My heart is full. Full of joy at the opportunity to have been privileged to visit the land of Israel. Full of gratitude for being brought face to face with people and places I would not have known otherwise. And full of grief for what is coming. 


What Can Be Shaken Will Be Shaken

Scripture speaks of major shakings. We remember the quaking of Mt. Sanai when the Word was given, how the giving of that Word not only caused the mountain to shake, but brought a spiritual shaking throughout the world. Again the earth shook when the only begotten son of the Living El took on the sins of the world and again caused a spiritual shaking unparalleled even to this day.

The passage in Hebrews 12 talks about an end times shaking. Most of the time we interpret this to mean the days just before the return of Yeshua, however, the author of Hebrews identifies these days as the time between His first coming and His second coming. So, in essence we have been living in the end times for around two thousand years. From what I can gather, this means ongoing shakings; times when everything will become disoriented and turned upside down. YHVH Himself says He does this shaking. Do you suppose that the shakings are intended to get our attention so we return to the right path?

There are many things we could point to which are being shaken today. Probably the one we would all identify with is government, as well as banking, education, medicine, science. And these are serious problems, but I want to discuss the shaking of faith. 

I recently returned from spending 10 glorious days in eretz Israel - the land of Israel! In spite of the issues there, I have experienced a sense of “being home” both times I have been. Spiritual awareness is heightened, an alertness that can only be explained by the special attention of YHVH for this piece of real estate. 

Factions that exist in Israel exist everywhere. Even within Judaism there are factions. How do we know what is right? How do we secure righteousness? How do we maintain it? How do you know that you know that you know? Questions are everywhere. Interpretations are everywhere. Who is God? Who is Messiah? 

YHVH is Spirit. The spiritual is spiritually discerned. The mind can only go so far without the Spirit. Since the first disobedience, the need to know has trumped the need to obey. Scripture is clear that knowledge without discernment is folly.

•   Knowledge is information gained from your senses, observation, instruction, experience. Knowledge alone is amoral, that is without inherent goodness or badness.

•   Wisdom is insight regarding knowledge that allows you to apply or put into practice the knowledge for a purpose, which can be either benevolent or malevolent.

•   Discernment/understanding is spiritual perception to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, to use knowledge and wisdom for the advancement of YHVH’s kingdom.

Consider Solomon, believed to be the wisest man who ever lived, and yet with all his getting of knowledge and wisdom, his soul was vexed. Emptiness and despair are echoed in his words, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Also taken to mean, futile, pointless, meaningless. Why?

See Ecc. chapter 1. In chapter 2, Solomon is consumed with himself - I, I, I, I. In the end, he speaks:  

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecc. 12:13)

When Yeshua haMashiach comes, will He find faith in the earth? Faith without works is dead. Works without faith is meaningless. Knowing about YHVH and knowing Him are two separate things. Knowing stuff and keeping rules, or being able to debate someone into the ground does not necessarily connect you to the Creator of the Universe. What you know about YHVH must become who you are if it is to bring honor to YHVH. Love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your muchness, and your neighbor as yourself. Do I live the Scripture I know? That is the biggest question of all.

Hebrews 12:25-27: See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

My precious mishpochah, 

I called a longtime friend this morning to talk over a 'situation'. She has a history of physical neglect and abuse that is on a par with sex trafficking and slavery. She has made a choice to become a victor instead of a victim. After a hiatus in our relationship, she is back with a vengeance! More healing, more refining, more of what Abba wants for her life. The poems I am sharing were written years ago during the foundational healing of my life. They focus on verbal abuse, something I have recently been subjected to - again - by someone who should know better. This is the 'situation'. 

I received some clarity and insight as I walked this morning and called to discuss it with her. Sometimes, I get the sense that because they are words and not violent physical attacks - either beatings or sexually - that they should not carry the same weight. Sticks and stones and all that. As we spoke and I poured out my heart, I was struck by her ability to empathize with my pain as if it were like hers. I guess it takes one to know one. And I am aware that verbal abuse leaves just as many and just as deep scars as physical abuse. I think I knew it in my head, but she helped bring it home to my heart. I will not let this pass again as if it doesn't matter because they are 'only' words and not fists.

YHVH tells us that the power of life and death is in the tongue. When do we get to justify our verbal cruelty and vicious word attacks? Because this is the 'situation', back when the poems were written and now. 

We also talked about the fact that I am a woman and these words came from a man, supposedly a believer. This is not the first time with this particular person. You can know Torah, but if you are not doing Torah, there is no life in what you say or do.

THROW AWAYS          by Sherri Rogers   (1997)
 
The paper is expensive.  It’s shiny and new.
 It hides inside what it’s supposed to.
It is only used once and then it’s discarded
Ripped and creased, no longer regarded
As useful or pretty or something to keep
Thrown away with the rest of the trash on the heap.
Like the lives of those who once were whole
And now sit defeated and all alone.
Crushed by the ones who used them to gain
Their selfish desires without thought of the pain.

Once beautiful faces with eyes full of life
Now lined with torment and racked with strife.
Left even by those who said they cared
Self appointed judges who wouldn’t dare
To lower themselves to take the hand
Of the abused and down trodden to help them stand
For fear they’ll become like the ones they touch
Or mocked and chided for caring too much.

 From YHVH’s love you cannot escape
In His Kingdom there are no throw aways.
"In as much as you have done it to the least of these
My child, you have done it unto Me."

Is there a Lesson to be learned?

 A recent article did an excellent job of documenting the factions within the Islamic religion. The focus of the article was Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood’s struggle to “be all things to all people” in light of current wrestling between the Saudi brand of Islam and the Sunni leanings of the Brotherhood. The old Mubarak regime was secular in nature and suited the Saudi’s better than the religious Brotherhood. The former alliance between Egypt and Saudi was precariously held together by their desire to limit Shiite power. Religion forms the basis of jihad or holy war. The factions (read: denominations) within a religious group, which by its own law supports the violent overthrow of those in disagreement, brings the very real threat of Islamic civil war. For years we have seen this as one Islamic faction uses violence against another to dominate with their particular brand of conservative or liberal Islam. When brothers fight against brothers it is called civil war. 

In an online discussion through a Christian forum, the subject of denominationalism arose. I stated it was divisive to the body of Messiah. The use of “Messiah” rather than “Christ” prompted questions about my “affiliation.” I stated I have observed the Holy days and Sabbaths outlined in Scripture for a number of years. One person said categorically that I was wrong and one even called me Satan’s handmaiden. This is certainly not in alignment with Scripture and seems to be perceived as an acceptable way to address others in the faith who do not agree with you or are at a different place in the process of maturing.

While this confrontation was not physically violent, it certainly was verbally abusive and unwarranted under the circumstances. The leader of my congregation makes the point that people who must insist on being right or having things their way are actually insecure and immature. They do this in order to establish self righteousness. Even Paul and Peter - the apostles of Messiah Himself - disagreed and had personality conflicts, but unity was maintained in their focus on Messiah Yeshua as YHVH incarnate for the salvation of mankind! Messiah, himself took issue with the factions in Judaism perpetrated by the various leaders who set up their ideas and traditions over and above YHVH’s Word (Torah). Key here is their ideas and/or traditions. Whether that involves “christian” denominationalism or Jewish denominationalism, the Truth has never been anything other than THE Word of YHVH - all of it - His instructions (Torah) for life and they are not burdensome. 

 Sadly, I see this division being perpetrated even in marriages of believers. Relationships are difficult at best and must be cultivated and nurtured if they are to survive. This is the chorus from an old Linda Ronstadt song: Love is a rose and you better not pick it, it only grows when it’s on the vine. Hand full of thorns and you know you’ve missed it, lose your love when you say the word mine.There it is; the gospel in the chorus of a pop tune. Be grafted into YHVH through Messiah Yeshua with all your heart, mind and strength and love your neighbor (spouse, child, friend, stranger) as yourself, as Messiah first loved you - unconditionally. 

I am not saying there cannot be disagreement in the camp. This is what makes us dig and think and grow. But when the disagreement becomes a knock down drag out fight for dominance and “rightness”, the Word of YHVH has been violated. We are now involved in disobedience. The Holy Spirit functions perfectly well without our help. We are not the convicting power that changes lives and trying to force someone into compliance is totally opposite of what YHVH has set up - free choice. This did not work during the Egyptian captivity, the Spanish inquisition or Hitler. When domination is the goal, everyone loses. They will know us by our fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith and self control. Only the vine that is attached to YHVH through HIs Living Torah - Messiah Yeshua, will produce such fruit! The choice is ours.