A Minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.
Four worms were placed into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup. The fourth worm was put into a container of good, clean soil. At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results: The first worm in alcohol...Dead. The second worm in cigarette smoke....Dead. The third worm in chocolate syrup...Dead. The fourth worm in good, clean soil...Alive. So the Minister asked the congregation, "What did you learn from this demonstration?" Maxine was sitting in the back and quickly raised her hand and said, "As long as you drink, smoke, and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!" That pretty much ended the service !! Does our heavenly Father (YAHveh) pick on some people? I think He is picking on me, because I have suffered one loss after another for much of my life. It seems that as soon as I have survived one tragedy, another one comes crashing down on me. I always bounce back, but I am starting to take it personally . . .
Answer: There was once a tow truck driver who lived near a muddy old country road. Every day he would jump into his truck and drive a mile or so to a particularly sludgy bend in the road, and every day his truck would get stuck in the mud. But it was a trusty old truck, and its chunky tires and growling engine would always be able to beat the mud and climb up onto solid ground. Most days, as he drove along, he would encounter other motorists who had unknowingly ventured onto the muddy road and gotten stuck in the bog. Some of them had been trapped there for hours, haplessly revving their engines and watching their wheels spin aimlessly in the muck. The truck driver would appear like a savior and offer them a tow, drag them out and set them back on the road. The truck driver’s son once asked him, “Why do you always drive down this muddy road? You always get stuck in it. Why don’t you take your truck somewhere smoother, where the road is clear and dry?” “That’s the whole point,” said the trucker to his son. “My tow truck has the power to get through that mud. The only reason I pass by there every day is to find others who are stuck and can’t get out themselves. That’s what a tow truck is for.” Some souls are like tow trucks. They somehow have the strength to burst through the thickest and muddiest roads of life. No matter what life throws at these people, they muster the inner fortitude to get through. And so they keep getting thrown into the abyss, over and over again. What these souls probably don’t even realize is that they are helping others. When you face a tough time and beat it, you bring light into that dark place, which can shine a path for others who are stuck in their own darkness. It could even be that the only reason you had to pass through that dark roadway is to help drag other souls out of their darkness. Sometimes we help others directly, by sharing our experiences and teaching a new way to those who can’t see a way out. Or it may happen indirectly. The mere fact that you went through it and survived blazes a pathway, opens a door, and other suffering souls whom you may never meet suddenly find a way out of their quagmire and are set free. So perhaps you are a tow truck soul. Perhaps sometimes you are being towed. We all experience both. But if we would realize that every time we conquer our own darkness we may be helping someone who can’t help themselves, we would be inspired to keep on trucking. Proverbs 1:28-31 “Let them then call on me, but I answer not; Let them seek me, but not find me. “Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of YAHveh, “They did not accept my counsel, They despised all my reproof, “Therefore let them eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own counsels. Proverbs 3:1-7 My son, do not forget my Torah, And let your heart watch over my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they add to you. Let not kindness and truth forsake you – Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, Thus finding favour and good insight In the eyes of Elohim and man. Trust in YAHveh with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; Know Him in all your ways, And He makes all your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear YAHveh and turn away from evil Proverbs 1:33 “But whoever listens to me dwells safely, And is at ease from the dread of evil.” Psalm 100 Raise a shout for YAHveh, All the earth! Serve YAHveh with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that YAHveh, He is Elohim; He has made us, and we are His – His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His Name. For YAHveh is good; His kindness is everlasting, And His truth, to all generations. Oh Elohim of Israel
My redeemer, my teacher, my heavenly physician Thank You for Your presence in my life I surrender to You all I am, all I think, all I feel, and all I have I recognize in this moment that Yours is the power to heal and to make whole You who have the power to work miracles You who rule time and space, please take me in Your arms and hold me YHVH, please lift me up and heal ...me Cast out of my mind all thoughts that are not of You Cast out of me any harsh and critical nature Cast out of me all violence and all anger Cast out of me all unclean spirits from my past For I would be made new I wish to walk so close to You that we might be as one I ask for renewed life, renewed mind, renewed body, renewed spirit Abba Father, in the Name of Jesus Please come into me and release me from everything which separate me from You Amen and Amen Why are the biblical feasts - our Heavenly Father's appointed times - not kept ? There is a huge misconception that these feasts are Jewish feasts. THIS IS NOT TRUE, these feasts are meant for everyone.
The scripture and our Father's instructions to Moshe and to us, His children, is very clear -- we MUST keep these appointed times. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is a day of selflessness where we approach the King of Kings. It is a day of setting aside our own desires in favour of His. We offer thanks for the atonement He has given us in YAHushua our Messiah and pray for strength that in this next year we might be more conformed to Him. Leviticus 23:26 - 32: And YHVH spoke to Mosheh, saying, “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to YHVH. And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before YHVH your Elohim. For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.” Although all YHVH's appointed feasts are important, the Day of Atonement is considered the holiest day of the year - it is set apart even from the other appointed feasts. All other Sabbaths and holidays are times of feasting and celebration. However, on the Day of Atonement, everyone is commanded to afflict himself through fasting and abstinence. Leviticus 16:2 And YHVH said to Mosheh, “Speak to Aharon your brother not to come in at all times to the Set-apart Place inside the veil, before the lid of atonement which is on the ark, lest he die, because I appear in the cloud above the lid of atonement." After the deaths of the two sons of Aaron, YHVH warned Aharon not to enter the Holy of Holies but once a year. On that day, Aharon alone (or the high priest after him) was to enter in order to make atonement for Yisra'el, the holy place and the altar. The day on which the high priest entered the Holy of Holies was called the Day of Atonement. Even then, Aharon was to enter only with blood and under the cloud of incense. Leviticus 16, the Torah reading for the Day of Atonement, describes the Tabernacle/Temple ceremony of the Day of Atonement: the two goats—the sin offering and the scapegoat—the incense, the sprinkling with blood and the high priest's entrance into the Holy of Holies. In Leviticus 16 we read about the intersection of three spheres of holiness. On the holiest day of the year (the Day of Atonement), the holiest man in the world (the high priest of Israel) goes into the holiest place in the world (the Holy of Holies). The high priest had to enter in order to make atonement for Yisra'el, atonement for the Holy of Holies, atonement for the Tabernacle and atonement for the altar. Because these things remained continually in the presence of YHVH, they needed to be atoned for. Without atonement they could not remain in the presence of YHVH. According to the writer of the book of Hebrews, YAHushua ha Mashiach has become our High Priest. He entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven—the actual throne room of YHVH—and applied His own blood for atonement. He entered into the presence of YHVH for us so that he might usher us in as well (Hebrews 9:11-12). "But Messiah, having become a High Priest of the coming good matters, through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, entered into the Most Set-apart Place once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, having obtained everlasting redemption." Hebrew 8:1 - 2: "Now the summary of what we are saying is: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Greatness in the heavens, and who serves in the set-apart place and of the true Tent, which YHVH set up, and not man." Therein He applied his atoning blood. Therefore, the ceremony of the Day of Atonement uniquely patterns the work of Messiah: His death, His sacrifice and the atonement of His blood. We boldly enter the presence of YHVH because the blood of Messiah covers us. Today he stands interceding on our behalf before the throne of YHVH our Elohim, just like a high priest. ‘n Sakeman kom by sy nuwe motor wat 'n straatseuntjie staan en bewonder.
Hy vertel die storie self so: Toe ek die sleutel in die motordeur steek, vra die seuntjie: "Is dit Meneer se motor?" "Dis myne, ja." "Hoeveel het hy gekos, Meneer?" "Ou seun, ek weet nie." Hy kyk ondersoekend na my: "Meneer, lyk nie na die soort wat 'n motor sal steel nie, maar waar het Meneer dan die motor gekry?" "My broer het dit vir my gegee." 'n Verlangende uitdrukking kom in die seun se oë: "Ek - ek wens..." Ek verwag hy gaan sê: "Ek wens ek het so 'n broer gehad," maar hy eindig sy sin anders as wat ek verwag het, en dit raak my diep in my hart: "Ek wens ek kon so 'n broer wees." Dadelik wil ek hom plesier. "Kom, klim in, dan voel jy hoe ry hy." "Ek sal Meneer se kar net vuil smeer," keer hy. Ek dink by myself: jou klere mag vuil wees, maar jou hart is spierwit. Ek dring by hom aan en hy klim gretig voor by my in. "Sal Meneer voor my huis stilhou, asseblief," vra hy dringend. Ek hou voor 'n trapgang in 'n agterstraatjie stil. Soos 'n klipspringer is hy uit die motor uit en kom na 'n rukkie stadig terug met 'n kleiner seuntjie in sy arms. Die seuntjie is inmekaar getrek as gevolg van polio. Saggies sit hy die seuntjie op die onderste trap by die sypaadjie neer. "Daar is hy, Boetie. Sy broer het dit vir hom gekoop. As ek eendag groot is, gaan ek vir jou net so 'n kar koop, dan kan jyself na al die winkelvensters gaan kyk." Met 'n knop in my keel sê ek: "Kom julle twee. Jou Boetie gaan sommer vandag die winkelvensters sien." Ek help om die kreupel seuntjie voor by my en die ander een in te tel. Ek ry na die grootste winkelsentrum toe in die stad. "Kom ons gaan kyk," sê ek terwyl ek die kreupel outjie in my arms dra. "Soek uit wat julle wil hê." Hulle het ruim van my aanbod gebruik gemaak, en die volgende paar uur was die gelukkigste tyd wat ek ooit in my lewe ervaar het. Die loon van aan ander te gee, is nie altyd materiële loon nie, maar die beter loon van 'n verruimde en gelukkige hart. "Daar is mense wat vrylik uitdeel en tog steeds meer het, daar is ander wat suinig is en tog arm word. Wie 'n ander voorspoed gun, sal self oorvloed hê. Wie die dors van ander les, sal self genoeg kry as hy dors is" (Spr.11:24,25) YHVH – the Hebrew Name for our heavenly Father. Pronounced YAHuah or YAHveh.
YAHushua – Our Messiah’s Hebrew Name Torah - The first five books of the Scriptures - written by Moses. The correct translation of Torah is instruction, NOT law. Mosheh (Moses) went and spoke these words to all Yisra’el (Israel): “Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be afraid of them. For it is YHVH your Elohim who is going with you. He does not fail you nor forsake you.” (Deuternonomy 31:6). The upcoming biblical feasts, not Jewish feasts as most have been led to believe, are primarily about our relationship with our heavenly Father (YHVH). These are appointed times for reconciling with one another and with our Father in heaven. If we take the opportunity to turn to YHVH in sincere repentance in the name of His Son YAHushua (Jesus), He will receive us. The feasts are: Feast of trumpets or "Yom Teruah" in Hebrew Leviticus 23:24 “Speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a rest, a remembrance of blowing of trumpets, a set-apart gathering. Numbers 29:1 ‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work, it is a day of blowing the trumpets for you. Day of Atonement or " Yom Kippur" in Hebrew Leviticus 25:8 - 9: ‘And you shall count seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years. And the time of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. You shall then sound a ram’s horn to pass through on the tenth day of the seventh month, on the Day of Atonement cause a ram’s horn to pass through all your land.' Leviticus 16:29 - 34: “And this shall be for you a law forever: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you afflict your beings, and do no work, the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. For on that day he makes atonement for you, to cleanse you, to be clean from all your sins before YHVH. It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you shall afflict your beings – a law forever. And the priest, who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, the set-apart garments, and he shall make atonement for the Most Set-apart Place, and make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and for the altar, and make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. And this shall be for you a law forever, to make atonement for the children of Yisra’el, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as YHVH commanded Mosheh. Feast of Tabernackles or " Sukkot" in Hebrew Numbers 29:12 ‘And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. And you shall observe a festival to YHVH seven days, Leviticus 23:34 “Speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Booths for seven days to YHVH. Mosheh encouraged the Yisra’elites not to falter on the edge of the promised land, as the previous generation had done. He told them to "be strong and courageous," and he comforted them by telling them that YHVH would not fail or forsake them. The writer to the book of Hebrews encourages us to rely on our heavenly Father to provide for all our needs, he tells us to avoid greed and materialism because He has already promised not to forsake us: "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money (Mommon), being content with what you have. Psalm 118:6 - 8: "YHVH is on my side; I do not fear what man does to me! YHVH is for me among those helping me; Therefore I look on those hating me. It is better to take refuge in YHVH than to trust in man." Hebrews 13:5 - 6: Let your way of life be without the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For He Himself has said, "I shall never leave you nor forsake you, so that we boldly say, YHVH is my helper, I shall not fear what man shall do to me.” People who have been abandoned or abused by a parent or spouse sometimes suffer with anxiety about their relationship with our heavenly Father (YHVH). They might project their hurts and fears from human relationships onto their relationship with our Father (YHVH). They fear that He will withdraw His love from them. Such a view of YHVH makes a true faith relationship almost impossible. Our Father (YHVH)wants His people to know that He will not fail us, nor will He abandon us. Even in times when our Father (YHVH) punished Yisra’el (Israel) for disobedience, it was not as if He had abandoned them or cast them off. He punishes Yisra’el (Israel) as a father disciplines his beloved son. Our Father (YHVH) is faithful to His people. Even when He sent the children of Yisra’el (Israel) into exile, He did not send them out alone. The rabbis teach that our Father's Dwelling Presence went with the people of Yisra’el (Israel) when they were driven from their land, and that He will return with them when they are gathered back into the land. We can trust our Father in Heaven (YHVH), He travels with us even in the lonely places of pain and exile. He will not fail us or forsake us. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
All
Archives
June 2015
|