Qorban to Korban. Korban to Qorban
Qorban: An offering brought near the Alter
Korban: An offering dedicated to God and misused by the Jews as a way to evade their rightful duty to God to care for aged parents or other responsibilities.
1The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.
3“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Leviticus 1:1-4
First let’s note that this book was wrote to the people of Israel. Those who chose to believe and follow God. If that applies to you, this text is for you. The word used here for offering in Leviticus is Qorban. The entire book of Leviticus has to deal with offerings, sacrifices and atonement. It has to do with the “ Holy” things. The word “Holy” is used 87 times in the book of Leviticus. The Hebrew word for "holy" used in Leviticus, qodesh, means "that which is set apart and marked off; that which is different; separateness; apartness; sacredness." If this reminds you that Ephesians 1 tells us that the Lord chose us in him to be Holy and Blameless in his sight, give yourself a fist bump. So, now lets jump forward to Matthew 27…
3Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” Matthew 27:3-10
The word used here for treasury is Korban or Corban. Judas had a huge awakening after he gave up Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The 30 pieces of silver relates back to the old testament when you would have to pay someone 30 pieces of silver if your animal mauled someone’s slave. Mauled someone’s slave. Read that again. Mauled someone’s slave. Hmm. Everything in the Old testament is useful. There is always a transition of words through the years. Spelling changes and often through territories, pronunciation alters. The word Korban was coming from the older Hebrew word Qorban. The Chief Priests knew that this money was not fit to be a gift because of what it had been used to buy. This money was what we would call “dirty”. Kinda sounds like unclean. Hmm. The only other time we see this word used in the new testament is in Mark 7.
5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”9And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)12then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Mark 7:5-13
Here we see Jesus dig into the Pharisees and the scribes. He is calling them out for their clear hypocrisy. The Pharisees and scribes were known for telling their children to use “Corban” as an excuse to not offer things to their parents or others they were responsible to. Always claiming, I cannot give you that, it is for God. When the reality is that they just did not want to give it away. Their gifts to offering were not to give God something from their heart, it was to get out of helping other. The word here for Corban is again: Korban. So, in the New Testament we see Korban used two different ways. One: The Chief Priests admit the dirty money cant be Korban. Two: The Pharisees are called out for giving Korban not from the heart but out of selfishness and pride.
How did we go from Qorban to Korban? How did we go from offering God something we care about, something without blemish, something acceptable to the Lord, something that we desire to give to the God we love… to offering him something he never wanted, something that may have innocent blood on it, something that we give out of selfishness or pride? I am not talking about the sin we walk away from. I am talking about the things we offer God. This is something different for everyone. Time, Money, Love, Marriage, Children. Etc.. What is the heart behind what we offer the Lord? What is the heart behind the things we refuse to offer the Lord?
SENDay Lunch and Commissioning Party
This coming Sunday, October 25 will be our last time gathering together inside the walls of Harrah Church for the next 4 weeks.
The Word of the Lord to us was this:
Church,
Equip the Saints to be my witnesses to the ends of the earth!
Part of this obedience for us was to practice house church. We saw a great progression of the Royal Priesthood during the months we practiced house church in the spring, and we believe the Lord would have us to continue fanning those flames into the future. (If you still don’t know where you’ll be attending house church, reach out to someone you know and ask where they’re going! If you don’t know anyone, fill out THIS FORM and we will get you plugged in to a house church near you!)
To celebrate the SENDING of the saints, this weekend we will have a lunch and commissioning party!
We have purchased over 200 pounds of meat that will be smoked for our meal on Sunday.
YOU. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. MISS. THIS. FEAST!
Bring a side and dessert to share. Anything that goes with BBQ will be awesome.
Also, please note that we want our big kids to witness this SENDING party so we’ve elected to keep them with us in worship this weekend. Childcare will be available for children 5 and under.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you this Sunday!
Growth, Bearing Fruit, Cross Pollinating, Fertilizing, Pruning.
Hello Everyone! I know that we have been going through Exodus together for quite some time. HOWEVER… Through a series of events, conversations and sitting in the word, the Lord has put in on my heart to talk about the Fig tree with you. One thing that I have recently picked up from another writer, who I encourage you to check out ( Lindsay Dryer), is the request that before you read the rest of the blog you read the scripture that it is pertaining to. I know that we do this on Sunday mornings, so why not here?
Matthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:12-25, Luke 13:6-9
As always, there is a lot to unpack here. I am not going to unpack it all. I am also going to try to not follow the rabbit. Know that if I followed the rabbit we would also end up in Hosea 9 and Micah 6&7. That would lead us to so much more. So, I do encourage you to seek for yourself.
In Matthew 21:18-22, we read about Jesus being on his way back to the city of Jerusalem. On his way he found himself hungry. When he got to the tree he found only leaves. So, he curses the tree to never bear fruit again. It withers immediately.
In Mark 11:12-25, we read that Jesus was leaving Bethany on his way to Jerusalem. He was Hungry and saw a fig tree in leaf. When he got to the tree he found no figs because it was not in season. Then he cursed the fig tree to never bear fruit again. The story picks back up after Jesus clears out the temple that has become a den of robbers. The disciples and Jesus then see that the tree has withered.
( I am not concerned about the variation in the text because there are different writers form different perspectives. We all see things first from our view and include what we find relevant)
In Luke 13:6-9, we read a parable about a fig tree. A man had a fig tree in a vineyard, that had not bore fruit for the past three years. He has a conversation with his worker to tear it down. The worker tells the man that he would like to dig around the base and fertilize it. If it then bears fruit, fine. If it still does not, he will cut it down.
To explain any of this I want to first explain figs, trees, leaves, and seasons. A fig is considered a syconium. A syconium is a fleshy hollow receptacle that develops into a “multiple fruit”, as in a fig. Cultivated fig trees have two seasons. A Breba season and a New wood season. The Breba season is when the tree produces leaves and produces fruit on the previous years shoot. This season is around the beginning of June. Many people remove this fruit because it encourages the growth of the fruit for the next season (New wood season). Leaving this fruit would use up water and energy needed for the New wood season. This fruit is easily destroyed by frost and is not lasting. It often goes bad quickly. Many people refer to this fruit as the poor man’s fruit. The Next season is the New wood season. This season runs from August to October. The fruit ripens on the current year’s new growth. This fruit is larger and superior in quality. Some people hold the belief that there are three seasons to figs. This third “season” is actually just a growth stage that figs go through. This is not a season of fruit, just something that happens to the fruit. This stage is the caprification. There are three parts of the caprification. There is the male fig,(Capri fig) that is filled with pollen bearing flowers. There is the female fig,(Smyrna fig) that will only ripen when it has been pollinated. Finally, there is the Fig wasp. The fig wasp is adapted to living with and in figs. This wasp carries pollen from male figs to female figs. These wasps are usually only about 1.5mm in size. More often than not the wasp will die inside the female fig. The wasp will die pollinating the fig, not because it wants to, but because this is it’s life by design. There are common figs that do not require this stage. Common figs are still edible, they just lack the quality and flavor of one that has been pollinated.
Everything that is in the word is by design. All of it. When Jesus walked up, the season would have been during Passover. If the tree were full of leaves, it would mean that it was going through seasons earlier than it should. It made the appearance to others from afar that it had something that it did not. It was not until one was up close that they were able to see that there was no real fruit. There were leaves, sure. The leaves are very crucial to the life of the tree. The leaves produce energy for the tree. The leaves use parts of water and carbon dioxide to make sugar. The water gets to the leaf through a set of pipes inside the tree, which go all the way down to the roots. The base. The foundation. Having leaves did show that the tree was getting water from its foundation. However, this tree made itself look like it had growth that it did not. This tree made it look like it had matured to a season that it was not ready for. For this deception, the Lord cursed this tree. The other tree, however, has no mention of leaves. Only a lack of fruit is mentioned. The owner is ready to cut it down. The worker, however, wants to dig at the foundation and feed the tree.
My questions for you…
Are you a tree that shows itself to have growth that is does not?
Are you trying to do things out of the Lord’s timing?
Are you a tree that never produces fruit for its master?
Specifically, for Disciple Makers:
Are you a worker that is willing to dig into the foundation and fertilize others? Keep in mind, that not all fertilizer smells good and not every tree will grow when fertilized.
Are you willing to prune those who produce no fruit?
A place for the Lord's Testament
Hello all,
I am so excited to be writing to you all again. I like to take the abide season off to spend more time filling up with the Lord and less time pouring out. We all need to take time to just fill our cups. We are all ready to start this new season of ministry and I hope that everyone’s season of rest went well, and you all learned new things. If you did not rest with the Lord I strongly encourage you to consider this work-rest rhythm. The voice of the Lord in your life will give you more than my words ever could.
I am still digging line by line through Exodus. I have been digging for a year now and I can honestly say that there is no other way that I would want the Lord to reveal things to me. If you are reading this, I am going to assume it is because you want to learn a little more as well. So, before you read the rest of this post, I am going to suggest that you read through Exodus 25. (I would also suggest that you read back through Exodus 20-24 and really dig into the Ten Commandments and why they are individually so important.) I am going to just dip into this a little bit with you. I will attempt not to chase the rabbit into the hole. No promises.
At the start of Exodus 25, The Lord said to Moses, “speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution, from every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me” Let those words of God sink in.
“from every man whose heart moves him”
The Lord once again gave a choice when he didn’t have to. These people are going to make a place to worship God and offer up sacrifices. Until this moment the people of Israel have been walking from place to place. They have been worshipping from place to place. The Lord is now allowing them (even if mobile) a place to worship him and feel closer to him. Having the choice to offer something up to the Lord is something that we still have now. I can choose to believe in him. I can choose to welcome him in my heart. I can choose to be transformed by his Word. I can choose to spend time with him. OR… I can choose the world. The world is easier. The world is cozy and I can just do nothing. The text shows us that our hearts will be moved or they wont.
I am reminded…
“Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved- Romans 10:9”
I’m not going to chase the rabbit into all the significance of each thing that was asked to be contributed. I will move on to the Ark of the Covenant. Take not of these instructions that are coming from above. The Lord has said gather these contributions. Then gives a list. He starts going into detail on how to construct this tabernacle. When we build a home, we start with the foundation, then move on to the frame, then the exterior, then the walls, flooring, paint, etc.. Then when all this is done, we put our family in it. The heart of our life. No, no, no. Remember; the kingdom is upside down. The Lord starts listing things that are to be built from the inside out. Does he not do the same on us? Does he not first change our hearts?
OK, lets dig into this Ark. Ark- from the Hebrew word aron. A chest. Originates from the word arah: to gather. (interesting) There are two popular arks in the word. The Ark of the Covenant and the more popular Ark of the Flood. We see the Lord give very specific instructions about this box that is to hold the tablets with the Ten Commandments. The Lords testimony. His Code. This seemingly simple list of things is what is given to the Israelites. Before the commandments were given to Moses, God said, “ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery”. So, God tells them what he has done and what he expects in return. This is his covenant with us. This is his offer to us. Believe that it is an offer. Believe that when we do not hold up out end of the covenant we find ourselves enslaved by sin. That same sin is what causes us to break covenants we have made with other people. Spouses. Disciples. The Testament that we have with God is so important that he wanted us to kept it in a box . A box that can keep it set apart. A box that the priest would have to visit, on our behave, on scheduled basis. A box that could bring death to anyone or anything that stood against it. (chase that rabbit yourself!)
My question for you is this:
How do you keep your Covenant, agreements, and relationship with the Lord safe? Is it even important enough for you protect? If your covenant with the Lord is important to you, do you nurture it?
Grace & Peace
-Chorley
Yatsa
In September 2016, I received an email from Harrah Church, asking for help with the youth. I had been at the church for about a month. I knew that I wanted to “get involved”. I had no clue what all would be involved. I was going through a rough period of my life and desperately needed something. I had no clue that the something was “Jesus”. I owned a Bible, but I hadn’t opened it more than a dozen times. I was still socially drinking. When I say socially, I mean at every social gathering, every meeting, every meal. My daughter was on her seventh month of colic. I was starting to get sick and feel pain more and more. When I spoke to the church about helping with the youth, I was asked to fill out a form for a background check. As soon as that came back saying I had never been convicted of a crime, I was in. I was suddenly ready to help lead teens to Christ! WHAT! I hadn’t even been really led to Christ. If you asked me to tell you my favorite scripture, I would have said John 3:16. Not because it was, but because that is the only one I knew.
Whenever I start to think “What in the world was God doing when he pointed me towards the youth!”, I am reminded of Moses. I am not comparing myself to Moses. I am just reminded of how the Lord knew that he was an impostor, murderer, and deserter and still saw his value.
It has now been over four years since I began my journey with the youth. Many things about myself have changed. Many things about the ministry have changed. I have watched the process of invitation and covenant loyalty form. I have seen leaders come and go. I have witnessed teens come to know Christ. I have been in attendance at student’s birthday parties, swim meets, hospitalizations, funerals, football games, 3am suicidal phone calls, lice treatments, car wrecks, prom pictures, graduations, baptisms and even buried a pet in the middle of the night in the dead of winter. Many of these things were not listed in the job description email. Each one of these experiences have impacted my life in a different way. Some of these things hurt and nearly drained my overly empathetic soul. Many of these things grew pillars of faith in me. For every hard thing I went through or witnessed, the Lord gave me ten good things.
Over the last few months, the Lord has been preparing me to move on. Believe that not all preparation feels good, just as no discipline feels good at the time. I have had to lay down pride and humble myself. I have had to meet people at the alter for forgiveness and confession.
The Israelites came to Egypt to escape famine. They went to the place that had food and nourishment. They were eventually enslaved. Therefor in need of an exit. A yatsa. The Lord made a way for them to leave. They still had to make the choice to leave. Leaving was not easy. It was hard. There were many unknowns. They had to trust God. Once they were out of Egypt, many became angry with God when they were tested in the wilderness. Many were thirsty and hungry. Each time, the Lord provided water and the Lord provided manna. All they had to do was trust and obey.
I came to Harrah Church and youth ministries because I was hungry for something. The Lord fed my soul well. My brothers and sisters have continuously washed me with the Word. I have formed relationships that are boundless. I have reached the season of my life where I must listen to the Lord and trust where he is taking me. I started this yatsa a few months ago. The last thing I had to do was humble myself and show love and admiration to the one I am leaving in my place. I was able to do this at camp. As for Mercedes and all the youth disciple makers who come after me, just as Moses told Joshua, The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you, he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8) I love you all and I pray the hard things grow you and I pray the good things build pillars in you.
As for myself… Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…
What to Expect This Summer
Greetings Harrah Church family,
On Sundays this summer, we will worship together at 10am with a potluck to follow. You can find all the information about worship gatherings - including summer menu plans - on our events page at www.harrahchurch.org/events.
We know that joining back together in a large group might raise some concerns about protecting your health, and we want to encourage each of you to sit with the Lord and follow His lead on when you return.(Ecclesiastes 12:13)
If the Lord is leading you to continue staying at home, please join us online at www.facebook.com/harrahchurch.
For everyone returning to worship with us in person, feel free to communicate what your boundaries are and what you feel comfortable with to those around you. The Word says we should look not only to the interests of ourselves, but also to the interests of others, so love your spiritual family well and prefer others over yourself. (Philippians 2:3-4)
We know that for a church full of HUGGERS navigating the waters of social distancing might be a little challenging. When in doubt about how to greet one another, just ask!
Still have some questions? This might help.
What should I expect this Sunday?
We are in phase 3 of the governor’s plan to re-open our state. This means that we are mostly back to business as usual. Our Sunday mornings will look a lot like they did before we closed our doors.
The lobby will be open for fellowship with your spiritual family.
There will still be a greeting/hand shaking time after worship.
The nursery will be open for children 5 years of age and below. Kiddos ages 6 and up will worship with their parents for the duration of the summer.
We will worship the Lord, pray in the altars, and hear the Word preached with all authority.
What about masks?
You are free to wear a mask if you want to! If you choose not to wear a mask, you will not be required.
What if I don’t want to participate in the greeting time?
No worries! If you aren’t into all the hand shaking and hugging that goes down in this building, you may stay seated during the greeting time and we’ll just say hello to you from a distance.
Will I still be able to practice social distancing during the service?
The requirement for an empty row in between every row of seated people is no longer in effect. There will not be specific seating allowing for social distancing at this time.
Will you be providing masks and hand sanitizing stations?
We will not provide masks for you to wear, but we will certainly support you wearing your own. Touch free hand sanitizing stations are found throughout the building.
Grace and peace to you all,
Jenny Brockman
Endurance through Battles
I have been through many battles in my life. I have been
through things in my life that were meant to break me and even kill me a few
times. While I have been broken many times, I have never been killed. I know
that I am not alone in my feelings about the battles in our lives. Many of us
go through times in our life where we struggle and we don’t physically see God
standing there telling us that he is going to take care of us. We often also
ask the question: Why me God? Why does God allow this? I recently read a story
about a Christian singer who no longer believes in God. I was not shocked. I
have been through this myself. This singer had the question of: If God is real,
why does he allow pain and suffering. I asked that question once. Well to be
honest, I probably asked in many times. I remember being in the midst of a war
in the middle East. I was exhausted, hungry, lonely, depressed, and riddled
with anxiety. None of us were ever 100% rested. The constant state of vigilance
was taking it’s tole on everyone. We had people dying every week. The days that
we weren’t taking casualties, we were making casualties. There was always
someone in the area dying. Not all of the civilians around us were enemy
combatants. There were also people around us that had no intention of harming
us or anyone else. I remember going to visit a local hospital with the civil
affairs team in our area. While I was there I saw child after child injured.
These children had been casualties of war. They had been shot and or blown up
before they had even reached puberty. I remember watching a little boy struggle
to breath while he was missing his left arm completely and about half of his
right arm. He ended up passing while we were there. That was the day that I
asked: If there is a God, why does he allow the death of innocents? I had no
clue what true belief was. I did not have the dedicated faith that I have now. I have recently read through Exodus 17. Again.
Well for the 4th time. The word is alive and active. Every time that
we go through scripture the Lord has this amazing ability to teach us something
different than the last time that we read it. We just have to pay attention. In
Exodus 17 we see the Israelites defeat the Amaleks. Moses is standing on a hill
holding up the staff of God. As long as Moses hold up the staff, the Israelites
overcome the Amaleks. When the staff drops the Amaleks overcome the Israelites.
If you think “Just hold it up!” I challenge you to hold up a staff in front of
you and see how long your body lasts. Hold it up as if the lives of everyone
you know and love depend on it. How long would you last? How fast would you
give up? When Moses starts to get tired, two of his brothers hold up his arms.
Aaron and Hur. When he gets even more tired he rests on a rock. There are times
in this battle when Israelites are dying and there are times in this battle
when Amaleks are dying. It doesn’t say anywhere in the text that Moses asked
God why. The battle was rough and tiring but Moses never gave up. Moses held up
the staff of God and eventually prevailed. My questions for you are this:
Are you trying to fight battles alone?
What do your brothers (or sister) do when you are losing?
What do you rest on when you are tired?
What battle has the Lord brought you through?
Further Reading: Hebrews 11
What's This?
The word is so good and never returns void. That is a huge gift that the Lord has given us. I have been digging through Exodus 16 this past week. I can tell you that there are many lessons in Exodus 16 and I strongly encourage you read through it yourself. Remember that I am not the voice of the Lord for you.
Exodus 16 starts out with the Israelites leaving Elim and entering the Desert
of Sin. It is named Sin, pronounced CEEN. This is because of nearby towns, not
because of sin as in transgressions. When the people set out, they grumbled to
Aaron and Moses again. They also spoke about how they had life so much better
when they were in Egypt. They spoke of having their fill of food and wanting
for nothing. They had immediately forgot the hardships they suffered during enslavement.
They are grumbling because they are hungry. They are claiming that Moses
brought them to the desert to starve to death. The Israelites are generally not
happy with the Lord or his plans. They are not trusting that the Lord will take
care of them or that he will fulfill his promises. The Lord then tells Moses
that he will make it rain bread from heaven. Every plague that the Lord brought
to Egypt happened exactly how Moses said it would. So when Moses tells the
people that God is going to provide them with meat and bread, they believe
exactly what they hear. The Israelites are acting as if God is going to walk up
with bread on a platter. That is not exactly what happens. The bread comes in
the form of dew. At first. The morning that the bread is supposed to have
rained down, there were not thousands of beautiful artisan loaves of bread everywhere.
There was dew. When the dew dried there were small white scale like particles
everywhere. The Israelites had no clue what they were looking at. The word “manna”
literally means “What’s This?” This is what the Lord sent them to eat. He did
not send them what they expected. He sent them what they needed. There are times
when I read through the Old Testament and
think, man the Israelites were so dumb! Then I look in the mirror and try to
figure out where I am in the story. How often do we pray for something and not
get what we want? How often do we grumble with God when we feel the slightest
inconvenience? How often do we question the Lord’s plans for us? How often do
we throw our hands in the air and say, “What’s this” when the Lord doesn’t always give
us what we expect, want, or ask for? I encourage you to read all of chapter 16
to see how the manna works out and I also encourage you to read John 6:22-59.
Grace and Peace
The Undesirable Times
Dear Brothers & Sisters
Life has gotten crazy! We have children not going to school. We have millions of people unemployed. We have people scared to go out of their homes. We have
grandparents unable to see their grandchildren. Weddings canceled. The
government is dictating when and how people can do things. Freedoms are being
stripped. People are arguing over what is right. People are fighting over food.
Fear is running most of America. I used to think the Bible was an old book that
was out of date and would have no relevance in my life. HA! Well, I have been
reading in Exodus 15. The Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for years. They
have been forced to worship other gods or face persecution. They have been
starved. They have been killed. They have seen horrors that no human should ever
have to witness. After years of this treatment, many believe that this is the
only way of life. Many fall in line. Many choose to worship other gods
willingly. Many have been indoctrinated into this type of life. When we get to
Exodus 15, the Israelites have just witnessed the ten plagues. They have just
witnessed the Nile turn to blood, killing most things in the water. Then every
other body of water in Egypt turn to blood. The word tells us the water stank. They
have witnessed the land filled with frogs. So many frogs that the land stank. They
witnessed swarms of gnats. This must have brought maggots. This would have given
a horrible odor everywhere. They witnessed swarms of flies. This too, would
have brought maggots. This would have increased the smell to an unbearable
level. They witnessed all of the Egyptians livestock die. The smell of rotting
flesh is something that a person can never forget. They witnessed man and beast
covered in boils. Now with no water to keep these boils clean, many would become
infected and become putrid. The most common way to dress those wounds would have been with leaves from different plants. They witnessed all the fields filled
with hail, thunder and fire. All of those leaves that could have been used for
dressing the boils, were ruined. They then witnessed the locusts come and eat
everything the hail had not destroyed. They witnessed darkness over Egypt for
three days. They witnessed the Holy Spirit come all through Egypt killing off the first born of every house not marked for God’s people. This would have been thousands of people dead. They witnessed the Pharaoh release them from slavery. They witnessed the Lord lead them with a pillar of fire while they traveled at night. They witnessed the Red Sea split in two. They witnessed the walls of the sea held back by God. They crossed the sea and came to dry ground and witnessed the sea burst back into its bed behind them. Moses led them into the wilderness. Up until this point, they have witnessed miracle after miracle. They have been freed. They have walked
away from what bound them. This was a choice. Anyone who wanted to stay, could
have stayed. They must have been on a huge spiritual high. I know I would have
been! Then… they wandered through the wilderness for three days without water.
Three days. After three days they complained to Moses about not having
something to drink. The only source of water at their location was bitter. Meaning,
while it wouldn’t kill them, it was not desired. This water was not what they
wanted. How many times has this happened in our life? How many times have we
witnessed the Lord move and we show him our love and admiration? How many times do we enjoy what he is doing in our life and we worship him? How often has he freed us from bondage? How many times have we immediately complained because things suddenly are not what we want? How often do we question the Lord’s motives when they don’t line up with our plans? Have you ever walked into
freedom only to end up in a situation that, while better, isn’t what you want?
If we keep reading in this passage we see that God uses Moses to make the water
not only not bitter, but also sweet. The bitterness lasted a short time. God didn’t
change the water because the people grumbling. God changed the water because he could. Enduring undesirable things in life for a short time and praising the
Lord all the while, is still better than living in bondage and away from the
Lord. Just remember there is always a lesson in the undesirable times. I encourage
you to read through this passage and see what the Lord reveals to you. Exodus
15:22-25. I also encourage you to continue to verse 27 and ponder the significance
of the 12 springs and the 70 trees. Grace and Peace. Love you all!
I just want to be the Proverbs 31 wife, not the warrior woman.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I have enjoyed the amount of intentional conversations that I have had lately. I think
the current pandemic has allowed me to slow down and do many things I have
known I needed to do. I have been cooking and cleaning more. Which is something
I have not been healthy enough to do the last five years. I have had a series
of conversations lately that have driven me to write this to you today. First I
was doing a Hebrew bible study with a small group that I meet with on
Thursdays. It is Basically each of the APEST sitting around the table sharing
what the Lord is revealing to them. It is a group that, while I am thankful
for, without Jesus we might never know each other. While doing a study on
Hebrews words, a couple of us gave each other new Hebrew names. I was told that
I would be called the woman warrior due to all I have been through. At the time
we were not positive what the word was... I showed admiration for the name and
kept my personal desires to myself. I have been a warrior for too long. I just
want to be the humble, lace aproned, bread making, clothes folding Proverbs 31
wife I pictured from a better homes and gardens magazine I saw on a coffee
table at the doctor’s office as a child. Fast forward and I find myself having
conversations with many women who are struggling. Struggling to get up earlier
to spend time with Jesus, struggling to keep their house clean, struggling to
get laundry done, struggling to get motivated to cook yet another meal,
struggling with the desire to be intimate with their husbands, struggling with
wanting to be a stay at home mom, struggling with wanting to work. The list of
struggles goes on and on. The reasons for why each thing is a struggle is very
real and very personal. I won’t go into their details any further. I have had
all of these struggles. I have struggled to be motivated. I have struggled to
keep my house up. I have struggled to want to cook, I have struggled to desire
an intimate relationship with my husband. Up until Saturday, there were about
three distinct piles of clothes on my bedroom floor. When my home is messy, it
stresses me out. I try to keep up between running this house, raising 3 kids, making
disciples, going to school full time and now homeschooling my 3 children. My
first thought when I see the mess, is that I am failing at what I want to be.
This Proverbs 31 woman. I suck. This is my job and it is not getting completed.
When ever I would have conversations with the woman who walked with me, I never
left feeling beat up or defeated. So why should I leave the Lord’s word feeling
that way? I recently dug in further to this exquisite creature that I desired to
emulate. The first thing that I noticed was that this whole chapter was a
prophecy most likely brought to Solomon from his mother, Bathsheba. The next
thing that I see is the whole epilogue of the noble woman has three different
themes. The first section verses 10-12 reflects the wife’s value. The next
section verses 13-27 describe things she does. The third section, verses 28-31,
praises her. The interesting part is that her value is not hinged on the things
she does. When you look at verse 10, A wife of noble character, who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies. When I dug in to this I found that the word
Noble was not used until the mid 1500’s when men were beginning to fear the
power that women had. Until this time the word Powerful was used. It is a
translation from the original Hebrew word “Chayil” (Khah’-yil). This word Chayil
is spelled in Hebrew Chet-Yood-Lamed. The Chet is the symbol of a gate that represents
a safe place. The Yood symbol that looks like the arm represents mighty work.
The Lamed represents the shepherd staff and demonstrates the voice of
authority. So here with them all together this word of power comes from a place
of protection that performs mighty work and falls under strong leadership. The
few other times this word is used, it is used of strong men in battle. The next
word that stuck out to me was Rubies. The word here was translated from the
Hebrew word “Peninim” (paw-neen). At the time that this text was wrote the
original word was more likely to mean Pearls than Rubies. There is great significance
in this. While rubies are beautiful, they can occur naturally all over the
world. A pearl however does not occur naturally. Well not quite. A pearl is only
formed when a foreign piece of shell, bone, sand, or parasite get in a mollusk.
The mollusk will then form a nucleus around the foreign body. The mollusk will
continue to coat the foreign body with several layers of nacre for many years. Most
natural pearls vary in size, color, and time it takes to make them. So, this
woman we are speaking of in Proverbs 31 is rarer than a gem that is only made
when a mollusk takes its injury and turns it into something beautiful? The odds
of a mollusk making a pearl are about 1 in 10,000. So, from this I am seeing
that while rare, it is possible. A proverbs 31 woman is not a perfect wife.
Rather a wife that creates a sanctuary for her family. She is willing to do
mighty work, whatever that looks like for her. She is also one that submits to
the authority of God and her husband. I guess the woman warrior is the Proverbs
31 wife. No matter what my house looks like…
Surley your goodness and love will follow me all the days
of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Pslam 23:6
Your sister, Eshet Chayil
Where has all the yeast gone?
Dear Brothers and Sisters, where has all the yeast Gone?
We are in this weird place in history. It is rare to live in the age of information and
no one really knows what is going on. Some think they know, but many have no
idea. The only thing I want to know is where has all the yeast gone. I have
tried many stores and been unable to find yeast. My husband reminded me that I didn’t
“need” yeast. I told him I wanted to make some things that needed yeast. He
just said, “Need?” He was right, I didn’t “NEED” to. I was reminded of so many
things in that moment. Yeast is not something that grows from seeds. There is not a
magical yeast tree that drops active dry yeast. That is not a thing. Yeast is a
single celled microorganism, that is actually a fungus. It is something that
grows and multiplies over and over. You can make yeast if you are adventurous
enough. A small amount of dried fruit, sugar and warm water. Let them sit for a
while in a covered container and they will ferment and create yeast. The water can’t
be too hot or too cold. My grandmother taught me that one summer in Kansas.
Just the same as when making bread, the water can’t be too hot or too cold, or
it will kill the yeast. A mentor named Donna taught me about killing yeast one
summer at youth camp. All conditions have to be just right for yeast to grow
and all conditions have to be right for yeast to allow bread to rise. Another
thing I was reminded of was unleavened bread. The importance and significance
of it during the Exodus. The Lord had instructed the Israelites to not eat any
leavened (Yeasted) bread during Passover. This seems like an arbitrary rule if
you don’t understand yeast and bread. One of the biggest things I know about
making bread is that it can consume a lot of time and can also not be left
unattended for a long period of time. Dough left unattended too long often gets
ruined in some way. Anything from little hands to animals to poor atmospheric
temperature can ruin a promising dough. A good dough requires the makers
continued attention and knowledge of what the dough needs. Sometimes you have
to just sit and wait on the dough. However, the maker can do everything right
and the dough may still fail.
Back to the unleavened… I would never set out to make a loaf
of bread the morning of a road trip. The Lord wanted the Israelites to be ready
for the exodus, the mass departure. The Lord didn’t want them to have any
reason to delay their departure. No reason to stop them from fleeing captivity.
No unfinished work. Then the Lord tells them that they will go to a land
flowing with milk and honey. Honey! Raw honey contains LIVE YEAST! Milk! The
thing that nourishes an infant! When the Israelites left captivity they didn’t go straight
to this land. There was still work to do. There was still sin stopping them.
There were many things they needed to walk through. This is what a disciple
would call a come and die time. A time when you would have to come to the Lord
and die to yourself. We know that unleavened bread is only for a season, so there must also be a season of leavened bread. Are you in a season of unleavened bread or leavened? Are you in captivity? If so, are you ready to run? OR… Are you ready to put your hand to the plow? Do you desire a harvest? We can only get to the leavened bread by adding the Lords honey to the harvest of our hard work. There is so much more I want to share with you in regards to the Lords yeast, but I feel this is enough meat for now. Until I see you again, Grace and Peace.
8th Letter to my brothers and sisters
My Dear brothers and Sisters,
It has been too long since I wrote you last. Through a
series of unfortunate events, I have been delayed in my writing to you. The last
month I have burned with the desire to write to you but have been held back by
the Lord. I have been waiting to see what I was supposed to write to you about,
as I don’t want to fill you with useless knowledge. You would think that with
as long as you have been seeing people go into discipling relationships that
all of you would have gone through by now. That is still not the case. I don’t say
this in a way to tell you to hurry and sign up. As many of you know, this is
not a program or a series of class’ that you can check off as you go about your
way. So I have a few things to go over for those of you that have yet to
decided if you want to go on the journey of becoming a disciple maker and for
those of you who are trying to figure out who you would like to disciple. While
reading a book by J. Oswald Sanders I was reminded of the three types of people
that may say yes to being discipled. We learn about three types straight from
Christ himself. In Luke 9: 57-62 we see Jesus walking down the road. He is
talking with those walking with him and one man declares to Jesus that he will
follow him wherever he will go. This man is “The Impulsive” and has not counted
the cost of following Christ. Jesus reminds him that the son of man has no
where to lay his head. Jesus gives him a quick check to reality. We can see
many people get wrapped up in the charisma of following someone. This discipling
business is not to be romanced. You have the real question of would you give up
everything to follow Christ? Never say yes just to please or impress someone
else. The next type of person that we see tell Jesus that he will follow him is
“The Reluctant”. This man tells Jesus that he should first let him go bury his
father. This is the one who wants to settle things first. He wants to
essentially finish doing all he wants to do before he will follow the Lord. He
wants to follow the Lord when it is more convenient for him. I can tell you,
there will never be a convenient time to follow. The next one that tells Jesus
he will follow him is “The Halfhearted”. This is the man that tells Jesus he
should let him go back and say bye to his family. When we look at the surface
of this request, it seems like the man just wants to kiss his wife and kids’
goodbye. What could be wrong with that? Its sweet right? Well, nothing in the
word is surface deep. This man is half concerned with following the Lord and
half concerned with what he has left behind. I am reminded of Lot’s wife when I
think of this man. The Lord tells us that “no one who puts his hand to plow and
looks back is fit for service in the kingdom”. When you consider following Christ…
1. Have you counted the cost?
2. Are you waiting for a convenient time?
3. Is your heart torn between your old life and the possibility of a new life?
If you are looking for someone who modeled how deciding
following Christ could look, I would suggest you reading through the story of
how Elisha decided to follow Elijah. And listen to the popular song Burn the
Ships. It is a nod to Cortez, who burnt his own ships when he arrived to
the new world with hundreds of men. He made the visual statement that there is
no turning back. If Discipling has taught me anything, you will die a thousand
deaths. However, the Lord will grow you with each one. But first you have to
make a decision on whether this is for you.
Grace & Peace
...and when He saw their faith...
And when he saw their faith…
17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.[d] 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” Luke 5:17-26
This story has given me pause over the last couple of days. Honestly, it was what the Lord reminded me of as I was sitting in a place of worry. You see, the group of women I am discipling are practicing this week. They are practicing being ministers of the Gospel. It is a huge gift for me to be able to watch them, and an even bigger gift to the ladies who will learn from them. We have invited a large group of women over to my house to learn how to Eat the Word. With each person that RSVP’d “yes” my excitement grew, and so did my worries.
I was concerned about how many people were coming to my house. Was it going to be too crowded for people to feel comfortable? Would there be enough parking in my driveway for all the cars? Is it a problem that there’s only one bathroom? Is there going to be enough food? These uncertainties replayed over and over in my head ad nauseam. I began to lose sight of the mission because of all the other things I was focused on.
Yesterday morning I (finally) realized I was worrying about a ton of things, but I had not yet asked the Lord what he wanted. I offered a quick prayer asking the Lord for direction and was immediately reminded of this story from Luke 5. I got out my Bible to read the whole story for myself and could clearly hear my answer from the Lord.
The people that want to get close to Jesus push through the crowds. They find a way. They rip holes in rooftops and rappel down from the ceiling to get next to him. These people get to see miracles. These people get to hear the Lord speak to them personally. These people are ones that are set free from the things chaining them down.
This has given me tremendous relief from my anxious thoughts. Jesus is enough, and the people that are willing to press in despite the crowds, the obstacles, and the traps that the enemy lays… they’ll get to see him with their own eyes. Look back at verse 26: And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
C’mon Jesus.
Bye, worries!
God Disciplines His Children
I was scrolling through Facebook this morning when my friend, Melissa, posted something about the word “restore.” I’m loving all the stuff she’s posting lately as she’s digging into the Word and using it as a mirror for her life. I stopped to read it and this is what it said:
“The Lord brought the word Restore to my mind this morning.
Have you ever thought about the process of restoring say with a piece of furniture?
It's a process that is dirty, painful and at times lengthy. There are times when the restorer has to take it to bare bones in order to achieve its full potential.
I used to think of God restoring me as calm and peaceful but when you think about the details of the
restoration the peace and calm come when God stands back and admires his creation.”
I was immediately reminded of Hebrews 12, which if I’m honest, helped me survive my early days being discipled. There were so many things in my life that didn’t reflect him, and I felt like I was constantly “in trouble” with the Lord. Have you ever felt that way? I’m sure my d-group and spiritual family even heard me use the phrase “I got a God spankin” more than once or twice.
One day, while lamenting inwardly about how hard I thought Jesus was being on me, I stumbled into Hebrews 12 and saw the most beautiful thing I’d ever read and it was H O P E to my bones:
5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a]
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
My friend’s furniture illustration hit the nail on the head. The furniture owner restores his belongings because they’re treasured by him. If not, he’d simply toss them out. How beautiful is this picture of our creator loving us so much that he joins us in this process of sanctification? And since Scripture is so much better at saying things than I am, here’s what else I’m reminded of:
1 John 1:9 ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Peter 2:24 ESV
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Titus 3:3-7 ESV
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Matthew 9:13 ESV
Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
If you’re in need of some restoration, lean in to Jesus and his Word. Let him cut off the dead weight (John 15:2 calls this unfruitful branches). You can trust him.
It won’t be pleasant, but it will be worth it.
7th Letter to my brothers and sisters. Fast
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have yet to receive any comments in person or otherwise in reference to the last letter. I had spoke about baptisms and what we have seen in the past and what we hope for in the future. This week is another sensitive topic. I took thanksgiving off to spend more time with my family and it was amazing. While on break I had a lot of food. A lot. I have an open honest and vulnerable confession to make to yall. I love food. I know that some of you may read this and think that you also love food. What is not to love about buttery rolls, juicy roast beef, or creamy cheesecake? I have had a horrible relationship with food for as long as I can remember. I have had bouts of eating EVERYTHING to eating NOTHING. Then I have had bouts of living off diuretics. Every time someone mentions fasting, I always use excuses for why I can not fast food. The reality is that I am imprisoned with food. That is why I can not fast food. A chain of events led me to Isaiah 58. Isaiah 58 talks about true fasting vs false fasting. It hit home for me. There are men who fast for my husband every week. Meanwhile, I don’t fast food for my husband. I have heard others say that fasting moves the kingdom. Last night I was led, by Merci Kouri, to Leviticus 3. There is a whole breakdown on offerings. A grain offering, or food offering, must be without yeast. Anyone who has ever made bread knows that yeast requires waiting to finish your work. SO, if we believe that we are not supposed to wait to offer our food offering, we are to skip the waiting and just offer him what we have. I am on a journey of learning how to fast for the sake of my time with the Lord. So far it has been rough, but sweet. I am praying you all figure out how to grow closer to the Lord. If that means fasting, great. If that means something else, that will be great as well. Grace and peace.
6th Letter to My Brothers and Sisters
To my dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am excited to write to you about the upcoming baptisms. I am cautiously excited. Not too long ago I sat in the foyer during youth one Sunday evening and counted all of the photos of the baptisms on the wall. I counted one after another of these happy photos of people on what seemed like the best moment in their life. You would think that all of these people would want to have this feeling forever. You would think that whatever drove them so close to the Lord, that they would stand up in a room full of hundreds of people and be completely submerged in water. These photos tell a story of hope that has been found. That hope being Christ. After I sat admiring those pictures… I then observed that there were a couple that I knew decided to walk away from Christ. Next thing I realize is, I am walking backwards form the wall and I am counting more and more that chose to walk away. I counted almost a couple dozen.
I was recently sitting back in John 4. I had always read John 4:1-3, but this time I caught on to something new. Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees has heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, He left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
Jesus was walking away from strife. Is that what some do when they get in the tank. Are they only getting in the tank because they are walking away from strife? If all you are doing is walking away from strife, what are you walking towards? Was the baptism just an experience? One thing that concerns me more is those who have stayed but keep the same heart as those who have walking away. I have heard excuses from many. I buy none of them.
Jesus told the woman who showed up to the well, everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Now reading this, remember I said they walked away form Christ. They may still be with us at HC, they may not be. If this is you, I will petition the Lord for you. This whole post is not really for those people. This post is meant for those who will now choose to get in the tank. If you soon find yourself wanting to get in that tank will you please do a few things. One. Do it out of obedience to the Lord and not to please man. Two. Know that the devil will be on his way to temp you. Three. Find someone to walk with you as you grow. Grace and peace.
5th Letter: Mathetrias!
To my Sisters
Disciple AKA Discipless
When Jesus went up the mountain in Luke 6:12 he spent all night with the Lord. In Luke 6:13 Jesus came down and picked his 12 disciples. He did not just pick men because men are superior and the Lord did not want women Discipled to Christ. It was just not time for women to be discipled. There are many things that happened while Jesus was walking the Earth and ministering to the masses. There are many men and women who like to look at scripture and tell us that women don’t have a place in ministry. They say that women can make cookies and have small group bible studies in their homes. They often also say that no woman should ever address the church. No woman should address the Ekklesia. The Body of believers.
36Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas.d She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” 39So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunicse and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.
Acts 9:36-43
The word used here for Disciple is mathetria. A mathetria is a female disciple. Not a disciple. Not a female. A female disciple. It is always important to look back into the words that we use. It is important also to see what Peter did in this story. Peter knew that there was a need for women in ministry. He believed that women also needed to have strong leaders. There are many women who struggle with the Lords curse from the beginning. Many woman had difficulty submitting to their husbands. If a woman has a hard time submitting to her husband, how can she submit to any other man. That is where a female disciple comes into play. With the guidance of a female disciple in a woman’s life, she can learn what true submission is. She can learn that submission is another form of respect. One of the best places for women in ministry is direct relationships with other women. Can any woman preach or teach to the congregation? No. Not any woman can. However, a Disciple of Christ, that abides in the Lord, who is full of the Holy Spirit, who knows the words of Jesus Christ, Who walks in the ways of Jesus Christ, can do the works of Jesus Christ. She not only can, but has a duty to do so if the Lord wills it. There is one thing that is certain. If the Lord tells someone to teach or preach, they need to be obedient to that command. No church doctrine can trump the word of the Lord. The words of the Lord are the fact that female Disciples exist. They not only exist but they are so great to the kingdom that the Lord allowed Peter to bring one back from the dead. If you are a woman and are considering ministry, seek the Lord first and he will put you where he needs you. Grace and Peace
-Your Sister
4th Letter to My Brothers and Sisters
My Brothers and Sisters
I apologize for this letter getting to you so late in the week. I had plans for this letter to arrive to you on Monday. However, a mountain of worldly issues popped up. I hope this letter finds you well in your walk with the Lord.
I have recently been asked multiple times about the term APEST. This term has been brought up to me by a few people that heard the term spoken from the stage. The term is an acronym.
A- Apostle: a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel.
P- Prophet: an interpreter or forth-teller of the divine will, one who speaks forth by the inspiration of God
E- Evangelist: someone with a vocational calling from God to announce the good news of the Gospel
S- Shepherd: someone who the Lord raises up to care for the total well-being of His flock
T- Teacher: a teacher, an instructor acknowledged for their mastery in their field of learning; in Scripture, a Bible teacher, competent in theology.
All of these terms grouped together come from Ephesians 4:11. Working out of your APEST is one of the 4 parts to seeing a movement of Christianity. At Harrah Church, we believe that there is more movement when people are allowed to be what the Lord made them. Example: I am a Prophet – Shepherd. My number one concern is people hearing the voice of the Lord. My number two is if everyone has someone to walk with them through their growth. One thing that I am not; an evangelist. Jenny has never asked me to be a door greeter. I am not sure if it is the constant look on my face that says, “ Don’t talk to me”. I am not sure if it is the fact that I feel like I am going to vomit every time I talk to someone new. What I know is; not being a door greeter frees me up to serve in other areas. While I am not gifted in the greeting area (Evangelist) I am Beyond grateful to have amazing, loving and welcoming people there. They are the first face people see when they walk in our doors. They are the first glimpse of Jesus people see when they come. They are what motivate people to walk from the front doors to the Worship hall doors. Grace and Peace.
Your sister
Andi
3rd letter to my Brothers and Sisters
My Dear Brothers and Sisters.
What does it look like to raise your children up in the ways of the Lord? What does it mean that children are an inheritance from the Lord? I have been given the gift of youth. Not youth as in a youthful appearance or body. I have been given the gift of working with the youth of Harrah Church. They are a gift. This gift has opened my eyes to many things. When you look at the average Christian child:
-They are born into a family that goes to church every Sunday. The average parent drops their child off at the children’s ministry on their way to the “adult” service. The child typically spends his days in Sunday school being told all of the nice bible stories and how much Jesus loves him no matter what. That becomes the depth of many children’s relationship with Christ. Then their parents come along and often have them baptized at a young age as soon as the child says they love Jesus. I am not here to judge anyone’s raising, just making an observation.
- Then the child becomes a teenager and is no longer stewing in innocence. The teen begins going to a “youth group” for most of their biblical learning. Most youth groups play a game every Wednesday night, sing some worship songs, then give a 15-minute sermon. I know this, because I grew up with this. There are very rarely hard teachings because we wouldn’t want our kids to get uncomfortable and quit coming. Our sermons are not long because we know they could never pay attention for longer than that. Most are never taught how to really read the Word. If any youth leader shows an interest in a teen, the situation is almost always presumed perverse. Thus, ending any type of intentional mentor relationship. The teen stays here for a few years until the age out of the church’s system. As soon as the child graduates, they are no longer part of any direct ministry.
At what point do parents take responsibility for their child learning about the Lord? Does the Word not say, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”? We can not always expect everyone else to teach our children about the Lord. While I say this, I am also thankful for the workers. I have witnessed workers lead children to the miracles of Christ. I have watched these workers prepare children for the work of the saints. I have watched these workers remind children of the Lord’s Word so many times that the child is now reminded of the Word. While the workers are doing good work for the Lord, what are the parents doing? Are you taking every opportunity to pour Christ into your child? When St. Augustine was studying in Rome, he was an adulterer. He had a mistress with whom he had a child. He was following a Manichean theology of religion. His father showed him the pagan ways and his mother showed him the Catholic Christian ways. When he left their home at an early age, he was led astray by every kind of deceit. The few things his mother taught him, were trying to compete with the sin filled world. His mother Monica left their home in Africa and followed him through Rome. When he boarded a ship, she followed. When he got off, she followed. She stalked him like prey preaching to him over and over. He had to escape a ship that she had followed him onto to get away. It wasn’t long after this that St. Augustine fell ill and found a new mentor. A bishop. This bishop was able to show St. Augustin the truth and power in the Pauline letters. So, while his mother may not have been the one thing that pushed him towards salvation in Christ, her persistence in planting seeds in her son played a huge role in his salvation and his path to lead others to Christ.
What seeds are you planting in your child? Are you watering those seeds with the Word of the Lord?
- Your Sister, Andi
To my brothers and sister, Why do you continue to believe?
My Brothers & Sisters
This is my second letter to you. I am writing to ask you, “Why do you continue to believe and hold faith while you go through so much suffering? I look at my life’s sufferings and they pale in comparison to the sufferings I have watched you all go through. I have watched many of you lose wives, husbands and children. I have watched you also go through horrible diseases and afflictions. I watch all of this and I am in awe of how you have maintained your faith. I was recently sitting in the book of James. If you know my sister Kelly, she can tell you all about James. Anyone who has ever cracked open the book of James knows that he spoke often of suffering. I can imagine the survivor’s guilt that James must have felt after the crucifixion. Many soldiers go to war and do everything that they can to save their brothers and still return home with guilt. Meanwhile, we have no scripture that tells us that James was even present during the crucifixion. The mental struggles that James may have walked through would have been torture. The medicine that James needed to fight off this guilt and shame came from Christ coming to James after the resurrection. Christ revealed himself to James. In all of this pain and hurt, there was one thing that gave James rescue. Christ alone. James later became the head of the church of Jerusalem. There he no doubt saw the sufferings that Christians were going through after Rome burned in AD64. The burning of Rome was only one of the things that led to the massacres of AD66 that left more than 3,600 people dead in Jerusalem. Just two years later James himself would be stoned to death. While we think of being stoned, we remove ourselves. It can be hard for an American to picture being stoned in 2019. So, let’s picture it. Pick out your favorite prophet or teacher, or shepherd, or apostle, or evangelist. Don’t forget to think of their face. Now, picture them buried up to their chest with their feet shackled together under the weight of the hard ground surrounding them. Now, picture everyone you know throwing brick size rocks at them one by one. One to the back breaking a rib out of place. One to the shoulder, knocking loose the clavicle. One to the chest collapsing a lung. One to the same spot breaking a rib into the lung so it slowly fills with blood, essentially drowning your friend. One to the mouth knocking out teeth right at the gum line. This goes on and on until there is no life left in your friend. The sight is not the worst. The worst part is listening to the screams of your friend as he begs for mercy. The screams that will slowly fade to nothing. James watched this, over and over and was still able to write:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
While all of us have various trials, we all have the same rescue. Christ. There is no trial too great for the Lord. James reminds us:
As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
In suffering, how are you reminded of the Lord’s compassion and mercy? In suffering, do you call on the Lord for absolution?