The Lover of my soul Friday, Feb 13 2009 

Uncategorized alabaxterblog 3:06 am

I liked this post out of Rabbi Messer’s Simchat Torah Beit Midrash newsletter today and thought those of you who love the Torah might also.  Enjoy!

“Lover of My Soul”

Yitro/Jethro – Exodus 18:1 – 20:23

The name “Yitro/Jethro” means abundance. Yitro was the father-in-law of Moses, and his guidance prepared Moses to be a deliverer. The name “Yitro” and his appearance in this Portion represent the abundance of instructions from our father-inlaw – the Torah. This idiom identifies the Torah as our father or husband and depicts both the Torah and the Holy Spirit as the lovers of our soul.

In Greek understanding, the body, soul, and spirit are divided into separate components. However, in Hebrew understanding, the three components are always intertwined – a Hebrew term called nephesh (soul). The Hebrew framework requires the transitioning of our mind from the concept of the Torah as law, to the understanding that Torah is the lover of our soul. The Hebrew understanding of the term “Torah” is “teaching and instruction”.

The Torah is portrayed as legalism only through the Greek/Western thinking interpretation of the term meaning, “law”.

(I totally agree with this statement, having found from our association with Greek Apostles Themis and Joanna Koulouris and Rabbi Joyce Meinhardt there is a huge influence that is not Biblical that affects much of our doctrine and thinking. Most folks are totally unaware of it.)

When you observe a command of the Torah, called a mitzvah or habit, you are operating in the same power that enables you to pray in the Spirit; it is exactly the same power. However, it is implied by the Greek mindset, that praying in the Spirit is greater than walking out the commands of the Torah. Someone who pposes your obedience to the commands operates in a spirit of antinomianism – law-lessness. Their counsel is in opposition to the counsel of Yitro, and they become an unwise association.

“And God spoke all these words saying…”

(Exodus 20:1 NKJV)

We know that God came to Moses, but we also know that the LORD Himself appeared to the people with His Presence. At Mount Sinai, God told Moses that He was going to speak to the Israelites. Today, God is still speaking in the same voice that thundered from Sinai to our ancestors (Bat Kol); only now it is a voice within us (Kol Bo).

The world does not know the Torah. The earth was created in the mind of God before its foundations were set. However, the world has rarely seen the dominion of the Torah. God gave you the 613 commands and as you apply them, you are given dominion over the world. From this beginning, fundamental themes are uncovered, in particular, the difference in perception of the righteous man, and the man of repentance.

The revelation of the giving of the Torah was that “…the LORD came down upon Mt. Sinai” – the High became low (Righteous Man). The whole manner of service for the man of repentance is the desire to ascend higher than this world. The two kinds of service, that of the righteous and that of the repentant, are relevant only to those who are already on the path to perfection. This is the evidence of the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Today, as you operate in the teaching and instruction of God by the leading of the Holy Spirit, you become the example in word and deed to your friends and family, and a witness of the dominion of Torah to the world. You fulfill your destiny as a messenger of the Covenant, lending wise counsel, as Yitro did for Moses. You bear the light of the abundance contained within the instructions of the Father-in-Law, and you carry the heart of the Messiah; the Spirit of truth – the Lover of Your Soul.

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What have we learned in the last 2 millennia? Wednesday, Feb 4 2009 

Morning Meanderings and Parenting and Prayer Intercession and Rants , , , , alabaxterblog 2:16 am

Scott sent me the quote in gray below – that asked “What have we learned in the last 2 millenium?” “Evidently nothing” followed the question.

I wondered if it was Truth or Fiction and found the source was ,
“A forwarded email with a quote dating back to 55 B.C. from Cicero of Ancient Rome about balancing the budget, reducing public debt, and curtailing foreign assistance.”

The Truth:
This alleged quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero that began circulating on the Internet in October, 2008, is based on a true statement from the great Roman orator, but someone added a lot to it to make it match some of what the United States was facing economically.

It appears we have not yet learned from history and I’m wondering is it possible?

The actual quote is: “The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign hands should be curtailed, lest Rome fall.”

The internet version and the one Scott sent me reads:

“The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and
controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living
on public assistance.” — Cicero , 55 B.C.

My heart says, “YES” we can, we will and we must.

I believe it will fall in the lap of the younger generation for my generation and the one following us have too many compromises, too much apathy and is too caught away by the cares of this life.

We have made sure our children have lacked for nothing (materially) and sold them to the highest bidder (spiritually.)  We are at fault and only if we repent now and return to the lover of our souls is there any hope.

I have seen in the last 3 weeks a generation of young people faced with problems such as gangland and drug cartel wars, recession, Iraq & Afghanistan ramp-ups, lack of quality education and employment layoffs.

These same young people are fresh, free and hungry for the challenge of following and serving a living God!  They say, “Bring it on!”

And I believe their destiny is to attack and win!  Join me in praying for those fearless leaders – interceding for the ones they allow to mentor them, and beg God for mercy for our nation and our world!