Blessed is YAHUAH who does wonders for His people! HalleluYah!
I give Him the praise!
We have been on a journey seeking the Father since 1989. We had to come out of all falsehood until we became accepted by YAH the Most High. We know that we are far from perfect, but the Perfect One dwells within us.
We have celebrated the Passover since 1996. Each year, we eat the bitter herbs and the matzah (unleavened bread) as written in Leviticus 23.
The Messiah is the Afikoman in the traditional Jewish Seder, the hidden matzah. The King Messiah was hidden, but we found Him. He was written about in the Scriptures in the Tanakh - the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. We found Him in the Dead Sea Scrolls as the Teacher of Righteousness (Yoel 2:23). He wrote the Thanksgiving Hymns which mirror several of the Psalms in the Scriptures. We read the Tanakh and the Hymns and uncovered the true Messiah.
The bitter herbs (maror) in the Passover observance represents the hard labor of slavery. We remember the bitterness and the harshness of slavery so we can rejoice in YAH's great deliverance!
Spiritual Slavery Today
The first slavery lasted over four hundred years, and Elohim showed up and set His people free. The second slavery is the spiritual one where the Pharaoh is the devil himself. This slavery is hidden from the natural eyes by the deceptions of the enemy. The devil has gone about deceiving the whole world so the people would not be aware of the Covenant where their sins are forgiven. Because they lack knowledge of the truth, the people are caught in disobedience and trapped in the enemy's slavery net.
There is a slavery today that covers the whole world. The slavery of sin of mankind. The Almighty wants all people to be free, but we must turn from serving another. Whether it be money, possessions, people, success, fame - you name it - we must turn from these idols to serve the Almighty YAHUAH and Him alone. If we are not willing to turn back to the truth of His Name and His Word in the Torah and the Prophets, to seek His face and obey His voice, then we will be in slavery of one form or another.
We were once in falsehood with lack of knowledge and in spiritual slavery, but a dream in 1989 got us on the road to freedom. The Road was a Highway to YAH. We had a tough time early in our walk. We lost our business and our home and had to live with family and in hotels for over eight months. We kept going and kept believing through all the struggles, shame, humiliation, and negativity from others. We kept believing and trusting the Almighty, and He helped settle us into a home where we remained for the past 18 years.
April 10, 2017
Our Passover Miracle - The Bitter Herb Turned Sweet!
For over 23 years, while on our journey - the Highway to freedom - we observed the Passover celebration in obedience to His laws, and for 23 years, we ate the bitter herbs.
This year, we prepared the horseradish root as we’ve done in the past - washing, peeling, and grating the root. It was so strong that my son who was grating it had tears in his eyes. I sampled a small piece to check out just how bitter it was. It felt like it burned my tongue it was so bitter! I expected it to be bitter, but it surprised me just how bitter it was.
I said, “What am I going to do?” - thinking that it was waaay to bitter for the people to handle at the Seder that night. Nevertheless, we went on to prepare all that needed to be done for the Seder meal. Just in case, I made sure there was a large pitcher of ice water so that if anyone's mouth would get too hot the water would be near by.
Then came the part in the seder observance where we ate our matzah, bitter herb, and lamb together. I warned everyone of what was to come and advised them to take only a small pinch of the bitter herb. I looked and waited for what happens every year, the gasps and groans from bitterness on the tongue. But no one said anything.
Then, I tasted it and was shocked! There was no bitterness!
Everyone who was used to eating the herb said they couldn’t taste the bitterness either! It was completely mellow! Some even called it sweet.
The bitterness was gone! We couldn’t taste even a touch of bitterness! We actually didn't know what to do at that point. I was most certain that the herb was bitter, and my son who prepared it can testify that it was indeed very strong. That is, until we sat and did the Seder.
At first, we weren’t sure what to make of it, but we praised YAH anyway.
Now, we know that was our sign of REDEMPTION.
Our table consisted of believers who are walking in the Way, keeping Torah and calling upon His Name, but also that night, there were some unexpected guests who were still practicing Christianity. We all sat down at the Seder. We have been redeemed, and we believe that if anyone joins themselves to us and learns His Commands to do them, they too will be redeemed from slavery of the enemy.
We are still rejoicing over what happened!
This new year, at the beginning of months (the Hebrew month of Abib), it is our beginning of life - a new life. YAH has given us the breath of life from Creation. He has now restored us to the garden of Eden, restoring us in His favor, and now He has blown upon us the breath of a good life. He has renewed our life and our lifestyle.
Adam disobeyed YAH and caused all to suffer and sweat for bread, but now the curse has been broken through the intervention in prayer by Messiah YahuShuah. We are back in the Garden to live in the perfect will of YAHUAH. We have been REDEEMED! By the Covenant He made with Abraham, we are free!
Ex/Shem. 15:13 “In Your kindness You led the people whom You have redeemed, in Your strength You guided them to Your set-apart dwelling."
Deut/Deb. 7:8-9 "but because of יהוה loving you, and because of Him guarding the oath which He swore to your fathers, יהוה has brought you out with a strong hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim. And you shall know that יהוה your Elohim, He is Elohim, the trustworthy Ěl guarding covenant and kindness for a thousand generations with those who love Him, and those who guard His commands,"
Is/Yesh. 44:22-23 “I shall wipe out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I shall redeem you. Sing, O heavens, for יהוה shall do it! Shout, O depths of the earth! Break forth into singing, O mountains, forest, and every tree in it! For יהוה shall redeem Yaʽaqoḇ, and make Himself clear in Yisra’ĕl."
PRAISE YAH!