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Sunday, December 29, 2013

Keeping a Healthy, Happy Home

With children underfoot, it can seem that there a constant battle with little wounds and illnesses.  I am constantly looking up homemade medicinal advice, symptoms, and talking to other mothers for their advice.

For quite some time now I have used a homemade 'Healing Paste'.  It really deserves a more romantic name, because it is amazing.  Really amazing.

I put it on diaper rash, scratches, scrapes, chapped skin and eczema breakouts.  And ANYTHING that I have put it on, heals up soooooo quickly.  And it smells GREAT!!!


Healing Paste
 2 tbsp beeswax
 6 tbsp coconut oil or other carrier oil
 15-20 drops of tea tree and lavendar oil
Melt together in a double boiler, stir, and then put in a jar of your choice.

Because of this great success tonight I have just tried my hand at a decongestant type vapo rub and vapo disks for the shower.  Almost all recipes called for peppermint and eucalyptus.  Then some called for camphor and some called for rosemary.  Use what you have!


Vapo Rub
 2 tbsp beeswax
 8 tbsp almond oil or other carrier oil
 3 tbsp dried rosemary and oregano herbs
 40 drops eucalyptus oil
 40 drops peppermint oil
I first infused the almond oil with the dried herbs for about 2 hours in the double boiler.  heat, cool, heat, cool, heat, cool.... you get the idea.  Then pour through fine cheesecloth to strain.  Melt beeswax in the double boiler and add oils.  Then pout in a jar of your choice.


Vapo Disk
 2-3 cups baking soda
 1 cup water
 1 tsp rosemary and oregano infused almond oil
 20 drops eucalyptus oil
 20 drops peppermint oil.
Mix the baking soda and water, adding each until you have a pretty smooth paste.  I then added some of that infused oil, and the essential oils.  Continue stirring.  Then pour into muffin tin with muffin paper cups or wax paper.  Set out until dry.


I am really looking forward to trying these!

And while doing my recipe search I found this excellent website with a complete overview of essential oils and carrier oils.
http://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoils/

Still looking for a site with the BASIC recipes for tinctures, essential oils, pastes, scrubs, etc.  I know one must exist!  If you know of one, let me know please.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Psalm 4

Psalm 4

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
2 How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him.
4 Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
7 You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Let The Bible Speak - Defining SIN



WHAT is SIN?
1 John 3:4
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.



WHAT is the result of SIN and cure for SIN?
Romans 6:23
23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.



HOW does this free us from SIN?
Romans 6:22
22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.


sanc·ti·fy
verb
1.set apart as or declare holy; consecrate.



HOW does Christ sanctify us from SIN?
Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.



HOW can we identify a sanctified person regarding SIN?
1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
1 John 5:3
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
John 14:15
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Psalm 3 - You, O Lord, Are A Shield For Me

Psalm 3

Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah
3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Arise, O Lord;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Music, Singing, and Dancing for The Joyous Dreamer


  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9SPSTxqhF0

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdVF2pefNpg

Let The Bible Speak - Defining Israel



WHY was Jacob's name changed to ISRAEL?

Genesis 32:28
He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."



WHAT characteristic defines ISRAEL?

"striven with God"

TO STRIVE
verb
past participle: striven
1. make great efforts to achieve or obtain something.



HOW does ISRAEL pertain to any believer today?

Romans 11:16-24
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?



WHAT is the fate of true ISRAEL?

Romans 11:26
And so all Israel will be saved...



HOW will the salvation of ISRAEL be accomplished?

Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Psalm 2 - The Nations Rage...

Psalm 2

Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12  Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Let The Bible Speak - Defining 'Doctrine


WHAT does the bible say DOCTRINE is?

Proverbs 4:2
For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.



WHAT does the bible say DOCTRINE cannot be?

Matthew 15:9
And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”



WHAT does the bible warn us regarding DOCTRINE?

2 Timothy 4:1-5
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.


Why I Try

I have never said that I am righteous. I am simply TRYING to be righteous, and encouraging others to TRY to be righteous. And I define that righteousness PURELY from scripture, and encourage others to define their relationship with YHWH purely from scripture.

We recognize that we sin, all of us, all of the time. But why does that mean that we must WALLOW in that depravity? Why does that mean that we should not even TRY to become the new man after Christ?

The church in general has divorce rates, pornography addiction, drug abuse and physical abuse that matches the world in general. WHY?

Because after accepting Christ they are told they are depraved and there is NOTHING they can do about it. They don’t even try.

While others partake in festivals that are admittedly pagan in origin, full of pagan symbolism and props. Christmas trees, holly, mistletoe, yule logs, easter eggs, rabbits and pastel cakes.

Of course I share my beliefs. Of course I share my experiences about the feasts. They are beautiful. They are prophetic. They are intertwined through scripture, old and new testaments. I challenge you to point out ONE POINT in the feasts that is pagan. I challenge you to point out ONE place where the bible says I cannot keep them.

My husband and I both agree that since celebrating the Sabbaths and the Feasts has OPENED the word for us. When I read the bible I am not sitting there thinking, “this doesn’t apply to me, what the heck does this mean, where did my fire go….”

If you don’t want to celebrate the feasts and sabbaths, that is your choice. My walk isn’t about you. My walk isn’t about anyone else. I didn’t do this because I looked around and said, “Wow, those guys are sinners.” I looked at me and knew - I - was a sinner. I am depraved. My very thoughts, words and deeds show that all the time.

But I love YHWH, and I will TRY to walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him. And I define that manner by the word alone. Not church doctrine, or general opinion, or current morality. The word alone.


Psalm 1 - Blessed is the Man....


Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

I Want To See You Be Brave

You can be amazing
You can turn a phrasing into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love

Or you can start speaking love

Nothings gonna hurt you the way that words do and they settle neath your skin
Gets on the inside no sunlight
Sometimes the shadow ends

But i wonder what would happen if

You say what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly
I want to see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly
I want to see you be brave

I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I want to see you be brave
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I want to see you be brave

Everybody's been there
Everybody's been stared down by the enemy
Going for the fear and nothing disappearin'
Bow down to the mighty
Don't run
Stop holding your tongue

Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me
How big your brave is

Say what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly
I want to see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly
I want to see you be brave

And since your history of silence won't do you any good
Didn't think it would
Let your words be anything but empty

Why don't you tell them the truth

Say what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly
I want to see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly
I want to see you be brave

I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I want to see you be brave
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you
See you be brave

I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you

I just want to see you
I just want to see you
I just want to see you



Monday, December 23, 2013

Quote du Jour - David Hood

Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden in the cool of the evening – and hid – because they were afraid God had come to give them a horrible punishment. Instead, they found a Father who announced He would take a horrible punishment for them.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Homesteading by Torah

Gardening and raising animals is a learning process all in itself.  There are classes, books, websites, calendars, tools and remedies.  Of course, for our family, we also want to do it in accordance with the scriptures as much as we possibly can.

Relearning what has been disregarded or forgotten is time consuming and sometimes difficult to wrap our minds around.  Of course, in my research I encountered so many opinions.

The opinions of atheists and non christians on this topic was of course expected and easy for me to understand and continue on my way.  Much harder for me to understand was how many 'bible believers' were stating openly 'it isn't practical so ignore it,' 'science shows that isn't the best way so ignore it,' 'no body follows those old laws so ignore it.'  How sad.....


I will tell ANYONE who will listen.

If you do not follow the LAWS of YHWH, you can not claim the PROMISES of YHWH.

I strongly encourage you to read Deuteronomy 11 and Leviticus 26.  Note the punishments and look at our history.  Note the promises and see if you want, yearn for, and desire those promises for you and your children and your children's children.  I know I do.


If you also want to garden and raise animals, or farm or homestead according to the Word of YHWH, then together we can go over the scriptures that pertain to our life on the land that YHWH has given to each of us.


DO NOT MIX ANIMALS OR SEED

Leviticus 19:19
"You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you."

Deuteronomy 22:9
 “You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled."

We learn here that we cannot cross breed our animals or mix our seeds.  At first glance you might think that the bible is telling you not to breed your beautiful jersey heifer with the neighbors swiss bull, or that you cannot plant your kitchen garden in one convenient box out in your backyard.

But I believe that Deuteronomy 22:9 brings some clarity to this issues, which the rest of scriptures would support strongly.  "the fruit of your vineyard be defiled...."  When you breed a donkey and a horse, you get a mule.  A mule is sterile.  The FRUIT is sterile, futile, useless and .... defiled.  When you plant two different types of corn together, they will cross pollinate and grow corn (fruit) that you can consume, but it will be a hybrid and it will be sterile also.

So I believe that we are to take care to not breed our animals in a ways that produces sterility.  We also must take care to plant our gardens with pure heirloom seeds, seeds that are not cross pollinated and tampered with.  We must also plan carefully and plant certain seeds far enough apart so that they do not cross pollinate in your own garden.  Both hybrid seed and cross pollinated plants will produce fruit, but they will be sterile and, I believe the scripture is saying, this makes them defiled.



DO NOT EAT TREES FRUIT FOR 3 YEARS

Leviticus 19:23-25
23 ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord. 25 And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the Lord your God.

Trees that were planted before you arrived on your land are not included in this law, only trees that you plant.  It is easy enough to track when you planted a tree and count its years.  For the first three years we do not eat the fruit that grows on the trees.  In the fourth year the word says the fruit is holy and should be given as praise to YHWH.  Personally I don't know what this might mean.  I believe I saw a commentary that suggested this meant for the fruit of the fourth year to be donated to the temple for the priests to consume, as a gift.  As I have no temple or priests on earth, I believe I will collect it and donate it to others that can enjoy it.



DO NOT HARVEST EVERYTHING

Leviticus 19:9-10
9 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 24:19-22
19 “When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.

This was YHWH's providence for people who did not own their own fields.  You could easily set up a FREE VEGGIES booth at your driveway or donate some food to local charities since most people would be afraid to go gleaning their neighbors veggie gardens without express permission now.  I have also connected with people through Facebook and Freecycle who let it be know when they have too much zucchini or their combine dropped a bunch of corn in the field.



CARE FOR YOUR ANIMAL

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal.

1 Timothy 5:8
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

You MUST care for your animal.  You must feed it, shelter it, and you must attempt to keep it healthy.  It is YOUR responsibility.



TAKE CARE OF ALL ANIMALS IN DISTRESS

Exodus 23:4-5
4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. 5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.

Deuteronomy 22:4
4 “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.

If you see an animal in distress, lost, injured, fallen, ill.... the word says we must try to help it.  You may note that it doesn't say run to the authorities and turn the owners in for cruelty, or hog tie them, or bad mouth them all over town.  I believe our society has fallen from the words beautiful standard of HELPING our fellow man and now we often judge and criticize while watching the show.  If your neighbor;s dog sleeps outside all winter and doesn't have a house, maybe instead of hating your neighbor and thinking you are better than him, you could help him out by finding a rainproof dog house.  Maybe your neighbor simply didn't think about it or quite likely couldn't afford one.



DO NOT HAVE SEX WITH ANIMALS

Leviticus 18:23
23 Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.

For many this would seem too obvious.  Much like you are not to interbreed animals, which will produce defile fruit, you must not interbreed yourself with animals, which would not produce pure fruit either.  This would also go against the prohibition to not commit adultery.  The farm animal is not your spouse and you should not be making one flesh with it.  And personally, I think this would be considered animal abuse.  But unfortunately some must engage in these behaviors, and many, even today consider it a joking matter.  The bible says it is perversion.



EAT ONLY CLEAN ANIMALS

Exodus 22:31
31 “And you shall be holy men to Me: you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

Leviticus 11:1-23
11 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth: 3 Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat. 4 Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 5 the rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 6 the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 7 and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. 8 Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you.
9 ‘These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat. 10 But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you. 11 They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination. 12 Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination to you.
13 ‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, 14 the kite, and the falcon after its kind; 15 every raven after its kind, 16 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind; 17 the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl; 18 the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture; 19 the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.
20 ‘All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you. 21 Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth. 22 These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23 But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.

Leviticus 11:41-44
41 ‘And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be an abomination. It shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination. 43 You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them. 44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Leviticus 17:15-16
15 “And every person who eats what died naturally or what was torn by beasts, whether he is a native of your own country or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. Then he shall be clean. 16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.”

Deuteronomy 14:3-21
3“You shall not eat any detestable thing. 4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the mountain goat,[a] the antelope, and the mountain sheep. 6 And you may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into two parts, and that chews the cud, among the animals. 7 Nevertheless, of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat, such as these: the camel, the hare, and the rock hyrax; for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves; they are unclean for you. 8 Also the swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.
9 “These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat all that have fins and scales. 10 And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.
11 “All clean birds you may eat. 12 But these you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, 13 the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds; 14 every raven after its kind; 15 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after their kinds; 16 the little owl, the screech owl, the white owl, 17 the jackdaw, the carrion vulture, the fisher owl, 18 the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat.
19 “Also every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.
20 “You may eat all clean birds.
21 “You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God.
“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

When you become convicted to eat 'clean' in accordance with scripture, you will find that it is at once simple and difficult at the same time.  I encourage you to read the bible scripture carefully for yourself as many 'clean/unclean' lists do NOT conform to the bible.  For example, many claim that duck is unclean.  However the scriptures state quite clearly a list of birds you are not to eat and duck is not on that list at all.  You will likely find that many animals on the unclean list are among the animals you would not have considered eating in the first place.

You will also discover that MANY processed foods have ingredients derived from unclean animals in them.  Jello, is made with gelatin, which is now most usually derived from horse and pig hooves.  It can also be made with beef or vegetable gelatin, but most commonly is not.  Many chinese sauces contain ingredients from oysters and shrimp.  Many baked goods are flavored with a cheaper vanilla hat is extracted from the anal gland of a beaver.  Many vaccines contain extracts from monkeys, pigs and aborted babies.

As you begin, recognize it will not be an overnight process.  As you study more, and if like my home you are becoming more self sufficient, you will learn ways to avoid these unclean products.  Lean on the grace of Yashua when you discover that you may have been partaking in some nasty things, albeit unknowingly.



BLEED OUT THE ANIMALS WHEN BUTCHERING MEAT

Leviticus 7:26
26 Moreover you shall not eat any blood in any of your dwellings, whether of bird or beast.

Leviticus 17:13-14
13 “Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust; 14 for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’

Deuteronomy 12:15-28
15 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand. 18 But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands. 19 Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.
20 “When the Lord your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires. 22 Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them. 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. 26 Only the holy things which you have, and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses. 27 And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and you shall eat the meat. 28 Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

For many, butchering our own meat is daunting and even disturbing.  I believe the bible clearly tells us to partake of meat and that our bodies require nutrients only gained in sufficient quantity from meats.  Learning more about the mass market meat production will confirm for anyone there has to be a better way.  Many of these animals are bred and live in terribly cramped, filthy, and sometimes cruel conditions.  The slaughter is proceeded by cruel handling and questionable health choices.  Numerous times each year we hear of food recalls due to tainted meat.

Now we recognize that this is not entirely caused by non biblical slaughter.  But it is caused by people as a whole removing themselves from something that should have remained personal and, I think, sacred to each individual.  If you are going to eat meat, you should raise meat.  You should choose an animal, care for it, know it.  And when the time comes, gently gather it, caress it, pray with it, and then, pour its blood back into the dirt as YHWH tells us to.  It is not cruel.  My chickens, ducks, turkeys and goats got to roam freely, eat grass and seed, see the sun, feel the wind, everyday of their lives.  And when we were able we had a calm quiet moment with them before we ended their lives quickly and cleanly.  It is with deepest respect that we eat an animal.



DEAD BODIES ARE UNCLEAN

Leviticus 11:24-40
24 ‘By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening; 25 whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening: 26 The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean. 27 And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening. 28 Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you.
29 ‘These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind; 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. 31 These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. 32 Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean. 33 Any earthen vessel into which any of them falls you shall break; and whatever is in it shall be unclean: 34 in such a vessel, any edible food upon which water falls becomes unclean, and any drink that may be drunk from it becomes unclean. 35 And everything on which a part of any such carcass falls shall be unclean; whether it is an oven or cooking stove, it shall be broken down; for they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. 36 Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean. 37 And if a part of any such carcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, it remains clean. 38 But if water is put on the seed, and if a part of any such carcass falls on it, it becomes unclean to you.
39 ‘And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening. 40 He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

It is just a fact of farm-life that you will HAVE to touch dead carcasses.  If you have animals, even animals you have no intention of eating, you will encounter death.  According to the word any dead body, human or animal, is unclean.  Dead bodies also contaminate other objects that they touch.  Today we know that germs can be passed easily by touch and it makes sense that if I am butchering ducks, the utensils and tables and dishes I use will be contaminated and must be washed.  I also must wash my own hands, clothes, perhaps whole body depending on how messy the whole process got.



TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHER'S SAFETY AND YOUR PROPERTY

Exodus 21:28-35
28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted. 29 But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him. 31 Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him. 32 If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 “And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to their owner, but the dead animal shall be his.
35 “If one man’s ox hurts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the dead ox they shall also divide. 36 Or if it was known that the ox tended to thrust in time past, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his own.

Exodus 22:1-15
22 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. 3 If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.
5 “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed, and lets loose his animal, and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.
6 “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
7 “If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 8 If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.
9 “For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor. 10 If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is hurt, or driven away, no one seeing it, 11 then an oath of the Lord shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good. 12 But if, in fact, it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner of it. 13 If it is torn to pieces by a beast, then he shall bring it as evidence, and he shall not make good what was torn.
14 “And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire.

We must each take care that our property and our animals are not harming others.  If we have a dog that is killing our neighbors chickens, we MUST take responsibility.  We MUST compensate the neighbor for the chickens lost, and we MUST make sure the dog doesn't do it again.  If we are felling trees and take out our neighbors fence, we MUST make it right.  If we are pouring toxic waste on our property and it gets onto our neighbors property we MUST fix it and take responsibility for ALL DAMAGES caused by our actions.

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we followed the laws of YHWH???  Erin Brokovich would agree, I think.



DO NOT YOKE UNEQUAL ANIMALS

Deuteronomy 22:10
"You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together."

I am told this is actually protective of the animals, because being yoked to a stronger animal is very hard on a weaker, and aggravating to the stronger.  Remember that we too are told to not yoke ourselves, in marriage, unequally.



YOUR MAJOR HARVEST SHOULD BE COMPLETE BY THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

Deuteronomy 16:13-15
13 “You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. 14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. 15 Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.

The Feast of Tabernacles is like a harvest festival.  We gather in our harvest, wave our best stuff in the air in celebration and thanks to YHWH, party for 8 days under the night sky, hang out in our temporary dwellings, and relax having the bulk of our years work.


DO NOT MUZZLE YOUR WORKING ANIMALS

Deuteronomy 25:4
4 “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.

I read that our working animals should not be treated cruelly and should be allowed to find what joy they can nibble while working.  Personally, I feel I can breathe easier imagining having that muzzle removed.  Ahhhhh...


DO NOT PLANT TREES TO WORSHIP
Deuteronomy 16:21
21 “You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God.

Throughout history we know that MANY have fallen to worshiping creation instead of the creator.  All of creation itself testifies that their is a great and amazing God, but many find worshiping trees, the moon, something seen and tangible to be easier.  Make sure that you till, plant, weed, and harvest in supplication and thanksgiving to YHWH, the giver of all good gifts.



OBSERVE A SEVENTH YEAR SABBATH (for our homestead this will begin Nissan 1, Mar 28, 2017)

Exodus 23:10-11
10 “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove.

Leviticus 25:1-7
25 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. 6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, 7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

Many gardeners and farmers know the value of leaving a field fallow now and then.  The land NEEDS to rest.  We find that in Leviticus 26:34-35 YHWH shares the consequence of NOT letting your land rest at the appointed time. "Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. 35All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it."  The land will rest and be better for it.



OBSERVE THE JUBILEE YEAR

Leviticus 25:8-12
8 “‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.

This is like the sabbath year, but with MORE.  All debts are released, all property is returned to original owners, and again, we are not to plant our fields.  The Jubilee year has not been observed in... many lifetimes to my knowledge.  And unfortunately so much time has passed since the Jubilee was observed that Jews themselves do not know when it is supposed to be.  Some felt that 50 years to the creation of their renewed nation state would be an appropriate time.  Some felt that 50 years from their winning of the 1967 war would be appropriate.  Both dates seem to hold spiritual significance.  Nearly every year since 2000 has had proponants for it's observance.  One thing is clear....

The Jubilee is desired.

As individuals it is difficult to observe the Jubilee truly.  I am sure that if we chose a 50 year mark we would not be forgotten by YHWH if we chose not to plant our fields that year, in honor of His command.  And forgiveness of debtors against us is of course highly encouraged for every man of God.  For now.... understanding the beautiful promise that is held in the Jubilee year and looking forward to our TRUE and FOREVER JUBILEE.... will be enough.

***

These are all the scriptures that I could find that directly pertain to gardening, farming, animal husbandry, or life on the homestead.  If you know of any that I missed PLEASE share them.

"Those Were Only For the Jews...."

It is very dangerous to think, teach or believe that parts of the scriptures don't mean what they say or don't pertain to us personally. If YHWH said "Do this and live" and NO WHERE in scripture it says they are temporal, changing, or passing away, but in fact say over and over again that they are statutes FOREVER and are for our good and define exactly what righteousness is and how to live pleasing to YHWH.... a person has only one option, believe or don't believe. Consider also that if ONE prophet comes and says something that is entirely against what the rest of the scriptures say, he is either a LIAR or being misunderstood. I have already shown that the rest of the scriptures uplift and declare the goodness of the eternal law of YHWH. Yahshua Jesus himself declared the eternal goodness of the law of YHWH and told us to throw off traditions and to follow the law.

If you think Paul is going against the rest of scripture.... he is either a liar, or misunderstood and taken out of context. What is that context? First, don't take snippets. Second, all major words and ideas must be clearly defined and declared in the Old Testament which was THE ONLY scripture in Paul's time.

Is Paul a false prophet? I do not believe so.

Is he seriously misunderstood and taught to be contrary to the entirety of the scriptures today? I believe he is.

Does Paul state a law was nailed to the cross? Yes. But in that chapter he points out 7 different laws. One of which is the law of SIN and DEATH. Many teach that the Law of YHWH is thrown out, and MANY do this because they refuse to submit their lives fully to their creator. They embrace sin.

Like we did for along time, many are still holding the belief that OUR definition of righteousness and love must be acceptable to YHWH, when the bible actually states that ONLY YHWH's definition of righteousness and love are acceptable.

Yahshua Jesus is a perfect sacrifice, but if a person continuously fights against YHWH and scripture and refuses to put away the traditions, lies and pagan practices of this world.... there is no sacrifice remaining. You either accept HIM as LORD of your life, King and Law Giver.... or not.

This may seem harsh and I do not mean it to be. My heart is for people to KNOW in their hearts that ALL of scripture is YHWH's love letter to us, and the good news is that YHWH saves, Yah Shua.

Book Love



The First Sin

The first sin was not eating the fruit of the tree. No, eating the fruit was the inevitable result of the first sin. The first sin was trusting Lucifer and distrusting God: losing faith in God. Once a lack of faith was established more sin had to follow. Disobedience is an evidence of a lack of faith. So it was with Eve – and so it is with us. We cannot say we have faith in God, but evidence a lack of faith; which is disobedience or rebellion to what He said. If faith is not followed by obedient works, it is a dead faith. It is no faith at all.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Ways of Cain

Abel offered worship that YHWH said was good.
Cain offered worship that he thought was good.

We are to worship YHWH in the ways that he requires, not with our own ways. YHWH was pleased with Abel, but was displeased with Cain because he did not do what was right in the sight of YHWH.

Don't follow the ways of Cain.



First shared by Unlearn - https://www.facebook.com/unlearning

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Garden Research Underway.....

I have garden fever.  Yes.  It is December, I know.

To help me through this dark and dreary time of year I look upon my south window garden frequently.


Happy little celeries, lettuces and green onions growing from scraps!  Gotta love Pinterest ideas.  Pretty little young celery growing out of those 'useless' ends that we usually throw away!

Yesterday I was able to collect all my seed together and take stock.  It was a HAPPY day.  I was pleased to find that I had many varieties of most of my favorite gardening items.  I definitely had some holes in my garden plans though.  With a quick jaunt on the internet over to Main Street Seed and Supply, and Amazon, I found what I needed and MUCH MORE.

This beautiful citrus collection has been in my sights for some time now. Lemon, lime and orange.  I was very pleased to find that they grow well in my area, if sheltered during freezes.  My mother in law has three lime trees and they are covered with beautiful, tasty limes.


And my son has asked for us to add Paw Paw's to the homestead.  We attended a local Home Orchard Society show and were able to taste local fruits.  The paw paw was quite delicious and grows quite prolifically outdoors in this area.


Yesterday I also planted some Royal Empress seeds in the hopes of growing a few of these beautiful trees.

I was going to also plant some grape seed that we saved from the Home Orchard Society show.  Yes, we tasted their fruit and then smuggled out our favorite seeds, hehe.  But doing some research we learned that we needed to stratify our seeds.  This meant placing them in a moist, cold environment for two months.  So last night I placed them in a freezer bag in wet napkins and placed the in the fridge.  The seeds will 'think' this is winter and in two months I can take them out and plant them.

I will be starting building on my greenhouse over the next couple of weeks.  And in mid to late January I usually start many vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers and cabbages.  Till then, I will look longingly at my little window garden.


Monday, December 16, 2013

Looking Ahead for SPRING 2014

Even though we are still in the depth of winter, now is the perfect time to evaluate your spring plans.

What does your garden area need?
What do you need to plant?
What seeds do you have?
What seeds do you need?


For this planning I am gathering from a few sources today.


New Life on A Homestead's


My Pinterest Garden Board where I have collected some fun and efficient ideas.


Main Street Seed, My Favorite Seed Supply Site

My Greenhouse that still needs to be assembled.


And now to hit my freezer and ascertain what seed I have on hand.  By the end of the day I should have a nice list of seed to purchase as well as a few other items to make my garden FLOURISH this year.  Spring may be a few months away.  To assuage my need for growing, green things I will look happily on my celery in my south facing window and dream of planting season.



I also found this great short video and article about Eve's Greenhouse, from Alaska: The Last Frontier.



Saturday, December 14, 2013

Thomas Jefferson - A Remarkable Man

Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.


At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.. Also could write in Greek with one hand while writing the same in Latin with the other.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America? And retired from his law practice.
At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size.
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello.
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.
At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams.

Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future:

John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the White House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-- Thomas Jefferson

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."
-- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Nicole C. Mullen - Things Are About To Change!

Nicole C Mullen , "an American award-winning singer, songwriter, and choreographer" says of Truth and Tradition,

"Just got thru watching this video for the second time...yep, it just rocked my world! Hmmm...Things are about to change!"

This is so very exciting to see. I always loved singing her music. I knew her heart was solidly in love with her Yah.

One of my FAVORITE songs by her

And if you haven't seen Truth of Tradition, you really should.  It will absolutely floor you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8sKNOxyd8w

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Have you surrendered to Jesus?

The only question in life that matters is, “Have you surrendered to Jesus?" The truthful answer is evidenced by obedience or rebellion. If we are in rebellion to any of His Ten Commandments we have not surrendered to Jesus -- even if we protest that we have.

David Hood - https://www.facebook.com/davehood

Monday, December 9, 2013

Zechariah 7:11-12

"But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the Torah and the words which YHWH of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from YHWH of hosts."

Zechariah 7:11-12

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Sunburned and Truth or Tradition - Online Videos

These videos are completely OVERWHELMING with information about the history of Christmas and many other church practices today.  They will challenge you, test you, and encourage you to research it for yourself.  Quit taking status quo when it comes to YOUR relationship with God.

"Study to show thyself approved unto God...." - 2 Timothy 2:15

119 Ministries has removed Sunburned until they can be remastered with new and up to date information. Praying it is soon!

Friday, November 29, 2013

Hanukkah, the Biblical Feast of Dedication

Tonight we will be joining millions around the world lighting the third candle on their Hanukkah Menorahs.  In Hebrew the word Hanukkah means Dedication.  While many call this the Festival of Lights, it is more accurately called the Feast of Dedication.


Surprisingly, the Feast of Dedication, is a biblical feast.

Perhaps you have heard that Hanukkah is not in the bible, or only merely mentioned in the book of John as Jesus spoke in the temple during the Feast of Dedication.  But when I searched the word I found the Feast of Dedication to have a rich and beautiful history that is spoken of NUMEROUS times in scripture.

After years of war, David was able to secure a time of peace for Israel.  But due to his involvement in bloodshed, YHWH would not allow him to build the Temple.  But his son, Solomon, was given that great commission.

Solomon knew that he was blessed to be a part of this endeavor.  In letters to nearby kings, looking for skilled laborers and materials needed for the construction, Solomon said, "Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel. And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?" 2 Chronicles 2:4-6


After it was built all of Israel celebrated for seven days with feasting and rejoicing and on the eighth day held a solemn assembly for the dedication of the altar.  "So Solomon observed the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly who came from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt. On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for the dedication of the altar they observed seven days and the feast seven days. Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the LORD had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel." 2 Chronicles 7:8-10

Then Babylon came and destroyed the temple.


For years it lay desolate as was foretold in Leviticus 26, one of the punishments for NOT following the laws of YHWH. "You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it.…" Leviticus 26:33-35

After many years the Persian King allowed a remnant to return to Israel and rebuild their temple.  He even gave them supplies and all the temple items back.

Ezekiel 43 tells us EXACTLY how the temple was to be dedicated.  It detailed the 7 days of sacrifices and prayers and then ends with, "When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says the Lord God."


After it was completed the celebration, known as the Feast of Dedication began once again.  It is recounted in Ezra 6:16-18, "Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses." and Nehemiah 12:27, "And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps."


Of course the most common story for the Feast of Dedication surrounds the battle of the Maccabees again Antiochus and his armies.  This story is included in First and Second Maccabbees.  Today these accounts are not in the canon.  But these books were considered scripture until The King James Bible!  It is still included in most canons around the world, but not the Protestant Canon (which was finalized in 1568 with the King James Version of the Bible) and Orthodox Tewahedo.


After the Maccabees battles were over, they cleaned the temple, rebuilt the altar and began the Feast of Dedication. "For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. With great joy they brought burnt offerings and offered fellowship offerings and thank offerings. 57 They decorated the front of the Temple with gold crowns and shields, rebuilt the gates and the priests' rooms and put doors on them. 58 Now that the Jews had removed the shame which the Gentiles had brought, they held a great celebration. 59 Then Judas, his brothers, and the entire community of Israel decreed that the rededication of the altar should be celebrated with a festival of joy and gladness at the same time each year, beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev and lasting for eight days." 1 Maccabees 4:56-59

Years later, the Messiah, stood in that very temple, in Solomon's Porch, during the Feast of Dedication and spoke about his role as our Shepherd and those who were His sheep. "Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” John 10:22-30


Now today, we do not have the temple, and we do not have the altar.  Does that mean that this Feast holds no meaning for us?

I believe it pertains to us, personally, EVEN MORE!!!

Christians around the world celebrate year after year, Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down onto the Disciples and filled them.


Yahshua, Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit, and that He dwells in us (2 Timothy 1:14), fills us (Acts 13:52), teaches us (Luke 12:12, John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:13), renews and regenerates us (Titus 3:5 ), and seals us (Ephesians 4:30).

The Holy Spirit most especially had a particular role in the New Covenant.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,[a] says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

The sacrifices were always imperfect, insufficient, and needed to be done again and again.... and the heart of man was unchanged and still willed to sin.  But the New Covenant would seal a people to YHWH whose HEARTS were made of flesh, and the Law was IN THEIR HEARTS, written by the Holy Spirit.


This was reiterated in Hebrews 8:8-12, "Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

What did YHWH find fault with?  What was YHWH replacing?  Imperfect priests, offering imperfect sacrifices, for hard hearted people.

This New Covenant was sealed with the blood of Yahshua, Jesus, as stated in Matthew 26:28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."


Paul explains how WE, followers of Yahshua, Jesus, ARE NOW THE TEMPLE! "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Throughout the scriptures we are urged to consecrate ourselves, dedicate ourselves, set ourselves apart for YHWH alone.

Leviticus 11:44 For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Leviticus 20:7 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

Numbers 11:18 Then you shall say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat.

1 Samuel 16:5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

2 Chronicles 29:31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord.” So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

During this Feast of Dedication we find the perfect reminder to re-evaluate our hearts and minds and souls that we are supposed to give wholy to YHWH as Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." and is repeated by Yashua, Jesus in Matthew 22:37.

We can also Dedicate our families, our homes, our marriage to Him.  We can evaluate our labors, our time and our money usage and Dedicate portions of these to Him as our situation allows.


Tonight, we light the third candle, this being the third day in this year's Feast of Dedication.  We will first light the highest candle on our menorah, called the Shamash, the Servant.  And then lifting it, we will carry it to the other smaller candles and gently light them, one by one.


And tonight, I will know that just like the other Feasts of YHWH that my family has discovered in the Bible, that this Feast of Dedication is also a rich and intricately weaved story throughout the bible that reveals our purpose to YHWH and our beloved Messiah, Yahshua, Jesus, who is "the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world." John 1:9

'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"  (John 8:12)

And it points us to a beautiful, bright and glorious future in the New Jerusalem, with Our YHWH Elohim, who loves us, "I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb." Revelations 21:22-23


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