The Hebron Herald

From winter to spring to summer, cyclic and seasonal changes are a part of life and each has their own blessings and challenges.   This time of year at Hebron the paddocks brown off quickly and the wildlife take in the warmth. There's new growth and colour, expectations and hope. Some years are dry but this year there is rain, although our lower dam is still a puddle.   May YHVH, in His abundant love and mercy,  bless Hebron and all of us who love Him.

Hebron comes alive during Sukkot.   It comes into its own during this moed (appointed time/festival) in particular.  We come together for fellowship, for obedience, for worship and joy. Not everyone is always able to make it to Hebron, but for those who were able, we enjoyed the sukkah - albeit weather dependent. The sukkah (tabernacle) is the central theme of Sukkot and when we obediently observe Sukkot (feast of tabernacles) we are putting our hope in the coming of Yeshua the King, who will raise up the fallen sukkah of David. We don't only look behind us in observing Passover and Shavuot (pentecost), we moreso look forward to the end of this age.  Yeshua is our tikvah (hope) and our reward.  This is the wisdom and joy that YHVH has set into creation itself.  Christmas and Easter do not, and can never, fully testify of the kingdom of YHVH.  The torah and cyclic nature of the moedim (appointed times/festivals) is the perfect map of His redemptive plan...

The 10 days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur are known in Judaism as the Days of Awe; a time for repentance and preparation.   Likewise, those of us in Yeshua's community turn our hearts and lives toward our Messiah and His return.   What a powerful mercy and kindness it is that each annual moedim cycle keeps our eyes fixed on our Saviour and Hope, reminding us that we are sojourners here in this age.  If we keep His set apart days we will be found to be in the right place at the right time, steady, faithful and humble, waiting patiently for our Great Reward.  One year in the future, as we gather to keep Yom Teruah, blowing the shofars and joining with multitudes across the earth to raise a shout, we will all hear the heavenly shofar blast, we'll see the heavens split open and our King coming on a white horse.  Hallelu Yah!   We long for the day when He comes to bring to peace, righteousness and justice, and His torah will go out from Jerusalem to the...

  Lamentations 3 21 This I recall to my heart—      therefore I have hope: 22  Because of the mercies of YHVH      we will not be consumed,      for His compassions never fail. 23  They are new every morning!      Great is Your faithfulness.   24  “ YHVH is my portion,” says my soul,      “therefore I will hope in Him.” YHVH is good to those who wait for Him,      to the soul that seeks Him. 26  It is good to wait quietly      for the salvation of YHVH.   We wait, we hope, we remain faithful because He is good and He is lovely.   The moedim of YHVH are fast approaching so on the weekend we were busy preparing Hebron for Sukkot.  The guys did a fabulous job in ripping out the kitchen in the fellowship room.  Some patch up work on the tiling needs to be done but the extra space is fabulous!  Muc...

  We have been blessed to have 11 lambs born to our 10 ewes, with a surprising majority of them being ewes.  A few of the ewes are too woolly so we'll be able to move those ones along and retain the ewe lambs in the flock. Last Hebron weekend we tagged and vaccinated the lambs, and gave the ewes and ram a drench and shot as well.  The ram has been diligent in his role but unfortunately he's not the best looking specimen at the moment.  We'll keep him another year and move him on. I've been adding to the little cubby town for the kids and Yakira gave the tee-pee a coat of paint.  Although I think maybe she enjoyed playing in the cubby! We have a plan to develop the old chicken pen area into a lovely park area with little nooks to sit, meditate and enjoy the beauty of nature. The first new planting was a little copse of silver birch.  Hebron has been transformed over the years from a blank slate to a lovely treed place of refuge.  Over the next few month...

  We have been waiting for a good rain to break the season and ensure there's decent soil moisture for seeding to begin and we've received around 15ml in the last day.  Thank you Abba Father!  The young hay share farmer will be seeding this week so it's perfect timing. We had a blessed time over the weekend enjoying each other's company, praising, praying and being fed in body, soul and spirit. Unfortunately a community of mice decided to move in over the last month so a big clean up was needed but many hands make light work. We are also in the process of improving and growing the garden area and a cubby house town was erected for the kids.  Thanks Kaleb for your help!   Over the next few months we will be redoing the fence line, planting gardens and creating lovely meditation and quiet areas for everyone to enjoy.  The old green house needs to come down and the hot house erected.  We have so many plans but Hebron has steadily developed and evolve...

  The tried but true saying change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change seems to be the theme for this season in our little fellowship. Our insecurities, fears and selfishness is being challenged by our loving Father at every turn. We are being provided an opportunity of love to trust Him in all things so we can grow and mature and be prepared for what is ahead of us.   I have the privilege of watching my grandchildren grow and one thing they all have in common is they do not like change and they can be quite selfish.  They are, after all, little children.  They have to be encouraged, trained and disciplined by their parents so they can mature and reflect the nature of their heavenly Father.    How often did Yeshua use the analogy of sheep and lambs to teach on the nature of our relationship to Himself.  He is our Chief Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture.   Without Him, without the shephe...

 In the busyness of life appreciating the blessings that we experience here at Hebron is like dew from heaven.... The next generation growing to love and trust YHVH... Friends who encourage, exhort and laugh with you... Big boy toys... The first lamb of the year... Hamming it up in the most kosher of ways! We are waiting for the first rains of the season so the ground can be prepared for sowing, and to have that all important green grass for the sheep now that they're lambing. Praise to our Father YHVH for all that He sends our way!  

Earlier this month I went away for a couple of weeks and the feeling of driving through the entrance gates and down the drive to my place of refuge was one of such immense relief and shalom.  The busyness of travel, catching up friends and family, and being on the move takes its toll and my soul was in need of time at home. Our little flock of motley dorpers are doing well and should be delivering a batch of lambs in a few weeks.  I'm not happy with the breeding of some of these young ewes and I did come across a new breed of sheep in Victoria that I'm keen to check out.  This week we (myself, Riley and Tyler) picked a half bucket of our first olives.  The birds had made a meal of most of our fruit crops this year so looking forward to netting the whole orchard before next season! We will also be fencing in the vegie patch area to keep the rabbits and roos from helping themselves.  There are grand plans of redesigning the play area, chook pen and extra seating a...

On the last day of the Pesach feast three of our community were baptised and it was an absolute cracker of a day. The Bremer River runs through the back of the Pike family's property, Shekem, at Salem and was a perfect setting. It was a fitting end to the week of unleavened bread and such a joy to come together as a community to witness Bonnie, Rob and Sonya being baptised into the name of YHVH. John has previously shared the importance of baptism and his notes are worth reading and then studying the scripture references again: Water baptism is an extremely important part of a persons salvation and there ongoing walk with Y'Hovah as Scripture attests.  I am not saying that everyone has to be re-baptised if baptised by immersion in the Christian Church, but many are baptised wrongly in Christian circles and many a spiritual life is very empty and shows a real Ruach HaKodesh lack in their faith and their walk. So often, to be baptised with a ne...

  The blessing of coming together to celebrate Pesach and Unleavened Bread at Hebron was only tempered by the fact that not everyone who are part of the Healing to the Nations fellowship could be there.  Those who were unwell or unable to come were deeply missed. I, in particular, thoroughly enjoyed preparing the room and meal with dear friends.  There was a lovely sense of shalom and fellowship over the entire weekend.  As we read scripture, gave thanks, drank the cup and ate the matzah we were keenly aware that this was not only a powerful reminder that Yeshua is the Messiah who came, suffered and defeated death but is more importantly a prophetic declaration that He will come again to rule and reign from Jerusalem.  Hallelu Yah!    Over the years it has become popular in some Messianic fellowships to have a feet washing ritual at Pesach and yes, Yeshua did wash the feet of the disciples and taught them the true nature of leadership - to humbly serv...

In what do we put our hope for tomorrow? In whom do we put our trust?  To whom would we go?   YHVH Creator   YHVH Adonai   YHVH Elohim  As I've watched our paddock being prepared for hay season I am reminded that there are seasons of preparation and time to take advantage of the blessing of summer rain.   Break up unused ground for yourselves, because it is time to seek Adonai , till he comes and rains down righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12   We live in a world consumed by the present and self, and people of faith are not immune.  The heart of our Father is constantly calling us to dedication, to hope and to return to the ancient paths.   This life is not easy and the days to come will be increasingly difficult.  It won't be for the faint of heart or those led by emotion and soft words.  There will be dry times, there will be times of hunger, there will be times of doubt and confusion.  It will require fortitud...