Holy Priesthood: Broken and Obedient http://haddash.com/blog.cfm Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:07:41 GMT http://bandzoogle.com Worship Part I http://haddash.com/blog.cfm?feature=1028424&postid=1564112  A recent worship team meeting made me want to re-write a blog about this subject that is so dear to my heart. I just want to say one thing before I proceed any further: I've been leading worship for a total of 11 years,  and even after all that time, I still don't "have it all together" with regards to what a true worshipper  of the Most High should be like. I've been singing (a soloist) aside from leading worship, since I was 13 years old. And honestly, I still tremble at even the mere thought of writing about worship, not to mention leading worship, or getting up on that stage to sing, as I still do to this day, because worship is the very delicate thing that they Levites used to do in the Temple. Eventhough, their worship seemed far greater than what we offer up to the Lord these days, it wasn't so different than what they did in the days of old. They led the people into G-d's Holy place of purity; cleansing of their sins. In Psalm 24:4 talks about entering His presence (in worship) with clean hands and a pure heart. So to be able to lead His people into His Holy of Holies, is the highest, most humbling priviledge on this earth. And surely NOT to be taken lightly no matter how many years we've been doing this.  I have given a few mini-seminars in the past about worship, and G-d has truly moved in those with the youth/worship  team (I was youth leader) and helped us to understand together what it means to truly worship G-d in Spirit and in truth. Currently, I don't really have the opportunity to teach workshops on worship, which is why I chose to write about it in a blog for whosoever will read it. I also possibly make a few video blogs about it as well.    1-First of all, what is the plain definition of "worship" ?  I looked up the meaning of the word, and this is what I found.  "Devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness orworth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something..." Wow! Did you read that part? It mentioned the word, "worth"  The minute we realize that G-d is worth it; worth our constant devotion, worthy of our love expressed outwardly, then and only then will we begin to understand what worship truly is.  Recently, when I've mentioned the word "worship" in conversation, I have recieved this feedback from people,  "it's not just about singing..." Which, of course, makes me think that they have absolutely NO CLUE on what worship truly is. Notice the word..WORSHIP...not SINGING...   2-Singing, as well as playing instruments, dancing, etc. are merely OUTWARD expressings of worship.  I'll give you an example: When you fall in love, the love a wife has for her husband is not the kisses, the hugs, or the "I love you's" that make up the "love" between the two...Those are just expressions of that love that has grown daily. And how does that love even begin to come into existence? By getting to know that person. What makes them happy? What makes them sad? What can I do on a daily basis to fall more in love with that amazing person, and more importantly, what can I do so that person can be pleased with me on a daily basis? I think you may be getting my point now, huh? It is the same with G-d. We come to congregational services on Saturday or Sunday, and think " Oh great! We made it in time for worship. Now I can get re-connected with G-d." But how amazing would it be if we worshipped Him every day on a personal level, so then our spirits would not have to suffer the hunger of another 6 days without spiritual renewal.    3- Now, this may seem a bit basic to you all living in the States, but I have been noticing a bit of this:  People seem to believe that G-d speaks in all matter of ways, but they don't really give enough importance that He can actually speak and move during worship time. Whereas, all through Scripture we see that being the very oppurtune time for Him to speak and take action. Read 2 Chronicles 20. The whole chapter deals with the power that worship has to touch the very heart of G-d, to move His Hand. But here's another important factor we must know; and that is that  G-d is not our personal "do boy". Worship cannot be used to "move the Hand of G-d." Like it states in Psalm 37:4, "delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." We must delight ourselves in Him, because HE is our delight! Simply because He is who He is and nothing more! He created us, He formed us, He provides for us, He is everything we need and want in this life. So whenever we face hard trials that make us want to give up, "throw-in-the towel" leave His presence altogether, because we feel like it's all over, THAT is the time to worship Him; not only when things are going well. For when things are going well, it's easy to sing, easy to express that love that we feel for Him. But it's when times get tough that our true heart of worship is tested.  Here is the story mentioned in   2 Chronicles 20:2-22: Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’  “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’” Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:   “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.   Did you read that correctly? Here it is again in case you missed it:   ” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. A recent worship team meeting made me want to re-write a blog about this subject that is so dear to my heart.

I just want to say one thing before I proceed any further: I've been leading worship for a total of 11 years, 

and even after all that time, I still don't "have it all together" with regards to what a true worshipper 

of the Most High should be like. I've been singing (a soloist) aside from leading worship, since I was 13 years old. And honestly, I still tremble at even the mere thought of writing about worship, not to mention

leading worship, or getting up on that stage to sing, as I still do to this day, because worship is the very delicate thing that they Levites used to do in the Temple. Eventhough, their worship seemed far greater than what we offer up to the Lord these days, it wasn't so different than what they did in the days of old. They led the people into G-d's Holy place of purity; cleansing of their sins. In Psalm 24:4 talks about entering His presence (in worship) with clean hands and a pure heart. So to be able to lead His people into His Holy of Holies, is the highest, most humbling priviledge on this earth. And surely NOT to be taken lightly no matter how many years we've been doing this. 

I have given a few mini-seminars in the past about worship, and G-d has truly moved in those with the youth/worship 

team (I was youth leader) and helped us to understand together what it means to truly worship G-d in Spirit and in truth. Currently, I don't really have the opportunity to teach workshops on worship, which is why I chose to write about it in a blog for whosoever will read it. I also possibly make a few video blogs about it as well. 

 

1-First of all, what is the plain definition of "worship" ? 

I looked up the meaning of the word, and this is what I found. 

"Devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness orworth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something..."

Wow! Did you read that part? It mentioned the word, "worth" 

The minute we realize that G-d is worth it; worth our constant devotion, worthy of our love expressed outwardly, then and only then will we begin to understand what worship truly is. 

Recently, when I've mentioned the word "worship" in conversation, I have recieved this feedback from people, 

"it's not just about singing..." Which, of course, makes me think that they have absolutely NO CLUE on what worship truly is. Notice the word..WORSHIP...not SINGING...

 

2-Singing, as well as playing instruments, dancing, etc. are merely OUTWARD expressings of worship. 

I'll give you an example: When you fall in love, the love a wife has for her husband is not the kisses, the hugs, or the "I love you's" that make up the "love" between the two...Those are just expressions of that love that has grown daily. And how does that love even begin to come into existence? By getting to know that person. What makes them happy? What makes them sad? What can I do on a daily basis to fall more in love with that amazing person, and more importantly, what can I do so that person can be pleased with me on a daily basis? I think you may be getting my point now, huh?

It is the same with G-d. We come to congregational services on Saturday or Sunday, and think " Oh great! We made it in time for worship. Now I can get re-connected with G-d." But how amazing would it be if we worshipped Him every day on a personal level, so then our spirits would not have to suffer the hunger of another 6 days without spiritual renewal. 

 

3- Now, this may seem a bit basic to you all living in the States, but I have been noticing a bit of this: 

People seem to believe that G-d speaks in all matter of ways, but they don't really give enough importance that He

can actually speak and move during worship time. Whereas, all through Scripture we see that being the very oppurtune time for Him to speak and take action. Read 2 Chronicles 20. The whole chapter deals with the power that worship has to touch the very heart of G-d, to move His Hand. But here's another important factor we must know; and that is that 

G-d is not our personal "do boy". Worship cannot be used to "move the Hand of G-d." Like it states in Psalm 37:4, "delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." We must delight ourselves in Him, because HE is our delight! Simply because He is who He is and nothing more! He created us, He formed us, He provides for us, He is everything we need and want in this life. So whenever we face hard trials that make us want to give up, "throw-in-the towel" leave His presence altogether, because we feel like it's all over, THAT is the time to worship Him; not only when things are going well. For when things are going well, it's easy to sing, easy to express that love that we feel for Him. But it's when times get tough that our true heart of worship is tested.  Here is the story mentioned in

 

2 Chronicles 20:2-22: Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’  “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

 

“Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

 

Did you read that correctly? Here it is again in case you missed it:

 

” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

]]> Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:07:41 GMT B0A290BCD2629E2308B2950ACF950020 Worship Part II http://haddash.com/blog.cfm?feature=1028424&postid=1564111  The first and foremost important element in worship is LOVE. Music and sports fans behave a bit out of the norm when discussing their favorite artist or sports team, or maybe even attend one of their performances or games. To put it in simple terms, they go crazy over them, they talk about them to practically everyone in their circle; and if anyone dare talk ill of their 'idol'....well, you can definitely expect a discussion coming on, to say the least. How would our worship be like if we behaved like that when it comes to the Most High! We have to remember who it is we are worshipping and why. The same goes for someone you maybe interested in; a spouse or a boyfriend or girlfriend. The love is so great, that you can hardly wait to talk to that person, see that person, spend every waking moment telling them how much you love them, how beautiful they are, how kind, generous, wonderful and amazing they are. And that there is no other person in this world you'd rather be with. You tell that person that you are completely in love with them. You surrender your heart completely to that person that you want to spend the rest of your life with through thick and thin, good and bad, till death do you part! Yet, that person is just that-a person; a human being just like you. Imagine how amazing it would be if we could fall completely in love with our Creator, our King and living Redeemer? Our worship would be like incense rising up to Him just like in the days of old.    When you worship Him, you surrender everything, your body, mind, soul and spirit; back to your Creator who made you fearfully and wonderfully. When you don't want to be anywhere else, but in His presence, when you don't care about this world or your very own being, you only want to be with Him, when nothing else matters, your past, present or future, that's when you know you are worshipping Him with your LIFE! I am not talking about singing or playing an instrument. Because in all honesty and respect, anyone can do that. There are thousands of musical artists in this world who can put on a great show, but the song you have in your heart for your Maker is the greatest song He'll ever hear.   There is nothing in this world that you can't face with Him. If the worshippers/Levites of old faced tremendous battles of all kind and won everyone of them, how much more will He do the same today?! Instead of worrying, and complaining as we so often do, why don't we simply worship Him.  G-d is the best thing that ever happened to us. He is so beautiful, so wonderful, so amazing, so generoua. And guess what?! He loves us with all our many faults.  So pray that you will fall in love with Abba today, He is already crazy about you.  Blessings, Dassy   The first and foremost important element in worship is LOVE.

Music and sports fans behave a bit out of the norm when discussing their favorite artist or sports team, or maybe even attend one of their performances or games. To put it in simple terms, they go crazy over them, they talk about them to practically everyone in their circle; and if anyone dare talk ill of their 'idol'....well, you can definitely expect a discussion coming on, to say the least. How would our worship be like if we behaved like that when it comes to the Most High! We have to remember who it is we are worshipping and why. The same goes for someone you maybe interested in; a spouse or a boyfriend or girlfriend. The love is so great, that you can hardly wait to talk to that person, see that person, spend every waking moment telling them how much you love them, how beautiful they are, how kind, generous, wonderful and amazing they are. And that there is no other person in this world you'd rather be with. You tell that person that you are completely in love with them. You surrender your heart completely to that person that you want to spend the rest of your life with through thick and thin, good and bad, till death do you part! Yet, that person is just that-a person; a human being just like you. Imagine how amazing it would be if we could fall completely in love with our Creator, our King and living Redeemer? Our worship would be like incense rising up to Him just like in the days of old. 

 

When you worship Him, you surrender everything, your body, mind, soul and spirit; back to your Creator who made you fearfully and wonderfully. When you don't want to be anywhere else, but in His presence, when you don't care about this world or your very own being, you only want to be with Him, when nothing else matters, your past, present or future, that's when you know you are worshipping Him with your LIFE! I am not talking about singing or playing an instrument. Because in all honesty and respect, anyone can do that. There are thousands of musical artists in this world who can put on a great show, but the song you have in your heart for your Maker is the greatest song He'll ever hear.

 

There is nothing in this world that you can't face with Him. If the worshippers/Levites of old faced tremendous battles of all kind and won everyone of them, how much more will He do the same today?! Instead of worrying, and complaining as we so often do, why don't we simply worship Him.  G-d is the best thing that ever happened to us. He is so beautiful, so wonderful, so amazing, so generoua. And guess what?! He loves us with all our many faults. 
So pray that you will fall in love with Abba today, He is already crazy about you. 
Blessings,

Dassy  

]]> Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:06:42 GMT 48FFBDB95469DD4E5CCECD076B02BCE9 In His Silence, He speaks http://haddash.com/blog.cfm?feature=1028424&postid=124206 In His silence, He speaks. In the still waters of the night, He hears our cry as we make our petitions known to Him. He makes His voice known to us through the calming waves in the immense marvelous ocean which He created with His own hand. In His silence, He speaks. There are times when you think that G-d does not hear you because He is not speaking to you, well I'm here to tell you that He does. He does speak in the still of the night, He speaks through the joy that comes in the morning when you see He has answered your cry. He speaks while working behind the scenes of your life to bring you out of circumstances that you think you can't come out of. He works in your life to finish what He has started in you. If you've been a believer for quite some time, you are not a baby anymore, and He wants you to know that you are now maturing in Him, but how do you know that? By trusting Him. Yes, Emunah (faith) is what we need to move the Hand of Elohim. When He sees that we trust Him, no matter what the circumstances look like, then He makes known His voice to us by answering those prayers that we thought never reached the ears of the Holy One. Also remember to praise Him, just worship Him for He is worthy and He has done so much for us, without any obligation to do so, for we were unworthy. When we sing to Him with all of our hearts, we are moving in faith. Don't you feel like singing when you're happy? And when you sing, people think you are happy. It makes people around you think you dont have a care in the world. Well, when you sing to Him, you are acting in faith and although you may have needs, you are showing your Heavenly Abba that you trust Him and love Him enough to walk in His promises; no matter how impossible it may seem to you. He is your Father, and He loves you very much. You see, G-d will never lead you to a new place in your life without guiding you all the way through it. I see it in my ancestors, the children of Israel in the desert. He brought them out of Egypt, but did not just leave them there in the desert. He brought them to the Land flowing with milk and honey, but He did not just leave them to fend for themselves in the Land. He helped them, guided them every step of the way in the Land that He promised to bring them and prosper them there. And as you can see to this day, He has done so with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. I have seen that lately in my life. Just as He promised my ancestors to bring them to the promised land, he has done so with me. They (the Rabbis) say beginnings are hard. In the Torah portion this week, Beresheet talks about just that, new beginnings. Adam had a beginning, and I imagine how hard it must've been for Him, but He knew that the same G-d who created Him, would also help him, and He did, every step of the way in that new earth. Then we see Abraham. Elohim told him, "Get out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you." Genesis 12:1. Then in verse 2, He continues, "I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you, and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Those of you who know Scripture and watch the news every once in a while, know that G-d has kept His promise to Abraham and His descendants. You see, I have experienced that literally especially these past months. Which is why I am writing all of this. I've experienced His loving and miraculous Hand all my life, and I can tell you that if He has promised you something that perhaps you think is too hard or way too challenging, just remember the G-d you serve. Is anything too difficult for me? says the Lord. No, nothing is too difficult for Him. So like I've heard many times in the past, if G-d brought you to it, He will bring you through it! Amen! I will leave you with one last verse: "Because you are listening to these rulings, keeping and obeying them, Adonai your G-dwill keep with you the covenant and mercy that He swore to swore to your ancestors. He will love you, bless you and increase your numbers ; He will also bless the friut of your body and the fruit of your ground-your grain, wine, olive oil and the young of your cattle and sheep-in the land He swore to your ancestors that He would give you. You will be blessed more than all other peoples; there will not be a sterile male or female among you and the same with your livestock." Deuteronomy 7:12-14 Shabbat Shalom and Shavua-tov! Have a restful Sabbath and a good week! In His promises and love, Haddash In His silence, He speaks. In the still waters of the night, He hears our cry as we make our petitions known to Him. He makes His voice known to us through the calming waves in the immense marvelous ocean which He created with His own hand. In His silence, He speaks. There are times when you think that G-d does not hear you because He is not speaking to you, well I'm here to tell you that He does. He does speak in the still of the night, He speaks through the joy that comes in the morning when you see He has answered your cry. He speaks while working behind the scenes of your life to bring you out of circumstances that you think you can't come out of. He works in your life to finish what He has started in you. If you've been a believer for quite some time, you are not a baby anymore, and He wants you to know that you are now maturing in Him, but how do you know that? By trusting Him. Yes, Emunah (faith) is what we need to move the Hand of Elohim. When He sees that we trust Him, no matter what the circumstances look like, then He makes known His voice to us by answering those prayers that we thought never reached the ears of the Holy One. Also remember to praise Him, just worship Him for He is worthy and He has done so much for us, without any obligation to do so, for we were unworthy. When we sing to Him with all of our hearts, we are moving in faith. Don't you feel like singing when you're happy? And when you sing, people think you are happy. It makes people around you think you dont have a care in the world. Well, when you sing to Him, you are acting in faith and although you may have needs, you are showing your Heavenly Abba that you trust Him and love Him enough to walk in His promises; no matter how impossible it may seem to you. He is your Father, and He loves you very much. You see, G-d will never lead you to a new place in your life without guiding you all the way through it. I see it in my ancestors, the children of Israel in the desert. He brought them out of Egypt, but did not just leave them there in the desert. He brought them to the Land flowing with milk and honey, but He did not just leave them to fend for themselves in the Land. He helped them, guided them every step of the way in the Land that He promised to bring them and prosper them there. And as you can see to this day, He has done so with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. I have seen that lately in my life. Just as He promised my ancestors to bring them to the promised land, he has done so with me. They (the Rabbis) say beginnings are hard.

In the Torah portion this week, Beresheet talks about just that, new beginnings. Adam had a beginning, and I imagine how hard it must've been for Him, but He knew that the same G-d who created Him, would also help him, and He did, every step of the way in that new earth. Then we see Abraham. Elohim told him, "Get out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you." Genesis 12:1. Then in verse 2, He continues, "I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you, and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Those of you who know Scripture and watch the news every once in a while, know that G-d has kept His promise to Abraham and His descendants. You see, I have experienced that literally especially these past months. Which is why I am writing all of this. I've experienced His loving and miraculous Hand all my life, and I can tell you that if He has promised you something that perhaps you think is too hard or way too challenging, just remember the G-d you serve. Is anything too difficult for me? says the Lord. No, nothing is too difficult for Him. So like I've heard many times in the past, if G-d brought you to it, He will bring you through it! Amen! I will leave you with one last verse: "Because you are listening to these rulings, keeping and obeying them, Adonai your G-dwill keep with you the covenant and mercy that He swore to swore to your ancestors. He will love you, bless you and increase your numbers ; He will also bless the friut of your body and the fruit of your ground-your grain, wine, olive oil and the young of your cattle and sheep-in the land He swore to your ancestors that He would give you. You will be blessed more than all other peoples; there will not be a sterile male or female among you and the same with your livestock." Deuteronomy 7:12-14

Shabbat Shalom and Shavua-tov! Have a restful Sabbath and a good week!

In His promises and love,
Haddash]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:32:51 GMT 9100F37445FE54BE0D722CE0D4C7F2B3 Love http://haddash.com/blog.cfm?feature=1028424&postid=124205 I recently read a blog about love, but what truly inspired me to write this blog was due to the unusual free time I’ve had lately to be with great friends that I care and love so much. Love is one of my favorite fruits of the Spirit. But I have a question. Do we (including me) truly LOVE? I mean there is no love apart from the love of God. In fact, there is no love apart from God for God IS love. 1 John 4:7&8. So often we go to weddings, and we hear the famous vows, “I love you and I will ALWAYS love you..” Or I will love you ‘forever.’” And a year or a few years later, we hear of that same “inseparable couple” getting a divorce? So, what ever happened to “forever”. Is it 'I will love you until I run out of love?' Or I love you until our marriage gets rocky and I can’t take it any longer? Whatever happened to the vows made before God Himself? What happened to the holy Covenant of marriage? We have become so superficial and extremely selfish, that as soon as trouble hits our marriages and/or difficulties arise in our friendships, we bail! I’m not married yet, and you may be thinking ”so what does she know about love?” I’m glad you asked …. I know nothing. But the Scripture does. This is LOVE: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Wait wait wait! Hold the phone! Wow, did it just say love keeps no record of wrongs? Let’s rewind all the way to Yeshua’s own words…He said…”love your neighbor as yourself.” Mathew 19:19. This law was even harder to keep then Moses’ law…hmmm Maybe the law isn’t done away with is it? Just throwing that in there. So if we’re really supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves, then the real question is not “who is our neighbor” the real question and plea should be “Lord please teach us how to love our neighbor as ourselves.” Because when we make a mistake we don’t shun ourselves out and punish ourselves and ostracize ourselves and get offended. But someone hurts us once and that’s all it takes for us to never speak to them again and try to avenge ourselves. Loving my neighbor as myself means to put their needs before mine own. A few friends and I were having a late dinner the other night after watching a movie. And during the dinner and talk, I couldn’t help but thin, “How good and how precious it is to dwell together in unity…” Psalm 133:1. This verse in the Bible likens it unto the precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Wow, now that is what a friend is. No, actually that is a brother and a sister. I was reminded by a friend/brother that we are not just friends, we are brothers. "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24 By the way, I want you all to know that I am speaking to myself as well while I write all of this. So in light of all of this. Let's ask ourselves another question…Why do we constantly seek for the one true love, when our ONE TRUE LOVE has already sought us out and gave His life for us, so that we can have true love? Instead we should seek HIM and He will bring us that Husband or wife that He has for us to love and live and serve Him together. So the next time you say, “I love you” to a friend, spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, remember these words. I have resolved to be loved by Him and no longer worry about my future; For the Eternal Love has everything worked out for my good and He will reveal it in His time. I would like to tell you all that I love you! So if you have any prayer requests, please email me so we can pray together. I want to support you guys in every way I can. You have supported me so much and I would love to do the same. For we are not just friends, we are brothers! In His love FOREVER, Haddash  
I recently read a blog about love, but what truly inspired me to write this blog was due to the unusual free time I’ve had lately to be with great friends that I care and love so much. Love is one of my favorite fruits of the Spirit. But I have a question. Do we (including me) truly LOVE? I mean there is no love apart from the love of God. In fact, there is no love apart from God for God IS love. 1 John 4:7&8. So often we go to weddings, and we hear the famous vows, “I love you and I will ALWAYS love you..” Or I will love you ‘forever.’” And a year or a few years later, we hear of that same “inseparable couple” getting a divorce? So, what ever happened to “forever”. Is it 'I will love you until I run out of love?' Or I love you until our marriage gets rocky and I can’t take it any longer? Whatever happened to the vows made before God Himself? What happened to the holy Covenant of marriage? We have become so superficial and extremely selfish, that as soon as trouble hits our marriages and/or difficulties arise in our friendships, we bail! I’m not married yet, and you may be thinking ”so what does she know about love?” I’m glad you asked ….
I know nothing. But the Scripture does. This is LOVE: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Wait wait wait! Hold the phone! Wow, did it just say love keeps no record of wrongs? Let’s rewind all the way to Yeshua’s own words…He said…”love your neighbor as yourself.” Mathew 19:19. This law was even harder to keep then Moses’ law…hmmm Maybe the law isn’t done away with is it? Just throwing that in there. So if we’re really supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves, then the real question is not “who is our neighbor” the real question and plea should be “Lord please teach us how to love our neighbor as ourselves.” Because when we make a mistake we don’t shun ourselves out and punish ourselves and ostracize ourselves and get offended. But someone hurts us once and that’s all it takes for us to never speak to them again and try to avenge ourselves. Loving my neighbor as myself means to put their needs before mine own. A few friends and I were having a late dinner the other night after watching a movie. And during the dinner and talk, I couldn’t help but thin, “How good and how precious it is to dwell together in unity…” Psalm 133:1. This verse in the Bible likens it unto the precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Wow, now that is what a friend is. No, actually that is a brother and a sister. I was reminded by a friend/brother that we are not just friends, we are brothers.

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24
By the way, I want you all to know that I am speaking to myself as well while I write all of this.
So in light of all of this. Let's ask ourselves another question…Why do we constantly seek for the one true love, when our ONE TRUE LOVE has already sought us out and gave His life for us, so that we can have true love? Instead we should seek HIM and He will bring us that Husband or wife that He has for us to love and live and serve Him together. So the next time you say, “I love you” to a friend, spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, remember these words. I have resolved to be loved by Him and no longer worry about my future; For the Eternal Love has everything worked out for my good and He will reveal it in His time.

I would like to tell you all that I love you! So if you have any prayer requests, please email me so we can pray together. I want to support you guys in every way I can. You have supported me so much and I would love to do the same. For we are not just friends, we are brothers!

In His love FOREVER,
Haddash
 ]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:31:31 GMT 311C3BBCF3C48ACB5600FFF652C82276 Holy Priesthood: Broken and Obedient http://haddash.com/blog.cfm?feature=1028424&postid=124202 Holy Priesthood: Broken and Obedient A few words from my heart to yours. It's been a busy time for me lately, but here are some of the things I've been pondering in my heart this year. It's a little long, but I hope you read through the whole thing. It’s worth it. Holy Sanctified Cohanim (priests). Where they holy unto Adonai? Can we be as holy? And are we required to be as holy as they were? These past few weeks have been weeks of joy, ministering, and also brokenness before the Holy One. These days have been days of learning for me as God had been showing me a few things regarding His will, His way. One of the songs He gave me on the Restore Israel album, "Your Will Your Way" describes a little of what I mean. This song has been a prayer to my Abba all my life. I've always prayed, Lord, I want to follow you; I want to do Your Will in the way that You want, not my way. Sometimes when He would reveal certain things to me, I would try to hurry the process to make his purpose be accomplished. Yes, I was doing that my way not His. Here's a little newsflash, G-d doesn't need my help. The reason for all of that was that I didn't want to be the cause of His will not being accomplished in my life, however if I am humble before Him, seeking His way, not mine, He will accomplish His Will COMPLETELY. Sometimes we try to accomplish G-d's will for our lives on our own terms instead of His. Everyone goes through struggles. The enemy comes in like a flood, he comes to try to steal, kill and destroy. But he doesn't mess with his own, He messes with the called out ones, those who belong to Elohim. He doesn't attack his own (the people who are lost out in the world without a savior) because they are already Satan's. I don't mean to scare you. You got nothing to fear when your God is near. A thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but nothing shall harm you, Psalm 91. We must be sensitive to the Spirit, but also strong in Lord, so that we may be able to stand the wiles of the enemy. Eph.16. But really, when the Holy Spirit is in you, and when you are dead to yourself and your own will and desires and truly become broken before Him, there's nothing you can't overcome in His name. I say all of this because lately I've really felt the Lord tugging at my heart as I asked Him what it truly means to be broken in His sight. We all talk about being broken, there are even beautiful songs about it and all, but what is truly the significance of brokenness? Here's what the Lord showed me. In order for Elohim to dwell in the holy of Holies, in order for Him to dwell among the cohanim (priests) who served Him in His temple, they had to be stripped of everything they and truly be broken of their own thoughts, dreams, will, they had to surrender it ALL. Wow! Even at the point of renouncing every earthly inheritance, Deuteronomy 18, Ezekiel 44. However, read this, "For Elohim Himself was their inheritance." Wow, isn't that just the most AMAZING promise you ever heard? It was to me. Mind you, I'd read this before, but it hadn't jumped out at me as it did a few weeks ago and even more recently. We all know the verse in Scripture that states, "To whom much is given, much is required." Well, to that high priest it was his life. Just like a potter cannot use a vessel that is hardened. In order for G-d to use us, we must be broken, piece by piece, until everything that doesn't please G-d is removed from us; until we are completely broken. I want to be Holy unto Him as He commands us to be holy unto Him just as the priests were in the temple. They had written on their turbans, "Kaddosh L'cha" (Holy unto You). The commandments that were directed towards the Cohanim were far more stringent than those of the people. All through out the Torah (Pentateuch), it states that they were to be stripped off of their clothes and clothe themselves in fine linen in order to minister and offer the sacrifices required by G-d for the sins of the people. They were taking up the incense of the sacrifices for the sins of Israel before G-d. They were, in essence, the worship leaders of their day; the original worship leaders ushering the people in the presence of God. That is why much in deed was required of them. Lev 16:33 - and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community. Lev 21:1 -The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, Lev 21:5 - "'Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. Le 21:7 -"'They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. Le 22:9 - "'The priests are to keep my requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy. Le 22:15 - The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the Lord Le 27:21 - When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the Lord; it will become the property of the priests. Nu 18:7 -But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. De 18:1 - The priests, who are Levites--indeed the whole tribe of Levi--, are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the offering made to the Lord by fire, for that is their inheritance. Ezekiel 44:28 "'I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. Wow, seems like a lot of laws, huh? Did you notice the last two verses posted there? Focus on the last 3 verses? In Numbers G-d said, "I am giving you the priesthood as a gift. Adonai Elohim T'zvaot, The Lord G-d of Hosts is giving them the service of priesthood as a gift! A gift from the KING of the universe? Oh yeah, I'll take it! I'd be MORE than thrilled! Then you read in Deut. "they shall have no inheritance with Israel for God Himself will be their in inheritance! Now THAT is AMAZING! These requirements that the Cohanim (priests) had weren't so easy, but their reward was to chill with the Most High, and THAT is priceless :) It's not much different in our day and age. The WHOLE Word of G-d is to be obeyed. For the sacrifice that He truly wants is obedience and for us to turn from all sin that easily corrupts us. The standards are high. King David, the best songwriter of all time wrote in Psalm 51...”I know that you do not delight in sacrifices otherwise I would give them..." I Samuel 15:22 to obey is better than sacrifice. What God truly wanted was obedience from the priests, obedience from the kings, and obedience from the people. He's concerned with the heart, not just the sacrifices, not just our singing or whatever else we do for Him. That's not so harsh at all is it? Only then can He come in and begin the restoration process and only then can we minister to the lost, in song, word, dance, whatever He leads us. Only then will people see the difference, the holiness, and the light that shines in us and through us; only then can we truly minister to those who are lost in the world without a Savior, and only then will we win those souls for Yeshua our Messiah who was the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world! So surrender your hopes and dreams to the Lord and seek His will, because He's the only One who can make them come true! Shalom, Haddash Holy Priesthood: Broken and Obedient


A few words from my heart to yours.
It's been a busy time for me lately, but here are some of the things I've been pondering in my heart this year. It's a little long, but I hope you read through the whole thing. It’s worth it.

Holy Sanctified Cohanim (priests).
Where they holy unto Adonai? Can we be as holy?
And are we required to be as holy as they were?

These past few weeks have been weeks of joy, ministering, and also brokenness before the Holy One. These days have been days of learning for me as God had been showing me a few things regarding His will, His way. One of the songs He gave me on the Restore Israel album, "Your Will Your Way" describes a little of what I mean. This song has been a prayer to my Abba all my life. I've always prayed, Lord, I want to follow you; I want to do Your Will in the way that You want, not my way. Sometimes when He would reveal certain things to me, I would try to hurry the process to make his purpose be accomplished. Yes, I was doing that my way not His. Here's a little newsflash, G-d doesn't need my help. The reason for all of that was that I didn't want to be the cause of His will not being accomplished in my life, however if I am humble before Him, seeking His way, not mine, He will accomplish His Will COMPLETELY. Sometimes we try to accomplish G-d's will for our lives on our own terms instead of His. Everyone goes through struggles. The enemy comes in like a flood, he comes to try to steal, kill and destroy. But he doesn't mess with his own, He messes with the called out ones, those who belong to Elohim. He doesn't attack his own (the people who are lost out in the world without a savior) because they are already Satan's. I don't mean to scare you.
You got nothing to fear when your God is near.
A thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but nothing shall harm you, Psalm 91.

We must be sensitive to the Spirit, but also strong in Lord, so that we may be able to stand the wiles of the enemy. Eph.16. But really, when the Holy Spirit is in you, and when you are dead to yourself and your own will and desires and truly become broken before Him, there's nothing you can't overcome in His name.

I say all of this because lately I've really felt the Lord tugging at my heart as I asked Him what it truly means to be broken in His sight. We all talk about being broken, there are even beautiful songs about it and all, but what is truly the significance of brokenness? Here's what the Lord showed me. In order for Elohim to dwell in the holy of Holies, in order for Him to dwell among the cohanim (priests) who served Him in His temple, they had to be stripped of everything they and truly be broken of their own thoughts, dreams, will, they had to surrender it ALL. Wow! Even at the point of renouncing every earthly inheritance, Deuteronomy 18, Ezekiel 44. However, read this, "For Elohim Himself was their inheritance." Wow, isn't that just the most AMAZING promise you ever heard? It was to me. Mind you, I'd read this before, but it hadn't jumped out at me as it did a few weeks ago and even more recently. We all know the verse in Scripture that states, "To whom much is given, much is required." Well, to that high priest it was his life. Just like a potter cannot use a vessel that is hardened.
In order for G-d to use us, we must be broken, piece by piece,
until everything that doesn't please G-d is removed from us;
until we are completely broken.

I want to be Holy unto Him as He commands us to be holy unto Him just as the priests were in the temple. They had written on their turbans, "Kaddosh L'cha" (Holy unto You). The commandments that were directed towards the Cohanim were far more stringent than those of the people. All through out the Torah (Pentateuch), it states that they were to be stripped off of their clothes and clothe themselves in fine linen in order to minister and offer the sacrifices required by G-d for the sins of the people. They were taking up the incense of the sacrifices for the sins of Israel before G-d.
They were, in essence, the worship leaders of their day; the original worship leaders ushering the people in the presence of God.
That is why much in deed was required of them.

Lev 16:33 - and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community.


Lev 21:1 -The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,


Lev 21:5 - "'Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.


Le 21:7 -"'They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God.


Le 22:9 - "'The priests are to keep my requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.


Le 22:15 - The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the Lord


Le 27:21 - When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the Lord; it will become the property of the priests.

Nu 18:7 -But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.
I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.

De 18:1 - The priests, who are Levites--indeed the whole tribe of Levi--, are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the offering made to the Lord by fire, for that is their inheritance.

Ezekiel 44:28 "'I am to be the only inheritance the priests have.
You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.


Wow, seems like a lot of laws, huh? Did you notice the last two verses posted there? Focus on the last 3 verses? In Numbers G-d said, "I am giving you the priesthood as a gift. Adonai Elohim T'zvaot, The Lord G-d of Hosts is giving them the service of priesthood as a gift! A gift from the KING of the universe? Oh yeah, I'll take it! I'd be MORE than thrilled! Then you read in Deut. "they shall have no inheritance with Israel for God Himself will be their in inheritance! Now THAT is AMAZING!

These requirements that the Cohanim (priests) had weren't so easy, but their reward was to chill with the Most High, and THAT is priceless :)


It's not much different in our day and age. The WHOLE Word of G-d is to be obeyed. For the sacrifice that He truly wants is obedience and for us to turn from all sin that easily corrupts us. The standards are high. King David, the best songwriter of all time wrote in Psalm 51...”I know that you do not delight in sacrifices otherwise I would give them..." I Samuel 15:22 to obey is better than sacrifice. What God truly wanted was obedience from the priests, obedience from the kings, and obedience from the people.
He's concerned with the heart, not just the sacrifices, not just our singing or whatever else we do for Him.
That's not so harsh at all is it?

Only then can He come in and begin the restoration process and only then can we minister to the lost, in song, word, dance, whatever He leads us. Only then will people see the difference, the holiness, and the light that shines in us and through us; only then can we truly minister to those who are lost in the world without a Savior, and only then will we win those souls for Yeshua our Messiah who was the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world! So surrender your hopes and dreams to the Lord and seek His will, because
He's the only One who can make them come true!

Shalom,
Haddash]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:28:29 GMT 300A4ABDCAC6A6060A1C8EF73BA04F43