An Ode to Torah

When I first heard this, my husband had it playing i the other room as I was studying Scripture. It caught my attention and captured my heart. I stopped to listen and it blessed me so...it made me cry. I asked Him to send it to me,so I could see the video too. Again...Faklempt, I was! I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me.

If the images are too foreign or distracting to you, please close your eyes and listen to the music and lyrics.


Shabbat Shalom,

A Women Called Golda

The stirring chronicle of Golda Meir's life, with Ingrid Bergman giving her final performance and posthumously winning an Emmy Award as Outstanding Actress. The film, taking Golda through her 1977 meeting with Anwar Sadat, earned an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Drama Special and nominations to Judy Davis, the Australian actress who played the young Golda, and Leonard Nimoy, who played Golda's husband, Morris Meyerson. In addition, Emmy Award nominations went to Michel Legrand for his music and to the film's editor and sound mixer. Robert Loggia took the role of Anwar Sadat after Jose Ferrer gave it up for personal reasons. The two-part, four-hour "A Woman Called Golda" was filmed entirely in Israel.

Golda Meir, a Russian-born Jew raised in Wisconsin who served as prime minister of Israel from 1969-74 -- one of the most turbulent periods in the country's history. Often called the Iron Lady of Israel, the fiercely determined Meir led the nation through the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.

We saw this film for the first time this week. We highly recommend it! Surprisingly it was made for TV back in the 80's. We watched it in two sittings. It is appropriate for the whole family (little ones would probably find it boring.)

We learned a lot about Golda Meir and the founding of Eretz Israel. It is not a documentary, there was artistic license taken. The film starts with Golda in her later years, addressing a classroom of Students in the American school she attended as a child. She responded to questions from the children and "flashed back" to her life.

A great "homeschool" movie if you are studying the history of Eretz Israel. I think we are going to add it to our family library.

You can find it for rent on Netflix or for sale at Amazon.com.

Chag Purim

Purim is traditional Hebrew holiday that we have adopted and love.  It is not one of YHVH's Appointed Times, however it is the celebration of a story that was preserved in His Scriptures and glorifies Him mightily! It tells about a time when He delivered His people from destruction.  The Story of Purim is told in the whole book of Esther.  We think that it is worth celebrating and remembering! It is traditionally done in a fun even "zainy" way...so let your hair down and have some fun with the Bible!

What does the word Purim mean?  It is the Persian word for a "game" they took seriously (also referred to often in Scripture called "lots") by which stones are cast to determine a decision.  In the story of Esther (Hadassah), it refers to how Haman chose the date for his plan to annihilate the Hebrew people.  Which, by the way is the 14th of Adar (on traditional Hebrew Calendar) or the 14th of the 12th Month for those who use the Biblical reckoning of the moons for their calendar.  For most folks it usually falls in the Gregorian calendar on a random day in March.  (Ok...that might be TMI)
In years past, we have done lots of fun things. There is also lots of freedom to be creative in how you do it.  We have written a puppet show and made our own "megillahs" from the book of Esther and did an interactive play.  We have attended a play given by a local synogouge as well!  We often study Esther ahead with the family, and dig up good Esther films. We lean toward animated stories for the whole family or home videos of Purim celebrations past and full features for the older ones after the smaller children go to bed. (Because the reality of Purim is intense.) We like to bake Hamantashen (traditional cookie).  We have a Rubbermade tub that we put holiday supplies in for each holiday.  We have made homemade groggers (noise makers) out of water bottles and beans in years past, but now have fancy Purim Party grogger that I found online.  We have homemade costumes and puppets which we made costumes for. (Tichels make great puppet dresses by the way!)  You can put as much or as little effort into as you like.  Some of the other feasts are a little more difficult (and controversial) to invite Christians or unbelievers who don't get the feasts, but Purim seems to be a real easy one to include all people in.  We have and it has been a real blessing to everyone.  It proves to be a beautifully ecletic mix of folks at our parties.  (Which we always enjoy.)

Purim Baskets are another great way to celebrate.  It is the concept of Tzedakah (charity) and is expressed in many ways.  One traditional way is to give food and treats in baskets and leaving them anonymously on (preferrably needy) doorsteps. But in our opinion, charity of any kind should always be a part of Purim. It is an expression of thankfulness for all the provision that YHVH has given us -- that is the over arching lesson of Purim...so we share in the bounty.

The most important element to celebrating Purim is to retell the story of Esther, keeping it alive so that YHVH is glorified.

A wonderful resource we have used to spark ideas is a wonderful children's book called Make Your Own Megillah

Here is a link to some traditional Hebrew songs for Purim.  Our favorite song is Chag Purim, we learned a dance to it last year.  This is a great link if you are studying Hebrew...learn what the Hebrew in the songs mean.  (Homeschoolers look for unit studies in everything!)

Chag Purim! (Happy Purim)

Shalom Aleichem

Who We Are In Messiah

The Mount of Olives In The Future

"After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1:9-11)

"At that time the sign of The Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see The Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24:30-31)

"Then The Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then The Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. (Zechariah 14:3-5)

It was just a couple years ago, I can hear my own words of ignorance and rebellious heart ringing in my head,"The last place I want to go is Israel, that hole in the dessert." The Father has opened my eyes to see, and to love the things He loves. It happened from the inside, like all the things He does in us, like a baby forming in your womb...it is something He Knit into me, it certainly wasn't "me". I realized it was happening in my prayer time when I was quite before HIM. Israel would come to mind and I would weep. (Israel never came to my mind before in prayer!) I didn't know why I was weeping. There was a yearning in my Spirit that I could not explain, I could not control. As it grew, Scripture leaped off the page at me in new ways. The truth about WHO Israel is and WHO I am , broke through the doctrinal constraints that had fenced it in before. He showed me that WE are Israel - good and bad - we (the church believing in Jesus) repeats Israel's History to this day. The Commonwealth of Israel is HIS family, HIS people. We are grafted into that family by adoption, by the precious blood of Yahshua the Messiah. We are ONE: (emphasis is what the Holy Spirit SHOWED ME)

Galatians 3:7-9 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Ephesians 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past GENTILES in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

GENTILES (ethnos) a race, i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan): Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Messiah, being ALIENS from the COMMONWEALTH of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

ALIENS (apallotrioo) to estrange away, i.e. (passively and figuratively) to be non-participant: alienate, be alien.

COMMONWEALTH (politeia) citizenship; concretely, a community: commonwealth, freedom.

STRANGERS (xenos) foreign ; by implication, a guest.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Messiah Yahshua ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Messiah.

Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of PARTITION between us;

PARTITION (phragmos) a fence, or inclosing barrier (literally or figuratively): hedge (round about), partition.

Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

ENMITY (echthra) Deep-seated, often mutual hatred.

(He not only came to be our sacrifice need by the Torah, but came to abolish our hatred for the law and unify us. He came to unite us to it and bring us out of our doctrines of man. He also came to RENEW the covenant from that time which He divorced Israel. According to the Torah HE could not remarry her until one of them died. He himself died, so that ALL of Israel could join Him as His Bride once again. Yahshua renewed and restored all that was lost for us.)

Ephesians 2:16 And that he (Yahshua) might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Ephesians 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, AND to them that were nigh.

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but FELLOW CITIZENS with the saints, and of the HOUSEHOLD of YHVH;

FELLOWCITIZENS (sumpolites) a native of the same town.

HOUSEHOLD (oikeios) domestic, i.e. (as noun), a relative, adherent:–(those) of the (his own) house(-hold).

Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be FELLOWHEIRS, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Messiah by the gospel:

FELLOWHEIRS (sugkleronomos) a co-heir, i.e. (by analogy) participant in common: fellow (joint)-heir, heir together, heir with.

Church, we are grafted in to Commonwealth Israel. (Romans 11) Israel is what HE calls His people. Israel is both Jews and (Former) Gentiles who have faith in Him. He says (paraphrase), If you love me, you will follow my Commands. Understand the context, while we in the later days have the benefit of the letters and prophesies of John and the words of Yahshua, His "commands" and His "Scriptures" being referred to in the NT are all Old Testament! Yahshua was speaking OT Scripture and the Jews which He was preaching to...KNEW THAT. The New Testament is valuable, don't get me wrong. It documents who the Messiah IS; and lines up the OT fulfilling prophesy; it also lets us see the struggles the Believers of Yahshua endured and that they were "people too".

When I really started studying the OT in context my Messiah became that much more glorified! The OT points to the Messiah and the Messiah points to the OT. But I never SAW that for myself in the Word the first 10 years of my walk, because I didn't understand the OT or the context of the NT fully. It is like having a 2000 piece puzzle with NO box top and having several little sections of it put together, but thousands of pieces laying about singly and not knowing what the big picture is. However that all started changing when the Father showed me who I am. When I started realizing His Appointed Times/Feasts were my Feasts and His Shabbat was meant for me and observing them, and studying them. I study more and HE shows me more - things just snowball. It was like crossing over into a His world. It's a beautiful thing.

I can't help but used my experience of adoption as an illustration. We are in the midst of adopting two girls from Haiti. They are leaving their world behind, one of poverty and destruction and death, but one that seems normal to them from their current point of view. They are joining our family, we have sought them out, we wanted them, we have gone through a long hard process to get them. AS they arrive, there will be many adjustments. Language and culture changes, mourning the loss of their old home (no matter how grim), emotions, you name it. There is a transition. It is a matter of "will". As the parents it is our job to reveal ourselves to our children. Show them who we are, what we are about and what our plan is for them. We love them, we help them, we teach them. We will have rules in place. They will need to learn our ways. A lot of what was commonplace in Haiti will not be acceptable here. We have compassion on them knowing they are babes (2 and 5) and this is a transition for them. We instruct them in love, showing them the way tenderly. If they "know" but make a conscious choice to disobey, than there will be consequences. They will be chastened. They will need to repent and make restitution when possible. If they see our teachings as harsh restraints, holding them back from something better, or if they choose to trust their own ideas over our teachings as a rule, they will not be protected by the rules we have put in place for them (running into the street, playing with fire, hitting, etc.). Will I hate them? NO! Will it be a strain on our relationship? Yes. Will they be able to walk in the full blessings of the family? NO! I will not be able to give them the freedom they so desire, because they will need to be retrained for their own safety. I will not let them play in the yard freely without me, so they will have to wait until I am finished with chores. I will not take them places and show them things, because the outing would be laborious with a disobedient child, screaming, running off, being destructive, etc. As parents we know, slow obedience, partial obedience, and poor attitudes are NOT obedience. We want our children's hearts and out of their hearts comes true obedience. We want to effect their conscience so they will do the right thing when we are not their. We want to equip our children to be happy, holy and whole! As a parent, my Scriptures have shown me, I must endure all this for the sake of my child, I must never stop teaching them and loving them and forgiving them and extending my hand to them. They NEED me. One day, they will see the wisdom of my ways and turn from the corruption of the world. Will that take 6 months? 3 years? 20 years? That depends on their willingness to submit to my teachings and follow wisdom. That will depend on whether they see that my rules provide them freedom not confinement and suppression. That is the oldest lie in the BOOK. That is the thing which the serpent deceived Satan and it still works to this day. He wants to keep the Commonwealth of Israel as far away from the blessing of YHVH's Torah as possible. You see, the adoption already happened - they are mine and will always be mine, but it is their choice as to how they will respond to my teachings (Torah) and my ways, and whether or not they want to identify with us or on their own that will determine the course of their lives.

Rebellion 1. Open, armed, and organized resistance to a constituted government.
2. An act or a show of defiance toward an authority or established convention.

Obedience 1. To carry out or fulfill the command, order, or instruction of.
2. To carry out or comply with (a command, for example).

Will
a. The mental faculty by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action: championed freedom of will against a doctrine of predetermination.
b. The act of exercising the will.
2.
a. Diligent purposefulness; determination: an athlete with the will to win.
b. Self-control; self-discipline: lacked the will to overcome the addiction.
3. A desire, purpose, or determination, especially of one in authority: It is the sovereign's will that the prisoner be spared.
4. Deliberate intention or wish: Let it be known that I took this course of action against my will.
5. Free discretion; inclination or pleasure: wandered about, guided only by will.
6. Bearing or attitude toward others; disposition: full of good will.
7.
a. A legal declaration of how a person wishes his or her possessions to be disposed of after death.
b. A legally executed document containing this declaration.

Verb tense
1. To decide on; choose.
2. To yearn for; desire: "She makes you will your own destruction" George Bernard Shaw.
3. To decree, dictate, or order.
4. To resolve with a forceful will; determine.
5. To induce or try to induce by sheer force of will: We willed the sun to come out.
6. To grant in a legal will; bequeath.

His Precepts (Scriptures) and His Ruach (Spirit) are what unite us. The Spirit draws us near, our faith seals the deal, and His Word teaches us how to leave and change our ways and shows us who our God is: His character, His plan, His desires for us. For over 2000 years, The Church has taken the Scriptures and ran with it in 10,000 directions in ignorance, as far away from Israel and our foundation as possible. We have created our own doctrines (just like the men Yahshua spoke against in His day). He came to call us AAAALLLL back to His pure teachings. (He quoted the OT and it's principals, there was nothing NEW in Yahshua's teachings - just RENEWED and further revealed). He has pure understanding of His pure Scriptures and showed us how to walk that out. Yahshua was pure Torah, the Living Word made flesh. If we understand ALL of our Scriptures (OT) in their context; we would learn that what is taught in many of our denominations of the "church" replacing Israel is simply the bad doctrine of man. We were taught that Yahshua did away with the Torah/Law and replaced it. NO, HE DEMONSTRATED IT AND POINTED US BACK TO IT! But in our rebelliousness "rules that hold us down", if that is not the definition of rebellion, I don't know what is! But if we knew our true identity and willingly used His Scriptures to live by instead of our church's doctrine, IF we really trusted HIM and His ways; He would do a MIGHTY work in the body and His presence would be made known with awesome power in these dark dark times. The Jews would see the real Messiah in us, not this manufactured one we have developed in 10000 factions. We would be a part of Scripture being fulfilled as a SINGLE BODY with Yahshua as the head and His ways as our doctrine. No denominations, no Jew and Gentile- only the Commonwealth of Israel in unity with Holy Spirit and living out the Pure Scriptures while glorifying our Creator!

Ministries in Israel

This is a couple we met a couple weeks ago in KY; George and Rivka Whitten. They live in Israel. They are believers, and their heart is to reach the Israeli people. They do many things in their Mission, but one that you can reap the benefits from is that He collects news from the region and posts it for we in the West. He explained that the news we get here about Israel is so often propagandized, and twisted. We miss so many important things, and the things we do get "news of" are so often colored in a differnt light for the sake of politics. That is what motivated Him to do this. They want Believers in the West to know the truth about what is going on in the Holyland. He also highlights news that is important to the Body from the US papers and England all over the world. Things about persecuted believers and so on, thins that we never see here. Here is His site, you can get a newsletter from them too. http://www.worthynews.com/

She has a BEAUTIFUL voice and has just released a CD that is being well received in Israel. It is all in Hebrew. For every CD sold, 5 are given to Israeli's.
http://www.lazmanhazeh.com/

Israel is a VERY hard place to share about Yahshua, but they are committed and I believe anointed for the job. Family, ISRAEL is where Yahshua will return!! He is calling His people's hearts back to the land as He prepares us for His return. Scripture tells us ALL THROUGHOUT IT - that THIS IS THE PLACE He has set apart. We must not take this lightly and pray what it is that YHVH (God) should have us do to/for/in this place.

The Book of Esther in Rhyme

Note: G-d means God (YHVH) and it done in an attempt to show respect for "God's name" in many Hebrew circles. This is not an expression of my conviction, but it is the author's, so I left it there out of respect for her. This is an OUTSTANDING piece that I get great joy from reading.

The Book of Esther in Rhyme
By Fay Kranz Greene

Purim means 'lots' chance and conjecture
G-d's name was absent, concealed
But Esther means hester--hidden, obscure
Unmask and all is revealed

It happened in the days of Achashverosh the King
A boor and a fool to boot
He made a great feast for the nations he ruled
To display his treasures and loot

He had no shame, did not fear G-d's name
The fortune was not his to keep
It was stolen from the Temple in Jerusalem
Which lay in a sorrowful heap

Yet invitations were sent addressed to the Jews
At the palace to celebrate
Though they were warned, they did not stay away
And G-d's anger was kindled, irate

The festivities lasted one hundred eighty days
The wine and the spirits flew
Destruction and deliverance were being prepared
But at the time, nobody knew

The drunken king ordered Queen Vashti to appear
She refused him unceremoniously
Upon advice from his court he cut her head off
And regretted it almost instantaneously

So a beauty pageant was quickly announced
To choose a new queen in her stead
All the maidens vied for this honor so great
But beautiful Esther was filled with dread

Her kinsman was Mordechai, a Jew so renowned
Her lineage from King Saul's royal gene
She tried to hide, but fate would not be denied
Achashverosh chose her as his new queen

Mordechai gave her instructions precise
To the palace he came every day
Esther was not to reveal her nation of birth
Yet remain Jewish in every way

The stage was now set for Jewish salvation
Esther was a powerful force
She urged Acheshverosh to choose an advisor
The Jew Mordechai, of course

One day Mordechai heard two soldiers plot
To kill the king was their aim
He told it to Esther who saved the king's life
But gave credit to Mordechai by name

Now an ill wind was brewing for the Jewish nation
In the guise of Haman the Aggagite
The royal ring was bestowed on him by the king
Though he was a wicked anti-Semite

Haman was proud, he preened at the gates
He commanded all to bow
But Mordechai refused, he said I'm a Jew
And my G-d does not allow

Haman wanted revenge on all the Jews
To annihilate them was his vow
He'd slaughter them all on one bloody day
The only question was how?

But this evil man thought of a plan
He devised a kind of lottery
To determine the date for the poor Jews' fate
The thirteenth of Adar it was to be

Now Haman pleaded his case to the King
That the Jews were of no use at all
Achashverosh agreed, and it was quickly decreed
That our people were slated to fall

When Mordechai learned of this treachery
Sackcloth and ashes he donned
Weeping and wailing he ran through the streets
Knowing Esther would surely respond

Dear Esther, he said, your time has arrived
For this you were chosen as queen
To plead on the throne on behalf of your folk
Divine providence can clearly be seen

For her people Esther would risk her life
She had but one request to make
For three days the Jews must fast, regret their past
And all other gods forsake

Esther and her maidens would likewise fast
Then make a move so bold
To see the king unbidden was forbidden
Unless he extend his scepter of gold

Dressed in royalty and cloaked in Divinity
Esther was grace personified
Her prayers were answered, hope was at hand
The king invited her inside

Half of my kingdom is yours he said
Esther should have been delighted
But she was waiting for a sign Divine
So to a party she invited

Not only the king but Haman too
A move calculated to distress
The Jews would put their trust in G-d
And the king would become jealous

Esther waited for an opportunity
But there was no sign in sight
She had to stall and risk it all
With a party a second night

Haman was gloating 'the queen chose me'
It was just the King and I
But his bubble bursts and his anger spurts
When he sees the Jew Mordechai

His wicked wife Zeresh comes up with a plan
Build a gallows about fifty feet
Go ask the king, to let Mordechai swing
And your joy will then be complete

What a night was ahead, the kingdom's astir
No one is sleeping it seems
Esther is planning, Mordechai is praying
And the king has disturbing dreams

In the very heavens the angels are weeping
G-d hears his children in need
The king is awakened, his sleep is forsaken
From his royal book he begins to read

The pages turn as if on their own
To an entry long ago recorded
Mordechai the Jew saved the life of the king
But his loyalty was not rewarded

Achashverosh hears Haman in the courtyard
And calls him in post haste
How can I honor a man who's deserving
I have no time to waste

Haman lays out a course of grand action
All the while thinking it's he
A gala parade astride the king's horse
Who else would he honor but me?

But his downfall was near, his end was in sight
Imagine his horror and dread
When the king said go do, to Mordechai the Jew
Exactly the things that you said

When Esther heard this turn of events
She knew it was her cue
And that it was right at the party that night
To reveal that she was a Jew

If I have found favor in the eyes of the king
And your highness will agree
Please spare my life and the lives of my people
From death by an evil decree

Who would dare to threaten my queen
Asked Achashverosh in a great fright
It is none other than your trusted advisor
Haman the Aggagite

The king was enraged, he needed air
From the room he quickly fled
And on the gallows intended for Mordechai
He had Haman hanged instead

Now letters were swiftly dispatched
To all the kingdom near and far
For the Jews to prepare, their foes to beware
On the thirteenth of Adar

The Jews were triumphant against the enemy
They fought bravely for their nation
And the days that were slated for destruction
Became days of celebration

Now proclamations were sent to all the Jews
Rejoice and be of good cheer
Remember these days of Purim
And commemorate them every year

By sending mishloach manot, food gifts to your friends
And eating a feast galore
By reading the megillah not once but twice
And giving charity to the poor

Purim means 'lots' chance and conjecture
G-d's name was absent, concealed
But Esther means hester hidden, obscure
Unmask and all is revealed

HAPPY PURIM

Acoustiyah in Israel

Turn the music off in the right column before you play the video. It is a beautiful song in the midst of a harsh reality....it could be us one day....I pray we will never stop singing to YHVH!

http://www.myspace.com/acoustiyah