Faith & Obedience to the One True God!

Another blog I receive weekly. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Permission to repost granted by author.
More from me at the end!


> TEACHING THE HEBRAIC PERSPECTIVE OF FAITH IN AND OBEDIENCE TO THE ONE TRUE GOD
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> July Update
> What does a lesson in fire building have to do with the current world situation?
More than you may have imagined.
> If you have ever wondered what it sounds like when I try to did myself out of a
hole, this is a good time to listen!
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> VIDEO
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> Torah Commentary
> Pinchas "Phineas"
> Numbers 25:10-30:1
> 1 Kings 18:46-19:21
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> Zeal In The Camp
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> Reading about the Hebrews and their journey through the wilderness has taken on so
much meaning in the past few years. With each passing year it becomes more and
more special to read about their lives. It is not that the accounts of their lives
become more exciting, but as His Day approaches, reading about the lives of the
Hebrews causes me to sit back and allow my own thoughts to wander. I think about
how different their walk was from ours today, but with the differences come so
many striking similarities. Their walk was different because times have changed,
but it was so simular because people do not change.
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> This week we read about people who no matter the blessings of The Almighty in
their lives desired the quick passing pleasure of sin rather than the
righteousness of their Creator. We read about one man who took the bull by the
horns and made a difference. If you look between the lines we also see the masses
called the majority who just sat and watched as spectators on a sideline.
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> The main character in the opening words of this weeks Torah is a man named
Pinchas. He came on the scene rather quickly last week and became the hero of the
day to stop a plague which was sweeping through the people because of sin in the
camp. His heroic efforts cause him to not only take a place in recorded history,
but also brings him and his family into a promotion promised not only for the
lifetime of Phichas, but forever.
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> What was it that brought about the blessing Pinchas would walk in? It is boiled
down to one word, zeal. But what exactly is zeal?
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> Webster defines zeal as "great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an
objective." Zeal is something which is easy to define, but rather hard to teach.
Fact is, I do not think you can teach zeal. You can teach emotions and hype which
last about as long as the passing pleasure of sin, but zeal is another matter. I
have come to the conclusion after years of teaching that there is no way to teach
zeal. Zeal can not be taught, zeal must be caught!
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> Pinchas did not get his zeal from a book. We are not told where Pinchas got his
zeal from. It could have been directly from Moses himself. Or maybe it was Joshua?
There is an interesting thought. Maybe there is more to the man Joshua than we
know up to this point. So far all we know about him is that he stuck pretty close
to Moses most of the time. He was no doubt addicted to the presence of Elohim, for
when Moses left the Tabernacle, Joshua would stay behind. What was Joshua doing
with his time during a normal day though? Maybe he was passing on a zeal he had
not been taught, but rather had caught from his time in the presence of Moses and
of course Elohim Himself. If this is so, it sure paid off not only in the life of
Pinchas, but in the lives of many Hebrews that infamous day.
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> This of course brings us to a question. How is our zealousness today? Do we have
the kind of zealous pursuit of HaShem that causes others around us to sit up and
take notice? Do we have a zealousness that is affecting other people around us?
Are we ever zealous enough about Him for people to notice?
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> A zealous lifestyle will cause you to do things others are not willing to do.
Zealousness will cause you to step out of a crowd like Pinchas or a Judas
Maccabee. It will cause you to do things others are just not willing to do.
Zealousness will cause you to be different from the crowd. Zealousness will cause
you to be admired by some, but not accepted by most. Zealousness will cause you to
be misunderstood most of the time. Zealousness will cause you to loose many
friends, but in the end have the greatest influence on people. Above all,
zealousness for Him will cause Him to be zealous over you. Personally I can not
think of a better reason to desire to catch this wonderful trait of His the
scripture calls zealous. ..
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> Shabbat Shalom,
> Mike
>

>
> email: hineni@mac.com
> phone: 405 257 6277
> web: http://www.joinedtohashem.org


So - are you willing to be different? Are you willing to do something radical to make a difference in the lives of others? Be zealous for the Kingdom of God! The world will be a better place if you do!

LIfestyle Desires vs Family Needs

Yesterday I was at the monthly meeting for Kingdom Advisors, www.kingdomadvisors.org, an organization that equips the financial professional to walk out and teach about biblical stewardship. Yesterday's topic was very timely about our lifestyle desires vs our family needs. Have you ever sat down with your family and discuss needs vs desires? People are losing jobs and when finding new employment, accepting positions with companies at much less income than they ever made before. As I currently am in transition into a new position with no real predictable income. I am reevaluating my spending decisions. I was convicted in my spirit recently about my latte habit. I have many appointments outside my office in a local coffee shop for convenience. I love a good latte when I am there. I realized that a latte is a desire not a need for me. I chose to have a glass of water instead so that I could save a few bucks. I'm not here to make you feel guilty about what you do or don't do or what you have or don't have. I just believe now is the time to look inward, to discern the true nature of your lifestyle and see if there are any areas you could cut back on so that you could avoid unseen financial circumstances later.

We have to be proactive to avoid future calamity We can't bet on our future, we can't assume we will be employed tomorrow, we can't assume that we will always be in good health. Reality is that only God knows what our future holds. We need to press into Him, we need to abide in Him, we need to spend time in His Word. It is a light for our path. We need to look to Him for provision and trust that He will take care of us. Pray and ask the Lord to come into your heart and meet your needs. See what His Word has to say: Matthew 6:25-33:
25Therefore I tell you, stop being [a]perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?

26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?

27And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the [b]span of his life?(A)

28And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and [c]learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.

29Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his [d]magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.]

30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?

31Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?

32For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

33But seek ([e]aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ([f]His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [g]taken together will be given you besides.

As we continue to see the media portray doom and gloom, we can turn to our Heavenly Father. He will provide you peace through difficult times!

Bless you this day!