I love this verse! A perfect list of characteristics to live by! The fruit of the Spirit as modeled by Yeshua! If I had to choose one of the nine that I feel has been on my heart to improve on lately, it is definitely patience. My husband has great patience, so he is always helping me with this.
I want my children to have as deep of a love for this verse as I do, so we are introducing it early! To celebrate Pentecost, we sat down and crafted over some felt for a while, tracing nine different fruits and cutting them out! After that, we finished up by making labels for each of the nine characterists. It was a good time! I had been excited to do a felt board activity and I am very happy with how this turned out! Makenna had a fun time with the felt board...she wasnt too upset when she reallized that felt fruit doesnt taste quite as good as the real thing ;)
You may have heard the tzitzit are only for men, however, in the spirit of testing everything, I was compelled to look into this matter further. On a random night not too long ago, my husband and I came across a video teaching that caught our interest. After watching the short teaching, which was supporting that the Bible (specifically Numbers 15:38-39) teaches that tzitzit are for not only men, but women too, I asked if we could look into some original text for this passage. Jeremy helped me narrate my way through some verses and pray with me about this. Neither of us had put much thought into this matter prior to this. I was feeling more and more convicted by the second and by the time I went to bed, my new tzitzit (aka: my husband’s old tattered pair) were attached to my undershirt awaiting their maiden voyage with me the next morning! I thought I would feel self-conscious wearing them, but once I put them on, I immediately felt more at home in my clothing than I ever had before! It still amazes me how often I am reminded to keep all of the commands just from a single finger sweep along my side while walking around all day long!
Human beings rely on reminders everyday! Simply put, we forget things often. Why not accept the reminder that is commanded to us, rather than make up our own (WWJD bracelets, cross necklaces, etc). What is the point in altering a God-given command to remind ourselves and be a set-apart body to fit something that blends in? I mean, many people will ask me about my tzitzit, and it will give me the opportunity to talk with them about this passage, but few people would ever ask anything if they simply saw me wearing a WWJD bracelet. I’m not saying we can’t ALSO do other things to remind us of these things, just that we shouldn’t let those things replace what the Bible ordains.
Some people take the following verse and apply it to the wearing of tzitzit:
“A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God”. (Deut 22:5) NASB
HOWEVER, I would question where in the Bible they find that tzitzit are strictly a man’s clothing. And furthermore, proof that tzitzit are even considered to be a garment in and of themselves!?! To me, this verse is commanding against cross-dressing. Others may wonder: Did women even wear 4-cornered garments? Or were 4 cornered garments only for men to wear? Again, the Bible doesn’t say.
What the Bible DOES say, is:
“Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot”. (Numbers 15:38-39) NASB
Some translations begin that verse off by saying: “speak to the Children of Israel or speak to the Israelites and tell them…” but regardless, when going back to the original language for the phrase “sons of Israel” or “children of Israel” or “Israelites”, the word used is b’nai. B’nai translates as men. HOWEVER if there is a crowd of 1,000 women with just a single male present, that single man rules over all the other women, and the term used is b’nai. Proof of this is found many places in the Bible. A couple other places where the word b’nai is used, is when referring to the commandment to not eat unclean foods, as well as when referring to the commandment to keep the Biblical festivals. Clearly, those commandments are not only for men, but women too! To finish off this thought, I will state that IF Yahweh had wanted to refer to ONLY MEN in this verse commanding that tzitzit be worn, then He would have used the word ‘z-char’ in place of ‘b’nai’. This is what He chose to do when commanding circumcision, and many other commands that are specifically for MEN ONLY.
So, after learning all of these things, and praying for wisdom and guidance, I was convicted to wear my own tzitzit! It truly is amazing what happens when we TEST EVERYTHING for OURSELVES! The process of sanctification is a lifelong process of spiritual growth and understanding of the Scriptures. This process is never-ending and leads only to a deeper and deeper love for our Maker!
For a detailed perspective on the commandment to wear Tzitzit, Check out my husband’s blog HERE.
In my young age, I am sometimes ignorant. I am actually quite ashamed and embarrassed to admit that only recently, via the Pastor at Oak Grove, were my eyes opened to this passage of scripture.Prior to this enlightening event, if you would have asked me if I was a Mary or Martha, I would have replied “well I’m no Martha, that’s for sure – because I am not exceptional with a broom or a frying pan.” Silly me, I was missing the point! All I was thinking was that Martha would make a good housewife. (Eek!) Much to my chagrin, I Knew little of the different ideals between herself and her sister Mary. In fact, I'm not even certain I related this question this the following passage in scripture at all! I was so blind...
“As Jesus and His disciples were on their way (to Jerusalem), 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!” The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” LUKE 10:38-42 (NIV)
Mary and Martha represent two different kinds of christians. One is never settled. This person allows life to run them. They often -though not always- serve the Lord, they just don’t listen to His call for rest (Matthew 11:28). The other, has a firm assurance and knows both when to serve (John 12:1-8) and when to sit.
Trying to picture this scenario, we can gather that it was just before Sabbath and a good sized crowd would have collected at the feet of Yeshua inside of Mary and Martha’s large home. This was the village of Bethany, where Yeshua was raised, so many of the people He grew up around would have wanted to see and hear Him again, as He didn’t go home often. Martha was growing anxious about providing food for all of these visitors in her home, and Mary was figuring the people didn’t care about a free meal, they cared about sitting at Yeshua's feet and hearing Him teach. Still caught up in the moment, Martha felt the need to serve these people, when the better choice was not to serve, but to sit and rest in Yeshua's presence.
Still, the most shocking part of this passage is when Martha goes up to Yeshua and says “Lord, don’t you care.....?!?!?” The priority to Martha was serving these people, and she felt so strongly that she built up the nerve to approach Yeshua while He was teaching and state the Mary needed to leave the lesson and help her with meal preparations! Martha didn’t think she was out of line in asking this, she didn’t think it was unacceptable! An underlying lesson here is that we need to get our priorities straight, with important things before urgent things. I wonder though, how often we put our anxieties at the forefront of our talks with Yahweh, our urgent matters, BEFORE our important matters. Let’s go to Yahweh first and foremost in our good times and secondly in our rough times!
I couldn’t help myself from trying out this recipe for a special treat this Sabbath! I found it online and modified it just a bit to make it whole wheat and dairy free! My mouth hasn’t watered so much in quite some time! Try it out for your loved ones!
RECIPE:
1 pkg. dry active yeast or 2 1/4 tsps of loose granulated dry active yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup warm tap water
2 3/4 to 3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp salt 4 Tbsps sugar
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs – beaten 1/3 cup chocolate chips 1/3 cup raisins 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Topping: 1 small egg 1 Tbsp sesame, poppy or chia seeds
Directions: place yeast, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 cup warm tap water in small container. Mix with fork and let sit for about 5 minutes to test if it is good yeast (it should get foamy). While that is sitting, mix the salt, sugar, oil and beaten eggs in medium bowl.
Add foamy yeast mixture. Add 1 cup of flour at a time until dough is easily turned out of bowl and then place your dough onto a lightly floured kneading surface.
Knead dough until it is no longer sticky, adding flour only as needed. Once dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers, and it is smooth and elastic, place it in a larger bowl and cover it with a dishtowel. Move your bowl to a warm area where there is no circulation (I put mine inside the microwave).
Let dough rise for two hours. It should about double in size.
To ensure your yeast worked, punch the middle of the dough while it is still in the bowl. If it has worked, you should see some gas build-up in the bread deflate.
Remove the dough from bowl and knead in cinnamon, raisins, and chocolate for 2-3 more minutes.
This recipe makes one large loaf!
For three stranded challah, cut the dough into 3 equal lumps. Roll each lump into a rope about a foot long. Braid like you would hair.
For six stranded challah, cut into 6 equal lumps. Roll each lump into a rope about a foot long. Braiding a six stranded challah is not like braiding hair, but it isn't too hard to grasp. Look up a how-to video online if you are not sure how. It is very pretty when finished! Transfer your braided loaf onto an oiled baking stone.
Cover and let braided loaf rise once more, for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Topping: in small bowl, beat one egg. Brush loaf with egg. Moisten finger with egg wash, then dip it into your seed topping. Press seeds into each section of the challah. This will make your challah very shiny and golden.
Cover with foil to prevent burning the top.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 45+ minutes until golden brown. Half way through, remove foil topping.
The entire world seems to view a new year as a new beginning. A fresh start. There is something about a fresh start that seems to invigorate the spirit. Many people take advantage of a new year and come up with a "resolution". Usually they consist of being healthier (losing weight/eating better) or some kind of schedule to read through The Bible or exercise. Undoubtedly, the majority of these resolutions end up fading away after just a short time.
I have come to the realization that most all resolutions are going to fail. Really, they are doomed from the beginning, having no foundation to stand on. Why is there no foundation? -Because we are trying to fit this new thing into our already busy lives. This same pattern seems to be prevalent in many peoples Christian walks with Yahweh. We get on a "spiritual low" and begin to feel a disconnect from our Lord and Savior. It only makes sense to say that this happens to us because we are trying to fit Yahweh into our lives rather than submitting and handing back the reigns of our daily lives to our Maker! He will handle with care!
In the past year, I feel as if my wife and I have learned so much. This blog has helped us clarify our thoughts and beliefs, as well as encouraged us to be more bold when approached about our lifestyle. We have made it a practice to look back on the last year of our lives and talk about how we have improved and changed from the previous year. I guess I picked this up from my adult leadership growing up!
In my youth group years, I remember learning about sanctification. It is a Christian’s never-ending process of being made holy and separating oneself from sin. This is one area of my Christian life that I don’t take lightly. My family and I will always review our lives to ensure that we are constantly in this process. You don’t get to old or grow out of your need to be discipled and grow in the Word of Yahweh.
I feel as if the last year of my family’s life is overflowing with growth and understanding. We have, without a doubt, progressed in our personal relationships with Yahweh, and our marriage is stronger than ever. Our relationships with Yahweh have improved both in our personal lives, as well as our life as a couple. My primary area of growth is my prayer life, and my wife’s is her yearning to read and understand more and more verses of Scripture. I pray this is something that we never regress in!
We are excited to see how this next year unfolds! It is so encouraging to see how our lives are constantly changing, it helps us persevere! Wonder what area(s) of our lives Yahweh is planning to mold over the next 12 months!
We have all heard or used the phrase: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. How true that is! While I was talking with my wife the other day, we made a parallel with this statement and how it makes so much sense when applied to the Biblical Festivals. More often than not, when we are trying to explain something to a friend, we realize that words alone are not enough. I believe that Yahweh placed the Festivals in our lives to give us a picture of His divine plan, rather than simply having us try to interpret the Scriptures through reading the text alone. It is for this same reason, that, we too, often take snapshots of important people and special events during our own lives! A picture is a visual prop, to help remind us, or show us the fine details of a thought. While the picture itself is not the real thing, that doesn’t mean the picture is any less important or mean that we should throw the picture out. For example, when my wife leaves the house, my daughter and I love looking around the house and pointing out all of the pictures of her. But when she returns I don’t go around and take all the photos down and throw them away! The pictures all have meaning to us and show us where we have been and what we have done. The same is true with our relationship with Yeshua. We will never forget what He has done for us by going and dying a horrible death on a cross. And to remember this event we keep His Passover followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread to remind us of His sinless body as an example for us to live by. Likewise, we believe that Pentecost points us to the time when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Yahweh’s people and that we too can have this supernatural power in our lives as well. While these Spring Festivals have already been fulfilled, we still keep them as a reminder.
There are also things that are still yet to happen. Everyone who is a follower of Yeshua knows that there will come a day when He will return. This is an important event to remember and look forward to, so you would think that Yahweh would have pictures/Festivals that look forward to this event…and He does! We are currently entering into the Fall Festivals, which represent what will happen when Yeshua returns! Today is the Feast of Trumpets and it represents the day in which Yeshua will return. In Leviticus 23:23-25 it says about this day: “The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of Sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the LORD.” It is interesting because Yahweh does not really say why we are to keep this day, but that we are to blow trumpets. However when we come to the New Testament we see that the blowing of trumpets is tied together with Yeshua's returning! You may also remember Yeshua telling us that the day and the hour of his return are not known to us. It says this in Matthew 24:36, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” What he says here is interesting because in Yeshua's day, the Feast of Trumpets became known as the day in which the day and hour were not known because it was the only biblical festival that fell on the first day of the month and was determined by the new moon and when it was seen. Therefore it was not a day that they could plan and know exactly on which day it would fall.
Another fall festival is the Day of Atonement. This day is considered by many to be the holiest day of the year. On this day we are to afflict our soul and fast and pray. It is a time to take a good look at who we are and who we need to be. Yeshua died to atone for our sins and He is also our High Priest in Heaven pleading our case to the Father. To sum it all up, the Day of Atonement is not only about the forgiveness of sin, but it is a picture of the removal of the primary cause of sin, Satan.
The last festival of the year is the week long Feast of Tabernacles ended with The Last Great Day. This is a time when we set up temporary dwellings that we eat, do devotions, and our daily activities in. This temporary dwelling is to remind us of our own body (physical dwelling place on earth) and that we should not get too comfortable here on earth, because we will receive glorified bodies after Yeshua returns. Concluding this festival, we are reminded that, in spite of our material possessions, we are still mortals in need of a literal transformation so we may possess eternal life. At the end of this festival is the final period of Judgment.
Yahweh knows that we as humans need many reminders such as pictures to show us what He is like. But as I stated before, He also wanted to give us a picture of what His divine plan in this world is; the blueprint of salvation. We believe this is exactly why Yahweh gave His people several festivals/Holy days to observe. These Holy days are spread out through the whole year, and each one has it’s own unique purpose for being celebrated and that purpose revolves around and is found in our Lord and Messiah Yeshua!
