Chasing Lions and Rescuing the Flock

1 Samuel 17:33-35

³³ Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” ³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
³⁵ I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.

So my coworker and I were talking about this verse earlier and he starts telling me about how weak Lions really are if they get tired out.  And then we discussed that this was probably the reason David could go after the Lions,, maybe even Bears, and be successful at rescuing the sheep.  I thought, I should write about that and then it hit me:  We have a lot of “lion” preachers today devouring the sheep, but if we, like David, will continue the pursuit of righteousness and the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they will tire.

They will become weary and just maybe we can rescue the sheep from their mouths.  We need Adonai’s courage to pursue, His word to sustain us, and His patience to wear them out.  We will need His kindness to care for the wounded ones and His wisdom to know how we approach them.  This was an amazingly simple insight and it came in the most unspectacular fashion.  Sometimes it just happens that way if we are willing to listen.

Chrisitans or Hebrew Roots? Or Both?

As my bride and I were sitting at the dinner table last night, a thought hit me:  What would someone who has no biases and having read the Bible completely think about those who call themselves men and women of faith?  I mean someone who wasn't shaped by church or teachings...I know…pretty much impossible.  But I asked this question in a vacuum of course. 

 

Think about it.  When someone says they are a firefighter and they never fight a fire or perform some kind of paramedic activity, we would realistically start to wonder about their claim. Another example might be a police officer who hates justice but fights crime and claims to be part of the justice system.   Today we have essentially two groups of  believers that claim the One True God YHVH; Christians and Hebrew Roots (not a good label but that is a whole other post).

 

Christians are all about helping the poor, the widow, the orphan, and being good according to their church definition of what is good (i.e. go to church every Sunday, pray regularly, read the Bible every day, etc.).  But they ignore the commandments of the King who has asked them to do these things for others.  So is there really any difference between them and a non-believer doing good for others other than the Christians are hypocrites?

 

Hebrew Roots are about all the Torah, Feasts, Festivals, being pleasing in YHVH’s sight and have lost touch with the words of Yeshua in the Gospels.  Sometimes there is really not much difference between Hebrew Roots and Christians.  The liturgy is there.  The tests for spirituality are there; they are just more of a tradition in Jewish life (Tallits, Kippahs, Kiddish, etc.).  They have forgotten their first love and have become stoic in their striving to follow Torah mechanically. 

 

As a follower of YHVH and brought into His Kingdom by Yeshua, we are now part of a Kingdom.  We walk this Earth as representatives of a King.  When we act, we act on His behalf and in His name.  Being a hypocrite or coarse and stoic is no way to represent our King with gentleness and kindness.  We must keep the laws of the Kingdom (or we forfeit His blessings and suffer the natural curses) and we must help the widow, orphan, and the poor with a cheerful spirit and right heart.

 

There are two books that comprise the Scriptures.  They both work together and are both necessary to understanding Elohim’s plan for our lives and the world.  It’s again all about balance.  Staying in balance ensures that we remain in faith and walking in His will.

Re-centering and Finding my Balance

Been a long time since I touched this blog.  I guess I needed some time to re-center and figure out why I was doing it.  Learning is a process and sometimes we get down a path and realize we have forgotten why we are where we are.  I took some time to just live; no studying, no theology or whatever that is, no feeling of a neatly packaged belief system.  More listening and less teaching.

Just living and observing.  Not teaching. but being taught by others and life.  Watching how others make life decisions and handle the daily grind.  What obsesses them.  Wondering what they are hiding under the misleading smile they wear.  Just being a fly on the wall of faith to see what others are doing with belief.

Not much has changed as far as what I believe.  Torah is life and the key to being in Elohim's will.  It must be balanced with the accounts of the New Testament and it all gels just fine to get us where YHVH wants us to head toward.

Balance.  Balance.  Balance.

If I could be better at one thing, that would be it.  Be a worshipper in balance.  Be a father in balance.  Be a husband in balance.  Our Elohim is in the middle, not on the fringes per say.  We are extreme beings by nature because the fringes have lots of definition spots for us to land.  Definition is comfort. The middle water is deep and uncertain.  Faith is deep and uncertain.  It requires daily trust and throws curve balls.  Faith is scary and exciting rolled into one.  If you recite what you believe concisely and repetitively, you might not really know what you believe or who you believe in.  You may just be holding up what you believe because if it falls, your whole world goes with it.  If it is easy, it may not be faith.  Who knows?  It might...sometimes.

YHVH cannot be contained or measured or limited by our definitions.  He has already defined Himself in His word.  He has already told you who He is and why you are here and what He requires of you.  He keeps me from having to just guess in life.  I have eternal truth.  The rest is measured up against that.  His rules of life are mine.  I don't just exist on feelings and likes and dislikes anymore.  My Elohim has showed me that I am much more than that and He has much greater plans for me than I ever could have dreamed of.

The people I see day to day make decisions based on what feels good or what you are taught to do as an American.  Decisions that don't really get you to the truth of things.  They work sometimes, but they are not the best you could have.

Isn't that what it is really about?  Living the best life you could before you die.  Living in such a way to leave a legacy of love and compassion to others.  You give and give until there is nothing left.  Man, I want that!  Not good at it but still want it with all my soul.  Adonai pour me out into others.

How will you know what the best life is if you don't know the One who created you?  How will you know what you should do with your life?  Why live a mundane, average life when you can live a fulfilling and meaningful one?  Why live only for yourself?  Sure live for your wife, husband, children, family, but I would expect you to do that.

What would amaze me is if you poured a little bit of your soul out into a complete stranger because you took the time to see what they needed and you had so you gave.  Now that is amazing love.  That is giving it all till there is nothing left.  Being willing to give your cloak to those in need because you know Yeshua is your covering and you shall want for nothing.

Yeah...that would be amazing.