Mount Moriah and a Sacrifice in Thorns

Just learned an amazing thing listening to Joe Amaral's video on 100 Huntley Street. I've spent a few hours pouring over the scriptures checking it out, being a good Berean, and I'm in tears. This God we serve is so incredible. He is always giving us understanding and glimpses into what He's going to do and what His plan is. When Yeshua became the Passover lamb for each one of us, he fulfilled all the requirements of what was prescribe for the animal sacrifice. He was without blemish, a first born, no broken bones, just to name a few details . When Yeshua gave up his life as our atoning sacrifice, a crown of thorns was placed on His head, He was placed on the wood, and sacrificed on Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah is the known as the area where the temple mount is located and is not really mentioned directly in the gospels. I had no idea that it was Mount Moriah area where Yeshua was sacrificed. Now Joe Amaral points out the event back in Genesis when Abraham is tested by our Father, to take his only son to the mount that the Father chooses. He directs Abraham to take Isaac to the mountain named Moriah. It takes him 3 days to get there, and then Abraham and his son take wood and a knife and fire to head up to mountain, just the the two of them. His son inquires where is the LAMB is that is to be offered. Abraham tells him that God will provide for himself the LAMB for the offering. Just as Abraham is about to kill his only son, an angel calls to him to stop. When Abraham lifts his eyes he sees a male ram. This lamb has it's head caught in a thicket and instead of his son, the lamb is killed. Are you starting to see the parallels? A father and son, a sacrifice, a lamb, God's provision sacrificed on wood, a crown of thorns on a lamb that is slain, a sacrifice of a substitute lamb on the mountain named Moriah, seed of Abraham saving his people, covenant fulfillment foreshadowed. Isn't this wonderful, so wonderful it makes me cry with amazement. You are wonderful Father, I love you. Our Father is amazing and tells His story with perfect details, letting us in on what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do.

Mainstream Christian Show Teaches about the Holy Days

This is exciting. For me it is. 100 Huntley Street, a Canadian mainstream Christian television show is hosting Joe Amaral from First Century Foundations. He's teaching about the importance of and Yeshua's fulfillment of the scriptural Holy Days.

I've posted most of the video clips on my youtube channel.

Praise the Father for giving a platform to teach these truths.

Dialogue, Dinosaurs, and Defense

I recently tried to have a conversation with a fellow believer that didn't really go anywhere, which was very disappointing to me. What was so disappointing for me was that this believer had no interest in exploring, through conversation the possibilities that we, in our dialogue, could sharpen each other, and in effect know our Father that much better.

The conversation began over a magazine cover that talked about Mars, and the possibilities that life could have existed on the planet. The topic of time, as in the earth and the universe being billions of years old, came up. I declared that I didn't believe that the earth was as old as the secular scientists were claiming. After a few of my theories were toss into the pot of conversation, this believer polite closed off the topic with a statement, similar to this, " I am fine with not understanding everything there is to know about God. I don't have the need to know."

Okay, I thought, so what then? Let's talk about... hmmm dinner? It's dinner time yes let's move on to something else.

That was it. Our conversation ended without going anywhere except down.

This is why that bugged me. Why is it so "taboo, difficult, uncomfortable, boring" to talk about reconciling the apparent differences with the secular worldview, and our scriptural worldview.

Why is this believer disinterested in engaging conversation that may have two opposing sides. Defending our faith, our religion, our worldview is not something that we need to be afraid of, rather the opposite is true. We need to learn how to tackle these "apparent" biblical problems, together so that we have an answer for those who ask us why we believe what we believe.

When our children begin to move out from our wings, into the world, they will encounter may unbiblical worldview that, unless prepared, will knock them off their foundation.

I want to make sure that I and my children, will have at the very least, had a conversation about dinosaurs, the scriptures and how we as believers reconcile their existence.

Aren't we supposed to love the Father with all of our heart, soul, and MIND?

For the record, I believe in a young earth, about 6 thousand years old, and I think dinosaurs are in the bible. If you care to engage me in a conversation about this, come on over and I'll put on some tea. I promise still to love you if you don't agree with me, as I expect you will still love me if I don't agree with you. (It's okay to defend your beliefs, really it is)

Passover

We do things a bit differently. We consider this to be the first month in the scriptural calendar. Yes going against pretty much all the calendar's going in relation to the Torah and the moon and sun, the signs in the heavens. Because of this we celebrated Passover and today is the first Day in the Feast of UnLeavened Bread. It was nice to celebrate this with close family. Actually we had two passover's (if you can do that) one with immediate family members and another with some friends. We had a great time. Wishing everyone a blessing in this season of remembering. May the Father come quickly and start our Exodus from this world, full of lawlessness. I want to be free from the leaven in my life so that I can be free to enter into the kingdom more fully. Thank you my King for covering me and washing me with your blood. You are the Lamb who has taken away the sin of the world. You are my king. I will serve you and love you. May my heart prove to be worthy. I love you with all my heart and soul.

Have someone pray for you, really pray.

I've been battling, rather succumbing to depression as of late. The last year has been quite the ride. I feel like I've been on the t.v. reality show "Wipe Out" only this is not for entertainment. I'm living the real wipe out "show". Slowly like the frog in the cold pot, that slowly gets heated and eventually dies, I've been getting more and more depressed. I began crying at odd times, and angry most of the time, wanting so much for my heart's cry to be heard. I knew in my head that the Father heard my cry and He witnessed my descent into misery. I couldn't seem to communicate to my husband how I was feeling, without coloring the words with the hint of "leave me alone". This of course is the last thing I really wanted but my husband and I can't seem to communicate on this level. My sister "heard" my cry and came to give me hope. She spent the most part of last Sunday, cleaning my house, helping me sort through stuff, and best of all inspired the rest of my family to come together. Her best present to me, though I really did need the help cleaning, was knowing that she was "waring" in the spiritual realm for this depression to unhook it's grasp on me. Two evenings she did this prayer. I am so thankful for her gift because my husband and I also had a break through. He "heard" my heart and my cry and rather than responding to the outer communication, he "got" that I needed unconditional acceptance AND that he needs to be the one who ministers the Father's heart to me. He is pledging to be my pastor, my head, my protector. We love each other so much, and now, because of the answered prayer, the grace of my Father, the blessing of a spirit filled family member not only do I feel hopeful, I feel free, joyful and optimistic about life. True life, comes from my incredible God. I am peaceful because He who loves me, promises to carry out all His promises.

It occurred to me that His promise is that if I follow him, goodness and mercy will follow me, his child, all the days of my life. Why then, would He give me a husband who needs equipping and help on how to love me, not give him that help. Of course he would! He will give Jim all that he needs to help minister to me, so that I receive the healing I obviously need. He will give Jim all that he needs to help release me from past hurts, so that I can walk in freedom. I trust that the Father will speak to Jim, and also I trust in Jim's relationship with the Father.

I love God. He IS a good God.

How the Kings Lived

I have chosen to live out my faith in the creator God and his only begotten son Yeshua a little differently than most. I believe that the old testament and all it's instructions is still relevant to God's children. I don't believe that when Yeshua died on the cross that that meant the entire law of Moses (as it commonly referred to in scripture) was laid to rest. For this seemingly bizarre stray from mainline "Christianity" I have been subjected to some persecution. While not enjoying the persecution, it has caused me to delve back into the scriptures to see for myself that how and what I believe is scriptural.
Okay, now for what I wanted to comment on, the scriptural reference to my path that I'm on. I've been trying to read through the entire scriptures again and I'm reading in 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. Here's what I've notice. Each king that is chronicled is NOT remembered for their personal contribution to the people they rule over. Each king is NOT remembered for the infrastructure built while in power, or for the cities that they've acquired or for the wealth gained or lost during his reign. What each king IS noted for is their return to or straying away from the commandments of Yahweh. The terminology used in the scripture is this: "so and so"king did evil in the sight of the Lord and worshipped the gods of the people" and "so and so" king did what was right in the sight of Yahweh.
One king is noted for their evil deeds and the other for their righteous deeds. Evil is equated to worship and the ways of the nations, righteousness equated to return to Gods ways and His commandments.
This pattern repeats throughout the first (old) testament. The prophets warn the people of Yahweh to return to His ways; I'm thinking of Ezra as just one example. It's one of the main themes of the scriptures.
So here is my question: Why would a loving God, throughout the first (old) testament turn his back on his children who turn their backs on Him by forsaking his ways, then declare in the second (renewed) testament that it really doesn't matter what you do? Why would He suddenly change history really, change his mind and not care about how His children live out their faith.
Yeshua came and fulfilled the promise made to Abraham, the seed that would save the world. Through Yeshua's atoning blood we are rendered innocent of breaking these commandments. Are we only to keep his commandments in our hearts? (that's another blog)

Here is an analogy I've come up with to help explain. Please keep in mind when reading this analogy that approaching the Father is not the issue. Coming into the Father's presence is not what I'm describing. The only way to be declared innocent of breaking the rules is by the "blood of the lamb". I'm addressing the rules themselves, the commandments. With that in mind I will continue with my analogy.

There is a family with one son. He is given the commandments of the house; the house rules. All those who belong to this house are required to the best of their ability to keep the house rules. When the son decides not to keep the house rules and chooses to follow foreign "rules" that the son has learned from his neighbours, His father is not pleased. His father warns him to return to the original house rules, but he does not. Eventually the son is told to leave the house. He has moved far away, following the ways of the neighbours. When the son comes home and wants again to live under the protection of the Father, he repents and promises to keep the house rules. He wanders again, back to the ways of the neighbours and his father again gives him consequences. This cycle repeats.

According to what mainline Christianity teaches this is what happens next in my analogy.

In the neighbourhood there is another son from another family, who hears about the house of the Father. He decides that he wants to be a part of this wonderful home. This is good news for the Father because he has always had an open door policy. Any one could come live in His house. This neighbourhood son comes to live in the house and as long as he's there he doesn't have to keep the house rules. Well not all of them. This newly adopted son has to only love the Father, but the other rules, well they are not that important any more. The other rules are just for the first son, not the second son. Okay, maybe if the original son returns, then he doesn't have to keep the rules either. The rules that were in place, now the Father considers, are obsolete and irrelevant. What was I thinking, says the Father. No one can keep these rules, so I will just toss them to the wind. I will blanket all children living in this house with grace, so whenever they break, whatever rules they chosen to follow, I will just forgive them and we'll all be happy. I don't really care anymore if they worship me in the ways of the neighbours, because, well, at least they are still worshipping me. I know in the past that I've said that I hate this blended worship, but things have changed. It doesn't matter what I said to my original child, even if I did say forever, I didn't really mean it.

In this ending to the analogy the Father would, in my opinion be, cruel. The Father, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow is really not the same. If he can change the rules of the house, at will, how will we ever know what he expects of us. And the poor first son, who lived with consequences of the Father's rules. He was kicked out and left to the ways of the neighbours, for breaking the Father's rules. He is to find out later that the adopted son didn't get any consequences from straying from the house rules. The adoptive son is held to a lesser standard than the first son. If I were the first son, I would feel ripped off. An adoptive son gets relatively no consequences and the original son get dispersed to the neighbours. Hmmmm!


I don't believe that this is what the father has done. I think the analogy ends like this:
The father has grieved that his first son has left the protection of the father's house, but because the son did not want to honour the "rules" he had to give him consequences. The father never "lifts " the rules. The adoptive son, who wants to come live in the wonderful house of the Father, is required to follow the house rules too. (Remember that the way to forgiveness from disobeying the rules is not the issue, but the rules themselves) The rules are the same. If the adoptive son wants to live in the same house as the original son, then the adoptive son doesn't get preferential treatment. The same rules apply. The Father is fair, righteous, and it's clear what is expected from all children living in the same home.

It makes more sense to me that the Father of the house, no matter who has come to live in the home, requires all his children to follow the same "rules". All children in the home are forgiven of the SAME RULES by the same way, which is through the sacrificial blood of Yeshua.

New Moon

Recently on a field trip to the Wilson Coulee Observatory, I was reminded of how magnificent our God is. He created the firmaments of the earth and the stars of sky. Every celestial object in space, is in it’s place, because He decided where it would go. One of His specially placed objects is our moon.

While not knowing all the reason’s why He choose to place this round rock where He did, the scriptures, however, are clear about one of the reasons. According to Genesis 1:14-19, it is how our Father marks time. It is God’s calendar. The moon marked the days and years for Adam and Eve and for every generation of God’s children after them.

For example, God’s lunar calendar is used to mark the first Passover (Exodus 12). A festival celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month. Why the fourteenth day of the month? The fourteenth day of a lunar month is the time when the moon is full and shines the brightest. This extra light would have benefitted the exiting Hebrew’s of the original Passover as they travelled into the wilderness; a sort of heavenly flashlight. Yahweh is so cool.