Recently I got involved in a conversation that truly frustrated me. It was from a post and comments claiming that Jesus is the anti-Christ. Sadly, all the comments were condemning, judgmental, demeaning, and off-the-wall. I have said it before and I will say it again: this attitude is wholly and completely unBiblical.
 
It always starts with a question and then people rant back and forth about how the name Jesus is fake, how anyone who was saved in the name of Jesus was not properly saved, and the followed up by the fact that the speaker ends up elevating their testimony above that of others.
 
I always see such hate and pride in the threads, as well as a distinct lack of love. Each person acting as though they are next to perfect because of the way they believe, or the way they spell and pronounce their chosen name for our Messiah. Interestingly enough, they all speak loudly about how their chosen “name” is the ONLY right one. While at the same time, they respect each other’s decision to believe differently than they do, UNTIL someone says, “Well, I use the name Jesus!” Then the gloves come off and they come out fighting, sometimes even calling the “Jesus-speaker” horrid names or condemning them to Hell.
 
When I saw it crop up for about the 20th time in one week, I sat and posted one simple statement: "Oh my gosh.....This has to stop...... " That was all - and I meant it. I just didn’t have the energy to say anything more. It reminded me of Jesus telling the pharisees they made the teachings of Yahweh of no effect by their vain traditions and man made rules. I often don’t know if people realize how they sound when they do these things – when they place their-self as judge AND JURY over every soul based on a person's vocabulary. They seem to be saying, “I have a greater place in Heaven than YOU do because I say the name RIIIIIIIIGHT!” Right by the standards of WHOM, though?
 
There seems to be no compassion, no kindness anymore for others. Put aside the fact that there is plenty of evidence to show that in the ancient times, Yeshua’s name had been recorded as Iesus (Now pronounced Jesus). There is physical evidence which shows that the sound of the letter “J” is ancient as well. (LINK TO BOOK on the topic)
 
Being in a ministry that deals with SO MANY people of differing faiths all at once, having family and friends in SO MANY different places in spirituality, I can’t help to ask what Abba would think of me if I told people or even implied, “My loved ones just aren’t good enough for Yahweh” or “My loved ones just aren’t ‘there’ yet.” And all this based on speaking the right name V. the wrong one.
 
Many of my friends know that I have come out of Mormonism – a place were I spent 25 years of my life. I am quite familiar with belonging to a magic religion where you are “not good enough” unless you do and say things just right.
 
These groups where people go to try and learn “truth” have members who cannot even agree on spellings, pronunciations, or even names. Our article titled “The Name Game" is a perfect example of why we don’t get into that nonsense. And that includes against people who use the name Jesus. True confessions? Jim and I often use the name Jesus, too – in written form or as we speak.
 
When people find fault with one group of people because they don't liek the name they use for Our Saviour, but tolerate other spellings, it gives a hypocritical view of things, to say the least. But worse than that, if each of “you” on a group or page pronounce a different name or spelling of “The Name,” if you all can’t agree on one name within your little group, what right do you all have to judge others on their chosen name of reference? None.
 
So many people have been saved in the name of Jesus – now you want to tell them they are not really saved?
 
So many people have been healed in the name of Jesus – now you want to tell them they are not really healed? I have actually had this done – I have discussed some of the traumas my own children went through when they were very young and how they received healing and protection. When I have shared, I have actually had someone tell me those were not of Yahweh – they were from Satan.
 
Right now one of our girls is expecting her first child. Some 30 years ago, I was pregnant with her when my eldest came down with chicken pox, and then three weeks later, she was diagnosed with meningitis.
Her pediatrician was seriously concerned for her and drove from his house to the hospital in 15 minutes – it normally took about 30. He needed to do a spinal tap for final confirmation.
 
He never needed to – 24 hours later, she was 100% better and was released from the hospital. Her doctor looked at me and asked what I had done to her – I simple said, 'You’ll never believe me." He pressed me and I answered: "Prayed." Guess who I prayed to? Jesus. She is now 36 and momma to our eldest grandchild. No one can tell me Jesus doesn’t heal.
 
And that is just one example of many, many, MANY more!
 
How about a miracle of provision? Our neighbors our first Sukkot here. We had no money, not a dime, and no real food to speak of. I was SO UPSET, not knowing how we were going to eat, let alone feast. I prayed, and that afternoon, they called us and asked us over. They gave us SO MUCH FOOD. We had more than enough to eat and feast on until we got paid again. Did I pay attention what name I used when I prayed? No, I simply prayed. I may have said Abba or Father, Jesus or Yeshua. It didn’t matter – He heard my prayers and He blessed us greatly through the love and kindness of our dear friends.
 
Yesterday a friend summed it up to me while I was ranting. She said, “He more than knows when someone is calling on Him. Whether they pronounce it right or not.”
 
I try to liken it to this: When I was on a crowded beach or in a packed shopping mall with my kids, I would KNOW when they called out for me. I would. It wouldn’t matter how much noise was aroung, if they cried out using MOM, or MOMMY, or MOMMA, or MAAAAWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHM!!!! In that long drawn out version. Or the worst one of all – the blood curdling scream. I WOULD KNOW THEM. And I would answer them.
 
Would I stand there and say, “NOPE! You didn’t call me by the right name!”
 
Let that sink in for a moment or two…What more, or less, would Yahweh do for me?…I call this “Parenting like Abba.” Because He was the perfect example of how we ought to parent and we can see his guidance and teaching in The Word. Goodness! He even put the people of the Exodus on restriction for FORTY YEARS!
 
I hope by now you get my point. By OUR fruit, they will know us. We can choose to incessantly condemn those we believe are “not there yet.” Or we can admit, maybe WE are the ones who aren’t really THERE yet. And work on OUR hearts and the REAL TRUTHS that need to be addressed and changed in us. While not worrying about whether someone else is crying out, Papa!; Abba; Yahweh; Elohim; Yehovah, Yeshua, Yehoshua, and such. Time to build our relationship, not just our vocabulary!!!
 
Blessings and shalom.
 

 The other day I saw a pendant with a simple phrase on it, “I am enough.” I mentioned it to Jim and we talked about it. I loved the phrase because all my life I have questioned myself, beat myself down, and wondered when I would be “enough” in the eyes of others in my life. Jim said the phrase is too self-focused, and it should say Jesus is enough. And he isn’t wrong. We have to be careful not to elevate ourselves about Yahweh in our lives. We need to guard against ego and pride.  

Yet, I understand the emotion behind the message very much because I have lived it.

I have been trying to think of a way to explain “I am enough” in a way that it doesn’t appear we toss Abba out of our lives and start thinking we are in control. I wanted to present the message that we don’t need to think ourselves of little worth. This morning an idea came to me about the potter’s clay.

But now, Yahweh, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8 WEB

We are the work of his hands – He made us wonderfully and His works are marvelous! (Psalm 139:14) We should know this value in us. Yet the world beats us down and judges us harshly sometimes, and we then, often, turn that condemnation onto ourselves. We are often our worst judge, too. Yet if we just look at how He made us. We would see that “I am enough.”

Imagine Abba grabbing a lump of fresh clay, placing it on the potter’s wheel, spinning, crafting, molding and developing that clay into the most beautiful bowl, vase or pitcher. Throughout the process he sprinkles it with water, smoothing, carving, and working the clay. The process may take a short time or a long time, depending on the desired project. Once finished and fired, He will be able to use that pottery for the purposes He created it.

You see, He took the clay, not too little, not too much, just enough, and created each of us in His image. Then, throughout our lives, He forms us, shapes us, sculpts us into what He wants us to become. Yet He always started with “enough.” 

Remember, YOU are that vase or pitcher, and you ARE enough. It doesn't mean you become stagnant. It doesn’t mean you are perfect. It doesn’t mean you can do as you please with the contents inside you. It means you will serve the purpose Yahweh created you to serve. You ARE enough. Now, allow Him to mold you, shape you, and use you for your true purpose in life.

Blessings and Shalom.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted…  Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 KJV

Feeling oddly contemplative this Shabbat…happens sometimes. Especially when I am caught a bit off guard.
A few years ago I was asked to partner one day a week as a War Room Prayer warrior with another sister in faith on a radio broadcast. I was very nervous about doing it and honestly, didn’t feel “qualified.” I felt as though Yahweh wanted me to do it, but I had never done anything like that before. Jim was right there, too, encouraging me to do it. I gave in and said yes – to both Yahweh and the producer.

It was one of the moments in life I will always treasure. I have truly enjoyed working in a prayer ministry all these years, and pray more to come. It has been a great blessing in SO many ways. I cannot even begin to make a list of them all. Yet it has also brought me challenges.

Challenges are good, though, because they help us to grow. Sometimes, they help us to also make peace with or figure out things from the past. Prayer warrior has been all this to me.

I believe that the toughest challenge has been when a request is submitted, and the Holy Spirit testifies to my heart that what is asked is not what is going to happen. This most often comes about when someone is praying for miracle healing for a critically ill loved one.

Are there miracle healings taking place? YES! And in fact, I have witnessed SEVERAL of them in the few years I have been serving Yahweh. A sister who had stage four cancer and was told she would only have a short time to get her affairs in order. We prayed for her on War Room for healing, always as Yahweh has led us to pray. Suddenly her next tests came back almost completely clear of cancer. A few months later, she was declared cancer free! Someone else had submitted they were going in for surgery to remove tumors – over 14 of them from breast tissue. Surgery was in one week from when we were praying. Then, a praise report came in that, prior to surgery, doctors redid tests to ensure there weren’t more tumors, and discovered there were NO TUMORS AND NO EVIDENCE OF CANCER ANYWHERE! I literally jumped up and down squealing after that show ended! Miracles happen, and I have witnessed so many. Praise Yahweh!!!

Yet it isn’t always how we are led to pray. I recall one time the prayer request was for someone’s sibling. It involved a heart attack & the sibling was on life support. All they wanted was a miracle – she was not terribly old. I tried over and over to speak the words they wanted to hear. But Abba would not allow it. The Holy Spirit stopped me every time I opened my mouth.

When I finally followed what I was led to pray, a burden lifted from my heart and I felt an odd relief. While at the same time I felt sorrow. I found out the next day, she had passed away. Every word I had prayed was for peace and comfort in the family for whatever was to come. I felt even more relief that day for listening to the promptings and following His lead.

Oddly, I find myself in a similar situation now, today, only this time for my own family.

I have an aunt who is seriously ill – just a short time ago she was diagnosed with cancer. From what I have gathered it is impossible to treat. Then she developed another illness on top of that. Family, in reaching out to me, know of the experiences I have had through the War Room. I have spoken of them before. I have been asked to pray for MIRACLES because she is in need of great miracles.

I am uncomfortable and feeling awkward today – because, although I would love to speak a prayer out loud for a miracle and perfect healing, I am not at all lead that way. In fact, before I had any details on my aunt’s illnesses, I KNEW deep inside, she is going home.

I would love nothing more than to lift the burden of sorrow from my family members with a prayer speaking miracle healing. Yet not only is it not where I feel led, but I feel their needs as a family are deeply different than they have asked. As are the needs of my aunt – she is behaving as if there is something she needs to say to her loved ones, as if she is staying alive just long enough to accomplish one last thing. I saw similar in my own father near the end.

Because of our current medical environment, her family is not permitted to go see her, at all. THIS is my prayer for family right now. We have been less than human, less than kind, and so uncaring beyond measure as a nation toward our elderly and infirm. May God have mercy on us for what our authorities are doing – when we ought to be honoring and loving these people, it is forbidden.

My prayers for my aunt as I fell asleep last night were that her body does not do the things expected by doctors: that she NOT have a stroke or heart attack. How horribly painful that would be to her physical being in these last hours! Instead, I just asked Him, "please Abba, your will & purpose be done in her life. May she be able to speak the things she needs to family, and please take her home softly in her sleep."

As sorrow and sadness, mourning and grief attempt to overwhelm everyone, may Abba be with each one at this time. May He bring comfort, peace, and strength to go on.

Blessings and shalom.
 
You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.   Job 14:5 NLT

"Father...yet not my will, but thine be done." Luke 22:42 Douay-Rheims Bible

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 KJV