The Kingdom

“The kingdom”

What does that mean? It’s a phrase used many times in the Gospels. If we’re going to be serious students of the Apostolic Writings, we need to do our homework and understand what the Master was talking about when we hit phrases that we think we understand, as well as phrases that make absolutely no sense at all.

As one example, the message that Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptizer) began proclaiming and that Yeshua also proclaimed as the gospel message is the same message He sent His disciples to preach. This is something that we need to take a good look at in order to understand and having a solid understanding of “the kingdom” is critical.

Matthew 3:2 And saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 4:17 From that time Yeshua began to preach, and to say, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

“Kingdom”

The concept of “kingdom” is perhaps the most important spiritual concept in the [Apostolic Writings]. In English or Greek, “kingdom” is never verbal. It is something static, something to do with territory. But, in Hebrew, “kingdom” is active, it is action. It is G-d ruling in the lives of men. Those who are ruled by G-d are in the Kingdom of G-d.

“Kingdom” is also the demonstration of G-d’s rule through miracles, signes, and wonders. Wherever the power of G-d is deomnstrated, there is His “Kingdom”.

Jesus also used “kingdom” to refer to those who would follow him, the members of his movement. His disciples were now to literally be the Kingdom of G-d by demonstrating his presence and power in their lives.

from: Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, by Bivin and Blizzard, page 64

In Hebrew, kingdom isn’t a territory like it is in our minds today. It’s not the area within the borders of a particular place. When we think of a kingdom we tend to think of Persia, Babylon or maybe even the tales of King Arthur and his kingdom. When we think of the kingdom of Heaven we tend to think of a place, “a place somewhere beyond the sky”. We think of pearly gates, streets of gold and harps, clouds and angel wings. Is this what Yeshua was talking about, is this what His hearers were thinking of when He spoke?

Great Audio Teaching

This may not be as meaningful to you as it has been to me, but I wanted to pass it along.

I’m in the kitchen making bread for my family who is preparing to leave for the next 4 days.  I’ll be home alone to feed, milk and keep things going around here.  See, DH and I take turns attending livestock shows with the kids and it’s my turn to stay home.  I’m actually looking forward to writing something about the Kingdom of Heaven and my Pearl of Great Price entry.  I’m really excited!

So here I am, making bread and listening to some newly downloaded audio files.  I opted to listen to “We Were In A Synagogue” which you can find at the Beth Immanuel Recent Teachings page.  I loved this!  I enjoy a lot of the teachings there, but this one filled my heart with joy and left me in tears with a big grin.  The closing remarks are what seemed to have “gotten me” the most.  My kids walked in and saw mom cleaning up the flour on the counter, dusting her hands on her apron and smiling in tears.  what? Needless to say, some walked back out and others asked “What happened?  Is it bad or is it good?”  I’m going to have them listen to this later on and get their thoughts.

But you, too, can listen to this.  You can listen to it while you pack your house as you’re moving from your newly condemned home after the flooding in the midwest, you can listen as you continue to adjust your own modified bread recipe (just remember the rise time is critical and let me know how it turns out), you can listen as you drive to home from work this evening if you remember to put it on your iPod, you can listen this evening after the kids are in bed and things are a little more quiet around home and you have time to sit for 40 minutes, you can listen as you relax on your porch with your ice cold glass of sun tea.  The options are endless.

“We were in a synagogue and today we’re back.  We’re back.  Welcome home!”

It may not mean as much to you as it does to me, but it has blessed me tremendously today.

My Social Experiment

I have been striving to behave and dress more feminine in recent years.  This is a big step for me, the chief of all tom-boys, and I’ve still got a long way to go.  But it’s been a growing desire in my life as I’ve chosen to follow my Master more closely.  Recently I decided to conduct my own “social experiment”. 

 

A bit ago I read where someone said that she noticed that on days she wore dresses or skirts that people treated her differently - better.  I thought about it and discussed the concept with my husband who was of the opinion, “Of course they will!”  I had been wearing a dress or skirt several times a week already (not that I had a schedule or anything) and was relieved that I never really felt uncomfortable or out of place.  Instead I had noticed that I felt different - a good different.  I just felt more feminine and gentle.  I hadn’t really noticed how others responded to me on those days because I was so preoccupied by how my choice of clothing made me feel so different.

 

So I opted to conduct my own experiment.  I didn’t discuss it with my husband first because he was part of my test group.  I wore a dress or a skirt every day for a week before I said anything to him about it.  In that week I noticed two general responses from strangers in public.  This was interesting to say the least! 

How do they define “God’s Law”?

**Updated**

I’ve been recently re-introduced to Vision Forum and their material. While I’ve really appreciated a lot of their material, what we listened to yesterday was the most ill-informed and anti-Semetic teaching I think I have ever heard. So we discussed the simple fact that we have to sift through everything, test it against the Scriptures and throw out the chaff. This was part of what turned me off from these materials several years ago - it’s so steeped in Supersessionism/Replacement Theology.

HOWEVER, I’m still enjoying some of their family related material.

Still, I’m baffled. In some of the audio teachings and books I’ve gleaned from in recent weeks I keep coming across the teaching that “God’s law is good” and that we need to “abide by the law of God.” ?? So this leads me to my question:

How do they (those who are steeped in Supersessionism/Replacement Theology) define God’s law? What part(s) of His instructions (Torah) and commands (laws) are considered applicable by those who teach adhering to the Law of God yet are so blatantly anti-Torah? Any insight would help quiet my confused little mind.

**  Interesting article from Christian Ethics at Reformed.org:  For Whom Was God’s Law Intended?

Homeschooling Bible Curriculum!

As a homeschooling mom of teenagers, I’ve found several resources lately that make me wish I could “do it all over again”.  These resources have been such a delight that I feel confident that if I had them when my children were toddlers or young children that I would have had more fun with them while learning and I would have felt more confident that they had more opportunities to have fun while learning, setting a foundation for an enjoyment of lifelong learning.

One of these resources is the Homeschooling Bible Curriculum from Anne’s School Place.  There are three years worth of studies that take you through the whole of Scripture in chronological order.  But more than that, there are organized daily readings, weekly memory verses, regular Bible drills, suggested coloring pages that go along with the daily readings, and suggestions for vocabulary and grammar type lessons (in order to better understand the words used in the Bible) and much much more!  If I could start over with my children, I would very likely choose this Bible curriculum as part of our homeschooling program!

WOW!

Foundations 1:  Preparation for Christ

A 3-Year Plan to studying the Bible.  Foundations 1 examines the Old Testament, preparing your children for the coming of Christ by presenting them with a clear picture of God’s nature and character, as well as the nature and character of sinful mankind.  They will learn about the necessity of the Law and about God’s plan to provide a Savior from sin.  They will have a clear understanding of the place of Israel in God’s plan.  The goal is to lay a firm foundation in their lives for understanding Christ as presented in the New Testament.

This is the lesson I have in my hot little hand.  Just a simple browsing through this book gives me such great ideas for kids, but mine are just too old for dress-up and coloring pages.    Still, there are lots of great suggestions for older children as well and I think I’ll be benefiting from many of them.  I really appreciate how things are broken down by weekday with suggestions for each days lesson. This is always a helpful treat for a homeschooling mom.  Preparation for lessons can be fun and it sure is helpful when we have a clear view of just what we’re preparing for that day!

Here are a few more quotes from Anne’s School Place:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

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• Study the Bible chronologically, beginning with the Old Testament. A firm foundation for biblical understanding will be laid.
• Teach your children how to study the Bible for themselves, using inductive and deductive methods.
• Through daily use, teach your children how to handle their Bibles, understand what it means, and apply it to their lives.
• Commit large sections of Scripture to memory, hiding it in your hearts so your family will not sin against God.
• Children who begin studying the Bible in first grade will have thoroughly discussed God’s Word four times before they graduate from high school.
• A variety of activities for multiple ages means that families will read together, study together, and grow together… making life easier for Mom and simplifying your homeschooling day.

I think that this three year plan would be a wonderful addition to any homeschool family’s curriculum package.

My Pearl of Greatest Price

We have a treasured pearl, a pearl of greatest price.  It is the most valuable “thing” in the lives of our immediate family, our lives revolves around this pearl.  We are constantly learning more and more about this wonderful pearl and are ever blessed by our wonderful treasure.

When we visit with others they notice that how we treasure our pearl is different than how they treasure theirs.  Some are curious but don’t want any “hard questions/conversations”, some are uncomfortable, some are angry, but most don’t even care.

We don’t share our pearl much anymore because we’re tired of bringing our precious pearl out to show our associates and extended family only to have them trample on our treasured precious pearl!  We don’t want our treasured possession being dragged through the mud, slandered and called a bad thing.  So we don’t share our pearl with those we don’t trust anymore, and there very few we trust with our pearl outside of our immediate family.

The trouble is that we’re so tired of our precious pearl being trampled on that we’re weary of sharing it with others, and we feel somewhat guilty.  How can we hoard this blessed pearl?  How are they ever to know about this precious pearl if we don’t share it?  They will know by watching and they’ll initiate a conversation, right?  So far that hasn’t happened even once.  Instead we’ve been accused of horrible (and silly) things, yet left no opportunity to respond to the accusations other than simply staying the course and hope that they are watching and seeing.

We don’t have trouble choosing this pearl over our group of associates or extended family when necessary, but we wish we didn’t have to choose and we wish that others treasured this pearl like we do - or at least respected our pearl a little more.  We wish that everywhere we turned we weren’t hearing how bad and silly our pearl is.  *sigh*  It breaks our hearts and at the same time it makes our blood boil - so we stay silent for fear of rash conversation and behaving like a fool.

How do you share your pearl of greatest price without others trampling it under their feet?  Do you even share it at all?  Why?

I’ve noticed that I, myself, don’t even talk about gems and pearls anymore with others because I’m so tired of being trampled on.  My wonderful husband isn’t as weary as I am, but he’s on his way.

Do we just keep our pearl to ourselves and wait for “the right” opportunities to bring out our blessed pearl and share it with someone?  What do you do when your pearl of greatest value is treated by others like yesterday’s newspaper?

Breathing New Life

Yet again, the Father is doing a wonderful work in our family!  I’ve written before about our experience years ago when we first began to “get it” and see the Scriptures for what they seem to really be saying.  Father brought so many things into our lives that went so perfectly with what we were studying, what we were processing in our hearts/minds.  As we began to open our eyes to His Word and see things we had never before seen and to understand things that we had never before understood, HaShem was bringing His message to us in very clear ways through every area of our lives - even the junk mail! I cannot even find words to describe what that was like:  the joy, the peace, the anticipation, the excitement, the knowing that “this is so right!” permeating through every cell in our bodies!

Well, it seems that He’s doing it again!!  It’s so exciting to see all of these seemingly completely unrelated things coming together and meshing so perfectly with what has been growing in our hearts/minds over the last many months.  We have not sought these things out (we didn’t know where to look).  I find it absolutely AMAZING how HaShem simply drops things into the laps of His children at times!

The phrase “breathing new life” seems so accurate.  It is as if He has been breathing new life into areas of our lives and that as we inhale and exhale we’re breathing that new life as well.

We are called to be a set apart people:  set apart from the systems of the world, set apart from ungodly religious customs, set apart from ungodly desires and passions.  We are called to be set apart FOR the One True G-d.  Because of this, we will look different than the rest of the world but we should be living for His joy only.  It should be our desire to bring Him joy in all we do, and in doing so we find joy unspeakable!  Oh how we’ve found this to be true!!

The latest edition of Messiah Magazine, the books that have been recommended to us and we’ve read, the movies we’ve watched, the people we’ve visited with, the audio sermons we’ve listened to, the simple choices we’ve each made on our own all seem to be pointing to the same theme - though that theme doesn’t have the “right words” to describe it just yet.  Soon.  It’s coming.  Here are some words that seem to shine a tiny light in the direction that I’m talking about - but remember that the “right words” haven’t hit me just yet and it’s hitting us from every angle very fast right now so we’re trying to “be still and know” as we digest all that Father is giving to us.

Family first, multi-generational families, modesty in ALL areas of life, vision, direction, Fatherhood, Motherhood, Manhood, Womanhood, leadership, submission, honor, simplicity, deliberate lives - very deliberate.

I know that many, if not most, of my readers know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.  But have you noticed that it’s everywhere all of the sudden?  Or are our own eyes just now being opened?

How exciting!!

Meet Agnes & Wooten

We got our first milk goat! I re-named her Agnes and she has beautiful blue eyes. We also got a meat goat whom I named Wooten. Their names fit them perfectly and it causes everyone to giggle when they hear them.

Meet Agnes and Wooten. Their new “spot” is on the hillside between our house and my in-law’s house. In the background you can see the sheep barns and those white dots out there are some of the sheep. Agnes, typical goat, wants to be with the sheep when she’s on the hillside and on the hillside when with the sheep. LOL

 

 

 

 

Agnes produces just over 2 pints a day.  At this point we’re guzzling what we get and considering getting a second doe since 2 cups of milk a day isn’t much for all of us who want it.  :) 

Quotes to ponder

In my sidebar you can see the books I’m reading.  I’ve been able to do quite a bit of reading this week as I’ve made some adjustments to my priorities and daily routine.

Here is one quote that has been coming back to me often since I read it:

Too often faith in Jesus completely overshadows the faith of Jesus.  The religion focused on Jesus as the object of belief overwhelms the deep convictions of Jesus. He was a religious Jew in the context of first-century Israel.  He piously practiced his beliefs in pious devotion.  He preached from the Torah and the prophets, not from the Epistles of the Apostle Paul.  Jesus was consumed with a message of G-d’s compassion, which he discovered in the prayers of the synagogue and the readings of the Torah portion, rather than the hymns of the church and the NT lectionary…  Religious faith in Jesus should never obscure Jewish belief and practice during the time in which he lived.

The Parables:  Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation by Brad H. Young

And another quote that keeps “coming back” is this:

We must never seek to conquer feminism by attempting to “Christianize” it.  So-called “Christian feminism” is an oxymoron.  Feminism in any form is rebellion and must be eradicated through repentance [teshuvah],
not encouraged through syncretism.  We cannot fight feminism with feminism.  Nor should we promote any tactics that allocate to women a different role than G-d has assigned her.  It is never permissible to disregard the Law of G-d for the sake of achieving a “greater good”.  We will not take back this culture for Christ by imitating our culture’s rebellion to His Word.

So Much More by Anna Sofia Botkin and Elizabeth Botkin

These are two quotes that keep coming back to renergize me in my walk/halachah (there are a lot of nuggets that keep coming back).  I have let myself get so discouraged at times and I need to remember that this is a fight, a good fight, and I need to be a light in a dark place.  I have been encouraged to get back on the path (as opposed to sitting on the sidelines) and move ahead with renewed energy and passion.

I’m curious if anyone “out there” has any thoughts on these quotes.  I’d love to read them.

The West Bank - what/where is it?

You’ve heard of “The West Bank” in news reports. Maybe you’re not so sure if it’s on the coast or inland so you’ve gazed at a map and see that it’s a decent size territory in Israel north of some body of water. What’s the big deal about the West Bank anyway, other than it’s part of the territory of Israel and it’s always in the news?

Do you know what is contained in the West Bank? Do you know WHY they refer to it as “The West Bank” and not by another phrase?

Take a look here and see what places are contained within the famous West Bank.

Let’s see - there’s a section of the capital city Jerusalem, all of Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nabulus… This is the territory of Judea and Samaria. Now THAT makes more sense, doesn’t it? Judea and Samaria. Oh, okay. Now we know more about what and where this West Bank is. So why don’t they just call it that so the rest of us know what they’re talking about? Do you have any ideas? I’m wagering that it’s because people would get upset if they heard that certain people are wanting to take Judea and Samaria away from Israel. If it stays abstract, nobody cares. Right?

Do you notice what the map says? “-Israeli occupied-” Do you know what that is intended to imply? That Israel does not belong there. You only occupy territory if you’re an invader. So let’s find out what happened. The West Bank was under Jordanian control for a while, it was called the West Bank of the Jordan River. During the Six-Day War in 1967 Israel captured this territory and it’s part of the nation of Israel still today. Wikipedia says this:

Prior to the First World War, the area now known as the West Bank was under Ottoman rule as part of the province of Syria. In the 1920 San Remo conference, the victorious Allied powers allocated the area to the British Mandate of Palestine. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War saw the establishment of Israel in parts of the former Mandate, while the West Bank was captured and annexed by Jordan, who destroyed any existing Jewish villages. The 1949 Armistice Agreements defined its interim boundary. From 1948 until 1967, the area was under Jordanian rule, and Jordan did not officially relinquish its claim to the area until 1988. Jordan’s claim was never recognized by the international community. The West Bank was captured by Israel ^[1][2] during the Six-Day War. With the exception of East Jerusalem it was not annexed by Israel. Most of the residents are Arabs, although large numbers of Israeli settlements have been built in the region.

In 1967 Israel was the conquering country of this territory but it wasn’t till 1988 that Jordan relinquished it’s claim to the territory? Still, 1988 was 20 years ago. As long as the West Bank has been a part of the country of Israel the Arabs living in that territory have remained and have not been asked (or forced) to leave. That was part of the 1948 request too, “Please don’t leave. Please be comfortable staying here in your homes and your cities. We can live and work together.” Still, the maps say “occupied”. Occupied? Of course they occupy it, it’s part of their territory. That’s like saying the US occupies California or Texas. Of course. So why say “occupy”? I’m wagering that it’s because it just feeds the anti-Israel cause.

So I ask you to join me in referring to this territory as it should be - this is the area of Judea and Samaria, part of the modern country of Israel. Arabs live there, they live in other parts of Israel as well. In the US we have people from other cultures and countries too, so we should understand what it’s like in Israel for there to be people of various nationalities living in one country. Next time you hear a news report concerning The West Bank, remember just what and where that is and remind yourself that “This is happening in Judea and Samaria”.
Boy, if it were me and someone living on my property was hurling insults at me all the time, denying that I actually own that property, and trying to kill my family and me, I’d evict them or have them put in jail. I surely wouldn’t turn the other cheek…

Blessed Fellowship

We had a wonderful weekend. In our situation it is hard for us to get away from home to fellowship with people who aren’t in our area. When we heard that the Waller family was going to be in our neck of the woods, so to speak, we opted to make a full day of spending Shabbat with a congregation down near where the Wallers would be and then traveling on to attend the presentation of HaYovel by the Waller family. What a blessing the whole day was for each of us!

First we attended a wonderful congregation where our kids were able to see other families that fit within their descriptions of “normal”. In the “Messianic” community in our area we’ve more often than not run across families that are quite a bit different from ours and it’s always made our kids feel a little awkward and out of place. It was a tremendous blessing for them to be with a large group of people spanning a variety of ages and backgrounds. It was wonderful to be able to glean from the teachings of others while discussing the Scripture readings! It gave our family a lot of hope to know that there are others “out there” and we’re not completely alone in our walk - just geographically. The service was much more traditional than we’ve experienced and everyone really enjoyed it. The shock of all shocks came when a lady introduced herself as a regular guest who comes from out of town, boy does her family travel far for fellowship!! During the course of conversation it turns out that they are good friends with one of DH’s closest friends. Who would have ever thought!?! What a small world this is.

Then we traveled on, along with our new found friends, to meet the Waller family of HaYovel and A Journey Home fame. We were introduced to this ministry through Julie at Seeking The Old Paths as she’s written about their family vision to minister with the Waller family in Israel. The ministry of HaYovel is one that is of great interest to us, something about it “hits home” more than other ministries we’ve come across.  It was quite refreshing to hear “real people with skin on” speaking from a heart and an understanding like to ours.  Hearing Tommy speak firmly, unapologetically and gently was so refreshing!  Spending the evening with this wonderful family and other guests after having visited the congregation earlier that day was almost more blessing than one person should be able to receive in one day!

It occurred to us that we really need to get out more often! It is hard for us to get away from home for very long with all of the commitments we have here, but we do need to make a point to do it more often.

Ascension Anniversary

Today is the date that is traditionally observed as the Ascension of the Master, Mem B’Omer. Last evening was the beginning of the 40th day of the Omer. We read that the Master taught His closest followers for 40 days after his resurrection before He ascended back to the Father.

To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

Today as we prepare for Shabbat we will also be discussing the significance of the Ascension of our Master. Shavuot is coming, soon.

Home, With A Vision - a short update

It has been a very busy few weeks, much is happening in every way.

At Home On The Farm

We are finally finished waiting for new babies. The last cow calved but the calf died, it was a beautiful HUGE heifer and it just took too long for her to make her way out. Shalom’s ducklings have finished hatching and they follow him around the house. I chuckle and ask him “Are you my mother?” and tell him that at least he’s got his ducks all in a row. It’s so much fun, and he loves caring for them. It was a family event to take them for their first swim last Shabbat - everyone was thrilled to watch the ducklings do what comes so naturally for them. It was such a wonder to see how perfectly HaShem has given each animal natural instincts. What an awesome Father He is! Miriam has been sewing up a storm. In one week she has made herself a dress, she has made me one for my birthday and she made herself a skirt for the FFA banquet we attended last night for her awards. Eliezar and Miriam went down south earlier this week to make their final lamb purchases of the season - a new ram, the last choice ewe lamb and Miriam’s FFA project lamb. Sarah has her dance recital next week and she’s busy preparing for that. DH has been busy with several jobs and enjoying the people he’s been working with. As for me, I finally got my sourdough bread right and in the process of troubleshooting with the sourdough I was able to perfect my regular bread recipe. What a delight for me - and for the rest of the family as well. I have often been thankful that this year is a Sabbath rest for our garden because I do not know when, or how, I would be able to keep up with it. :) 

FREE Biblical Hebrew Magazine

I learned the other day that there is wonderful free resource for those who are interested in learning more about Biblical Hebrew and learning the language itself. The Ancient Hebrew Research Center seems to have as it’s focus:

Teaching the Ancient Biblical Hebrew Language of the Bible Through the Study of the Ancient Hebrew Alphabet, Culture and Thought.

From this website you can find a wealth of resources to begin learning ancient Biblical Hebrew: books, CD’s, free e-magazines and more.
The May 2008 Biblical Hebrew E-Magazine issue is the current issue with features such as:
Word of the Month, Name of the Month, Question of the Month, Verse of the Month and more.

The E-Magazines are free and available at the E-Magazine Index. I have subscribed to the mailing list in hopes of keeping up with this new found gem.

I have enjoyed browsing through the “About” page and the “Introduction” page as well as the main page - there’s a lot here!! Stop by and take a look, if the ancient Biblical Hebrew language or culture is of interest to you or someone in your family, this is a great site to browse - you might just learn something new.

h/t - Robin and Our Hebrew Roots

Two Thousand Years of Christianity Cannot be Wrong!

Have you ever thought this, or had someone say this to you? It sounds like a good solid argument, doesn’t it?

I have just read
“It Is Often Said: ‘Two Thousand Years of Christianity Cannot be Wrong!’”
by Tim Hegg.

Mr Hegg spends time analyzing the title statement and pointing out the differences that the Christian Church of the past 2,000 years has undergone. What I appreciate most about Mr Hegg and his writings is that he seeks to bring unity between today’s Christian and today’s “Messianic” believer. He makes it a point to show that today’s modern Christian believer is far removed from the various stages of Christianity over the past 2,000 years.

In actuality, much of Christendom has kept most of the Torah over the past 2,000 years and would be shocked at how today’s Christians view the Torah (the Law). It’s only in the past 100 years or so that modern Christianity has strayed from her foundations of Scripture.

This was a nice quick read, only 6 pages long in fact. I’d be interested to know what my readers think if they choose to download it and read it for themselves, so feel free to post your comments.