Against Babylon

For people who are Torah pursuant, this past week has been most difficult. It will probably be just as difficult next week, too, as these popular festivities unfold. Naturally, I am talking about the feasts commonly known as Christmas and New Year's Day, but have since ancient times been celebrated as Saturnalia and Janus. Being Torah pursuant, I see the fertility symbols behind the tree and the tree skirt; the mistletoe and the holly. I see the convoluted thinking that says we give gifts to each other because it is “Christ's birthday” and try not to roll my eyes. I see the drunken debauchery that is satan's counterfeit for true joy. I think of how our heavenly Father must be so hurt that the people that call on His Name are twisting the Gospel story to serve their own pleasures and ambitions. And in a few days, people will be celebrating the feast of Janus, the two headed god that looks ahead to the future and behind to the past. Unknowingly, they will listen to and watch TV specials that capture the year in review, and they will make New Year's resolutions to control their future, not realizing that they are practicing ancient rites. And then there is the drunken debauchery thing again ... “ringing” in the New Year, they'll call it.

There is a way that seems right to a man, says Proverbs 14:12 & Proverbs 16:25, but the way thereof is death. And, YHVH gave His only begotten Son, so that none should perish says John 3:16, but have life everlasting. Hebrews 6:6 says that by willful sin they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.

So, how can we pray for those friends and family members that “just don't get it”? First of all, our motivations must be pure. We have to approach this with an attitude of love, and not let it be a contest of wills, for that is nothing other than manipulation and witchcraft. Humbly, we must consider how long it took for us to “get it” and put away any pride over having “gotten it,” because we did not “get it” on our own. It was YHVH's mercy ALONE that allowed the scales to be taken from our eyes so that we could see what we were doing; so that we could see the vast distance between our own actions and the Word of Yah. So we start with repentance, for our own shortcomings and for theirs. We pray that YHVH in His mercy will hear our prayer for their highest good and remove the scales from their eyes. We must not give into the temptation to use sarcasm or try to control their activities. Lastly, we must realize they are YHVH's baby too, and sometimes, you just gotta let go. This affords our Father the opportunity to deal with them without interference or any rescuing on our part. Experience is an expensive school, but some will learn no other way.

This week's blog is, by admission, a expose' of my own spiritual wranglings. Those who mean the world to me think I am a nut-job because I choose to not participate in the festivities they find so wonderful. But, in the words of a song by Lenny and Varda, “I choose Life, I choose Blessing, I choose to live by [Yah's] Word / I choose to follow You, my L-rd. (Song: I Choose Life from the CD Torah is Life © Adonai Echad Music 2004) They think – or, rather, I presume they think – that they can do what they want without having to face judgment. I'm sure they would tell me that there is nothing wrong with parties, gifts, drinking etc. They are right! There is nothing wrong with parties, gifts and drinking. What's wrong is forsaking the feasts YHVH gave us. If we say we follow Y'shua – even if we're still calling Him Jesus – then follow Him! Do the things He did, celebrate the feasts He celebrated. Consider holy / set-apart what He considered holy / set-apart and eschew (to avoid something on moral or practical grounds) the things He eschewed. He is, after all, the Word of Yah in the flesh!

So how is all this “Against Babylon”? YHVH, in Genesis 3 mentions two seeds. The seed of the woman, which we understand to be Messiah Y'shua; and the seed of the serpent, the world system, that is, anything that is apart from or different from Yah's Word-in-the-flesh, Y'shua. It is really black and white. We are either YHVH's servants or Babylon's. We are either promoting YHVH's kingdom or Babylon. In Revelation 18:4, YHVH pleads with us, “Come out of [Babylon] My people, so you will not take part in her sins and you will not receive her plagues.”

Recently, in response to something I said about keeping Sabbath, someone called me 'elitist'. Although offended at the time, I see their point. They are right. Narrow is the gate that leads to eternal life and broad is the way to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Only a few will travel that narrow road. I am pursuing it and I pray their spiritual GPS can find it. Soon. Every day we spend is another day we don't have.

Shalom b'shem Sar Shalom / Peace in the Name of the Prince of Peace

Yocheved

The Mourning After

These past few months have been touching emotions that I don't often take out and play with. One of them being 'mourning'.

A couple of months ago, Uncle Jimmy, my father's youngest brother and last living sibling, passed away. He had taken up residence in the nursing home to be with Aunt Yvonne who was there to recover from a stroke. She lived about another 6 weeks after his passing, and then she joined him. They were very special, very sweet and I love them. In a way, it was almost like losing Dad (who passed in 1984) all over again.

Then, the proverbial ball really started rolling a couple of days before Thanksgiving when we learned of the deaths of our brother and sister in faith, Don and Jo. Don had gotten news of his own father's death at the age of 96, so he and Jo flew his plane to Connecticut for the funeral. They never arrived. Their plane went down just shy of the runway, just a couple of miles from his daughter's house. I learned later that his son in law heard what sounded like a crash, but at that time, “Pop's” plane wasn't late yet. It may take a year before all the investigations into the whys and wherefores are complete. I still expect to see Pop sitting on the back row of the shul, playing his bass guitar and Mama in her usual seat, smiling as she always did. But that's not to be.

Then earlier this week, I learned of the death of someone I knew in the 1980s. We had traveled to Europe together then. He insisted on driving through Germany. I was the navigator. Armed with only a paper map and NOT knowing German, every day was an adventure. Unfortunately, the names of the towns were at least 31 letters long and by the time I had gotten to letter 17 of the 31, we had passed the exit (Ausfahrt in German). We were going at least 90 mph on the autobahn, which had no speed limit, in a 2 cylinder Fiat – and yes, this roller-skate sized car could go 90! So we would argue because we had to turn around at the next exit. Ours was a brief but tumultuous relationship, so although not particularly saddened, I was shocked. He was “only” 54 when he died.

Today's encounter with death was a little different. A co-worker / friend I had in the late 1980s was very dear to me. It had been ages since I had heard from her and I wondered what had happened to her. Last I heard, she was the manager of the Humane Society in Sarasota, FL. I thought that FaceBook would be a good place to start, since I remember her as a very social, energetic, and outgoing person. There was nothing on FaceBook when I searched her name, but there was a link to a devotional she had written. Cool beans, I thought; I knew Sheree was just discovering Jesus in a Presbyterian church when I was discovering Y'shua in a Torah observant community. Praise Yah! I dug a little further. I went limp when I came to the Social Security Death Index. Sheree passed away in June 2005, three weeks after her 50^th birthday. The thoughts she expressed in the devotionals became all the more precious. I share them with you here. I don't think she'll be too upset at my not asking her permission.

10%

Written by Sheree Motola

A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, is the Lord’s and is holy. Leviticus 27:30 (The Book)

God’s word clearly sets up a system for giving back to the church. The Lord decreed to Moses that ten percent (a tithe) of everything that He blesses His people with, in the way of money or produce, should go back to Him.

Recently, some friends of mine have given me cause to challenge this principle. Last week, on two separate occasions, two different friends called me to offer help (I have not been feeling well lately) by providing meals, groceries, and to help tidy up my house (including changing my kitty litter!). Their reason for offering went beyond friendship and fellowship; both had been blessed recently and wanted to return the blessing to someone else. One had just sold a house and received some unexpected profits; another just got word that her husband had been awarded a big promotion. Both of these ladies give their tithe to the church, they wanted to give beyond the tithe; they wanted to give back a portion of the time, love and help that God had given them in the past week.

What would Christianity look like if we all agreed to give back one tenth of ALL the blessings God gives us? God has totally forgiven us for every wrong – what if we forgave just a tenth of those who had wronged us? God loved us enough to send His son to die for us, before we even knew Him or loved Him – what if we gave a tenth of that love back to strangers who don’t know us, much less love us? God blesses many of us with good health every day – what if we gave back a tenth of that health and helped others who were less healthy by giving blood or volunteering for a health organization? God hears all of our prayers – what if gave back a tenth of those prayers and prayed for or with others? God gives us 24 hours every day to use as we choose – what if we gave Him back 2.4 hours every day?

Take inventory today of the ways God has blessed you and ask Him to show you how to bless others in return.

Bye, Sheree ... I hope your transition was peaceful and I hope to see you again. This time we'll be rejoicing before our King, rather than lighting up Sarasota. I'll hold you in my heart til then.

Blessed are You, YHVH our El, Ruler of the universe who is Ha Dayan Emet, the True Judge. Blessed are You, YHVH, who gathers to Himself the remnant of His People in peace. May we be comforted among the mourners in Zion; and may our solace come from Heaven, b'shem Y'shua, who bore our griefs and who wept at the death of His friend, Lazarus.

Shalom b'shem Sar Shalom, 

Peace in the Name of the Prince of Peace, 

Yocheved