my administrative stuff done... like this blog that must be done before "she" goes to bed...and of course it will be early tonight because we have another full day tomorrow....aren't they all full?  Ever wonder what you would be doing if you weren't doing what you're doing now?  And then wonder how you managed to get into the quagmire? Sorry, the quagmire runneth's depth! 

So where am I?  I have said absolutely nothing of any substance except to say, this is not a fairy tale.  I have a dream that one day all will be Shabbat and one day, everyone will speak freely with everyone.  I am still amazed that even those who profess to speak openly and honestly continue to swallow that which is choking them.  Enough already!

Thank You most Gracious and Holy One for sending me Jethro (Jet).  He seems to convey more openness and straightforwardness than most humans I run into.  Father, that is not a slam against humans, that is praise for a little dog that cares.  He will not let me enter into danger, or become distanced from my Torah compliant life.  Jet knows...and I trust him.  Thank you Abba... I do believe in angels...and I do see goodness in everything I see, touch, smell, hear and taste. Not to mention, thank You for sending D'vorah and the Isaiah study our way.  A real eye opening! For now, I again bless You and love You and we'll see if You let "her" approve this blog that just rambles.  In Y'shua's name, I am grateful.  Amein.

Frankly Speaking All the Time, 

a/k/a Pinchas

It's a Small World After All

I need to write a blog.   I want to write a blog like in the days gone by.  A blog about what happens along the path to seeing His face.  That would be easy to do if I would just sit down, think, and get the fingers moving.  The events of the last few weeks or even months for that matter, have been astounding.  Details aren't necessary.  What is necessary is for me to realize that I have the ability to see both sides of the coin.  My Creator instilled this in me, as He has done for everyone.

One side of the coin says:  Everything is so negative and controversial.  There is no reason to get involved and therefore a blog is a waste of time. The other side of the same coin says; Stop focusing on the differences and relish in the similarities. Stay involved and keep seeing the light.  Speak up and make sure your words are accurate; by accurate I mean make sure they edify and not destroy.  The tongue is very powerful.

Okay - done.  So what is the problem?  What stops me from just spitting out a nice, uplifting, succinct blog about the joy of being alive?  I will tell you so that you won't have to go there - it is the other side of the coin that stops me.   It seems to be far easier to focus on the negative than rejoice in the positive!

So, for the last couple of weeks I have searched within me to find out why.  Why do I permit myself to wander from the uplifting and focus on the degrading?  Could it be that I just can't be as happy and grateful as I present myself?  Or is it that I am not truly full of joy and gratitude? For me, that answer comes back as neither answer is correct.  But now, I have an answer and I can't get it out of my head. So, it must be valid and I must not like it for I do not want to accept it.

Focusing on the negative aspects of the world around me gives me hope of a larger and more inclusive world than when I focus on the positive attributes of the world I live in.  This may not make sense to most people, but it does make sense to me and I can' seem to shake it.  The larger world is very negative.  It is full of lies and distortions.  It is supported by untruths and fed by not so truthful persons. When I crawl into my cocoon of holiness that protects me, it gives me feelings of great joy. Then my world becomes very small.  

The positive world is very small compared to the negative.  Sometimes I look around and I wonder how can so many people be so miserable and yet profess to be Torah compliant? My world becomes smaller.  How can someone sit around and talk about people who are not present, yet profess to know all the facts about something or someone they have no idea what they are talking about?  How can I get caught up in the conversation attempting to correct the wrong and be so completely misunderstood?  What stops me from walking away?  My world continues to get smaller.

Truth be known, I am tired of the charade.  Doesn't matter who's playing the game.  Whatever happened to just a cheerful conversation?  What stops us from communicating deep thoughts with one another without fear of rejection?  Why can't we just do what the Word says; Love your neighbor as yourself and let your yea's be yea's and your nays be nays? 

How come when we have differences of opinion, we don't confront our brothers plainly before we rally support from the negative people around us?  I give up!  The more I strive to be straight up and honest, the smaller my world gets.  It seems my friends just don't want to hear me out.  And when they won't hear me out how can they help me to understand that I may be distorted in my thinking? Friends don't let friends read Torah with a negative attitude!  I read a similar story in the Bible.  Makes me wonder, will I one day ask my Heavenly Father why am I the only one left?

Abba, my Father - You can straighten out my thinking if You want to.  You can keep me on the correct path and headed for the right gate, if You want to.  I wait patiently, most of the time, to hear from You. Now that I have learned that I hear best when I am not speaking, I have become more silent in the past couple of months.  Father, help me to explain to others that this is a 'me' thing for You; nothing against them and they need not worry.  While You are at it Father, please shine a little light on them before they turn their backs on me and my world gets even smaller.  In Y'shua's name I ask You, Amein.


Shalom and shalom, 
Pinchas, 
a/k/a Frankly speaking all the time.

Vultures and Doves

From CJB: Pg 1254
Matthew 24:  10-28

Matthew 24: 10 At that time many will be trapped into betraying and hating each other, 11 many false prophets will appear and fool many people; 12 and many people's love will grow cold because of increased distance from Torah. 13 But whoever holds out till the end will be delivered. 14 And this Good News about the Kingdom will be announced throughout the whole world as a witness to all the Goyim. It is then that the end will come. 15 "So when you see the abomination that causes devastation spoken about through the prophet Dani'el standing in the Holy Place" (let the reader understand the allusion), 16 "that will be the time for those in Y'hudah to escape to the hills. 17 If someone is on the roof, he must not go down to gather his belongings from his house; 18 if someone is in the field, he must not turn back to get his coat. 19 What a terrible time it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that you will not have to escape in winter or on Shabbat. 

Matthew 24:  21 For there will be trouble then worse than there has ever been from the beginning of the world until now, and there will be nothing like it again! 

When is "then"?  "Then" is when the enemy begins to get bold and people begin to turn on one another.  Friends are at each other's throats, families are ripped apart.  Congregations split and fall.  Each fighting to be the one that is right. Many people's love will grow cold because of distance from Torah.  Those who were flag bearers will drop their flags for other gods.

22 Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited. 

To get beyond this devastation, our Heavenly Father limits the time of the destruction.  He does not want any He has chosen to fall prey to the enemy.  Those who feel they may have escaped the raping of the community, maybe you have been chosen.  Those who feel the battle is endless, maybe you need to look again at who you are and what you stand for.  Now is not the time to question Torah, now is the time to question our selves. 

23 "At that time, if someone says to you, `Look! Here's the Messiah!' or, `There he is!' don't believe him. 24 For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing great miracles -- amazing things! -- so as to fool even the chosen, if possible. 

When someone points out a person with the greatest understanding or a deep knowledge of the Word; be cautious.  The person with an answer to everything and rapid prayer to make things right may be that false Messiah.  Be careful not to misstep by saying "No one said he is the Messiah."   There is no need for the enemy to do the obvious.  What the enemy does is take the most vulnerable and pair them up with the most anti-Messiah influential.  Our enemy knows the Scripture better than most of us.  However, an observation of the lifestyle, a close listening of the history, a watch for incongruent affect (ie. what is said and what is seen do not add up) and an inappropriate laugh usually adds up to someone who lives a life of fantasy or is deeply hurt, emotionally and spiritually.

25 There! I have told you in advance! 26 So if people say to you, `Listen! He's out in the desert!' don't go; or, `Look! He's hidden away in a secret room!' don't believe it.

Now we have been forewarned.  He may be in the office; he may be in the hallway.  He could even be at the next convention or special presentation.  One thing is for sure, if he is too good to be real, you can count on him not being the Messiah.  You can count on him being a scholar in knowledge only.   And you can rest assure, that he is in no hurry to gather you in.  He has all the time in the world.  He doesn't move rapidly - no need to stampede the flock.  Once he gets you in then he shows his true colors.  As the next verse says; the Son of Man comes like lightning!  Y'shua, our Messiah, has no need to waste one moment trying to convince us that we are messed up.  No need to convince us that we are following false doctrine.  Read it in His Words... He does not dilly dally!  27 For when the Son of Man does come, it will be like lightning that flashes out of the east and fills the sky to the western horizon.

28 Wherever there's a dead body, that's where you find the vultures

The dead bodies - the ones who want to do what is right yet seem to hold on to their old ideas.  The ones who want to be reaching out to others to show them the way, yet have difficulty in seeing their own ways are not Torah compliant.  The ones that want a place at the head of the table yet have no desire to even set the table.  The ones looking for position of importance yet run from every opportunity to jump in and lend a hand.  These are the dead bodies and these are the ones the vultures prey upon.  May YHVH be with them and bring them home.

Abba, Father -- YHVH -- the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;  the Elohim of all gods; the Master of the Universe who knows all and sees all; the One who gives favor to those You love and repress those who do not take kindly to your direction - thank You.  Father thank You so very much for permitting me to be here at this moment.  Thank You for not giving up on me when my life was full of doubts.  Father thank You for seeing me through those years of not knowing why I even existed.  Thank You.  I love You Abba; I bless You with every fiber of my being.  Thank You for the fibers.  And above all, thank You for Y'shua Who guided me back to You.  Amein!