Living the Bible

When I came to YHWH, it wasn't just one of those deals of "getting saved" and going back about my business.  When He came to me in that upper room, my life was changed forever; and by His power, I can follow Messiah.  So, when I asked to "live the Bible," the request seemed simple enough.  Everyone mentioned in the Bible managed to live what they did, before what they did was even written.  With the promises in writing and everything recorded, it should be easy . . .

My life is certainly simpler and calmer than it was before the Great Spirit of YHWH took up residence.  It's completely more ordered, following Messiah, than my own version of trial and error.  The fact that Messiah is Torah in the flesh makes it even simpler.  Not only do I have the illustration of His life recorded in the accounts of the Gospel, I have the written Instructions in Torah!  The only possible glitch, appears to be me.  In my zeal, I apparently overlooked some of the less than stellar details of these great people of G-d.

Moses spoke with YHWH and heard Him and I am blessed to have that relationship, as well, but . . . I also have, on occasion, Moses' frustration level and lack of patience, and I can murmur and complain, just like the Israelites in the wilderness.  The difference, Messiah has died and the power to overcome has been given.  I still struggle with surrender, sometimes, and unfortunately sometimes the resurrection power we talk about gets used on our flesh, rather than glorifying YHWH.

I remember when I realized, we do walk in resurrection power.  We need to refrain from resurrecting old thinking and old ways!

There are also amazing people of YHWH in Scripture for which everything didn't go just swimmingly, and they didn't do anything to cause it.  I've had that a time or two, but usually, I've played a part in the calamity and it's chastisement, rather than just a test, and even rarer, an attack of the adversary.  In "living the Bible" I've come face to face with some facts about these folks.  Take Abraham for instance.  While we all want YHWH to get our kids saved and make all of our own doings turn out happily ever after, the man YHWH called friend, is not only the Patriarch of the father of Israel, but also sired the father of Islam.

We all know about Job, and that wasn't the "living the Bible" I meant!  I'm very thankful I'm not sitting in ashes scraping sores.  YHWH has graciously protected me from my own zeal.  I do think we may very well live to experience what Daniel and his friends faced.  I know there'll be no salvation in compromise.  None of those guys saw the salvation of YHWH until they were fully in the dire situation.  Bible scholars say Jeremiah never saw a convert, but he sure sounded the warning.  Some of those prophets were asked to do some pretty strange things.

Ezekiel and his binding on each side . . . Clearly, I had no idea what I was asking when I asked to let me "live the Bible," but I was born on a date mentioned in Esther, born again through the week of Passover, and did receive the Holy Spirit in an upper room.  I've been forgiven and blessed beyond what I could ask or imagine, and by the death of Messiah, I am numbered in some pretty amazing company.   Considering the current headlines, I'm very thankful to be spared Isaiah's ministry!

At the same time spake YHWH by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.  And YHWH said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;  Isaiah 20:2, 3