Shifting Shadows

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy Faithfulness, now ninety years old, is considered by many to be one of the favorite hymns.  But personally I confess, that after hearing and singing it so many times over the course of my life, I had started to become weary it.  And so it was that recently during a worship service, I was confessing this to the Lord as the song was about to begin.  Truly I wanted to sing the deep truths of the song with heartfelt conviction and without a negative attitude, and genuinely, I wanted the words of mouth to align with my heart.  So I asked the Lord to create in me a new heart that would allow me to bring a true praise offering of worship to Him.

The Father of heavenly lights does not change like shifting shadows.

As the song began, my mind explored an intriguing perspective on the lyrics that excited me and resonated with my soul.  In the musical message, I saw the sun as spiritual imagery demonstrating God's constant faithfulness, contrasted to the moon's ever-changing phases that could be likened to man's perpetual pattern of inconsistency.  




God's goodness, His life-giving strength, and His immutable character could be compared to the qualities of the sun, for just as the sun rises each morning to give its light so powerfully, freely and faithfully, so too, the Lord's mercies are new every morning.  Day by day, of every month, every season and every year, our Heavenly Father provides for our needs.  He is faithful to forgive, encourage, and give us hope for the future with the truth of His Word through His Holy Spirit.  His loving presence is constant and enduring.  Even more immutable than the sun, the Father of heavenly lights does not change like shifting shadows - James 1:17.  As the song testifies, "There is no shadow of turning with Thee." 

Waxing & waning.....our love is like the moon's shifting shadows.

In contrast to the imagery I saw in the sun, I found it fascinating to consider that man's character qualities could be likened to the moon.  Unlike the sun, the moon has no light of its own, rather, it is designed to be a reflector of the sun.  Similarly, man was created in the likeness of God to reflect His image!  As God's image-bearers, sometimes we reflect poorly, and sometimes we reflect more fully. 

Each moon cycle begins with just a sliver of reflection.  The reflective crescent grows and grows each night until the moon is full and fully reflective.  Following this fullness, the moon begins to wane until it is reduced to darkness.  How meaningful this understanding has become to me now, as I see this cyclical pattern as a mirror of mankind.  We too, wax and wane in our love for God and for our fellow man.  At times our love shines fully and brightly, but more often, like shifting shadows, we only dimly reflect our marvelous Maker.  

Yom Teruah - The Feast of Trumpets

Just as each new day is a gift, each new month provides us with new opportunities to grow in our love toward God and our neighbor.  According to the Biblical Hebrew calendar, each new moon (Rosh Chodesh) signals the head(rosh) of a new month(chodesh).  New moons are announced with the blasting of the shofar to signal time for celebration with the realization that by the mercy of God, each new month brings opportunity for rebirth and renewal.  Psalm 81:3 proclaims, "Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival."   Each full moon marks the midpoint, the fifteenth day, of each month.  Ordained by God's wisdom, a number of festivals of freedom and abundance, including Passover, Purim and Feast of Tabernacles occur during the time of the full moon. 

In Hebrew, "moon" or “month” is chodesh, meaning renewal.

There is one very special new moon celebration that occurs during the Fall of the year.  It is known in Scripture as the Feast of Trumpets but it is better known as Rosh Hashanna.  This particular new moon celebration is one of the Lord's appointed times for celebrating with the blast of the shofar.  

I find it amazingly significant that the prophetic message of this holy convocation foreshadows the return of the Messiah as the ruling, reigning, conquering King of Creation,  or as the Bridegroom returning for His Bride, or as the Judge of all the earth, or as the Redeemer of Israel - Revelation 11:15, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.  Among its many messages, the shofar blast on the Feast of Trumpets is a wake-up call, a call to warfare, a cry for help to the Lord, a signal for breaking camp or ushering in a new king.  Let us prepare our hearts.  Let us wake up.  Let us be fully alert and ready as the Day approaches.....the King is coming! - Joel 2:1

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” - Galations 4:4

 

 Abba Father,
Oh how we thank You that Your mercies are new every morning.....and every month.....and every year!  We give praise to You for Your faithfulness, even though we are so desperately undeserving and unfaithful!  May we humbly reflect less of us and more of YOU!  Fill us, we pray, with the Light of Your Word through Your Holy Spirit, because it is only through You that we are able to be who You made us to be.  Amen.

How great indeed, is Thy faithfulness!  

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
    Great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22-23

Naked Truth

I will remove from you your heart of stone.

As I was perusing clothing in a local shop, I was suddenly taken aback.....before my eyes was a naked woman strutting across the street!!!  Shocked, offended and appalled was I, while the woman behaved as though nothing were amiss!  OK, so I didn't see the scenario take place in in real time, but nevertheless, the scene with the naked woman printed on the back of a tee-shirt did offend my heart!  My spirit was grieved, not only for myself, but for society, and particularly for innocent children. Compelled to share my concerns about the effect of such images on society, I spoke to the store manager and respectfully asked him to reconsider selling such prints.

I will give you a heart of flesh.

Such was the experience I related to two confident high school art students who had been sharing about their appreciation for art with me.  I had brought up the scenario to them as I raised questions about how they critiqued the art that they saw in their museum visits.   Naively, I was certain that these bright, young students who had been influenced  with Christian training would share my conclusions about morality in art.....but alas, I was wrong.

I was struck to the core by the students' responses.  With renewed eyes, I reconsidered the art that I'd been taught to value.  I queried, "What makes art good, bad or beautiful?" "What is the moral obligation of art?" and "What about naked art?"  I pondered the goodness of some of the classic works of art that I had been taught to admire.  I questioned the church's judgement of art and my own college art training.  But most importantly I inquired, "What is God's standard for judging the art of the centuries?"  I recognized that even within Christianity we've been plagued by a moral void in the art we deem worthy.

 

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.

I pondered my own deep-down sense about viewing naked art.  I recognized that even as I was told to look intelligently and maturely at the work, to see the nakedness as beautiful, as fine art, as a creative display of God's glory, that even so, there was something innately uncomfortable in seeing the naked forms.  Many times I have noticed, that there was and still is something about naked art that does not sit right with my soul.  My childlike questions about nudity in art have only been met with double standards.  I have finally realized that the art world has duped us.


Years ago, a life-drawing college course raised serious issues for me.  While the teacher seemed very professional and respectful of the human body in the way he taught us about the underlying structures of bones and muscles that created the human form, I remember how unsettled I felt in drawing nudes.  I remember how embarrassed I felt the first time we had a male model.  I didn't want to to look up.  I employed strategies to protect my eyes and heart such as finding the most modest vantage point or never quite finishing the male images.  I remember too, wrestling with the morality of drawing nude models.  After all, logic would reason that if it's OK to create naked art, then it's OK to model naked.....right?  Yikes.....such a slippery slope!


It's a well known fact that many of the so-called masters have painted pictures of naked women that turned out to be their mistresses.  Now, if all this naked art is really so up-and-up as we've been taught to believe, then why were all these illicit relationships being forged?  Apparently, the artists were not so innocent, sophisticated, mature or godly in their appreciation of the human form.  Obviously, they were looking at their models with sinful lust.....and the results are the images we put before our eyes.  So tell me, where have our sense and sensibilities been in judging these matters?

I will put my Spirit in you and move you.

In recent years I have come to recognize a confusing and deceptive force that has powerfully influenced the art of Christendom......the art of the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican Museum.  In regards their immense and wealthy art collections, I have asked the dreaded questions, "Why would this institution encourage celibacy and purity, and then alternatively collect and display naked, adulterous, paganly humanistic, and dare I say, pornographic art?" "Is this not a double standard?" "Would a true church of God glorify the flesh and seek after worldly wealth?" "Is it possible that the Father of Lies, the Deceiver, the Author of Confusion, has been working overtime in the Church?"   

Remember that in the beginning, God set a precedent in Genesis 3:21 when He covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve after sin entered creation.  Scripture reveals that to be exposed as naked is a sign of sin and shame and neediness. Our Father's desire is that His sons and daughters live in purity, holiness and modesty, with respect for one another.  He warned his priests not to approach His altar on steps, but rather to use a ramp so that their private parts would not be exposed in Exodus 20:26.  Additionally, the Lord ordered undergarments to be worn by the priests who who would minister before Him in the tabernacle.  Spiritually too, we cannot come naked before our holy God, but we must come clothed in the white robes of righteousness provided for us by Yeshua our sinless Messiah.

Follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

As our Father has laid foundational principles for life in His Torah, our Master, Yeshua, instructed us to not even look lustfully upon one another, but time and time again, Satan's lie, "Did God really say?" has duped the world.....and even the church.  Repeatedly we have failed to recognize, admit or address the core issue.....the naked truth ......sin.  Naked art exposes hardness-of-heart toward what is truly beautiful in the eyes of our Creator.  Naked art is a slippery slope that has exposed us to all sorts of evils that we have permitted into our homes and into every aspect of our lives.  

Oh Lord, As the Day draws near, heighten our senses that we may clearly heed Your voice.  May Your pure, sweet, good and perfect instructions become more clearly and deeply impressed on our hearts and minds  - Jeremiah 31:32-33.  May we ever more faithfully follow Your laws an be careful to keep Your decrees - Ezekiel 37:24.  May we know our Good Shepherd's voice and not be fooled by the voice of the enemy.  Amen.

Create in me a pure heart, O God - Psalm 51:10

Her Mother's Heart

Happy Mother's Day, Lois! - Proverbs 31 Mama

"If you see a ripe strawberry, eat it!"

While working in my garden, I spied the ripe, red, juicy strawberries.  Although they looked tempting and delicious, I kept right on working.....but her words, "If you see a ripe strawberry, eat it," kept reverberating through my head.  With that sentiment came a cacophony of sweet thoughts, memories and images, and I realized that her simple statement had touched me deeply.  Feeling inspired, I took a break from trimming and went inside to sit a spell at the computer.  I knew that the words in my head could be crafted into a special blessing from the Lord for Lois.

Lois' middle school garden and the path to her art room.

"If you see a ripe strawberry, 
eat it!".....were words Lois had spoken to her middle-school students, encouraging them to partake of the produce from the little garden she had planted outside her art classroom.  Shrubs, flowers, strawberries and even a lemon tree, are lovingly enjoyed and tended to by Lois in this mini version of the beautiful garden that Lois keeps at home.  This little piece of paradise is just one of the creative ways that Lois has sown seeds of love.....blessing others with the beauty of the garden, spurred by her gratitude for the goodness of God.

Middle school theme banner - designed and created each year by Lois.

Lois, as you can see, is creative to the core.  Wherever she goes and in whatever she does, beauty, life and creativity overflow as a sweet fragrance.  Generous with her talents, she has lavished the work of her hands and the cream of her crops on many a family member, friend or neighbor.  Her decorating skills have graced many an event, be it a party, a wedding, or a school or church function.  Her artistic skills are as varied as painting, pottery, sewing, calligraphy, gardening and flower arranging.

Along with her fearless creativity, I've always been impressed and inspired by Lois' youthful and adventurous spirit.  No lazy bones in her body!  Whether learning a new language or a new computer skill, whether walking around a garden nursery with a vanilla latte or shopping for something fresh from a farmer's market, whether traveling abroad or getting lost and following her nose to find what she can find, Lois is always discovering something fun, delicious or lovely. 

Lois with her mom en route to college.....at Four Corners.

From what I've been told, Lois has inherited her mother's green thumb and her mother's heart.  Much of who Lois is today, is founded on the wonderful experiences of her childhood.  Biblical values, practical skills and knowledge, kindness, helpfulness and generosity, along with a nose for adventure were character qualities instilled in Lois by her father and mother.

This year marks Lois' 25th year of teaching art at the Christian school where she works.  I think this Mother's Day is a perfect time to pay tribute to the beautiful nurturing heart that Lois displays.....the heart that so resembles her mother's heart.  

Her mother would be blessed.

See my son's dish from Lois' ceramics class?

PS.  Oh, and remember those ripe, red strawberries I spied in my garden?  I ate them for breakfast while working on this article.  Sliced on waffles with melted chocolate chips, butter, and just a dusting of powdered sugar.....they were delicious!  

My happy surprise in photographing this moment in my morning was noticing that there on my desk sat a ceramic dish.....a piece made years ago by my son in Lois' ceramics class!  I still love it and use it for holding coasters.  

Thanks for blessing me, Lois!

Signs of New Life

Burnt Crimson* on the door, peacock feathers on me.

In the past, this would have been a day filled with many of the traditional elements of an Easter Sunday.  But today was different.....today was unusual for my family.  Normally on holidays we gather with extended family, but today was providentially orchestrated in a way that left me and my husband and sons on our own.  I was given the gift of freedom to follow my heart, to do something different, fresh and new.

Matzah Brie - not my favorite, but it fed my soul

Since I had been busy with Passover celebrations over the last two days, I hadn't done any planning ahead.  How would I make this day special?  How could I share with my family some of the things I had been learning about this special time of year on God's calendar?

My first order of business was fixing a little breakfast for myself.  My plan was to try my hand at Matzah Brie, which is like french toast made with matzah.  Since I'm observing the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread, I wanted to get a little creative.  I tried really hard.  I even used fresh squeezed orange juice and orange rind.  But truth be told, it wasn't my favorite.  To be fair, I kinda burned one side, and then I had to let it sit while I took a shower, since I had to hurry up to get ready to attend church with my family.  Then I had to eat it in the bathroom while I was getting ready.  Not very romantic.

I don't know about you, but the shower is a great place for the Lord to "speak" to me, to reveal new thoughts and ideas.  I guess it's just naturally a place of naked honesty, a place of spiritual cleansing and renewal.  So this morning, as I thought of my less-than-desirable Matzah Brie, I wondered, "How can unleavened bread be considered as part of a feast?"  And then I remembered the piercings, the stripes and the bruising the matzah displays.  My golden nugget of a thought that followed was, "If I need to eat matzah and leaven-free for a week because it will instill in my mind how my sinless Savior suffered to set me free, then yes, I will be feasting.....on gratitude!

In early Christian art, the peacock symbolized immortality.

Next I asked the Lord, as I often do in my ongoing, silent dialogue, what I should wear on this special day commemorating his resurrection.  What my eyes immediately locked onto was a peacock-patterned blouse.  I had purchased this top and peacock-feather earrings a couple of years ago, because I had learned that early Christians used the symbol of the peacock in their designs to symbolize immortality.  "Yes, perfect!" I thought, "That is just the right message for this Resurrection Day!"

I decorated the table with symbols to spur conversation.

After church I decided to set a nice table for lunch on the patio.  To honor Yeshua the Messiah, our Jewish Rabbi, the Living Torah, the Passover Lamb, the pure and sinless Unleavened Bread, the First Fruit of the Harvest, our meal would not include bread or the traditional ham.  I decorated the table with many meaningful symbols to spark conversation.  I set out a Passover Seder plate so we could talk about the elements of Passover which are meant to remind us of our exodus from the bitter slavery of sin, and of the freedom God has granted to those who place their trust in Him.  I made a bouquet of flowers in colors that were reminders of the blood that washes our sins as white as snow.  Along with grape juice, I set out matzah as a picture of the Sinless One who was bruised and pierced, and by whose stripes we are healed.  

Passover 2015 - the 3rd blood moon.

Recognizing today as an extension of Passover, and as part of the week-long celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and as the Feast of First Fruits, is a huge paradigm shift which takes quite a bit of effort to wrap my mind around.  Nevertheless, it is thrilling and exciting, as I recognize layer upon layer of meaning in God's designated holy days that were celebrated by our Lord and Savior.  These prophetic days of worship point to Yeshua in every minute detail.  These are days worth celebrating, and these are the days we shall still be celebrating in the kingdom of God!  May we also take heed.....that even as God is highlighting in the heavens His appointed times, with the 2014-2015 tetrad of blood moons, the enemy desires to steal and destroy these sacred commemorations.  

My heart in commemorating these celebrations is fueled by a deep desire to know the Scriptures, the Jewish Messiah, and God's chosen people in a more experiential, intimate way.  I want to experience in more fulness the richness of unity that comes when we are grafted into Israel through Yeshua our Messiah.  Although I'm a rather naive, newbie, my hope is that through my experiences, I can be a bridge-builder between the church and the beloved, chosen, perhaps even unbelieving or scattered nation, of Israel.  Someday, we shall all see this vision of unity perfectly completed. 


* Burnt Crimson is the very special name for the color of our front door.  When we painted our house, I knew I wanted a reddish door as a reminder that the blood of Yeshua is the door to eternal Life.  As the Passover Lamb whose blood (Crimson) was placed on the doorposts and whose life was sacrificed (Burnt), our Savior gave his life to give us Life.

Sewing in Peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  John 14:27

Yesterday I had the opportunity of time.....time for creativity....time to work on a quilt I had started.  I'm in the process of sewing a couple of simple, square styled quilts for my son's bunk bed.  Using recycled denim, leftover fabric, and newly chosen fabric in stripes, plaids, and plains, I'm trying to spruce up, but still coordinate with what's already working in the room.  

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.  Isaiah 55:12

Yesterday was just too beautiful a day to be inside to work on my project, so I decided to act upon an idea that had been on my mind for a while now.  I decided to take my project outdoors.  Barefoot and fancy-free, I happily pinned away under the shade of a tree.  I felt so spoiled and so blessed to be able to do what I desired to do in such a peaceful setting.

As I sat, quietly pinning, I basked in the beauty of our little corner of creation.  Silently, in prayer and praise, I thanked God for the sunny day, the glorious breeze, and the birds' song in the air.  I wondered why the moment felt so rare.....to be so still, so quiet, just listening, just feeling.....no music, no media.....just me and the Lord.....outside together.

Next, I hauled my sewing machine and table out to the patio.....and I began to intersperse my pinning with sewing, row by row.  Every stitch was a delight in the beauty of the outdoors. I felt deep joy in the luxury I was experiencing.  I accepted this time as a gift from the Lord.

My project wasn't deep or meaningful, but practical and useful.  Though simple in design, it was still an avenue for creativity.  It made my heart happy to put together colors and textures in a random and perhaps even quirky way.  Since I had previously sewn together ten rows with seven squares each, my goal for the day was to sew all ten rows together.  My goal gave me momentum to keep on stitchin' until I accomplished my task.

Mission accomplished.....made with memories.

Days like these don't happen every day.  Days like these are gifts from above. We have a part in making each day and moment beautiful.  Sometimes it takes a little effort. Sometimes it takes a lot.  Sometimes the beauty is just in the eye of the beholder.  Sometimes the beauty of a moment is all in our attitude. 

This I'm learning.....in sewing and in life.....Peace has come and He is with us.....everyday and everywhere.....in our rush and in our rest.

For Such a Time as This

Purim is a time for giving gifts of food in celebration.

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" - Mordechai - Esther 4:14

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you prosper."  I remember clearly, the first time when I really heard these words, when they didn't just go in one ear and out the other.  Until that moment, my spiritual ears weren't opened.....and neither was my heart.  I had been living with an ideology that put all-things-Jewish off my radar as obsolete and irrelevant.  After all, I was a Christian, and I wasn't Jewish.  I had grown up with a Replacement Theology mentality, believing that the church had replaced Israel as the apple of God's eye.  I believed that we live in a new dispensation, a time of history where the old has gone and the new has come, where grace is in and law is out, because through Jesus, the law has been fulfilled and nailed to the cross.  With this mentality, there was not much reason for me to put a lot of emphasis on Israel. 

The story of one woman's courage.

When I first really heard God instruct me through his Word to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, I had no words of my own, so I simply prayed the words of Scripture.  I knew next to nothing about modern day Israel and Judaism.  In fact, I didn't know any Jews.  Except for one.  I had met a Jewish guy named Mike, who was employed at the recycling center in my neighborhood.  I began to pray for Mike.

When I discovered the Hebrew calendar in my NIV Bible, and began to learn about the Creator's appointed holy days, and the Jewish holidays, I started to look for ways to bless this one Jew, who as far I knew, was the only Jew I knew.  Before each of the biblical holidays, I would study up and learn a bit of the meaning and the background of each occasion, and each time, I would be inspired with one small way to bless Mike. 

My first attempt at Hamentaschen - with rasberry jam filling.

On the Festival of Purim, I was inspired try my hand at a traditional Purim cookie called Hamentaschen.  These three-cornered butter cookies sport a little dash of orange zest in the crust and a sweet center of jam or some other filling.  I thought these treats would be a fitting blessing for Mike and his employer, the owner of the recycling center, whom I had discovered was also Jewish.

Hamantaschen cookies are reminders of Haman, the wicked enemy of the Jews, who was destroyed by his own evil plot, as described in the Book of Esther.  The little pastries are said to resemble Haman's ears or Haman's hat.  In Germanic languages,  the word "tasch" means "pouch" or "pocket," thus the reference may refer to "Haman's pockets," symbolizing the money Haman planned to offer the king in exchange for permission to destroy the Jews.

Purim or lots were cast for date of demise

Purim, or the Festival of Lots, recalls God's miraculous deliverance of the Jews from annihilation during the times of the ancient Persian Empire, after lots (purim) were cast to determine the day of their demise.  God had orchestrated for Queen Esther to be raised up to the right place, at the right time, to be God's instrument of intervention.  Encouraged by her father-figure, Mordecai, Queen Esther risked her life to intercede before King Ahasuerus on behalf of her people, the Jews.  Ultimately the enemy was destroyed, and God's chosen people prevailed.

Celebrating Purim with a woman's Bible study. 

Purim is celebrated by reading the Book of Esther.  When the story is read, the listeners boo or hiss or twist groggers (noisemakers) to drown out the name of wicked Haman.  Some dress up in costume as one of the characters in the story.  It is a time of celebrating and rejoicing when mourning and sorrow was turned to joy and when the Jews obtained rest from their enemies.   It is biblical tradition to give gifts of food to friends and to give gifts to the poor on this day.

The story of Purim is not just an ancient story to be relegated to the annals of history.  Remember Hitler and the Holocaust, and let us say "Never Again!"  Perhaps today, more clearly than ever, we can see the antisemitic spirit rising against the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.  May we not stand on the side of hate and judgement, rather, let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem.


 Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, addressed the US Congress on March 3, 2015 with these words:

"We're an ancient people.  In our nearly 4,000 years of history, many have tried to repeatedly to destroy the Jewish people.  Tomorrow night, on the Jewish holiday of Purim, we'll read the Book of Esther.  We'll read of a powerful Persian viceroy named Haman, who plotted to destroy the Jewish people some 2,500 years ago.  But a courageous Jewish woman, Queen Esther, exposed the plot and gave for the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against their enemies.

The plot was foiled.  Our people were saved.

Today the Jewish people face another attempt by yet another Persian potentate to destroy us.  Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei spews the oldest hatred, the oldest of anti-Semitism with the newest technology.  He tweets that Israel must be annihilated - he tweets.  You know, in Iran, there isn't exactly free Internet.  But he tweets in English that Israel must be destroyed.

For those who believe that Iran threatens the Jewish state, but not the Jewish people, listen to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, Iran's chief terrorist proxy.  He said:  If all the Jews gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of chasing them down around the world."

Treats for a Purim celebration.

We would be wise to remember that if Haman had succeeded in wiping out the Jewish nation, there would be no Jewish lineage.  If there was no Jewish lineage, there would be no Jesus.  If there was no Jesus, no Yeshua, there would be no salvation.  Salvation is of the Jews.

Just recently, I've come to really understand a biblical principle that I hadn't fully comprehended before.  It is the biblical principle of the priority of the Jews.  I believe it takes humility to understand this, but if we can put ourselves aside, this truth will make a huge impact on squelching antisemitism and Replacement Theology.  The Bible tells us that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew and also to the Gentile.  Listed below are a few of the ways that show how this is so, and you can read more about it in John Piper's article here. 

• They are the historic chosen people of God.
• They are the guardians of God's special revelation, the Old Testament Scriptures.
• The Messiah and Savior, Jesus, comes to the world as a Jew, to Jews.
• Salvation is from the Jews, since everyone who is saved is saved by being connected to the covenant with Abraham by faith.

 

Purim - when sorrow was turned to joy, when good triumphed over evil.

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." - I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." -  God to Abram Genesis 12:31

Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem.....let us bless Israel!

Lamenting Lent

A cross of ashes on the forehead.....a solemn, penitent, introspective ceremony.....forty days of fasting.....these are some of the practices which make up the celebration of Lent.  A religious experience?.....Yes.  Spiritual and perhaps deeply moving?.....Yes, I know from experience.  But biblical?  Hmmm.

I didn't grow up celebrating Lent, because it wasn't part of my church's tradition.  In fact, for most of my life, I didn't even know what Lent was.  Then over ten years ago, it was introduced in my church, and I went to my first Lenten service.  The service was solemn and reflective and focused on how Christ the Lord suffered for those he came to save.  The sign of the cross made of ashes on the forehead seemed really weird to me at first, but when heard more about it, I started to embrace it. In the service, we were encouraged to engage in the tradition of giving up something for forty days.  That too, I embraced as a way to fix my mind upon the Savior, while tasting a portion of the self-denial that he exhibited on our behalf.


For a few years I participated in Lent and even encouraged the youth of our church to join in the service and the traditions.  But then I came across a calendar in my Bible that I had overlooked until that very moment.....and it rocked my world.

The calendar I found in my NIV Bible was mapped out by the Creator himself.  It was a cyclical calendar of consecrated days which highlighted God's appointed times that He had said were to be remembered forever.  The calendar I found in my Bible contained no Lent or Easter, no Advent or Christmas, nor Sunday days of worship.  It was a Hebrew calendar based on the seasons, governed by the sun and moon that God set in place for this very purpose.  The value in recognizing God's calendar is that it powerfully imparts insight for understanding the Word of God.  

God's holy calendar includes days of feasting and fasting, reflection and rejoicing,  solemnity and worship.....all the things God knows we need to maintain and deepen our relationship with Him.  God's divine appointments are the days that our Rabbi Yeshua/Jesus kept when he lived on this earth.  He showed us how to live to please God.  He affirmed and kept all the words and practices of Scripture in the most perfect and beautiful way.

I am lamenting that I see a growing trend to re-institute the practice of celebrating Lent.  Why the need to add and subtract from the beauty of God's precious calendar when Yeshua himself says to us, "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."  Our Messiah, his disciples, and the early believers, including Gentiles who were grafted into the commonwealth of Israel, did not celebrate Lent, but during the Feast of Unleavened Bread they "gave up" bread with yeast, symbolizing the danger of permitting unchecked sin to inhabit our lives.  

My Lenten Lament is that oftentimes man-made traditions replace God's pre-determined, prophetic, divine appointments that he has said were to be remembered forever.  It's as if we have appeased ourselves with lesser things while forfeiting something much more valuable and lasting.  It's as if God's wonderful gifts are just waiting for us.....to taste and touch and see.   Come and eat, you who are hungry.....the blessings await!
 

How about giving up yeast for the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch---as you really are.  For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8