Deeper? Yeah, we can go there!

et’s talk about our relationship with God. Do you ever feel as if you are walking through a dry desert? You know the place, you are walking and walking, the heat is getting next to you, you are dirty, sweaty, don’t know where your next meal is coming from. All you can focus on is the “heat wave” that you can see in front of you, then within that heat wave, you see a mirage--an oasis, with water, and shade, you take off running; thinking “This is it! I’ve made it!” only to get ready to dive next to the water and drink and only pulling up more sand--you heart sinks. You rollover and think “Why me?”

Maybe this is a visual of your relationship with God. So you are thinking how can I have changed things? Is it possible to change this? Before you loose heart, yes, you can change things.

Like our earthly relationships, we must dig deeper in our relationship with God. So I know you are asking “How?” I mean it’s true we can walk the walk, talk the talk, but are you really connecting with God?

According to Crosswalk.org there are several steps to help you dig deeper roots in your relationship with Christ.

1-Look beyond what you can see to a deeper reality. We have to look beyond the current circumstances of our lives and see how God can use and will use those to make life better for us and to His glory. Then we must be passionate about them.

2-Define who you are accurately. How you define yourself, is how you will grow. If you define yourself as a certain thing, then you will go in that direction. Don’t define yourself by what others think of you, or by negative descriptions. Define yourself as God sees you.

3-Come out of hiding. God knows everything about you. He knows your sins and weaknesses. So don’t withhold yourself, instead let God use those things in your life as your strengths.

4-Focus on who you are rather than what you do. Don’t focus on the roles in your life (husband, wife, friend, volunteer, etc.) yes, they are important, but they don’t define you! God’s love for you and your love for Him define who you are.

5-Immerse yourself in Scripture. Don’t take at face value what the preacher says on Sunday. Every day, you need to make time to study, read, and meditate on God’s word. This is prevalent in Jewish society. It is an HONOR to sit in a Synagogue or a Yeshiva and study God’s word. Sometimes they study only one or two verses at a time, to get the full meaning that God has for them.

6-Learn from your History. Reflect on the important events of your life so far. Reflect on what God has taught you and how He walked you through them. Then pray and think about how God wants you to apply the lessons so far.

7-Trust in God’s Protection. This is the best type of protection. Take America’s history. We were the minority in soldiers during our Revolutionary War, but with God, we became the majority. God will guide you and walk with you every step of the way. And when the adversary decides to try to harm you, God will protect you. If you fear anything it will block you from a deeper relationship with God.

8-Trust God’s Plans. God created us all and he has a plan for each of us. All we have to do is believe in it and trust that God is in control. Nothing in our lives happens by chance! It’s been preordained!

9-Replace unhealthy thoughts with healthy ones. When negative thoughts enter our lives, replace it with one that is positive and reflective of God’s love for us!

10-Choose a new direction. Even though we can’t control what happens to us, we can change our attitudes and the way it affects us. Make sure that God is in your attitude and the direction your life takes!

11-Depend on the Holy Spirit. Instead of relying on your own limited strength, you need to rely on the Holy Spirit and God living in your life. Pray daily that the Holy Spirit will guide you and fill your spirit in a way that is pleasing to God.

12-Become an everyday vessel. Everyday of our lives is a gift from God. And most of the time God didn’t use the “special” but rather the mundane, ordinary and frankly the boring people to show His goodness! At the wedding in Cana, Jesus turned ordinary water, plain old H2o and turned it into the best wine. There was nothing special about the water, there was nothing different about the vessels that the water came in. Rather the difference was the “Creator” or Vintner in this case. So if God can take ordinary water and turn it into the BEST wine--what MORE can He do for you?

*the points were adapted by Crosswalk from Debbie Alsdorf’s Deeper: Living in the Reality of God’s love. Available from www.christianbook.com

All elaborations are the understandings of the “Note Author”

Random Acts of God

Ya know, God works in AMAZING ways! Truly He does. Recently I had been attending the local Synagogue, and was hurt by a guy stating that "Christians should be held accountable for the Holocaust!" However, the Rabbi told him that "Rachel is a Christian and look where she is tonight..." I got an apology. But that isn't the amazing thing...you see this opened my eyes to understanding that the TRUE roots of Christianity are found in Judaism. Yes, the roots of the Christian faith are Hebraic and to understand them is to understand Biblical Christianity.

Recently God felt it good to return a friend to my life that I hadn't really been close to in about 3-5 years and BOY did I miss him! Even though we were close, I'd send emails, write letters and tell him what was going on in my life--he was the first to hear that my grandfather had passed--outside my family and church family.

Earlier this year, as I began to really understand the Hebraic roots of my faith, I got back in touch with my friend (Nehemia). I shared what was going on, he shared where he was in his life and we are back to being BEST FRIENDS!

But you see if God hadn't returned Nehemia back to my life, I wouldn't have the support that I have in researching my faith, learning Hebrew and finally coming to understand the things that I know God is revealing to me daily.

So when you think your life isn't what you want it to be, more than likely it isn't, however, it is what God wants it to be--because if it weren't for your present situation, God's probably not implementing you fully into his plan!

The Word of the Law? Well At Least I am in Good Company! Shabbat 2

Recently I was met with the idiom “The Word of the Law.” But why you may be asking...well because I asked a Rabbi to help me with my Hebrew. Wonder what I would have been met with had I asked a Greek Orthodox Priest to help me with my Greek?

So what does it mean when someone says “all you have is the word of the law...” It means you don’t have Jesus (Yeshua) and you don’t have the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). However, literally “The word of the law” means that the law is interpreted in an absolutely literal way which goes against the ideas that the lawmakers had wished to implement.

So lets think about this in a Biblical way--Jesus was a Torah Observant Jew, so was Paul--even after he became a ‘Follower” of Christ. However, in the 1st century AD “Ignatius of Antioch, the early Church authority, encountered Messianic Jews who continued to be Torah-Observant (Shomar Mitzvah). He didn’t regard their observance as positive, but rather wrote “We have seen how former adherents of the ancient customs have since attained to a new hope, so that they have give up keeping the Sabbath [on Saturday], and now order their lives by the “Lord’s Day” instead [Sunday].” (Freidman, 2001, p. 101) What is interesting is that Jews in the New Testament aren’t regarded as not being Jewish considering their belief in Jesus as Messiah, they are considered just as Jewish as non-believing Jews.

Christians seem to have fallen for Ignatius’ thought process that one can’t be Torah Observant and saved by grace at the same time. This belief simply isn’t true! I have many friends who are Jewish, Torah-Observant and believers in Messiah Jesus.

So if “Word of the Law” is all I have, if all I have is an absolutely literal interpretation of the LAW, which is GOD’S LAW, then I must be in good company, because the early church held the same beliefs.

52 Shabbat Challenge

Okay, so I have told you all that I have a challenge for you all. This challenge came to me after I was caught writing in a synagogue on Shabbat. Not realizing that writing or taking notes on the "sermon" was "forbidden", I continued to write down my ideas or understanding of the service.

My challenge is to do a 52 Sabbath challenge. For those who are not familiar with a Jewish Shabbat, here is a basic understanding: "it is a precious gift from God, a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves to higher pursuits." (Judaism 101) One day of complete rest--instead of being online, you can spend time studying the Bible; instead of TV go to a museum or spend time with your family; instead of writing or studying for school or work, take time to read a book.

This challenge came along because I was told by a Rabbi “We don’t use writing utensils on Sabbath...” not understanding why I couldn’t write or do work on a Saturday I just refrained from working. Then I spent some time learning the “why” behind the “we don’t...” This challenge relaxed me. I spent one Saturday reading, studying the Bible, prayer and learning more about my own faith--especially as it pertains to being rooted in the Jewish faith. This also allowed for me to be able to realize my own need for more study time and more understanding of the scriptures to better my relationship with Christ.

Most Christians that read this will argue that it’s “Letter of the law” or “legalistic”, but my argument is this: “How have you been able to focus on your relationship with God lately, when you are constantly bombarded with work and worry?” By taking this conscious rest, you are reminding yourself to take time to focus on your relationship with God. I can honestly say that had the Rabbi not came to me and told me that I may offend someone by “working” I would never have discovered the joys of a Sabbath rest.

My challenge does NOT take place of daily worship, study or prayer, nor am I advocating that it take place so that you can neglect your regular church worship or fellowship. To recommend such a thing I would be in violation of my own personal beliefs--and a command given to us in Hebrews--to NOT neglect the gathering in a fellowship with Christians.

My challenge does not include any legalistic forms of following the mitzvoth or “the law” outside of the “no work, rest” ruling. Even that isn’t legalistic, it’s given to us through God’s commandment to “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” To keep something holy means to “set aside” for the glory of God. We are considered holy through our salvation in Jesus Christ, provided we have accepted it, this means that we are set aside to do the work of God.

So if you are willing to do this challenge, let me know--this way we can encourage one another, maybe you will do a Saturday evening to Sunday evening rest, this way you can incorporate it in your own worship experience--the day doesn’t matter to me, just that we as Christians begin to take our faith more seriously and that we use every opportunity we have to advance our own learning, beliefs, personal theology and understanding.

During this journey I will be making comments on what I learn and how it has and begins to affect my life. I can already tell you that my first Shabbat rest allowed me to realize that I needed to take this time with God so that I can improve upon my own spiritual experience. Will you join me?

For more information on "Shabbat": check out: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/shabbat.html

I will be also publishing a newsletter called "SHABBAT" so if you are interested in the journey, let me know, I will hopefully be able to email them out...so I will need emails from anyone wanting to join me on this journey.

Also, I will be posting this journey on facebook.com/rachel.anders79 (under Notes) :) Rachel

Albums for Joplin spread awareness and hope!

I can't honestly say that I don't know someone in Joplin, Missouri, I do. Two people matter of fact...I am a lucky one...the two people that I know made it through the tornado on May 22, 2011 without incident from what I have been told. However, there are thousands of people who didn't get to be so lucky. People have lost their homes, businesses, family and friends. Buildings and businesses can be rebuilt, lives lost can't be replaced. But if you are like me, you are probably saying...what can I do?

I know of two CDs that you can download for free, I have both albums. The album "Songs for #Joplin" started as an idea to help a tragedy-stricken town and quickly became a charity that people were talking about. With acts like Derek Webb, Waterdeep, Sara Swenson and Oil Boom this charity album gained social media attention from all over the country… before it was released. With your help, Songs for #Joplin can be a success and a major blessing to Joplin, MO. Background on "Hope...for Joplin": On Sunday, May 22, 2011, the worst tornado in recorded American history destroyed the town of Joplin, MO, claiming the lives of untold numbers of innocent victims. In the following days, a group of musicians, united in compassion, came together to create an album of HOPE for the people of Joplin. Their music is simply the means to an end; the end of the suffering of the people of Joplin. This is a way to provide HOPE in a seemingly hopeless situation. To show mercy and provide justice in a place that needs it most. By downloading this album and donating money for it, you are helping rebuild Joplin. 100% of the proceeds from this album go to the Salvation Army and the rebuilding of Joplin, MO. So whether you can give $1, or $100, know that you are making a difference in the lives of others.

Check out both links and please do what you can to bless the people of Joplin, not only with your money, but also with your prayers and if you haven't planned a vacation, maybe you and your family can go out and help them clean up so that we can rebuild Joplin.

http://noisetrade.com/hopeforjoplin

http://noisetrade.com/songsforjoplin

To my friends and even those I don't know in Joplin, We love and are praying daily for you all! God bless you!

(Information taken from noisetrade.com)

Spiritual Quandaries? Yeah, we all have them!

What exactly sends us into quandaries of faith? What makes us question those things that we have learned our whole lives as being 100 percent correct to “well what if...” Influence has a lot to do with it--influence of our friends, family and community.

So if influence throws us into spiritual tailspins, we also know that it is through influence that we can find out way out of them. However, Spiritual Direction is "a conversation in which a person seeks to answer the question, ‘What is spiritual growth and how do I foster it in my life?’” So what does it take to get out of a spiritual quandary? I think it takes prayer, and the conversation that answers the two questions I just posed: “What is spiritual growth?” and “How do I foster it in my life?”

Shuttle Endeavor

Tomorrow at 8:56 a.m. we will say good-bye to the Space Shuttle Endeavor, in 16 days we will say good-bye to Endeavor as a usable space vehicle. Space is truly our final frontier, and a frontier that only a few have been able to explore. To these brave men and women, we owe a hand of gratitude. For without their courage to go where no one has gone before, we wouldn't have the information we have today about space...