I have tried to get this post finished for weeks but for some reason inspiration had deserted me. I've spent hours fondly remembering the various happenings over Sukkot
and the people who were missed during this time for one reason or
another. I also have been thinking about how this Sukkot didn't 'look'
like I thought it would but how it came together to be a blessed time
even so.
Hebron was a hive of activity in the lead up to Sukkot with the sukkah
erected by Don the Builder and his team of apprentices and the garden
made ready for spring and Sukkot by Beth and Calandra.
(I've got some lovely photos of all this activity so when I find where I stored them I'll pop these up as well!)
The sukkah is a simple but meaningful structure that reminded us daily during Sukkot that life in this age is but only part of the journey; our eyes are fixed upon the day when Yeshua, the Messiah, will come to rule from Jerusalem, bringing justice and peace for an age.
The weather was not very kind to us this year unfortunately but being
the intrepid pilgrims that we are we still enjoyed the sukkah and
outdoors. Naturally I would rather that the weather was a mild 23
degrees with a very slight breeze occasionally, but embracing the
challenges that cold winds, rain and changing weather patterns bring
does cause one to reflect on the wanderings of the Hebrews in the
wilderness.
It is this truth of Sukkot that makes it real and pertinent and the wisdom of Yehovah. Here in the western world we enjoy a comfortable life and it is not often that we are faced with the privations that the majority of the world's population have to endure so having an annual reminder that we are but sojourners in this life, pilgrims waiting for the age that is to come, is a kindness; it is hope for the age to come.
We can hardly say that staying at Hebron is camping or doing it tough though, so we can say that we braved a cold wind to go out to the sukkah, shared bathrooms and slept in unfamiliar beds!
During this time people came and went as they were able and for those of us who live at Hebron, we enjoyed seeing Hebron function as it was intended.
No matter how much or how little time everyone was able to be here, it was a wonderful blessing to all. Each morning we would gather under the sukkah to share a scripture and pray for a little while. The days past so quickly and there never seems enough time to do all that I want to do...more relaxed cuppa chats with friends....more time spent in the Word together ....more time spent before the Throne offering up praise and thanks.
On the 1st and 8th days we celebrated with music, praise and thanksgiving. Would that we had all day just for this high purpose alone!
I have great visions of a time when all those who call on His name within a city or region come together as one and spend the day celebrating with music, prayers and praise, rather than the few scattered here and there keeping different days in different ways. We 'messianics' are not immune to the plague of partisanship either I'm afraid.
There is much benefit and blessing in coming away from life's routine to spend time with each other as friends. A game of chess or cricket; riding motorbikes; jumping on a trampoline; cuppas and chats, all allow the Ruach ha Kodesh to nurture relationships, hone characters ....and sharpen wit!
Justin remarked that many of us have come from other nations (America, New Zealand, South Africa, Latvia) and how this was a wonderful reminder of the miraculous coming together of nations on that awesome day when Yeshua comes again...truly it will be a healing to the nations.
Hebron continues to be a great blessing to us all and a testament to Yehovah's miraculous abundance and ways.
We were so blessed to have Kerry and Alan with us again from Victoria. I just love these guys to bits and we are constantly in awe of the miraculous way that the friendship was rekindled. May our Father continue to bless and lead them!
After an abundance of rain coming into Spring the property was looking its best with full dams, paddocks full of feed, gardens blossoming and the flock in great condition.
What a journey it's been over the last 10 and a half years here at Hebron. In the physical the property has developed enormously, even though there is still much to achieve, however it's the relational and spiritual development that's been the most challenging and rewarding.
Is it any wonder that there is so much of the torah and apostolic writings devoted to the way community, family and relationships should be conducted! I often give thanks for the many giftings that we have in our small community because I know that without these life would be all that more challenging. Something that seems to be lacking in the 'messianic' community is the application and understanding of leadership and structure that is taught and displayed in the scripture, yet this is vital to the health of any family and community.
The other most vital aspect of community and life here at Hebron is of course Yehovah Himself. Without the reality of His presence and guidance we would be utterly left to our own devices and it would only be a matter of a short amount of time before our own personalities and the enemy of our souls ensured that relationships would disintegrate and Hebron would be superfluous.
Giving the Ruach Ha Kodesh opportunity to minister, guide and reveal is essential. This can often require time and attention. We get so busy with our days, our 'ministries' and our responsibilities that more than often this most critical aspect of our lives is neglected, or worse still, relegated to a small and ritualistic timespan.
For instance, without Yehovah's leading we would never have met the Munoz family and been able to share in their joy in finding their property. (obviously a cold and windy day!)
In this day and age we are so time poor that having a week over Sukkot to be with like-minded believers is precious. Time to spend chatting through concerns, eating and laughing together and generally hanging out is as I've said before, highly treasured.
We are all so different in nature yet are drawn together by our common love for Yehovah and His ways. May the oil of His presence smooth over any differences, heal any wounds, enable adjustments and corrections to be made and fill us all with gladness!
This song by Rick Pino (which I've posted below) encouraged me greatly a few years back and recently Yehovah reminded me this message of hope and encouragement. At the same time He reminded me of a warning he gave some years ago of how insidious and destructive are the ways of the enemy; the snake that appeared in the garden under the guise of religious posturing but is ultimately utterly evil and destructive. Oh how divisive are the results for those who are seduced by the appearance of religious observance and spirituality yet deny the power and presence of He who is being counterfeited! May we be ever on the alert for the beguilement of the enemy, who seeks to divide one from the other with lies, vanity and false humility, yet be open and supple in the hands of our Maker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-zjyMBNCMk
Well this post took an interesting turn but I'm going to hit 'publish' before I change my mind.
Oh, and yes, I have been partly living in the caravan since Sukkot and I will update the page on that development soon.
Hebron was a hive of activity in the lead up to Sukkot with the sukkah
erected by Don the Builder and his team of apprentices and the garden
made ready for spring and Sukkot by Beth and Calandra. (I've got some lovely photos of all this activity so when I find where I stored them I'll pop these up as well!)
The sukkah is a simple but meaningful structure that reminded us daily during Sukkot that life in this age is but only part of the journey; our eyes are fixed upon the day when Yeshua, the Messiah, will come to rule from Jerusalem, bringing justice and peace for an age.
The weather was not very kind to us this year unfortunately but being
the intrepid pilgrims that we are we still enjoyed the sukkah and
outdoors. Naturally I would rather that the weather was a mild 23
degrees with a very slight breeze occasionally, but embracing the
challenges that cold winds, rain and changing weather patterns bring
does cause one to reflect on the wanderings of the Hebrews in the
wilderness.It is this truth of Sukkot that makes it real and pertinent and the wisdom of Yehovah. Here in the western world we enjoy a comfortable life and it is not often that we are faced with the privations that the majority of the world's population have to endure so having an annual reminder that we are but sojourners in this life, pilgrims waiting for the age that is to come, is a kindness; it is hope for the age to come.
During this time people came and went as they were able and for those of us who live at Hebron, we enjoyed seeing Hebron function as it was intended.
No matter how much or how little time everyone was able to be here, it was a wonderful blessing to all. Each morning we would gather under the sukkah to share a scripture and pray for a little while. The days past so quickly and there never seems enough time to do all that I want to do...more relaxed cuppa chats with friends....more time spent in the Word together ....more time spent before the Throne offering up praise and thanks.
On the 1st and 8th days we celebrated with music, praise and thanksgiving. Would that we had all day just for this high purpose alone!
I have great visions of a time when all those who call on His name within a city or region come together as one and spend the day celebrating with music, prayers and praise, rather than the few scattered here and there keeping different days in different ways. We 'messianics' are not immune to the plague of partisanship either I'm afraid.
There is much benefit and blessing in coming away from life's routine to spend time with each other as friends. A game of chess or cricket; riding motorbikes; jumping on a trampoline; cuppas and chats, all allow the Ruach ha Kodesh to nurture relationships, hone characters ....and sharpen wit!
Justin remarked that many of us have come from other nations (America, New Zealand, South Africa, Latvia) and how this was a wonderful reminder of the miraculous coming together of nations on that awesome day when Yeshua comes again...truly it will be a healing to the nations.
Hebron continues to be a great blessing to us all and a testament to Yehovah's miraculous abundance and ways.
We were so blessed to have Kerry and Alan with us again from Victoria. I just love these guys to bits and we are constantly in awe of the miraculous way that the friendship was rekindled. May our Father continue to bless and lead them!
After an abundance of rain coming into Spring the property was looking its best with full dams, paddocks full of feed, gardens blossoming and the flock in great condition.
What a journey it's been over the last 10 and a half years here at Hebron. In the physical the property has developed enormously, even though there is still much to achieve, however it's the relational and spiritual development that's been the most challenging and rewarding.
Is it any wonder that there is so much of the torah and apostolic writings devoted to the way community, family and relationships should be conducted! I often give thanks for the many giftings that we have in our small community because I know that without these life would be all that more challenging. Something that seems to be lacking in the 'messianic' community is the application and understanding of leadership and structure that is taught and displayed in the scripture, yet this is vital to the health of any family and community. 
Giving the Ruach Ha Kodesh opportunity to minister, guide and reveal is essential. This can often require time and attention. We get so busy with our days, our 'ministries' and our responsibilities that more than often this most critical aspect of our lives is neglected, or worse still, relegated to a small and ritualistic timespan.For instance, without Yehovah's leading we would never have met the Munoz family and been able to share in their joy in finding their property. (obviously a cold and windy day!)
In this day and age we are so time poor that having a week over Sukkot to be with like-minded believers is precious. Time to spend chatting through concerns, eating and laughing together and generally hanging out is as I've said before, highly treasured.We are all so different in nature yet are drawn together by our common love for Yehovah and His ways. May the oil of His presence smooth over any differences, heal any wounds, enable adjustments and corrections to be made and fill us all with gladness!
This song by Rick Pino (which I've posted below) encouraged me greatly a few years back and recently Yehovah reminded me this message of hope and encouragement. At the same time He reminded me of a warning he gave some years ago of how insidious and destructive are the ways of the enemy; the snake that appeared in the garden under the guise of religious posturing but is ultimately utterly evil and destructive. Oh how divisive are the results for those who are seduced by the appearance of religious observance and spirituality yet deny the power and presence of He who is being counterfeited! May we be ever on the alert for the beguilement of the enemy, who seeks to divide one from the other with lies, vanity and false humility, yet be open and supple in the hands of our Maker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-zjyMBNCMk
Well this post took an interesting turn but I'm going to hit 'publish' before I change my mind.
Oh, and yes, I have been partly living in the caravan since Sukkot and I will update the page on that development soon.
Thanks Annette, another fine post and excellent reminder of the purposes of being Community together and endeavouring to follow the path of Scripture and it's instructions. Dad
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Honestly the weather was not too bad or I just had such a great time I failed to notice it much. Being in the Sukka at Hebron; around community for the week was an amazing and refreshing time. It's safe to say the week definitely went too fast!
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