Daily Bible Portion (Monday)
Daily Bible Portion – 1 of 7
"HOLY ONES"
(Weekly Reading>>Leviticus 19:1-20:27, Ezekiel 20:2-20, Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:13-16)
We are called to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9). Knowing the difference between clean and unclean, holy and unholy is imperative if we are to walk in the priesthood. This teaching is for those who are believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and who are learning to walk in His ways. "Holy Ones" is designed to bring holiness into the lives of those who are responding to the call of Jesus, the Bridegroom. Leviticus is sound foundational teaching that improves upon the experience of our testimony in Jesus and His Spirit life. It is designed to give the believer maximum life in Christ. Our desire is to do as Paul exhorted us in Philippians,
Honor Your Mother and Father and Keep My Sabbath
Two of the foremost crucial steps in the walk of sanctification leading to a life of holiness are respect for parents and observance of Yahweh's Sabbaths.
The Phone Call
On a personal note, I was brought up in an alcoholic home and had plenty of justification and bitterness to prevent me from honoring my parents. My perspective of the world and family life growing up was through their world and my heart had become hardened. My parents were generous materially, but failed to show love in areas that were so desperately essential. Innocently I started to walk out the generational curses that took me to wrong places for love. I entered marriage early searching for this love I desired so deeply. Within three years I was alone, homeless and with an eighteen-month-old son to care for.
After many years as a single parent, I remarried looking for this deep love plus a stable home for my son who was now six years old. It was a year later that Yahweh entered my life and for the first time an indescribable love and peace entered my heart. I began to grow on His foundation of true love by studying His Word and allowing Scripture to nurture this gift of love and guide me each day.
Years later, during my prayer time, Yahweh asked me to honor my parents. This surprised me as I thought I loved them, but Yahweh showed me that in my heart I kept them at a distance due to my judgment of their lifestyle and the bitterroot I had continued to hold against them. The truth was they were very hurting people and needed Yahweh's love as much as I did. My judgment of them was apparent. This caused alienation, which was not according to Yahweh's plan. He forgave me, now it was time to allow Him to heal my broken heart so that I might forgive my parents. As a result of His gentle conviction on my heart, I phoned my mom and asked her to forgive me for my rebellious youth and how I had treated them. In my eyes I was just trying to survive those years, but Yahweh directed me to share and I obeyed. Little did I know this would change our lives and the lives of my parents forever. As I spoke the words of forgiveness to my mom I heard her weeping on the other end of the phone. My act of forgiveness toward her was unconditional; she never knew what it was like for me to grow up under the alcoholic conditions in our family. When I heard her weeping on the phone it was as if Yahweh took what I had lived through all those years and washed my bitter heart clean. I then truly found myself loving my mother and father.
Shortly after, my mom was faced with a divorce. Her health was also quickly deteriorating due to the years of abuse. My husband Carl and I decided to sell our home and soon found a better residence with a garden suite for my mom and invited her to live with us. Even though mom never fully recovered from the effects of alcohol in her life, those last years with her were joyful family times. I gained back the mom I remembered as a little girl, and best of all, she recognized her need for a Savior and gave her life to Yeshua. Mom always looked forward to Friday night when Shabbat would start and often had tears in her eyes when she prayed the mother's prayer over her daughter. A year later, mom died in the arms of her family, forgiving my dad who was also at her bedside.
The Date
My dad passed away at the age of ninety-one. I had the privilege of honoring him at his service and share this part with you.
"…I am very thankful to my dad for providing a great environment to grow up in; but like many families we too had our share of difficulties. It had not always been sunshine; however I am very grateful there has been restoration and healing. It came about a few years after mom's passing when I knew I needed to practice the principle of forgiveness. Through family circumstances I knew I was missing a relationship with my father and that unforgiveness on my part was keeping us from spending time together. With God's conviction encouraging me, I took the big step to get to know my father, not in a superficial way, but with real depth of sincerity by spending one on one time with him."
"In order to do this I set about taking my dad on dates. At first it was awkward but by faith I would pick him up each week and take him out. He never knew where we were going; it was always a surprise. The dates turned out to be a great success and each week he looked forward to them with great excitement. Some days he would find himself on top of a mountain hiking and having a picnic. Another time we would cross the border into the USA and find a quaint restaurant by the coast for lunch (we would call those our international trips). At other times we would just have lunch on the deck in the sunshine watching the boats go by. That was his favorite. Whatever the date, big or small, it was always a pleasure and a joy to be with him."
"Over the years that dad and I got to know each other we spoke of the difficulties and joys of our past and forgave where needed. He made peace with His Maker and forgiveness entered his life, as it had in mine. Together we shared depths of heart many do not experience in their lives. The renewed relationship between father and daughter took on a life of its own and transcended any past difficulties. We now lived for the dates! This went on several years but in his last year there was a role reversal. I was no longer taking my father on dates - he was taking me. Those were the sweetest of days."
continues tomorrow...
"HOLY ONES"
(Weekly Reading>>Leviticus 19:1-20:27, Ezekiel 20:2-20, Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:13-16)
We are called to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9). Knowing the difference between clean and unclean, holy and unholy is imperative if we are to walk in the priesthood. This teaching is for those who are believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and who are learning to walk in His ways. "Holy Ones" is designed to bring holiness into the lives of those who are responding to the call of Jesus, the Bridegroom. Leviticus is sound foundational teaching that improves upon the experience of our testimony in Jesus and His Spirit life. It is designed to give the believer maximum life in Christ. Our desire is to do as Paul exhorted us in Philippians,
Philippians 3:12-17 "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on [to wholeness], that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus(Yeshua Ha Mashiach)" has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things, which are behind, and reaching forward to those things, which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus(Yeshua Ha Mashiach). Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, Yahweh will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern."
Honor Your Mother and Father and Keep My Sabbath
Leviticus 19:3 "Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am Yahweh your God."
Two of the foremost crucial steps in the walk of sanctification leading to a life of holiness are respect for parents and observance of Yahweh's Sabbaths.
The Phone Call
On a personal note, I was brought up in an alcoholic home and had plenty of justification and bitterness to prevent me from honoring my parents. My perspective of the world and family life growing up was through their world and my heart had become hardened. My parents were generous materially, but failed to show love in areas that were so desperately essential. Innocently I started to walk out the generational curses that took me to wrong places for love. I entered marriage early searching for this love I desired so deeply. Within three years I was alone, homeless and with an eighteen-month-old son to care for.
After many years as a single parent, I remarried looking for this deep love plus a stable home for my son who was now six years old. It was a year later that Yahweh entered my life and for the first time an indescribable love and peace entered my heart. I began to grow on His foundation of true love by studying His Word and allowing Scripture to nurture this gift of love and guide me each day.
Years later, during my prayer time, Yahweh asked me to honor my parents. This surprised me as I thought I loved them, but Yahweh showed me that in my heart I kept them at a distance due to my judgment of their lifestyle and the bitterroot I had continued to hold against them. The truth was they were very hurting people and needed Yahweh's love as much as I did. My judgment of them was apparent. This caused alienation, which was not according to Yahweh's plan. He forgave me, now it was time to allow Him to heal my broken heart so that I might forgive my parents. As a result of His gentle conviction on my heart, I phoned my mom and asked her to forgive me for my rebellious youth and how I had treated them. In my eyes I was just trying to survive those years, but Yahweh directed me to share and I obeyed. Little did I know this would change our lives and the lives of my parents forever. As I spoke the words of forgiveness to my mom I heard her weeping on the other end of the phone. My act of forgiveness toward her was unconditional; she never knew what it was like for me to grow up under the alcoholic conditions in our family. When I heard her weeping on the phone it was as if Yahweh took what I had lived through all those years and washed my bitter heart clean. I then truly found myself loving my mother and father.
Shortly after, my mom was faced with a divorce. Her health was also quickly deteriorating due to the years of abuse. My husband Carl and I decided to sell our home and soon found a better residence with a garden suite for my mom and invited her to live with us. Even though mom never fully recovered from the effects of alcohol in her life, those last years with her were joyful family times. I gained back the mom I remembered as a little girl, and best of all, she recognized her need for a Savior and gave her life to Yeshua. Mom always looked forward to Friday night when Shabbat would start and often had tears in her eyes when she prayed the mother's prayer over her daughter. A year later, mom died in the arms of her family, forgiving my dad who was also at her bedside.
The Date
My dad passed away at the age of ninety-one. I had the privilege of honoring him at his service and share this part with you.
"…I am very thankful to my dad for providing a great environment to grow up in; but like many families we too had our share of difficulties. It had not always been sunshine; however I am very grateful there has been restoration and healing. It came about a few years after mom's passing when I knew I needed to practice the principle of forgiveness. Through family circumstances I knew I was missing a relationship with my father and that unforgiveness on my part was keeping us from spending time together. With God's conviction encouraging me, I took the big step to get to know my father, not in a superficial way, but with real depth of sincerity by spending one on one time with him."
"In order to do this I set about taking my dad on dates. At first it was awkward but by faith I would pick him up each week and take him out. He never knew where we were going; it was always a surprise. The dates turned out to be a great success and each week he looked forward to them with great excitement. Some days he would find himself on top of a mountain hiking and having a picnic. Another time we would cross the border into the USA and find a quaint restaurant by the coast for lunch (we would call those our international trips). At other times we would just have lunch on the deck in the sunshine watching the boats go by. That was his favorite. Whatever the date, big or small, it was always a pleasure and a joy to be with him."
"Over the years that dad and I got to know each other we spoke of the difficulties and joys of our past and forgave where needed. He made peace with His Maker and forgiveness entered his life, as it had in mine. Together we shared depths of heart many do not experience in their lives. The renewed relationship between father and daughter took on a life of its own and transcended any past difficulties. We now lived for the dates! This went on several years but in his last year there was a role reversal. I was no longer taking my father on dates - he was taking me. Those were the sweetest of days."
continues tomorrow...