Sharing our Shavuot 2011

This year we hosted a gathering here at the farm for Shavuot. It was gathering of friends and new acquaintances many of which we have met in the last year. It was very special to step back and see His people on this special day as we all remember and desire to honor Yah's Word and His Appointed Times. Granted, we all would have loved to be in Jerusalem, and that day will come - but as always, He meets us right where we are when we seek after Him. He knows where He is taking us (even if we don't) - yet He never fails to be by own side on the journey when are hearts are stayed on Him. Halleluyah! YHVH is our salvation!

Ben's day started early, as he traveled an hour and a half to attend a baby naming and circumcision on the 8th day of a new baby born into a family who is committed to raise him In YHVH's ways. What a precious time! (I wish I could have been there!) But at the same time - I had a very precious time here with our early guests as our hearts poured out to one another in the still of the morning - what sweet sweet fellowship we share in the family of YHVH!

Some friends showed up early starting the night before and in the morning - but our official gathering started at around 2pm. There were 61 people here (with 6 babies), I think it might have been the biggest gathering we have had here, yet. The weather was beautiful. Since our house is small, we set up a couple catering tents in the back yard that gave us a nice space gather in the shade.
We had sweet fellowship and ate together. Everyone brought food to share which resulted in a delicious feast. This also included a family who brought a first-born goat they had roasted that morning to share with His people. They are farmers who try to find ways to use their "tithe" (the first 10 percent of everything they produce on their farm) without a temple to take it to; They presented their "offering" at the current "temple" - the Body of Yah coming together for honor His Appointed Times! (Isn't that beautiful?!)

Before we ate, Ben asked that each head of the household introduce himself and his family and share with us "What Shavuot means to them". Precious insight was shared from many perspectives. We blew the Shofars and waved two loaves.

Then we ate and played some more. The kids played and went on a scavenger-hunt that Ben had put together before everyone arrived. He is known for his scavenger hunts when we get together with other families for The Feasts. It is such a precious parallel to walk the children through in regards to seeking after His "treasures" that He tucks all throughout His Word - just waiting there for anyone who is willing to search them out!

After that, we sang and danced as a group and worshipped Yah in the back yard. We had a mens' AND womens' circle going! I am so blessed when men let their sensibilities go enough to dance before YHVH! Real men dance for YHVH!













Then, as the night was ending, we had friends give a presentation on Israel. Sharing some very informative history with us and some pictures from their last visit. I learned some great stuff and my heart yearned for the land once again. This young family is preparing (working hard) to return to Israel to serve this fall and are hoping to get some support to do that.

Three of the families present have never gathered for the Feasts with others like this before and expressed how blessed they were to know their were "others". They were encouraged and their eyes opened to the community they didn't know they had. Halleluyah!

The night before, we counted our 50th day and watched a teaching on Shavuot. We let the kids sleep out in the living room. We like to do a sleepover at the entrance of Shavuot, reading and studying the Scriptures as late into the night as possible. This year, we tuckered out earlier on our studies - sooner than any year before. I think we were anticipating our group gathering the next day and wanted to be sure we had a good night's sleep before. We have another silly little tradition that has stuck in our home for Shavuot morning and that is cheesecake for breakfast!! We use the cheesecake as a simple demonstration of how the Torah is like the milk that sustains us and nourishes us and what a sweet blessing it is!

Above, Heather caught Ben and Jacob goofing about joining the two sticks together. (Ezekiel 37) But the significance only dropped on me (like an anvil) when I decided to look it up for this post. The fact is that YHVH is calling His people out of their man-made religions to do JUST THAT. (Put the two sticks together for His purposes.) You see Jake is just entering into the walk that Yah has called Him and his family into and that is serving and ministering to the Israel IN THE LAND. Ben also is stepping out in His call to serve and minister to Israel IN THE NATIONS(outside The Land) specifically, the Christian church. Both men are being used as instruments to each "house" of YHVH's family - drawing them to HIM in unity. Jake, by going to Israel and standing with her, helping expand her borders and walk out his devotion to YHVH before Judah to witness and make them jealous. When The Spirit reveals to Judah the fullness of His Salvation - the Meyers will be there (with others) to hold their hand through it! Ben is called to something different - He is being sent into the church, here in the nations, to reach Ephraim - the prodigal children that have gone astray from His Ways. He is called to bringing them back to the Father and His Word and His ways. He is to do this through helping them understand the fullness of the Scriptures in their context. When the Spirit reveals to them the fullness of their salvation with the OTHER pieces of the puzzle that they have been ignorant to0... in combination with Judah accepting Messiah... it will be an awesome things to behold! YHVH is preparing to gather the end time harvest right before our eyes! Halleluyah! The true Shavuot REVIVAL is rising amongst His people! We are not the only ones who are being called to this...Yah is preparing people all over the world in this way. Chills...tears...arms lifted on High - thanks you YHVH for letting us be a part of your story in such days as these!

"The Valley of Dry Bones", is this 'man's religion' - you read it and tell me what The Spirit is speaking to YOU.

Ezekiel 37
1 The hand of YHVH was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of YHVH and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." 4Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of YHVH. 5Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am YHVH."
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling,and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am YHVH, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."

I Will Be Their God, They Shall Be My People
15The word of YHVH came to me: 16 "Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.' 17And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18And when your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these?' 19say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. 20When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, 21then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. 22And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
24"My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. 25 They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28Then the nations will know that I am YHVH who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore."

Blessings in YHVH,
Pamela for the Tribe of Ben