Farther Up And Farther In

In the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia there is a part where all of Narnia’s followers of Aslan (the lion metaphor for King Y’shua Messiah) were following him up a large seemingly unending  mountain. While they were continuing to climb Aslan would remind them periodically “Farther up and farther in”, as if encouraging them to continue to climb because that was what they all needed to do to get to the top.

Throughout my time dealing with my ailments while trying to be a father and a husband I found myself often going back to that part of the Narnia Chronicles. I knew that God had tried in vain to dissuade me from doing many of the things that eventually caused my discomfort. It was my part to continue “Farther up and farther in” no matter how difficult it would become at times. Because that is where I placed myself through disobedience, and the Bible is full of scripture that speaks to the point of never tiring. There probably is a solid reason for the Word of God to speak on the need for perseverance to the extent that it does.

When I was younger, I would push through the pain and sickness to do whatever it was I thought needed getting done. Through my ailments I have learned that first of all, it was that exact mind-set of disregarding what my body and mind was telling me that harmed my body to a great extent and caused most of my ailments that so negatively affect my life today. Secondly, by learning to listen to my body I have learned to obey God far more than before, and now I know that if I feel physically incapable of performing a particular task (due to an ailment) I will consider that task something that God does not wish me to undertake at that moment. By doing this I have learned how to live with God while allowing Him to take care of so many things that I once thought was my sole responsibility. This in turn, has allowed God to work in so many other people’s lives that I would constantly interfere in before. My interference would hamper other people from developing a relationship with God as their sole provider.

Of course, all of us would like to think that our pain and suffering was for admirable reasons and I hope that by sharing my stories of discomfort it will give some comfort to others in some way by the Grace of God. However, I know that I have learned a great deal about my self through all the sickness and discomfort I have experienced over the decades. The most important development that has transpired from my ailments has been my relationship with God. It has without a doubt been so wonderful that if I had the chance to pick a pain-free healthy, wealthy life without God or my life today with Him, there is no question in my mind that I would never even think about my life without my Lord.

Post # 101

This is the 101st post that we have written in the past six months, and you probably noticed that our pace has lessened quite dramatically in the last couple months. That drop in postings is due to my ill-health. For decades I have suffered from MS and a host of other ailments such as; Barrett’s Esophagus, which is a precancerous condition of the esophageal lining (and in my case, into my sinus passages also),  I also demolished my spinal column over the years with a break of the C-7 vertebra (1979 accident in a police car) and another break of the T-11/12 vertebra (1982 training accident in law enforcement). These, as extensive as there are, have been uncomfortable to live with, but doable. Unfortunately, what has been the most discouraging ailment has been my chronic pancreatitis, which has flared up over the years when I was walking without God and living just a bit too wild. So it has been a disappointing surprise to have it raise its ugly head as of late, and it has caused some definite discomfort that has begun to wear me down just a bit both physically as well as mentally.

It is because of this mental fatigue that I have not been writing as much as I would like to. As we have discussed many times in the past here at Cepher we do not post anything that we are not at peace about. This particular post is most certainly not the type we usually write here at Cepher, and it has taken some time for me to feel certain that this post should be shared with others. Since I have not been able to write anything else (God knows I have tried), and this information may help someone, it has become the 101st post.

This post may be helpful to others by simply showing that even though life hurts at times, God never leaves us to deal with the pain on our own. If there is one thing that I have learned through all this discomfort over the decades, it is how dedicated God is to His people. The only time that we are truly alone is when we are in sin–”Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” Mark 15:34–And despite all the warnings from the Blessed Holy Spirit we often find ourselves deep in the mire of sin from our own doings.

I have found the Hand of God in every sickness and disease that I have suffered, however, the Hand of God has never brought these problems into my life–I have–Yet in every moment of despair the Hand of God has been there to lead me from my suffering and mistakes. I know that I have caused most of my ailments by being obstinate, however, I am not blaming an infant for her/his aliments, but I am saying that for whatever the reason we have sickness in life God is there to lift us out of the despair. At least, that is what I have seen in five and a half decades of observations.

No matter what is attempting to trouble you today I am certain that if you so desire, you can have peace, contentment, and joy in your life through a relationship with our Creator. Through all I have been and continue to experience both good and bad, God has always allowed it to strengthen and enhance our relationship. And when it is all said and done, as far as I am concerned, my relationship with the Almighty is the only thing in life that matters.

Trust Again

It is very probable that mankind’s loss of trust has more to do with spirituality factors than anything else. If you believe in God you should also consider the strong possibility in the existence of the devil. At Cepher we try to avoid discussing difficult areas of spirituality, and the devil is as difficult as its get because so little was written about it within the current Bible. The Book of Enoch has a great deal written about the devil, and it was a book that some of the disciples of King Y’shua Messiah read from during the first century. What we have learned about the devil from the Book of Enoch is that the devil’s main aim is to cause division between the Lord and His people, and what better way to do that than by destroying the trust that human’s need to worship God. Not only do humans need trust to relate to their God, they need trust to live in harmony with others on earth. The lack of trust creates a vacuum that greed fills quickly.

Ultimately, our trust in God, ourselves, and others is crucial in living a peaceful existence on earth. Therefore, it is inevitable that God will allow the necessary circumstances to occur to assure that trust will develop in our lives. The sooner we begin to trust again, the sooner our relationship with our Creator will allow our lives to mirror what God had originally designed.

Trusting God begins when you realize how great God is. First, just consider what God has created. Things on us, earth, and the universe that science still cannot explain or understand. From the single cell to the Big Bang, God’s magnificent creations are just the tip of the iceberg. Next we must consider the mercy God has shown humanity for millennia. When you understand how far away humanity has been, and is, from where God intended it to be it is amazing that we are still here. What is most amazing is that God still Loves us with His Agape Love.

We are sure that you can find many reasons in your own life to Trust in God.

Wait For It

“…though it tarries, wait for it;”  Habakkuk 2:3

Here at Cepher we will “stand guard” “positioned on the ramparts” as we wait on the Lord to do marvelous things for our benefit. There is a change coming and all God’s people shall be blessed if they wait for the change with Trust and confidence in the Lord. It does not take a prophet or even a saint to see that this world cannot continue on its current course for much longer before human nature will take over from desperation and frustration as has happened so many times before.

“Yet those who wait for the Lord…”  Isaiah 40:31

Most followers of God know the rest of that scripture as we all will rise up with wings of eagles and soar to heights never even dreamed before. Certainly Mr. Petty got it right when he sang how the waiting is the hardest part, especially for humans. However, if we can get through the waiting we will become the world we have always hoped for.

“To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  Luke 1:79

That is the end of the prophecy of Zacharias the father of John the Baptist, and what is most intriguing in that prophecy is the emphasis on our salvation relating to our peace on this earth. Verse 69 states how God has raised up a horn of our salvation, and in verse 70 it talks of the salvation from our enemies and all who hate us. Now for many that means simply that God is either going to allow us to kill our enemies or He will do it for us. However, if you study the life on this earth of Y’shua Messiah you will quickly see that neither of those scenarios are even considered by Y’shua Messiah. Y’shua Messiah understood that for there to be peace one must leave peacefully.

In order for God’s people to enjoy peace on earth we must first live peacefully and in harmony with all others just as Y’shua Messiah showed us through His example. We are very close to achieving this peace on earth if the nucleus of  true followers can maintain throughout the next decade of growth. In life we can see that at certain times for there to be growth there may be discomfort and even pain. Consider a human infant, how much discomfort the infant experiences while growing much-needed teeth, and there are many such anecdotes that show the same truth.

The growing period might be difficult at times, but if we wait for it the results will bear great fruits for all those who follow God. Then through our example there will finally be peace on earth. Teaching through lifestyle more than words and doctrine.

The Wait/The Weight

Waiting really is the hardest part, especially when it involves your very existence. As when Saint Peter sincerely believed that he was willing to die for Y’shua Messiah. Unfortunately for Saint Peter his concept of dying for his Messiah was very much tainted by his human nature; much like our own is today. Human’s tend to think horizontally tying their thoughts and beliefs together from their experiences. God’s Spirit does no such thing. God knows that whatever He can conceive, can become reality. Also, what God can conceive is so far beyond human conception that we cannot even imagine what God thinks about or how God’s thoughts work.

Therefore, Saint Peter, like so many of us, assumed that to die for Y’shua Messiah required a battle defending his Messiah. Just such a battle was developing in front of Saint Peter’s face in the early morning hours on the hillside of Gethsemane, according to his horizontal thought. We all know now that a battle of conventional means was no where near Spiritual reality. They did not know that then. Even today there are many believers whom are certain a conventional battle in the name of, and power of the Lord is eminent. That will require all believers to be prepared for this physical, worldly, conventional war. They were wrong then, and they are most certainly wrong now.

Here at Cepher, we worship a God of Love, a God of Peace, a God of Creation, not destruction. This description of the God is more in line with the New Testament than the Old Testament. The difference between the two Testaments is not God, or how God dealt with people; it is the people themselves who make the difference. Unfortunately, we are evolving into the brutal, blood thirsty, violent, angry, selfish societies of the Old Testament.

In Saint Peter’s horizontal thinking, once he lunged out with a swing of his blade and sliced off the ear of the servant, he had shown his commitment to die for Y’shua Messiah. So one can just imagine Saint Peter’s surprise when his Messiah scolded his effort. Not only did Y’shua Messiah rebuke Peter’s actions, but He actually rebuked the battle in its entirety. Which meant that Saint Peter had gotten it all wrong! What else had he be mistaken about? This was going to take some time for him to figure out what was true and what was actually misplaced hope–the wait began, which created a massive weight on his shoulders.

To make things even worse, Y’shua Messiah was correct about Saint Peter denying his Messiah at the right time and for the correct amount of times. Saint Peter must have thought that either he had been wrong about his Messiah, or had he just been wrong about his expectations for his Messiah. The waiting, one day melted into the next until finally the women followers made a great discovery by accident.

Sometimes we may not see things clearly, but if we just wait upon the Lord, three hours, three days or three decades, we will rise up as eagles and soar far above the weight that once held us down. If we can just learn how to wait.

Why?

Here at Cepher we are constantly asking two questions more than any other, why and what if. The later, the counter factual is our biggest motivational engine, though the why is almost as important. We are always asking what if , and today is no exception. It appears that as humans we tend to rely heavily on constancy and absolutes, such as, predicting the weather. We rely on the various laws of nature/science like gravity and thermodynamics. Many of us can tell when a friend or loved one is upset without the person saying anything. So it makes perfect sense that we would expect the very same condition from God. We would expect to know what God expects from us, and how to follow Him correctly.

However, this is not what most of us find when trying to follow God with all our hearts today. Should I help this person in need or is this person just attempting to take advantage of me? Should I keep my kids from doing a lot of what other kids today do? Where should I go to church? Should I go to church? These are just a few of the many questions we have for God daily and few of us ever get a clear answer. That is a clear answer immediately. And many times the answer is there right in front of our face, however, we are not able to see it with our physical senses. God is  Spirit, and therefore, consider everything of God in Spirit.

What if, the Lord created a world where His laws were as clear as the laws of nature? Where one only need be familiar with God’s Laws to live within them. Just as we must live within the law of gravity, accepted as second nature. That world would be one where those who studied the Word of God while applying the earth’s physical laws to God’s laws would have a great advantage over those who did not. Such as, knowing that God’s Spirit is extremely gentle, and therefore does not force itself on anyone, which would tend to make the first impression the correct thought. Also knowing that God’s law centers on obedience, thereby advising the follower to have patience and disciplined to persevere until such time that renders the necessary results.

Let us consider a counter factual world where God ruled:

It would be a place where true followers live within their means a very simple, though extremely satisfying life. Where the Beatitudes are realized in the lives of each follower. Where Agape Love was the only rule. It would be a place where greed and hatred would have no hold on the followers because the followers were willing to allow God’s perspective to rule. It is not as if greed, hatred, and jealousy did not exist, they simply would not be less likely to rule over so many people at any given time; thereby, never allowing them to gain a foothold inside the hearts of anyone. Just as misery loves company, all other personality traits, emotions, feelings, and thoughts need the same to survive to a point of conquer. When greed sneaks into a followers mind it first must find hospitable conditions. Then it must grow inside the person, and that requires the person’s approval. Next, it must spread into others for any chance to conquer, and that is where fellowship is so important. The greed stricken person must find others in the same condition as he/ she was in at the time of the infection, and that is where the true follower of God makes all the difference in the world. By not being susceptible to the infection of greed, the follower stops the transmission at that point. The more followers, the less transmission.

That the majority of true followers of God have always come from independent personalities is not a coincidence, and that they are not bothered by the title of  “Heretic”. Such was the situation at the time of Y’shua Messiah on earth, as it was before the Visitation, and certainly we have no reason to see a change in that atmosphere today, since it has been such for the past two millennia. When someone infected with greed (or any other social malfunction) and confronted with a true follower of God, the infected person is not just stopped from gaining ground, but also from gaining more strength. Therefore, if the stricken person comes in contact with enough true followers then that person may begin to get second thoughts that cause him/her to reconsider her/his place.

What if a world like this really existed?

Why not?

The Ah-Ha Moment!

Eureka! We have it! Finally, after more than five decades of an on-again, off-again, search for the meaning of life, here at Cepher we have arrived at an understanding that surpasses earthly knowledge. We have discovered, by the Grace of the Blessed Holy Spirit, why we are on this planet. Now, before we discuss it with you, you must understand that this is a finding, a revelation, a realization that has found peace in our heart; this is not a general consensus. It is a Truth that we have established through everything that we have experienced in over five decades. We are at peace with this discovery, True Peace. We are at Peace because we have arrived at the Answer. There is no longer any question in our lives that is not satisfactorily answered by this Truth.

We have all wondered why Mr. X seemed to live an absolute perfect life with little or no problems, even when he looses something it eventually finds it way back to him at a million to one odds; yet convinced there is no God. Our Truth tells us that since God is only concerned with our Salvation, and He has already seen the end of Mr. X’s life where he denies God the last time, all the various activities of our life that will eventually lead us to our Salvation have no purpose in Mr.X’s life. It is the traumas of life that shape us, teach us, and lead us into the person that God knows we are to become to help us create inside of ourselves that tremendous energy that every follower must have when close to God in Eternity (Exodus 33:17-23).

Another perplexing question deals with the loss of a loved one. Our Truth comforts us in knowing that baptized or not, when all young children die they leave a world of hate, fear, destruction, violence and death, and they go to a place that is the complete opposite forever. It also tells us that when someone dies it is because they have gone as far as they are ever going to go in their journey with God on this earth (Genesis 5:24), and since this is the sole reason we were born, there would not be any reason to stick around. Of course, there are those who have become as close to God as they will ever get while on earth and have yet to leave; here the Truth shows how God uses certain people within the interconnectedness of humankind (Luke 22:10-12)

Our Afterlife consist of God and all His Host, including all who ever lived. Their proximity to God on earth transfers to the Afterlife; however close you were with God on earth determines your place in the Afterlife (Matthew 19:28& Mark 10:40). In the Afterlife, just as on earth, the purpose is to worship God (Matthew 4:10), and the closer one is to the Lord the more beautiful eternity will be for that worshiper. That makes the opposite true also.

We are on earth to establish a relationship with our Creator. No more, no less. We are not here to evangelize the world, that has already been done to the extent that the Bible put forth (Romans 10:18 & 16:26). We are not here to gain and hoard wealth. We are not here to conquer other civilizations. Here at Cepher, we believe without a doubt, that we are on this earth to set up a relationship with God, and as this is occurring if the Lord blesses us with wealth or if He directs us to the missionary field, then so be it; but that is not our primary emphasis. Our only priority is to serve the Lord by developing a relationship that allows us to discover who our Creator is and allows our Creator to use us in any way, shape or form our God so desires.

Our expectations will be to serve Y’shua Messiah.

Why Write?

Certainly there is some egotistical motivation in all writing, but with this blog it goes far deeper than sheer personality. We began this endeavor with the sincere belief that it was a tribute to God under the watchful eye of the Blessed Holy Spirit. An attempt to share our journey toward God with those whom the Lord desires. As we learn in our walk with God we hope that what we share with others will be helpful in their walk with God.

Never have we intended to display the attitude of expert or scholar as if we have discovered the panacea for life’s problems. All we desire to do is share, with whomever the Lord wills, what we have learned from the Blessed Holy Spirit whom we credit as our Teacher. Because we have been learning how important it is to Trust God for everything in life. Learning how to decipher what voice in our head is our conscience, i.e. the Blessed Holy Spirit, and what is just personality noise.

Maybe this is just a matter of terminology, however, there is a difference between what we are calling our conscience and other noises that are accumulated in life that pop up at times of confusion. As we have said many times before, the more you know about God, His intentions, Love, and parameters, all the things you can learn about Him by a sincere commitment to study the Bible; the more familiar God’s ways are to you and the more in tune to Him you can become . As you become more attentive to the Lord, the more sensitive you become as to whether or not you are following God.  For as one follows God, one should become more like Y’shua and others should readily see that change. All that we have seen has shown us that the general rule is patience. Most if not all of the people God chose to serve Him had to wait for years before they began their endeavor with God, according to the Bible.

Most of the time we get ahead of God and do far more damage by not waiting on the Lord. If God desires action He will achieve it on His own, we are not God’s arms and legs on earth. We are just a housing for His Blessed Holy Spirit to live through us, and if we let that happen, it will. Willing vessels letting God be in complete control. That is what we are attempting to apply into our lives and as it manifests in our lives we will document it for others to maybe learn by. We are on our way to the desert today to spend some quality time with our Messiah. When we get back, we will tell you all about it, God Willing.

Resolution

Here at Cepher we pray for all of you to have a great new year in God as you become closer to the Messiah while you meditate with the Blessed Holy Spirit in this journey called life. We are certain that the closer we get to God the more peaceful, beneficial, and satisfying our lives will become. Just do not stop walking toward Y’shua Messiah.

This next decade is all about Trust, prayer, and walking with Y’shua Messiah as our Leader, Example, and Savior. Trusting God, but with our eyes wide open, this is not blind faith, this Trust that we speak of comes from study, dedication, and total commitment in the Blessed Holy Spirit as our Teacher in the Word of God. However, not just in the Bible, but in other books that the Blessed Holy Spirit reveals in our study of the Bible. Such as the Book of Enoch which is discussed as a book of interest to the disciples in Y’shua’s time according to the Book of Jude 14. As well as many books written by true followers in the likes of C.S.Lewis, Oswald Chambers, and current followers like Dr. Francis Collins, Lee Strobel, and so many others that we will list very soon, God willing.

Our prayers are with you all.

May God bless

The Spirit

What is the Spirit of Christmas?

Today some kids and adults understand that Y’shua was not born on December 25th, but that was around the time another celebration was taking place millennia ago. It was that celebration that was the sole reason for the church to invent a competing Christian celebration–in other words, it was church marketing. The celebration that the church was so upset with was the pagan worship of the winter solstice. There is no true indications that Y’shua was born during this time period, but that really did not matter to the church leaders at that time. What mattered to the church at that time is exactly what matters to the churches today, and that is their enrollment. The marketing mantra that has sustained the church since its inception has never changed–an empty seat is an empty soul.

Christianity has veered so far from what Y’shua Messiah created two-thousand years ago there is no resemblance. One was designed to establish individual relationships between God and humankind, the other mandates group think and conformation of worldly doctrine. One was based on the Love of God, the other on the fear. One encouraged a break from worldly traditions, the other added to them. One tells us to follow no one, but Y’shua Messiah; the other states that same premise while operating under the typical worldly hierarchy.

Should we be surprised at what has become of the spirit of Christmas? Not if we consider that its origins had nothing to do with God or the Blessed Holy Spirit. Today there are those who are attempting to bring God’s Spirit back into the holiday. However, they have not considered that God’s Spirit has never been in this holiday. And as we watch where this holiday is going it makes good sense that God’s Spirit stay clear.

Giving God a special day in His honor seems trite to say the least considering that His request is for anyone wishing to honor Him surrender everything over to Him and completely follow Him with every breath that we take. Are not all things God’s?