Introduction

To Hear and Obey

In this day and age there are many voices clamoring to be heard. Everyone has an answer and an opinion. But what if there were only one voice to be heard? Only one opinion? I along with other like minded people have been seeking, knocking and asking. For a surety there are two voices speaking in the world today. One voice is saying "take your life in your own hands as you see your own needs". The other voice is saying "give up your life, follow me, give me control of your life". The first voice mentioned here seems to be the most popular. So the obvious decision here is to hear the second voice "give up your life" and go with the minority. For with this voice if we follow will lead to a very narrow road. This road is not the scenic route either. Most maps will tell you that it doesn't even exist. In fact if you travel this path everyone around you will do everything in their power to get you off of it. I sincerely hope you have already made a decision to take this road, and since so few choose it may we see each other often in the fellowship on it. If you have not made this decision I pray that you would follow this journey. Shalom, Chris

Monday, October 18, 2010

As a Bride Adorned

                I can't wait two more Sabbaths  to share this. Several years ago we were at someones home during Erev Shabbat. We were reading the Torah portion "Chayei Sarah" it is found in Genesis 23:1-25:28.
We were reading in Chapter 24 about Avraham sending his servant out to find a bride for His son Yitz'chak. Something beautiful came to my mind as to the deeper meaning to this part of scripture. I believe this is an especially important study for anyone who is single and desiring to marry.

 Gen 24:1 And Aḇraham was old, advanced in years. And יהוה had blessed Aḇraham in every way.
Gen 24:2 And Aḇraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh,
Gen 24:3 so that I make you swear by יהוה, the Elohim of the heavens and the Elohim of the earth, that you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Kenaʽanites, among whom I dwell,
Gen 24:4 but to go to my land and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Yitsḥaq.”
Gen 24:5 And the servant said to him, “What if the woman refuses to follow me to this land? Do I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”
Gen 24:6 And Aḇraham said to him, “Beware lest you take my son back there!
Gen 24:7 “יהוה, Elohim of the heavens, who took me from my fatherʼs house and from the land of my relatives, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed I give this land,ʼ He sends His messenger before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
Gen 24:8 “And if the woman refuses to follow you, then you shall be released from this oath; only, do not take my son back there.”
Gen 24:9 Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Aḇraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
Gen 24:10 And the servant took ten of his masterʼs camels and left, for all his masterʼs good gifts were in his hand. And he arose and went to Aram Naharayim, to the city of Naḥor.

                The picture I saw is The Father sending His Ruach HaKodesh to find a bride for His Son. The Ruach is also bearing gifts, but they are gifts of a different sort. This bride is to be adorned with True jewels that can't be destroyed or taken away. This bride is ready to leave their former life and never return. The bride is fully trusting that they will be led to one who will love them for an eternity, even though they have never seen them. In the western world this type of marraige would end up in the supreme court with the parents facing prison. Yet this is the way our Heavenly Father is arranging the marraige between the bride and the Bridegroom. As we were driving to take part in Succot (practice for the marraige feast), I was praying about these things. The Ruach spoke clearly to my heart. "These children are mine, they are betrothed to me". I saw a picture of a young man with his eyes looking up, also the picture of a young woman with her eyes looking up. I knew their eyes were focused upon YHWH and His perfect will for their life. As they continued in this way one day they ran into each other and they were married. They were totally focused upon YHWH and not the futility of fleshly desires, or the need to make their own way. YHWH impressed upon me the need that day to walk as a bride, one who is set apart completely unto Him. I'm not talking about the picture of a white dress walking down the aisle. I'm talking about one who is clothed in The Beauty of The Mashiach.

Isa 49:23 “And sovereigns shall be your foster fathers, and their sovereignesses your nursing mothers. They bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet. And you shall know that I am יהוה – those who wait for Me shall not be ashamed.”
Isa 61:10 I greatly rejoice in יהוה, my being exults in my Elohim. For He has put garments of deliverance on me, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Jer 33:11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who are saying, “Praise יהוה of hosts, for יהוה is good, for His kindness is forever,” of those who are bringing the offering of praise into the House of יהוה. For I shall turn back the captivity of the land, as at the first,ʼ declares יהוה.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim.
Rev 21:4 “And Elohim shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying. And there shall be no more pain, for the former matters have passed away.”
Rev 21:5 And He who was sitting on the throne said, “See, I make all matters new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and trustworthy.”
Rev 21:6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the ‘Alephʼ and the ‘Tawʼ, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I shall give of the fountain of the water of life without payment.
Rev 21:7 “The one who overcomes shall inherit all this, and I shall be his Elohim and he shall be My son.
Rev 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, and untrustworthy, and abominable, and murderers, and those who whore, and drug sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the false, their part is in the lake which burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”
Rev 21:9 And one of the seven messengers who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I shall show you the bride, the Lambʼs wife.”
Rev 21:2 And I, Yoḥanan, saw the set-apart city, renewed Yerushalayim, coming down out of the heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.


              

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