A Healthy Body and a Well-Lived Life

I was blessed to receive two e-mails today that seemed to bear witness to one another - as two witnesses confirming a matter I have been pondering for weeks.  The matter can best be expressed as a question: "Why is the Body of Messiah in such a state of division and disunity? What argument is great enough to utterly destroy congregations and tear the fabric of God's people completely apart? Are these arguments and disruptions of a doctrinal, theological nature, or are people just getting offended over petty, personal disagreements?"

This is the state of things where John and I live, but we also see it everywhere we travel. Denominations are splitting into more denominations in the Church - and the Messianics are in such disagreement that whole fellowships are dissolving and disappearing so that everyone can go do things their own way.

One of the e-mails I got today included an article by Eddie Santoro, from Jerusalem. He writes,

"The establishment and strengthening of the local congregation was the primary goal of Paul's apostolic journeys, and most of the Epistles are written to local New Testament expressions. The local congregation is God's vessel to express his life on the earth, and it is the "school" where new believers are discipled and older ones can grow and mature.  It is the furnace where we are tested and the fountainhead of any national revival.

God saves people but he does not stop there. Each of us are then called to take our place in this wonderful Body and it is this commitment of love and sacrifice that binds the "living stones" into a dwelling place for God's spirit.

Since the local congregation is so central to God's purposes, it is not surprising that the enemy attacks it. He strikes the shepherds so that the sheep would be scattered. He sows deception and strife into this house which is meant to be filled with love and peace, so that its unity would be destroyed. Since we moved to Jerusalem, we have seen at least three thriving congregations cease to exist.

A healthy Body is not just a good meeting, but also the expression of lives joined together in loving relationship throughout the week. The deepening of the bonds of relationship between members of our congregation is a vital step in advancing God's purposes and a deterrent against the strategy of the enemy to divide."

My friends, it is all about people!  For so long I have been endeavoring to live a life poured out for people, because that is the model our Master Yeshua gave us.  I love Eddie's explanation of this: "A healthy Body is the expression of lives joined together in loving relationship throughout the week." That is the definition of true community from a Hebraic perspective.  Loving fellowship, outreach, and meeting one another's needs is not supposed to be just a one-day-of-the-week thing - it should be our purpose all week long, all month long, all year long!

The other e-mail that really quickened in my spirit was based on a quote by Bill Bullock.  Though I am not aware of who Mr. Bullock is, I certainly agree with him, and I think maybe I'll print out this quote and paste it somewhere in our home as a reminder.  As a people we spend far too much time listening to TV and radio talking heads giving THEIR opinions about everything, and it disrupts the Spirit within us.  I am not interested in men's opinions, I am interested in GOD'S opinion, and I cannot hear Him when there is so much noise and chaos in my world!!

Thanks to Tinah Brown, who sent me Mr. Bullock's quote:

"Well-lived lives are not lived in the world of theory, philosophy, theology, religion, politics or any other form of pontification or dehumanizing generalization. Those who live well-lived lives do not waste time or energy talking about ideas or arguing over whose opinion or political or theological position is right. Those who live well-lived lives spend their precious time and energy focusing on real interactions with real people, with real names, and real life situations that must be dealt with in real time. Those who live well-lived lives see and respond to hurting people, not hateful labels."

Awesome! Now it's time for me to close this so I can get over to my real 89-year-old mother's house and interact with her real-life situation coping with dementia, and give her some of my precious time and energy, because she needs a real-life shower!

God saves his people, but it doesn't stop there. Each of us are then called to take our place in this wonderful Body and it is this commitment of love and sacrifice that binds the "living stones" into a dwelling place for God's spirit.

Shabbat Shalom!

Cling to Him With Every Step

Last evening on Discovery Channel we watched what was, quite possibly, one of the greatest parables the Lord has ever quickened to me.  In awe we watched tightrope walker Nik Wallenda cross the entire Grand Canyon on a small, steel cable, barely wide enough upon which to set his feet.  As he began this "amazing stunt" as many called it, I held my breath and felt that my heart would stop; and then I heard Nik begin to call upon the Name above every name.  With almost every tentative step forward, He praised God and called upon Him for protection, for safety, for the calming of the wind, and for His very survival. "Thank You, Jesus. Oh, I praise You, Jesus. You are my Rock and my Salvation. You have the authority to stop the wind. I give You the glory, Jesus!"

Step by step, for 23 breathtaking minutes, fifteen hundred feet above the rocky canyon floor, he depended upon God. He trusted Jesus not to let go of Him. And over the live cameras that televised this event to the world, He was not ashamed to tell every man, woman and child watching that He depends on God, and not his own ability, to make it to the end.

The wind could have toppled him. His own strength could have failed him, as he was carrying an extremely heavy, weighted bar for balance. If he had lost focus, fear could have taken over and caused him to tumble to his death. But he never stopped praising the One who kept him safe! What a parable this was for us!

My little devotional this morning was what quickened it all to my spirit. It reads, "Fearful, anxious thoughts melt away in the Light of My Presence. When you turn away from Me, you are vulnerable to the darkness that is always at work in the world.  In the world, dependency is seen as immaturity. But in My Kingdom, dependence on Me is a prime measure of maturity."

I'm sure many in the world thought Nik Wallenda to be a fool, crossing the Grand Canyon, calling on Jesus' Name. But we know God uses the foolish to confound the wise! He used this as a testimony, even a teaching, about clinging to the hand of the Savior.

Psalm 62:5-7: "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone, my hope comes from Him.  He alone is My rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. God Most High is my salvation and my honor; He is my Mighty Rock, my Refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him for God is our Refuge."

This life we live is like a tightrope walk.  Some refer to tightrope walkers as "daredevils," and as I heard that term spoken over Nik Wallenda, I rebuked it. He did not dare the devil to kill him...he called upon the only One who could keep him safe to the end of the journey; he commanded the wind to stop in the authority of the only One who controls the wind and the waves; and when he reached the "end of the rope," he kissed the ground, and in tears, gave the glory to Yeshua, His Rock and His Salvation! For me, it was a parable, a lesson, wherein the Lord showed me how to cling to Him with every step, praise Him in every circumstance, trust Him at all times, pour out my heart to Him, and never be ashamed to give Him the glory for everything in my life, even in front of all those who are watching!

If you want to see a short clip of Nik's walk across the Grand Canyon, you can find it here. Turn your speakers up and listen closely, as the audio is very faint - but you will want to hear his words!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVAo5rlKgFc

Restoration Song

I had a dream where large groups of people were moving along toward the same destination. In the midst of this huge throng was a group of people who began singing and praising God in the Hebrew language. I noticed that many around me began to roll their eyes and complain, "I'm not going to try to learn those words in another language! Why should I do that?" Still other groups of people (obviously from other nations) were smiling and intermingling with the group of singers, trying to learn the words. I so wanted to learn the words too, so eventually I separated myself from those who were grumbling, and this was not hard to do, as I noticed they began falling behind all the rest. Joyfully, those of us who joined ourselves to the group of singers began to sing along, and the words came very easily to us.  When we finally reached our destination it was revealed to us that the singers were Jewish and we were singing the repetitive chorus of Psalm 80:3: RESTORE US O GOD! SHOW US YOUR MERCY AND WE SHALL BE SAVED!

I knew that it was a picture of the great Restoration God is doing in the earth today; some will want to sing this restoration song and be a part of what He is doing, but many will not.

Isaiah 11:12-13: The LORD will raise a signal flag to show the nations that He is gathering together again the scattered people of Israel and Judah and bringing them back from the four corners of the earth. The kingdom of Israel will not be jealous of Judah anymore, and Judah will not be the enemy of Israel.

None At All Exalt Him

In our weekly bible study at the retirement home where my elderly parents reside, we are studying the book of Hosea. I believe the choice to go there (made by one of our students) was definitely Spirit-led, for just this time. Even a current DVD movie on the book of Hosea is getting popular attention. We watched it last night and we were deeply moved.

Hosea, of course, is a book of prophecy, mainly written to Ephraim, the northern kingdom of ancient Israel. But the real definition of this prophetic work is that it is a redemptive love story - a love that most of us cannot comprehend. It is the story of the unconditional love of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob toward His people Israel - even when they were unfaithful to Him and had utterly abandoned Him, to worship false gods. YHVH did not give up on them, even as Hosea (walking out God's message in the flesh) did not give up on his unfaithful wife. What wondrous love is this?

I was captivated this morning by the verse in Hosea 11:7. It says, 'My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High (El Elyon), none at all exalt Him."

I have pondered this verse for three hours this morning, asking El Elyon to show me what this means for us today. Here is what I heard:
You come to me in prayer, but you launch into your petitions for all your needs, as if it is all about you. Even when you pray for the needs of others, you are putting your earthly desires before the praise of the Most High. Come into My Presence with Thanksgiving, and into My courts with Praise! Exalt My Name above all gods, and acknowledge My holiness. Take off your shoes, for you are standing on Holy Ground. Bow before the Holy One of Israel and sing praises unto Me! I long for the praises of My people; I wonder if you remember who I Am. I want you to be all Mine, filled with the light of My Presence. Worship Me in the beauty of holiness! Worship Me and then my ears shall be attentive to your cry.

There is a reason we call it "praise and worship," not "worship and praise." I am grateful for the reminder this morning, from the Creator of the Universe, that I must come into His courts first with the praises of my lips - which then will lead me deeper into the worship of His holiness and sovereignty in my life. Then, as I lift my prayers and needs to him, I will be fully aware that He is the God who created me, who knows me intimately, who hears me, and who answers in His mercy and grace.

Let God Do It!

We invited my 8-year-old granddaughter, Jocelyn, to our home for Erev Shabbat dinner.  Other friends who regularly join us were here, including our dear brother Larry, who is an expert shofar player. After dinner he delighted in giving Jocelyn a lesson on how to blow the shofar, getting various notes, and sounding the different blasts that called the children of Israel to worship or to battle. As I was clearing the dinner table, I heard Larry tell her, "You're trying too hard. Don't try so hard. Just like in everything else, when we try so hard to do it, we're not letting God do it."

Wow, that really hit deep in my spirit! I had recently been through a time of deep confession and repentance over this very issue. I had allowed my fears and concerns over my husband's health and my mother's health to keep me from moving forward in faith on the call to minister in Kenya. It was strange - I had never done this before! In 14 years of traveling the globe for the Lord, I had never allowed fear to overcome faith, but suddenly it seemed the enemy had the upper hand and I was dragging my feet on this mission. Then the Lord began to convict me and cause me to remember how HE had moved in my life when I wasn't trying to take control, and when I was completely surrendered over to Him.

"Don't you remember how I touched John and healed him in that Reno hospital?" the Spirit whispered. "You watched his blood pressure go from 178 to 122 on the monitor when John spoke out his faith in Me. And what about the time in Ecuador when your bus broke down and you were stranded through the night in unsafe territory? Did I not protect you? And do you remember when you taped bibles on your body and went across Communist Chinese borders into Tibet? Did I not speak to you and tell you what to say when you passed through their security? Did I not shelter you when the two men accosted you on the Mount of Olives? Now why are you in fear?"

 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am YHVH, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (Isa. 43:2-3)

I had been trying too hard to protect everybody. How foolish! Once I surrendered my heart, my life, and the lives of my loved ones again into the arms of my Yeshua, my Savior, the Spirit began to flow again, and the mission moved forward. The pastors in Kenya have an itinerary in place for us now, from December 18-30. We are taking two of our grandchildren and the four of us will fly to Nairobi and then to the region of Kitale, where I ministered several years ago at a pastors' conference. This time we will teach at the Nasokol girls school (1100 students), lead an adult conference for men and women of seven churches, visit an orphanage, and then have several days of preaching and teaching in the public marketplaces, to reach the lost. The donations have begun to come in, and we are about 1/3 of the way there.  We need $8000 for airfare, and more for some guest house meals and lodging expense; not to mention our great desire to take some financial help to the orphanage.

Will it come in? Absolutely! I am out of the way now, so God can move! And I know He can and will move through you! We have supported one another over the years in God's Economy and it is always enough when we each send our part. Donations to DoorKeeper Ministries are now tax deductible and you can send a check to PO Box 233, Eaton, CO 80615, or go to www.doorkeeperministries.com and click on the donate tab.

The days are short now, my friends, and truly the harvest of the nations is increasingly ripe. Travel is more dangerous than it used to be, and the world is much darker; but this means the Light of Messiah in each of us is shining much brighter! Thanks be to God who has given me the victory over my fears and once again called me to Africa to bring His Truth and His Light! We appreciate each prayer and each donation so very much.

And as you face your own fears and concerns in these chaotic times, recall the verses above, and recall our friend Larry's words: "You're trying too hard. Let God do it!"

Blow the shofar in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming It is close at hand!  (Joel 2:1)