DOWN MEMORY LANE...IT'S PAPA FRANKS FAULT!

WHAT ARE YOUR DRY BONES?

This is the second time the L-rd has given these passages to me. I feel that this so important for our day! WHAT ARE YOUR DRY BONES? WHAT NEEDS TO BE RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD? This question is one we all should all be asking ourselves. What is going on in our lives that we should be hearing the word of the L-rd and then speaking the word G-d so He can breath life into it?

G-d brought the house of Israel back to life, and is now, as we speak, bringing His children back to life.

We as His children are a type and shadow of the house of Israel and what G-d is doing for them He will do for us!

So just take a moment with G-d and listen to see what He is saying... HE WILL SPEAK,
THEN HE WILL BREATHE!

Ezekiel 37
The Dry Bones Live
1 The hand of the L-RD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the L-RD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O L-rd G-D, You know.”
4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the L-RD!
5 Thus says the L-rd G-D to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the L-RD.”’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.
8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the L-rd G-D: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’”
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’
12 , ‘Thus says the L-rd G-D: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 Then you shall know that I am the L-RD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the L-RD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the L-RD.’

YOU WILL NEVER TAKE THIS FROM ME!

GREAT INSPIRATION

TAKE A PERSONALITY QUIZ

You Are An INTJ

The Scientist You have a head for ideas - and you are good at improving systems. Logical and strategic, you prefer for everything in your life to be organized. You tend to be a bit skeptical. You're both critical of yourself and of others. Independent and stubborn, you tend to only befriend those who are a lot like you. In love, you are always striving to improve your relationship. You have strong ideas of what love should be like. At work, you excel in figuring out difficult tasks. People think of you as "the brain." You would make an excellent scientist, engineer, or programmer. How you see yourself: Reasonable, knowledgeable, and competent When other people don't get you, they see you as: Aloof, controlling, and insensitive

What's Your Personality Type?

IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE

In the beginning of my relationship with the L-rd He taught me about the power of the tongue and the words we speak. Somewhere over the years I forgot what He had taught! Now due to circumstances that I have found myself in... well dare I say G-d has been reemphasizing the power of my tongue!

I have had to repent over and over again because I have let sin control my tongue.

G-d had taught me to take the Word of the L-rd and speak it over all situations.


Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.


Ezekiel 37: 1-14
1 The hand of the L-RD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the L-RD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”So I answered, “O L-rd G-D, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the L-RD! 5 Thus says the L-rd G-D to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the L-RD.”’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the L-rd G-D: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the L-rd G-D: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the L-RD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the L-RD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the L-RD.’

How interesting that the L-rd told Ezekiel to speak to the bones and then he would do the rest!

In verse 4 the L-rd had already establish the word to go forth... Ezekiel had gotten that word and then spoke it! I believe that we can do the same.

James 3:1-12
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed,[a] we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

What comes to mind is Ecclesiastes 5:3 "A fool's voice is known by his many words" Think about how careless our words can be. Have you ever said something that offended someone without the intention to do so? Have you ever regretted saying too much to someone? When Yeshua says in Matthew 5:37, "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' mean 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.", I believe it was because He knew the damage that comes from saying too much; which can lead to gossip or even unknowingly incriminating yourself.
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Think this is extreme? Consider those that have taken something offensive to heart and harmed themselves or others. A young lady could take a comment that implies she's fat, then a seed is inplanted her mind making way for an eating disorder. On the other hand, our words of encouragement can be a tremendous blessing to someone who we never realized needed to hear it.
When words are spoken, it's almost as if it's physically solidifying what is in our hearts. There is obvious spiritual significance in the words we speak or it wouldn't be stated in Romans 10:9-10:
"That if you confess with your mouth the L-rd Yeshua and believe in your heart that G-d has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Matthew 12:34 says "...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks"

Proverbs 12:18 "There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health."

Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."

Psalm 14 1:3 "Set a guard, O L-RD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips."

Proverbs 15: 1-4 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. The eyes of the L-RD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit."

Matthew 12:37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

I for one do not want to stand before the L-rd and be condemed for all the evil I have spoken!

JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

"Out Of Hiding and into the LIGHT"

This is a post my husband put on his blog just day's ago. Some of his Jewish friends have all but abandoned him due to his decision for Yeshua... He has been wrestling with this decision for a long time and many hours of study and prayer. He knew that it would mean the end of all that he holds dear... his friends... This was not the most popular decision... however it was the only one! I hold my husband in the highest esteem for coming to terms with the only thing he could do and that was to honor G-d and tell the world that Yeshua is the Mashiach!

For all of you who have stood by and loved Yehudi through this and have prayed for him...THANK YOU! May the G-d of the heavens and earth bless and keep you from all evil and fill your tents with plenty!

YEHUDI... I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND HONOR YOU FOR THE TRULY AWESOME MAN YOU ARE!

http://jewishfire.blogspot.com/
go at your own risk.... it's really heated!

This is a very exciting post for me! I am proudly declaring myself a Messianic Jew. Through much study and prayer, it is an undeniable fact that Yeshua is the long-awaited Mashiach of the Jewish people. If he is not, then no one is and we are left without hope.
Some of my Jewish brothers will now consider me a christian. Let me be clear: I am not a christian, nor will I ever attend a christian church. I don’t mean to offend any of my Christian friends, however, I am a Jew. As a Jew, I observe Shabbat, remain kosher, and I now see that recognition of Yeshua as the Mashiach and Torah-observance are perfectly compatible.As I write this, I fully recognize that I am choosing the unpopular position and am now considered a mumar. It is something that grieves me, however, I would rather be ‘right’ about Hashem and unpopular with man than miss all that G-d has in store for me and hold the popular position among men. This is a very personal decision, and my blog will not be a platform of missionary activity. The desire of my heart is that Am Yisrael would turn to Hashem, accept the yoke of Torah, and da lifnei mi ata omed.

"ABC OF SHAVUOT"

It is ironic that Shavuot is such a little-known holiday. Because in fact, Shavuot commemorates the single most important event in Jewish history -- the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Shavuot is the culmination of the seven-week-long "counting of the Omer" that occurs following Passover. The very name "Shavuot" means "weeks," in recognition of the weeks of anticipation leading up to the Sinai experience. (Since Shavuot occurs 50 days after the first day of Passover, it is sometimes known as "Pentecost," a Greek word meaning "the holiday of 50 days.")
3,300 years ago, after leaving Egypt on the night of Passover, the Jews traveled into the Sinai desert. There, the entire Jewish nation -- 3 million men, women and children -- directly experienced divine revelation:
God spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you were hearing the sound of words, but you were not seeing a form, only a sound. He told you of His covenant, instructing you to keep the Ten Commandments, and He inscribed them on two stone tablets. (Deut. 4:12-13)
The giving of the Torah was an event of awesome proportions that indelibly stamped the Jewish nation with a unique character, faith and destiny. And in the 3,300 years since this event, Torah ideals - monotheism, justice, responsibility -- have become the moral basis for Western civilization.

HOW TO CELEBRATE
Perhaps the reason for the relative obscurity of Shavuot is because this holiday has no obvious "symbols" of the day -- i.e. no Shofar, no Sukkah, no Chanukah Menorah.
On Shavuot, there are no symbols to distract us from the central focus of Jewish life: the Torah. So how do we commemorate Shavuot? It is a widespread custom to stay up the entire night learning Torah. And since Torah is the way to self-perfection, the Shavuot night learning is called Tikkun Leil Shavuot, which means "an act of self-perfection on the night of Shavuot."
At synagogue services on Shavuot morning, we read the biblical book of Ruth. Ruth was a non-Jewish woman whose love for God and Torah led her to convert to Judaism. The Torah intimates that the souls of eventual converts were also present at Sinai, as it says: "I am making [the covenant] both with those here today before the Lord our God, and also with those not here today." (Deut. 29:13)
Ruth has a further connection to Shavuot, in that she became the ancestor of King David, who was born on Shavuot, and died on Shavuot.
On Shavuot, it is customary to decorate the synagogue with branches and flowers. This is because Mount Sinai blossomed with flowers on the day the Torah was given. The Bible also associates Shavuot with the harvest of wheat and fruits, and marks the bringing of the first fruits to the Holy Temple as an expression of thanksgiving. (see Exodus 23:16, 34:22, Numbers 28:26)
DAIRY FOODS
There is a universal Jewish tradition of eating dairy foods on Shavuot. The reason has been offered by many scholars, some of which are more convincing than others. We offer a selection:
The Biblical book Song of Songs (4:11) refers to the sweet nourishing value of Torah by saying: "It drips from your lips, like honey and milk under your tongue."
The verse in Exodus 23:19 juxtaposes the holiday of Shavuot with the prohibition of mixing milk and meat. On Shavuot, we therefore eat separate meals -- one of milk and one of meat.
Upon receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Jews immediately became obligated in the laws of Sh'chita -- slaughter of animals. Since they did not have time to prepare kosher meat, they ate dairy instead.

PILGRIMAGE TO THE WESTERN WALL
In 1967, the Six Day War ended just a few days before Shavuot. Israel had reclaimed the Western Wall, and for the first time in 19 years Jews had access to the area surrounding the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. On Shavuot itself, the Western Wall became open to visitors, and on that one memorable day, over 200,000 Jews journeyed by foot to the Western Wall. (In Jerusalem, no cars or buses run on Jewish holidays.)
In subsequent years, this "pedestrian pilgrimage" has become a recurring tradition. Early on Shavuot morning -- after a full night of Torah learning -- the streets of Jerusalem are filled with tens of thousands of Jews walking to the Western Wall.
This tradition has biblical precedence. Shavuot is one of Judaism's three main pilgrimage festivals, where the entire nation would gather in Jerusalem for celebration and study.

The Voice Of G-D

I want to share a situation that happened to my husband and I.

When my husband got his check from work, we were both in a bit of shock that it wasn't as much as we had planned. We are going on vacation in July, (which is the first one we've had in 6 years), so we wanted to save as much money as possible. Knowing that we would have to tithe and pay bills, it would leave us with just about zero for vacation. My husband and I haven't been tithing, but know we need to because we are robbing from G-d what is truly His in the first place. We could have again chosen to keep the money and take from Him what was His but we choose to give Hashem His 10% with a joyful heart.

As Jews, we give to people in need, so we thought we would just ask G-d where he wanted His money to go. I heard a still small voice that said one thing, but I wanted to hear what my husband heard before I said anything. I wrote down on a piece of paper what it was I heard and then asked my husband what he heard.

The awesome thing was that what I had heard G-d saying was something I would of never thought of, not because I didn't like the possibility, but my way of thinking is to choose food banks, homeless shelters, etc. But this time I heard something that was unfamiliar to me.
So I wrote it down and waited for my husband to tell me was he heard.
Out of his mouth came the same thing I had wrote down on my paper. The Friends of the IDF fund!!!

Oh my gosh... Please take hold of this. I know that G-d was just looking for us to be faithful to Him, but in that moment when my husband and I realized that the G-d of the heavens and earth was talking to the both of us about the same thing at the same time, we were in tears! Hashem is sooooo good! G-d inclines His ear to hear even the smallest prayer. There are a trillion people on this planet and G-d was listening and answering the prayers of two of His children!

I would encourage you to talk with G-d today because there is no prayer to small that He won't answer! Have a Shabbat Shalom!

tzara'as (Leprosy)

God instructed all the Jews that if someone has tzara'as - which is defined as leprosy or skin contamination - then he needs to temporarily live away from everyone else.
In order to understand why this was done, it's first important to know exactly what caused someone to be afflicted with tzara'as. This skin aliment appeared on those people who gossiped about someone else. When the Jews lived in Israel during the times we had the Holy Temple, when someone slandered another person, he could be afflicted with this aliment.

HUMILITY AND MOUNT SINAI

(Numbers 1:1-4:20)
The story is told of the great 19th century yeshiva in Europe called Novardok, where the students were known for their great humility. To reach such levels, they would sit for 30 minutes each morning in the study hall, rocking back and forth, chanting the mantra, "I am nothing, I am nothing."
One morning, a new student arrives at the yeshiva, and upon entering the study hall, is surprised to find hundreds of students muttering, "I am nothing." He checks the sign outside the door to make sure he has the right place, and then figures he might as well go in and join them. He finds an empty seat, sits down, and begins rocking back and forth, chanting, "I am nothing, I am nothing." Suddenly the student seated next to him turns and says: "The nerve of you! I was here an entire year before I was nothing!"
* * *
THE HUMBLE HILL
The Midrash says that when God was preparing to give the Torah, all the mountains stepped forward and declared why they thought the Torah should be given on them. "I am the highest mountain," said one. "No," said another, "I am the steepest mountain and therefore the Torah should be given on me."
One by one, they all stated their claims. But in the end, God chose Mount Sinai - not because it was the tallest or the grandest (because it's not, as anyone who's toured the Sinai Desert will attest), but because, says the Midrash, it was the most humble.
What is this notion of "humility" and what does it have to do with Torah?
First, let's clarify what humility is NOT. Humility does not mean a meek reluctance to speak up or be assertive. Humility is not slouching your shoulders and having low self-esteem. The Torah (Numbers 12:3) refers to Moses as "the most humble person who ever lived" -- and yet he aggressively confronts Pharaoh, fights a war against Amalek, and stands up to castigate the Jewish people.
* * *
HUMILITY DEFINED
Humility is to know one's place. In this week's Parsha, the Torah describes the arrangement of the 12 Tribes in the Israelite camp. After a long description of who will travel first, and who will travel last, the Torah says: "And the Jewish people did exactly as they were instructed" (Numbers 1:54).
What's the big deal that everyone camped where they were supposed to? The Midrash explains that when God suggested the arrangement, Moses began to complain, saying, "Now there will be disputes between the tribes." Moses reasoned that once he starts specifying who travels in the East and who travels in the West, who is in front and who is in back, people will start arguing. If the tribe of Yehudah is told to travel in the East, they will say they want to travel in the South, and so forth with each of the tribes.
God tells Moses: Years earlier, at Jacob's funeral, his 12 sons carried the coffin. The way the sons were arranged around the coffin is the same way the tribes will be arranged in the camp today. In this way, everyone is already clear as to his proper place. So don't worry, God tells Moses, because when someone knows their place, there is inevitably peace and calm.
This applies to our relationship with God as well. The higher a person becomes spiritually, the more humble he becomes. As we get closer to God, we become more realistic about our own limitations, vulnerability and mortality. We internalize the reality that every human's position is tenable and only God is eternal.
Moses was called "the most humble" because when he stood before God he knew his place. Anything else precludes room for God to fit in. That's why the Talmud likens arrogance to idol worship; both push away the presence of God.
* * *
NOSE IN THE AIR
In the secular world, the biggest personalities are usually the most arrogant. Picture the scene: A movie star walks into a party -- strutting, cocky, head raised. His mannerisms shout: "I am great and I don't need you or anybody else." The room is silent with awe. Charisma!
Judaism says this is counterfeit charisma.
True humility means living with the reality that nothing matters except doing the right thing. The humble person is not dependent on the opinion of others. Because sometimes doing the right thing is popular (and consistent with one's ego needs), and sometimes it's not. But the humble person can set his ego aside, if need be, in order to consistently do the right thing.
An arrogant person, on the other hand, is not con-cerned about right and wrong -- only about himself and how well things will turn out for him. He can appear to be smooth on the surface, but he's really just manipulating everything around him to suit his self-centered needs.
"Arrogance" = I'm all that counts.
"Humility" = What's greater than me is what counts.
In actuality, it is humility which guarantees charisma! The humble person has the ability to rise above his self-contained narcissistic envelope and embrace those around him. Since he confidently knows his place, he can leave space for others without having an ego crisis. He honors others and helps them find their place, too.
Isn't that true charisma?!
* * *
FORWARD OR BACK?
Humility is the ability to be objective about one's own position vis-a-vis everyone else. If I am in the position to lead, then I should lead. And if not, I should defer. I must know where I stand, and not take undo liberties. If I am in the presence of someone more knowledgeable, I should think twice before speaking. There is nothing more annoying than an accountant standing in a roomful of doctors and pontificating on medical science.
Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshischa (19th century Europe) always carried two slips of paper -- one in the right pocket and one in the left. On one paper was written the Talmudic statement, "The entire world was created just for me" (Sanhedrin 38a). On the other paper was written the words of Abraham, "I am but dust and ashes" (Genesis 18:27). In this way, he was reminded that there are times to step forward, and times to step back.
* * *
MODERN MODEL OF HUMILITY
Take for example Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt"l, the leader of American Jewry for much of the 20th century. In the introduction to Iggress Moshe, his monumental compendium of responsa, Rabbi Feinstein writes: "I would not have volunteered for the job of leading the Jewish people. But since this is the role that God has selected for me, I must accept it willingly."
One day in the study hall, a visitor picked up the pay phone, and the voice on the other end asked to speak with Moshe Feinstein. The visitor then walked into the study hall and began shouting: "Moishy! Phone call for Moishy!" Incredibly, he was using an informal nickname for the great sage! Rabbi Feinstein calmly raised his hand and graciously accepted the phone.
Rabbi Feinstein's sister was once asked, "What makes your brother so special?" She answered: "What makes my brother special is that he never looks at himself as being so special."
* * *
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
So how do we achieve humility? The first thing a Jew does upon awakening in the morning is to say the Modeh Ani prayer: "I acknowledge you, God, for graciously returning my soul for yet another day. Thank you!"
Step One to humility is to put our relationship with God into perspective. We feel the "We," rather than the self-indulgent, negative energy. We emerge more relaxed, calm and flexible. And this in turn trickles down to all our interpersonal relationships: business partnership, marriage, community and nation-building.
Step Two to humility is found in the opening verse of this week's parsha. "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert" (Numbers 1:1). The Sages ask a fundamental question: Why was the Torah given in a desert? Because a desert is empty. What this means is that to acquire Torah -- to receive God's wisdom -- we must first be willing to open up space inside.
The Maharal (16th century Prague) explains that the only way to teach anything is to first get the student to ask a question. Because a question creates a lack and a need -- a space that the answer can then come and fill. But without first a question, there is no room for the answer.
In this time of the Shavuot holiday and reliving the Sinai experience, the message for us is to know our place, make some space, and let the truth of God and His Torah enter deep inside.
Shabbat Shalom,Rabbi Shraga Simmons

THAT YOU MAY BE KNOWN

My Plagues To Your Heart

"... at this time I will send all My plagues to your heart... so that you [will] know that there is none like Me in all the earth. For at any time I [could] have put forth My hand and... struck you and your people with [a] plague and you [would] have been wiped from the earth. And yet, for this [purpose] I have caused you to stand, so as to show you My power, and for the sake of declaring My Name in all the earth...." Sh'mot 9:14-16
Adonai makes Himself known by allowing us to be part of His plans. He makes Himself known by setting His people apart, giving us a platform from which to shine. But He also makes Himself known by raising up and setting apart the wicked—not so they may triumph, but so that He may make an example of them. Adonai causes His enemies to stand "so as to show... [His] power, and for the sake of declaring [His] Name in all the earth."
For all time, the Mitz'riy (Egyptians) stand as an example for those who would presume to oppose the will of G-d. Let us, therefore, receive the warning in earnest and consider how we might fare should our hearts be hardened to the G-d of Yis'rael. For the sons of men, all Adonai has ever wanted was for us to know Him. May we know Him, then, not by His wrath, but by the patience and mercy He constantly displays... even as we constantly seem to forget that He alone is G-d.

P R A Y E R
That You may be known, Adonai, display Your glory and greatness! I praise You, Lord, for there truly is none like You in all the earth. Thank You, Hashem, for holding back Your hand, even though I am constantly taking You for granted. Show me Your ways, Adonai, that I may know You more, and never forget that You are G-d. I bless You, mighty one of Yis'rael, who sets apart the wicked and the righteous for the glory of Your great Name...

Ref. Messianic Devotional

"Until You Have Blessed Me"

Until You Have Blessed Me
"And Ya'akov was left alone, and [a] man wrestled with him until the ascending of the dawn. And [when the man] saw that he was not able to overpower him, he struck the socket of [Ya'akov's] thigh.... And [the man] said, 'Let me [go] away, for the dawn has ascended.' And [Ya'akov] said, 'I [will] not let you [go] away until you have blessed me.' And [the man] said to him, 'What is your name?' And he said, 'Ya'akov.' And [the man] said, 'Your name will no more [be] called Ya'akov, but Yis'rael, for you have persevered with G-d and with men, and have prevailed.' ...And Ya'akov called the name of the place P'nuel, for 'I have seen G-d face to face...'" B'reshiyt (Genesis) 32:24-31
What Ya'akov lacked in judgment, he made up for in tenacity. Though taking advantage of people was Ya'akov's strong suit, on this night—as he wrestled with the man—he was finally unable to get the upper hand. Not one for losing, Ya'akov instead held out all night, ultimately forced to settle for a draw. But was the contest worth the cost?
Though Ya'akov successfully wrestled a blessing out of G-d, it nevertheless left him limping from the mat. Like Ya'akov, we, too, often struggle with G-d, and come away from the match a little beat up. We fight with G-d as if we could win; we hold Him down as if we could force Him to stay. What are we thinking when we go in against G-d?
Too often, we contend with G-d for His blessing, rather than being content to just be with G-d. Like Ya'akov, then, let us hold onto Adonai and refuse to let go—but not just so that we can get the blessing. Instead, rather than fighting Him for what He already wants us to have, let us hold on to Him for dear life while He takes us wherever He wants us to go.

P R A Y E R
Adonai, I praise You, because even when I fight against You, You refuse to let me go. Lead me, Abba, and cause me to no longer resist, but to willfully follow in all Your ways. I bless Your great Name, O G-d, for You do not hold me so gingerly that I cannot feel Your presence. Bruise me, Adonai, if that's what it will take to get my attention.

Taken from Messianic Devotional

messianicdevotional.com

" True Love"

"I've never had such a clear mental image of him. I don't need a photograph, I can see him oh so well," she said.

As I read through this article the L-rd spoke in a still, small voice, not in the thunder but in the all-so small voice. "How beautiful it was that through the years Anne could still see Peter's face as though he was still standing there. Her love for him transended time and space, that is what true love will do. That is what I want from My children, to have such a love for Me that through all the trumoil of life you can see My face so clearly. I have been with you always, yet My children have forgotten what I look like... how I have loved My children through all time and space!"

Oh, that we would return back to our first love, never ever forgetting, even for an instant what our true love, Yeshua, looks like!




AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A photograph of the boy with the "beautiful brown eyes" who Anne Frank recalled as her "one true love" in the diary she wrote whilst in hiding in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands is to go on display in Amsterdam.

The photo of Peter Schiff was donated to the Anne Frank museum by his former childhood friend Ernst Michaelis who realized after rereading Anne's diary recently there were no known pictures of Schiff, a museum spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Frank's Jewish family fled Nazi Germany in 1933 and settled in Amsterdam. During World War Two the Nazis occupied the Netherlands and began deporting Jews to the death camps in 1942, prompting the Frank family to go into hiding.

They lived in a secret annex in a canal-side house for more than two years before their hiding place was betrayed and the family sent to concentration camps.

Anne recorded her years in the attic hideaway in her diaries. A Dutch woman who helped the family found them in the annex after Anne's arrest and gave them to her father Otto who survived the Holocaust. They became famous around the world.

She writes in her diary: "I forgot that I haven't yet told you the story of my one true love."

"Peter was the ideal boy: tall, slim and good-looking, with a serious, quiet and intelligent face," Anne wrote of the 13-year-old she had fallen for in 1940 when she was just 11.

SCHOOL FRIENDS

They would collect each other from school and walk hand in hand through their local neighborhood.

"He had dark hair, beautiful brown eyes, ruddy cheeks and a nicely pointed nose. I was crazy about his smile, which made him look so boyish and mischievous."

Peter later died in Auschwitz, while Anne died in Bergen Belsen concentration camp in 1945.

Michaelis, now 81, had attended a Jewish school with Schiff in Berlin in the 1930s before both families fled the Nazis. When they parted, the boys exchanged photographs.

"He read the diary in the 1950s and thought that Peter Schiff was very likely his friend. But it was only when reading it later that he saw there were no photos and so he contacted us," said a museum spokeswoman.

Anne last saw Peter a few days before she moved into the annexe, but wrote of him in her diary more than 1-1/2 years later after dreaming of him.

"I've never had such a clear mental image of him. I don't need a photograph, I can see him oh so well," she said.

"Forever Faithful"

I was at at blog recently, this wonderful women of the L-rd was talking about forgiveness and how hard it is to forgive people in whom we have issues. How we have to deal with gross injustices on a consistant bases, ones that keep on hurting us over and over without repentance or they have repented maybe not to are liking and so they keep on doing the same thing over and over.

The Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) reminded of a time in my life when he told me to forgive my father for not staying in touch with us.

The story starts when I was 4 years old, my parents were young... very young. My father was in the Navy, my mother and father had three children by the age of 21.
They decided to divorce for what ever reason (young comes to mind), my father stayed on the east coast and she went back to west coast to live with my grandparents. My mother was married 5 times in the coarse of her life and one of those men molested me and my older sister when we were young. I always thought that had I had my father then all these bad things wouldn't of happened to us, we would have been safe, and we wouldn't have had to go through all my mothers disfunctions. Eighteen years later my father wanted to be apart of my life... as for me it was to late to be saved I thought I was doing just fine on my own or was I?... you have to know that this didn't go over real big. I never had any communication with him at all and I didn't want to.

I accepted Yeshua at the age of 14 and then came into a deeper relationship with our Savior at the age of 36 the Ruach HaKodesh(Holy Spirit) started talking very loudly, he wanted me to forgive my father and go and see him which was not in my plans at all. He then proceded to give me dreams and visions, scripture from the word as well as my pastor. The Ruauch HaKodesh told me I could not move to the next level of ministry until I made this right.

One of the dreams he gave me was me in the airport, I was waiting to come home from my fathers house and nothing had change, I had not forgiven him and actually hated him even more than I did before I left.

After getting in contact with my father and setting a time for me to go, I started to pray that the trip would be fruitful and that the enemy would not have this victory.

I had been taught that dreams and visions given by G-d were meant to change things. Well I prayed and pray for the month prior to my leaving, wanting things to be resolve between us... however it wasn't. I came home the same as I went and even worse.

My mother had passed away at the age of 58 just months prior to me going. My father was not repentant and did alot of mother bashing and oh poor me while I was their. I now know it was out of his own hurt for losing his girls. But I really didn't want to hear that at the time. I told him that even though my mom had done some terrible things at least she never abandonded us! It was horrible... I was coming home the same way I had left! I kept saying that if I met him on the street I would never want to know him. I hated him that much, I do relize that hate is a strong word but that is truly the only way to describe it.

The Holy Spirt told me that I needed to start blessing my father, because his word said so. I said NO! We wrestled back and forth for days, then I decided to start blessing him not because I wanted to but out of obediance. Yeshua had died and shed His blood to make it possible. It wasn't two day's later that I found myself truly longing for my earthly father, the one I had hated so much I now was crying on the phone and asking him to let me come back so we could try again, and so I turned right back around and flew back. This time all was different, the walls came down. Yeshua is truly the repairer of the breached!

I can't say it was all roses but we began to dialoge. It has been 10 years since then and I couldn't love my father any more than I do... at least I don't think so.
My father never changed... it was my obediance to the Father of light that changed my heart. G-d asks us to bless those who persecute us; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:14

Blessing my enemies has always turned my heart from stone to a heart of flesh!

How about yours?

"Olivia...A women of G-d"

I was looking at different blogs one day and came across Olivia...She has such a heart for G-d and a wonderful testimony. I would like to invite you to take a look and become part of her world... It will surely inspire you!

http://inspiredbygrace.blogspot.com/

"Lucky"

A picture speaks a thousand words!

Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you
don't and may decide you need one. Mary and her husband Jim had a dog,
Lucky. Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company
come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave
their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck
his fancy. Inevitably someone would forget and something would come up
missing. Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and
there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's favorite toys. Lucky
always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that
his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told
her she was going to die of this disease...she was just sure it was
fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.

The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky.

A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the
three-year-old dog liked Jim he was Mary's dog through and through. If

I die Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I
didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of
her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had
anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took
Lucky for his evening walk faithfully but the dog just drooped, whining and
miserable. But finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital.

When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up
the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and
left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her
when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she
dozed.

When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She
couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. Panic soon gave
way to laughter though when Mary realized the problem. She was covered,
literally blanketed in every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept
the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement and back
bringing his beloved mistress his favorite things in life. He had
covered her with his love. Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and
Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every
night.

It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still
steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his
greatest treasure.

Live everyday to the fullest...because every day is a blessing from
God! He covers you with His treasures and His love!

Hugs,

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

"An Interview with G-d"

"I Get On MY Knees"

I love this song... I have had to be on my knees alot lately. G-d has shown up in the midnight hour(once again). This is for all who have seen me through a very difficut time! Who came to my aid in a desperate time. My prayers of blessing and love go with you wherever you go!

"These Are The Days Of Elijah"

It is time for all of us to go out and bring in the harvest, from your neighborhoods and jobs we all need to go... Make no mistake... "To whom much is given much will be required!"

This is a great video by Paul Wilbur, he was in Israel at the time.




These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the Word of the L-rd

And these are the days of your servant Moses
Righteousness being restored

And though these are days of great trials
Of famine and darkness and sword

Still we are the voice in the desert crying
Prepare ye the way of the L-rd!

Behold He comes! Riding on the clouds!
Shining like the sun! At the trumpet call
Lift your voice! It's the year of Jubilee!
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!

And these are the days of Ezekiel
The dry bones becoming as flesh

And these are the days of your servant David
Rebuilding a temple of praise

And these are the days of the harvest
The fields are as white in the world

And we are the labourers in your vineyard
Declaring the word of the Lord!

Behold He comes! Riding on the clouds!
Shining like the sun! At the trumpet call
Lift your voice! It's the year of Jubilee!
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!

Behold He comes! Riding on the clouds!
Shining like the sun! At the trumpet call
Lift your voice! It's the year of Jubilee!
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!

Behold He comes! Riding on the clouds!
Shining like the sun! At the trumpet call
Lift your voice! It's the year of Jubilee!
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!

And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!

And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!

Who was and who is and who is to come!