Godly Friends

A friend shows his friendship at all times - it is for adversity that [such] a brother is born. ~ Proverbs 17:17 (CJB)

Have you ever noticed that godly friends are like good bras?

As a mother of four breast-fed children...well, I will spare you the downer details! Seriously, godly friends provide much needed UPLIFT & SUPPORT when you are DOWN! And their encouragement makes us feel a whole lot better, doesn’t it?! They are a perfect fit and you can’t wait for them to be around you! SEE! Godly friends are most definitely like good bras! I rest my lace...

You know these friends I speak of.

They are there for you.

They will not judge you unrighteously and condemn you, no matter how much of a mess you have made. They understand (though may not be able to completely relate to) where you stand. They realize we all travel an Appointed Way and cheer you onward to persevere in HIS strength through your trials. They are able to see the other side of a given situation and speak the Truth of the Word of God into your ear. If you do get off track, they will lovingly guide you back in the right direction...God’s direction....provided that your spirit is teachable. For Proverbs 12:1 says,

‘Whoever loves instruction, loves knowledge; but he who hates correction is stupid.’ (NKJV)

She is the one you can count on.

You know that nothing will surprise her. You know that she will love you REGARDLESS of your actions (good, bad or indifferent) - because the essence of grace is undeserved favor. She is the woman free of critical thinking, generous with her love and holds within her spirit a depth of Kingdom understanding and divine revelation. She bares a striking family resemblance to her Heavenly Father. Her face shines with acceptance and is not darkened by condemnation and fault-finding.

She is a fruit inspector, but only of her own fruit!

She is the one you aspire to be like. She lives the WORD OF GOD. Her words (which are HIS WORDS) and walk are in perfect alignment. She has a godly and reverential fear that drive her to her knees in humility and holy adoration before HIS Throne. You feel the Kingdom at work within her because you perceive that only the Father is able to supernaturally reveal both humility and boldness in and through HIS servant simultaneously.

She is a Merea.

That is Hebrew for ‘trusted friend and companion’. Merea comes from the root word ra’ah which means ‘to feed, to provide nourishment, to tend a flock.’

And that she does for you! She does not stifle your spirit or quench HIS, but encourages you with Living Water that you may grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD. She gives those she loves, serves and prays for the GRACE, SPACE and TIME to grow. HIS Name is not blasphemed because of her ways. Rather, her conduct gently whispers to all who heed, ‘Where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty!’

Blessed Father, may we be like this woman because of Your Holy Breath within us. May all who read this realize THIS IS Your plan for each of us. May YOUR NAME be hallowed in us and may Christ be regarded as holy in our hearts in our ways (1 Peter 3:15). Give Your servants deep conviction that moves us to repentance. In HIS Name.

7 Abominations

These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

~ Proverbs 6:16-19

‘Mom, look at that lady!’, my daughter smugly exclaimed, ‘she’s smoking a cigarette!’. The statement pierced my heart as I saw the ‘face of unsure’ upon the woman’s countenance. I know she heard my child’s blatant expression of disapproval. The LORD quickened my spirit, as well as my tongue. I herded the children into the vehicle and turned and smiled apologetically at the woman. I then explained to my daughter that our LORD deeply loves this woman created in His image - just as He loves us - even while a cigarette hangs from the woman’s lips.


‘Do you remember the seven abominations that our LORD hates?’, I asked my daughter who had recently memorized that particular verse due to abomination number two. ‘Smoking is not one of them....but a proud look is’, I said.


After this incident, I realized that my sweet daughter’s childish retort is not far removed from many in our congregations today. I asked our Heavenly Father if this is what He sees in His children more often than not. The legalistic religious crowd had Scripture memorized, too, but their lives were void of The Spirit of Love. Therefore, their lives turned away and condemned many from the very God of Love they professed to follow.


Sweet Daughters of The Most High, do any one of these seven abominations rule your life? Only one abomination is needed to begin our walk away from our Redeemer and LORD.


What do your face, your tongue, your hands, your heart, your feet, your witness and your actions reveal about your standing before our Great Judge? Peter reminds us that judgement begins with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17). I find it so amazing that Peter goes on (2 Peter 1:5-11) to reveal in The Spirit SEVEN Godly attributes that we are to ADD to our faith:

‘...with all diligence, add to your faith, virtue (goodness), to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly-kindness, and to brotherly-kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.’

May we add these to our faith today and may we each remember those things our LORD delights in - “lovingkindness, judgement & righteousness in the land, in these things I delight,” says The LORD (Jer. 9:22-23).

There is abundant grace and hope available for the smoker and the proud alike. Blessed be The Name of ADONAI forever!

I'd love your company at Women of the WORD!

The Mirror

For we know that the Torah is of the Spirit; but as for me, I am bound to the old nature, sold to sin as a slave. I don't understand my own behavior - I don't do what I want to do; instead, I do the very thing I hate! ~ Romans 7:14,15

“Mom, Bethany was desperate, so she offered me twenty dollars to help her find her game”, Caleb said as we were driving to his baby sister’s gymnastics class.

“Oh, really?”, I said.


I could tell by the tone in his voice he was about to proudly profess to me that he had indeed chose God’s best in the matter. He was what we call convinced. And I was ready to give him an attaboy!


“So, whaddya do?”, I said.


Primed for his mother’s praise he said, “I told her she only had to give me ten!”


OK, now that is classic! After an inner chuckle, I asked Caleb what he thought Jesus might’ve done in that situation. With much less enthusiasm, he responded, ‘He would’ve probably told her to keep all her money and he’d help her out anyway.’ Together, we had an aha! moment...


I know what you’re thinking, the ol’ WWJD trick! Well, kind of. If we are to have the mind of Christ, shouldn’t we be thinking like Him? Far too often, however, our thinking is like that of the Pharisee of Luke 18:11:


“The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself, `O God! I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, immoral, or like this tax-collector!


You know, the one who unwittingly measures himself against others instead of having Christ as his Standard. How many times have you prided yourself on what you DON’T DO or what you don’t let your children do?


It is quite comical that our test of holiness has come to be a list of all that we DO NOT DO instead of WHAT WE (actively and actually) DO. I am guilty of it! And I loathe that in me when the MIRROR OF ADONAI'S WORD reveals such hypocrisy.


Here is a saying you can count on:

Then Yeshua addressed the crowds and his disciples: "The Torah-teachers and the Pharisees," He said, "sit in the seat of Moses. So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don't do what they do, because they talk but don't act!” (Matthew 23:1-3)

Legalism is me-centered and 'shuts the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces (Matthew 23:13,15).

Love, however, is Christ-centered and opens the doors for others to receive the Gospel.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. B'Shem Yeshua Adoneinu.

Please join Carmen in the study of the 'Torat Chayim' (Living Torah Who is Yeshua)

at...

Needing a Change?

From a distance ADONAI appeared to me, [saying,] "I love you with an everlasting love; this is why in My grace I draw you to Me. ~ Jeremiah 31:3

When my daughter Kierstyn was still in diapers just a few short years ago, she had a most peculiar way of letting me know she had taken care of her business.

She was in the habit of pushing me away from her every time she had ‘gone potty’ - that would be No. 2! Moms, you know the look and you are familiar with ‘all things poopy’, I am sure. (You might be interested to know that I had to add 'poopy' to my spell check.)

Now, I always knew when she was going to take care of this smelly business because she would find a quiet place...usually behind a door. When I would find her, she would say as best she could,' No, mommy...I don't need you, I have poopy!'.

And I would patiently hold out my arms to her. All the while she would wave her hands back and forth, avoiding eye contact and repeat, 'No, mommy...I don't need you, I have poopy!'

There I would remain with open arms - still confident that my patience would eventually pay off in the form of hugs.

This would play on three, four, sometimes five times.

'Kierstyn, Mommy loves you! EVEN when you have a poopy!’, I would reassure her with an affectionate smile.

Eventually, she would give in and hug me. Though a little reserved, she would embrace me and look at me with those big, brown eyes knowing that despite the fact that she was undeniably stinky, her Mommy remained PASSIONATELY IN LOVE WITH HER PAST ALL THE 'POOPY' she found herself in.

Embracing me, though not as tightly as I would like - but satisfied with her little body pressed against mine nonetheless - I would tell her, “Now, let's go change your diaper and make you smell pretty and feel better!”

Having accepted my love, she now finally accepts my offer...happily. And she is ready for a change.

Today, try to see yourself as Kierstyn. Perhaps you already do! When we see ourselves in His light, we are prompted to praise our Heavenly Father because of His steadfast and immeasurable love for us.

"Here is what love is:not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the kapparah [atonement, pardon] for our sins."~ 1 John 4:10

This ‘Set-Apart ABOVE Love’ changes us when we ACCEPT it. And then our Father says, ‘Child, now love others with this love I have given you - past their performances - good, bad or indifferent. Just LOVE as I AM.’

Now, that is Heavenly and life-changing!

ABBA, open our eyes to accept this love You freely give! Give us holy vision, impart to us an understanding that will change every aspect of our lives. And be Magnified in our homes, our fellowships and in this age. Make Your Love flow from the inside out into mighty streams of Living Waters for others to drink freely from, in Yeshua’s Life-Giving Name.

Carmen would love the pleasure of your company at Women Of the Word!

The Heavens Declare His Glory!

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a groom coming from the bridal chamber; it rejoices like an athlete running a course. It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat. - Psalm 19:1-6 (HCSB)

When I was little child, I would look up at the great big sky and pick from the multitude a special star to wish upon. I distinctly remember the exhilarating hope I had as I looked to that wee star in the distance, fully expecting him to grant this little girl her every wish.

It would be quite some time before I would accept the Creator of those stars as my Savior. But even then, I only believed that He was. I did not follow Jesus our Messiah for quite some time. I didn’t follow Him because I didn’t trust Him. And I couldn’t trust Him because I didn’t know Him.

As I have grown to know my Abba YHWH (Father God) thru His Son Yeshua, and have studied His Love Letter to me (The Holy Scriptures), I have come to understand that the little star I prayed to was indeed speaking to me. But friends, he was declaring the Sole Sovereign, Creator of the Universe!

You see, that wee star in the distance was crying out with a reliable hope as our spirits within us still do today. Romans 8:18-23 reads:

I don't think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future. The creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed; for the creation was made subject to frustration - not willingly, but because of the one who subjected it. But it was given a reliable hope that it too would be set free from its bondage to decay and would enjoy the freedom accompanying the glory that God's children will have. We know that until now, the whole creation has been groaning as with the pains of childbirth; and not only it, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons - that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free.

That wee star had a sure message to deliver! It was to proclaim the only One Who was willing and able to fill the deep crevices of my soul.

What do you hear when you look up at the night sky?

A little star never could fill us with divine purpose, forgive us our desperate perversities, and infuse us with divine passion. And yet, that wee part of the creation - held high in the sky by the Messiah’s Hand (Colossians 1:17) - cannot help but tell us about the One Who can!

Father God, You are able! We praise You for Your lovingkindness and patience toward us! We thank You for declaring the message of deliverance in Jesus Christ from Your very creation that waits on You! We love You, ADONAI and bless Your Name. May You make us bold proclaimers as well, of the Light of Salvation thru Yeshua (Jesus) our LORD and Redeemer. Amen.

Come feast with me upon Lechem Ha-Chaim (Bread of Life) at Women of the Word...

The Fulfilled Woman

Yeshua HaMashiach said that He came that we might have ABUNDANT LIFE (John 10:10).   HIS Execution Stake (The Cross) made a way for us to receive inner joy, peace, and contentment in our life’s journey.  

In the glorious blessing of our salvation, Yeshua has given us THREE KINGDOM KEYS that we may unlock the doors of Favor and Blessing in our lives:

1.) KEY OF WISDOM (TO GUIDE US) - THE WORD OF GOD

2.) KEY OF POWER (TO INVIGORATE US) - THE SPIRIT OF GOD

3.) KEY OF LOVE (TO CHANGE US) - THE PURPOSE OF GOD

The journey to being The Fulfilled Woman is not far.  It’s much closer than you may think! 

The following excerpt is from Session II: The Key of Power! from "The Fulfilled Woman Bible Study"

The Silver Watch 

"One morning as I was rushing to church with the children, I looked down and saw that I had forgotten my new silver/gold watch.  I had my silver/gold earrings, my silver/gold bracelet, my silver/gold necklace...but I had no watch!  That’s when I remembered my older silver/gold watch that had stopped working and I had left it in the cupholder.

‘Should I wear it?’, I thought to myself. 

But, something about that didn’t seem right.  Afterall, if someone asked me for the time, I wouldn’t be able to help them.  

Oh, but it looked so good!  And it matched perfectly with all of my other accessories!

 

But, no, I just couldn’t!  

That’s when I heard the LORD whisper to me that His children were a lot like my non-functioning watch.  “Many of my children are a lot like that watch. They LOOK GOOD in appearance.  They seem to have it all together, but they are NOT USEFUL.  They are not fulfilling their KINGDOM PURPOSE because they lack MY POWER to do so!” 

I was stunned. 

Then He reminded me that it doesn’t have to REMAIN that way. It’s ok to find yourself in a pit...it’s just not ok to stay there!’" 

Carmen would love for you to drop by Women Of the Word, and leave a word of wisdom yourself!  Also, if your small group of women is interested in 'The Fulfilled Woman' Beit Midrash (House of Study), there are two introductory sessions not included in the download that she would be blessed to share via email with your group leader.  Simply click on the icon above to download...and don't forget to ask her about the two week Intro Sessions!

...But NOW I see!

Then the two told what had happened on the road and how He had become known to them in the breaking of the matzah. ~ Luke 24:35

before we go further?Imagine now, walking along life's road. Unbelieving. Downcast. Without understanding. Confused. Despondent.Imagine now the Resurrected Yeshua is walking alongside you. Unrecognized, but there nonetheless.Does this describe you today? Have you grown uncertain of your place in life? Have you lost your purpose?

Friend, it no longer has to be the case, for the Risen Mashiach has Bread that will open your eyes to your place and purpose.Two traveled the road to Amma'us after being dealt a hard blow. Their Savior had perished three days prior. Their hopes of being freed from Roman bondage were now dashed at the finality of their Redeemer's death. How could they go on? What purpose was there now for their lives?

Their Mashiach was no longer part of their escape plan. Or was He?

We simply do not see things in our life the way our Lord does. And unless we put ourselves in the position of dining and reclining with Him in fellowship, we cannot see as He sees.The truth is that we have the things of this world constantly set before our eyes contending for our every attention. And unless we make the time and deliberate effort to come apart, close our eyes (even briefly) to the world and gaze upon El Elyon, we shall remain blinded by the present world's system.

Unless we choose life, we will not have life. Unless we quiet the clanging cymbals of the world and close our eyes to the worthless worldly images that have set themselves up against HaSHEM, we will have chosen death. Consequentially, our hearts grow dull. However, isn't it completely glorious that the two who walked with Yeshua AFTER HIS RESURRECTION on the road to Amma'us did not even recognize who He was until they reclined with Him? Yeshua then took the Bread, broke It, gave It to them and they ate. Behold, their eyes were opened!They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts burn inside us as He spoke to us on the road, opening up the Tanakh to us?" ~ Luke 24:32

The two could not let this Man get away just moments before, even though He had called them 'foolish people'! They knew there was something about His Presence. They invited Him into their home to stay 'for it's almost evening, and it's getting dark', they said.

After their eyes had been opened, they realized that their hearts had burned as He had spoken opening up the Tanakh to them along the road. The road was Amma'us. The Hebrew word meaning is 'Hot Spring'.

Yes, indeed! The Hot Springs of Living Water had begun to bubble up within them for sure!

To choose LIFE, then, is to choose to SIT before Him. HE has already prepared the Matzah (Word) and has already made the B'rakhah (Blessing).

Yeshua the Guest had become Yeshua the Host! He does that.

It was to the lukewarm fellowship of Laodicea (not unbelievers) that He said...

Here, I'm standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with Me. ~ Revelation 3:20

This lukewarm fellowship were as blind (Revelation 3:18) as the Two on the Road to Amma'us.

He is knocking. Invite Him in! But by all means, do not forget to recline at His Table after He has entered!

Sit down. Fellowship. Recline. Receive the Bread He gives. Then, and only then, shall we worship in Spirit and Truth with eyes open wide!

'And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the words spoken to her from the Lord.' ~ Luke 1:45

Carmen would love your company at Women Of the WORD.

Mimhtai Mou!

μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ. 

You say, ‘That's Greek to me!’  Yes, friends, it is.

Translation: 

“Be an imitator of me just as I am an imitator of Christ.”

Mimetes means to imitate, to follow.  The root word means ‘to mimic’.

Paul was teaching those raunchy, self-indulgent Corinthians saved by the grace of The Most High God, how to live out their new faith.  He was teaching them what being a Follower of the Mashiach (Messiah) actually looked like in their liberating new life.  It was to MIMIC the Saving One.

He was teaching them that their NEW LIFE in Christ was gloriously beautiful as it is liberating because it was Truth.  And it is Truth that sets us free indeed!  Paul was spelling out for them who (and Whose) they actually are now IN Yeshua HaMashiach.

The Pattern to be copied and mimicked is ultimately Jesus, the Christ.  Though, Paul preaches to them that they are to follow his (Paul’s) pattern only because he is following Christ’s pattern for living a pure and holy life in word, thought and deed!  

Paul’s halacha (walk) matches his LORD’s.

Now, you might already be enlightened to the fact that Scripture ‘addresses’ or references are not inspired of God.  Men put those there so that we might be able to locate the Inspired passages.  I bring this up because 1 Corinthians 11:1 should actually be 1 Corinthians 10:34.  It completes the point that Paul is trying to convey that ‘he is not looking out for his own interests, but for those of the many, so that they may be saved.’  Paul is deeply concerned about the salvation of others.  

Don’t you know that is the compassionate concern of Christ in him?

Paul is telling us today that we are to be so concerned with the salvation of others that we closely MIMIC the LORD YESHUA in word, thought and deed for the purpose of bringing others into this Kingdom of Light!  We are to be making Followers as we ourselves follow the Risen Christ.

Imitation cheese.  Disgusting.  

Imitation bacon bits.  What’s the point?

Imitation Christ.  Exemplary!  

And Christ looks GREAT, y'all!

I used to believe that we were to ‘mimic’ until Christ is formed in us.   But, the LORD has corrected me.  We are to ‘mimic’ that Christ might be formed in us.

"Be ye followers (imitators) of me, even as I also am (an imitator) of Christ."

Be ye:   4:16; 10:33; Philippians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:9; Hebrews 6:12

even:    Romans 15:2,3; Ephesians 5:1,2; Philippians 2:4,5

Not everyone will be enthralled at your imitating Christ.  Some may even be your Christian friends.  Truth always brings conviction.  Go ahead, imitate anyway.  It is for the sake of all, remember?

What about you?  Can you say “mimhtai mou ginesqe kaqwV kagw Cristou”?  No, I don’t mean in Greek...I mean with a good conscience?

Our halacha is being seen.  But ought it be imitated? 

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Let Her Works Praise Her!

Give her the reward of her labor, and let her works praise her at the city gates. 

~ Proverbs 31:31

Godly Woman, what is your role today? Wife? Mommy? Sister? Friend? Teacher? Neighbor? Or all of the above?

Everyday as we fulfill these roles, our works will fall into one of two categories...whatever the task. We will have accomplished them along the 'broad way' or we will have accomplished them along the 'narrow way'.

Consider our ideal model carefully described for us in Proverbs 31 - a woman so near the heart and mind of God that not only do her works praise her, but her God does as well!

Paul reminded the Corinthians that ...He is our Master. He is the One to Whom we will render our accounts in all the works our lives have produced in the 'olam hazeh (the present world).

And it is only by HIS grace that we will be found faithful stewards of that grace. The Hebrew word for works ma’aseh that results in a finished product(good or bad).

Does this bring to mind the Proverb that teaches even a child is known by his deeds (Pr. 20:11)?

May I ask what are you known for?

Have you ever thought about it?  Really, really thought about it?

Do you believe our Great and Holy God would praise you presently in your works (present responses to trying situations)? Do you believe on that Great Day that HE will praise you because of your faithfulness to Him with those rich, heavenly graces that He bestowed upon you as His servant on earth?

What does your fruit-ometer reveal - is it on E or F?

Which kind of seed are you sowing into your future harvest...right now?

I heard a preacher once say that there are only two types of Kingdom workers - those who build up (Builders) and those who tear down (Destroyers). I used to mistakenly believe that there was a third group - those who do nothing. But, the Proverb (18:9) revealed that ...

‘the lazy man is brother to the destroyer’.

Oh My! There really are only TWO WAYS in life! Which worker are you? Do your words, thoughts and deeds build up or do they tear down?

May we make it a point to remind our (sheepish) selves that BOTH kinds are workers, indeed. Both the Builder and Destroyer do their WORK...but only one’s work will escape the fire (2 Peter 3:11-12). Remember, we have no permanent city (home) here (Hebrews 13:14).

"But we seek the city that is to come..."

Woman of God, may we pray for one another - for His Name’s sake - that we each learn to carefully examine our works (Galatians 6:4) before our Great Shepherd and Faithful Father. And may each of us receive that glorious praise from our works (seed-sowing) done in faith... but especially, may those praises ring from our Great God, HaG'dulah BaM'romim (The Greatness on High)!

The God of shalom brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Yeshua, by the blood of an eternal covenant. May that God equip you with every good thing you need to do His will; and may He do in us whatever pleases Him, through Yeshua the Messiah. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. ~Hebrews 13:20-21

Carmen would love your presence at Women Of the Word!