Apr. 1, 2008 - What I've been up to... L-O-N-G time no blog
Gosh, how many times I've started this post, deleted it, started it, and deleted it. I wish I was one of those bloggers who just shares what she is doing w/ her children that week, chit chatty. I really like those kind of blogs and learn so much from those moms, but unfortunately, I guess I just don't seem to be that kind of blogger. I only blog when I have ideas that I want to share and put out there in the world. Oh well...
Let me preface this by saying that I'm going to say things that will probably make some uncomfortable, and well, that's OK. Actually, its pretty fantastic. 
We all need to be challenged in how we live our lives, are we doing things just because we were told to do them, were taught to do them, because they are our tradition, or because there truly is value in it? Do we ever question "why?"
We are all on the same path to work out our salvation, to become closer to the Lord/Adonai, and we all have different backgrounds, experiences, and paths that will hopefully get us all to the loving arms of our Lord Jesus/Yeshua (I will use His Hebrew name Yeshua as Jesus really has no translation). I believe there is something valid in every path, and something wrong in every path, but I also believe some paths are more right than others. I've been going through this huge 'growth' in my spiritual life and its knocked my socks off, and I'd like to share a little bit of that path as its affecting my family, homeschool, EVERYTHING.
I was raised in a non-believing home and my logic couldn't accept a god, the God, any god, nope, didn't compute. Ironically, He used my logic against me and convinced me on a few major issues, the next week I met my now DH, a Believer, and I was baptized the next year (I was in my early 30's). Yes, He was working in my life before I had even accepted Him.
I was baptized, but that was the extent of the support I received as a new believer. Needless to say, even though I attended church and read my bible (not as regularly as I should I admit), I did not feel myself really, truly growing spiritually or understanding things. There were good messages at my church, but you know, when it came down to it, we hardly ever opened the bible, and that bothered me.
Last year, things really began to suddenly change for me. The odd thing is that I can't think of a single defining moment, I think it was the hand of Adonai working in my life as I was getting bombarded by ideas, people, scripture, and well, here I am today, digging in and learning about our Jewish Messiah's life, His times, and our faith's Hebraic Roots, because although some people like to portray Jewish as if it is a dirty word, it is not, we have a Jewish Messiah! I am now learning (gasp! egad! yikes! oy!
If I gave you a book that you had never read, and I told you to open the book to the middle and start reading to the end, would you glean something from that book? Yes, you would, but how much MORE would you glean and understand, if you had started reading that book from the very beginning? Huge difference I'd say!!!
I am learning soooooo much! I see how Adonai is never changing, I see now the significance of the Tabernacle and Yeshua's relationship to it, I see why Yeshua lived as He did as He was obeying the commandments and honoring Adonai's appointed holidays, its AMAZING! Why didnt my church talk about these things? Adonai said these things are a perpetual covenant, these things were not given just to the Hebrews, but to all! Gentiles don't replace Israel, we are grafted in. I am sad that I trusted my pastor for all of those years, but celebrating that I am digging in the Word like never before and learning soooooo much!
One result of this digging in the Word is that my family is no longer celebrating common holidays like Christmas and Easter. They are full of pagan traditions, and well, there is too much scripture that just plain states that we are not to mix w/ the pagans nor adopt their customs. I went from a Christmas loving diehard to immediately dropping it. Cold turkey. And take Easter, Yeshua said that He would be in the earth 3 days and 3 nights (Matt 12: 38-40) which means that He did not die on Good Friday and rise on Sunday. If He did, that makes Him a liar and I don't believe He lied. I know the important thing is that He died for us and rose again, but the fact that these dates for his death and rising are taught as fact, when they are not based on scriptural fact, really bothers me as I am confident that there are many more, bigger issues that are not taught correctly.
And when asked about not celebrating Christmas and how its about honoring Yeshua, I beg to differ. We honor Him by obeying Him, not by putting up a Christmas tree, hanging stockings, and making gingerbread houses.
We as Believers do not know what our bibles say, we rely on pastors and other teachers. We are warned against false teachers, but never think that we could be deceived, we do not do what scripture says and prove to ourselves what is right, we just readily accept it.
The truth in the Word is bowling me over, I am finding soooo many errors with the traditions of man. Its hard to talk about, because people don't want to hear it, so I've had to pull away. I don't like pulling away, I LOVE to share what I'm learning! This is a BIG deal! This affects our relationship with HIM! I am finally starting to understand His character, and wow, what a difference it makes in my relationship with Him. And since I'm learning His character, so much in the bible just plain makes sense now! The Word isn't contradictory like I thought it was before, I see how consistent He is and understand how He wants us to be Holy like Him.
I want to share with family and friends, but after getting beat up w/ words in January when I shared the path my family is on and quoted scripture showing how the Lord still wants us to obey His laws and commandments, I've decided to slow down w/ the sharing part. As hard as it is for me to not share (I talk too much when I'm excited 
), its for the best if I just lay low and continue my growth and follow His leading.
This is not my time to go forth as I'm still learning the Hebraic roots of my faith myself.
Please don't email me and tell me how I'm being legalistic or that I'm saved by Grace. Yes, we are ALL saved by Grace, but He expects more out of us than faith. Sometimes His dying on the cross is trampled on if you ask me, its like if you have faith you get a "Get out of Hell free" card w/o really having to do anything. He is loving, He is just, and we have responsibilities, we have to obey Him and His commandments. And one of the ways my family honors Him is by following the example of Yeshua/Jesus Christ, we observe the Sabbath, the only day of the week that God sanctified (Sunday is a church tradition, not a God tradition). And also like Yeshua and in obedience to God, we are celebrating His Holy Days. If it all was nailed to the cross, why did Paul honor all of these things too?
My family is really trying to get back to basics, back to the foundation before the church took the Message and ran with it. No, the Jews were not perfect, but neither are the Gentiles. All have sinned.
And part of our getting back to basics, is that we want to read the bible for ourselves without having to sift through another person's filter, as we all know, English bibles all vary and translate things differently, often incorrectly. I was amazed when I found out how protected and preserved the original Hebrew text has been through thousands of years! So, we want to read the bible in the original Hebrew. After we get Hebrew under our belts, next is Greek! 
The Lord Bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
(still working on my drafts of Hebrew vs. Greek Mindset and Preparedness: Spiritual and Physical)
