Prayer

by Jenna Caruthers

In English, the word "pray" originates as begging or entreaty. When I was fleeing Roman Christianity, one of the things that used to bug me was their seeming passivity. One way that showed up was in terms of "prayer." Recently I saw an initialism that drove home that point: "P.U.S.H--Pray Until Something Happens." While I sort of understand the perceived desirability of persistence, their degrees of distance from the destination guarantee their flight to Hawaii ends up in Alaska instead.

Roman Christians seem to conceive of prayer as, okay, you have or know about a situation, you tell "God" and wait for Him to do something. And yet, a study of the Hebrew word "palal"--which is among the words used for communicating with the Almighty--tells a different story. We have the letter pey-lamed-lamed. Pey is the mouth, speaking. Lamed is the shepherd's staff--the authority; it's doubled here denoting the emphasis.

The word itself even seems to portray a supplicant kneeling before the throne where YHVH and Yahshua are seated.

Pal-from the root word--means to fall. This is literally a recognition of one's status of coming before the king and showing respect before pleading one's cause. "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."

Another aspect of palal is that of discernment. The one to whom you plead is making a judgment about what you've said. He tells you what to do about it. Our Western orientation makes a distinction between words and actions but Hebrew makes no such separation. After telling your side of the story, the Judge will make a determination directing you to take some action. Often, even in courts today, there is a "brief" about the decision that explains the judge's point of view and precedents.

When you don't humbly wait, but just sort of sign off with the tagline "in Jesus' name," you miss the point: relationship, communication, understanding, obedience.

Truth!

by Jeannie Ladd

For what purpose does YHVH open our eyes to the truth of His whole Word, when we come to understand that Torah was NOT done away with, but is still relevant today, as it has always been?

Is it to give us knowledge to puff us up? Is it to beat people with? Is it to disregard as Christianity has done for 1700 years?

I have watched a disturbing trend among those who would call themselves Torah obedient or Torah keepers.

There seems to be a blatant disregard for the REQUIREMENT to obey. There is still such a mindset that it's all just too difficult to keep, that we don't NEED to anymore, etc., etc.

So then, what is the purpose in Him opening our eyes, if we just remain unchanged, still thinking that obedience is not REQUIRED?

If Yisrael was divided and scattered because of disobedience, what makes us different? Did YHVH change?? Is He guilty of keeping differing weights and measures, which scripture tells us He hates??

Yeshua changed NONE of the requirements for obedience, NONE!!!! That is NOT why He died!!

I submit to you, that if He opened your eyes, He called you to change!! To Teshuva to Him, His Ways!!! To OBEY!!!

Because we have seen, we are held to a greater accountability!!

I didn't post this to condemn or argue with anyone, but to challenge each and everyone of us. Yeshua died to redeem us, to RETURN, not to remain in our sin. He is calling the First Fruits. Will we obey?? We MUST deny ourselves, die to our own way. We must work out our salvation, endure to the end. Yeshua is the door, but we first have to walk the path to the door.

We MUST have BOTH.

Then יהושע said to His taught ones, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me.
Matthew 16:24

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim AND possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah.
Revelation 12:17

Women Teaching

I don't know who originally wrote these thoughts or where I found them, but I've seen several posts this week about women, so I'm going to include this, for those who will read, pray, and seek . . .

From the Pope to various Messianics, some hold the opinion that women should not teach "spiritual matters" to men. Certainly, there is one verse that many interpret to support this position. Nevertheless, we know that any one verse can be used to support just about any position. (Peter's vision, for example.) We must look at the totality of Scripture.

If one holds the opinion that it is wrong for a woman to teach spiritual truths to men, then one must also conclude that Mary Magdalene and Priscilla were among Scripture's foremost sinners. Fortunately, that opinion is incorrect.

"Yeshua saith unto her, 'Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.' Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her." (John 20:17-18)

"And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." (Acts 18:24-26)

His Return

I have been longing to post this, but I don't know the author . . . so with that being said, I am not claiming copyright, nor am I claiming an exclusive, I just think this information is pertinent to end time events!  the Editor of the Goshen Gazette ~


In Matt. 24, Jesus is told us what signs would lead up to His return. One of those signs is this:

"At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and HATE one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead MANY. Because LAW-lessness is increased, most people's LOVE will grow cold." Matt. 24:10-12

What is the LOVE that will grow cold?

"For THIS is the love of God, that we KEEP His commandmentS.; and His commandments are NOT burdensome." 1 John 5:3

"Now I ask you lady, NOT as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the BEGINNING, that we LOVE one another. And THIS is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the BEGINNING, that you should walk in it." 2 John 1:5-6

" 'Teacher, which is THE great commandment in the Law/Torah?' And He said, ' "You shall LOVE the LORD your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (Deut. 6:5)." This is the great and FOREMOST commandment. The second is LIKE it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18)." On these TWO commandments (quoted from Torah) depend the WHOLE Law/Torah AND the Prophets.' " Matt. 22:36-40

The 10 Commandments tell us what God expects of us, and are summed up as loving God and loving our neighbor. Torah INSTRUCTS us in DETAIL on HOW to love God and love our neighbor. Jesus (the Word/Torah made flesh), Himself, taught and demonstrated a DEEPER revelation on what it means to love our neighbor (Matt. 5:20-48).

"Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We KNOW that we have passed out of death into life, BECAUSE we LOVE the brethren. He who does not love ABIDES in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer (Matt. 5:21-22); and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the BRETHREN. But whoever has the world's goods and sees his BROTHER in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed AND truth." 1John 3:13-18

"Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Law/Torah is TRUTH." Ps. 119:142

"Those who follow after wickedness draw near; THEY are FAR from Your Law/Torah. You are NEAR, O LORD, and ALL Your COMMANDMENTS are TRUTH." Ps. 119:150-151

***
Warning: "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; and the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does NOT bring THIS teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting. for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil DEEDS." 2 John 1:9-11

The Human Race

                                   Contributed by Lenzey Coble

God made one race. Human. To believe that someone is less than because of the color of their skin is the most ignorant, hateful, and hideous thing I have ever encountered. I have seen the up close and personal of racism more times than I care to admit, and it is disgusting. I don't think there is anything I hate more in this world than hearing some ignorant racist fool, popping off at the mouth.

All living things (plants, animals, humans) adapt to their surroundings. Over a period of time diet, environment, and lifestyle make small changes to certain DNA markers. These traits pass on to future generations. Adaptation doesn't mean "less than." It means survival... It means *strengthening* your DNA to live in your environment. Adaptation to surroundings is what causes differences in the human race. Not some God given hierarchy based on pigment. You have got to get over yourselves, people. Stop seeing status where there is only different levels of melanin.

Would you believe that just a few generations before me, my maternal family was considered black? The census cards of my ancestors have a very COLORFUL range of "race." Just a quick glimpse: "Negro," "Black," "Foreign," "Mulatto," "Mixed," "Caucasian," "Native American," "Indian" (the country). My own mother, just because of her olive complexion, was made fun of as a child for being "mulatto." She passed her GORGEOUS coloring on to my brother and youngest sister, who regularly gets asked what country she's from. Their father had blue eyes and blond hair. My other sister, with the same parentage, has an even paler complexion than I do. Beautiful ivory skin, blond hair, blue eyes. My mother's sister, despite both parents being very olive-toned, has blue eyes and blond hair, but can tan just as dark as the rest of them. You CANNOT judge a person based on the color of their skin! You have absolutely no idea what their genetic markers are! You don't even know how your own children will look until they are a few months old, sometimes even longer than that! Black couples have white children. White couples have black children. A set of twins can have one white and one black! My olive skinned grandparents have a rainbow of complexions in their five children, and my mama had four beautifully different colored babies of her own. It happens more than you realize. Shocking, right?

You're all killing each other, threatening violence, and saying DISGUSTING things about another human being. Some of these voices are coming from my own family members, ignorant of their own heritage. I am humiliated by some of the things I have read over the last few days. People make bad decisions because they genuinely do not know any other way. If you know better, be a better example! Show them, IN LOVE, how to act. Poverty, lack of good education and failing to raise children with respectful, wholesome values... This is what causes violence. This is what breeds hatred. Last I checked, we're all guilty of it. It's the HUMAN race that's the problem, guys... We're all a bunch of selfish brats, wanting our way and throwing a fit when we don't get it. All of us.

People are people. We all come from the same dirt, the same Breath, and we all bleed red. I try to hold my tongue when stuff makes me angry. I try to speak in love, but this is ridiculous. I am embarrassed by it. Y'all need to get yourselves right with the Creator. Messiah is coming back to JUDGE. Get your hearts right with Him, and get your heads out of your butts. Seriously. I apologize for my anger, but I hope it leaves you with some quality self-examination time. Peace and love and blessings to you all.