New Beginnings Pt. 4 Naomi: What’s in a Name?

In yesterday’s blog and using Ruth chapter 1 as our foundation we learned about Naomi and her family, the meaning of their names and the devastation she experienced by losing her husband and then her sons 10 years later both at the same time.  Listen to this: Naomi decided her life was over but she wasn’t going to suffer any further in front of these Moabites.  I guess she figured she had tried to live up to a certain image long enough.  She was broke, bitter, beside herself with grief and decided her best shot at survival, not living, was to return to her homeland of Bethlehem.  Orpah and Ruth packed up what little they had, went to their families to give them the news that they were leaving for Bethlehem and set out for their journey on nothing more than the word of their dear mother-in-law, Naomi. 

Very early in their journey Naomi had second thoughts about the responsibility of these two young women accompanying her to her homeland.  They weren’t slaves, they could have decided to stay in Moab without Naomi’s permission.  Their marital obligations ended when their husbands died and there were no sons available for these young women to marry to keep the family lineage alive, but there must have been something special about Naomi that caused them to want to stay with her even though she clearly had nothing.  She was pretty much destitute, yet they were willing to stay with her. With mixed emotions and through tears of bitterness she acted unselfishly and told them they were free to return to their families and the young women said no, they were going to stay with her, which is where we left off.

Naomi said it again but firmer this time.  “No, I’m serious dear hearts, go back to your families!! I have nothing to offer you! I’m too old to get married and have more sons and even if I did by some miracle have more sons would you wait for them to grow up and marry them?  My life is over, God is punishing me, for what I don’t know.  This is a bitter time for us all but more for me than you.  So go before you are cursed like me.”

All three of them stood in the road and cried but Naomi’s cries of anguish were more severe than her daughter-in-laws: “God! Why?!!!  What have I done to deserve this?  How could you forsake me?  How could you leave me without a husband and children? My life is over!  There is nothing worth living for!!!  Why don’t you just kill me right here and now!!!  God, what do you want from me?!!!   God, do you hear me?  How long will you ignore me?”  She cried and yelled until her voice was gone and she could only talk above a whisper. 

Tania Not Tanya moment:  Hold up.  Naomi is the mother-in-law to Ruth and Orpah, there are no blood ties yet all three of them seem to have some type of bond that goes beyond the “normal” in-law relationship.  It’s no small fete to make a decision to leave your family, cultural and everything familiar and travel to a foreign land.  Remember there is no Instagram, FaceBook, Google Maps or anything other than what people say to get an idea of their new home.  The flip side is that Naomi seems to love these young women just as much as they love her.  She included them in her plans to re-locate until she realized she really didn’t have the capacity to care for them once they got to Bethlehem.  I realize that as a whole mother-in-laws get a bad rap, but not every mother-in-law is a witch sent from hell.  I can testify with certainty that I have an amazing mother-in-law. She has always been supportive, offers great advice when asked and stays in her place as a loving caring woman who loves God with all her heart and can pray you through what-so-never you’re facing.  Let’s get back to Naomi’s story.

I imagine that Orpah was trying to be brave but quiet is kept she really didn’t want to go in the first place.  When Naomi pulled her power move, Orpah was like:  “You ain’t gotta tell me twice; Love yawl, but I’m out.  Holla at a sistah once yawl get there.” She kissed and hugged them both and Orpah bounced.  She didn’t even wait to see if Ruth would accompany her.  Probably because deep down inside she knew Ruth wanted to be Naomi’s lifetime companion no matter where she went or what it cost her (Ruth). 

Ruth couldn’t believe that Naomi was flip floppin’ on them.  She had already settled in her mind that she would not allow Naomi to live out her years alone, she didn’t care about re-marrying or having children, she knew in her heart that she was assigned to Naomi.  She fell into Naomi’s arms and said:  Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!” Ruth 1:16-17 (The Message). 

When Naomi saw that Ruth was being just as stubborn as her, she gave in and they headed for Bethlehem.  When they finally reached their destination, the entire town was buzzing about her arrival.  As they celebrated her return, complimented her, etc. she did what many of us do when someone compliments us, she made excuses about what wasn’t, except in this case, Naomi’s bitter was on such large display she corrected her friends and said:  Don’t call me Naomi; call me Bitter (Mara). The Strong One has dealt me a bitter blow. I left here full of life, and God has brought me back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi? God certainly doesn’t. The Strong One ruined me.” Ruth 1:20-21 (The Message).  Talk about killing the moment. 

In all honesty I don’t think Naomi was rude by any means. She I am sure was grateful that God blessed them to reach Bethlehem safely, but it was bitter sweet.  All of the memories of her life before Moab came flooding back when she returned, having left one way – full – and returning empty, or so she thought.  I’m sure everyone who heard her story could identify and there were probably a few who added their own hot sauce to it assuming that she committed some terrible sin that God was punishing her for. Shoot, Naomi even believed she was being punished. 

I am out of time but I want to close on this and pick it up again tomorrow.  We must stop assuming that because we go through trials and tribulations that we are being punished.  I know it sounds like a cliché, but we cannot have a testimony without a test.  I’m gonna say it again, there is no way that God would go through all of the trouble that he did to get you to this place and then leave you hanging.  That would be absolutely asinine, regarded, stupid and God is not any of those things.  Do you realize how much he has invested in you, in us?  Can you even begin to count the cost?  Of course you can’t.  You have no idea what he has done to get you to this place of preparation.  The fact that you should be stuck, locked up, in a mental health facility, homeless, paralyzed, earning minimum wage, on medication, and/or dead but you’re not, is a PURPOSE.  Don’t take it lightly.

I’ve gotta go, but we’ll pick it up next week.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya 

New Beginnings Pt. 3 - Naomi: What’s in a Name?

My blog for today is: What’s In A Name?  The character that I want to focus on is a significant woman in biblical history by the name of Naomi.  Before we read her mail, I want to give you a little bit of history.  Naomi’s name means my delight.  She was married to a man by the name of Elimelech which means my God is king.  Elimelech and Naomi had two sons, Mahlon (“mah-lohn”) which means sick and Chillion (“chil-leon”) which means pining, sickly.  Throughout biblical history names were significant, as they are today but the significance is varied.  Most modern day parents select names before the child is born and the name is generally selected because it is “cute” and/or has a good “sound” to it.  The name for the most part is not given based upon what the parents are experiencing and/or what they immediately see in a child after the birth as they did in biblical times.  While this does not indicate one way is better than the other, it is worth mentioning because of the differences in past and present history.

Elimelech made the decision to relocate to Moab because of the famine in Bethlehem where he and his family lived.  This leads me to believe they were a family of means (perhaps not rich but) resourceful enough to move from one country to another.  Perhaps he had a hook up with a friend that had a camel caravan or he bartered for his family’s travel accommodations with a promise to do certain work that he was skilled at, etc. 

 

Moab, which means of his father, was born to Lot’s eldest daughter.  Lot is the nephew of Abram (aka Abraham, Patriarch of the Jews -- remember during our journey of Joseph’s life they mentioned the God of Abraham and Isaac his ancestors?)  Lot ultimately separated from Abram on good terms but he moved to Sodom & Gomorrah.  The two cities and the nearby surrounding suburbs that were destroyed by fire and brimstone that rained down from heaven because of their ungodly and wicked activity.  Lot and his family were the only ones to escape God’s wrath because of Abram interceded on his behalf (i.e. Abram prayed for Lot and his family and asked God to spare them).  Moab is the son of Lot’s eldest daughter who is so insignificant that we don’t even know her name.  Moab’s birth occurred because his mother (Lot’s eldest daughter) realized there was no way to keep their family lineage unless she and her younger sister had children.  The problem was that the only prospect was their father.  They were both virgins and they knew their father wouldn’t voluntarily have sex with them so they got him drunk and on two separate nights had sex with him and both got pregnant. The eldest gave birth to Moab, progenitor of the Moabites and the younger daughter (we don’t know her name either) gave birth to Benammi (“ben-ah-me”) the progenitor of the Ammonites.  During this period in history incest was allowed in order to populate the earth, however, it is not observed in western cultures today. 

            Progenitor -- a biologically related ancestor: Genesis 19:31-38 (MSG)

We are not sure when but after being in Moab Elimelech died.  Though Naomi is saddened by her husband’s death the family is not destitute or in debt.  If that were the case the sons would have been sold into slavery based on the culture of that time.  A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.  2 Kings 4:1 (NKJV).  This fact supports my theory that they were a family of means.  Jewish tradition dictated that the sons would take care of their mother but since the sons were both single, it was now Naomi’s job as the matriarch to ensure her sons were married so they could keep the family lineage alive.  Though she had the opportunity to return to Bethlehem she made a conscious decision to settle in Moab and to find Moabite wives for her sons, clearly mixing two different cultures (e.g. no different than an African-American marrying an Asian, a Pacific Islander marrying a Latino, etc.).  The Jews were instructed not to mix cultures primarily because of the pagan Gods they worshipped and potential for spiritual contamination.   While I don’t want to add my own words to the mix I feel comfortable using my imagination as you have grown accustomed to over these past few months.

I believe Naomi was in survival mode.  She was in a foreign country and although we don’t know of any major challenges outside of the men dying prematurely, she is now a widowed woman with two sons that she needs to get married so she can secure the family’s future.  For all we know the sons were too sickly to make a trip back to Bethlehem, whatever the case she decided to go on a mission, find wives and get them settled.  She is successful and finds two amazing young women, Orpah and Ruth.  In my sanctified imagination I see Naomi finally exhaling as a happy and content mother in law, soon to be grandmother.  She may have started to knit booties and blankets in preparation for all the grandchildren she assumed her two sons were going to produce.  She settled into the life of a widow and mother-in-law, content with her new family.  It bothered her I am sure after 10 years that neither of her “sickly” sons had produced children.  It was probably a little embarrassing too because young men were expected to start families almost immediately after marriage.  It is not clear if Mahlon and Chillion had bouts with illness or if they both started to decline simultaneously but I would imagine their sickly state affected their ability to work and given that there was no SSI or other federally funded programs that offered assistance to the disabled, their combined sickly state probably presented a challenge financially. The booties, blankets and dreams Naomi made slowly began to fade but at least she had her boys and even though they weren’t as robust and active as her girlfriend’s sons, they were alive.  And suddenly it happened, both sons died.  We are not clear if they died on the same day, within the same week, month or year, but the deaths clearly happen relatively quickly.

I have two sons whom I absolutely love to the core of my very being.  I won’t pretend to know how Naomi felt, but I have a strong idea because seven years ago I almost lost my youngest son to a stage four cancer (Hodgkins Lymphoma) when he was 24 years old.  However, but I fought like a lion, believed God for my son’s healing and was spared the experience of burying a child prematurely. 

Losing her husband was devastating I am sure but losing her two sons at or near the same time had to send Naomi over the edge.  I don’t think you understand the gravity of their deaths.  Whatever future she thought she had was gone in an instant or at least that is what it looked like.  After burying them and working through the grief of the men in her life she and her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth probably pitched in as much as they could to keep the family estate but it wasn’t enough.  They eventually lost everything and Naomi decided it was best that they go to Bethlehem, her native land where she had relatives who would possibly help them.  While it was a longshot because there was no immediate family there, it was definitely a more viable option that remaining in Moab.  Here’s what I imagined happened: 

The three women were walking on the road just outside of the city limits, yes dear heart I said

walking.  Remember, there is no car or transit system.  She may have been able to scrape together enough to get connected with a camel caravan but the likelihood is slim to none.  It was probably at that moment that she had an “aha” moment and possibly thinking to herself: “I have no way of knowing what I will face when I get home.  Why would I bring these young women with me?  They have family here that can take care of them, what am I thinking?”  Outside of Naomi’s earshot I imagine Orpah secretly whispering to Ruth that she was going to miss her folks and Ruth probably tried to help Orpah see the bright side of the move, the opportunity to meet new people, experience new things but most of all, to help Naomi.  As they were walking and talking between each other they practically knocked Naomi over who had stopped all of a sudden in front of them and stood in the dusty road waiting for them to catch up to her as the tears of bitterness slipped from her eyes down her dusty cheeks, stinging her face like little needle pricks and gathered under her neck dripping to her chest.  The young women were startled but not surprised by Naomi’s tears as they had all been emotional the past few days.  After what seemed like an eternity Naomi finally said: “Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a new home and a new husband!” She kissed them and they cried openly.  They said, “No, we’re going on with you to your people.”

I’m out of time, we’ll have to meet the girls on the side of the road in the morning

I am totally out of time but I promise we’ll pick it up tomorrow.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya 

I Have A Dream Too

For some reason I was really excited to get to "Purpose" yesterday, like I mean I could hardly wait for 9:30 am to arrive so I could leave my home and head to "Purpose".  It also happened to be Make It Happen Monday. I thought about what I would do to make Monday happen for someone but wasn't quite sure when or how, especially since I knew it would be pretty quiet at "Purpose" until the end of the month.  I didn't want to do the standard Starbucks or bridge toll, I wanted to do something I had never done before.  As I began to meditate, I started to imagine the ways I want to bless others especially since this is the month of New Beginnings.

The more I thought about it the more excited I became.  I started to day dream about the possibilities.  I have in my lifetime with the leading of the Holy Spirit given away: clothes, shoes, furniture, and vehicles (three to be exact) so this isn't something new to me, but I want to make an even larger impact.  I have had this dream of giving brand new vehicles away; purchasing groceries and/or items of the people in the same checkout lane as me; or picking up the tab for the entire restaurant and/or leaving a $200 tip for my server.  Obviously I would bless the body of Christ, but I also want to bless those that do not have a relationship with Christ.  Am I worried about being taken advantage of?  Absolutely not.  I have one of the most incredible security teams on the planet, the Angles of the Lord.  I'm not playing. Psalms 34:7 (NLT) says: For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.  The word "fear" in this text means to reverence or respect (the Lord) and I do both.

How is this possible?  Certainly not because of my own desires, but because God gave me that dream.  I believe in my heart that I am a Lender not a Borrower ok, let me be transparent, I believe I am going to have millions of dollars at my disposal, not to squander on me and my family.  Of course I will be a blessing to them, that would be selfish not to take care of my family, but I believe I will also have resources to advance the Kingdom of God.  Let's be straight about something, the bible is full of scriptures about money.  At least two people come to mind that were flat out wealthy:  Job and Abraham (read about them):

• Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner's wealth passes to the godly, Proverbs 13:22 (NLT);
• Beloved, I would that you would prosper in ALL things AND be in good health even as thy soul prospers.  3 John 2 (NKJV)
• .... But money answers all things.  Ecclesiastes 10:19 (NKJV),

The more I thought about it the more excited I became about the possibilities of anonymously passing the keys of a brand new car to the recipient God designates; or blessing several children from an urban community with the items they need for the upcoming school year; etc.

One of my tasks for "Purpose" yesterday was to do some research at Ikea.  Obviously I could look on line, which I did, and I could look at the free catalog I received in the mail, which I did, but I needed to see, touch, sit on and feel the items I was thinking of purchasing for "Purpose" as a prudent stewart over the funds entrusted in me.  I quickly developed a plan and decided I would leave by 1:00 pm to allow enough time for my research and everything went according to plan.  However, I still had not found a Make It Happen prospect.  Wait, do you know what Make It Happen Monday is?  You don't?  Are you sure?  You've gotta get out more,  Make it Happen Monday is on fire right now.  Practically all the people I hang out with in the morning know about it.  Hold on, I'll tell you in just a sec.

So, I find a couple of items at Ikea that I need for my home, make my way through the maze and head for check out.  I look for the shortest fastest moving line and spot one.  I place my items on the moving counter and notice a gentlemen in my peripheral vision and then I hear him speaking to a little girl.  Then I looked at the items he put on the counter.  I quickly calculated what the cost might be and I turned and struck up a conversation about the craft items.  He was all smiles which meant he had an open heart.  I then focused on the pretty little girl with him.  I asked her a question about the items which I learned were for her and she very cautiously answered me.  That didn't bother me at all, I know how to warm up to people and when I need to back off.  I heard the Lord say this is it, so I turn to the man and say:

• Me:  Did you know today is Make It Happen Monday?  
• Man:  "No, what's that?
• Me:  "Are you kidding me, you haven't heard about it?"
• Man: He chuckles and says: "no", with lot's of curiosity.
• Me:  MIHM as a new movement that's changing the way people think and operate, we find someone we want to be a blessing to and smile, speak or purchase something for the person we are assigned to.  May I purchase your items?
• Man:  Are you serious?
• Me: Yes, may I?
• Man:  "Sure, wow" and then he says to his daughter:  "What do you say?"
• Daughter:  She looks at me kind of confused (like why are you buying my stuff?) and then says: "Thank you."  
• Man:  He then says to his daughter:  "Now we have to find someone to be nice to" and then he says: How can I find out more?
• Me:  "I have a card I can give you" and I give him an invite card to the Victory Call.
• Me:  I look at the little girl in her big curious brown eyes and say: "What's your name?
• Girl:  "Ariel".
• Me:  "It's so nice to meet you.  I hope your project comes out just the way you want it.  Have a blessed day.  

Tania Not Tanya Nugget:  "Purpose" is my assignment with the ministry that God has linked me with for this season.  I am assigned to this ministry to do what I do best, HELP.  It's not a job because I am my own boss.  I do not work for anyone other than God, I am a consultant and I am assigned to HELP the body of Christ with some of my talents, which are administration, structure and organization.  Initially I took this "talent" for granted because it is so natural that I literally do it without thinking and I enjoy it so much that I lose track of time.  So when I refer to "Purpose" I am talking about one of the God-inspired gifts or talents I was blessed with by God.

As I conclude for the night, I have a couple of questions for you.  Are you working on your dream(s) or are you gonna wake up one day when life is almost over and say:  I wish I cudda, wudda, shudda?

It's not too late.

In His New Excellence


Tania Not Tanya

New Beginnings Pt. 2: The History of Eight

We left off with the last blog New Beginnings Pt. 1 with historical biblical information about the meaning or significance of the number eight (8) which signifies: new beginning, new order and new creation.  We discovered that the crucifixion of  Jesus Christ was perfect, not just because he was the Son of God as I had believed all these years, but his sacrifice was perfect because of the precise timing and implementation of all of the events that led up to the crucifixion.  For example:

·       Theologians state that Jesus was selected to be the sacrificial lamb (in the earth realm) on Nisan 10 (April 1, 30 A.D. - John 12: 27-29).  In John 12 we see

o   Jesus asking the father the rhetorical question of whether or not there was another way for the price of redemption to be paid;

o   Jesus answering that rhetorical question and reminding himself that he came to earth to die for our sins and so the Father could be glorified; and

o   The Father audibly answering and selecting him openly before the world for the assignment

·       He was crucified, buried and resurrected as he foretold all within an eight (8) day period making his sacrifice perfect and ushering in New Beginnings.  How?  The redemptive work of Christ on the cross closed the chapter on the dispensation (time period) of the Mosaic Law (e.g. the 10 Commandments with extended emphasis added in the book of Leviticus) and ushering the dispensation (time period) of Grace.  Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT): God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  

o   We cannot put salvation on lay-away, get a hook-up, buy, steal, charge or work for it.  Going door to door, standing at supermarkets giving magazines away will not earn you a spot.  Salvation is FREE.  Jesus paid it all.  We are to work out our soul’s salvation, building the kingdom, etc. but we cannot buy/earn it.  Working for and working out salvation are two different acts altogether.

Under the Mosaic Law every male child was required to be circumcised on the eighth (8^th) day of life as an outward sign of the covenant between God and his chosen people.  Acts 7:8 (NLT) God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.  However, Colossians 2:11-13 speaks of the circumcised heart.  Once we accept Christ he cuts away the old sinful nature (if we allow him to do so).   The outward sign of the covenant between God and us (his chosen people of the dispensation of Grace) is the evidence in the change of lifestyle.  Not because we have to, cause you don’t have to do nothing but stay black (brown, white, red or other), die and pay taxes.  No ma’am, no sir, but because we want to. 

We ended the blog mid-stream after hearing about the things we should no longer do as heart circumcised believers, not based upon rules from a church or religious organization, but based upon the Holy word of God.  Now why is God imposing such strict restrictions on us?  Let’s examine that question: 

·       God is not imposing anything unrealistic on anyone.  We have a free will of choice.  We can either abide by the word of God and be blessed for everything we give up to follow him or we can decline.  The choice is ours to make, however, everything costs something.

·       God paid a very high price for our salvation, his only son was offered as a ransom for us.  What do I mean?  Sin kidnapped us and had no intention of releasing us until God said I love (what’s your name) enough that I’m willing to pay the price for our freedom.  1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT):  For God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

·       God has the very best of everything you can imagine laid aside just for you, but it’s conditional, you’ve got to be willing to give him your entire heart, broken, guarded, shattered, torn as it is.  All of it.  Even the little pieces of your heart that are tucked away neatly out of sight, that piece too.

Rather than ask why God would impose his will on you, a more appropriate question would be, how much are you willing to pay to continue to live your life on your terms?

But what does any of this have to do with New Beginnings?  Everything.  This is actually where we left off yesterday.   To live as a new creation according to 2 Corinthians 5:17 we must be willing to allow Christ to circumcise our heart and we must be willing to do our part.  What is our part?

·        Ephesians 4:25-32:  ²⁵ So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. ²⁶ And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ for anger gives a foothold to the devil.  ²⁸ If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. ²⁹ Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. ³⁰ And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.  ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Notice the text doesn’t blame any of the above activities on the devil, nor does it say that God is going to “take” lies, anger, rage, bitterness, harsh words, slander, all types of evil behavior, etc. from us.  Instead we have to accept responsibilities for our actions and stop the negative learned behaviors some of which are survival tactics.  When we STOP, when we voluntarily give those things up, God will bless us for our obedience.

I realize it’s a lot easier to blame our defeated lives and drama on the devil, but as of today we can no longer do so because you have been enlightened.  We have a role to play in our delivery but we are not responsible for delivering ourselves.  What is the role?  Ephesian 4:25-31 above.  Once we stop that gives God permission to go, meaning that, he can now completely deliver us from our “stuff and put us in the vehicle bound for our journey to New Beginnings.  Make a decision to tell the truth, decide not to get angry, shut your mouth, we don’t have to go so hard in the paint that they need paint thinner to dilute it (the paint), cuss the world out and demonstrate you’re big bad Sally with an even bigger attitude.  What do we look like fighting, cussing people out, telling people off with a complete neck roll with a bible in one hand, I love Jesus scarf, bumper sticker, tee-shirt, earrings and tote bag.  Really?  Do you realize how ridiculous we look and sound goin’ ham on somebody because they got your McDonald’s order wrong, stole your parking spot, cut you off in a passing lane, or whatever else could happen?   At the end of the day as bad as you think you are, there is somebody bigger, badder and crazier that can whip your tail.  But what is most devastating is the fact that when we act up, we grieve the Holy Spirt, we put Christ to an open shame.

I’m still talking about New Beginnings, I’m not lost at all, but I am out of time.  We’ll pick it up tomorrow, but let me close on this.  God loves us right where we are, he just doesn’t want us to stay where we are, which is why you are (ON THIS CALL, READING THE BLOG).   Once you have been exposed to the truth, you no longer have the excuse of “I didn’t know”.  My job is to share the truth with you.  What you do with it is left up to you, but the one thing you will not be able to do after today is to use the excuse of “I didn’t know God.”  That excuse has been officially eliminated.  Now it’s time to do something about what you have learned.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya

New Beginnings Pt. 1: The History of Eight (8)

4+4=8           1+7=8          3+5=8

   E I G H T 

any way you add it up

The number eight (8) biblically represents a new beginning, meaning a new order or creation, and man's true 'born again' event when he is resurrected from the dead into eternal life.

·         Dead meaning spiritually dead to sin, not in the physical realm.

Perfect Sacrifice

Like the Old Testament Passover lamb, Jesus was selected as the Lamb to take away man's sins on the Hebrew day of Nisan 10 (April 1, 30 A.D. - John 12: 27–29). “Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? ‘Father, get me out of this’? No, this is why I came in the first place. I’ll say, ‘Father, put your glory on display.’” A voice came out of the sky: “I have glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again.” ²⁹ The listening crowd said, “Thunder!” Others said, “An angel spoke to him!” ^30-33 Jesus said, “The voice didn’t come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.” He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.

·         This text covers the Passover season just prior to Jesus death when he was greatly troubled about the upcoming crucifixion but he settles himself with the resolve that the crucifixion is the very reason he is on earth; Jesus prays to God (in essence for help, confirmation if you will) and the Father answers with a thunderous voice which his followers heard.  He then tells them of his impending death but it goes right over their heads.

He was crucified on Nisan 14 (Wednesday, April 5 in 30 A.D.). His resurrection occurred, exactly as he stated, three days and three nights after he was buried, which was at the end of the weekly Sabbath day that fell on Nisan 17 (seventeen symbolizes victory). Nisan 17 was also the eighth day, counting inclusively, from the time Christ was selected as man's sacrificial Lamb. All this bears record of Jesus' perfect sacrifice and His complete victory over death.

Physical Circumcision

According to The Mosaic Law boys were to be circumcised on the eight (8^th) day of life. The number eight (8) in this context symbolizes circumcision of the heart through Christ and the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:28-29, Colossians 2:11-13).

·         For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.  Romans 2:28-29 (NLT)

·         When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature, ¹² For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.  ¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. Colossians 2:11-13 (NLT)

Those in Christ are a new creation, with godly character being created by the power of God's Spirit:

·         This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

·         For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

·         Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴ Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:23-24 (NLT)

The Ephesians scriptures above almost sound contradictory, but if we look a little closer we see they are not:  

·         Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s masterpiece, he created us the way we are on purpose so we can attract the people assigned to our life’s journey.  Our lives God…; “how could God have ….”; “I thought God loved ….”.  Let me stop you before you get started.  We are going to stop whining about what we perceive is/is not fair (yes, me included).  Do you remember the story of Joseph?  Does your stuff compare to his in any shape, form or fashion.  Press pause, while you think about it, go ahead, I’ll wait while you have your Selah moment.  (10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) Yeah, No, I didn’t think so.  Again, we’re not going to whine about the PROCESS (because that’s all it is, nothing more, nothing less).  Instead we’re gonna dig our heals in, learn the lesson and go through it (the PROCESS).  We’re not gonna pull over, park, get out of the vehicle and stake our claim.  We’re going through, we’re not moving to Drama Lane permanently.  The sooner we understand that point, the sooner we will get it (the PROCESS) and move on, refined in the newness that only our process will produce.  

·         Ephesians 4:23-24 advises that we allow the Spirit of Christ us.  If we don’t allow him to renew us he won’t force himself and therein lies part of the problem.  We don’t give him permission to “renew our thoughts and attitudes”.  We become “frozen” like Pastor Dave talked about.  The bible also calls it being Lukewarm.  The role we have to play in the newness is putting on the new nature of God.

Tania Not Tanya nugget:  I am not diminishing your stuff.  If you are anything like me my stuff was so heavy that if I wasn’t sure of who God was and my faith and confidence in him, I would have literally given up.  That’s real talk right there.  But I knew in my heart that God WAS NOT unjust, unfair, mean, manipulative or an insensitive lying God.  At one point on my process journey (not that long ago either) all I had was my faith in God.  Some of the people that I thought loved me as much as I loved them betrayed me and it cut deep, so deep that the only soothing balm was the word of God and his voice when he would console me at night as I soaked the pillows I was using  with the hurt that leaked from my heart, worked its way up to my tear ducts, slipped out of my closed eyes and down my brown cheeks landing on pillows that weren’t even mine while I stuffed the screams of anguish that I wanted so desperately to release but could not.  So I know some of our drama is very deep but it is also very necessary in order to get us in the vehicle or keep us in the vehicle that will be used on the road of our journey which leads to purpose.  That’s what I need you to get dear heart.

Look what Ephesians 4 says about the new nature:

·      So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.  And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.  If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.  Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

I am totally out of time but I promise we’ll pick it up tomorrow.

In His New Excellence,

Tania Not Tanya  

We Declare Pt. 2

Yesterday we discussed our right to Declare Victory over drama in our lives and summed it up as the position we take for (and/or in some cases against) whatever the drama is.  Rather than try to list all of the things that we face (e.g. relationships, finances, health, church hurt, etc.) I lumped possible scenarios together and label it “drama”.  We also discussed the fact that declarations fall in one of two categories: negative and positive:

Negative declarations are almost instinctive based upon our sensory perceptions, what we: see, hear, feel and/or have been exposed to:

·       See:  Momma ‘nem is fat, I’m fat, I will always be fat; my knees are too weak to exercise; I have chest palpitations when I do too much so I’ll just sit here and have another six twinkies.

·       Hear:  Daddy told me I was stupid and would never be nothing so I’m not.  I’m not smart enough to go to college so I’ll settle for this minimum wage job; or I’m not smart enough to do this, that and the third because of what daddy said.

·       Feel:  I hate the way I look.  I wanna be darker, lighter, taller, shorter, thinner, fatter, prettier, etc. like Anne Body, Soenso or Whoev Fur; OR I can’t live for God because the devil makes me do this and that, he’s always on my line, I can’t win for losing because the devil always makes me mess up all the time   

·       Exposure:  Grandma had momma when she was 15, Momma dropped out of school and had me at 16, so I dropped out too.  I don’t need to finish school, go to college or a job because I can get a check, EBT, Medi-Cal and Section 8 like they did. 

Proverbs 23:7a (NKJV): For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.  You are exactly what you think and you are exactly where you are based upon what you believe, what’s in your heart.  If you don’t like your world you can change it.  You have the power within to do so and guess what?  It might cost you something but it’s free.  Huh?

It costs something to stay in negativity.  It’s weighty, dark, and uncomfortable and we miss out on so much but we learn to adjust because it becomes our “normal” after we make the necessary adjustments.  It’s not that people cannot make positive declarations and live life to the fullest, it’s just easier not to especially if you don’t have the right type of influences in your life, primarily an authentic relationship with God.

As weird as it may seem, many people will not opt for positive declarations because they are costly: 1) giving up our right to live a defeated lifestyle; 2) it makes us accountable because we no longer have the safety net of blaming things and/or others); 3) it may cost our pride; 4) friends and family may avoid or “hate on” us because of jealousy of our positivity or perceived success (remember Joseph).  Believe it or not our positive mindset, success, etc. often reminds them of what they shudda, cudda, wudda done but fear or a settler’s mentality caused them to miss out.

It does not matter what the defeat is, living a defeated lifestyle is a choice, plain and simple.  There is no nice neat way to say it and it’s not being judgmental at all, the pure truth is that Christ paid an unimaginable price when he was humiliated, beaten and crucified on the Christ for our drama no matter what it is.  It is hurtful and insulting to God for us to live defeated even though he still loves us, it hurts because we give more attention to our negative situations to the point of meditating and worshipping them far more than we do him.  Dear Hearts, please understand that Jesus paid it ALL on Calvary, including our victory over E V E R Y circumstance:

·       1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT): But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ

·       1 John 5:4 (NLT): For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.  It takes faith, courage and strength to declare (proclaim, state emphatically; make known or state clearly) that you are (not will be) the opposite of what your circumstances say you are, whether those circumstances are self-inflicted or caused by others there is a divine purpose in them.

·       And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Whose purpose?  God’s purpose.  If we allow God to intervene on our behalf, He will give us the strength, wisdom and endurance for the drama – no matter what it is – and turn it into triumph (victory) but only for those who truly love God.  Why? Because the battle really isn’t yours at all, it belongs to God.  The enemy cannot fight God, so he fights us to get back at God.  The challenge with that ideology is that God has already written the outcome and we win all fights, temptations, trials, challenges, etc. every cotton picking time. 

Let’s be clear, we don’t ask the devil to give us back our stuff (e.g. marriage, children, families, relationships, finances, health, peace, etc.).  Excuse me Mr. Devil, sir, I hate to botha’ you cuz I knows you is busy, but if ya don’t mind, sir, could ya please leave me an’ mah family alone, if it ain’t too mucha’ trubba.  No!!!!!  We take it by force by declaring victory over our drama with positive actions and declarations:

·       I command my body to line up with the word of God, I will be healthy and fit. 

o   Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT) 

·       I am who God says I am no matter what anyone says.  I have wisdom, I embrace it.

o   Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you

·       I love my Daddy but I am not stupid.  I am somebody, I am a child of the King.  I am smart enough to earn my degrees and magna cum laude. 

o   I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13

·       I am beautiful, I am enough

o   I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

If you don’t like your drama, change it with your words.

In His Excellent Service

Tania Not Tanya

Forgiveness Pt. 17 The Beginning

Though I authored the declaration through the leading of the Holy Spirit, I was moved, transformed, inspired and captivated by Joseph’s journey myself.  Each morning that I delivered the fresh word that was downloaded into my heart and mind from on high I was blessed.  It is almost bitter sweet to discontinue this journey, but it is time.  However, before we say farewell to Joseph, I would like to re-cap some of my highlights:

·       Complex Family Dysfunction:   I didn’t realize the complexity of it until studying for this series: 1) multiple baby momma under one roof – or at least in the same vicinity; 2) generational trickery and deceit; 3) favoritism; 4) jealousy; 5) revenge; 6) hatred/murder; 7) liars.  The catalyst for the rivalry between Joseph and his brothers came from their mothers.  Jacob’s two wives were biological sisters (Rachael and Leah) and his two concubines were the maids of each sister.  Jacob was in love with Rachael but tolerated Leah because he was tricked into marrying her, however, Rachael couldn’t have children while Leah was a baby making machine.  In those times it was a disgrace for a woman not to be able to have children, but especially sons.  Rachael remained childless for years and during that entire time, Leah and her children taunted her.  It was childish, immature, selfish, disrespectful and mean. When she finally did get pregnant it was late in Joseph’s life, so he favored Rachael’s children doubly, they were Rachael’s children and he had them late in life.  The rivalry between Leah’s children was like an infectious disease among the children and they didn’t even fully understand why but Jacob’s open favoritism made matters worse for everyone.

·       Protect Yourself at All Times:  Just as Joseph’s brothers envied him because of his special gift of dreams and the bond with their father, you can bet there are people within your family (or close to you) that envy you, especially if you are a born again believer, successful (or they perceive that you are successful), etc.  It’s hard to believe but it’s real.  Get your head out of the proverbial sand and smell the coffee.  If you are successful in the eyes of a hater, you are a reflection of everything they are not and every time they see or hear you it’s like being sucker punched except they are punching themselves.  Take it from Joseph who was a naïve 17 year old kid, guard your dreams and be careful who you share them with until it is time your world to be introduced to them.  Lastly, it can be a challenge for close friends and family to view you as successful because they are familiar with your flaws and failures. Sometimes they will hold you hostage to your past if you let them.

·       Hurting People Hurt People:  Jacob’s baby’s momma’s were: Leah and her sons were:  Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun; Rachel and her sons were: Joseph and Benjamin; Bilhah, Rachel’s maid whose sons were: Dan and Naphtali; and Zilpah, Leah’s maid whose sons were: Gad and Asher.  Jacob was hurt by Leah and Rachel’s father because he tricked him into marrying Leah (read Genesis 24 for the story).  Jacob’s hurt was passed onto Leah who passed on the hurt to her children, who passed on the hurt to Joseph.  This is why forgiveness is so important otherwise it can create an atmosphere for generational hatred.

·       Family Sabbatical/Isolation:  Whether voluntarily or involuntarily separating from one’s family can lead to unhealthy isolation.  This is one of the components of a physical abuser.  They slowly get you away from family and friends through control and manipulation so they can ultimately control everything about you.  The danger of isolation is that it can lead to depression, despair, insanity, frustration, anger, blame, hopelessness, suicidal and/or homicidal thoughts all of which are negative.  Without asking him, I know Joseph had to make choices most likely daily not to give into the thoughts above or those that were similar.  His positive choices helped him maintain his sanity

o   I reailze this may sound like an oxymoron but depending on your situation a family sabbatical(s) may absolutely be necessary.  This is especially difficult for someone who is family oriented like me.  If you make the decision to go this route you have to be prepared for the possible fall out.  For example:  you’re ready to come off sabbatical but your family/friends resent you for taking it in the first place and become resentful, hostile and/or ignore your attempts to reconnect.

·       Self-Discipline: Given the amount of flexibility Joseph had (limited as it was) he had the opportunity to take advantage of his position as the Manager of Potiphar’s household affairs, mistreat others, give in to Mrs. Potiphar sexual advances, etc. but as young as he was (late teens) he was such an honorable man that Potiphar didn’t micromanage or second guess him.  This leads me to believe that he already had those traits when he arrived in Egypt and that he cultivated them and used them to his advantage.

·       Adjusting to His Climate:  I believe it was solely the favor of God that helped Joseph to adapt to his new surroundings so quickly.  That adjustment helped him to be content with his state of being.  We have no idea of how desperately he wanted to be freed until we hear him try to coax the head baker and cup bearer to hook him up once they get out of prison.  When that didn’t work we have no evidence of him sinking into a depressed stupor, but I would imagine the temptation to do so was great, yet I am confident he hunkered down and said “yet will I trust”.  Understand he didn’t settle, he opted to be content with the state until change occurred.  There is a huge difference

·       Unending Trust in God:  I am always amazed at the hand holding that is needed for 21^st Century Believers who think they need someone to babysit them for their entire journey.  Now don’t get me wrong, when a new babe in Christ first becomes a Believer it makes sense to me, but an active spirit filled Believer who has been saved for more than 12 months that still needs someone to follow up with them and hold their hand is a bit much.  There are far too many resources at our fingertips to need someone to hold our hands through our journey like bible applications for smart devices, social media (Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, a barrage of websites, etc.); physical church buildings almost on every corner (at least in Oakland, CA on International Blvd. LOL), old school bibles, the Library, analog telephones and people, lots of people who are also committed and faithful Believers.  Joseph had absolutely nothing.  Not one person who believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was surrounded by pagan worshipers who despised (hated) Hebrews and knew nothing of their God.  Hows this for you, he grew up being hated by his brothers and then when he was kidnapped he was surrounded by people who hated him until the tables turned and he became second in command of all of Egypt!!!

Joseph’s entire experience was a set up and the catalyst for the manifestation of the promise that God gave to Abraham his Great-Grandfather that he would make him (Abraham) a great nation.  He was talking about the Jews, his chosen people, who go without numbering today.  The story of their journey is recapped in Acts the seventh chapter.

The beginning ....

In His Excellent Service


Tania Not Tanya