HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT FAST

An excerpt from CGWKBK 5 Vol. 3 Vayikra Acharei Mot

There are two Tabernacle altars, and both the brazen altar of sacrifice and the golden altar of incense represent the spiritual development of a believer in Yeshua. One altar is for fragrant spices of burnt incense, and one is an altar of burnt offering, the former an inner and the latter an outer one. The outer altar is for the animal and his fat parts, as well as the food offerings of grain smeared in oil and wine, which represent the flesh of man who desires for his ruach (spirit) to take authority over his nefesh (soul) and guf (body).  Understanding spiritual authority is a sign of great faith.

An Israelite must be saved from his animal instincts: killing, cravings of the senses, craft, appetites, addictions, and life that focuses on accumulating earthly bread and wine instead of the Living Bread and the new wine from above.  The outer brazen altar consumes the fat around the organs ( chelev), which symbolizes those inward parts that have yet to suffer lack for the sake of the mitzvot.  For this reason, Yeshua's perfect sacrifice was to save our souls ( nafshim), a salvation which brings our appetites, desires, and intellect under the authority of his Word. Yeshua enables his sheep to keep the commandment to "Shema, Yisrael!"

Suffering for the Father's commandments consumes and dissolves organ fats, which are the most lethal of body fats.  We know this from science class!  By contrast, fat oil ( shemen) in Scripture represents blessing, and suffering to acquire the oil fuels the menorah of the ruach (spirit).  The Scriptures explain how the fat from the guf's organs ( chelev) represents ill-temper associated with rebellion against God and His Torah:

      Nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices;

      " They are fat, they are sleek,

•     Scorning God

•     Finding no delight in the Torah

Organ fat = Spiritual rebellion

The brazen altar is where fat parts of rebellion against Torah are purged with fire from a heart of repentance.  Bronze is a strong metal, and so is the nefesh (soul) strong-willed.  When disciples "bend a bow of bronze" to hit the mark of the Torah, that bronze strength of the nefesh is a blessing instead of a hindrance to a disciple's walk.  However, the incense altar burns only incense, not flesh.  Why is the incense altar called an altar if no animals are sacrificed upon it?

An altar requires great personal sacrifice.  The Holy (Spirit) place of the inner altar is an aromatic place of light, oil, healing, and pleasure, the true desire of the nefesh, not the pleasures experienced outside the boundary of the Torah.  Gold is a softer, but more beautiful metal. The inner altar must be ignited from the coals left on the outer altar of the nefesh, and it also contains a sacrifice, but it is of sweet-smelling incense.

While the outer altar separates the one who brings a sacrifice from the one who doesn't, it does not separate the one who a sacrifice for self-serving motives from the one who is bringing evidence of inner repentance.  It is the golden altar that separates the bone and marrow of the inner man: soul and spirit.  Nefesh and ruach.  It tests whether one is ruach-controlled or nefesh-controlled.  Spiritual authority. 

When Nadav and Avihu rushed into the inner altar in disrespect to their father Aaron's position, they were not bringing coals from the brazen altar in sincerity, but strange fire.  The title of the Torah portion continues to instruct Israel so that they will not repeat the mistake Acharei Mot - "After the Death"- of Nadav and Avihu.  Patience in the service of the Holy One, blessed be He, was the sacrifice demanded of their animal souls.

The inner golden fire must be ignited from the outer fire, for one cannot enter the Holy (Spirit) Place unless he burns up the excesses of the nefesh manifested in flesh.  The seven fires of the menorah teach who may stand in the Holy Spirit Place, and it reminds a worshiper that his position there is precarious apart from the testimony of Yeshua and the spiritual giving life to the physical commandments. 

We transfer the same fire from the altar of animal and physical food sacrifice to the golden altar of the Holy Spirit.  Any other fire is strange fire.  Ignited from the coals of burnt flesh, the sweet incense smokes all day.  Both aromas are pleasing to Adonai, but the smell of burnt skin and hair from the brazen altar is displeasing to us.

While this may be allegorical, it does point to the fact that once we shed this gufy skin on the brazen altar, our light is revealed at the golden altar of incense because of the menorah.  One can almost see through the skin when he holds a candle or bright light behind a hand in a dark place.  The true skin of the guf will be transformed at the resurrection, becoming almost translucent because of the radiance of Yeshua, our menorah of the Seven Spirits of God and our eternal light source apart from the sun and moon.  Yeshua can see right through us when we bring a sacrifice!

Prayers, represented by the incense smoking on the golden altar, are not just prayers of repentance, but they are FUELED from the coals of prayers of repentance and thanksgiving.  The golden prayers are intimate conversations with the Father that only come when we have known Yeshua in the fellowship of his sufferings, which is allowing our rebellion to be burned up on the brazen altar.  "Let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (Ja 1:4) 

While Yeshua's soul must have longed to rule the world and impose the Father's Torah at his first coming, his patience is having her perfect work two thousand years later among the nations.  More are brought to the perfect Word of the Father...and brought to perfection...through patience than through angry, animal instinct or cunning intellect of the nefesh.  How many souls are saved through intellectual discussions versus the souls who are converted through deeds of kindness and sacrificial relationship?

We are little stinkers who have to sacrifice something for the Body of Messiah, and the process involves letting go of things that stink in the flesh, but smell sweet to the Father of Lights.  The second part of the process at the golden altar smells much better to the sacrificer, but the acceptance of incense is conditional upon FIRST offering the fats on the brazen altar, leaving coals of self-sacrifice.  Bypassing self-sacrifice and moving closer in impulsive self-service is strange fire. May our service become much more favorable to the Holy One each day.

We are all sick of being shaken down for money from every side.  Even the internet memorizes our habits and plasters ads in our browsers meant to seduce us back to a location where we looked at a nice dress or vitamins.  A faithful steward becomes weary trying to sort through the constant bombardment, even from ministries trying to stay afloat.  When we consider the high cost of sacrificial animals and products prescribed to the average Israelite, however, we can't complain too much.  The high monetary cost of the sacrificial products was only part of the sacrifice...walking to Jerusalem three times per year in the busy farming season was both time-consuming and physically exhausting!  The days and weeks of just walking were days of work lost, and therefore income lost.  But not really.  Physical sacrifice resulted in spiritual service.

We are blessed to have opportunities to contribute in the many areas prescribed in the Torah.  We can bless our families, our local fellowship, the stranger, orphan, widow put in our paths, co-workers, and those in the Body of Messiah whom we've never met, but they are also sacrificing to walk in the Torah.  We can do it through deeds of kindness, prayer, and through spending the money that makes the animal soul cringe at the sight of the brazen altar ahead.  The coals hold the melted fat of our souls, however, and the incense represents the personal high cost of the prayer offering on the golden altar. 

The brazen altar of spending time, money, sweat, patience, obedience, and kindness precedes the golden altar of intimacy.

   

LaMalah Children's Centre

Orphanage Update

A personal note from Centre Director Peter Ndungu 

Shalom
   
We are well and pray you too. All is well this end. One of our boys named Luke who came in recently with his brother and sister was sick after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They all came having a skin disease but were treated. Luke's head seemed to swell and I personally had to rush him to hospital. Laboratory tests showed nothing serious so he was treated and discharged. The doctors think in the early age, the children were malnourished.

 Another of the boys , Elijah Gitau had a bad stomach two days ago but drinking sufficient water fixed it.

The schools re-open precisely on 4th of May after the April holiday. When they open, there is always a fee for every child and failure to pay the children are sent back home. The FUB left us totally broke . I hope Abba will provide at the right time. Any parent here dreads his/her children being home while others are in school.

Blessings and shabbat shalom to you and all the household of faith
             
Peter

We have added a second milk cow for the orphanage due to your generosity.  We are saving toward the purchase of a vehicle for transportation.  This vehicle will not just be for the orphanage, but for Brother Ndungu and the other elders to continue traveling to teach the Torah both within Kenya and surrounding countries.   

The vehicle also will help in the procurement of less expensive maize (corn), a staple which has been affected by the famine in Kenya.  Local supplies are much more expensive, and although less expensive maize and other staples can be found, it is some distance from the orphanage.

If you can help toward this goal, as always, we welcome your assistance.  For those of you who send monthly support to the orphanage, we can't thank you enough for fulfilling Messiah's commission. You really are smokin'! 

 

   

http://www.thecreationgospel.com/donate/