New Beginnings

I've got to say, I really like new beginnings. It's the end of the 7th Biblical month and even though it's kind of the middle of the year, it's the beginning of the new Torah cycle all around the world. We have the opportunity to read it anew and learn more with each cycle, going a bit deeper each year we read through it. As a family, we've read through the Torah portion at least 10 times, but we haven't read through the entire Bible that many times. This year we are reading every night after supper and following the BYNA reading plan found HERE Also new to us (not brand new, but it's been a long time), is that we are hosting Shabbats in our home. I kept getting asked if there was a Shabbat group in town and I would always say, "no, we drive 1hr-2hrs away to join one." Well, that's just not realistic anymore. If there is a need in town for a Shabbat group, AWESOME!!! We'll open our home until we are too big and then we'll find a bigger space, maybe someone with a large house can host. We've only met once so far, but I'm excited to see how it progresses. I'd like to add testimonies, praise and prayer to it, but my main focus is reading the Torah portion and discussing it and it's relevance to all Believers of the God of the Bible.

The Way truly is narrow and the more we learn, the narrower it gets. Belief in God is just a very first step....then comes the sanctification process that we will be on for the rest of our lives. Sometimes growth is in small spurts and sometimes by leaps and bounds, it all depends on how much we are pressing in to the Father. I actually love reading through the Torah cycle because it shows me areas I still need to be sanctified in and areas that I've definitely grown. But it's certainly necessary to read His Word so that we can learn about Him and His way of life because it is VERY different than the world's way of life. We need to read the Bible so that we can discern the spirits. The enemy is crafty and if we don't know Scripture inside and out, we will fall for his deceptions. Note that when I say "Scripture" I'm talking about the Scriptures that Yeshua and the disciples read....not the commentary that is known as the New Testament....I do consider the whole Bible to be Scripture but we can't understand the New Testament until we understand the Old Testament....it is too easy to take the New Testament out of context if we don't have a solid understanding of the Hebrew idioms and customs that shape how we understand Scripture. I'm still learning and renewing my mind as I let Scripture wash over me every day and allow it to change me from the inside out. I'm excited to see where God is taking me and my family in this new season of obedience!