Category Archives: Nancy’s blogs

The Fragmented Bride

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Bride of MessiahIn our own spiritual journey, the Holy Spirit has led Peter and me to various congregations and ministries. Each new experience taught us something about living and functioning as members of the kingdom of YHVH. Although we fellowship with various groups and congregations, we continue our search for the one congregation where we are encouraged to put all the newly-acquired pieces together.

 A brief summary of our journey may help to paint this picture more clearly. At one congregation, we learned to love each other unconditionally. However, the Spirit moved us on to another congregation to learn our Hebrew roots so that we might gain a more accurate knowledge of the history of our faith and acquire a better lens through which to understand both Old and New Testaments. Once again the Spirit moved us on to various ministries and congregations in order to understand better how we should be functioning in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A separate ministry supplied us with a more mature understanding of our spiritual enemies and how to be delivered from bondage to the enemy. Interaction with various other ministries confirmed the message I had received from Father that we were to call Him by His name. While we are grateful for these congregations and ministries, we wonder why each group seems to have part of the truth, but not all of the truth.  After meditating on Acts chapters 2 through 8, I began to realize just how fragmented the Bride of Messiah has become over the centuries.

 The first eight chapters of the Book of Acts paints a very different picture of the living functioning Bride of Messiah. Yeshua’s followers lived together in close proximity to one another sharing all their belongings. As a unit they prayed, praised and worshipped, studied, healed, preached, taught, learned, and shared all their possessions (Acts 2:42-47). Today, we and many others must search from place to place to acquire what we need to be mature contributers to Yeshua’s Bride.

 When did the fragmenting start? Right away, since the majority of Jewish leaders and many of their followers rejected Yeshua as their Messiah. Yeshua’s followers went to the Temple as YHVH commanded in the Torah, but they had to go outside the Temple parameters in order to learn about Yeshua. Although not perfect, the first generation of Yeshua’s followers provided a more complete picture of what the Bride should be. As time went on the Bride became further fragmented as the good news spread and Yeshua’s followers were scattered over several nations. Distance, persecution, poverty and other trials helped to foster misunderstanding, suspicion, and outright abuse or neglect of each other, especially dividing Jews from non-Jews. Constantine’s efforts to unite his massive empire mingled in pagan practices and beliefs, and at the same time sought to eliminate all ties to Jewish or Hebrew roots. Over time empty manmade rites and rituals increasingly replaced true relationship with YHVH.

 At this time, YHVH seems to be restoring the Bride, perfecting her in anticipation of Yeshua’s return. Several congregations that we have met with locally are seeking to restore the missing pieces in their groups. Three Messianic congregations in India have demonstrated for us the most complete example thus far of how the Bride should function. These congregations function according to their Hebrew roots, actively preach and teach the good news of the Kingdom of YHVH, operate daily in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and call the Father by name. They do so in the midst of daily trials and persecution. What about each of us? How are we participating in YHVH”s work to restore the fragmented Bride?

What Is Wrong with Church?

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Bride of Messiah

Scripture has much to say about fellowship among followers of Yeshua. Many people have construed passages such as Heb 10:24-25 and 1 Pet 2:5 to urge us to join a congregation. For centuries people have sought fellowship in church, seeking community, accountability, support and encouragement. However, currently there are multitudes of believers fleeing the established church setting. Why?

 Scripture exhorts us to meet together, to support and encourage one another, to call one another to account and to be accountable to others, to bear one another’s burdens, and so on. While it is true that we need to do these things, it is not necessarily true that a church setting is the best environment to foster such activities. In fact, traditional church practices often hinder or discourage people from following Scripture’s mandates. Here are some examples of how we can lose focus in a church setting:

 Focus shifts to a human agenda rather than the Holy Spirit’s agenda. We can get caught up in our programs and projects and lose sight of our true mission (John 3:6-8; Acts 8:39; 1 John 5:6; John 14:26). We fail to seek guidance daily from the Holy Spirit and draw away from our Father’s plan.

  • Focus centers on the needs of the church entity while neglecting individual needs. Many times people come to service week after week heavily burdened with trials or sin and leave carrying the same burdens. Even if the congregation has an established order of service, does it also provide opportunities through small groups, prayer ministers, or some other means to assist individuals? Is there effective prayer for healing? Are demons expelled? (Matthew 10:7-14)
  • Focus settles on certain truths to the exclusion of the rest of the truth. Is the emphasis on adhering to established doctrines or on learning more about YHVH and His will for us? (John 16:13)
  • Focus turns inward with little or no outreach from the congregation. Do we reach out to those around us who do not yet know the joy of salvation in Yeshua?   Do we help others in need or do we judge them? Do we have an exclusive “club” where we feel comfortable and outsiders remain outsiders? (Matt 25: 35-40; Mark 16:25; Rom. 10:14; Acts 1:8)
  • There is strong temptation to settle into a comfort zone and stagnate. Spiritual growth becomes a threat. Change becomes an unwelcome challenge. (Eph 3:17-19; 2 Pet 3:18)
  • The agenda of an established hierarchy replaces the agenda of the Holy Spirit. (Matt 15:3; Mark 7:3-9)

Recently, we have attended services where the congregations are working hard to address these shortcomings. Even within a worship service, there is room for the Holy Spirit to take over the meeting. Active outreach to the community is passionately pursued by the congregation. There are opportunities for people to seek individual prayer and support so that they do not carry burdens alone.

 We need to broaden our definition of fellowship. There are numerous opportunities to have “church” daily. Tim Mather explains in his book, Escaping Church, that any time we share the good news with another, encourage or advise or pray for another, or have discussions about our faith with others, we are “doing church.”

There are other ways for congregations to restore what is missing that I will discuss in my next article. It is time to repair Messiah’s broken body. It is time for the bride to prepare herself to meet her Husband. It is time for us to have true fellowship with one another.

Hidden Strength

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I have said these things (John 16 33)

Yeshua warned that we would face persecution and tribulation because of our relationship with Him. As I ponder having to suffer or die for my faith, I feel weak and afraid. Will I be able to endure to the end?

I think about Simon Peter and his struggles (Mark 14:66-72). His love for Yeshua was genuine and strong. Yet, at his first test of loyalty, Peter succumbed to fear and denied Yeshua as strongly as he had earlier declared his willingness to die for his faith.

When all was said and done and Peter was not arrested, he agonized over his disloyalty and his weakness. Perhaps it tormented him day and night. Yet, Peter learned a valuable lesson, one that we must all learn. He could not be brave on his own.

When the resurrected Yeshua visited His apostles, how hard it must have been for Peter to face Him, to look Him in the eye. Yeshua addressed this matter with love. He did not tell Peter that his cowardly act was alright. Instead, Yeshua gave Peter an opportunity to declare his love and commitment the same number of times that he had formerly denied even knowing Yeshua.

Yeshua understands our weakness. That is why He promised to send the Holy Spirit to us (Luke 24:49). What a difference it made to Peter after the Holy Spirit came upon him at Shavuot (Pentecost). Peter was no longer cowering, but now boldly proclaimed his faith to the multitudes. It is the same for us. We must welcome any and all assistance of the Holy Spirit in order to do what is required of us.

We can be sure that when we face trials and persecution, the Holy Spirit is with us (1 Pet 4:14). The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth (John 16:12) and strengthens us (Rom. 5:3-5). All that we need to perform any task YHVH assigns to us will be supplied by the Holy Spirit.

We will never have to face persecution alone. It will not be our strength that will overcomes, just as it is not our righteousness that reconciles us to our Father. YHVH is so good that He supplies all that we need and if we just use what He offers, we have the dignity and gratification of having accomplished great things. It is much like a child who proudly performs a task while the parent gently guides the child’s little hands. If we welcome the help of the Holy Spirit, our Father will guide us even in times of trial.

Spiritual Maturity: Dying for the Kingdom

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But the one who endures

What does it mean to follow the King? For Yeshua’s first followers, it meant leaving family, jobs, security and comfort in order to build up the Kingdom of YHVH. Yeshua Himself gave up everything for the sake of the kingdom. What does building up the kingdom require of us?

 Recently I wrestled with the challenge posed to all of us in Mark 10:17-27. The rich young ruler wants to know what is required for eternal life. Yeshua responds that he is to keep the commandments. The young man presses on to see if there is anything else required. Yeshua tells him that he lacks one thing: to sell all that he has, give to the poor, and follow Yeshua.

 All my life, I have been content with trying to keep the commandments, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing miserably. I have ignored the rest of the story of the rich young man. I didn’t even consider that I could be called to relinquish all my material goods, let alone ties to family and friends.

 In the documentary, The Father of Lights, there is a story of a young couple who had much wealth. When the Holy Spirit challenged them, the husband gave up his lucrative career, they relinquished their material wealth and took their young children to China. At first, they lived in squalor and the young mother struggled mightily with her decision. What was she doing to her children? Was she a responsible parent? Today, the couple runs an orphanage for handicapped children in a beautiful facility they call home. They are building up the kingdom, one abandoned child at a time.

 Daily Peter and I dedicate our house and all our belongings to YHVH to be used for His glory. Do we realize what we are saying? If YHVH tells us to give up everything, will we obey His command? During a recent prayer session with YHVH, the Holy Spirit challenged me as I was once again dedicating everything to YHVH. Would I be willing to relinquish my possessions for the sake of the kingdom? The words have long been on my lips, but were they in my heart?

 I struggled for over two hours during that session. For well over a decade, I had lived in poverty. As I learned to trust and obey YHVH more, I moved out of poverty into abundant material blessing. It was a long, tough process. Now that I am nearing retirement age, I relish this comfort and security. I tried to reason that perhaps it wasn’t necessary to be so radical. Wouldn’t it be irresponsible to become potential burdens on society, especially at our age? What sense does it make to give away our security? Deep down I knew that my logic could not stand up to the command, “sell all that you have, give to the poor, and come follow Me” challenged me. Yet, I could not bring my heart to accept the truth. Like the rich young man, I walked away from that session saddened because I too was not able to give it all up.

 A few minutes later I received an email from a friend reporting that ISIS had challenged a group of chidlren in Iraq to relinquish Yeshua and convert to Islam. Every child refused to give up Yeshua and every child was beheaded for his or her faith. I was humbled to the dust. These youngsters gave up their lives for their faith without hesitation while I balked over material goods. May I soon acquire their level of maturity. Yeshua’s words challenge each of us.  What is our response?

Spiritual Maturity: Dying for Justice

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Blessed are they

In Isaiah 1:17, YHVH tells us “Learn to do good. Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans and plead for the widow.” If Yeshua were to return today, would He find justice in the world? Let us examine some statistics on each of the three categories mentioned in Isaiah, both worldwide and in the United States.

Oppressed people are often homeless, jobless or underemployed, and usually lack basic necessities. They are among the most vulnerable and abused of people, but are the least able to defend themselves or to make their voices heard. They are the “Lazarus” of Yeshua’s parable found in Luke 16:19-31.

  •  The United Nations Commission on Human Rights reports that as of 2005, over 100 million people were homeless worldwide.
  •  In a 2004 study on homelessness in 50 United States cities, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty reported that each city’s official estimate of homeless people greatly exceeded the number of emergency shelter and transitional housing spaces available. As of 2008, an average of 26 percent of homeless people were considered mentally ill, 13 percent were physically disabled, 19 percent were victims of domestic violence, and 13 percent were veterans (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2008).
  • According to UNICEF, 22 million children worldwide die from poverty each day.
  • Almost 1 in 4 (16 million) children in the United States live in families with income below the federal poverty level (National Center for Children in Poverty, 2014).
  •  According to the Christian Alliance for Orphans, there are 153 million orphans worldwide.
  • Approximately 245 million women around the world have been widowed and more than 115 million of them live in devastating poverty (“Invisible Forgotten Sufferers: The Plight of Widows around the World”, 2010).
  • In the United States over 48% of the elderly poor are widows, even though widowed women are only 26% of the over-65 population (“Invisible Forgotten Sufferers: The Plight of Widows around the World”, 2010).

Multitudes in the world are dying from a lack of justice.  For individuals these figures are overwhelming.  What can one person or a small group of people do to make any significant impact? However, as of 2010 there were over 2 billion Christians worldwide.   (“Global Christianity—A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Christian Population,” Dec. 19 2011).  It is time to die to ourselves, set aside our differences, and unite with our brothers and sisters in Yeshua.  As a united Body of Messiah Yeshua what could we do to address these and many other injustices in the world?  As an individual, what is YHVH calling you to do?

Spiritual Maturity: Dying to Serve

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GrowingUp2

We speak and think of living in YHVH’s kingdom with blissful images of peace, light and joy. It is true that YHVH’s kingdom will be all these things (1 Cor 6:9-10, Rev. 22:5, Rom 14:17). We imagine what the kingdom will be like, but do we imagine what we will be like? How does YHVH’s kingdom run? What are the King’s subjects like? What is their mindset and attitude? What is expected of them?

Life in YHVH’s kingdom is very different from living in a democracy or republic. We seek YHVH’s desires and approval, not our own (Mark 9:35). We live to do His work, not to work for ourselves. We must die to our own desires and seek YHVH’s pleasure. The gospel story of the centurion gives us a clear example of living obediently.

 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When [Yeshua] heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith (Matt 8:9-10).

 We are not self-reliant, but are dependent on our King (Ezek 34:26-29). We do not elect a king or express our opinions of the king’s actions. Our King is the source of all wisdom, love, justice and mercy (Ps 19:9-12). His ways are above our ways and His wisdom far surpasses ours (Is 59:8-9).

We are to keep His commands, His laws (John 15:10, 1 John 2:4). YHVH’s laws are designed to justly and mercifully meet everyone’s needs. That cannot always be said of human governments. Yeshua often warned the Pharisees and Scribes about their man-made laws or interpretations of the Torah. Sometimes the man-made laws were in direct violation of the written Torah. That was not acceptable to YHVH 2,000 years ago and it is still not acceptable to YHVH today.

 We are to become like little children in order to live in YHVH’s kingdom (Matt 18:3). Little children depend totally on their parents and are expected to follow the rules of the household. When we are born, we are focused entirely on ourselves, but as we mature we should become less self-centered and more other centered. Are we spiritual adults as well as physical adults? Are we prepared for life in the kingdom?

Spiritual Maturity: Dying to Grow Up

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GrowingUp

When we are born again we are delivered from the kingdom of darkness and admitted to YHVH’s kingdom through His grace (Col 1:13). We do not gain entry into either the physical world or YHVH’s kingdom through our own efforts. We do not choose to be born physically, but we do choose to be born spiritually (Rom. 10:9-10). Just as we were infants after our physical birth, we are spiritual infants after being born again (1 Cor 3:1-5).

When human babies are born in the flesh, they are aware only of their own needs for food and bodily comfort. Spiritual infants are much the same. As spiritual infants, we can handle only spiritual milk and are mostly concerned with our own needs and wants. At this point, we are taking from our Father in heaven and from our brothers and sisters in Yeshua. We are more concerned with ourselves than with our Father’s will or with others’ needs. This is perhaps a necessary phase for our development, but it should not be a permanent condition.  In order to truly live, we must die to self.

 At some point we must learn to stand on our own and progressively assume more responsibility in the kingdom (Eph 4:14). As we mature, we think less of satisfying our own needs and more of serving others. We take responsibility for our learning by deliberately choosing to spend time in prayer and Scripture.   We learn to rely less on the help and prayers of others for every little thing and spend more time interacting with our Father. As our relationship with Father grows, our trust in Him also grows.

As we mature, we notice the work that needs to be done in the kingdom in order to grow and maintain it. We reach out to those not yet in the kingdom, encouraging them to seek admittance into YHVH’s kingdom (Mark 16:15). Our capacity to love and forgive others increases (Col 3:12-14). With the help of the Holy Spirit, we rid ourselves of all influences from the kingdom of darkness and seek to become more like Yeshua, Who is our perfect example (Eph 4:13).

As our spiritual wisdom increases, we realize that Abba has a master plan for building His kingdom. We no longer take it upon ourselves to volunteer for every project that comes along, but we diligently seek what He has planned for us to do (Ps 143:10). We understand that if we fail to perform our assigned task, but instead choose the tasks assigned for others, then we do more harm than good (1 John 5:3). When we follow His plan for our lives, we have far more abundance of all that we would have sought on our own (2 Cor 9:8).

 We are called to develop and mature into spiritual adults in the kingdom just as we are expected to grow to adulthood and accountability in the physical world. It takes time and effort on our part and the process is painful at times just as it is in our physical lives. We will be amply rewarded for our faithfulness.

Getting to Know YHVH

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WidowsInCloudsWho is YHVH and what is He like? We do not see Him, but we see the work that He does. Although our planet is relatively small compared to the planets in the rest of the solar system, humans have yet to discover everything about it. Each ecosystem, creature, and plant has been carefully designed and crafted to fulfill His purpose. Consider the intricacies of interdependence among the plants and animals in just one ecosystem.

 We know even less about our universe and beyond. YHVH demonstrates through His creation that He is more complex than we can imagine. The Book of Job describes some elements of YHVH’s majesty (Job 26:7-14). YHVH not only created the stars, but He arranged them to tell the story of our salvation. (See “The Gospel Witness in the Stars” posting)

YHVH tracks the smallest particulars of His creation. He knows our thoughts and actions Ps 139:2) and keeps track of the hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7, Matt 10:30). He is concerned with the details of our lives (Matt. 6:25-34).  Nothing escapes His notice.

The Israelites had the opportunity to hear YHVH’s voice and witness some of His glory (Exodus 19) and it frightened them. They were overwhelmed by His power and majesty. And yet our awesome God demonstrates incredible patience and longsuffering in the face of abuse from those whom He created. He patiently worked with the Israelites for over forty years just as He continues to do with us. The most graphic example of His longsuffering is the cruel agony and death Yeshua endured in order to take our punishment and pay our ransom so that we could be reunited with YHVH.

Think of our individual size compared to the earth. We are like miniscule ants on this planet. Yet, our Creator fashioned us in His image and likeness and then took on human form in order to dwell with us. It is wise to have deep reverence and respect for the awesome power and majesty of YHVH. And yet, He desires to call us His children and to take care of us individually. (2 Cor 6:19-20, John 1:12, 1 John 3:1). We are not to forget that He is our Creator and King, but we must balance this with His incredibly deep love and tenderness towards us as our Father. One glimpse of YHVH’s compassion can be found in Jonah, chapter 4.

 YHVH is especially compassionate towards those who are defenseless in our fallen world. Search the Scriptures for YHVH’s attitude towards widows, orphans, the newcomers (strangers or sojourners in the land), and others who are particularly vulnerable. You will see that YHVH is consistently adamant about fair treatment and dignity for those considered the least in society.

 YHVH wants a personal relationship with you. He wants to bless you and show you how to live life to the fullest. Do not disregard the best relationship you can ever have for it is the purpose of your life (Deut 30>19-20).

Religion vs. Relationship (Part 2)

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FriendshipwithGod

 As a teenager, I had my share of rock ‘n roll idols. I loved getting the latest fan magazines to see what treasured facts I could learn about my idol. I bought all the newly-released records and listened to them over and over again. I spent countless hours imagining a make-believe relationship with someone I did not even know personally. It seemed insignificant that the idol certainly did not know and probably would not care that I existed. I shudder to think how much time I wasted on a mere illusion. I never really wanted to meet the actual person, who might not like me at all. That would have destroyed the illusion.

Religion is much the same. We form congregations, activities, committees, and study-groups so that we can learn more about God.

We hone our image of God and create doctrines. Then we fashion rules and regulations to support our doctrines. Many people who faithfully attend and participate in church never get to know God personally.

Religion provides a false sense of security. There is little or no risk involved. Just as I could change my make-believe relationship with an idol to suit my ideas or moods, people cling to religion for the same reason. I had no idea what the real person was like, but it did not matter. I could make the illusion into whatever I desired at the time. Learning facts about God and performing rituals is a far cry from having a relationship with YHVH.

Are we afraid that YHVH will not like us if we relate directly to Him? It is too late to worry about that. He created us, knows us intimately and already loves us. Is YHVH truly different from what we have learned or imagined? I believe that is often the case. Are we afraid that we will not like the real YHVH as much as our imaginary one?

For many years, I settled for religion. When I discovered that a genuine relationship was possible, I hesitated. What if YHVH didn’t like me? It took some time to get up the courage to give my life to Yeshua, but I finally made a timid effort. What happened? I was flooded with more love and acceptance than I could ever have anticipated, despite all my sins and shortcomings. I discovered that Yeshua and His Father far surpass any illusion I could have dreamed up.

Religion keeps us stagnant. Relationship with YHVH changes and renews us. If you have not done so already, I encourage you to go ahead and take the risk. Tell Yeshua and Abba that you would like to know them personally. It will be the best risk you ever take.  If you are still unsure, meditate on Psalm 139.

Religion vs. Relationship (Part 1)

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Knock-On-Door

According to Merriam-Webster (m-w.com), religion is defined as:

  • the belief in a god or in a group of gods
  • an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods
  • an interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group

Many of us grew up with religion. We learned about God and we thought this was the same as actually knowing Him. Many people still think so. Does religion really provide what we need? Let us examine the definitions listed above.

Is it enough to believe in God? Even Satan knows that YHVH (God) exists.  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder (James 2:19 NIV). Therefore, believing in YHVH does not set anyone apart even from Satan.

Participating in an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to worship a god is much like being in a fan club. Members of the fan club devote their lives running from concert to concert or movie to movie, sharing newly-discovered facts on Facebook or Twitter, and day-dreaming about what it would be like to be with one’s idol. Obsession with an imaginary relationship distorts reality.

Relationship is defined by Merriam-Webster (m-w.com) as:

  • the way in which two or more people, groups, countries, etc., talk to, behave toward, and deal with each other
  • a romantic or sexual friendship between two people
  • the way in which two or more people or things are connected

Relationship requires that individuals interact with each other. It is better to relate directly to YHVH than to merely acquire facts and opinions about Him. YHVH created us to have a close relationship with Him. He has no use for religion which is a poor substitute for a personal relationship. Yeshua paid a heavy price to restore our broken relationship with His Father.  YHVH desires to be close to us and to love us.

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them (John 14:23 NIV).

Our relationship with YHVH is even more intimate than a sexual relationship since YHVH knows our thoughts, motives, and intentions even when we don’t know them ourselves. He knows our deepest needs and desires and responds to them in the most loving way. When we seek YHVH’s face rather than His hand, He will reveal more of Himself to us. We can relate to YHVH on a deeper, more personal level than with any human on earth. Why settle for a dismal substitute when you can have the real thing?