What is this holy fire of passion?  Where does it come from?  How can we keep it burning?

       

Anger                   Anticipation               luxurious                 desperation                lips       

Sighing                 marriage                    kisses                      bosom                         fire

Desire                   secret                         trust                          Devour                        Consume    

Spurned                hatred                        whisper                   Pleasure                     burning

Flattery                  deception                  attention                  crushed                      jealousy

Heart                     beauty                        Delight                      tears                          Joy  

distress                 bed                              heart throb               anguish                    Abandonment 

    

 All these terms or ideas are from the Psalms. They all pertain to intimate relationships and convey physical and emotional aspects of what we call love.

We were created for fellowship, that is: companionship; intimacy; familiarity. There is something about the words of David and later, John, that reflect a level of intimacy with YHVH that we don’t see anywhere else in Scripture.  A personal understanding of the very heart and emotions of the Living God.  

Were they the only ones to experience this?  Is it only for a select few?  Does YHVH want this for me?

1 Samuel 13:14  tells us that David was  a man after YHVH’s own heart, in Hebrew - lev - the seat of awareness and understanding, tenderness. He desires us to enter into and identify with Him on this level.

What made David different? Examine the following insights into David's heart and desire.

Psalm 63 >  O, God, You are my God;  I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.  When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.  My soul clings to You.  

Psalm 16 >  I have set YHVH continually before me, therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices.  In Your presence is fullness of joy and in Your right hand are pleasures forever.

Psalm 36> I drink my fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give me to drink of the river of Your delights.

Psalm 27>  One thing I have desired – to behold the beauty of YHVH.  In the secret place of His tent, He will hide me

Psalm 42. As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You O YHVH , My soul thirsts for You

David’s emotions are laid bare in these passages. He is not embarrassed because  He is acquainted with YHVH’s emotions and His love and compassion.   YHVH was able to share with David His very heart – to trust him with his heart.  I want that in my life.

 David exercises opportunities to be serious, to vent, share his excitement, and has personal discussions and conversations with his God. This secret place of intimacy provides supernatural release of his own passions and desires as well as YHVH’s power in his life. It is a revelation of a God who takes pleasure in and delights in His people, even in weakness and immaturity.

David was a student of YHVH’s emotions. He sought to know what was burning in YVHV’s heart. He wanted to know his God.

Ez. 11:39 tells us we all receive new, soft heart when we say “yes” to Yeshua. 

A hard soul/heart is full of anger, rejection, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, results of events/circumstances/perceptions. It creates a barrier preventing the new soft heart from being displayed or revealed. The barrier must be torn down to actualize total intimacy  and transparency – soul healing brings a level of maturity and agreement between soul and Spirit. It is sanctification which opens us up to connect with our Creator naked and unashamed

One thing associated with David was his obedience – obedience without corresponding revelation of YHVH’s heart brings frustration and shame when we fall.  David had personal knowledge of this – he failed on a number of occasions, but never lost his connection with his God.  He never doubted YHVH’s passion and delight in him – regardless of his failures and weaknesses.  

Often we assume YHVH is angry with failure and weakness because we don’t or can’t see the truth about how He feels about us.  Scripture tells us it is not failure and weakness but rebellion that stirs YHVH’s anger.  It is his kindness that leads us to repentance.  When there is a “yes” to Him in our spirits it makes Him glad.  If we do not get this, then we will run from Him when we fail or stumble instead of to Him as David did.

 Why can’t I seem to keep the fire going?  New believers have zeal and passion which flares up and eventually fizzles out. Most of us enter into another phase of our relationship with YHVH which includes sanctification, healing, learning obedience and this is a fire of a different kind and lasts longer than the first, but still ultimately loses its intensity. 

Fascination with Yeshua/the Word/Spirit is the only fire that can replenish and sustain us for the long haul.  We were created to be fascinated with Him – to drink from His rivers of pleasure.  Only when we know what YHVH’s heart looks like can we know what we look like to Him.  Only then are we able to stop being self-consious, and focus wholly and completely on Him.

Yhvh is anxiously waiting and beckoning to all who would enter this place of reckless abandonment and fearless devotion to Him.  David is a picture of what Yeshua wants in His bride.  Lovesick, giddy, passionate and totally enthralled.  This is true worship. 

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. 

Recently, I have been "stuck" in Isaiah 24. Then I was led through to chapter 28. This morning, during a lengthy discussion with a friend, several things were brought into focus. To bring you up to speed, let me give a little background. 

We have just exited the fall Feast days. This time of noise, reflection, and flat out rejoicing! I have been engaged in an in depth study of seed/seeds, fruit, harvest, etc. Low and behold, the under shepherd in my congregation is bringing the same messages.
 
Each day of the Feast of Sukkot, a processional was led from the Temple Mount to the Pool of Siloam, where a priest filled a pitcher with water and then made his way back to the Temple accompanied by hundreds of priests waving willow branches and shouting Hosheannu! At the alter, the water was poured from the pitcher into a basin that drained to the base of the alter. This was done as a thank offering for the coming rains without which there would be no harvest the following year. It was at this very time on the last great day of the Feast that Yeshua proclaimed Himself to be the Living Water.

We were challenged this last Shabbat to be deliberate about what is next. This is the season of the early rains. The early rains soften the ground for the plow to be able to break it up in order to be planted. This is not a time to sit back and rest. This is the time to break up the fallow ground to prepare it to receive the seed that will produce fruit for harvest at the next festival. One thing does not start and end. The end is always the beginning. 

One of the revelations that came out of the Isaiah passage that my friend and I discussed had to do with what we were "continually plowing". See Isaiah 28:24. The previous verses are clear about the problem of disobedience and not paying attention, of doing things our way instead of YHVH's. I give you the following examples.

I am involved in a Bible study that meets on friday mornings. I am the only one who follows the Scriptural Holy days. The last time we met, I shared - again - how amazing this time is and how impossible it is to keep these appointed times without recognizing YHVH's hand in setting them up and how Sukkot goes on for eight, yes, count them, eight glorious days. Their response was to talk about how christmas needed to be extended to twelve days. You need to understand that these women know the origins of christmas and feel that what they do is not like it used to be and is somehow honoring to YHVH. I care for my aunt and take her to church on sundays. Last week, the children's minister did a segment with the children that made it clear the way of the Old Covenant only allowed one man to come into the presence of YHVH one time a year, while Jesus opens the way for anybody. My heart was sickened at the level of misapplication and lack of understanding regarding the sacrificial system and YHVH's word in general. Then the pastor prayed and said that as we came to be in the presence of YHVH, she hoped that He would bless us with His presence. Hellooooo!!! YHVH established appointed times to meet with us. He shows up whether we do or not, but He shows up when He said He would, not when we hope he will because we like sunday better than Shabbat.

So, what is the "continual plowing." I believe in context, it is that "we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception." Isaiah 28:15 "The church" continues to plow the same ground over and over and if there is anyone out there that sees or believes that there is fruit being produced, I would like to know. You must realize that one of the laws of the harvest is that you reap what you sow and another is that you reap more than you sow. It has just been published that for the first time in US history, protestants in this country are not in the majority. This continual plowing of falsehood and deception is producing a harvest of falsehood and deception and the harvest is always more than what was sown. The Word is the seed. The Seed is Yeshua.  Yeshua is life. He is the living TORAH! In the beginning was the WORD/TORAH and the WORD was made flesh and tabernacled/tented/Sukkah'd with us. You cannot separate the seed/Yeshua from the Word and get results because they are the same! 

I am not singling out "Christians" here. The same problem exists with religious Jews. Rather than taking away from the Torah, which is what Christians have done by deleting 2/3 of the Scriptures from their life and practice, the Jews have added to it with their commentaries, traditions, and explanations based on oral tradition. We are both in deep doo doo. We have been commanded not to add to or subtract from the Word of YHVH. 

One of the amazing graces of the cycles of the appointed times is that you are continually given another chance to get it right. Is our God not awesome?!?!? Each day at sunset, a new day begins, a new start. Each week, each month at the new moon, each Pesach, Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippurim, and Sukkot, all times of renewal and beginning. 

Our western Greek mindset insists on having endings. In YHVH's economy, nothing ever ends, everything continues and we have the choice as to what we move on to. Will it be eternal life with Him... or without Him? Are you continually plowing or are you plowing and planting and harvesting so that you can have more seed to plant next season?