A Dream with Interpretation....

The following is a dream a friend recently shared with me along with the interpretation, which I whole-heartedly agree with.  An awesome reminder to hold fast to our convictions and not let the enemy sneak in by appearing "cute" or harmless.

My family and I had just moved into a new house, (this is the "dream" part because we've been trying to move for a while now and we were in a fabulous new home, nothing fancy, just exactly what we're looking for). I woke up the first morning in our new home and started to go down the stairs into the kitchen area when I spotted on the bottom of the stairs what looked like a roach. ( This was very disturbing for me because once we lived in a du-plex that was infested with roaches. I hate them with a passion! Thankfully, we did not live there long. We moved into our first home and much to our delight I think we've found one dead roach in our attic since we've moved here about 10 years ago! So, you can imagine my distraught in the dream, thinking I've just moved from a place with virtually no roaches to the house of our dreams WITH Roaches!) As I got closer what looked like a roach started to look more like a huge, brown scorpion! I was the only one up and knew I had to do something about it right away, so started looking for something to kill it with. A few moments later my hubby joined me downstairs and took over the mission. As we ran around looking for something strong enough to hit it with, it started running toward the area we were standing, which caused us to quickly move out of that area (LOL), that's when I noticed ANOTHER ONE! Both my hubby and I started smacking the floor tying to kill these things as they scurried around us (gives me the hibby-gibbies just thinking about it). I guess what we were using wasn't strong enough because we would hit them and break parts of them but they were still alive and moving. Then the weirdest thing happened, as parts of them began to be destroyed the scorpions started to appear differently. They started to appear cute, like little white puppies starring up at us wondering why we were trying to kill them! Now it had become impossible to kill them, they were too cute. Even though we couldn't understand what had happened we gave up trying to kill them and decided they could stay. This is where this part of the dream ended. Now on to the interpretation...



I believe Father was showing me the enemy in the form of the scorpion, always lurking about ready to attack. We HAVE to remember he can change into any form he wants and most of the time he won't come as an ugly scorpion, that would be too obvious. He comes as an angel of light or a cute puppy! Decieving you with the warm fuzzy feelings so he can stick around and poison us! Our eyes, ears, hearts, feelings can easily decieve us!! But, Father sees them for the evil that they are. We must SEE through HIS eyes! TEST EVERYTHING in our lives according to HIM, His Word!!!



After he showed me this, the first thought that came to my head was Christmas. Everyone sees it as this sweet, innocent, little holiday. I mean what can be as innocent as celebrating the birth of our Messiah, right? As I thought of this I felt Father's utter disgust! The feeling literally makes me nauseous. Things we see as harmless, innocent, He sees as vile, filth! Worthless excrement that needs to be puked out of our life!



Christmas came to me at first, but it's not just Christmas that the enemy uses! He can use anything and everything he wants. ALL of us, need to step back and take a REAL look at the things we are allowing into our lives!! Pray that we will have Father's eyes to SEE it for what it really is. Is is acceptable to Him or unacceptable? His Word is our plumbline our tester of all things!

When I first read it, the first thing that came to my mind was TV.  We have a TV, and every now and then we get Cable....and then we are again convicted about the Cable and get it disconnected, yet a year or so later we get it again! SIGH, the last time we got cable we only kept it for 2 months...I think we've learned this lesson...lol  And even just this past week with the Nintendo Wii's on major sale, I caught myself thinking "oh that would be fun!!"  Sure it would but then we'd have to deal with addiction issues to the games!  It's a distraction from the things of Yah!  And then there's the Mary Higgins Clark book I read a few weeks ago...totally did NOT point me in the direction of my Creator and totally made me neglect my household chores as I couldn't put it down...sigh  Another seemingly harmless thing that distracted me...this dream applies to so many areas of our lives.  It reminds me to stay grounded in the Word and as I keep the Word in my mind and heart, the things of the enemy will NOT appear "cute" and harmless!!  May YHVH continue to increase my discernment in these last days.

A Guest Blog!

 I share the same thoughts about Christmas as my friend Leslie and would like to share them with you as well.  Shalom.

You can click on the title to go directly to her blog. 

WHY I DO NOT CELEBRATE christmas

December 14th, 2010

MY REASONS:
Two things I’ve learned this year about Christmas:
1. It is nowhere in Scriptures and in no way accurately depicts the birth of the Messiah. In fact, there is a feast that does reflect the birth of Yeshua.
2. Not only is it not Scriptural, it is actually a pagan holiday- from the date to the tree, to the gift-giving and the wreath.
Now there are a few things I know about YHVH, our Elohim:
1. He is a jealous God.

“For the LORD your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24 (see also Exodus 34:14)

2. He wants me to worship Him in spirit & in truth.

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

3. He does not want me worshiping other gods- so much so that He gave it to Moses as the very first commandment.

“And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’ ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’” Exodus 20:1 (see also Deut. 5:6-7)

4. Nor does He want me to worship Him how others worship their gods. Those practices are detestable to Him.

“Take heed that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? –that I also may do likewise.’ You shall not do so to the LORD your God; for every abominable thing which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. “Everything that I command you you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to it or take from it.” Deuteronomy 12:30-32

“Thus says the LORD: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are false. A tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. Men deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” There is none like thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.” Jeremiah 10:2-6

MY FEELINGS:
Often times when I feel convicted about something, I only share the conviction but not the feelings that accompany it. I’m afraid this may cause me to seem like a stoic, heartless believer. And that just isn’t the case. My heart is no different than anyone else’s―it longs, it aches, it breaks. So, if you have the impression that I have no reverence for memories or tradition, or that I all too quickly toss aside anything that has the smallest hint of impurity in it or that I believe myself to be above it, please know that it is far from the truth. I must get down on my knees DAILY and repent. YHVH (Lord), our Elohim (our God) has much work to do with me still. Just so we’re all clear. This isn’t about being perfect, it is about following direction.
Some of my favorite memories from my childhood involved things like easter egg hunts and putting cookies out for Santa. And I was happily set out to make the same kind of memories with my own children. Now, I know some of you never included those activities in your religious celebrations, but we did not know any better. I first read the Bible as an adult, and for all I was aware as a child, God and Santa were good friends. That sounds a bit absurd, but honestly the thought never crossed my mind what the Lord, YHVH, wanted me to do. I just pursued what I wanted, and as I matured, what I “thought” was best.
As I grew in my faith, I knew what was bad, and I avoided those activities. I did not kill anyone; I felt guilty when I lied; I tried not to steal. I understood the blacks and the whites. And I thought Jesus just encompassed all the grey with his love. I believed (I think because I was taught) that all those grey areas, the iffy subjects, did not matter because I was a believer. Because I loved him, I would always be washed white— no matter how many stains I willingly got on my shirt. As long as my heart and mind were on Yeshua (Jesus), I did not think whatever worldly occasions I embraced really mattered. I did not know this, however:

“The inclination of the human heart is evil from youth.” ~Genesis 8:21
“Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences.” ~Proverbs 4:23
“All a person’s ways are right in his own view, but YHVH weighs the heart.”  ~Proverbs 21:2

Please hear me correctly: I certainly believe Yeshua ha’Moschiach came to redeem us from our sins so that would could be washed clean. But he will come again to gather his sheep, and who are his sheep? Those who listen to his voice and obey his commands. So, if there is something the Almighty commands us not to do, wouldn’t you want to know?
I did not come lightly to the realization that I needed to change a few things- that some things to which I’d grown accustomed, YHVH, in fact, detested. I am admittedly a bit sad this year, for the changing of traditions, for the fact it saddens others around me. Oh, how I wish we had not inherited futile, useless customs! I am trying my best to follow YHVH’s leading on this and pray for His guidance as each situation arises. There is a time for everything. There will be a time to speak and a time to be quiet, a time to participate and a time to stay away. And there will be a time to celebrate! YHVH gives us wonderful Feast days, all His appointed times, His prophetic messages. HalleluYAH!
May YHVH light your way as you walk the narrow path.
_________________________________
I leave you with a conversation I had the other day with my oldest son, who is 11:
Me : “I have to admit, honey, I am gonna miss Christmas a little.”
Son: “Don’t worry, Mama, as we celebrate the feasts more & more they will become fun traditions too.”


Filed under: "holy"days? Comments (7) Article tags: bible, Christmas, commandments, holiday, paganism, YHVH

A Guest Post!

 I share the same thoughts about Christmas as my friend Leslie and would like to share them with you as well.  Shalom.

You can click on the title to go directly to her blog. 

WHY I DO NOT CELEBRATE christmas

December 14th, 2010

MY REASONS:

Two things I’ve learned this year about Christmas:

1. It is nowhere in Scriptures and in no way accurately depicts the birth of the Messiah. In fact, there is a feast that does reflect the birth of Yeshua.

2. Not only is it not Scriptural, it is actually a pagan holiday- from the date to the tree, to the gift-giving and the wreath.

Now there are a few things I know about YHVH, our Elohim:

1. He is a jealous God.

“For the LORD your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24 (see also Exodus 34:14)

2. He wants me to worship Him in spirit & in truth.

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the
true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such
the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship
him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

3. He does not want me worshiping other gods- so much so that He gave it to Moses as the very first commandment.

“And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the
LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage.’ ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’” Exodus 20:1 (see also Deut. 5:6-7)

4. Nor does He want me to worship Him how others worship their gods. Those practices are detestable to Him.

“Take heed that you be not ensnared to follow
them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not
inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their
gods? –that I also may do likewise.’ You shall not do so to the LORD
your God; for every abominable thing which the LORD hates they have
done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters
in the fire to their gods. “Everything that I command you you shall be
careful to do; you shall not add to it or take from it.” Deuteronomy 12:30-32

“Thus says the LORD: “Learn not the way of the
nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the
nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are
false. A tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an axe by
the hands of a craftsman. Men deck it with silver and gold; they fasten
it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like
scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be
carried, for they cannot walk. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot
do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” There is none like thee, O
LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.” Jeremiah 10:2-6

MY FEELINGS:

Often times when I feel convicted about something, I only share the
conviction but not the feelings that accompany it. I’m afraid this may
cause me to seem like a stoic, heartless believer. And that just isn’t
the case. My heart is no different than anyone else’s―it longs, it
aches, it breaks. So, if you have the impression that I have no
reverence for memories or tradition, or that I all too quickly toss
aside anything that has the smallest hint of impurity in it or that I
believe myself to be above it, please know that it is far from the
truth. I must get down on my knees DAILY and repent. YHVH
(Lord), our Elohim (our God) has much work to do with me still. Just so
we’re all clear. This isn’t about being perfect, it is about following
direction.

Some of my favorite memories from my childhood involved things like
easter egg hunts and putting cookies out for Santa. And I was happily
set out to make the same kind of memories with my own children. Now, I
know some of you never included those activities in your religious
celebrations, but we did not know any better. I first read the Bible as
an adult, and for all I was aware as a child, God and Santa were good
friends. That sounds a bit absurd, but honestly the thought never
crossed my mind what the Lord, YHVH, wanted me to do. I just pursued
what I wanted, and as I matured, what I “thought” was best.

As I grew in my faith, I knew what was bad, and I avoided
those activities. I did not kill anyone; I felt guilty when I lied; I
tried not to steal. I understood the blacks and the whites. And I
thought Jesus just encompassed all the grey with his love. I believed (I
think because I was taught) that all those grey areas, the iffy
subjects, did not matter because I was a believer. Because I loved him, I
would always be washed white— no matter how many stains I willingly got
on my shirt. As long as my heart and mind were on Yeshua (Jesus), I did
not think whatever worldly occasions I embraced really mattered. I did
not know this, however:

“The inclination of the human heart is evil from youth.” ~Genesis 8:21

“Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences.” ~Proverbs 4:23

“All a person’s ways are right in his own view, but YHVH weighs the heart.”  ~Proverbs 21:2

Please hear me correctly: I certainly believe Yeshua
ha’Moschiach came to redeem us from our sins so that would could be
washed clean. But he will come again to gather his sheep, and who are
his sheep? Those who listen to his voice and obey his commands. So, if there is something the Almighty commands us not to do, wouldn’t you want to know?

I did not come lightly to the realization that I needed to change a
few things- that some things to which I’d grown accustomed, YHVH, in
fact, detested. I am admittedly a bit sad this year, for the changing of
traditions, for the fact it saddens others around me. Oh, how I wish we
had not inherited futile, useless customs! I am trying my best to
follow YHVH’s leading on this and pray for His guidance as each
situation arises. There is a time for everything. There will be a time
to speak and a time to be quiet, a time to participate and a time to
stay away. And there will be a time to celebrate! YHVH gives us
wonderful Feast days, all His appointed times, His prophetic messages.
HalleluYAH!

May YHVH light your way as you walk the narrow path.

_________________________________

I leave you with a conversation I had the other day with my oldest son, who is 11:

Me : “I have to admit, honey, I am gonna miss Christmas a little.”

Son: “Don’t worry, Mama, as we celebrate the feasts more & more they will become fun traditions too.”



Filed under: "holy"days? Comments (7)
Article tags: bible, Christmas, commandments, holiday, paganism, YHVH

Thankfulness...

The World is Mine

The World Is Mine

Today, upon a bus I saw

A lovely maid with golden hair;

I envied her_ she seemed so gay_

And, oh, I wished i were so fair.

When suddenly she rose to leave,

I saw her hobble down the aisle;

She had one foot, and wore a crutch_

But as she passed, she had a smile!



Oh, God, forgive me when I wine;

I have two feet! The world is mine!



And when I stopped to buy some sweets,

The lad who served me had such charm;

He seemed to radiate good cheer;

His manner was so kind and warm.

I said, "It's so nice to deal with you.

Such courtesy I seldom find."

He turned and said, "Oh thank you, sir!"

And then I saw that he was blind!



Oh, God, forgive me when I wine;

I have two eyes! The world is mine!



Then walking down the street I saw

A little boy with eyes of blue.

He stood and watched as others played;

It seemed he knew not what to do.

I stopped a moment; then said,

"Why don't you join the others, dear?"

He looked ahead without a word,

And then I knew he could not hear!



Oh, God, forgive me when I wine;

I have two ears! The world is mine!



With feet to take me where I'd go_

With eyes to see the sunset glow_

With ears to hear what I should know_



Oh, God, forgive me when I wine;

I'm blessed indeed! The world is mine!



- Author Unknown

Birth-day of the Messiah!

So simple, yet if you are not looking you would never find it! Sounds like YHVH to me!! 

Mt 13:10-17¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

 ¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:
   “Though seeing, they do not see;
   though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
   ¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
   “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
   you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
   they hardly hear with their ears,
   and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
   hear with their ears,
   understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]
   16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."











Now while birthdays are pagan in origin, please remember that this is a Christian pastor teaching, so perhaps many pagan practices haven't been revealed to him yet.  I hope you enjoyed this little lesson on how we know for sure the time of year Yahshua was born! Let me know what you think!

Modesty

Modesty is something that is important to me.  It didn't used to be such a big issue but the more I get to know the heart of my Creator, the more it matters to me.  He gave guidelines to follow, did you know that?

Hanukkah....

Yes, I used to have a Happy Hanukkah post here...however, I was not at peace with it.  Not with the post, the post was fine, I was not at peace with Hanukkah!  Here I am, trying to get rid of man-made traditions in my life and I accept this one.  How silly was that?  Once I talked to Jamie and we agreed that it was NOT one of YHWH's commanded Feasts and therefore just another man-made holiday, we decided much to my relief, that we would bypass it this year.  It simply felt too hypocritical for us to embrace it, while turning up our nose at all other man-made holidays.  I'm not saying that it is a pagan holiday.  I'm not saying that YHWH will strike you down if you DO celebrate it or Christmas.  But for us, He is leading us away from anything with pagan roots (Christmas) as well as anything that is not commanded by Him to celebrate(Hanukkah).  Yes, that means birthdays will not be celebrated either...but we WILL enjoy giving gifts to our children at random and in complete surprise!  This way there will never be any expectation, but only joy and thankfulness when they get them! lol

So instead of celebrating anything, we are simply going to enjoy our time together as a family and do the things we always say we'll do but never find time to do!  Lots of games, toboganning, perhaps even ice skating, go to the Royal Tyrell Museum with our Creation Guide.  Yes, we'll have a vacation at home!  We'll likely be the most relaxed family in Alberta without the stresses of Christmas shopping etc!! lol

I hope this first cold month of the year finds your hearts and homes warm.
Shalom!

A Challenge...