Shield of Faith

Greetings and Happy Sabbath,

Let's finish up our Armor of God series.

Shield of Faith-

There are going to be times where we are tested by our faith and because of our faith.

We are to stand firm in our faith, even we are asked, "You don't believe that anymore do you? Yes, I do." Our faith is the foundation of our lives, everything we do we need to do for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31), even if it's changing a diaper, making dinner, doing our best at our jobs, doing volunteer work or being a shoulder to cry on.

Our faith gives us inner peace too. When life's trials come at us, wether we see them coming or we get blindsided with the worse case scenario and everything in between, we need to lean on God to help us thru those trials & tribulations.

We also need to be ready to talk about our faith, about God & about Yeshua. We need to talk about why we do what we do and that Yeshua didn't come to earth to teach a religion (which is a manmade concept) but a way of life, a relationship. That without him, our lives would be meaningless.

Our faith needs to be unshakeable. I struggled with my faith for over 4 years because of all the curveballs that were thrown my direction, especially after the death of my husband. The longer I struggled, the more trials that started and they didn't have an end in sight. Once I turned back to him, most of the trials ended, others ended after a little more struggle. Of course, there are still some trials leading up to the Spring and Fall festivals but hopefully the will be mild compared to what that final trial at the judgement seat could be.

So, are you standing firm or are you waveing?

Until next week,

Lori

Happy New Year!

Greetings,

Happy New Year! The new moon of the new month of Aviv was seen tonight in Israel. The aviv barley along with the other witnesses was also seen in Israel.

You can read all of the 2026 reports at this link.

The festival dates will be as follows-

April 3rd-Passover

April 4th-10th-Days of Unleavened Bread

April 5th-Wave Sheaf

May 24th-Pentecost

I hope all of your pre-Passover preparations are going well. It's going slow for me but I'm slowly getting there.

Have a great sabbath,

Lori

Happy Hanukkah!

Greetings,

Tonight is the 1st night of Hanukkah. We always kept it by having meals we normally didn't have during the week, we would watch war movies. This includes War of the Words, Independence Day (another alien movie), Star Wars Sega, The Blue and the Grey, The Day After (after nuke's drop in the middle of the US), etc.

I don't light a menorah, I have dogs, not a good idea.

Yeshua was only at the temple during the festivals because of how coniviving the pharisees were being towards him.

But in John 10:22-27-Yeshua was walking in Solomon's porch during the Feast of dedication, it was winter. The Jews surrounded him and said to him, How long do you vex our soul with uncertainty? If you are the Christ, tell us openly. Yeshua answered, saying to them, I have told you but you don't believe. The works I do in the name of my Father testify of me. You don't believe, because you are not of my sheep, just as I told you. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

In verse John 10:31-The jews took up stones to stone him. Yeshua said, I have shown you many good works from my Father, for which one of them do you stone me? The Jews wanted to stone him because they thought he was blaspheming, for they said Yeshua was only a man but they said he made himself a God.

There are 2 different kinds of Menorah's, there is a 7 branch Menorah and a 9 branch Menorah.

The 7 branch Menorah represents the original gold lampstand used in the ancient temple in Jerusalem, it is lit daily and the symbolism is 7 days of creations/completeness.

The 9 branch menorah has an origin in the miracle of Hanukkah, lit only during Hanukkah, the oil last 8 days and there is a helper candle.

Hanukkah is talked about in Macabee's 1 & 2. Cleansing of the temple is mentioned in Dan. 8:14, 2 Chron. 29:5 and 2 Chron. 29:16.

Here is a night by night bible study for Hanukkah that Michael Rood sent out. I hope you find helpful.

Night by Night Reflections for Hanukkah

I hope everyone has a great Hanukkah.

Lori

Shoes-Readiness given by the gospel of peace

Greetings, I apologize for the delay in finishing this series. I've been having issues with my computer. I will finish the series this month plus we have Hanukkah this month. So let's talk about the shoes in the armor of God. This means to be prepared and stable in one's faith, ready to spread the message of peace and to stand firm against spiritual challenges. Romans 10:15-And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15-How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Acts 12:8-And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” Psalm 119:105-Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. At Passover, we are to have our shoes and coats on, walking sticks in hand to be ready to head out if an angel comes to our door and says "it's time to go." At Mt. Sinai, there are foot prints on some of the rocks around the base of the mountain. (Ex. 12:11) When Moses received the 10 commandments at Mt. Sinai, he was told to remove his sandals. Exodus 3:5-Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” So, you see, our shoes and feet play a big part in scripture and in our lives. As we are heading into Hanukkah & Purim in a few months, let's think of ways we can spread the gospel of Yeshua. Have a great week, Lori

Happy Feast of tabernacles

 Greetings, 

I hope everyone had a safe trip to their feast site or if you are observing from home, I hope you have a great sukkot put up.

This is the last of festivals for Lev. 23 until Spring.  

On the 15th day of the 7th, you shall keep the feast of tabernacles for 7 days.  On the first day, there shall be a holy convocation.  You shall dwell in huts.  On the 8th day, you shall do no work & it shall be a solemn rest.  

Some people camp in tents, some people have a wooden structure covered with tarps, some use campers, others stay in hotels or cabins.  

This year I'm staying at a resort in Wisconsin dells with others from a group from Illinois.  3 years ago, I stayed in a camper at a campground in Iowa with around 50 others.  

Where ever you are staying or how you are staying, I hope you have a meaningful sukkot/ feast of tabernacles.  

Until next time, 

Lori

Happy Yom Kippurim

 Greetings,

Happy Yom kippurim, the fast before the blast as my husband liked to say. 

Lev. 23:27-32-27 “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves,[a] and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. 29 Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. 30 I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”

This day is a total day of rest, not even the preparation of food.  (exceptions will apply here)  Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year, thru fasting and prayer we ate striving to become "at one" with YHVH.  

This was the day that a goat was chosen as the Azazel goat for a sin offering to be set off into the wilderness.  A bullock was also brought to the temple for a sin offering.  A goat was also killed for a sin offering.  

The only day of the year that the head priest could go into the holy of holies was Yom Kippurim.  If he tried to go into the holy of holies on any other day, he would be struck down.  This shows another example that we need to keep the festival days on the correct day.  The priest made atonement for the holy sanctuary, for the tabernacle and the altar.  He also made an atonement for the priest and all the people of the congregation. 

A question I had reading while I was reading Leviticus 16 was, why did the priest need to make an atonement for the sanctuary, the tabernacles, the altar, the priest and the people of the congregation.  An atonement needed to be made because the sins and uncleanness of the people symbolically defiled God's dwelling place.  It needed to be purified to that YHVH could dwell among his people.   

Lev. 16:31-Observing Yom Kippurim in a eternal statute, never ending.  Just like Passover. 

Now, five paragraphs earlier, I mentioned an exception to food preparation.  There are some people who can't or shouldn't fast due to health reasons.    

1.  People with diabetes shouldn't fast, they need to eat to keep their sugar/insulin balanced.

2.  Pregnant women shouldn't fast, she is incubating a baby.  Not eating could lead to her passing out.

3.  Nursing moms shouldn't fast.  Not eating could lead to milk depletion or running out totally.  It could also lead to the mom almost passing out or passing out.  I almost passed out one year because I was nursing and fasting.  

4.  Children shouldn't fast as they don't understand why they are fasting but once they become tweens and teens, they should as they will understand what they are doing and why.  

5.  Pets don't need to fast.  They don't know why their food bowl is empty or not where it should be nor why their water bowl is empty or missing.  They are going to come to you with those eyes that say feed or water me.  I know there is one instance where the people and animals fasted, but they don't know any better now.

I hope you have an easy fast and enjoy this double sabbath, annual sabbath leading into the weekly sabbath.

Until next time,

Lori

Happy Yom Teruah!

 Greetings & Happy Yom Teruah!

Lev. 23:24-25-Speak to the children of Israel & say to them , On the 1st day of the 7th month shall be a day of rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.  You shall do no manner of work thereon but you shall offer an offering by fire to the LORD.

The new moon of the 7th month was seen in Israel the night of Sept. 23rd.  

This is a day to blow the shofars, trumpets to announce the beginning of the fall festivals.  The Feast of Trumpets also marks the day that Yeshua will return to earth. 

1 Thess. 4:16-For our Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel and with the TRUMPET of God.  And those who died in Christ will rise first.  

Matt. 24:36-But concerning that day and hour, no man knows, not even the angels of heaven, but the Father alone.  

Mark 13:32-But concerning that day and hour, no man knows, not even the angels of heaven, neither the son of man, except the father.

Matt. 24:29-31-Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon won't give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.  At the time, the sign of the Son of Man will be appear in the sky, all nations of the earth will mourn.  They will see the Son of Man coming on clouds of the sky with power and great glory.  He will send his angels, with a loud trumpet call  They will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of thee heavens to the other. 

We don't know exactly when the new moon is going to be seen each month, we have a pretty good guess.  There have been many times I didn't know if the new moon would be seen but all of a sudden, there it was, even if just a moment.

A blast of Trumpets that is heard globally will announce Yeshua's return.  

I await that day when every knee will bow and every tongue shall swear that he is LORD.  

Have a great Yom Teruah, 

Lori