4o Days of Teshuvah🙏

A few moments of peace, to steady the mind, soul and spirit

🕊

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger. TLV

These have been some difficult teachings, the past few days.  They have moved the clock in reverse, and opened up raw places within the soul.  And yet, in order to Teshuvah (turn back, return) we have to know what we are returning from, and how to remain on our mark when we return. 

Proverbs 26:11 tells us:

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.

Do we seriously want to return to the vomit of hurting others with harsh words, derogatory statements, sexual immorality, and rejection of truth? We have already been warned about the dire consequences of sucking the life out of a person with our boundaryless tongues. 

So now we have to face the fact that we are all sinners, and we need consistent and continual  counsel from Spirit of Truth.  We have to throw down the idols in our lives, and seek  our higher calling in Christ Jesus. 

I can't imagine anyone wanting to cause another person to stumble in their spiritual life due to a harsh tongue.  We are to build people up with those tongues instead.

 "Verbal abuse of someone is as much an evil sin as physical abuse" MB

Physical abuse is visible on the outside of the body, and eventualy heals, for the most part, except for the painful memories left behind in the  scars. Verbal abuse runs a never-ending winding course throughout the mind and soul.  It can be, and has been a death sentence for many people, especially children who have been bullied by their peers, or people they love and trust, often resulting in the final blow to their souls and bodies ..  suicide. Harsh words begin in childhood, and continue into adulthood, if we do not take the reins and re-direct this wayward foe.

"Negative speech can be worse than a sword.  It can kill a person, even at great distance" MB

James 1:26 TLV states: If anyone thinks he is religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is futile. (emphasis mine)   That verse must be taken very seriously.  There is no flexibility in these words.  Futile is futile.

James 3:6 TLV admonishes "the tongue is a fire. The tongue is a world of evil placed among our body parts. It pollutes the whole body and sets on fire the course of life—and is set on fire by Gehenna" (Gehenna is hell)

Moral of this teaching is: 

To remain under the protection of YHWH Elohim, we had better harness our tongues, or we are no better off than the demons of hell.

🙏

Forgive us, Father.  We have fallen, and how great that fall has been.  Show us how we can undo the damage we have caused to our fellow pilgrims, if  possible, and guide us down the path of Life, from this day forward. 

What I Learned Today

Leviticus 18-24 contains 24 laws from the bible regarding sexual immorality. These laws were given to God's people to protect us from moral decay and emotional breakdown. 

Sexual immorality leads to the breakdown of body, spirit and emotions

body➡️spirit➡️emotions

When YHWH speaks of immorality, it is usually sexual immorality. Sex is the strongest human drive, next to survival itself.  Sexual immorality is the result of discarding His laws and rejecting His moral standards, which leads to moral decay.

Sexual immorality dishonors the name of YHWH - in thought, word and deed. Engaging in sexual immorality does not just affect us; entire communities are affected via sexually transmitted disease, destruction of families, and crushed lives (especially children marred by incestuous assault  and child trafficking).

We need the help and counsel from  Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit).  We must allow Him to speak to us.  We must not become dull to sin.  It will literally destroy us.  Addictions to porn or sexually explicit movies on television, internet and cell phones require us to TURN IT OFF!

Monitor who you spend time with, and become aware of how those conversations and interactions might be affecting your sexual impulses.  

When the immoral impulse arises, 

FLEE!!!

(Don't be caught with your pants down; by then it will be too late)

Cleanse us, LORD, from our unrighteousness

Heal us from our iniquity

Impart a new spirit within us

and set us free from ourselves!

We cannot do this without YOU

Save us!

Galatians 5:19-26

 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,  idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,  envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Walk in the Light, as He is in the Light! from 1John 1:7

"Get rid of  the evil eye of desire that starts in our heart's and minds; let go and sin no more" MB

"Secret sins are hidden behind closed doors.  God is not fooled; these destroy us" MB

Have you found yourself sinking into and drowning in the Slough of Despond?  

Are you looking for a hand to reach down and lift you out of the mud and mire?

Reach out.  Take the hand of Jesus.  He is just an arm's length away.

He will lift you out of that dark stench of  corruption, fold you into his loving embrace, and carry you HOME!

All you have to do is just rest in His faithfull arms.

You're almost HOME!

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

During our prayer call this morning, Michele boldly and gently dealt with a topic that so many of us sneak out of the avoidance window to "avoid".  It's family "powwow" time, so pick a stump and join us at the campfire.

Proverbs 13:3 clearly instructs us concerning derogatory and cruel talk:

"He that keeps his mouth, keeps his life, but he that opens wide his lips, shall have destruction."

( I think I saw this posted at a dentist office years ago)

These 40 days of Teshuvah, with prayer and fasting, is about returning to our Father in heaven. Turning away from our unrighteous acts, and returning to Him, requires genuine repentance, not lip service.  "Destruction" as used in this verse of Proverbs, is a strong word of warning, and therefore must not be taken lightly.  As we seek the face of YHWH, in repentance, we must understand that we do not have a choice as to what sins we repent for; it is all or nothing.

One dreadful act of sin is our lack of control of our tongue.  That act includes hurting someone by humiliating them publically, or privately without their knowledge.  This can be done in many ways,  including announcing  what we concieve to be their shortcomings.  As Michele said, this is wrong and can bring harm to someone; harm done to a person is very very hard to mend.  She goes on to say that speech is compared to an arrow;  once the words are released, like an arrow, they can't be recalled.

Leviticus 25:17 says you should not wrong one another.  

We should never put another person down, either privately or publicly.  And we must repent for the hurt we embed in another person's heart.  The damage done can be devastating to a life, especially emotionally and spiritually.  If you have been treated in such a manner, you know the deep rooted pain it causes.  If you are a sensitive person, it can affect your ability to trust and love. 

"When we speak, our lips, with our teeth, need to act like a gate, controlling whatever flows out" MB

"Purpose not to do this again" MB

"Slam the gate on evil words" MB

"Once the words slip by our mouth, teeth and tongue, there is no taking it back" MB

We must do whatever we can to make right, the wrong we placed on a soul. We can move forward in genuine love, once we recognize the sin of evil utterances, and honestly repent for that sin.

How very sad this is.  My eyes well up with tears as I tap away at these letters. Words really do matter; they can bless or curse.  They can lift up, or pull down.  They can bind, or they can loose.  They can leave a smile in the heart, or a tear in the eye.  They can leave a legacy of hope, or a legacy of despair.  

 YHWH is faithful to forgive, if we are earnest to repent.

♡

Power of Words 

Oh, the power of words.  

Someone in my young adult life, someone I loved in the LORD very much, said something that stung me like a scorpion.  Those words wrapped around my soul like a ball and chain around a leg.  I have never forgotten them.  I had to put those words away from me, as the years passed, and seek the LORD for healing and forgiveness. The mere remembrance of those words still bring tears; I must stand in the Holy place and remember who I truly am before my Savior, a delight! 

Because I delight myself in Him, He is delighted in me.

I was never angry, just broken.

Years later, it would be the words of my daddy that would paralyze my heart in grief.

"Your mother should never have had all you kids"

Those would be some of the last words I would hear from him, before he closed his eyes in sleep a few weeks later.

Life is hard. 

YHWH is faithful.

I still believe in His goodness.

🙏🏼

Forgive ME, Father, for every word that breached the gate of life behind my lips, and ushered in a hungry death to the soul's ears of another - intentionally or unintentionally.

I would never want to hurt anyone or anything, LORD,

especially YOU.

Do you have days like David did? 

I sure do.

There are days when the weight of our overstuffed suitcases is just unbearable, isn't it.  It can seem as if we have been dragging it around for a very long time, and our muscles quiver at the thought of one more stuffable item, issue, breaking news report, phone call, prayer request .. and the list goes on.  Puffs (not the 'magic dragon') tissues  have become as much of an accessory in our pockets or bags, as our glasses and cell phones - at least it has for me, these days.  Waterproof mascara (which I generally hold out for emergencies) has now become a staple item, and a kindred friend to my face.  That deluge from the sky, flooding your yard, is not climate change; it is probably the X-Large barrel in heaven, containing my tears, that finally overflowed.

Unless you have found a nice big rock to live under, in a non-flood zone area or inactive quarry, or even a secluded cave in the "anywhere but here" forest, YOU are being suffocated by the antics of unrighteous and demonic cultural  activity, compliments of your local and national governing agencies and  leadership. But don't fret, it is only going to get worse.  

You do realize, if you study the Scripture, that what I just stated is truth.  If you have ever put a picture puzzle together, you know that the fragments poured out on your table or floor are nothing more than a dustpan pile for the garbage bin, unless of course the pieces are sorted, arranged and snapped into place, piece by piece. You also know that every puzzle piece must fit precisely into its designated spot, and not forced into a space out of frustration or impatience.  And then there is the last piece.  You look around and under the table and chairs, sweep under the rug and shake out your clothing.  It is missing.  Frustration sets in.  You commence to blame your family members of foul play, and deduce that a wicked conspiracy has been wrought on your behalf.  You stare intently into the dog's face and observe any strange behavior from the cat.  One of your now newly estranged family members comments "It's just one puzzle piece.  No big deal".  

But it isn't just one puzzle piece.  It is the piece that completed the picture.  Without it,  your unfinished project has become no more than abstract art.  Fake news.  Fraud.

It just got worse.  

I am generally a positive and somewhat gullible person when it comes to putting trust in people and situations intended to enlarge my scope of understanding and interractions with my world -  at least I use to be.  Childhood distorted that trust, mostly.  And then adulthood ransacked it a bit.  

My conclusion to our present situation on this planet, is that we are in a really bad place. We are missing the most important piece to this puzzling life.  We are missing God (YHWH Elohim), Jesus Christ (Yeshua) and Holy Spirit (Spirit of Truth).  We spend more time shaking the rotten fruit from the tree (political adds and rhetoric) than gathering the good, ripened fruit from around it.  In other words, we spend more time yelling and screaming at the television, computer screen, tablet and cell phone, than searching the living Word of God for the missing piece of the puzzle. 

This morning, Michele Bachmann said:

"Begin your day by reading the Word"

"The Word points us in the right direction"

"Forsake the lies of culture, and return to the Truth"

She spoke of forsaking the sacred cows we hold onto, the pride in our lives and how much we have loved our sacred cows, in pride, for so long.  She spoke of humility and that we must pray first, before believing lies perpetrated by culture, and then seek out and respect Godly counsel. We must not walk in ignorance.

King David messed up big time with Bathsheba, and when "Godly counsel" revealed the error of his ways, he immediately repented.

We must repent before our most Holy God if we desire to see real change happen in our world.  Otherwise, toss that incomplete puzzle into the trash, or make a fake god out of it by claiming it is "complete",  and assign pronouns to it.  Then hypnotize and brainwash ignorance (sleepers) to claim the same.

Stop it already!

Wake up, sleepy-head!

Wash the goo from your precious eyes and slap yourself a few times, if necessary.

Get down on your faces before YHWH Elohim and cry out to Him!

Only He can save us!  

There is no other!

Wake UP!

 Otherwise, the dumpster is waiting for a refill.

Psalm 51

(emphasis on vs 10, but please read the entire chapter)

 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. NLT

Elul is considered the month of compassion, divine mercy and forgiveness. It is the  month prior to Rosh Hashanah, the month designated as the birthday of the universe, the day of Adam's creation, and the day when

“all inhabitants of the world pass before G‑d like a flock of sheep,” and it is decreed in the heavenly court “who shall live, and who shall die ... who shall be impoverished and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.”  Chabad.org

The month before Rosh Hashanah [Elul], taught Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, is a precious month. For thirty days, you can find the Ultimate King awaiting you outside the city, on a rustic path that winds through an empty meadow.

What’s the advantage of meeting the King in a meadow?

Because when you meet the King in His palace of the Days of Awe from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, much stands between you and Him—the carpet, the throne, the royal robes, the protocol, the language you must use, the awe and magnificence of the palace…

But in the field, the King wears blue jeans. And so do you. He even greets you with a smile, and expresses His delight that you came out to see Him.

Now it’s just you with the King.

Luke 6:45 reads:The good man brings forth what is good out of the good treasure of his heart, and the wicked man brings forth what is wicked out of the wicked treasure of his heart.  For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.  

"Let the Word of God come from our mouths." Michele Bachmann

"Repent for barriers we put before the Lord." Michele Bachmann

To my heart, You have said,

"Seek My face" 

Your face, Lord, I seek

Show me Your Face, LORD, and I will be complete

♡

It is about returning to the One TRUE God, YHWH Elohim. 

It is about turning away from our unrighteous acts and habits, and living out our identity in Christ, with genuine gratitude, thanksgiving, and a life that offers up a pleasingly delightful aroma unto our Father in heaven. 

It is about repenting for our personal rebellion against our Holy, Qodesh (set-apart) God, before attempting to hope for change in our individual nations' local and governing institutions.

It is about turning away from evil

and running as fast as we can, into the loving embrace of our Father.

It is about Life

(or death).

It is our choice, and ours alone.

Choose wisely

 During the next 40 days, I will be blogging my thoughts, prayers,  insightful and/or inspirational music/teaching videos that draw me into moments of reflection from not only Michele's teaching, but also the powerful prayers offered up to heaven by those beloved prayer warriors participating in the Zoom call to prayer and fasting; these warriors and watchmen join in from all around the globe, on behalf of Israel, America, and each soul's home nation, continent and peoples.

When we gather together, the vast miles that separate us morph into a cozy den of intimate familiarity.  

What a beautiful space we have been given, 

for such a time as this.

🙏🏼

Psalm 130 

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities. ESV