Sabbatical: Day 3/Western Wall

As we neared the wall there was singing. Many Jewish young people walking arm in arm and singing with enthusiasm and joy as they go to the western wall and celebrate their love of God and Israel. The scene I beheld made my heart leap. Men on the north side of a partition and women on the south. Some praying at the wall while others were singing and dancing with ecstatic joy and laughing. This made our Pentecostal meetings look like a wake. Joy at a level I have never seen in a public place. God's people praising him for life, love, home and country. These People were Jews from all over the world but their faith in God was all that was important. Oh if we Christians were as thankful as these people are.  

Our next stop was for Sabbath dinner. We were invited into a Jewish home to participate in a traditional Jewish Shabbat Dinner.
This young couple moved all the furniture out of the living room and set up tables for all thirty four of us. They had spent the whole day cooking and preparing so we could be part of their normal Sabbath meal. This home is about the size of my own and it was very close quarters but as soon as we began the closeness became symbolic of our relationships with each other and with God. Seven courses of delight and with each course a blessing, a song, a story and love, love, love. As our host began he thanked God for the past week, protection and provision and God's presence each day. Then he proclaimed a blessing on our food, his family and each of his guests. He sang most of the rest of his worship. He sang a song of love and devotion to his wife, to each of his children and to his extended relatives and to us. In Hebrew he sang and in English he told us what he had said. My tears flowed as I experienced this love and gratitude flowing as praise to God. I told Nancy how beautiful she is and how I love her., she was crying too.
Every part of the meal is centered around God, Family and Faith, in that order. Our host has a talent; he can mimic other peoples voices. He ask each of us to tell a little about ourselves, where we live, years married, children. As we took turn he would mimic some of us so well that we spent hours just laughing and enjoying his gift. He did not try to mimic me and I wondered why so after the meal as we were cleaning up I ask him why. He said; "Texas, your voice is too big for me" so we laughed some more. This togetherness of the Jewish family every Sabbath is the reason that this country and these people are so strong. They are glued together at the family level, the national level and at the spiritual level. There is no separation of church and state because they are one people. God please help America find it's way back to you so we too can be one as a people too. His closing blessing was for the new week to be better than the last and for his new american friends to be useful in God's Vineyard as we select a new president. We all said AMEN! 

Healing Faith

I think my "believer" is out of whack. I am seeking for faith that will move mountains .... the real thing .... first church, blind eye opening, leprosy destroying, demon chasing .... FAITH! Pray for me to find it.


S.O.A.P.

3-26-2015      Romans 12:6-8

S.       6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

O.      How to use a gifting.

A.      The gift within me is from the Lord and I will minister (use) the gift in a holy manner. I will remember that the gift is to benefit the body of Christ.

P.       Father; use me Lord to win souls, encourage Saints and bless all I contact. Fill me with the oil of gladness as I praise you. Amen.

Perfection

The perfecting of the Saints is one reason the church exists. I know that most people don't believe in perfection on any level, but, I do! I believe this because the word speaks so often concerning perfection. The church is given five specific ministries; Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. These ministries are there to "perfect" God's church. Current church trends are moving more towards entertaining, political activism and recreational activities than transforming it's members into Holy Perfection. 


S.O.A.P.

3-10-2015      Romans 10:5-10

S.       5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

O.      Conversion starts in the heart by believing that God raised Jesus from the dead and making verbal confession to that belief.

A.      I will confess my faith in every way possible. I will speak of his death, resurrection and his return. I will live a holy life by abstaining from sinful practices.

P.       Father; open my understanding and give me wisdom. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and reveal your word to me. Amen.