Once I Was Blind

Hanok 83:8, 9 “And now, my son, arise and make petition to hvhy of esteem, since you are a believer, that a remnant may remain on the earth, and that He may not destroy the whole earth. 9 “My son, from the Shamayim all this will come upon the earth, and upon the earth there will be great destruction.”

I have no idea where I am going with this. I just know that I was “browsing” in the Book of Hanok and read the above two passages and they grabbed at me. If I am correct, Methuselah was having a vision in a dream about the heavens coming down and destroying the earth. When he was awakened because of the noise and restlessness he was exhibiting, he was told that because he was a believer that he was to pray to YHVH to spare a remnant and not destroy the whole earth.

So, the prophecy happened and Methuselah was the last righteous man standing.

Now, I have no intention of ‘teaching’ Scripture here…so I have not dug into the history books to ensure correctness. The intent here is to find just where I am in my relationship with my Father. Having been down this path many times, I have come to believe that my journey to find where I am in my relationship with the Almighty is not the direction I should be in. What if I shifted my thinking and took a different tack. Instead of trying to ascertain where I am in relationship with my Father, I maybe should be trying to establish where my Father is in relationship with me. That would mean I would benefit spending my time getting to know Him even more. It is not where I am, it is where He is that counts.

From the above passage I learn that when the heavens come down they can destroy the earth completely should it be the Father’s will. I have previously learned and fully believe that YHVH keeps the universe together. Should He change His mind, it is over…gone…finished! I also have read that He would not flood the entire earth again. However, I have read that He will take parts…little by little unless we shape up. The operative statement is unless we shape up. So how will it happen? How will He destroy the earth and it’s civilization and still keep His word that it won’t be a flooding with a half dozen or so survivors?

 

Last summer Yocheved and I took our grandson to the Edison Museum and investigated all that he ‘created’. He, Thomas Edison, is no longer with us but his inventions are in use today. Edison had a willing heart to create implements that would benefit mankind. He was successful, however, he had no control over them once they were completed and marketed. His ‘will’ departed when he departed. So his inventions will depart at some point in time but no later than the end of the earth as we know it.

Our Father’s willing heart created the earth and everything within it. He created the universe and all that we can see. Through the will of the Father, it is all in existence today. Should YHVH Elohim decide He has had enough, that we have taken too long to shape up, then he can will the heavens to fall upon us in a fiery ball. In a flash it would be over as we know it. Will the prophecy of Methuselah hold true? Will the Father hear his prayer and let a remnant remain one more time? Was the Noach experience enough for our Savior to say, we just aren’t worth it? Has He done more than any parent would for a wayward child? What if it was us and our children? How would we feel? How much patience does it take before we realize we must love them enough to let them go? 

 

Think long and hard about this: When Divine Will ceases, the object of His will also ceases. I believe for the time being, it is the Father’s will for the universe to stay in rhythm. When His will to maintain and ensure existence continues, we continue. Should His will cease to exist, we cease to exist. 

 

Just something to think about…that’s all. For years I have been following the crowd and spending my energies focusing on Mashiach’s return. The great Wedding day. Oh yes, I want for that day. Let’s just don’t lose sight that unless He is satisfied with the order of things, it could end before we know it. I know that the Word outlines specifics about the thousand year reign and all. I also know that there is Word saying ‘narrow is the gate’. 

 

Please Father, continue to direct us and guide us. You are the Almighty God, the true Elohim, the Creator of Heaven and Earth… without You we are nothing. Please, I beg, accept me as a Believer; leave a parcel of land for me to care for. Please let there be others, even if only a remnant, to recapture the Land and toil it as You have always wanted. Father, we are slow to learn and for that we beg Your forgiveness. Should You deem us worthy, please don’t let your fire reign down on us. Permit us to honor you with good deeds. Abba, we are aware that You and only You have the will to keep us alive. I pray with my heart to be deemed righteous and left standing to serve you to the bitter end. Just as Yeshua is The Messiah, and the sun shines by Your command and will, we love You and cherish the day that You find us worthy to see Your face. Amein!

Shalom, Shalom --

Pinchas

aka Frankly Speaking All the Time

Thy Will Be Done

Matthew 6: 9 You, therefore, pray like this: `Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy. 10 May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven. 11 Give us the food we need today. 12 Forgive us what we have done wrong, as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us. 13 And do not lead us into hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One. For kingship, power and glory are yours forever. Amen.'

How many times in my life have I said the Avinu Prayer and really felt like I understood all I knew about what I was saying? How many? I couldn’t tell you. It would be a guess. Just as my understanding of the words Yahshua told us to say as a prayer were just a guess. In the days when I learned the Our Father I was a very young child and to be honest, it had no impact on me that I can remember, except that I was talking to God (YHVH). Now, a little older and a little wiser, I take a deeper interest in what I say to my Creator. I want to be absolutely certain that I am not using a vocabulary that would not be listened to. Yeah, there are those who say “He knows your heart and that is what counts.” I too have said that. But if He knows my heart and He knows I want to do right by Him, then He knows I seek to present truth and understanding. I have no desire to present rote memory without the understanding of what I am saying. 

 

The portion of the Prayer that says, “Your will be done” is the critical part for me. I can understand praising Him by stating may His name be kept Holy and His Kingdom be on earth as it is above. I also can understand asking Him to keep me fed and forgive me for my wrongs with the stipulation that I forgive others too. Why should I be forgiven if I am not willing to reciprocate? As for Him not leading me into hard testing through temptations, I want the Adversary (Evil One) to stay away from me. I am easily misled and need a lot of help in this area. So I am not embarrassed to remind YHVH that He is the King and He has the power to do the things I ask, if He is willing. I do believe I understand that should anything be truly glorified, it must Him. He created everything and that is awesome. So who else deserves glory but Him?

It’s the willing part that is difficult. What is our Father’s will? What does He want from us? For someone Who has the ability to create an entire universe, what does He want from me? Why didn’t He make it perfect in the beginning and then there would be no need for anyone interfering. Trying to grasp just what His Will really is, I stumbled upon (Hold on…I realize what I said. I stumbled! Lets say “He stumbled me upon….) Anyhow, there appeared before me a brief discussion concerning human will and Divine Will. Simplifying, human will is limited as in "finite" where Divine Will is unlimited as in "infinite". So, YHVH created heaven perfect and earth less than perfect. He could have arranged things so there would be nothing for us to do but enjoy the garden. But However Comma (BHC), that would eliminate a need for us to even exist! Man apparently was created “to do” rather than “to be”. YHVH wants us to do things for Him in His Kingdom. It’s like if you don’t work you don’t eat. So what’s to do? Torah is to do. Torah does not present itself as a book to read about interesting things that “are” or “were”, Torah presents itself as a guideline of what to do in various situations. We live Torah. So, His Will must be for us to follow the guidelines in Torah in serving Him and He in turn will do as He says and take care of us.

Look at Ephesians 2:4-10 4 But YHVH is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love 5 that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, He brought us to life along with the Messiah - it is by grace that you have been delivered. 6 That is, Elohim raised us up with the Messiah Yahshua and seated us with Him in heaven, 7 in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is His grace, how great is His kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yahshua. 8 For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but Elohim's gift. 9 You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. 10 For we are of YHVH's making, created in union with the Messiah Yahshua for a life of good actions already prepared by Elohim for us to do.

Nothing we have done has gotten us where we are. In fact, reading between the lines it seems that we don’t deserve Him. BHC in order to show future generations how infinitely rich is His grace, He has taken us under His wings and united us with the Messiah Yahshua. What grace and kindness He bestows upon us. And all He wants to do is proclaim the greatness of His name throughout the world. He has made it so easy for us. He has gifted us with a life of good actions that He alone prepared. We do not have to wring our hands and cradle our heads trying to think of what does my Father want from me. It is written. Follow Torah…. Do acts of kindness to everyone…that will please Him. Written another way; love your neighbor as yourself. This is how the finite (us) and the infinite (YHVH) come together. 

 

Now when I pray to YHVH I don’t casually tell Him how good He is and then ask for a favor or two. I praise Him for Who He is and thank Him for all He does; not just for me, for everyone! 

 

I know just a little bit more of what His Will is for us while on this earth. With that knowledge, I know a little more of how His Will is being followed in the Heavens. One day, Yah willing, I pray, I’ll take my place at His side with Yahshua, and in that day, I will rest in His Glory. Scripture tells me that I am a citizen of Heaven.

(Philippians 3:20 20 But we are citizens of heaven, and it is from there that we expect a Deliverer, the Lord Yahshua the Messiah.)

 

It is time for me to act like it! I must stop waiting to “get ready”. I must “be ready” for Him. My bags are packed. Time to move on. Until then, I pray to always show acts of kindness and not as a negotiation. The acts of kindness are what YHVH wants so His name can be proclaimed throughout all the earth. This I must always remember; it is not for me, it is for Him. Random and purposeful acts of kindness are part of YHVH’s Will. Let’s imitate Him. Amein!

Much love and appreciation, Shalom shalom!

Pinchas, 

a/k/a Frankly Speaking all the time.

Sometimes it is difficult to be nice to nice people

Before I start, let me say Todah Rabah, Thank you, Shalom and Blessings to each and everyone  who has been with me on this journey to regain my ability to walk without pain and discomfort.  The end is very near.  Last Friday my great toe of the left foot was amputated. This procedure also took away the crushed, decayed and poisoned bone that remained after so much diligence of many dedicated medical professionals to rid my leg of poison. Through your prayers and positive uplifting thoughts, our Father guided the hands that held the instruments.  My delight always perked when after a procedure I could hear a word of thanks from the doctor present to the Father’s presence.  With the final removal of the distressed bone, more than fifty percent of the pain I was experiencing, but refused to acknowledge, was removed as well.  Again, I thank every one of you from around the world that joined in the cause.  Our Father hears our prayers when we go to Him with clean hands and a sincere heart.

So what is my upset?  Why is it difficult to be nice to nice people?  Heavenly Father please guard my lips and let them be only an instrument of praise to You as I express the burning that has erupted within me.  During discussion with others about the events of the previous seven months, I have witnessed a few who express doubt as to YHVH’s strength and truth.  I have no problem with people making their choice to follow or not follow Torah.  Of course I pray that all persons will come aboard and realize the freedom and happiness and peace when we take our selves out of the equation and let the Father do what He does better than any one of us.  The first step for me was to study Torah and see the truth, not just hear it.  Shema is more than just listen! Historically, I have been very guarded when someone would ask me to let them pray over me.  First off, I couldn’t stop them if they tried.  But, when I am asked for permission, then I want to make sure that the lips delivering the message are acceptable to the One to whom they are being expressed.  Sometimes we just have to mentally judge within our own camp if the hands are clean.  Yes, this is a tough subject.  But did He not say come to me with clean hands?  Did He not say there are some whose prayers He does not hear?  Who gives me more strength; my Father in Heaven or “friends” who say they care and then their behavior shows that of hypocrite?  When I am asked to my face my thoughts always answer quietly, “You don’t need my permission to speak to YHVH.”  But what I verbally say is, that is between you and your Creator.

I have no desire to alienate anyone, especially when they may be on that road that I was on many years ago; debating the path of growth against the feel good of the known. I wanted an opportunity to feel genuine in a genuine relationship.  I was glad to learn I was in the wrong crowd. Now, evidently the unbelievers in my circle are few and those striving for righteousness are the multitude.  The healing I have received and the love I have felt far outweigh any negative connotations I may have perceived.  No matter how few may be seen on the road.

I will continue to thank YHVH for the experience, knowledge and healing I have gained and continue to pray for those who are still searching for the Truth of the Word. My God is an awesome God – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  

With love and blessings, Shalom, shalom

Pinchas, 

a/k/a Frankly speaking all the time