It's the Fruit Stupid

 

First off, please don't be offended by the title.  It's a take off of "it's the economy Stupid". In politics,  the economy is used to evaluate the health of a country. In a relationship with Yahusha, in this Christian walk, Following the Way, your fruit is how you evaluate your spiritual health. 

 A simple google search gives this result: "fruits of the Spirit" are a list of nine qualities or virtues that the Bible says are produced in believers' lives by the Holy Spirit. These fruits, as described in Galatians 5:22-23, are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

We can go deeper, I Corinthians 13:1-13 gives us a detailed definition of Biblical love. The Psalms are a treasure trove of wisdom concerning peace, joy, and faithfulness. The Proverbs guide us through patience, self control and many other virtues.  You can find counsel concerning good fruit throughout the canonized books and the extra biblical books. 

Knowledge of the Fruit of the Spirit and operating in these virtues are two different things. These are Fruits of the Spirit. These virtues are a result of abiding in the Holy Spirit. Allowing the Ruach (Spirit) to change you, grow you, chastise you, and heal you, will bring about this good fruit. 

Have you ever interacted with a person and then were surprised to learn they claim to be a Christian? Why do you suppose their faith wasn't apparent? Could it be that you didn't see the good fruit? Perhaps you noticed some rotten fruit? I hear people quote Scriptures all the time and turn right around and act unkind. I've been using those moments to self evaluate: I don't want to see that rotten fruit in myself.  

Take a good look at your fruit! Others are. Your good fruit can be a witness to others. Your bad fruit will also witness, just not in a way that blesses. 

A work in progress 

Teresa

A Little Jesus

 

A few weeks ago at work a little girl gave each staff member a little Jesus figure for their operatory. "This is her ministry" reports her mom beaming with pride. It was very sweet.  The office was buzzing with chatter about the little Jesuses ( is that plural for Jesus?) for days. Since then little Jesuses were ordered for our office toy chest. You get a prize if you're a good helper,  and now a little Jesus can be yours.  

When the Jesus figures first showed up, I had a few thoughts that always occur to me when looking at a Jesus painting, how does this fit with Exodus 20:4  “You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under heaven"? If we're not worshipping the image are we still in violation by just having it? Did Christianity ever have a taboo on images of heavenly things? Seems like history shows us art has tried to reflect heavenly things throughout the ages.  

When we received our shipment of Jesus figures, it was commented that they were all a little different...hmmmm funny it seems that in reality everyone has a little different perspective of Jesus, Jesus can be as varied as the number of people who worship Him.  One lady jokingly said she wanted a different Jesus...hmmm you get the Jesus you get and you don't throw a fit. Lol 

I suspect the little Jesus figures will give us some interesting moments as time goes by.  We have a very diverse clientele. Some will love the Jesuses, some will hate them, some will ignore them,  and some will have no idea. 

Here is my disclaimer for any Torah Terrorists or Doctrine Dictators out there: it's not my office,  I only work there.  I have little control over the decorations, and we are always seasonally decorated. When you work in the world, be in it and not of it.  

A work in progress 

Teresa

For The Long Haul

 

I have known Yahusha/Jesus and His Father since I was a little girl. I never hesitated, never doubted, even those years when I went my own way,  I always knew He was there.  I was aware that I put Him on the back burner, not the other way around.  I believed His promise that He'd never leave nor forsake me. 

I've been Torah pursuant for over 25 years.  I asked for truth and Yah has been faithful to deliver.  Digesting the fact that I had inherited empty traditions, half truths and lies was (and still is) a bitter pill to swallow.  Sorting thru what I thought I knew, keeping what has proven to be true and discarding falsehoods, pouring over Scriptures,  and dictionaries to get to the real deal is exhausting and rewarding.  Yah has been 100% faithful to show me. He carries me along regardless of how slowly I move. 

This brings me to what I really want to mull over. There is a younger lady I have "followed" on social media who made a statement lately about her faith walk. She was raised in what has been called "The Hebrew Roots Movement". I have identified with this movement over the years.  It seems to explain how Yah has revealed His Torah to a whole group of people.  The young lady expressed that a desire to return to the roots of her faith led to spiritual exhaustion. The many debates on calendars, names, days and doctrines were overwhelming.  Oh boy do I get that.  I've heard so much about the calendar debate that I kinda glaze over when the topic comes up and can only hear bla bla bla. 

Connecting with other Christians on social media is a challenge.  No one. I mean NO ONE seems to be on the same page.  Each has their own pet doctrine to push, and frequently forget to act Christlike. They forget that we're known by our love. Torah Terrorists and Doctrine Dictators will berate you, and make you feel like running away from it all.  Just remember,  they are not Yah. He is still faithful to bring you along.  If He wants me to know which is the right calendar,  He will show me.  If He wants me to say His name a particular way only,  He will show me.  If I am wrong about a certain doctrine He will show me,  He always has,  He always will. I am exactly where I am supposed to be in my spiritual walk. 

I'm kind of a loner, so I don't fall prey to the peer  pressure of my fellow believers to accept their pet doctrine.  If it's legit, Yah will lead me there.  At the Feast of Sukkot, we have believers of all sorts: hair covered, not covered, dresses only, anything as long as it's modest, beards, no beards, homeschool, not homeschool ect. And we don't all agree on every point of doctrine, calendar,  nor pronunciation. I hadn't noticed any tension or pressure for everyone to be just alike.  We kindly listen to each other and prayerfully consider what was said.  Perhaps we are a unique group. I know I'm thankful.  With this group love is stressed. How we treat each other is way more important.

If I'm feeling overwhelmed, or pressured, it's because my focus is off. I'm in this walk for the long haul. No Torah Terrorist, Doctrine Dictators, or anyone else can trip me up or make me doubt. He's in it for the long haul too. There's plenty I don't know or understand, but Yah is faithful and will show me what I need and guide me to walking in His ways. 

Dear Sukkot Family,  thank you for your love and acceptance.  

A work in progress 

Teresa

Holiness over Happiness

 

Years ago someone wise said to me, in my hour of need, "God is interested in your holiness, not your happiness." Hmmmmmm, I wasn't sure what to make of that at first. What kind of wisdom is that?  I was pretty unhappy, miserable even, perhaps a bit depressed. Happiness was my dream. What do you mean? I want to be happy!!! What is holiness? Being perfect?  HA! I pictured a hyper modestly dressed lady, immaculately clean home, willingly obedient children, always sweet, kind, and orderly, knelt in prayer, hymns, doves, halo, radiant glow...what does that even mean, holy? I am millions of miles away from that! Holiness!?!?!!?!! Ugh!!!

I was indeed desperate, depressed, abused, at the bottom, broken, alone, afraid, and acutely aware of my sins. I knew my life was the consequences of my choices. All I knew to do was read my Bible and pray. Psalms, yes Psalms, anything accredited to David, the one after Yah's own heart. David knows what I'm going thru, his situation was way worse, and he stayed his heart upon the promises of Yah. David loved Yah, he didn't let his sin keep him separated from Yah. David repented, accepted his consequences, and embraced his chastisement as a son of The Most High, which gave him the title: a man after Yah's own heart(1 Samuel 13:14).  

Holiness is... get this:  Being set apart from the world, special to Yah. And Yah teaches us His perfect behavior as described in the instructions for living given to us in the first five books of the modern Western Biblical canon, aka, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy(Torah). Again...what? As a Christian, I wasn't taught about holiness, really. All I got from that was "Holiness was given to me thru Jesus. He, Jesus, was obedient to God to death and He gives me His holiness when I accept Him as Savior." Huh? It makes much more sense to me when it was explained that holiness was living my life following Yah's instructions for living. How to love Him, how to love others, how to treat the earth and all living creatures. Now that satisfies my understanding. Doing things His way, not the world's way. And I've since come to see that all the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation ( and perhaps some others) are instructions for living. 

Now the best part. When you chase after happiness, you will always be chasing. Nothing ever satisfies for long. Fleshly pleasures are temporary. But, if you seek holiness, joy everlasting will overcome you. The depths of love, comfort, peace, hope, satisfaction, and overwhelming joy are unimaginable and promised to us. Our lifetimes need to be spent in the pursuit of Holiness. 

Trials in life? Trials are designed to take you to the next level of holiness. My most recent favorite quote is from Jim Stanley of Passion for Truth Ministries. He said: the trials you hate are the proving ground for your (Spiritual) promotion. OMG! Nail on the head! How will we act thru trials? Will we walk out the behaviors of Yah? Do we have the Holy Spirit with us to help us? Are we listening to the guidance of the Spirit? Again the Psalms of David to encourage us. 

The truth is Yah is more interested in our holiness than our happiness, and that's a good thing. 

A work in progress 

Teresa

Shifting Sand

 

I don't think I understood what Yahusha meant when he spoke of shifting sand till I stood on the beach ankle deep in the water at Galveston Island. (Matthew 7:24-27) As the waves came in and out the sand beneath my feet washed away. I live in Oklahoma,  you just don't get the same washing away of the sand at a lake beach. 

That feeling of sand washing away beneath my feet is a perfect description of how I have felt as Yah is  opening my eyes to all the inaccurate teachings I have received.  The holidays based in paganism, the mixed traditions, how Bible canons came to be, why some books are considered Scriptures and others not, and why politics sometimes determined the canon, and it goes on. There were moments I wondered if anything I had been taught was true. That's where you find your secure foundation: Yahusha,  him crucified and resurrected.  Everything else was viewed with new eyes, weighed and either kept or discarded. 

That sand washing away beneath my feet feeling has been reoccurring, only this time I'm learning the truth about my country. We haven't always been the good guys, as a matter of fact, we've been the bad guys.  The USA is the biggest user and purveyor of child sex trafficking,  drugs, and pornography. Our government has played both sides in most conflicts around the world,  because of our involvement more civilians die, and they are considered acceptable collateral damage.  The truth is very dark, and has been hidden quite well. But once again,  my feet must stay firmly planted on the Rock, Yahusha my Redeemer, him crucified and resurrected, that doesn't change.  

During the first Trump presidency I began to pray that all the corruption be revealed. And slowly it has. It's ugly to see, but we must in order to correct it. In the revealing, we can also see who and not just what. Lines are more clear between good and evil. Choosing good and turning this counrty around is not going to be easy, and that's why few will do the work and many will complain.  Yet, here's the hard truth. This country must confess and repent, turn from our wicked ways that our land may be healed. Will our leader speak for us? Will he confess and repent to the Creator and the world on our behalf? Yah is faithful,  seems to me if Mr. Trump would humble himself and our country in this manner, Yah would begin healing this country. 

Just my two cents, 

Still a work in progress 

Teresa

Susan, a Trans Person

 

Forty years ago I met a trans person. This was a man living as a woman. I was 20 years old and very naive. I was asked to house sit/baby sit for a husband- wife truck driving team. The husband was bringing the semi truck back to Oklahoma from a trip to Canada where he had been training a person to drive big trucks. This driver-in-training would be staying at the house with me and the children while mom and dad made a haul to Texas. 

I might have been told that the driver-in-training was a woman, I don't remember.  But I don't recall being concerned about this stranger. So mom and dad pull out for their Texas haul, leaving me with this person. By all appearances,  this person seemed like a woman. I'll call her Susan, I don't remember the actual name. Not very pretty, horrible pock marked facial skin, (things I noticed as a judgemental 20 year old), but she was nice.  We had a lot of time to talk and get to know each other.  I remember getting this "guy" vibe from her. Kinda flirty, very attentive, masculine. Boy was I confused.  At first I thought maybe this lady was a lesbian. I had never met a lesbian, but I was trying to excuse the strange vibe I was getting.  

One day we went to the track together to run a few miles.  That's when Susan took off the oversized shirt she always wore and ran ahead of me.  At that moment I saw the reality about Susan. She had a perfect male form. Wide shoulders, narrow hips, Susan didn't move like a woman, now I'm really confused. Trans people were a rarity back then. You might see one on a sensational TV program, but not in real life in central Oklahoma.  My demeanor must have changed because Susan addressed the elephant in the room that evening back at the house. I learned that Susan was a man who was married to a woman back in Canada.  He had not had any surgery yet, but was taking hormones and had some sort of hair removal proceedure. Susan just wanted to blend into society. He wanted to not draw attention to himself, just to be able to walk through life accepted as the persona he was putting out there. Frankly I think he could for the most part. He could go to a ladies room and not be noticed. This person was not demanding others say or do anything.  

Funny, the mom in the trucker duo was jealous of Susan. She demanded she go along on the trip back to Canada to return Susan to his home. I bet she figured it out during that long trip. Susan is still to this day my understanding of a legit trans person. All of the in your face demands of pronouns and bathroom rights seems to me to be something else. Attention seeking, me, me, me, screaming fits...pretty counterproductive in my opinion, but fitting in and blending onto society is not the goal with the current population of trans people.  I have wondered from time to time throughout the years about Susan. Did he get surgery? How did his wife deal with it? But I also prayed Susan be healed of what was driving him to live as a woman, and be redeemed to His creator. 

I realize this post may anger some, I'm just sharing my experience.  So please forgive me if you are offended.  That's not my goal. Just trying to figure it out just like everyone else. 

A work in progress 

Teresa

Atta Girl

 

Don't you just love those pats on the back? The little affirmations that confirm to you that you are exactly where you're supposed to be, doing what you're supposed to be doing. These things are so encouraging.  Especially since the enemy can be actively discouraging. 

I do love those moments when Yah gives me a sign that I'm on the right path, like the lady approaching me at Walmart to expess her pleasue to my boldness on social media, my son and his wife telling me they are doing their best to eat clean, my granddaughter singing praises to Yah from the backseat of the car, and so many more. But the key is to be secure in your walk when there are no affirmations, when times are difficult.  Makes me think of Job when his friends were talking to him. They were convinced Job had brought judgements against himself, the tragedies he was experiencing were proof of that. Job knew, however,  that he was living out the instructions of Yah. He was living righteously.  The tragedies were not brought on because he earned them, life has tragedies. Tragedies test us. Job was to hold fast to Yah through them.  Unfortunately Job lost sight of that and questioned Yah. This had to be such a dark place for Job. Yet Yah is faithful and restored him. 

Deuteronomy 12:1-3 directly tells us Yah will test us, test our love for Him. And how do we show we love Him? Deuteronomy 11:1, 1 John 5:3, John 14:15, and many more tell us that obedience to Yah's instructions is how we show our love for Him. His Word is a lamp unto our feet, lighting the way. Even when it seems like there is darkness all around, you have His light. Do not venture to the left or the right, follow the light, even if you're the only one.  

Job's story is an extreme example.  Most of us won't experience testing to that degree, yet we will be tested. But, if like Job, we are careful to carry out the instructions for living our loving Father gave us, then we know we're in right standing with Yah, guided by His Holy Spirit, and Yahusha is faithful to intercede for us when we fall short. Press ahead, run the race, eye on the prize...atta girl, you got this! 

A work in progress 

Teresa