Seven years ago, our family began observing what we call Teshuah. I liked the seven letter word because it filled out my chalkboard calendar nicely. The third week in February, both in 2014 and in 2016, we were delivered out of very difficult situations. The first was a mortgage we couldn't pay for a house we couldn't afford to fix according to HOA standards and a commute we couldn't sustain. We now acknowledge that our difficulties stemmed from idolatry, coveting, and lack of discipline/wisdom.
The second, a little house so full of mold that I had not been able to fully breathe in the two years we lived there, ending with a rat in the crawlspace which was only evacuated by a hot water leak that steamed up through a vent straight to the attic, condensing all that water over our belongings, which then molded. Masked, I threw out a massive portion of our baby things, crying and wondering what we should do.
He provided. That's what. He moved us to the cape cod on Dellrose, entering into the most massively fruitful season I had ever experienced. He broke then trained me, initiated me into His Kingdom by His own invitation, "reaching me" the Bread.
Both times, we were in poverty and struggled with contentment. After the second time, our attention was captured by the Deliverer. Ever since, we have regarded that week with gratitude to the Lord for His deliverance from our personal "mitsrayim". Some of the things we do include reducing our grocery budget to its 2014 amount, fasting from coffee and the gym--both things we could not have afforded then--and I also threw out my leaven as a nod to the Passover. I did not want to culturally appropriate, not understanding Hebrew culture.
This year was our seventh Teshuah. Again, The Lord proved faithful and generous to us. We had leftover food after our week. I have 5 children, not two. Inflation is wild. And with only $70 (plus the milk we already had from the herd share), the abundance was noteworthy.
I found out this year that our fast is during the same time as Yeshua's fast in the wilderness. The Word affirms His Authorship of this time again and again, long before we knew Him as intimately as we have come to. He has transformed us each year, and this year has felt like the jubilee. I sent the book He commanded (and mercifully allowed) me to write to the publisher the Sabbath after Teshuah ended. His appointed times are perfect.
I also learned this year that "teshuvah" means renewal and repentance. How fitting. Teshuah is the same word without the vav, or humanity. His deliverance led us to repentance, and this Teshuah marked my return to the work I was called to do years ago. I thank Him for His mercy.
The Word has exposed to me the roots of traditions and doctrines that have harmed the integrity and faith of The Body. Finding that Yah's commands and appointed times are not burdensome, nor are they only for the native born Israelite, but all who are grafted in, I want to learn to enter into His appointed times. This meant that I did not throw out my leaven for Teshuah...when it comes to my tradition or His instruction, HIS WORD must take priority. I see no reason to throw out leaven twice in one year just because I added that to our family tradition.
Plagiarism and cultural appropriation are the same thing. Our generation has made cultural appropriation kind of a hot issue, and yet what about Easter? Long ago, in Ancient Rome, an emperor setting his sights on greater power, assimilated (appropriated) Passover into a wicked, demonic tradition honoring Venus, goddess of fertility. Where does serving ham come from? The demons (also known as "false gods" or "mythology") did prefer unclean animals for sacrifice, which was then placed on the table to eat as a participation in their powers, and their honor. (A word of warning that I have received recently--the enemy wages biological warfare through these creatures, parasitism is a work of demonic origin and it does come through unclean creatures such as pigs, shrimp, etc. Parasites do influence the mind. The Word has known all along.)
What a slap in the face of our Father.
We do not have the authority to sanctify something unclean.
The Church did not have the authority to change the holiness of Sabbath to Sunday. Western Christian religion has come from Rome. What did demons have to do with this? Does it occur to us, the effect of Sunday worship would cause? Most people in our country have two days off per week. Saturday and Sunday. Because most churches worship on Sunday, this reduces "personal time", or time for our own pleasures or work/projects, mowing lawns, etc, to Sabbath. In His words, profaning, trampling. The one day of the week that YHVH declared holy at the very beginning of time.
Do we assume we can't take time to worship on Sabbath, simply because our tradition has taken priority over God's command?
Christianity has done the same thing as the Pharisees. In leiu of the Babylonian Talmud, we have inherited Church tradition and have absolutely no idea in whose name (authority) it was established. Of course, The Lord may be worshiped any day. But are we a people who does not understand? Are we stupid children because we refuse to worship Him the way and the how that HE ASKS?
All Scripture has been given by God, and is profitable...
What was "all scripture" at that time? The "Bible of Jesus". The Sacred Writings. The "Old Testament". If it is given for the purpose of teaching, for reproof, for correction...
Doesn't the fact that our tradition writes it off as "obsolete", our resistance to its instruction reveal that we simply do not wish to be taught, reproved, corrected?
Discipline means willing to yield to the rod of the Shepherd. The 12th letter of the Hebrew aleph bet is a shepherd's hook. The number twelve, and the lamed both speak of training. Teaching. Instructing. Correction. Think about the twelve tribes, the twelve disciples. These were established to give us an idea of how He instructs and corrects those who belong to Him. לַֽ֭יהוָה begins with the lamed. This word says "Belonging to YHVH", right to left/east to west. His grace is always free, but our benefit from it, our flourishing is dependent on our faithfulness to Him.
Our family is learning to delight in Sabbath. It has been a work in progress, unlearning old habits, giving up my own routines in order to really prepare the way He says to, for our blessing and shalom in the home. Here is a testimony: We get more done together on Sunday than we ever used to when we would grind all weekend long. That is what the Word of the Lord does--abound every Good Thing. It's what He did with the groceries last week, it's what He does with time, energy and resources--they are all His. All that's requested (required) is submission.
What was it about water baptism that gave our Christian group the heebie jeebies? Was it that we were fearful of church tradition? Indeed, the group rejected Church (pagan hybrid) holidays, which was a good thing. However, why would our Messiah be immersed if it were not a Good Thing? Why would the Apostles have been instructed to immerse the followers of The Way? Doesn't the immersion acknowledge YHVH as our new ONE Authority, the One Author, the Ancient of Days, that the entire world was formed out of water, and that Noah's deliverance was simply the fruit of his obedience to the Word of the Lord (by name, Yeshua)?
We've gotten our wires crossed, Christians. Lets listen to The Word speak for Himself to straighten the path ahead.
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