Some wisdom from Lamentations 3

WISDOM FROM LAMENTATIONS 3:

²¹ But in my mind I keep returning to something, something that gives me hope — ²² that the grace of Adonai is not exhausted, that his compassion has not ended. ²³ [On the contrary,] they are new every morning! How great your faithfulness! ²⁴ “Adonai is all I have,” I say; “therefore I will put my hope in him.

²⁵ Adonai is good to those waiting for him, to those who are seeking him out. ²⁶ It is good to wait patiently for the saving help of Adonai. ²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth. ²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence when he has laid it on him. ²⁹ Let him submit absolutely; there may yet be hope. ³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to the one who strikes it, and receive his fill of insults.

³¹ For rejection by Adonai does not last forever. ³² He may cause grief, but he will take pity, in keeping with the greatness of his grace. ³³ For he does not arbitrarily torment or punish human beings. (CJB)

A mini-lesson on "fence straddling...."

We used to have a sweet little Miniature Schnauzer named Dallas, who left this world a few years ago at the ripe ol’ age of 14.

Dallas was afraid of many things, and so, it wasn’t hard to contain him in the little postage stamp, fenced-in back yard we had back then, which consisted of just a few wires my husband had fastened to some rebar posts.

Dallas could have easily jumped over the short fence, but luckily for us, he was somewhat of a coward. (He also wouldn’t go near the heat vents in the house, because they were apparently too scary and weird…)

Anyway, what I’m getting at is that the little fence served as a kind “Torah” for our little fur person. As long as he stayed within its boundaries, he was safe. In that yard, he remained close to the house where we could keep an eye on him through the French door.

But if he were to ever escape and run up the hill into the woods, he would run the risk of becoming a meal for any number of predators, including a bear, lynx, or coyote (all of which we had personally seen).

If he had decided to run down the hill and across the properties of two of our neighbors, he would end up on a fairly busy highway. He would face possible danger even if he were to simply trot down our driveway toward the mailbox, because he would have ended up on the road that snaked through our neighborhood where many didn't bother to follow the speed limit.

I shudder to think what would have happened if he had tried to make it all the way to the freeway which was approximately only a half mile away….

What I’m trying to illustrate is that YHWH gave us Torah to keep us safe from this fallen world.

Adam and Eve were safe in the Garden until they decided to break just one little rule. Suddenly, they found themselves outside of their safe haven, in a “fallen world” where hard work, pain, sorrow, sickness and death ruled … where jealousy, greed, drunkenness, lewdness, arrogance, fornication and adultery and all manner of vileness lay in wait as the world’s population began to grow.

In our “fallen world,” we aren’t guaranteed health, wealth, riches or anything else our carnal selves desire. But when we belong to YHWH, we have shalom in knowing that, no matter what else happens, YHWH is with us, guiding and teaching and allowing us to grow in knowledge of Him.

We have His Divine Rules for holy living which serve to make our earthbound existence smoother. And, of course, we have the assurance of eternal life…

The moral of the story?

If little Dallas had dared to jump over his “Torah” fence that kept him safe, he would have mostly likely lost his life.

If YHWH’s people jump their Torah “fence” the world will close in and cause them to lose not only their “way” but possibly, their eternal life….

(See Romans 1:18-32; Numbers 15: 30; Hebrews 6:4-8 and 10:26-27; 2 Peter 2: 19-21; 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10; Deuteronomy 7: 9-10, Revelation 3:16, etc.)

Has ADONAI ever side-tracked one of your goals in life?

One major example of ADONAI’s "side-tracking" me from my goals was back in 1997, when I was Associate Editor of the Colorado Springs Business Journal. I had my eye set on becoming Editor one day, because I was more than qualified.

I had been a school-trained military photo-journalist, newspaper and magazine editor for 22 years, with various other kinds of schooling and experience under my belt, and so I felt certain that I was a “shoo-in.” 

I was new to Colorado at the time, having just moved there from Springfield, Missouri where I lived after my retirement from the Army in 1993. Nothing ever really “felt right” in Missouri, and I had floundered around as a free-lance journalist for a while, selling human interest stories to magazines while working part-time at a television station; before finally ending up at the Webster County Citizen, in Seymour, as a feature article writer and ad compositor/designer.

Looking back, of course, I can see that God’s Hand had guided me to Seymour, because that is where I “got saved” in a little Baptist church – after which I literally felt God urging me (for six months or more!) to move to Colorado.

When I finally complied, I ultimately ended up working at the Colorado Springs Business Journal – a job I loved – feeling that God had placed me here to become the editor one day.

And so, here I was, CERTAIN that I would be selected to replace the current editor upon her retirement!

But I wasn’t…

Instead, my bosses had hired a 22-year old college grad with ZERO experience! To say I was bewildered and devastated would have been an understatement. More to the point, I was ANGRY … really, really LIVID!

As a middle-aged woman with tons of schooling and experience, I wasn’t about to have some carnal, foul-mouthed, smart-alecky KID as my boss; and so, as a new Christian (only a couple of years into my faith at the time), I started praying about what I should do.

Well, God obviously heard me, because that following Sunday, I “happened” to sit next to a man at Assemblies of God church I was attending back then, who told me about a position available with the company where he worked. It wouldn’t be in the field of journalism, but I had all the “right qualifications” – and so I quit my job at the Business Journal and started working for a contractor to the United States Space Command.

Honestly, I hated my new job, but – bottom line was – our amazing ELOHIM gave me TWO miracles there: (1) I met a man who introduced me to Messianic Judaism – which would forever change my faith and my life; and (2) I met my future husband, Lt. Col. Bill Welker (retired), who helped me to create and become my co-host of a website in 2001 that we decided to call The Refiner’s Fire.  (Please see our website’s ABOUT US page)

Coincidence? I think not! YHWH is in charge; and, although sometimes we wonder what in the world He’s doing, the bottom line is, He WILL ALWAYS lead HIS people into where HE needs us to be! All we have to do is to “let go” and stop trying to be “in control” whenever we realize things aren’t exactly going according to OUR will…

 PSALM 46:10-12:  Be still and know that I am Adonai-Tzva’ot…

WATCH OUT FOR THIS NEW TYPE OF SCAM!

WARNING - A NEW TYPE OF SCAM: We experienced a new type of scam when a woman with a local area code called at 8:53 this morning to tell us that someone in Florida was attempting to withdraw $11,000 from our bank's checking account. The whole thing at first "sounded" legit, as she never asked for our bank account or social security numbers, or anything.

She told us the fraud attempt had been stopped, but that there would be an FBI investigation on "an African American woman" the FBI has been keeping an eye on, and that we should immediately go to our bank to report it.

She told us she was turning us over to the security manager - a man, who then also began to warn us to head for our bank while he stayed on the line with us so that they could "verify us via the bank's security cameras." We began to get suspicious when he asked us our approximate "estimated time of arrival," and kept talking to us until we arrived at the bank, and started talking to a bank employee - at which point, the “security manager “promptly hung up!

While we were speaking to a bank manager who was checking our account (and assuring us that the bank had had no notification of any fraud attempt), we noticed that our Ring Doorbell had given us a notification of a slim Hispanic woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing dark sunglasses and dressed in black shorts and and gray and black patterned hoodie, approaching our front door at exactly 9:11 a.m. carrying her cellphone, with something attached to it that resembled a microphone.

The moment she saw the Ring Doorbell, she did an instant "about-face" and hurried back to her car!

That is when it became crystal clear to us that this particular scam was apparently orchestrated to get us OUT OF OUR HOUSE, to allow the scammers time to break in... which is why the fake "security manager" had wanted to stay on the line with us until we arrived at the bank.

Anyway, the bank manager suggested save the Ring video and report the whole incident in person to the police station, which we did. Unfortunately, we were told by the police station receptionist that there was nothing they could do as there had been no actual crime committed.

Clearly, there had been A CRIME ATTEMPT – and we have saved the video, in case we hear of others in our area with the same story, so we can put these criminals away!  Surely, this scam isn’t just local, and so I wanted to warn everyone to be on the lookout for this “new scam.” 

In the meantime, I want to remind everyone to NEVER, EVER give out personal or banking information to ANYONE who calls you on the phone, no matter how “legitimate” they might sound.  There are EVIL people out there, who have no regard for anyone except themselves, and they will do whatever it takes to talk you out of your money or possessions!

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A rant on the stupidity of mankind

I’M ABSOLUTELY BEWILDERED OVER THE STUPIDITY OF MANKIND!

Why is it that repairs and upgrades on eroding bridges and underground water and sewage pipes, etc., are allowed to remain overlooked and even ignored for decades on end, until they “suddenly” arise as emergencies? Why do we always wait to “fix” something when it borders on “just in time” or “too late” to do anything about it?

How STUPID is that?

One of the latest “emergencies” is that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is experiencing several issues impacting airlines, including equipment failures, staffing shortages, and data outages, along with some short communication blackouts in planes, due to the air traffic control network's aging infrastructure. These issues have led to flight disruptions, delays, and even cancellations in some major airports.

COMMUNICATION BLACKOUTS IN SOME PLANES carrying millions of people around the world on a daily basis? THAT IS INEXCUSABLE!

I’m sorry, but I view these things as stupid, lazy and downright incompetent, because ALL of these things could be prevented via some common sense, true leadership, and proper budget and human resource management!

Unfortunately it seems that – even with all the great technology we possess, we are getting DUMBER all the time!

In the meantime, countries continue to taunt and start wars with each other, causing unnecessary hardships and deaths for the inhabitants...

OUR WORLD IS SICK! I do NOT understand why YHWH doesn’t just put a quick end to mankind, because we have done nothing but cause Him distress throughout the centuries.

Regarding the various "Names" of YHWH our ELOHIM...

 

We've all heard people who insist "God has many names."  But is this really true?  We, at The Refiner's Fire, contend that the Holy one of Israel has only ONE Name, and that what is being referring to as "names," would be more correctly described as "titles" - descriptive names ... appellations of dignity, honor, distinction, or preeminence attached to His Character and the things He does and is able to do.

The reality is, our God, the Holy One of Israel, only has one Name, יהוה - which are the Hebrew letters Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, with the corresponding English letters being "YHWH," which are written out as "Yahweh" - and most likely (but not necessarily) pronounced "Yah-way." (Truth is, no one knows the correct pronunication.)  

We can see this Name being used for the first time in Exodus 6:2, where YHWH tells Moshe (Moses) the following:  

Exodus 6:2 "I am יהוה.  3  I appeared to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name. (CJB)

So, technically speaking, YHWH is the ONLY proper name for God. It is translated in many English Bibles as "God" or “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.”  The revelation of the meaning of the Name יהוה is given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, as YHWH explains to him:  “I Am who I Am."  This name specifies an immediacy, a presence.  יהוה/YHWH is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13) forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).

We first saw the "Name" (Title!) of ADONAI used in Genesis 4:26: "That is when people began to call on the name of ADONAI" (“Lord” or "God") and later in places like Genesis 15:2 and Judges 6:15.  It was used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men.  

However, most knew Him as “El Shaddai,” which means “The God who performs hidden miracles and exercises mastery over Nature”; and “God Almighty” and “The Mighty One of Jacob.”  (See Genesis 49:24-25; Exodus 6:3; and Psalm 132:2.)

He was also known as "ELOHIM" (“Gods” or “Godhood”; “Creator, Mighty and Strong”) in Genesis 17:7, and Jeremiah 31:33. Elohim is the plural form of Eloah – which tell us that YHWH is many things in the form of ONE GOD, that we humans with our limited human mindsets, cannot possibly understand. From the Bible’s first sentence in Genesis 1:1, the superlative nature of YHWH’s power is evident as ELOHIM speaks the world into existence.

People also came to know יהוה/YHWH as the following Titles, describing His Character and what He accomplished at the time:

EL, ELOAH:  God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 139:19). Etymologically, El appears to mean “power” and “might” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19, jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31); but the root idea of “might” remains.

ADONAI-YIREH:  "ADONAI Will Provide" "Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

ADONAI--RAPHA:  "The Lord our Healer” or “The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – emphasizing His role as a provider of healing, both physical and spiritual. The term "rapha" itself means to heal, mend, or restore.

ADONAI-NISSI:  "Adonai is my banner/miracle (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.

ADONAI-M'KADDESH: God Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – It's a name for ELOHIM that describes His role as the one who sets apart His people for a special purpose, making them holy in His presence.

ADONAI-SHALOM: ELOHIM Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Midyah (Gideon) to the altar he built after the Angel of YHWH assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.

ADONAI-ELOHIM: "God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of His unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords. Yahweh signifies "to be" or "being," highlighting self-existence. Elohim, derived from "El," signifies "strength, energy, might, and power" and "to swear, declare, or make a covenant". In the Hebrew Bible, both names are used, with Elohim often representing a generic term for God and Yahweh being the personal name of the specific Deity.

ADONAI-TZIDKENU:  ELOHIM Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with ADONAI-M’Kaddesh, it is He alone who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew word tsidkenu) to man, ultimately in the  person of His Son and Divine Messiah, Yeshua:  ADONAI made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21).

ADONAI-ROI:  ELOHIM is Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship YHWH had with him, and so he declares, “ADONAI-Roi is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”  (Psalm 23:1)

ADONAI-SHAMA:  ADONAI Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – a name for God found in the Bible, signifying YHWH’s presence and dwelling with His people, both in the future and in the present for those who believe the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of ELOHIM (Ezekiel chapters 8 through 11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).

ADONAI-TZEVAOT: (צְבָאוֹת) is a Hebrew word meaning "hosts" or "armies," often translated as "Lord of Hosts" or "God of Hosts" in English. It's a title used for God, particularly in the context of his power, leadership, and sovereignty over all creation, including celestial beings and the universe. The word "tzeva" (צְבָא) means "army" or "host," and "tzevaot" is the plural form, indicating a large, organized group.

EL ELYON:  “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to Kingship.

EL ROI: "ELOHIM of Seeing" (Genesis 16:1-14) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah. When Hagar met the Angel of the ADONAI, she realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.

EL OLAM:  "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – YHWH’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From eternity past to eternity future you are ELOHIM.”

EL-GIBBOR: "Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:7) – the name describing the Messiah, Yeshua (who came straight from YHWH as he always was, and had been with YHWH as The Word  - John 1:1, 14), in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. "The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot will accomplish this." It's a name or title used for God in the Hebrew Bible, specifically to emphasize God's strength and power. The term "El" (אֵל) means "God," while "Gibbor" (גִּבֹּר) means "strong, mighty, or warrior". As a powerful and mighty warrior, YHWH’s Divine Messiah will accomplish the destruction of His enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).

As you can see,  יהוה/YHWH "wears many hats."  He is a compilation of Titles that hardly do Him justice, because "WHO He is" and "WHAT He has accomplished" encompasses the entire universe – or even universes! Mere words CANNOT now, and could NEVER describe the AWESOME ELOHIM we serve.  Halleluyah! 

 

 

How to treat Torah terrorists and other smart alecks

Have you ever been forced to deal with know-it-all “Torah terrorists,” smart-alecks  and “armchair experts” who berate people; yet, when confronted, refuse correction for themselves?

There is no reasoning with people like that, and so the best thing to do is either IGNORE them, or do what Yeshua did when “tempted” by Satan in Matthew 4:1-11: He didn’t argue with anyone; he simply quoted Torah and Psalms!

Here is my simple, to-the-point suggestion for responding to those who love to “talk down” to God’s people:

1. Either ignore them and hand them over to God.

OR…

2. Post the following short Bible verses to show them their behavior isn’t appreciated, and then leave them alone, because they're not worth your time.

Ephesians 4:2 With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 15:31-33) Those who refuse correction hate themselves, but those who accept correction gain understanding. Respect for the LORD will teach you wisdom. If you want to be honored, you must be humble.

If anyone has any other, or better suggestions, please feel free to post them below!

ADDENDUM:  Here are some more great passages to add to the above, if you wish your response to Torah terrorists to be a little longer:

Pro 6:16 These six matters יהוה hates, And seven are an abomination to Him:

Pro 6:17 A proud look, A lying tongue, And hands shedding innocent blood,

Pro 6:18 A heart devising wicked schemes, Feet quick to run to evil,

Pro 6:19 A false witness breathing out lies, And one who causes strife among brothers.

Tit 3:8 Trustworthy is the word, and in this regard I wish you to strongly affirm, that those who have believed in Elohim should keep their minds on maintaining good works. This is good and profitable to men.

Tit 3:9 But keep away from foolish questions, and genealogies, and strife and quarrels about the Torah, for they are unprofitable and useless.

Tit 3:10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second warning,

Tit 3:11 knowing that such a one has been perverted, and sins, being self-condemned.

An expose and description of the “antichrist”

AN EXCELLENT STUDY OF THE "ANTICHRIST" by Jeremy Chance Springfield on his website/blog entitled “Random Groovy Facts:

https://www.randomgroovybiblefacts.com/the_antichrist_armilos.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawKEyUBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZY0l1VWdicWJDRjFaQzhnAR7QwimI9ARp2v27f3dd6h9aI6sFCvxvHJEGlQ2Ae-i-9_TrWoT5bnyQpe69Vw_aem_9haFEoaRTh25PLMKilMKJQ

Thoughts on some comments in the Last Will and Testament of the Late Pope Francis

MY THOUGHTS ON SOME COMMENTS IN THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF THE LATE POPE FRANCIS:

Like all the Catholic Popes before him, Francis made reference to how he had “entrusted his life” to Mary.  Here’s a tiny snippet from the will, as released by the Vatican:

"I have always entrusted my life and my priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy” … "Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest awaiting the day of resurrection in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore" (referring to Yeshua’s Mother).

Pope John Paul II did basically the same thing before his death in 2005.  He addressed his written motto in Latin to the Virgin Mary, which translated means, "I am totally in your hands."

MY QUESTION IS: Where in the Bible are we EVER told to pray to, or entrust ourselves to the mere mortal Mary, the young woman chosen to give birth to our Messiah?

While it was certainly a great honor for Mary to be chosen as God’s vessel to bear YHWH’s Messiah –  there is not one single passage in the entire Bible that suggests Mary (whose Hebrew name is Miriam) was an intercessor between God and man, or that she was to be worshiped, prayed to!

Realizing that the Catholic Bible is a bit different from all the rest the umpteen-thousand other “versions” out there, the fact remains, the BASICS are still there – and those basics are as follows:

• ADONAI ELOHIM (הוה- YAHWEH/”God the Father” - who does NOT have a “Mother”) created mankind and the entire universe - and He gave us certain instructions that enable us to live holy, set apart lives for Him. (We read those facts throughout the first five Books of the Bible, called “Torah” - Divine Instructions in Righteousness).

• He supernaturally caused Yeshua, His Divine Son/Messiah to become formed inside of, and to be born via human virgin. Yeshua’s mission on earth was to proclaim the Kingdom of YHWH, to expound upon, and to reiterate His Father's Divine Instructions; and to do everything His Father commanded (see Luke 4:43, Luke 8:1; also Acts 24:14 and Acts 28:23).

• ADONAI constantly reiterated that HE was God, and there was none other – so what is the deal with all the “Mary worship” and all the statues and idols held sacred in the Catholic Church?

Isaiah 45:21 Let them stand and present their case! Indeed, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, announced it in times gone by? Wasn't it I, ADONAI? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides me. 22 Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God; there is no other. 23 In the name of myself I have sworn, from my mouth has rightly gone out, a word that will not return - that to me every knee will bow and every tongue will swear 24 about me that only in ADONAI are justice and strength." All who rage against him will come to him ashamed, 25 but all the descendants of Isra'el will find justice and glory in ADONAI. (CJB)

Philippians 2:5 And think you so in yourselves, as Y'shua the Mashiyach (Messiah) also thought; 6. who, as he was in the likeness of Elohim, did not regard it sinful to be the coequal of Elohim; 7. yet disinherited himself and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man; 8. and he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the stake. 9. Wherefore, also, Elohim has highly exalted him and given him a name which is more excellent than all names; 10. that at the name of Y'shua every knee should bow, of (beings) in heaven and on earth and under the earth; 11. and very tongue will avow MarYah - that is, Yeshua the Messiah - to the glory of יְהוָֹה His Father. (AENT)

FOOTNOTE: More than his literal birth name Yeshua (which was and is a common Hebrew name), and more than the perfect reputation that his name represents. Yeshua bears the Name of YHWH, the "name above all names!" Yeshua has the Name and reputation of the Father YHWH in him (John 17:11) and the name means "YHWH is Salvation" (Matthew 1:21). (The angels, for instance, only have YHWH's title of ELOHIM within their names: GabriEL, MichaEL, RaphaEL....)

Now - please understand, my goal is NOT to “bash” the Pope Francis, who was truly a good man doing what he believed was “right” in God’s eyes.  My goal is not to “bash” anyone who adheres to Catholicism, as we all need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2: 12-16).  But, by the same token, we CANNOT and SHOULD NOT twist Scripture to suit our own purpose!

Mary not only fails to qualify as our Mediator, Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix because she is a mere mortal; but also because she is DEAD – still in the ground until the next resurrection which will happen upon Yeshua’s return! (So are Pope John Paul II and all other “saints” that Catholics pray to...)

Nowhere in the Bible does it say Mary went straight to heaven. Not once are we told that she has been resurrected or "sits at the right hand of God" (as in the case of Yeshua - Colossians 3:1). She was still alive when Yeshua died on the stake (John 19:26-27); and we know of no other "rapture" since the day Yeshua died when there was a great earthquake and some dead believers were "resurrected" (Matthew 27:50-53).

Therefore, Mary is still waiting to “rise” upon Yeshua's Second Coming when all wholehearted Believers will be "caught up to meet Yeshua in the air" (1 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; what many refer to as “the rapture”). The FINAL "catching up" of ALL mankind (of both believers AND all the unbelievers since the beginning of time) will happen at the end of Yeshua's thousand-year reign when we will ALL stand before God on Judgment Day (Revelation 20:11-15).)

Proof that Mary was alive when Yeshua was crucified:

John 19: 26. And Y'shua saw his mother and a disciple whom he loved who was standing there, and he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son. 27. And he said to that disciple, Behold your mother. And at that hour that disciple took her with him. (AENT)

When he dies, this happens:

Matthew 27: 50. Then again Y'shua cried out with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 51. And immediately, the curtains at the door of the temple were torn in two from the top to the bottom. And the earth was shaken and the rocks were split. 52. And the tombs were opened and many bodies of the Set Apart believers who were asleep arose, 53. And went out. (AENT)

Note that Mary wasn’t among them, because she was STILL ALIVE!  She didn’t rise, and therefore, she’s STILL in the grave – so, WHY would anyone pray to her?  What can she possibly DO for you, since she is still dead, and was not “divine.”

Yeshua Himself taught, "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven....'" (Matthew 6:9). Yeshua intercedes on our behalf to the Father (Hebrews 7:25). The Bible teaches that we have access to the Father ONLY THROUGH YESHUA (Ephesians 2:18). Therefore, we should be praying to the Father, in Yeshua's Name (John 14:13-14).

Despite all those Biblical facts, Catholics around the world fervently pray to Mary, believing that she is the mediator who intercedes on their behalf before the Father – as is mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pg. 252, #969 – which says:  "Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." 

That is an absolute FALSEHOOD, and here’s why!

1 John 2: 1. My children, these things I write to you that you do not sin. But if any one should sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Y'shua the Mashiyach, the righteous. 2. For he is himself the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only but also for all the world. 3. And by this we will be sensible that we know him, if we keep his Commandments. 4. For he that says I know him, and does not keep his Commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him.

5. But he that keeps his Word, in him is the Love of Elohim truly completed: for by this we know that we are in him. 6. He that says I am in him, is bound to walk according to his halacha. 7. My beloved, I write no new commandment to you, but the old Commandment which you had from the beginning; and the old Commandment is the Word which you have heard. (AENT)

Psalm 34: 19 The righteous person suffers many evils, but ADONAI rescues him out of them all.  (CJB)

Psalm 54: 4 But YHWH is helping me; Adonai is my support.  (CJB)

Hebrews 13: 6. And it belongs to us to say confidently, My Master (Y'shua) is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7. Remember your guides who have spoken to you Elohim-inspired concepts; observe the perfection of their works and imitate their faith. 8. Y'shua the Mashiyach is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9. Be not led away by strange and variable doctrines. For it is a good thing that we strengthen our hearts with grace and not with meats, for those have not benefited who walked in them. (AENT)

Never in the Word of God is Mary mentioned as being a supernatural helper nor anything besides the woman who was chosen to give birth to our Messiah! We are told that only Yeshua is our one and only mediator:

1 Timothy 2: 5. For Elohim is one, and the mediator between Elohim and men is one; (namely) the man Y'shua the Mashiyach, 6. who gave himself a ransom for every man; a testimony that arrived in due time... (AENT)

Hebrews 9: 15. And for this reason he became the Mediator of the renewed covenant, that he might by his death be redemption to them who had transgressed the first covenant; so that they who are called to the eternal inheritance might receive the promise. 16. For where there is a testament, it indicates the death of him who made it. 17. For it is valid only of a deceased (person) because it has no use so long as the maker of it lives. 18. Therefore also the first (covenant) was not confirmed without blood. 19. For when the whole ordinance had been propounded by Moshe to all the people, according to Torah; Moshe took the blood of a heifer and water, with scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled upon the books and upon all the people; 20. and said to them, This is the blood of the covenant which is enjoined by Elohim. 21. With that blood he also sprinkled upon the tabernacle and upon all the vessels of ministration: 22. because everything, according to Torah, is purified with blood: and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.

23 For it was necessary that these, the representations of heavenly things, should be purified with those things; but the heavenly things themselves, with a sacrifice superior to them. 24. For the Mashiyach entered not into the sanctuary made with hands which is the emblem of the true (sanctuary): but he entered into heaven itself to appear in the presence of Elohim for us. 25. Neither (was it necessary) that he should offer himself many times as the high priest entered every year into the sanctuary with blood not his own: 26. otherwise, he must have suffered many times since the commencement of the world; but now in the end of the world, he has once offered himself in a self-sacrifice to abolish sin. 27. And, as it is appointed to men that they must once die, and after their death is the judgment; 28. so also the Mashiyach was once offered; and, by himself, he burned away the sins of many: and a second time, without sins, will he appear for the life of them who expect him. (AENT)

Could it be any clearer who is to get ALL the credit?  To teach otherwise, is to go against the entire Word of God!

Hebrews 8: 6. But now, Y'shua the Mashiyach has received a ministry which is better than that: as also the covenant of which he is made the Mediator is better, and is given with better promises than the former. (AENT)

John 14: 6. Y'shua said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except by me. 7. If only you would have known me, you would have also have known my Father. And from now on you know Him and you have seen Him. (AENT)

Acts 4: 8. Then Shimon Keefa was filled with the Ruach haKodesh and he said to them, "Leaders of the people and elders of the house of Israel, listen. 9. If we are judged today by you concerning the good thing that happened to the sick man, (that) by what means this (man) was healed, 10. let this be known to you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Y'shua the Mashiyach, the Nazarene, he whom (you), executed on the stake, he whom Elohim raised from the dead, by him, by the same one, behold this (man) stands before you being whole! 11. This is the stone that you builders have rejected, and has become the head of the corner. 12. And there is not salvation by another man for there is not another name under heaven which is given to men by which it is proper to have life!" (AENT)

Wise people take occasional inventory of themselves - a “Holy Spirit” check, if you will - concerning our belief system, to MAKE SURE our beliefs line up with Scripture. No matter what our preferred Bible “version,” the truth is, we are all reading the same BASICS in the BIBLE – which are perfectly outlined for us, like a taut bow string, beginning in Genesis, and ending on the last page Revelation.  (If you have never read the Bible from cover to cover, I would strongly urge you to make a pact with yourself to do so, at your earliest opportunity.)  

May our Awesome ELOHIM bless you as you continue to learn and grow in Him!

"Time" did not exist in the Garden of Eden - nor will it exist in Eternity, when our "Sabbath Rest" resumes...

HERE IS SOMETHING IN THE BIBLE MOST OF US HAVE NEVER REALIZED BEFORE: "Time" did not exist in the Garden of Eden!  We never see the words “and there was evening, and there was morning, a SEVENTH Day”...

Genesis 1 ends with this verse:

Genesis 1:31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. So there was evening, and there was morning, a SIXTH Day. (CJB)

Genesis 2 then starts out with this passage that tells us there WAS a “seventh day” – and that it was special – blessed, separated and set apart as HOLY:

Genesis 2: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. ² On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. ³ God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce. (CJB)

From the above, we glean the following:

“Time” – in the Garden of Eden – was irrelevant!  Adam and Eve were never aware of the concept of “time.”  They were never told to “rest on the Seventh Day,” as they were already in Paradise - the place YHWH had prepared for them; a place where they didn’t have to “work for a living,” or be told to stop working and REST on a certain day.  They simply lived their daily lives in peace and tranquility, basking in true “shalom” in every sense of the word!  

In other words, never having been confined to “time,” their days weren't dictated by a clock.  They weren’t waiting for their “time on earth” to end, and they would never taste “death” as they were ALREADY “resting” in God’s Presence! 

The concept of “time” was introduced to them (and, consequently, to you and me) from the moment they perpetrated the original sin! 

So, the reality is that SHABBAT was always meant to be ETERNAL!  Mankind was always intended to live in rest and peace from the very beginning, and throughout Eternity!  Thanks to the “original sin,” however, the rest of humanity is forced to live in a world run by “time" ... and that time includes the command to work for seven days, and REST on the Seventh…

This will continue until Judgment Day, when “time” will become irrelevant once again, as some of us will enter our Eternal Rest with YHWH and Yeshua …while “time” for the unbelievers will simply be no more.

The lesson to be learned from the above is that we MUST take God's commanded Seventh Day Sabbath rest VERY seriously!  The Seventh Day Sabbath is HOLY/Set Apart, and it is NOT an option for those who claim to belong to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!  He even told us when and how to keep it:

Exodus 31:16 The people of Isra'el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the people of Isra'el forever; for in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.'" (CJB)

Ezekiel 20:11 I gave them my laws and showed them my rulings; if a person obeys them, he will have life through them. 12 I gave them my shabbats as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I, ADONAI, am the one who makes them holy. (CJB)

Isaiah 58: 13 If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, ADONAI'S holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. 14 If you do, you will find delight in ADONAI - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov, for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken." (CJB)

Jeremiah 17: 21 Here is what ADONAI says: "If you value your lives, don't carry anything on Shabbat or bring it in through the gates of Yerushalayim; 22 don't carry anything out of your houses on Shabbat; and don't do any work. Instead, make Shabbat a holy day. I ordered your ancestors to do this, 23 but they neither listened nor paid attention; rather, they stiffened their necks, so that they wouldn't have to hear or receive instruction. 24 However, if you will pay careful heed to me," says ADONAI "and carry nothing through the gates of this city on Shabbat, but instead make Shabbat a day which is holy and not for doing work; (CJB) 

I am closing this article with some relevant Bible passages about who will get to spend the "time" of "forever" in Eternity -  and who will simply be gone, never to have to worry about "time" ever again:

1 Thessalonians 4: 13. And I wish you to know, my Brothers, that you should not mourn over them who have fallen asleep, like other people who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Y’shua died and rose again, even so them who sleep, will Elohim, by Y’shua, bring with him. 15. And this we say to you by the word of our Master (Y’shua), that we who may survive and be alive at the coming of our Master (Y’shua), will not precede them who have slept. 16. Because our Master (Y’shua) will himself descend from heaven with the mandate and with the voice of the chief Messenger and with the Qarna of Elohim; and the dead who are in the Mashiyach will first arise; 17. and then we who survive and are alive will be caught up together with them to the clouds to meet our Master (Y’shua) in the air; and so will we be ever with our Master. 18. And so, comfort you one another with these words. (AENT)

1 Corinthians 15: tells us that it will be "in the twinkling of an eye," and Matthew 24:40 reveals that this "translation" from physical to spiritual bodies will be sudden:

1 Corinthians 15: 50 Let me say this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot share in the Kingdom of God, nor can something that decays share in what does not decay. 51 Look, I will tell you a secret — not all of us will die! But we will all be changed! 52 It will take but a moment, the blink of an eye, at the final shofar. For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed. 53 For this material which can decay must be clothed with imperishability, this which is mortal must be clothed with immortality. 

54 When what decays puts on imperishability and what is mortal puts on immortality, then this passage in the Tanakh will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.  55  “Death, where is your victory?  Death, where is your sting?”  56 The sting of death is sin; and sin draws its power from the Torah; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! (CJB)

Matthew 24: 40. Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and one will be left. 41. And two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and one will be left. 42. Therefore be alert, because you do not know in what hour your Master will come. (AENT)

In John 5 we learn that everyone will be "translated" - some to eternal life and some to judgment:

John 5: 28. Do not marvel at this for the hour is coming when all those who are in the grave will hear his voice! 29. And those who have done good things will go forth to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil things to the resurrection of judgment. (AENT)

Those who know Scripture realize that the above lists two events that are actually separated by a thousand years. The "resurrection of life" is the first resurrection, which happens just prior to Yeshua's Second Coming; and the "resurrection of judgment" does not occur until a thousand years later at the end of Messiah's millennial reign, when everyone who has ever lived will stand before YHWH on Judgment Day. These things are outlined in the following:

Daniel 12: 1 "When that time comes, Mikha'el, the great prince who champions your people, will stand up; and there will be a time of distress unparalleled between the time they became a nation and that moment. At that time, your people will be delivered, everyone whose name is found written in the book. 2 Many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and abhorrence. 3 But those who can discern will shine like the brightness of heaven's dome, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. (AENT)

Acts 24: 15. And I have a hope in Elohim, which they also themselves expect, that there is to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the righteous and the wicked. (AENT)

Revelation 20: 11. And I saw a great white throne and Him who sits upon it; from whose presence the earth and heaven fled away, and this their place was not found. 12. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is (the book) of life. And the dead were judged from the things written in the books, according to their deeds. 13. And the sea gave up the dead in it; and death and Sheol gave up the dead in them. And they were judged, each one according to his deeds. 14. And death and Sheol were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (namely,) this lake of fire. 15. And if any one was not found enrolled in the book of life, he was cast into this lake of fire. (AENT)

Have you ever felt alone and forgotten?

HAVE YOU EVER FELT ALONE AND FORGOTTEN?  I sure have – many times, over the course of my life!  Not only have I often “felt alone and forgotten,” but also “alone and different.”

The reason I am writing this is because this morning, my husband Tom and I (during our daily reading) landed on Psalm 88, which brought back some powerful memories for me – especially the following verses:

PSALM 88:  ⁽⁸⁾ You separated me from my close friends, made me repulsive to them; I am caged in, with no escape; ^10 (9) my eyes grow dim from suffering. I call on you, Adonai, every day; I spread out my hands to you.  ^11 (10) Will you perform wonders for the dead? Can the ghosts of the dead rise up and praise you? (Selah)

 ^12 (11) Will your grace be declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? (Hebrew idiom meaning "destruction", "doom.") ^13 (12) Will your wonders be known in the dark, or your righteousness in the land of oblivion? ^14 (13) But I cry out to you, Adonai; my prayer comes before you in the morning. ^15 (14) So why, Adonai, do you reject me? Why do you hide your face from me? (CJB)

These passages hit me so hard because I’ve done a lot of suffering over the course of my life; and – even though God HAD performed some amazing miracles for me – I often wondered where He was during my times of distress, because it sometimes seemed like He was busy ignoring, and even outright rejecting me!

Basically, for me, feeling “alone and forgotten and/or different,” had been a way of life …UNTIL – to my great surprise - in January of 1995 at age 44, He saw fit to open my “spiritual eyes” to Him, His Messiah, and His Word. 

On that wondrous day, I “happened” to be sitting in the pews of a little Baptist Church in Seymour, Missouri, on my first date with a man named Ellis, whom I’d met at an “Oldies Dance” some months before. Ellis had asked me out a few times before but, until that cold day in January, I had refused because – well, to put it bluntly – he was a “Bible Thumper,” constantly talking about Jesus, even while we were dancing!   

(Up until then, I really wasn’t into “that kind” of Christian, because I had always been under the impression that Christians were all hypocrites, sinning during the week, and then warming the pews on Sundays…)

Anyway, the ONLY reason I had finally decided to go on a date with him was because on that particular New Year’s Eve of 1994/1995, I had been lying in bed after yet another disastrous date – and with hands folded in prayer, I heard myself say, “Dear God, I’m so TIRED of my life!  Please – if you’re as sick and tired of my life and lifestyle as I am, could you PLEASE give me a GOOD man for a change?”

Throughout my life, I had always chosen the “rugged/tough/macho” type guys, and so I thought that turning to God and asking for a “good” man MIGHT solve all my problems.  (Okay  -  just so you know  -  God DID answer my prayer the very next day; but imagine my surprise to ultimately discover that that “man” would end up being JESUS!)  

Here's what happened:

This "weird" new phase of my life began the next morning on January 1, when I received a phone call from the “Bible thumper” calling to ask me out again!  His words were something to the effect of, “I don’t really know why I’m calling you, Carmen, but I feel like God wants me to give you another chance to go out with me.”

Well, my first inclination, of course, was to tell him “No!” again – but then I remembered my one-way conversation with God the night before … and the bottom line was, I reluctantly accepted Ellis’ invitation to join him in his church on the following Sunday.

 …And  so I found myself on a date with a CHRISTIAN – sitting in a church of all places – listening to a pastor who “just happened” to say “all the right things” that I had obviously needed to hear…

At some point, all of a sudden, BAM! I felt as as though I had been hit by a lightening bolt – only it didn’t hurt.   All I knew was that “something” had "touched me all over, right down to the core of my very being.  

I suddenly felt as though my eyes had been opened to something amazing – something I couldn’t explain, but my mind "knew things" and I "just knew" there was a lot more, and that my life would never be the same again!  Over the course of my life, God had given me MANY miracles, and so I had always KNOWN He was real … but that morning absolutely blew my mind, and I’ve never been the same.  (THANK YOU, Father!)

Anyway, the next thing I knew, I was busy reading the Bible from cover to cover, attending every Bible study I could find, and doing every workbook I could get my hands on. Over the coming months, everything began to “click” and fall into place … and it dawned on me that THIS is where I was meant to be at that time, because God clearly had me on a journey to discover “who” I was ultimately meant to be!

Approximately a year into my new walk, I started “hearing” Him tell me to move to Colorado Springs – but, having nightmarish childhood memories of that place, I fought Him like crazy for six months until one day my eyes “happened” upon the passages in Deuteronomy 1:6 and 2:3, which felt like they were written just for me; and I “felt” as if God was telling me, “Carmen, you’ve been at this mountain long enough!”

And so, I put my house on the market and sold everything I owned (except, of course, for my car), and moved to Colorado Springs … something which changed my entire life and led me right to where HE had ALWAYS wanted me, walking in Torah, and showing others the Way!

Backing up to Psalm 88, which I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the words struck me so hard because I HAD lost friends over my newly-found faith. After I became a Christian, some began to distance themselves from me, refusing to tell me why, while others had the guts to let me know that it was because I had “changed.”  They said things like, “Carmen, you’re not the same person.  You’re not as much fun as you used to be, and you talk differently.  You're just ... different!”

Although it had hurt at the time, I had to admit, it was true.  I had started the habit of going to church on Sunday, I no longer found any pleasure in hanging out in bars anymore, and my way of speaking changed because I was no longer “in the world.” 

For me, “having a good time” meant hanging out with my new, like-minded church friends and doing Bible studies. I had stopped looking for “husband material” in every man I met; and ALL that really mattered to me was that “I belonged to Jesus.”  In other words, I had become … well … a Bible Thumper!

And I'm here to tell you -  this situation was magnified exponentially when Yahweh opened my spiritual eyes to the idea of YHWH/Yeshua/Torah!  People began to scatter (and they still do) in every direction whenever I mentioned that I was “Messianic”; as they were under the erroneous belief that I had “gone back under the law”… Unfortunately, this still holds true today, nearly 30 years later, because most people simply CANNOT comprehend what it means to be Torah observant.

I’ve gotten used to it, though.  And while I still feel “different,” I no longer feel “alone” or “forgotten” because I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that The Holy One of Israel is WITH me – no matter what “the world” thinks.  His Plan for me all along was to “sow seeds” for His Truth wherever and however I can – and I’m good with that!