With one week to go before the release of my book, I thought I would share some of the revelation that led to me writing the book. I have already shared my revelation about Zadokim in the post "What is a Zadokim (Part 2)", which is the revelation upon which is centered my business and the books in general. However, the first book has a more specific revolution about Promises.
When we were created in the spirit realm, Yahweh spoke us into being. Whatever Yahweh speaks is a Promise. It is most assuredly True. For all who are willing, Yahweh keeps His Promises.
Each of us has a unique Promise, a unique expression and facet of Christ that will ultimately bring Him glory in the Earth by revealing a part of Him that would otherwise be unknown. We matter. Without us, certain aspects of Yahweh's character would not be known to the world at large. Without us, certain people who gravitate toward those aspects would not be reached. It is like when I am teaching something. If I explain a concept one way in my classroom, a certain percentage of my students understand what I am saying. If I explain the same concept using different words or methodologies, it will reach other students who did not understand it the first time.
So it is with the Body of Christ. Each of us is a unique individual--a way of explaining Christ to the world just by being who we are--and thus we are important. We matter. Our Promise matters.
Our Promise--who we are and what we were sent here for--is unique to each of us. Only I can be the Promise that Yahweh made me, and I can only do that if I am willing to submit to the Lordship of Christ, to Yahweh and those He has placed me under in authority. The word "promise" and the word "submit" are etymologically linked via the Latin word "mittere," which means "to send." Promise means "sent for" and submit means "sent under." Yahweh sent each of us to the places where we are for specific reasons to His glory and He placed us under certain authorities in order to help His glory in us manifest in totality.
Another linked word is "commit." This word means "sent together." We were sent with specific individuals whose Promises will link with ours to help them manifest in fullness. In my life recently, the publishing of my book is the perfect example of this. Another family in our ecclesia stepped out in faith and started a business that involved publishing. If they had not accepted their Promise, I would not be able to fulfill mine.
Each of our Promises, being unique, require different handling. There is no uniformity and no legalistic laws that everyone has to obey. The only law that matters is the Law of Love, the Law of Yahweh, which will enable our Promises to manifest in totality. That is not to say that there are not some common elements that we must all submit to. Yahweh's Law will always benefit family, for example. Yahweh's Law will always involve seed, time, and harvest. To take it down to the bare bones practicality, murder is against the Law for everyone because each of us should value the Promise of Yahweh in another person (whether or not that person is manifesting their Promise visibly at the moment).
Still, each of us will have a different Law to follow, one that is unique and tailor-made for us. How do we know what that Law is? Holy Spirit reveals it to us. That is why for one person, reading stories like "Harry Potter" might be contrary to their Promise and therefore "against the law," but for other people, it may be neutral or even beneficial to their Promise to read such stories. Yahweh speaks to me through stories and language more than anything, however in other expressions of Him--other Promises--(read, other people), He might use numbers or experiences or music.
We must each walk out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and we must each do that by valuing the Promise that Yahweh has placed in us above soulish desires, pleasures of this world, or what the other person is saying or doing. Then, we must make choices that further the Promise that Yahweh has made to us. This is impossible unless we submit to Holy Spirit and His Lordship.
My first book is about discovering the fact that we are Promises at all and about realizing the uniqueness and importance of each individual Promise--each individual person--in the Earth. I hope that you will pick up the book and allow Holy Spirit to use what He has written through me to help you discover the Promise that He made to you before time ever began. That is the reason I am publishing this book. It is the reason I am sharing my journey. I very much value your Promise. I very much value the Promise of Yahweh that we have together as the Body of Christ. Click here to visit my author website. Sales begin August 7th.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Friday, July 22, 2016
Unity
I am so blessed by my ecclesia. I have always seen the value of my fellow Kingdomers, but I have recently been blessed by so many of them, that I am overflowing with the joy that comes from the unity in Christ.
It helps that it is summer, and I have been able to spend time with many people with whom I do not often have time to interact outside of our weekly gatherings. Whether we have been to lunch together or spent time working out or if we've just sat around their houses and talked, I have been truly been blessed by the conversation and by the facet of Christ that is in each and every one of them.
I have also recently been blessed by some wonderful people in my ecclesia who have joined me on some assignments I am stepping into. In case I haven't publicized it enough, I am publishing a book in August. This would never have been possible without the faith and courage of a family in our ecclesia who decided to start a business that includes publishing. I have had many meetings with my publisher that have not only furthered my book's publication, but inspired me to start a business myself and further my purpose as a writer--a poet and a teller of parables. I have so many more books to write now, and none of this would have been possible without this woman, her family, and their faith.
In conjunction with publishing the book is my first book release party! I have little experience planning parties, but I set up the venue and asked a few people to bring food to the party. I figured food, friends, and books would be a nice little shindig. So I asked one of my dear friends from ecclesia to bring food, and she readily agreed, then said that she would love to help me plan the party so we could "do it right." Now she's looking at Pinterest boards and planning book-related decorations and rattling off a million amazing ideas and plans. I am so beyond excited for this event!
I have also recently changed jobs, which, for a teacher, means changing classrooms. This also means the dreaded time spent decorating bulletin boards. It's actually not so bad, but the giant reams of butcher paper tend to fall in your face when you're trying to staple them to the board and I can't ever seem to cut in straight lines. Fortunately, a young lady in our ecclesia was willing to help me put together my ideas for some wonderful bulletin boards for my classroom. She is pretty much the only reason I have borders on the bulletin boards right now, and she learned how to work the die-cut machine before I did! I really feel like she did most of the work in this, and she did it all happily and with no benefit to herself.
After seeing all this amazingness, I realized again the blessing that my ecclesia is to me and the importance of unity in the body of Christ. Unity is so much more than just getting along with everyone. Unity allows us to fulfill our purposes and accomplish the very things Yahweh sent us to the Earth to do. We join together in the assignments He has given us, and each of us brings a unique facet of Christ to the situation.
My publisher is good with numbers, business, and organization in ways that I am not. She had knowledge about the publishing world and its requirements that I do not know. She has fortitude to press on and discover the best ways of doing things, and she has a personality that makes it seem like we aren't working at all, even while we are accomplishing so much.
My friend who is planning my book release party has great ideas and knowledge of how to find more great ideas. She has knowledge of business and enthusiasm for everything she does. She has many other resources and facets of Christ that I have been blessed by in the past.
My friend who helped me with my bulletin boards has a practical side to her creativity that I found very helpful in putting my classroom together today. It is also way more fun to put up bulletin boards when you have a friend like her around. One thing I think it is important to point out is that she was simply willing to help out a friend.
There is much value in being willing.
I would not be succeeding in these assignments nearly so well as I am without these people. I would not be who I am today without them and many other people in my ecclesia who have stood with me in faith and helped me see the love of Yahweh.
This is what it means to be a part of an ecclesia--a body of Kingdom believers with whom Yahweh sent you to the place where you are to fulfill your purpose. This is what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.
To my ecclesia: thank you! I hope you know how special you are to me.
It helps that it is summer, and I have been able to spend time with many people with whom I do not often have time to interact outside of our weekly gatherings. Whether we have been to lunch together or spent time working out or if we've just sat around their houses and talked, I have been truly been blessed by the conversation and by the facet of Christ that is in each and every one of them.
I have also recently been blessed by some wonderful people in my ecclesia who have joined me on some assignments I am stepping into. In case I haven't publicized it enough, I am publishing a book in August. This would never have been possible without the faith and courage of a family in our ecclesia who decided to start a business that includes publishing. I have had many meetings with my publisher that have not only furthered my book's publication, but inspired me to start a business myself and further my purpose as a writer--a poet and a teller of parables. I have so many more books to write now, and none of this would have been possible without this woman, her family, and their faith.
In conjunction with publishing the book is my first book release party! I have little experience planning parties, but I set up the venue and asked a few people to bring food to the party. I figured food, friends, and books would be a nice little shindig. So I asked one of my dear friends from ecclesia to bring food, and she readily agreed, then said that she would love to help me plan the party so we could "do it right." Now she's looking at Pinterest boards and planning book-related decorations and rattling off a million amazing ideas and plans. I am so beyond excited for this event!
I have also recently changed jobs, which, for a teacher, means changing classrooms. This also means the dreaded time spent decorating bulletin boards. It's actually not so bad, but the giant reams of butcher paper tend to fall in your face when you're trying to staple them to the board and I can't ever seem to cut in straight lines. Fortunately, a young lady in our ecclesia was willing to help me put together my ideas for some wonderful bulletin boards for my classroom. She is pretty much the only reason I have borders on the bulletin boards right now, and she learned how to work the die-cut machine before I did! I really feel like she did most of the work in this, and she did it all happily and with no benefit to herself.
After seeing all this amazingness, I realized again the blessing that my ecclesia is to me and the importance of unity in the body of Christ. Unity is so much more than just getting along with everyone. Unity allows us to fulfill our purposes and accomplish the very things Yahweh sent us to the Earth to do. We join together in the assignments He has given us, and each of us brings a unique facet of Christ to the situation.
My publisher is good with numbers, business, and organization in ways that I am not. She had knowledge about the publishing world and its requirements that I do not know. She has fortitude to press on and discover the best ways of doing things, and she has a personality that makes it seem like we aren't working at all, even while we are accomplishing so much.
My friend who is planning my book release party has great ideas and knowledge of how to find more great ideas. She has knowledge of business and enthusiasm for everything she does. She has many other resources and facets of Christ that I have been blessed by in the past.
My friend who helped me with my bulletin boards has a practical side to her creativity that I found very helpful in putting my classroom together today. It is also way more fun to put up bulletin boards when you have a friend like her around. One thing I think it is important to point out is that she was simply willing to help out a friend.
There is much value in being willing.
I would not be succeeding in these assignments nearly so well as I am without these people. I would not be who I am today without them and many other people in my ecclesia who have stood with me in faith and helped me see the love of Yahweh.
This is what it means to be a part of an ecclesia--a body of Kingdom believers with whom Yahweh sent you to the place where you are to fulfill your purpose. This is what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.
To my ecclesia: thank you! I hope you know how special you are to me.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Declarations for America
Yesterday I wrote about the power of declarations of faith. They are the answer to the cries of all of creation, the Truth of Yahweh that will remain.
Sometimes these declarations are spoken aloud, and sometimes they are written down. I am a writer. I can do both.
Before I begin, let me clarify the definition of declarations. Declarations are when you see by faith the Truth of Yahweh in a situation, and you uncover it and make it manifest by speaking it aloud and writing it down.
Today I want to reveal some Truths about our country, about the United States of America. Recent events have made me very sad, but they have made me very angry as well because I know the enemy will try and use these events to make people question Yahweh and His sovereignty and to make people doubt America and Americans. I will stand in these Truths and counter the enemy's lies. Remember, the enemy only has as much power as he can make us believe he has. If we believe the Truth, he is POWERLESS.
The truth is that we were founded as one nation under God and that we are still one nation under God. One. Not black, white, brown. Not doctor, plumber, policeman. Not rich, poor, or middle class. One. American.
The truth is that we have always had issues, but underneath that we have always had a mandate. We, as a country, began the process of modern democracy in the world. We, as a country, brought the concept of freedom into being for such a time as this. That freedom has been an underlying Truth about our nation throughout our history and it is still there. It is being revealed, little by little.
The truth is that most Americans are good. We see the sensationalized media stories of violence in our nation all the time, but every time that this happens, I see people standing up and crying "No! I do not want this!" More people are standing up and crying no in each of these acts of violence than are committing these violent acts.
The truth is that America is still great. We still have people from other countries yearning to come to our shores. We still have the most freedoms of any country in the world. We still have a heritage of freedom and strength to make a draw on. We still have a future of hope and potential to leave a legacy for. I am a teacher. I see these futures every day.
The truth is that Yahweh is still sovereign in our land. He is not surprised by any of this, though He does not condone it either. He is raising up a mighty people...enclaves seeded throughout this nation...who will take Him at His Word and bring His Kingdom to this land. I am proud to be a part of this and to stand with a mighty group of people who are a part of this.
The truth is that this is not limited to America, either. All of the world belongs to Yahweh and as we are faithful in our country, He is calling people to be faithful in other countries so that Yahweh's glory can be made manifest on the Earth.
"Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."
The truth is, we are the ones who are making this so every time we choose to believe the Truth and thereby wrest power from the enemy.
I do not believe the lies and I bless Yahweh and thank Yahweh for these Truths and for this great and glorious day in which these Truths shall be seen and known!
Sometimes these declarations are spoken aloud, and sometimes they are written down. I am a writer. I can do both.
Before I begin, let me clarify the definition of declarations. Declarations are when you see by faith the Truth of Yahweh in a situation, and you uncover it and make it manifest by speaking it aloud and writing it down.
Today I want to reveal some Truths about our country, about the United States of America. Recent events have made me very sad, but they have made me very angry as well because I know the enemy will try and use these events to make people question Yahweh and His sovereignty and to make people doubt America and Americans. I will stand in these Truths and counter the enemy's lies. Remember, the enemy only has as much power as he can make us believe he has. If we believe the Truth, he is POWERLESS.
The truth is that we were founded as one nation under God and that we are still one nation under God. One. Not black, white, brown. Not doctor, plumber, policeman. Not rich, poor, or middle class. One. American.
The truth is that we have always had issues, but underneath that we have always had a mandate. We, as a country, began the process of modern democracy in the world. We, as a country, brought the concept of freedom into being for such a time as this. That freedom has been an underlying Truth about our nation throughout our history and it is still there. It is being revealed, little by little.
The truth is that most Americans are good. We see the sensationalized media stories of violence in our nation all the time, but every time that this happens, I see people standing up and crying "No! I do not want this!" More people are standing up and crying no in each of these acts of violence than are committing these violent acts.
The truth is that America is still great. We still have people from other countries yearning to come to our shores. We still have the most freedoms of any country in the world. We still have a heritage of freedom and strength to make a draw on. We still have a future of hope and potential to leave a legacy for. I am a teacher. I see these futures every day.
The truth is that Yahweh is still sovereign in our land. He is not surprised by any of this, though He does not condone it either. He is raising up a mighty people...enclaves seeded throughout this nation...who will take Him at His Word and bring His Kingdom to this land. I am proud to be a part of this and to stand with a mighty group of people who are a part of this.
The truth is that this is not limited to America, either. All of the world belongs to Yahweh and as we are faithful in our country, He is calling people to be faithful in other countries so that Yahweh's glory can be made manifest on the Earth.
"Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."
The truth is, we are the ones who are making this so every time we choose to believe the Truth and thereby wrest power from the enemy.
I do not believe the lies and I bless Yahweh and thank Yahweh for these Truths and for this great and glorious day in which these Truths shall be seen and known!
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Declarations
Our words have power.
Yahweh's Word created the entire universe. He left a bit of Himself, this Word, in every atom and molecule of existence. This Word resonates with Itself. There is a part of everything that exists that is awaiting the full manifestation of the Word of the Lord that is resonant inside of them.
Romans 8 says that creation groans, eagerly awaiting the manifestation of the sons of Yahweh. These groans go unheard, unnoticed until the sons stand up and take their places, making declarations of their own. Creation rejoices when the sons make declarations because now they have something with which to resonate. They have a conductor to their symphony and they know the exact frequency with which they should vibrate for Yahweh's full purpose to be revealed.
As we make declarations and they become a part of the very fabric of all of existence itself, creation can remind us again of our declarations when we are tempted by the enemy to forget who we are, where we come from, and that Yahweh has given us all things in Him. Imagine that, as you are walking along the paths of the Earth, every footstep releases the molecules in the ground to vibrate with the same declaration you made in faith. As you play with your dog and he lopes in your backyard, every movement of his body vibrates with the frequency of the Word you declared. As you go about your daily life and are faithful in your job and over your family, every act of obedience, every word spoken to a colleague, every time you give up something you wanted so that another could have their way causes harmonic vibrations that run through your being saying, "Yes! Yahweh is here!" Everything that surrounds you was designed to remind you of Yahweh's Promise so that, when the enemy comes to you and tells you a bunch of lies to make you forget the Word that you heard in faith, creation itself rises up and says "NO! I have heard the Word from your very lips and this is what it is!"
Creation itself wants you to remember the Word of Yahweh. It can be very passionate about it if you but the have ears to hear.
He who has ears to hear let him hear! He who has faith to speak, let him declare! Let all of creation resonate together with the Word of our God. Oh, come Kingdom! HalleluYah!
Yahweh's Word created the entire universe. He left a bit of Himself, this Word, in every atom and molecule of existence. This Word resonates with Itself. There is a part of everything that exists that is awaiting the full manifestation of the Word of the Lord that is resonant inside of them.
Romans 8 says that creation groans, eagerly awaiting the manifestation of the sons of Yahweh. These groans go unheard, unnoticed until the sons stand up and take their places, making declarations of their own. Creation rejoices when the sons make declarations because now they have something with which to resonate. They have a conductor to their symphony and they know the exact frequency with which they should vibrate for Yahweh's full purpose to be revealed.
As we make declarations and they become a part of the very fabric of all of existence itself, creation can remind us again of our declarations when we are tempted by the enemy to forget who we are, where we come from, and that Yahweh has given us all things in Him. Imagine that, as you are walking along the paths of the Earth, every footstep releases the molecules in the ground to vibrate with the same declaration you made in faith. As you play with your dog and he lopes in your backyard, every movement of his body vibrates with the frequency of the Word you declared. As you go about your daily life and are faithful in your job and over your family, every act of obedience, every word spoken to a colleague, every time you give up something you wanted so that another could have their way causes harmonic vibrations that run through your being saying, "Yes! Yahweh is here!" Everything that surrounds you was designed to remind you of Yahweh's Promise so that, when the enemy comes to you and tells you a bunch of lies to make you forget the Word that you heard in faith, creation itself rises up and says "NO! I have heard the Word from your very lips and this is what it is!"
Creation itself wants you to remember the Word of Yahweh. It can be very passionate about it if you but the have ears to hear.
He who has ears to hear let him hear! He who has faith to speak, let him declare! Let all of creation resonate together with the Word of our God. Oh, come Kingdom! HalleluYah!
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Two Voices
Each of us speaks with two voices.
The secular world has this concept as well. Usually it is talking about how someone can say one thing but mean another. Sometimes, they don't even realize they're doing it. It's that inner thought that prompts what is spoken. "I like your dress" might be true, but it might have an underlying thought of "She can make anything look good" or "I wish I were that pretty." Others are less honest, deliberately saying one thing while meaning another.
There is a verse in Hebrews which says "An oath of confirmation puts an end to all dispute." Another verse says that every matter must be established by two or more witnesses. There are always two voices.
It can be difficult to understand when the two voices don't line up. Many people... or maybe it's just me... find myself confused when what is presented to them at face value--the first voice--and what they sense underneath--the second voice--are not in agreement. If we're lucky, we will realize the source of the confusion and go looking for the truth. If not, we will begin to believe the lie or disbelieve the truth and eventually decide that the "first voice" is not a trustworthy source.
So it is with religion. Religion's face-value voice says "God loves you" but underneath it tells us that He hates us. Sadly, people begin to disbelieve the truth that Yahweh loves us because they sense the disconnect between the two things religion is telling us.
Well-meaning Christians are not to blame for the lies of religion. Since the days of Constantine and the beginning of the Roman-Catholic church, religion has been a mixing of the seed. Yahweh's Truth was mixed with pagan ideas and rituals in order to win more converts and escape persecution. The enemy had an inroads then, and he became one voice of the religious church while Yahweh's Truth was the other. As these two voices are dichotomous, it is easy to see the disconnect between the two voices.
Religion spends all of its time telling us that we are horrible, horrible sinners who deserve Hell and all that's coming to us and that Yahweh only spared us out of His great and infinite mercy and grace. The focus on our sinful state speaks of a contrary concept to Yahweh's unconditional love. People become confused because once we are saved and have received Yahweh's unconditional love, we are no longer sinners. Our hearts are freed and lined up with Yahweh, and when we occasionally make bad decisions, they are temporary mistakes that have already been forgiven. As long as we keep submitting to Holy Spirit and His wisdom and power, Yahweh will help us grow out of these bad decisions. If we are not submitting to Holy Spirit, I would venture to question our salvation at all.
I understand why well-meaning Christians want to talk about sin, Hell, and salvation. Firstly, it is technically true. We were sinners and Yahweh did save us out of His love and grace. However, once we are saved we should not focus on sin, but focus on the Savior. Secondly, they are trying to knock down pride or any idea that we could have earned salvation, and let me be clear, we cannot earn salvation. They are also trying to ensure that we value Yahweh and all He has given us. Often, they are speaking to people who are not saved and people who are saved at the same time. It can be hard to tell one person in a public setting that he is a sinner who needs salvation and another person in a public setting that he has already been saved so is no longer a sinner.
Nevertheless, religious Christianity has a problem. It is confusing for people as they sense the disconnect between "God loves us unconditionally" and "You should go to Hell for all the evil that you've done, worm."
It is difficult to mesh the concepts of mercy and justice in the minds of man. It is hard to say, "God loves you unconditionally but does not accept the evil thoughts/actions that you are participating in." People have decided that they are what they do, and this is not true.
The truth is, "Yahweh loves you unconditionally and therefore He has better things for you than the evil thoughts/actions you are participating in." He wants more for us than we want for ourselves. C. S. Lewis once said that we are far too easily pleased.
So people are fleeing religion in droves because they sense the disconnect between the two voices of religion. Unfortunately, they are seeking Truth in places that it will not be found. Babylon, the secular world, has nothing better to offer them, but sometimes because it has two voices that are more in sync, it can look appealing. Just because the two voices are in sync doesn't mean they are speaking Yahweh's Truth. Just because two voices are out of sync doesn't mean that one of them is not true.
We need to discover the Truth and then discover integrity. Integrity means being completely, 100% of a thing. When we have integrity, our two voices are in sync. When we have integrity, one voice is ours and one voice is Yahweh's. An oath of confirmation puts an end to all dispute, and each matter is established.
Let me be clear again. Yahweh does love you unconditionally. He also does not love sin. There is no disconnect between these two concepts because you are not your sin. This is the very reason He came to save us and, I would venture to say, the definition of salvation. Salvation is when Yahweh came and separated us from our sin. Thus He can destroy sin without having to destroy us, whom He loves.
Yahweh is love and He loves all that He called into being. This is true, voiced by Yahshua Himself when He died on a cross as confirmation of the original Word that Yahweh spoke when He brought creation into existence: I love you.
So Yahweh became His own voice of confirmation and that ends all dispute.
Monday, July 4, 2016
What is a Zadokim (Part 2)?
Scriptural References:
Genesis 14-15
Ezekiel 44 (starting at vs. 15)
Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)
Matthew 5:17-18
Hebrews 7
John 14
Psalm 23:3
Hebrews 12
The relationship between Abraham and Melchizedek is a shadow of the relationship between us and Yahshua. That Melchizedek was without beginning and end, a High Priest of God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth and also the King of Salem. His name means King of Righteousness, so He was both King of Righteousness and King of Peace (Shalom-peace, completion, wholeness). When Abraham submitted to Melchizedek and gave a tithe of all, eschewing all possession in Babylon (Genesis 14), Yahweh made a covenant with him (Genesis 15) that was the Covenant of Abraham. There He promised to bless Abraham and his descendants and give him a son, and “Abraham believed Yahweh and it was credited to Him as righteousness.” The rest of Abraham’s life was guided by that covenant. The King of Righteousness “led him in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3) and the fact that Abraham did not do it perfectly did not nullify the covenant, but all of Yahweh’s promises to Abraham were fulfilled (yes and amen!).
So it is with us, only better. Yahshua is our Melchizedek, mediator of the New Covenant, the Covenant of Love (Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV). More than just being Preist of God Most High, He is God Most High and Possessor of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, He can be High Priest over other priests. (Hebrews 7). He is a Priest Forever in the Order of Melchizedek. Yet, a High Priest of a priestly order needs priests that minister with Him to God Most High. That is us, the Zadokim (Ezekiel 44:15). We are the righteous ones/sons of righteousness that may “come near to [Him] to minister to [Him] and they shall stand before [Him] to offer [Him] the fat and the blood.” We can only do this through Yahshua, our High Priest and the Mediator of the New Covenant because He is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through [Him].”
Yet, we cannot do this if we do not enter the New Covenant. We may cling to the Old Covenant, the Laws of Right and Wrong. (I have been doing this, unaware.) In attempting to be righteous ourselves, we focus on the Tree of Knowledge of Right and Wrong and forget about the Tree of Life, who is Yahshua. He is able to save, and He is able to lead us in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s (name as in etymologically and name as in authority) sake. In this, we can look unto Yahshua, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12), instead of looking to the right and left, the right and wrong, and thus we can walk in paths of righteousness instead of being distracted by the old laws. This is how Yahshua can fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-18). It is, in fact, the only way the law can be fulfilled.
It is also the only way we can become Kings and Priests. Priests of the New Covenant and Kings with the authority of righteousness. We are righteous, not because of what we do, but because we believe Yahweh. Like for Abraham, righteousness is a promise. The King of Righteousness and the King of Peace has promised us righteousness and peace and the only way to have righteousness and peace is to receive the promise by faith. The laws of right and wrong do not apply to us, not because there is no right and wrong, but because there is a law that supersedes that, the Law of Love. This law fulfills the law of right and wrong and, just like Abraham messed up and still received the promise, so we can walk in faith that as long as we set our eyes on Yahshua, we shall receive the fullness of the promise even if we make mistakes occasionally, even if we are not perfect. Still, we shall fulfill the laws of right and wrong by fulfilling the Law of Love. We only do this by receiving the Covenant of Love, the Promise of the Father, the New Covenant.
I am still walking this revelation out, but it is more and more real every day. I look forward to a life lived in the New Covenant, and I am so grateful for our Mediator, our Intercessor, our High Priest, Yahshua.
Genesis 14-15
Ezekiel 44 (starting at vs. 15)
Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)
Matthew 5:17-18
Hebrews 7
John 14
Psalm 23:3
Hebrews 12
The relationship between Abraham and Melchizedek is a shadow of the relationship between us and Yahshua. That Melchizedek was without beginning and end, a High Priest of God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth and also the King of Salem. His name means King of Righteousness, so He was both King of Righteousness and King of Peace (Shalom-peace, completion, wholeness). When Abraham submitted to Melchizedek and gave a tithe of all, eschewing all possession in Babylon (Genesis 14), Yahweh made a covenant with him (Genesis 15) that was the Covenant of Abraham. There He promised to bless Abraham and his descendants and give him a son, and “Abraham believed Yahweh and it was credited to Him as righteousness.” The rest of Abraham’s life was guided by that covenant. The King of Righteousness “led him in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3) and the fact that Abraham did not do it perfectly did not nullify the covenant, but all of Yahweh’s promises to Abraham were fulfilled (yes and amen!).
So it is with us, only better. Yahshua is our Melchizedek, mediator of the New Covenant, the Covenant of Love (Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV). More than just being Preist of God Most High, He is God Most High and Possessor of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, He can be High Priest over other priests. (Hebrews 7). He is a Priest Forever in the Order of Melchizedek. Yet, a High Priest of a priestly order needs priests that minister with Him to God Most High. That is us, the Zadokim (Ezekiel 44:15). We are the righteous ones/sons of righteousness that may “come near to [Him] to minister to [Him] and they shall stand before [Him] to offer [Him] the fat and the blood.” We can only do this through Yahshua, our High Priest and the Mediator of the New Covenant because He is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through [Him].”
Yet, we cannot do this if we do not enter the New Covenant. We may cling to the Old Covenant, the Laws of Right and Wrong. (I have been doing this, unaware.) In attempting to be righteous ourselves, we focus on the Tree of Knowledge of Right and Wrong and forget about the Tree of Life, who is Yahshua. He is able to save, and He is able to lead us in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s (name as in etymologically and name as in authority) sake. In this, we can look unto Yahshua, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12), instead of looking to the right and left, the right and wrong, and thus we can walk in paths of righteousness instead of being distracted by the old laws. This is how Yahshua can fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-18). It is, in fact, the only way the law can be fulfilled.
It is also the only way we can become Kings and Priests. Priests of the New Covenant and Kings with the authority of righteousness. We are righteous, not because of what we do, but because we believe Yahweh. Like for Abraham, righteousness is a promise. The King of Righteousness and the King of Peace has promised us righteousness and peace and the only way to have righteousness and peace is to receive the promise by faith. The laws of right and wrong do not apply to us, not because there is no right and wrong, but because there is a law that supersedes that, the Law of Love. This law fulfills the law of right and wrong and, just like Abraham messed up and still received the promise, so we can walk in faith that as long as we set our eyes on Yahshua, we shall receive the fullness of the promise even if we make mistakes occasionally, even if we are not perfect. Still, we shall fulfill the laws of right and wrong by fulfilling the Law of Love. We only do this by receiving the Covenant of Love, the Promise of the Father, the New Covenant.
I am still walking this revelation out, but it is more and more real every day. I look forward to a life lived in the New Covenant, and I am so grateful for our Mediator, our Intercessor, our High Priest, Yahshua.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
The End of the World
I have just finished watching the movie "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," which is now available on Netflix. It is the story of a young boy coping with the aftermath of his father's death in the World Trade Center on September 11. It is extremely sad and incredibly emotional, and I found myself remembering that day and what it was like.
I was thirteen, and old enough to know how momentous it was. I remember watching the second plane hit the tower on TV. I remember watching the Twin Towers fall. I remember that the entire school was glued to the news until parents complained and made them turn it off. I remember the entire country pulling together. I remember the whole nation being traumatized by this event. I remember watching them sing "Amazing Grace" on Capitol Hill on the TV that night. I remember the television specials that aired for the rest of the year, and the shows that were not aired because they were too reminiscent of what happened. I remember the national grief and the international support expressed by America's allies.
Then I think back to the Orlando shootings or the Paris attacks or the San Bernardino shootings and I think: this is becoming more common. We are not responding as we did. Instead of nations coming together, we change our profile picture on Facebook to represent our "support" and start politicizing the deaths of innocent people. We are becoming desensitized. Terrorism happens all the time now. We cannot even stop for it anymore.
And I think how easy it is for people to look at the world and decide that Yahshua must be coming back soon because look how awful it is and it must be near the end. We are, after all, destroying ourselves.
I don't know about Yahshua's return date (even He didn't know, He said), but I can tell you that we do not end in destruction, but redemption. Because then I remember that Yahweh is sovereign and none of this takes Him by surprise. I remember His plan and purpose that He set in place from the Beginning. I remember that it is not limited by nations or able to be thwarted by terrorism. I remember that it supersedes circumstance and makes all things good.
Incredibly, He can fix this. Not in the way that you might think, and not in the way that will leave the world like it was before terrorism began. No, He will take us back even further, back to the Beginning, to His original plan for the world.
So while I can look at the news and at society and at all the horrible choices some people are making and the lack of honor for the plan that Yahweh made when He started this whole creation business, I can also see that His plan is still there, still in motion, still redeeming. And I have the chance to choose.
Do I choose to give up and await the destruction of the world, to be mired in depression and hopelessness? Do I choose to strive and attempt to change things in my own strength and with my own resources? Or do I choose to submit to Yahweh's plan and receive my access to Heaven's resources and be a part of the remnant, the redemption, the fruit that will remain when Babylon meets its inevitable end?
Because I can be part of the destruction or part of the redemption, and the End of the World looks a lot like the Beginning.
I was thirteen, and old enough to know how momentous it was. I remember watching the second plane hit the tower on TV. I remember watching the Twin Towers fall. I remember that the entire school was glued to the news until parents complained and made them turn it off. I remember the entire country pulling together. I remember the whole nation being traumatized by this event. I remember watching them sing "Amazing Grace" on Capitol Hill on the TV that night. I remember the television specials that aired for the rest of the year, and the shows that were not aired because they were too reminiscent of what happened. I remember the national grief and the international support expressed by America's allies.
Then I think back to the Orlando shootings or the Paris attacks or the San Bernardino shootings and I think: this is becoming more common. We are not responding as we did. Instead of nations coming together, we change our profile picture on Facebook to represent our "support" and start politicizing the deaths of innocent people. We are becoming desensitized. Terrorism happens all the time now. We cannot even stop for it anymore.
And I think how easy it is for people to look at the world and decide that Yahshua must be coming back soon because look how awful it is and it must be near the end. We are, after all, destroying ourselves.
I don't know about Yahshua's return date (even He didn't know, He said), but I can tell you that we do not end in destruction, but redemption. Because then I remember that Yahweh is sovereign and none of this takes Him by surprise. I remember His plan and purpose that He set in place from the Beginning. I remember that it is not limited by nations or able to be thwarted by terrorism. I remember that it supersedes circumstance and makes all things good.
Incredibly, He can fix this. Not in the way that you might think, and not in the way that will leave the world like it was before terrorism began. No, He will take us back even further, back to the Beginning, to His original plan for the world.
So while I can look at the news and at society and at all the horrible choices some people are making and the lack of honor for the plan that Yahweh made when He started this whole creation business, I can also see that His plan is still there, still in motion, still redeeming. And I have the chance to choose.
Do I choose to give up and await the destruction of the world, to be mired in depression and hopelessness? Do I choose to strive and attempt to change things in my own strength and with my own resources? Or do I choose to submit to Yahweh's plan and receive my access to Heaven's resources and be a part of the remnant, the redemption, the fruit that will remain when Babylon meets its inevitable end?
Because I can be part of the destruction or part of the redemption, and the End of the World looks a lot like the Beginning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)