I am remembering why I started this blog. I wanted to communicate through the written word the spiritual journey of my faith in Yeshua. Growing up in the church, being a Pastor's kid, I had a front row seat to the political agenda's that simmered beneath religion's structure. Hear me out. My experience in the church growing up was not what I would call bad. It is what I would call typical. No church or body of believers is without it's flaws. But to be honest it is the very problems within the church that have driven me to understand that Yahweh has so much more for us if we would pause, remove ourselves from what we have been taught, and dive into the word and into Yahweh as if we had known nothing of him previously.
This is why I started this blog. I want to learn and experience the God of the Bible for myself and share that journey with you. Whether you start your own journey or just read through mine doesn't matter. Something will happen deep within you. If I have learned anything this far, it is this: The Creator of heaven and earth is so big in me that no one can come in contact with me and not be changed. I am not perfect, but he is and he lives in me and YOU are about to go through some profound transformations because you read a blog by someone who is on a very serious quest to be friends with the Living and Eternal Yahweh, the One who Loves us the most.
I am learning two things right now, which I believe are intricately woven into a fabric where you cannot separate the two.
Being and resting.
What do these thigns mean? How do we apply them? How far do we take it? Here are my thoughts.
At first when I think of being I see someone in meditation ALL DAY LONG. lol Then I think about it a bit more. We are human beings. I have heard the phrase We are human beings, not human doings. And while I think there is a bit of truth to that, it certainly isn't the whole truth. Think about who you are. What gives you joy, peace, fulfillment, satisfaction? Living in a state of being, from my perspective, isn't running around doing things you should, but doing things you LOVE. To be is to do what you have been created to do and have time for the direction of Ruach. ( if you are concerned of my term "ruach" go look up the hebrew for spirit in gen 1:2) When everyone is who they are created to be, everyone is taken care of.
Rest. This is a big one for me. One of the biggest things my parents told me growing up is if I was going into ministry that rest was one of the most important assets to my faith and to my family. And to remember that rest didn't mean sleep. Rest doesn't mean a movie marathon either. Some definitions of rest are: To be free from disturbance or agitation, a state of reconciliation to God, and to cease form labor, work, or performance. You know what? If you read through the new testament, those definitions sound like a gathering of believers.
In most spiritual religions rest and being play a major role in reaching the goal of that particular faith. IF (if, if, if) Yahweh created everything and all other religions are just copies, then how did I miss this important aspect of my faith? There are many disciplines of our faith that I have found virtually unknown in the church today. Sabbath (for real), Fasting, Meditation, Solitude, Silence, Communion, Listening Prayer, Study, Worship(not the musical kind), Servant-hood, and Fellowship. I can think of 11. I know most churches actively practice, teach, support, and encourage 3. Yes, I know this is blanket statement. yes, I know churches and groups practicing more than the 11 disciplines I listed. This is not a slam. This is a challenge. How come we aren't taught about these things? How come my generation has no idea about the power of the Living God? I am crying out to understand why I am just now making the transition from following a religious institution to walking a spiritual journey?
Because we all live on the fringe. Because it is safer there. People don't die from lying about how much money they donated. People aren't swallowed up by the earth when they steal.
but you know what? We aren't confused with our angels. We don't see arms growing out where they weren't before. We don't see provision for taxes through a fish. We don't see people get set free from self-hatred. We don't see a Living and Active Creator that loves us desperately and longs for our friendship.
In Mark 16: 17-18 it says, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
I have to ask myself a serious question right now. Are these signs following me? If not, then how far out on that fringe am I living? And I have decided that I am far TOO BORED living on the fringe. Nothing exciting happens there. I go to work, I come home, I attend church and nothing changes. This isn't enough.
It is not enough for me or my generation.
This is why I write this blog. I have turned my face from the fringe and my eyes are searching for Yahweh's. My head and my heart are turned for the things of heaven. Whether or not I think I can do it, I am begging to be equipped to go into the dark places. Because that is where the exciting things happen. And you know what? People die there. I would rather die doing something exciting then live an entire life being bored.
So here it is, the long and short of it all. I rest and be. In resting and being I find out who I was created to be. In being that person I am a light that shines in dark places. When the Light collides with the darkness, the darkness cannot overwhelm it. And oh the signs and wonders that will make us all sigh and wonder.
and by the way, those who don't live on the fringe experience things like: seeing limbs grow out where they were not before, seeing miraculous financial provision, raise the dead, watch the restoration and reconciliation of family relationships, watch chronic illness and mental disorders melt away, visit heaven, and other fun strange stuff that might freak you out. The reason I know this is because I have done some of these myself and my friends are seeing the things I have yet to see. I do not seek these things for the sake of fun but for the sake of Love. Safe and boring or scary and fun. You can decide, but I am heading in for the scary and fun.
See you there?
