'Elyon (עליון) ....

It is well with my soul

2009-01-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here in Northern Ireland, and for days I've been thinking and thinking about what I could perhaps write about on this site, some incredible topic that would intrigue and encourage people to pursue G-d. And for days I've come up with nothing. I still have nothing. But that's ok.
As I sit here, sipping some disgustingly simple instant coffee and listening to Shane and Shane, a song emerged that tugged at my heart, one that we've probably all heard before by different artists. The song is titled "It Is Well (With My Soul)".
Maybe we've all heard the story behind the song, but in case not I'm going to refresh you. It's about a man named Horatio Spafford, who went through an incredibly hard time in his life. First he lost his only son. Shortly after that, the great Chicago fire caused financial ruin for his family. Following this, he lost his four daughters in a ship wreck in which his wife alone was saved. On his way from America to Europe to meet his grieving wife, Spafford's ship passed the site where his daughters had drowned and he was inspired to write this song:

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the L-rd, praise the L-rd, O my soul!

And L-rd, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Many times that's where we end the story. But Horatio Spafford's story continues. In the following years he and his wife had three more children, two daughters and a son who died in infancy. With the remainder of their lives, Horatio and his wife moved to Jerusalem and founded a colony to help the poor.
I find this story incredible. This man was a modern-day Job. In the midst of his struggles and grief and losing most of everything he had in life, he still praised G-d. And not only did he choose to adopt this attitude of praise, he wrote a song about it and lived it out. He chose not to dwell in his grief and loss, though it would have been easy to do so. Instead, he chose to praise G-d with his life and to help people.

I wonder, what are we complaining about today? And why are we complaining instead of praising our Abba?

I would encourage you all today, please take the time to do this: Sit down and write a list of the things you worry about, stress about, complain about. Then spend some time in prayer just praising G-d for his goodness and mercy and grace. Praise his name despite your circumstances. I think you'll find that having an attitude of praise is much better than a lifestyle of complaining.
Then I would encourage you, look around and see where you can get involved, how you can help out. It is much better to help others than to spend all your time focusing on yourself and your own problems.

And please, let me know your thoughts on this post. Let me know if you took my challenge and if it changed something for you. I'd love to hear comments and stories! I pray Abba's blessing on you all today and each day, and may the peace of Jehovah be with you always.

Shalom.

FREEDOM

2008-04-12T15:16:00.001-06:00

So much holds us back from true freedom. Material wealth, fear of failure, fear of man, and the list goes on. We cling too tightly, trying to hold onto things of no real worth or significance as if they were the great pearls in this life.
I want to laugh and weep at the same time over this clever ruse to keep us living in blind poverty. Richness is ours for the taking. No, not material gain. What would that add to our lives? No, the richness to be had is LIFE. FREEDOM. LOVE. PEACE. JOY.
These are treasures beyond compare, and not everyone can say they have them, although they are there for the taking.
Life cannot truly be life without freedom. One may think they are living, but without the unadulterated rush of pure freedom they are living in a cage of their own making. No one forces you to live in the cage. The key is yours, the door open if you so choose. But too often we fear the unknown, choosing to close the door on our gilded prison rather than risk it all and face the vast unknown called freedom.
LET GO. Stop holding onto the things you think are important. A job, a car, status, appearance, the latest technology. What is all this? Merely the decorations in your cage.
GIVE IT UP. All of it. Dare to risk, to dream, to believe the impossible can happen. Dare to live. Really live. All your possessions are nothing. They cannot bring you happiness. True joy is found in freedom.
Christ has set us free. We have the choice to step out of our prisons of doubt and fear, away from a meaningless, pitiful existence, into our true callings. We were made for so much more, what are we waiting for?
Take it! It's yours! LIVE IT!

Breathe it in. FREEDOM.

Finding Yahweh

2008-03-19T06:16:00.001-06:00

"Before any person can begin seriously to pursue God, God must first pursue him or her. Before anyone can begin seriously to seek God, God must already have begun to seek him or her." (Tozer)
I wonder how many of us go about our daily lives thinking we have to "meet Yahweh" in a certain place or at a certain time. Oh how we put him in a box so often. And for what? Because we as humans, with our limited minds, cannot grasp a God so big that he has no beginning and no end. Our brains cannot comprehend that. So to make Yahweh seem more plausible, more explainable, we create a beginning and an end. We give Yahweh definition and think up rules and laws to apply to him. As if he lives by rules. As if our laws could govern him.
I wonder if we even realise that as we try to shove Yahweh in a box, it is not the real God we're trying to control. Yahweh is not even where we think he is.
I wonder if you realise that God is everywhere, in everything. He is in a smile, in the wind, in a voice, in a song, in someone's tears, in a child, in the flowers of the fields. He has created everything. This creation is a piece of him. We are a reflection of our Father. We have his spiritual DNA flowing through our veins.
I wonder how often we live life and forget about God. We don't see him for who he is. We don't recognise his presence all around us because we live under the falsehood and religious tradition that Yahweh's presence only exists when we beg him for it. How sad that idea is.
Freedom will come when we throw all our misconceptions out the window and take God for who he really is instead of what religion tells us he is.
Think of Jacob, as he was running for his life after deceiving his father and stealing his brother's birthright, and Yahweh appeared to him in a dream to make a great promise of land and descendants. When Jacob awoke, he uttered these words: "Surely the Lord is present in this place, and I did not know it!" (Genesis 28:16) The text goes on to say, "Shaken, he said, 'How awesome is this place! There is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven.' "
"God had been there all the time. The problem was that Jacob did not know it." (Tozer)

How often do we live life without Yahweh because we fail to realise he is already a part of it? No begging is required, no hours of intense prayer to "see his face" or "know his will".
Who is Yahweh? Look at the life of Yeshua to know that.
"Yeshua said, 'I AM the way - and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me. Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him - in fact, you have seen him.' Philip said to him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.' Yeshua replied to him, 'Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, "Show us the Father"? Don't you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me?' "(John 14:6-10)

Through Yeshua we see Yahweh. And I ask you, how can we claim to be "followers of Yahweh" unless we know Yeshua?
Seek and you will find. Why? Because he is already there. He is in everything.

Selah.

2008-03-19T06:15:00.000-06:00

Why are you alive? What is the purpose of your existence here on earth? I think perhaps for this point in my life Tozer sums it up best: "If you are living only to buy and sell and get gain, that is not enough. If you are living only to sleep and work, that is not enough. If you are living only to prosper and marry and raise a family, that is not enough. If you live only to get old and die, and never find forgiveness and the daily sense of God's presence in your life, you have missed God's great purpose for you."
As I write this, I am laying in a field of wildflowers and fresh green spring grass. (Yes, what a hippie-ish thing to do.) As I look around, I'm astounded by the simplicity yet astonishing beauty of this field. Each flower was crafted with care, each petal and colour, each design... these flowers are beautiful. I know God is proud of his handiwork. How could he not be?
I know that he is much more proud of us, his living, breathing, reflection of him.
I think when we strip away all that the world holds close and deems important, we will finally get down to the simplistic way of life, the small things that matter so much. The faith of a child. The wonder in each moment, in each skip through the park, in each dancing session in a field, in each piece of grass, in each small flower.
Freedom.
I can almost hear the earth groaning, the rocks crying out... because I haven't been. We were made to praise. My soul yearns to praise. My mind tells me this is a stupid concept, an embarrassing habit that will make me an outcast, a lonely creature in the midst of a bustling world. But is this such a bad thing? I think it's quite the opposite... being an outcast means I'm standing for things the world doesn't understand, things they can't possibly grasp unless they too strip away all they think is important.
The faith of a child.
Freedom.
We need to get back to the place where we are amazed with everything God is, everything he has done, everything he represents.
Condemnation does not exist there. Failure has no hold. Pride is not important. Worry and fear are unheard of - we simply trust our Abba to be there, to take care of us. Trust is always present, never questioned. Forgiveness is given regardless of the offense. Our eyes take on a different, softer, more innocent look.
The faith of a child.
Freedom.

It is easy for a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why is that? What does that child see that we (with all our seemingly important knowledge, wisdom, and experience) cannot understand?

Selah.

Words of Wisdom

2008-02-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

For today, the topics of prayer and peace....

I've heard so many Christians who prayer as loud as possible, as long as possible, thinking somehow that if they say enough of the right words God will hear them, or they'll sound as if they have a closer relationship with God, or they're more righteous than others...

I would caution everyone against this insidious type of pride. It comes easily, and is hard to purge from your life. Especially when one is trained that this is way Christians should pray - loud, obnoxious, for all the world to hear our tzedakah (righteousness).

This is what Yeshua says on the matter:
"Be careful not to parade your acts of tzedakah in front of peoplein order to be seen by them! If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So, when you do tzedakah, don't announce it with trumpets to win people's praise, like the hypocrites in the synagogues and on the streets.... When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners, so that people can see them. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already! But you, when you pray, do into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
"And when you pray, don't babble on and on like the pagans, who think God will hear them better if they talk a lot. Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him. You, therefore, pray like this:
"Our Father in heaven!
May your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us the food we need today.
Forgive us what we have done wrong,
as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us.
And do not lead us into hard testing,
but keep us safe from the Evil One.
For kingship, power and glory are yours forever. Amen."

Many Christians also fall into the habit of constantly worrying about life. You might say, "Well, it's not just Christians, everyone worries!"
Why is that? We are called to be holy, set apart, different. Why is it then that our lifestyle mirrors that of "pagans"?
Worrying is telling Yahweh that you don't trust Him enough to take care of everything, down to the smallest detail. Relationships are built on trust. If there is no trust, there is no close relationship. So how then could you call Yahweh your Lord, savior, closest friend, confidante, etc if you still worry about earthly matters?

This is what Yeshua says:
"Therefore, I tell you, don't worry about your life - what you will eat or drink; or about your body - what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds flying about! They neither plant nor harvest, nor do they gather food into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they are? Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to his life?
"And why be anxious about clothing? Think about the fields of wild irises, and how they they grow. They neither work nor spin thread, yet I tell you that not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these.
"If this is how God clothes grass in the field - which is here today and gone tomorrow, thrown in an oven - won't he much more clothe you? What little trust you have!
"So don't be anxious, asking, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or 'How will we be clothed?' For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Don't worry about tomorrow - tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough tsuris already!"

I hope that you read all this, and that it has both encouraged and chastised you (in love). Don't allow guilt to weigh you down; instead, put the past behind you, lift your face to the sunrise, and realise that Yahweh doesn't remember our mistakes and sins. Today is a new day. You will have choices to make, some easy, some tough. I pray that what you do, you do for the glory of Yahweh.

Shalom.

Repainting the Christian Faith

2008-01-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

"Our words aren't absolutes. Only God is absolute, and God has no intention of sharing this absoluteness with anything, especially words people have come up with to talk about him. This is something people have struggled with since the beginning: how to talk about God when God is bigger than our words, our brains, our worldviews, and our imaginations.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people that when they encountered God, they 'heard the sounds of words but saw no form'.

No form, no shape.

Nothing you could see.

In Moses' day, the way you honored and respected whatever gods you followed was by making carvings or sculptures of them and then bowing down to what you had made. These were the gods you could get your mind around. Moses is confronting people with an entirely new concept of what the true God is like. He is claiming that no statue or carving could ever capture this God, because this God has no shape or form.

This was a revolutionary idea in the history of religion.

You are holding a book in your hands. It has shape and volume and weight and all the stuff that makes it a thing.

It has thingness.

This book has edges and boundaries that define it as a finite thing. It is a book and nothing else.

But the writers of the Bible go to great lengths to describe God as a being with no edges or boundaries or limits. God has no thingness because there's no end to God.

Or as the question goes in the book of Job: 'Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?'

It makes sense, then, in a strange sort of way, that when Moses asks God for his name, God replies, 'I am.'

Doesn't really clear things up, does it?

Moses is looking for a being he can wrap his mind around. Is this the god of water or power or soil or fertility? All the other gods made sense; you could understand them - who they were and what they did and what they stood for. But this God is different. Mysterious. Unfathomable.

'I am.'

The name's origins come from the verb to be, so some read it as 'I will be who I will be.'

Others suggest it should be read like this: 'I always have been, I am, and I always will be.'

Perhaps this is God's way of saying, 'If your goal is to figure me out and totally understand me, it's not going to happen. Even my name is more than you can comprehend.'

Later Moses says to God, 'Now show me your glory.'

Which is our way of saying, 'I need more. I need something I can see. Something tangible.'

God's response? He tells Moses to go stand on a rock, because he's going to pass by. He explains to Moses that no one can see him and live, so he'll cover Moses with his hand (God's hand?) as he passes by, and then he says, 'I will remove my hand and you will see my back.'

The ancient rabbis has all sorts of things to say about this passage, but one of the most fascinating things they picked up on is the part about God's back. They argued that in the original Hebrew language, the word back should be understood as a euphemism for 'where I just was'.

It is as if God is saying, 'The best you're going to do, the most you are capable of, is seeing where I... just... was.'

That's the closest you are going to get."

~ Excerpt taken from Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell ~

Servanthood

2007-06-24T21:46:00.000-06:00

I went to church this morning, it was amazing... it made me think all day. I'm still thinking about it, trying to grasp it all....

Matthew 20:25-27
"Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.' "

When Jesus says "not so with you", it's because we're different. We're not supposed to be like everyone else, think like everyone else, act like everyone else. We are called to be different.
The pastor has been talking about what our heart attitudes should be like when we're serving, and what will keep us going and going instead of burning out. If we have the wrong motives, we will quickly fail. But if we have our priorities straight, we will succeed.

We were talking about Jesus' example after he feeds the five thousand...
Matthew 14:22-23
"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone."

This is what we should be like... Jesus is able to serve continually and show compassion on everyone because his main priority is His relationship with His Father. We can't seek to serve for accolades or recognition, or to make ourselves feel better, or to assuage our guilty consciences, because our servanthood will not last a day.

Also take the example of Martha and Mary...
Luke 10:38-42
"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'
'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.' "

The problem here is that Martha's priorities are out of line. Granted, there are many things in life that need to be taken care of, and Jesus understood that Martha needed to prepare dinner... but the main focus must be your relationship with God. Nothing else can take the place of that. This is why Jesus said, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed". Also understand that when you focus completely on the Lord, there are things that will fall to the side and not be taken care of....

But ask yourself, which is more important: the world, or the Father? When your priorities are where they should be and your main focus is Yahweh, everything else will fall into place.

"Mary has chosen what is better"....

I want to be a Mary.

Adultery and Temptation

2007-06-07T09:20:00.000-06:00

I was reading Proverb 7 today, and I never took a closer look at this chapter until now. I'm going to copy and paste the chapter here so you can be lazy and just read it now instead of grabbing your Bible....

"My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your nearest kin, that they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words. For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, and saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding, passing along the street near her corner; and he took the path to her house in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. She was loud and rebellious, her feet would not stay at home. At times she was outside, at times in the open square, lurking at every corner. So she caught him and kissed him; with an impudent face she said to him: 'I have peace offerings with me; today I have paid my vows. So I came out to meet you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you. I have spread my bed with tapestry, colored coverings of Egyptian linen. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he has taken a bag of money with him, and will come home on the appointed day.' With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life. Now therefore, listen to me, my children; pay attention to the words of my mouth: Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths; for she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death."

I believe Solomon isn't merely talking about an adulteress, he's really talking about how we allow the temptations of the world to seduce us. We have been prostituting ourselves and also allowing the temptations of this world to overcome us.
Read verses 18-21 again.... Why do we turn ourselves into harlots, eager to seek the world and fall prey to its temptations? We should be conditioning and preparing ourselves for the return of our husband "on the appointed day". We won't know when that day is, so every moment that slips by is an eternity wasted - or spent diligently and wisely.

What are we doing with every second of our lives that makes an impact on eternity?

Also think on these verses again: "For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, and saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding, passing along the street near her corner; and he took the path to her house in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night."
Simple here is meaning lacking spiritual maturity, not meaning stupid. If you read this verse over and over again, you will notice something that may tug at your mind and make you think on this throughout the day.... The simpleton being observed is "devoid of understanding", aka lacking sense or wisdom. Because he hasn't spent enough time investing in his spiritual growth, he willingly takes the "path to her house in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night". Why do you think Solomon uses all those adjectives to describe when the simpleton falls prey? Do you think he's referring to the time of day, or do you think he's referring to the spiritual state of the simpleton?
It is also very hard to believe that the man stumbled upon her house by accident. I prefer to think he knew beforehand her reputation and purposefully walked that direction seeking a thrill. Perhaps he had determined not to go in, just to walk by... but still, walking the line is playing with fire and sooner or later you will be consumed and burn up.

There are several ways of protecting yourself from this kind of folly (not adultery specifically, but foolishness, allowing yourself to be tempted, even seeking the thrills of this world).... First, spend your life seeking the Lord and nothing else. He must be your main priority, your first thought when you wake up and the last thing on your mind as you drift to sleep. Everything you do or say should be to glorify Him and make His name known.
Second, find accountability. No one can make it alone. Find someone who is stronger spiritually so that you are constantly being challenged. If you're struggling in an area, find someone who has successfully overcome those temptations and seek wisdom from them.
Third, put into practice what you preach (or read). It doesn't matter if you have the entire Bible memorized, cover to cover... if you're just sitting on that knowledge and not sharing it. You'll find that the more you talk about Yahweh and all His characteristics, the more you'll fall in love with Him and the greater influence you'll have on the people around you.

I challenge everyone... regardless of where you are at in your life or relationship with Christ right now... take it deeper. Risk it all. Jump off the cliff. Have the faith of a child.
Your lover awaits.

Freedom

2007-06-06T22:05:00.000-06:00

I've moved to Colorado Springs, and there's so much beauty here to look at. But the rose always has its thorns, and in this case the biggest thorn is being and feeling completely alone. Yet why is it that among all this nature that gives proof of a loving Creator, why do I doubt that He is here? Why do I think I have to do it all on my own?
There are many definitions of stress. I choose to think of it as a lack of trust and faith in the Lord. It happens when we take the control of our lives away from the only One who is capable of running it.... and then when we realize we aren't capable, when we feel it all slipping away from us.... stress comes in. And instead of trusting Yahweh completely, we give in to the stress because we still think we have to control our lives.
Let go! Freedom - true freedom - can only come with complete and total surrender. Worry, doubt.... these are not a part of freedom's vocabulary.
Freedom is like the wind, coming and going as it pleases, without a care or worry. The wind does not plot its course - it just is. Freedom is like the mountains that stand tall and proud, reaching toward the throne of God. Storms may come along, threatening and dangerous - but the mountains still stand. Freedom is like the bird that soars on the wind, dipping and gliding, rising far above to gaze upon the world below with a vastly different perspective.

We say we have freedom in Christ.... but have we reached out and grasped it? Or are we too worried about our titles and images? Surrender it all, let freedom be your guide. Live dangerously, passionately, completely in love with your Creator. Let Him take you on the most incredible journey you will ever know.

Forget everyone and everything else.
Focus your gaze upon Him.
You will not regret it.

FREEDOM.

The testing of a warrior...

2007-01-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

What I've been learning lately...

So many Christians expect an easy life. I have to admit that this makes me sick. What makes us think that serving the Lord will be an easy task? We are called to be warriors, to combat evil and take back what has been stolen... this is never a walk in the park. Soldiers do not go into battle clothed in their best with smiles on their faces. They prepare themselves physically and mentally for what is coming. They are serious about what they have been asked to do, about the duties they are expected to perform.

We should have the same mindset. We are warriors, and we should start acting like it. We should stop thinking life will be all daisies and sunshine, and instead prepare daily for impending battles. And when the battles come along, we shouldn't be caught off guard or surprised. No indeed, we should be happy they've come, because it means we're advancing the kingdom of our Lord.

James 1:2-8
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."

So many Christians find themselves in the midst of a battle and continually complain about it. Let's look at this from a spiritual perspective so you can all understand what I'm talking about... Trials and tests come along at certain points in our lives, and we tend to view them as troublesome. We question God, and even wonder why He has left us to endure hardships.
Stop!! Stop seeing the bad in every situation. Praise God in the good times, and in the hard times. In fact, change your perspective. Yes, you're going through a rough time, but the Lord is still there and He is still with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Believe it.

Think about the situation in this light... the Lord is testing you, he is purifying your heart. He wants to take you through the battle so that in the end you will come out stronger than you were before, with more knowledge and experience so that you are able to help others through their battles. If you give up in the middle of the fight, if you quit now... how easy will it be to quit next time?

James 1:12
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

Be faithful now so that you can be trusted later. I pray that this is our continual prayer...

Psalm 69:6
"May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel."

Do not give up. You will come out of the battle, you can endure to the end. You have the strength of the Lord and His power. He is not leading you to certain death; no, he is leading you to certain victory over strongholds and problems in your life.

Jeremiah 29:11
" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' "

Believe it. Become the warrior you were created to be. Stop complaining and worrying about the battles, face them head on and smile at your enemy. You will overcome, because you were given the power to do so a long time ago. Stop listening to the lies and believe the truth.

The true nature of our war...

2006-12-16T00:27:00.000-07:00

"Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;

and the dragon fought and his angels." – Revelation 12:7

War always will rage between the two great sovereignties until one or other be crushed. Peace between good and evil is an impossibility; the very pretense of it would, in fact, be the triumph of the powers of darkness. Michael will always fight; his holy soul is vexed with sin, and will not endure it. Jesus will always be the dragon's foe, and that not in a quiet sense, but actively, vigorously, with full determination to exterminate evil. All his servants, whether angels in heaven or messengers on earth, will and must fight; they are born to be warriors. At the cross they enter into covenant never to make truce with evil; they are a warlike company, firm in defense and fierce in attack. The duty of every soldier in the army of the Lord is daily, with all his heart, and soul, and strength, to fight against the dragon.

The dragon and his angels will not decline the affray; they are incessant in their onslaughts, sparing no weapon, fair or foul. We are foolish to expect to serve God without opposition: the more zealous we are, the more sure are we to be assailed by the myrmidons of hell. The church may become slothful, but not so her great antagonist; his restless spirit never suffers the war to pause; he hates the woman's seed, and would fain devour the church if he could. The servants of Satan partake much of the old dragon's energy, and are usually an active race. War rages all around, and to dream of peace is dangerous and futile.

Glory be to God, we know the end of the war. The great dragon shall be cast out and forever destroyed, while Jesus and they who are with him shall receive the crown. Let us sharpen our swords tonight, and pray the Holy Spirit to nerve our arms for the conflict. Never battle so important, never crown so glorious. Every man to his post, ye warriors of the cross, and may the Lord tread Satan under your feet shortly!

-Charles Spurgeon

Unconditional Love

2006-11-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them." -Thomas Merton

Yahweh still amazes me. The love He displays for us, his Creation, amazes me. I am speechless. I sit here wondering why, wondering how... why does He love us so much? How does He love us so unconditionally?
Then I realize... we are beautiful to Him. He does not see the imperfections, the blemishes, the bad decisions, the darkened hearts. He simply sees His Creation, something so stunningly beautiful in its human form that He is enthralled, captured... like a lover and his bride.
Yahweh does not expect us to be perfect. He does not wait for us to be perfect and pure. He loves us as we are, because through our weaknesses He is made strong; through our imperfections He is made perfect. All we are not makes Him all that He is.
His love is a mystery...

I hear people wanting to capture the essence of Yahweh's love to use with other humans. "If only I could love like Yahweh..."
But the truth is, we cannot. We are human, He is YHVH... in all sincerity, we will never attain that form of love. The best we can do is hope to copy parts of it. We will never be able to love unconditionally, because we are not perfect. Our love has boundaries, it has stipulations, it has a beginning and an end.
Does that mean we stop trying? Of course not! I will strive to be like Yahweh until I take my dying breath! But I realize now that in all my pursuits, I have been chasing the wrong thing. I have been chasing perfection, trying to reach a level that will make Him proud of me.

Yet it is now, when I realize He is already proud of me and loves me regardless, that I drop all titles and levels, and merely pursue HIM. My Lord, my lover, my abba, my best friend, my warrior, the defender and keeper of my heart... the One who will never let me down...
And the more I pursue HIM instead of His love, this more I learn about love. Because how can you spend time with the creator of love and not learn more about it?

Please remember this above all... do not search out love. Pursue Yahweh. Above all, pursue Him...

Find me here
And speak to me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
You are the light
That is leading me
To the place where
I find peace again

You are the strength
That keeps me walking
You are the hope
That keeps me trusting
You are the life to my soul
You are my purpose
You're everything

And how can I
Stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me
How could it be
Any better than this

You calm the storms
You give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fall
You steal my heart
And you take my breath away
Would you take me in
Would you take me deeper now

Cause you're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything
Everything


Let my life be consumed with a pursuit of Him,
let my heart be ravished by His love!
Let my mind be wrapped around knowing Him,
Let my soul be entwined with His presence!!

Let my very breath be dependent upon Him.
Everything I am... it is because of Him.

How could I live without my lover?
Never in the history of mankind has one known a love
so strong, a truth so good, a strength so comforting,
a fierce protection so safe...

I am in love.

Hypocrisy

2006-10-16T14:26:00.000-06:00

Hypocrisy: the act of pretending to have beliefs, virtues and feelings that one does not truly possess.

Romans 2:21-24
"...you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.' "

How is it that we, as the "leaders" in this world, don't practice what we preach? Actions speak much louder than words, and everyone is watching the church and the "Christians". What they see is turning them away, and it's not hard to understand why.
I don't care if you profess to believe in Christ... if you're not living like you do believe, why should I listen to you? If you're saying one thing while doing another... if you're teaching the importance of a daily walk with God yet not giving up time to spend with Him... "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
We are responsible for the image seen by unbelievers. What are we doing to change that?

Christian: The name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus ("little Christ's!"). It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," "believers." But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name "Christian" came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16).

The term "Christian" is supposed to mean "follower of Christ". Yet it has become something despicable as the church turns Christianity into an elite group of hypocrites bound to take everyone to hell in their blissful ignorance and stupid blindness. Instead of a church like the church of Acts, we have become a church of politics, of personal wealth and gain, of theology. We are no longer interested in saving the Jew or Gentile... we have become our own Pharisees and Sadducees. Instead of reaching out, we are arguing the faith amongst ourselves and boasting in our own works as if that's what really matters. Who cares what we accomplish? Why is it important that we've memorized more Scripture verses than the person next to us? Why do we feel the need to play the game of "I'm more religious than you"? That's great, and you're on your way to hell, too! I'm sick of religion!!
If I were you, I would not be so concerned with appearances as I would with actually following the Lord.

Pharisee: The Pharisees (from the Hebrew perushim, from parash, meaning "to separate") were, depending on the time, a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews that flourished during the Second Temple Era (536 BCE–70 CE).
Sadducee: A member of one of the Jewish sects that existed during the first century AD. They believed in following the Law as it was written in the Torah and gave no consideration to any of the traditions that had arisen since. They did not believe in life after death.

I think the best confrontation I've seen of hypocrites is Jesus' example in Matthew 23:15-33:
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.'
You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"

Do you look good on the outside, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lies? Are you so worried about what people think that you are forsaking the righteous path for the path of a Pharisee or Sadducee?

Apostle: From the Greek word 'apostolos', which means 'one who is sent.' An exclusive ecclesiastical role historically held by very few; literally "one sent," but for a particular purpose: to deliver a message.

Like the Apostles in the New Testament, we were chosen to deliver a message to the world... but which message are we really delivering? The one from Yahweh, or the compromised one from satan? Sometimes we don't even realize we've switched them around. There is only a small window of time for us to preach this message of salvation... what will you do with the time given to you?
I want to be an apostle, actively and dangerously pursuing the Lord and taking the gospel to the world.

Disciple: A Disciple (from the Latin discipulus, a pupil) is one who receives instruction from another; a scholar; a learner; especially, a follower who has learned to believe in the truth of the doctrine of his teacher.

If we are really disciples of Yeshua, determined to follow our Rabbi and be exactly like Him, I think we need to be less of "Christians" and more the apostles and disciples we were intended to be. Forget the religion, throw out the theology, toss away all your boundaries...
A life of faith is not normal. A life with Yahweh is not simple, nor boring, nor predictable. We must be like little children to enter into the Kingdom... and as little children, our adult views will no longer hinder our faith. We will move mountains, we will accomplish the impossible, we will take this message of life into the farthest reaches of the globe!

To hell with hypocrisy! Seriously and literally, it can go back to the depths from whence it came. I'm not just trying to sound cool or impressive. I'm really sick to death of all these fake people running around acting righteous and religious, and they don't even realize that in the end, God will say "Depart from me, for I never knew you."

Is it really worth it? Selah.

Discovering the heart of a true worshiper...

2006-10-02T08:34:00.000-06:00

[Holy: sacred, having a divine quality]
Exodus 3:5
"Do not come any closer," G-d said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

The presence of G-d has become a by-word, a religious connotation, a phrase that Christians throw around to sound spiritual or to be relational in the throws of a theological discussion. We, the "followers of Christ", have taken it for granted and turned something holy and majestic and powerful into a religious high, a spiritual feel-good... something we can turn to when we need to know that we still have that "connection" or "relationship" with our Creator, or even worse... something that has become ritual because that's what we are expected to participate in. But in so doing, we have lost something that should be treasured, revered, respected, thought of with fear and trembling. The presence of Almighty G-d is not something to play around with. Whether or not we physically take our shoes off before entering it, we must spiritually "take off our shoes" and come with the knowledge that He is holy, and wherever He is is also holy.
He is holy! This phrase must mean more to you than a typical Christianese expression. We must regain our fear of Yahweh, our repentance, our contrite spirit... our humble yet bold approach before His throne. Don't utter words that hold no meaning to you. Don't recite mantras because that's what Christians are supposed to say. Mean it! Know that the Lord your G-d is HOLY!
The next time you worship Yahweh, don't do it just because you are expected to. And never enter into His presence because you want to feel like a good Christian... take off your shoes, realize you are entering holy ground! Do not mock Him. Do not make worship a plaything, nor His presence. Treat it with the highest respect.

[Worship: to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion]
Psalm 96:9
Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

Yahweh is not just another god... He is Emmanuel, I AM, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Jehovah... He is to be praised! Worship the Lord because you were created for His glory!
Worship is more than songs sung that have no meaning to you, or hymns that spout phrases you don't understand. Worship must come from your heart, it must be an expression of your personal love and devotion for Yahweh. Don't just sing along to the words if they don't mean anything to you... If you catch yourself singing "Lord, you are good and your love endures forever" for the millionth time and don't even think about what you're really saying, STOP!
Worship comes from the depths of your being, from the overflow of your time spent with Him. Worship can be an action, a word, a song... an appreciation for Him and His creation.
Live your life in such a way that every moment gives glory to Him, that every single second is an act of worship.

[Sacred: devoted exclusively to one service or use]
Matthew 23:19
You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

Don't make a mockery of Yahweh! Don't begin to worship His presence, when it is really Yahweh who deserves all our worship. Don't praise the creation when we are meant to praise the Creator. Don't give glory and honour to something other than Yahweh! Don't turn things in your life to idols, when there is only one G-d who is worthy of our worship.
Don't get caught up in the religious trappings... worship with freedom!
If you are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of you... don't worry about how you look or what you sound like, or even if something will label you a freak or zealot. I praise G-d that I might be labeled a freak! It is something that I long to be called... to be recognized as a person who would give away everything I own to follow Him wherever He calls me to go.

John 4:23
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

STOP BEING FAKE CHRISTIANS!

MY LIFE FOR THE GOSPEL

2006-09-09T21:15:00.000-06:00

"As Joan of Ark was dying at the stake, she said this quote: Every man gives his life for what he believes, and every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing, and yet they give their lives to that little or nothing. One life is all we have, we live it till it's gone; but to live without belief is more terrible than dying, even more terrible than dying young. What do you burn for? What do you burn for?"

Think about that statement. Are our thoughts, actions, and words dictated by something meaningless, a lie that the world has cloaked to present to us as something worth devoting all our time and energy to? Does our every thought glorify God? Does every word bring life or death? Is the way we present ourselves pleasing and acceptable? Instead of desiring the next greatest gadget or fashion, do we instead so intensely desire Yahweh that we are driven insane by our passion?

"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world do we waste our lives as missionaries? They too forget they are spending their lives, and when their bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they've wasted. Everyone's bubble is going to burst, every one of us at the end of our lives- it's gone! Then what? What do we spend our lives for? What do we pour ourselves out for? What do we give ourselves to? Having a full life is not necessarily a long life."

Is He your everything? Is He your very reason for living??

My life for the gospel... "to lay down our lives for the Lord. And not just dying for Him... but to live for Him can be harder than dying for Him."

"We are going to see increasing opposition to the gospel message in days to come in America, because the gospel message is going to become increasingly biblical. The gospel message is going to become increasingly radical and revolutionary. And the gospel message is going to become a threat to this world system. The gospel is going to become an increasing threat to worldliness, materialism, and greed, and the gods of sports and entertainment and fashion. The gospel is going to become an increasing threat to the rising tide of satanism and false religions, and the result will be the same as in the book of Acts: uproar, persecution, and great moving of God. I believe we have come to the time of the accumulated prayers of the saints rising in one generation, and God is going to answer all those accumulates prayers and remember all those covenants, and is going to come down on you guys. I'm telling you young kids that the great awakening is coming in your lives, to this generation that is preceded by generations of mothers and fathers that have been crying out for the manifestation of a generation that would bomb the earth. I tell you what, we stand on the shoulders of forefathers and foremothers who paid the price..."

"I want you to raise your hands to God, and say this with me: 'Heavenly Father, search my heart, examine me even now, but this is my desire: my life for the gospel. Whatever it takes, Lord, make it real, that I may live a life that makes sense in the light of eternity. Jesus, my life for You."

Learning to be CONTENT

2006-08-03T13:08:00.000-06:00

Philippians 4:6-8, 11b
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to Yahweh. And the peace of Yahweh, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Yeshua. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things...
For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am."

Hebrews 13:5b
"...be content with what you have, because Yahweh said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' "

I have found that Christians (including myself) often make the mistake of fearing that discontentment is the result of not hearing from Yahweh. I have heard so many people say "well, maybe this wasn't the Lord's will, because I'm not content/happy/satisfied/whatever other word they choose to utilize". The problem that many don't realize is that contentment is a choice, not a state of being that merely happens as the result of something. Many times we are being put through a test, a refining fire that will purify us and, though it is scalding and uncomfortable as it sears our flesh, in the end we will come out of the blaze to more closely resemble who we were created to be. Our flesh will be melted away to reveal the more beautiful spirit that yearns so much to be like Yahweh.
This test will probe the depths of your heart to find if your desires match those of Yahweh's, to see if you can be trusted in the small things in order to be given more responsiblity.
Many people yearn for something more than where they are at, but until we can be trusted with the mundane, ordinary stepping stones, how can Yahweh trust us with the souls of His beloved creations?

I choose to believe that we are all created for great things, that our purpose here on this earth is more than we could possibly imagine or dream for... yet we are blinded by the fleshly desires, the passions that we have created and convinced ourselves that Yahweh wants us to pursue them. But how often do we seek out His agreement?

I think too often we think ahead to the future and what we need to do to position ourselves in perfect alignment with our future jobs/salaries/spouses/whatever else is included in our "10 year plan", and we miss the "here and now". Our heads are so far in the clouds that we cannot see the souls we are stepping on to obtain our own selfish desires. Burn the 10 year plan! Do not try to plot out your life in perfect little boxes! Allow room for Yahweh to be creative, to bring things into your life you didn't think of. They are like fresh spring breezes, the smell of change on the wind, the unexpected waves of the ocean, the sudden jolts that bring excitement, the supernatural in our otherwise manmade existence. We are not in control of our own lives; so why then do we act like it?

Please do not misunderstand me and think that I am trying to tamp down any dreams one has; quite the opposite. Be a dreamer! But make sure you are not missing out on what Yahweh has for you NOW. Be faithful in all things. Be content in all things. Trust that Yahweh knows what is best for you and has you where you are for a reason.

Be content. You have a purpose.

The Vision

2006-08-02T13:01:00.000-06:00

THE VISION

So this guy comes up to me and says "What's the vision? What's the big idea?" I open my mouth and words come out like this…

The vision?
The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people.
You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn't even notice.
They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.

What is the vision?
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers choose to loose that they might one day win the great 'Well done' of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don't need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"

And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making
Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
Mystery is scheming in whispers
Conspiracy is breathing…
This is the sound of the underground

And the army is disciplined.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain".
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them?
And the generation prays like a dying man with groans beyond talking, with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching: 24 – 7 – 365.
Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide. Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The advertisers cannot mold them. Hollywood cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the rooster cries.
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside.
On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.
Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.
Don't you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdo's! Summon the losers and the freaks. Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.
How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great 'Amen!' from countless angels, from heroes of the faith, from Christ himself. And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.

Guaranteed.

In the dust of His feet

2006-07-28T14:01:00.000-06:00

The Hebrew word for disciples is "talmidim" and in Jesus' day, it was common for a group of talmidim to follow and learn from a rabbi. These disciples were usually in their teens when they began to follow a rabbi, and most of Jesus' disciples were probably fifteen years old or younger.

Being a disciple of Jesus-a talmid-was not a simple matter. It was a radical and life-changing commitment. Jesus' twelve talmidim ultimately followed in the footsteps of their rabbi: They changed the world, and most of them gave their life in the process.

In Jesus' day, gifted students would listen to various rabbis and then approach their chosen rabbi and ask, "May I follow you?" In effect, the student was asking, "Do I have what it takes to be like you?" The rabbi would either accept the student as a talmid or would encourage him to pursue a trade.

Jesus broke this pattern when he chose his own talmidim. As he asked his disciples to follow him, they knew without a doubt that their rabbi believed in them. And as they came to see Jesus as the Messiah, they realized that God believed in them too.

A talmid did not follow a rabbi as a student. They desired to gain the rabbi's knowledge, but for a greater goal-they wanted to become like the rabbi himself.

A talmid followed the rabbi everywhere-every day, and every hour of the day-often without knowing or asking where the rabbi was going. The talmid rarely left his rabbi's side for fear that he would miss a teachable moment. He watched the rabbi's every move, noting how he acted and thought about a variety of situations.

Talmidim trusted their rabbi completely. They were eager to hear the rabbi's teachings and they worked passionately to incorporate the rabbi's actions and words into their lives. The disciple's deepest desire was to follow his rabbi so closely that he would start to think and act like the rabbi himself.

Yeshua is our rabbi. Are we following Him closely enough for the dust of His feet to cover us?