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.

Spiritual Warfare 301

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CombatDemonsAbout a month ago, I had the rare privilege of hearing a first-hand testimony describing the practical results of spiritual warfare in a public institution. The institution was a public high school, probably one of the last places a Spirit-filled believer would go to search for evidence of Holy Spirit power. I heard the school principal’s awesome testimony of the transformation of her school from the most warlike school in the county to the most peaceful. The school essentially came out of the kingdom of darkness and entered into the kingdom of light.

When this principal took over the school three years ago, the halls and grounds were characterized as places of open physical warfare, with acts of hostility, verbal abuse, and physical violence perpetrated by members of opposing gangs. A general spirit of fear prevailed on the campus, especially among the students and their parents. The very negative atmosphere within the school also manifested itself through depressed test scores and the inability to qualify students for AP (advanced placement) classes, which are prime indicators of a school’s academic success.

In each of these areas, the school has taken a 180° turn for the better over the last three years. The school is now one of the safest in the county in terms of controlling / avoiding conflict situations, and has the highest percentage of students who qualify for and enroll in AP classes. The students can now strive for academic excellence in a positive atmosphere where they and their parents can feel safe and secure.

So, how did this dramatic transformation happen? When this school’s principal first took over leadership, her first task was to claim the school (building and grounds) for God (YHVH), and to take back authority from the enemy. She and several spirit-filled volunteers walked every inch of the campus, denouncing Satan and his demons who had gained a stronghold there, claiming back the school for God (as in Matt 10:7-8).

On our tour, the principal gave us numerous examples of victory over the enemy, and how that had changed the atmosphere in the school. In one instance, someone had reported demonic graffiti on the back of the school, so she decided to make a show of force against the enemy (as in Col 2:15) by marking over it with black spray paint and then writing scripture verses next to it that showed the power of God that overcame the demons. As she was doing this she sensed someone else’s presence, so she turned around and looked into the eyes of about ten gang members standing right behind her ladder. She prayed for YHVH’s protection and the power of the Holy Spirit to speak through her words, and with the Lord’s help, she was able to diffuse a potentially dangerous confrontation.

In other situations where there were threats and explosive confrontations between students, the principal was able to get spiritually trained school counselors involved in mediation sessions to bring reconciliation between antagonistic students, even getting the local courts involved in some cases to bring peace between defiant students and people in the community.

Hearing these testimonies of reclaiming a public school for YHVH, how can we apply scriptural principles (Luke 10:19, Mark 16:17) to claim victory in our everyday lives? Knowing this truth, what can we do to take authority over the enemy in our home and workplace and claim victory in the name of Yeshua and the power of the Holy Spirit?

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).

Their Voice has Gone out to All the Earth

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Their voice has gone out (Rom 10 18)In my first posting on the “Gospel in the Stars”, I explained that God (YHVH) created everything in His kingdom for His own purposes (Prov 16:4), including the stars of the sky. The most tangible use of the stars in the natural world is for keeping track of God’s “appointed times” (Moedim). As I had mentioned before, the sun moves through all 12 of the Zodiac (Mazzerot in Hebrew) signs throughout the course of the year – one sign each month. So, if you were stranded on a tropical desert island for a year, where you had no noticeable change of meteorological seasons, you would still be able to keep track of the seasons of the year. Remember from my previous blog that when God speaks of His seasons in the scriptures, he does not mean the well-known seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, but rather He is referring to His appointed times (the seven annual Feasts of YHVH) outlined in Lev 23 and many other scriptures.

The real focus of this blog series, though, is to illustrate a more significant purpose that God had for creating and arranging the stars in the sky. Paul’s (Sha’ul’s) letter to the Romans quotes Ps 19:4 when it says “But I ask you, have they [the heathens] not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world’.” (Rom 10:18) The word their in his quotation refers to the stars from Ps 19. He quoted this verse as an irrefutable testimony that even the heathen of the nations outside Israel had seen and heard the witness of the stars, because their voice had gone out to all the earth!

So, let’s talk about some specific examples. Recall from my last posting that Yeshua (Jesus) represents the “strong man” in Ps 19:5 (“which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race”). The association of the strong man with the bridegroom confirms that this verse is talking about the Messiah. I had introduced the strong man examples of El Gibbor (paganized to Hercules in later centuries) and Shur (Taurus in pagan astrological terminology) in my Sept 12 blog “Witness in the Stars”. I want to focus now on the Zodiac sign of Taurus or Shur (“the coming and ruling one” as translated from Hebrew), and specifically on the constellation of Orion.

Since Shur represents the coming and ruling one, there is an indisputable association to the Messiah (Yeshua), the judge and ruler of the whole earth. The three constellations in Shur (by their astrological names) are Orion, Eradinus, and Auriga. Orion (or Chesil in Hebrew) means the strong one or hero. Together with the ancient names of stars in Eradinus, this constellation literally means “the river of the Judge’s wrath breaking forth on His enemies”. This ties in with the verses in Dan 7:9-11 which talk about the final judgment at the throne of the “Ancient of Days” – verse 10 says “A river of fire was flowing, and coming out from before Him…the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.” Auriga means shepherd (as in Isa 40:10-11), which represents Messiah Yeshua, the Good Shepherd who leads His redeemed to safety in the final “Day of Wrath”.

Now, focusing on Orion (Chesil), there are two separate but related meanings that come from these two names for the constellation. As I said above, Chesil means the Strong One; but Orion also comes from a Hebrew root meaning “coming forth as light”. So combining these concepts, we have an obvious and powerful reference to the Messiah as the Strong One and the Branch (from the star Betelgeuse, or Tzemach in Hebrew); the coming Prince (from another star in Orion); and the One who comes forth like light, swiftly crushing the enemy under His foot (from the star Rigel). These awesome testimonies of God’s “Gospel in the Stars” only increase our trust in YHVH as the One and only Creator, Redeemer and Master of the universe, who tells the end of the story from the beginning.

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?

Witness in the Stars?

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Constellations2

Have you ever wondered why God says in Scripture that He counts the stars and calls them all by name (Ps 147:4)? What does He mean by that? Why would He want to name them, and are the names significant to us? When Abba Father took Abraham out and showed him the stars, He said “look towards heaven, and TELL the stars, if you will be able to list them; and He said unto him, ‘So shall your seed be’” (Gen 15:5). The word that is translated TELL is actually the same word used for taking a census, and means to not only count the stars but to call each of them by their names! Could it be that God told His people the names of the stars and was actually telling a story to them through those names? Read Ps 19:1-4 and see how this passage tells about the witness given by the stars, which Paul quoted as an irrefutable testimony in Rom 10:18 (also see Ps 89:37: “…Even like the faithful witness in the sky.”).

God created everything for a purpose. He created the heavenly bodies to give light, to separate the day from the night and to be for signs and seasons, and for days and years (Gen 1:14). We know that the sun and moon separate the day from the night, and the sun’s daily cycle allows us to keep a count of the passing days. The moon was God’s original light to help us keep track of the months of the year. However, it is much more difficult to keep track of the seasons and years strictly based on observing the daily movements of the sun and the monthly cycles of the moon. Ancient astronomers knew how to use the movements of the sun and moon through the various constellations of the zodiac (called mazzerot in scripture) to keep track of the seasons and years.

The sun travels through all twelve of the constellations throughout the course of the year. At any one point in time, this would make it possible for our ancestors (without the benefit of modern scientific calendars) to track the progress of the year and to know the current “season”. The passage in Ps 19:5-6 describes the movement of the sun through the constellations of the mazzerot during the course of the year. However, when you meditate on this passage at a deeper spiritual level, you can see the allusion to Messiah (Ps 19:4 “In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run His race.”). “Them” refers to the stars in this passage. Remember that Yeshua (Jesus) is the “Sun of righteousness” from Mal 4:2. Also, from the original Hebrew names of the stars, we know that Messiah is represented by the “strongman” in a number of the constellations (e.g. Orion, Hercules, Leo, etc.). One clear example of this strongman type pointing to Yeshua comes from the original Hebrew name of Hercules – El Gibbor, which means “The Mighty One”, a designation for both Abba and Messiah (Father and Son) in Isa 9:6.

Going back to the original Hebrew meaning behind Gen 1:14, we see that the “seasons” Elohim (God) wanted His people to keep track of were actually not the four seasons of the year we recognize, but rather His moedim (Hebrew for “God’s appointed times”) which correspond to His Feast days that occur at specific times of the year. These moedim (feasts) are associated with significant acts of Yeshua in both His first and second coming. Job 38:32 confirms the importance of the stars in keeping track of God’s seasons: “Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?” (Hebrew meaning of the “Bear and her cubs” refers to Yeshua’s sheepfold as His flock).

One of the strongest confirmations that Elohim has given us the Gospel message in the stars can be seen within the constellation Taurus. The Hebrew name for Taurus (bull) is shur, which means “the One who comes to rule”. This “Bull” is definitely a picture of Messiah, who is coming to rule on the earth. The Pleiades, a cluster of stars, is close to the head of the Bull, and is seen “Riding on the neck of Taurus”. Pleiades is sometimes called the 7 Sisters, but its Hebrew name is kimah, which means “congregation of the judge or ruler”. This agrees with Jude 14-15, which says: “Behold the LORD comes with 10,000’s of His saints (righteous ones) to execute judgment on all and to convict all who are ungodly.” Thus, through these and the other constellations, we have a very strong testimony that Elohim put them there to teach all of His children His Gospel story (see Rom 10:18, Ps 19:4).

RiversofLightHave you ever felt lonely or unappreciated? Have you ever been taken for granted or overlooked? Did you ever get the feeling that someone was being kind only for what they could get from you?

You are not alone. Not only are there countless others in the world who have had similar experiences, but there is One who is far greater than any of us who has experienced all of the above and more.  One who loves far more than any of us can imagine.

Do you know that YHVH loves you whether or not you realize that He exists? He loves you even if you don’t love Him. He loves you even if you take advantage of His kindness, or if you take His blessings and protection for granted. His love endures even if you complain loudly that He’s not answering your latest request.

YHVH created a beautiful world for you to live in.  Every good thing that you have ever had in your life came from Him.  God loves you for who you are.  He made you and is delighted with you.

So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures (James 1:16-18 MSG).

Just as we want to be appreciated and loved for ourselves, YHVH desires to be appreciated and loved for who He is.  Thank Him every day for His many blessings and gifts. Tell Him that you love Him for who He is as well as for what He gives.

YHVH doesn’t need anything from us. He is totally self-sufficient. He does want something from us, though. He desires our love and our trust. He wants to have a relationship with us even though it will be a largely lopsided arrangement. He does most of the giving and we do most of the taking.  YHVH never overlooks us and never takes any of us for granted.

Many people have been churchgoers for all or most of their lives, yet some have never experienced a one-on-one relationship with YHVH.  If you feel that you have never encountered the one true God, call out to Him today. Even if it is just a whisper or a heart-cry, He will hear it.  He is waiting every day and night to hear from you.  You will never have to feel lonely or left out again.  YHVH offers us genuine love that endures forever.

Out of the Abundance of our Hearts

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LawOn-Heart

“A good person out of the good treasure of their heart brings forth good, but an evil person out of the evil treasure of their heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart their mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

Have you ever wondered why God says in Scripture that His children are to write His Word on their hearts, as in Prov 3:3 and 7:3, where it says that we are to write His Word on the tablet of our hearts. What does a “tablet” make you think of? Certainly, it is a place to record something important, so that you can remember it later – this is true whether it is a paper tablet or a modern-day hand-held tablet computer, iPad or other eReader device.

So, we can think of our hearts as a place to keep God’s word safe and secure, as David said in Ps 119:11, that he would hide God’s Word in his heart that he might not sin. Another example of how important it is to keep the Word in our hearts is in Deut 30:14 – “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” This is why Ezekiel prophesied that God would take the “hearts of stone out of our flesh and give us hearts of flesh”. In other words, God softens and even circumcises (Jer 4:4) our hearts so He can prepare them to receive His Word.

Paul said in 2 Cor 3:3 that the believers in Corinth were like letters “written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” Once again, we see how God has prepared the hearts of His people, in this case so that they can go forth to the world and be living testimonies (letters) sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom with all people.

What then is so special about our hearts, that we need to always keep them pure and filled with God’s Word (as in Prov 4:21 where it says we are to keep His Word “in the midst of our hearts”)?   Did God design our hearts in a special way so that they can store and remember His Word, allowing us to keep it in the forefront of our minds whenever a situation arises in our lives that requires us to have His word on our lips and ready to speak.

Fortunately, living in this age of scientific research and technology, we now have confirmation from neuro-imaging that we actually have brain cells (neurons) located around our heart, which function in conjunction with the neurons in the head, and perform unique tasks within our body’s thought processes. From neurological research, we now know that “the heart-brain is composed of about 40,000 neurons that can sense, feel, learn and remember” (Science of the Heart: Exploring the Role of the Human Heart in Human Performance: http://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/introduction.html).

Brain researchers have also learned that the neurons in the heart-brain have both short- and long-term memory, and the signals they send to the head-brain can affect our perception and emotions. A number of scientists who have studied the heart-brain’s behavior and interaction with the head-brain have concluded that our heart-brain actually acts as our conscience, helping our head-brain make the right decisions and take the right actions. So we can truly say that hiding God’s word in our hearts (Ps 119:11) does actually keep us from sinning and keeping His word in the midst of our hearts brings us life and good health (Prov 4:22)!

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. Deut 6:5-6

Shalom!

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We give thanks and praise to the Holy Spirit for guiding and inspiring us to share what we have learned through the writing of our book: Missing Pieces.

In many instances, the Spirit worked through people and situations to both correct and enhance the contents and we hope He does likewise with our conversations and essays here on this blog site.  We appreciate the gentle nudges when we needed and extra push to complete the task.

We hope this blog inspires you with the thoughts we share and the conversations we will have as we continue our daily walk with our Lord and Savior, Yeshua The King of Kings!