Iyyar 15, 5770
Surely the arm of YHVH is not too short to save, nor His ear to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your Elohim; your sins have hidden His Face from you, so that He will not hear. Isaiah 59:1&2
My heart says of You, "Seek His face!" Your Face, YHVH, I will seek. Psalm 27:8
When we meet someone we look at their face and within that face we are able to see what they are feeling....happy, sad, mad, scared...even indifference towards us. Yes you can tell a whole lot about a person just by looking at their face.
What about our Elohim's face? What are you looking for there? What are you going to find? When we seek His face, we are seeking His heart and His mind. Most of the time we seek His Hands and not His heart. "Please Father, I need this....please give, please heal, please fix this.........this is not seeking YHVH and this is definately not "seeking His face."
To truly 'seek His face' we must step out of our comfort zone...out of our daily routine. We must be willing to set aside any ideas and thoughts we already have about Him and be willing to accept anything He reveals to us.
We need to 'let go' of EVERYTHING. As long as we hol;d onto earthly things we will never ascend to the level of stepping into Heavenly things. We cannot come face to face with our Elohim unless we humble ourselves, pray, and turn from our wicked ways.
14 if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.2 Chronicals 7:14
We need to repent...we need to be aware of our wickedness. We need to seek Him and find out what things in our lives are displeasing to Him. When we do this we find out how we have failed in words, thoughts and deeds.
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags to Him.Isaiah 64:6
He is our righteousness...we are nothing without Him.
We must seek Him in humility and be in complete dependence upon Him. for humility precedes holiness and without holiness we cannot see YHVH.
The emotional attribute of Sefirah for humility is HOD.
*It is said that humility is the silent partner of endurance. Its strength is in its silence. Its splendor is in its repose.
HUMILITY--and the resulting yielding-- should not be confused with weakness and lack of self-esteem. Humility is modesty: it is acknowledgement (from the root of the Hebrew word, "hoda 'ah"). It is saying "thank you" to Elohim. It is clearly recognising your qualities and strengths and acknowledging that they are not your own; they were given to you by YHVH for a higher purpose than to satisfy your own needs. Humility is modesty; it is recognising how small you arewhich allows you to realize how large you can become. and that makes humility so formidable.
Endurance draws its energy from th acknowledgement of humility. Human endurance goes only so far as your tolerance level. Acknowledging that your strengths come from a higher place gives you the power to endure far beyond your own perceived capacity. It gives you part of our Elohim's enduring strength.
A full cup cannot be filled. When you're filled with yourself and your needs, "I and nothing else" there is no room for more. When you "empty" yourself before something greater than yourself, your capacity to receive increases beyond your previously perceived limits. Humility is the key to transcendence; to reach beyond yourself. Only true humility gives you the power of total objectivity.
Humility is sensitivity. It is healthy shame that comes from recognising that you can be better than you are and that you can expect more of yourself.
Although humility is silent, it is not a void. It is a dynamic expression of life that includes all seven qualities of love, discipline, compassion, endurance, humility, bonding and sovereignty. Humility is active not passive, not a state of being but an interaction even in its calm and inaction.*
Those who truly desire to "seek His face" will find the time...will cancel hobbies, forsake tv, put away newspapers and magazines...we forsake everything to be in His Presence. We need to just put everything on hold and focus completely on YHVH...seeking intimacy with Him...to know His heart...and our own heart in His light.
Is there a place where we should go?
ADONAI would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.Exodus 33:11
How did Moses do this? Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp, some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting". anyone inquiring of YHVH would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
Anyone who inquired.....who sought YHVH....went outside the camp to the tent of meeting.
What does this mean for us? Are we to pitch a tent?
Yeshua said, "When you pray, go to your closet, close the door and pray to your Father." Matthew 6:6
When deep in prayer, Jewish men will put their prayer shawls over their heads to shut out the world and be in the presence of God. This can be seen in the synagogue or at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The prayer shawls are white, representing the heavens, or the dwelling place of the ADONAI. And, the color blue represents the Ruach HaKodesh, or Holy Spirit of ELOHIM. Therefore, praying under the tallit, or prayer shawl, is covering yourself with the presence of ELOHIM. From biblical times, this custom was like a prayer closet, and it is likely this is what Yeshua was referring to in Matthew 6:6, when He told us to get into our closet, apart from the people around, and pray in secret to the Lord.
It also means to get away....completely away...away from all the noise around you. A place where no one will see you or bother you. A place where you can pray to our Father and enter into His presence and it is there in this "place" in the secret of His Presence that we grow strong in faith and intimacy with our Elohim.
Yeshua often went by Himself to a deserted place early in the morning before anyone else was up. He made it a regular practice to seek His father in the solitude of the Mount of Olives.
He is our example...let us seek the face of YHVH...let us go into our prayer closets..into a place of solitude...forgetting the cares of the world and family problems. LET US SEEK THE FACE OF YHVH and be renewed in strength and the ability to hear His voice in the coming times of strife.
If we truly seek Him...if we fast and pray we will gain much....we will have greater intimacy with YHVH and a fresh indwelling of Ruach. we will have more clarity in hearing His voice and the direction in our calling and growth. And better discernment in the matters of life.
Seeking His Face will lead us into His Rest.
*from FORTY-NINE STEPS TO PERSONAL REFINEMENT ACCORDING TO JEWISH TRADITION by Rabbi Simon Jacobson.*
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Seven Emotional Attributes
Iyyar 6, 5770
It is a beautiful day in my little part of the world. I am so thankful to our Elohim for He is so good....His love and mercy endures forever! The sky is blue, the birds are chirping and singing and the wind is blowing ever so slightly...just a wonderful day!
In yesterday's blog I talked about the counting of the Omer and I listed the Seven Emotional Attributes......these are called Sefirah. Sefirah is a Hebrew word and has several meanings...it means both, "mispar", meaning number and "sipur" as in telling a story. A third root meaning is "sapir", a sapphire stone, which is translucent crystal that shines brightly.
Counting sefirah illuminates the different aspects of our emotional lives. the days of sefirah tell us a story....the story of our souls. These seven emotions and qualities are known in the plural as sefirot.
The purpose of this day by day analysis is to give us the ability to stand back and take an objective look at our subjective emotions. Thus we will see our strong and weak points and this will enable us to have an understanding of how we can better ourselves emotionally for oursekves and our realtionships with others and in our spiritual growth and maturity.
WEEK ONE.....CHESED
LOVINGKINDNESS; BENEVOLENCE
Love is the single most powerful and necessary componant in life. Love is the origin and foundation of all componants in life. Love is both giving and receiving. It allows us to reach above and beyond ourselves; to experience another person and to allow that person to experience us. It is the tool by which we learn to experience the highest reality....GOD.
LOVE IS TRANSCENDENCE
LOVE
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Follow the way of love................(1 Corinthians 13 & 14:1)
WEEK TWO......GEVURAH
JUSTICE. DISCIPLINE, RESTRAINT, AWE
If love (chesed) is the bedrock of human expression, discipline (gevurah) is the channel through which we express love. It gives our life and love directions and focus. Like a laser beam, its potency lies in the focus and concentration of light in one direction, rather than fragmented light beams dispersed in all directions. Gevurah...discipline and measure...concentrates and directs our efforts, our love, in the proper directions.
Another aspect of gevurah is respect and awe. Healthy love requires respect for the one you love.
For God gave us a Spirit who produces not timidity, but power, love and self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7)
When we truly love someone we expect the best for them and we expect them to do their best. We do not judge them instead we do whatever we can to help them be the best they can be.
WEEK THREE....TIFERET
COMPASSION, HARMONY, TRUTH
Tiferet....compassion blends and harmonizes the free outpouring love of chesed with the discipline of gevurah. Tiferet possesses this power by introducing a third dimension...the dimension of truth, which is neither love nor discipline and therefore can integrate the two. Truth is accessed through selflessness: rising above your ego and your predispiositions, enabling you to realize a higher truth. Truth gives you a clear and objective picture of your and others needs. The imbalance of love and discipline (and for that matter, any distortion) is a result of a subjective, hence limited perspective. Introducing truth, by suspending personal prejudices, allows you to express your feelings (including they synthesis of chesed and gevurah) in the healthiest manner.
This quality gives TIFERET its name, which means BEAUTY: it blends the differing colors of love and discipline, and this harmony makes it beautiful.
Someone once said the difference between sympathy and compassion is that the one who sympathizes, sees and feels, but does nothing. The one who has compassion, sees, feels and then does something about the need. Yeshua always had compassion on the crowd and the people He came in contact with. He did something about their needs. And so we as His followers, must also bear our cross and follow Him. Be like Yeshua!
Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.1 John 3:18
To have compassion is to be kind in all we think, do and say....
Kindness is an inner desire that makes us want to do good things even if we do not get anything in return. It is the joy of our life to do them. When we do good things from this inner desire, there is kindness in everything we think, say, want, and do.
Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.
Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families, and nations.
Yeshua said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." and "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35).
WEEK FOUR....NETZACH
ENDURANCE, FORTITUDE, AMBITION
Endurance and ambition is a combination of determination and tenacity. It is a balance of patience, persistence and guts. Endurance is also being reliable and accountable which establishes security and commitment. Without endurance, any good endeavor or intention has no chance of success.
Endurance means to be alive, to be driven by healthy and productive goals. It is the readiness to fight for what you believe, to go all the way. Without such commitment any undertaking remains flat and empty. It is an energy that comes from within and stops at nothing to acheive irts goals. This, of course, requires that endurance be closely examined to ensure that it is used in a healthy and productive way.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. ...James 1:12-18
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.James 1:2-4
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:36
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,Romans 5:3-4
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, Colossians 1:11
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:4
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, Romans 15:5
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
ASK YOURSELF.....How commited am I to my values? How much would I fight for them? Am I easily swayed? What price am I ready to pay for my beliefs? Is there any truth for which I am ready to give my life?
WEEK FIVE.....HOD
HUMILITY, SPLENDOR
If endurance is the engine of life, humility is its fuel. As gevurah (discipline) gives chesed (love) focus, HOD gives netzach (endurance) direction. Humility is the silent partner of endurance. Its strength is in its silence. Its splendor is in its repose.
HUMILITY...and its resulting yeilding...should not be confused with weakness and lack of self-esteem. humility is modesty; it is acknowledgment (from the root of the Hebrew word, "hoda' ah"). It is saying "thank you" to God. It is clearly recognising your qualities and strengths and acknowledging that they are not your own; they were given to you by God for a higher purpose than just satisfying your own needs. Humility is modesty; it is recognising how small you are which allows you to realize how large you can become. And that makes humility so formidable.
Endurance draws its energy from the acknowledgment of humility. Human endurance goes only as far as your tolerance level. Acknowledgment that your strengths come from a highter place gives you the power to endure far beyond your own perceived capacity. it gives you part of God's enduring strength.
A full cup cannot be filled. when you're filled with yourself and your needs, "I and nothing else", there is no room for more. When you "empty
" yourself before something greater than yourself, your capacity to receive increases beyond your previously perceived limits. Humilty is the key to transcendence to reach beyond yourself. Only true humility gives you the power of objectivity.
Humility is sensitivity It is healthy shame that comes from recognising that you can be better than you are and that you can expect more of yourself.
Although humility is silent, it is not a void. It is a dynamic expression of life that includes all seven qualities of love, discipline, compasion, endurance, humility, bonding, and sovereignty. Humilty is active not passive, not a state of being but an interaction even in its calm and inaction.
Thanks to.....
*Forty-Nine Steps To Personal Refinement According To The Jewish Tradition by Rabbi Simon Jacobson
and
The Bible
It is a beautiful day in my little part of the world. I am so thankful to our Elohim for He is so good....His love and mercy endures forever! The sky is blue, the birds are chirping and singing and the wind is blowing ever so slightly...just a wonderful day!
In yesterday's blog I talked about the counting of the Omer and I listed the Seven Emotional Attributes......these are called Sefirah. Sefirah is a Hebrew word and has several meanings...it means both, "mispar", meaning number and "sipur" as in telling a story. A third root meaning is "sapir", a sapphire stone, which is translucent crystal that shines brightly.
Counting sefirah illuminates the different aspects of our emotional lives. the days of sefirah tell us a story....the story of our souls. These seven emotions and qualities are known in the plural as sefirot.
The purpose of this day by day analysis is to give us the ability to stand back and take an objective look at our subjective emotions. Thus we will see our strong and weak points and this will enable us to have an understanding of how we can better ourselves emotionally for oursekves and our realtionships with others and in our spiritual growth and maturity.
WEEK ONE.....CHESED
LOVINGKINDNESS; BENEVOLENCE
Love is the single most powerful and necessary componant in life. Love is the origin and foundation of all componants in life. Love is both giving and receiving. It allows us to reach above and beyond ourselves; to experience another person and to allow that person to experience us. It is the tool by which we learn to experience the highest reality....GOD.
LOVE IS TRANSCENDENCE
LOVE
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Follow the way of love................(1 Corinthians 13 & 14:1)
WEEK TWO......GEVURAH
JUSTICE. DISCIPLINE, RESTRAINT, AWE
If love (chesed) is the bedrock of human expression, discipline (gevurah) is the channel through which we express love. It gives our life and love directions and focus. Like a laser beam, its potency lies in the focus and concentration of light in one direction, rather than fragmented light beams dispersed in all directions. Gevurah...discipline and measure...concentrates and directs our efforts, our love, in the proper directions.
Another aspect of gevurah is respect and awe. Healthy love requires respect for the one you love.
For God gave us a Spirit who produces not timidity, but power, love and self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7)
When we truly love someone we expect the best for them and we expect them to do their best. We do not judge them instead we do whatever we can to help them be the best they can be.
WEEK THREE....TIFERET
COMPASSION, HARMONY, TRUTH
Tiferet....compassion blends and harmonizes the free outpouring love of chesed with the discipline of gevurah. Tiferet possesses this power by introducing a third dimension...the dimension of truth, which is neither love nor discipline and therefore can integrate the two. Truth is accessed through selflessness: rising above your ego and your predispiositions, enabling you to realize a higher truth. Truth gives you a clear and objective picture of your and others needs. The imbalance of love and discipline (and for that matter, any distortion) is a result of a subjective, hence limited perspective. Introducing truth, by suspending personal prejudices, allows you to express your feelings (including they synthesis of chesed and gevurah) in the healthiest manner.
This quality gives TIFERET its name, which means BEAUTY: it blends the differing colors of love and discipline, and this harmony makes it beautiful.
Someone once said the difference between sympathy and compassion is that the one who sympathizes, sees and feels, but does nothing. The one who has compassion, sees, feels and then does something about the need. Yeshua always had compassion on the crowd and the people He came in contact with. He did something about their needs. And so we as His followers, must also bear our cross and follow Him. Be like Yeshua!
Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.1 John 3:18
To have compassion is to be kind in all we think, do and say....
Kindness is an inner desire that makes us want to do good things even if we do not get anything in return. It is the joy of our life to do them. When we do good things from this inner desire, there is kindness in everything we think, say, want, and do.
Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.
Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families, and nations.
Yeshua said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." and "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35).
WEEK FOUR....NETZACH
ENDURANCE, FORTITUDE, AMBITION
Endurance and ambition is a combination of determination and tenacity. It is a balance of patience, persistence and guts. Endurance is also being reliable and accountable which establishes security and commitment. Without endurance, any good endeavor or intention has no chance of success.
Endurance means to be alive, to be driven by healthy and productive goals. It is the readiness to fight for what you believe, to go all the way. Without such commitment any undertaking remains flat and empty. It is an energy that comes from within and stops at nothing to acheive irts goals. This, of course, requires that endurance be closely examined to ensure that it is used in a healthy and productive way.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. ...James 1:12-18
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.James 1:2-4
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:36
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,Romans 5:3-4
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, Colossians 1:11
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:4
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, Romans 15:5
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
ASK YOURSELF.....How commited am I to my values? How much would I fight for them? Am I easily swayed? What price am I ready to pay for my beliefs? Is there any truth for which I am ready to give my life?
WEEK FIVE.....HOD
HUMILITY, SPLENDOR
If endurance is the engine of life, humility is its fuel. As gevurah (discipline) gives chesed (love) focus, HOD gives netzach (endurance) direction. Humility is the silent partner of endurance. Its strength is in its silence. Its splendor is in its repose.
HUMILITY...and its resulting yeilding...should not be confused with weakness and lack of self-esteem. humility is modesty; it is acknowledgment (from the root of the Hebrew word, "hoda' ah"). It is saying "thank you" to God. It is clearly recognising your qualities and strengths and acknowledging that they are not your own; they were given to you by God for a higher purpose than just satisfying your own needs. Humility is modesty; it is recognising how small you are which allows you to realize how large you can become. And that makes humility so formidable.
Endurance draws its energy from the acknowledgment of humility. Human endurance goes only as far as your tolerance level. Acknowledgment that your strengths come from a highter place gives you the power to endure far beyond your own perceived capacity. it gives you part of God's enduring strength.
A full cup cannot be filled. when you're filled with yourself and your needs, "I and nothing else", there is no room for more. When you "empty
" yourself before something greater than yourself, your capacity to receive increases beyond your previously perceived limits. Humilty is the key to transcendence to reach beyond yourself. Only true humility gives you the power of objectivity.
Humility is sensitivity It is healthy shame that comes from recognising that you can be better than you are and that you can expect more of yourself.
Although humility is silent, it is not a void. It is a dynamic expression of life that includes all seven qualities of love, discipline, compasion, endurance, humility, bonding, and sovereignty. Humilty is active not passive, not a state of being but an interaction even in its calm and inaction.
Thanks to.....
*Forty-Nine Steps To Personal Refinement According To The Jewish Tradition by Rabbi Simon Jacobson
and
The Bible
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
IYYAR 5, 5770
Much has been happening since I last wrote in this blog. The Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread have come and gone. We are now Counting the Omer. Counting the Omer.......it has been such a blessing this year because my daughter and I are counting together. It has become more meaningful to me becasue of this.
What is the purpose of counting the Omer....why do we do it? I have done it for several years now but did I ever really understand it? The Priests counted the Omer which was a sheaf..or a bundle of grain from the beginning of the first crop. The Priest would then wave it before our Elohim as a "Wave Offering" so that the Omer and the entire harvest would be accepted.
After the destruction of the first and Second Temples the verbal counting went on and so we 'speak' the Omer....as in day one...."Today is day One of the Omer".
My daughter and I are using two guides in our quest to 'Count the Omer'. One is.."The Counting of the Omer...Forty-nine Steps to Personal Refinement According to the Jewish Tradition" by Rabbi Simon Jacobson and "The Messianic Mo'adiym Devotional" by Kevin Geoffrey from Perfect Word.
These two studies, although very different works, enhance each other. Our lives are bing enriched by them because thru them, we are experiencing an intense character refinement..just as the Jews during the Exodus did, one step at a time to higher purity.
According to Rabbi Jacobson, Just as the Jews were slaves to Egypt,we can be slaves to our personalities, driven by forces over which we often seem to have no control.
The forty-nine days of sefirah or counting, teach us how to regain control over our emotions, showing us how to refine our characters, step by step, in a way that is based on the eternal truths of Torah."
Rabbi Jacobson also says..."Counting sefirah illuminates the different aspects of our emotional lives. The days of sefirah tell us a story--the story of our souls."
EACH DAY IN TIME HAS A LIFE OF ITS OWN. A DAY IS A UNIQUE ENERGY FLOW WAITING TO BE TAPPED AND CHANNELED INTO THE FIBER OF MAN'S BEING.
There are seven emotional attributes that in various combination make up the forty-nine qualities to be examined and developed during this period.
CHESED....Lovingkindness; benevolence.
GEVURAH.....Justice; discipline; restraint; awe.
TIFERET.....Beauty and harmony; compassion.
NETZACH.....Endurance; fortitude; ambition
HOD.....Humility; splendor.
YESOD.....Bonding, foundation.
MELCHUT.....Nobility; sovereignty; leadership
It is truly a worthy effort to study these things in your life...to allow yourself to give up the bad aspects and see where you can make changes in your life so you can come into more holiness in Him.
This evening we will be counting the Omer for Day 17.........so tonight if you wish to participate this is how you will begin......
THE BLESSING.........Blessed are You, ADONAI our Elohim, King of the Universe, who has anctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is seventeen days, which is two weeks and three days, of the Omer.
May the Merciful Holy One restore the Holy Temple to its place, speedily in our days; Amein. Selah.
Psalm 67.........
May Elohim be gracious to us and bless us; may He make His countenance shine upon us forever; that Your way be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. the Nations will extol You, O Elohim; all the nations will extol You. the nations will rejoice and sing joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on earth forever. The peoples will extol You. O Elohim; all peoples will extol you, for the earth will have yielded its produce and Elohim; our Elohim, will bless us. Elohim will bless us; and all, from the farthest corners of the earth, shall fear Him.
Tiferet of Tiferet
Examine the compassion of compassion; the expression of compassion and its intensity.
True compassion is limitless. It is not an extension of your needs and defined by your limited perspective. Compassion for another is acheived by having a selfless attitude, rising above yourself and placing yourself in the other person's situation and experience.
"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, reasoned like a child; but now that I have become a man, I have made useless the childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11
*The master teaches us that unless we "turn around and become as children", we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:3) So why does Paul exort us to be finished with "childish things"? The answer is simple: yeshua is teaching us about being humble and innocent....Paul is teaching us about maturity.*
When we are children we do not reason or understand...but with maturity we begin to attain these things. Age does mean we are mature but in studying our Elohim's Word...His plan for our lives...we can gain the kind of maturity that allows us to show compassion towards others. We will no longer be selfish with our feelings. It is our choice...to be childish or to be the mature person our Elohim desires us to be.
Ask yourself...Am I able to rise above myself and place myself in someone elses situation?
Am I prepared to do this?
Can I express the compasion that is in my heart?
Is it true compassion or self-serving?
Does it come from guilt or is it genuine?
Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment. --Arthur Jersild
Let us seek true compassion in our lives so that we will be a well spring from which it flows.
Father, we thank You for you are so good, Your Love and Mercy endures FOREVER!
THE ANA BI-KO'ACH...WE IMPLORE YOU
We implore You, by the great power of Your right hand, release the captive. Accept the prayer of your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One. Mighty One, we beseech You, guard as the apple of Your eye those who seek Your Oneness. Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful righteousness. Powerful, Holy One, in Your abounding goodness, guide your congregation. Only and Exalted One, turn to your people who are mindful of Your holiness. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, You who knows secret thoughts. Blessed be the Name of the glory of His Kingdom forever and ever.
*From the Messianic Mo'adiym Devonional
What is the purpose of counting the Omer....why do we do it? I have done it for several years now but did I ever really understand it? The Priests counted the Omer which was a sheaf..or a bundle of grain from the beginning of the first crop. The Priest would then wave it before our Elohim as a "Wave Offering" so that the Omer and the entire harvest would be accepted.
After the destruction of the first and Second Temples the verbal counting went on and so we 'speak' the Omer....as in day one...."Today is day One of the Omer".
My daughter and I are using two guides in our quest to 'Count the Omer'. One is.."The Counting of the Omer...Forty-nine Steps to Personal Refinement According to the Jewish Tradition" by Rabbi Simon Jacobson and "The Messianic Mo'adiym Devotional" by Kevin Geoffrey from Perfect Word.
These two studies, although very different works, enhance each other. Our lives are bing enriched by them because thru them, we are experiencing an intense character refinement..just as the Jews during the Exodus did, one step at a time to higher purity.
According to Rabbi Jacobson, Just as the Jews were slaves to Egypt,we can be slaves to our personalities, driven by forces over which we often seem to have no control.
The forty-nine days of sefirah or counting, teach us how to regain control over our emotions, showing us how to refine our characters, step by step, in a way that is based on the eternal truths of Torah."
Rabbi Jacobson also says..."Counting sefirah illuminates the different aspects of our emotional lives. The days of sefirah tell us a story--the story of our souls."
EACH DAY IN TIME HAS A LIFE OF ITS OWN. A DAY IS A UNIQUE ENERGY FLOW WAITING TO BE TAPPED AND CHANNELED INTO THE FIBER OF MAN'S BEING.
There are seven emotional attributes that in various combination make up the forty-nine qualities to be examined and developed during this period.
CHESED....Lovingkindness; benevolence.
GEVURAH.....Justice; discipline; restraint; awe.
TIFERET.....Beauty and harmony; compassion.
NETZACH.....Endurance; fortitude; ambition
HOD.....Humility; splendor.
YESOD.....Bonding, foundation.
MELCHUT.....Nobility; sovereignty; leadership
It is truly a worthy effort to study these things in your life...to allow yourself to give up the bad aspects and see where you can make changes in your life so you can come into more holiness in Him.
This evening we will be counting the Omer for Day 17.........so tonight if you wish to participate this is how you will begin......
THE BLESSING.........Blessed are You, ADONAI our Elohim, King of the Universe, who has anctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
Today is seventeen days, which is two weeks and three days, of the Omer.
May the Merciful Holy One restore the Holy Temple to its place, speedily in our days; Amein. Selah.
Psalm 67.........
May Elohim be gracious to us and bless us; may He make His countenance shine upon us forever; that Your way be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. the Nations will extol You, O Elohim; all the nations will extol You. the nations will rejoice and sing joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on earth forever. The peoples will extol You. O Elohim; all peoples will extol you, for the earth will have yielded its produce and Elohim; our Elohim, will bless us. Elohim will bless us; and all, from the farthest corners of the earth, shall fear Him.
Tiferet of Tiferet
Examine the compassion of compassion; the expression of compassion and its intensity.
True compassion is limitless. It is not an extension of your needs and defined by your limited perspective. Compassion for another is acheived by having a selfless attitude, rising above yourself and placing yourself in the other person's situation and experience.
"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, reasoned like a child; but now that I have become a man, I have made useless the childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11
*The master teaches us that unless we "turn around and become as children", we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:3) So why does Paul exort us to be finished with "childish things"? The answer is simple: yeshua is teaching us about being humble and innocent....Paul is teaching us about maturity.*
When we are children we do not reason or understand...but with maturity we begin to attain these things. Age does mean we are mature but in studying our Elohim's Word...His plan for our lives...we can gain the kind of maturity that allows us to show compassion towards others. We will no longer be selfish with our feelings. It is our choice...to be childish or to be the mature person our Elohim desires us to be.
Ask yourself...Am I able to rise above myself and place myself in someone elses situation?
Am I prepared to do this?
Can I express the compasion that is in my heart?
Is it true compassion or self-serving?
Does it come from guilt or is it genuine?
Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment. --Arthur Jersild
Let us seek true compassion in our lives so that we will be a well spring from which it flows.
Father, we thank You for you are so good, Your Love and Mercy endures FOREVER!
THE ANA BI-KO'ACH...WE IMPLORE YOU
We implore You, by the great power of Your right hand, release the captive. Accept the prayer of your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One. Mighty One, we beseech You, guard as the apple of Your eye those who seek Your Oneness. Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful righteousness. Powerful, Holy One, in Your abounding goodness, guide your congregation. Only and Exalted One, turn to your people who are mindful of Your holiness. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, You who knows secret thoughts. Blessed be the Name of the glory of His Kingdom forever and ever.
*From the Messianic Mo'adiym Devonional
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