"Title" - When
I was a child...
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. EDITORIAL: The
Matter of the Sabbath.
As many
of you know, I have been on a quest to comprehend the fullness of
the Sabbath for some time.
At the forefront of my search has been the nagging question of "whether
or not we, as Born-Again Disciples of Yahshua, are supposed
to fulfill any portion
of the Old Testament Sabbath
Day requirements!" Second
to that question has been the matter
of exactly which day of the week
the Sabbath is to be observed today
(if at all) - Friday/Saturday, as described in the
Old Testament, or Sunday, as is practiced and
promoted by the 'church' today.
I am
praising our Master for the fact that the study is proceeding well.
I am disappointed, however, that the work remains incomplete.
Believe me, beloved, the topic is not as easily assimilated
or dismissed as many might believe.
It was my
initial desire to present the Sabbath Day study here, in this newsletter,
at this time. Although I have a great deal written, and even though
I have extensive notes on the topic, the full writing that I am being
moved to present, simply is not ready yet. And, the final product
that I will be submitting for your consideration is way too long to set
forth in the form of a newsletter. So, Yahshua willing, look
for Letter #24 to hit the web site before the end of October!!!
I will most certainly keep you posted on the progress of this work, and
will let you know when the final writing will be online.
I want to
thank all of you who have submitted your thoughts and idea's on this
topic, and for your prayers.
I believe that the understanding we gain from this study,
will be significant, and I am asking for your continue prayers, that
our Elohim will guide me in His Knowledge - for the praise, honor and
glory of His Name, through Yahshua our Messiah...
As my
studies on the sabbath have progressed though, our Father has provided a
number of different teachings to me, to help me comprehend the
significance of the matter. The following Article shares some of
those teachings. I pray that you find this helpful in your walk...
2. FEATURE ARTICLE:
When I was a Child...
"When
I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason
like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things"
(1 Corinthians 13:11 NASB).
Whenever I am searching for answers or a
deeper understanding of our Father's Word, He frequently shows me
some sort of parable or parallel that helps drive home
whatever point He is
trying to make very clear to me. In my search for the truth
about the Sabbath, our Father has directed my heart to contemplate a
myriad of different matters and situations, and through the process He
has also shown me again that the more we know - the more we are
responsible for upholding!
In this particular
incident, I was walking up an aisle in a grocery store,
when I happened to see a young Dad with a very young baby placed
carefully in the shopping cart. It was clear that the baby was quite
content and happy, and I smiled as I approached them - and walked past.
As I passed them though, the Ruach touched my heart very heavily with
the passage from 1 Corinthians, and in an instant He placed a renewed
burden on my heart.
Like interpreting a dream, I have learned
that Abba's parables and parallels must be viewed in the full context of
the teaching, and in this instance, being in a grocery store was
significant... The grocery store, like most grocery stores in the
United States, was huge. The shelves were full of every sort of
delectable item that one might imagine... And, like any other
grocery store, I was free to place anything I wanted into my shopping
cart. Payment, naturally, would
be required before leaving the store.
In the fullness of the parallel, I found
myself stunned by the simplicity of it all, because the picture that He
gave me in that instant, represented fully how we must deal with His Word in
our lives!
Like a
grocery store, the Word of Elohim is laden with every sort of
delectable morsel imaginable. From the beginning of our walk
with Him, our Father drives us to His Word. And, in the
beginning, as babes in Yahshua, we are tremendously content in His
comfort and care. As we grow in Him
(as our studies continue) we are free to place whatever we desire
into our shopping carts (His Word implanted in our hearts).
But, beloved, we somehow seem to forget
that the more we learn, (place in our carts) the more we are
required to pay! We cannot discover a truth and then
completely ignore it, can we? We cannot learn His will and then
summarily rebuke Him, can we? Not easily!
Not without consequences!
And this is what He is talking about
in 1 Corinthians 13:11, because, when we were children (when we knew
little), we spoke,
acted and reasoned accordingly.
Now though, as faithful and knowing disciples of Yahshua, we are to do
away with those childish things - and move forward in the full
application of what we know to be true.
We know that gossiping is wrong, and that the
words that emanate from our mouth's are to be a blessing upon all
that we encounter. Are we practicing this
truth?
We know that lying, cheating, stealing and
every other deed of the flesh is wrong, and that we are to display the
fruit of the Ruach in our lives, so that the world will see Yahshua
abiding within each and every one of us. Are we representing Him
faithfully today, or are we sending mixed messages to those we encounter?
Are we identifiable as disciples, or does the
world still see infants wrapped in cozy blankets, placed
snuggly in shopping carts?
Learning the truth is an easy task. Living the truth, however, separates
the men and women from the children and infants of this world.
He showed me very clearly, through a Dad with his child in a grocery
store, that it is time to begin living fully as His mature disciple.
To this end I shall strive to be pleasing unto Him - from this day on!
May every disciple of Yahshua comprehend the
fullness of the truth that they have been given by our Father, and may we
all determine today that we will abide in the fullness of that truth, to
the praise, honor and glory of our Messiah and Master, Yahshua, the
beloved Son!!!
3. PRAYER REQUESTS:
Mary, like
many others, is seeking prayer for the praise and worship team that she
assembles with, because a very bitter religious spirit is continually
presenting itself through one of the members.
Sandee is
praying for financial relief and for an anointing from our Father for her
children and grandchild...
Sunny has
asked that we pray for Rodney, who is struggling in His walk. She is
also asking for our Father's provision as she wrestles with the social
security department, with debt and with a broken-down vehicle.
Please pray
that our Father will comfort Lance, Jan and their family, and that He
will provide a wonderful career position for Lance as well.
Mike and Stef
need prayer for their relationship.
4. CONTACT: larry
vosen
If you have any questions about the Bible, Elohim
(God), Yahshua
Mashiach (Jesus Christ),
The Ruach
ha Qodesh (Holy Spirit),
the Gospel, Faith or any pressing
spiritual matter, please feel free
to contact me. While I may not possess the answers
personally, I know Who Does!
Every effort will be made to answer your questions in a timely and
Scripturally supported
manner.
Do you have a prayer request? Please
share your needs with us... We will post your needs
in our "Prayer
Request" sections, so that we can approach the Throne of God in a
united front on your behalf.
We can be reached through our email address at:
mailto:larryv1@lettersoffaith.com
Or, please feel free to mail your thoughts
or requests to:
Larry Vosen
2600 E. Seltice Way, #203
Post Falls, ID 83854
Larry Vosen
2600 E. Seltice Way, #203
Post Falls, ID 83854
Copyright ©
2002 Larry Vosen. All
rights reserved.
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Thank You, and may Elohim
bless you and your ministry - for the praise of His glory and your eternal
joy!
