Author Archives: prodigal101

April 20, 2012- As I was waking up this morning I heard the Lord say…….”The scroll is unrolling”. As of right now I am not sure of the full meaning but suspect that it has to do in part with what He has given me to write down and get out to the people as well as those things that are getting ready to come upon us….. Blessings and the Shalom of Messiah to all, Rhonda

I just finished scanning a lengthy article about the ‘proper use and pronunciation of the proper name of GOD’, which also describes all the improper names and usages as well. . . and this was not from a messianic / hebrew roots /  restoration perspective but rather from a published teacher in mainline denominational circles . . . seems that this discussion is going on everywhere. 

Well, here’s our ‘two-cents’ worth . . . if you want change back, let me know. 🙂

Allow me to start out by telling you a story. Almost 40 years ago my Dad was killed in an accident. I was 19 and the oldest of three. The funeral was held at our little country baptist church. The building was packed. There were even folks standing outside. There were family and friends, co-workers, neighbors, over 300 people at this little church building . . . and everyone there knew my Dad’s name.

Some called him ‘Cecil’, some Mr. Tomlinson, and others ‘Cecil T.’.  Some called him brother, some called him uncle or cousin . . . and one called him ‘husband’.  . . but they all knew his name. But out of all the people that were there, there were only three people in the whole crowd that had the right, the privilege and the honor to call him ‘DAD’ . . .  my sister, my brother and me . . .Everyone there knew his name. Some had known him longer than I and still others actually knew more about him . . . but they couldn’t call him DAD . . .

Now think about this for a moment –  the demons and devils in hell know the exact name of our Heavenly Father. They know it, how to spell it, and how to pronounce it.  They actually, in some ways, know our Father better than we do. They were with HIM in the beginning and have seen HIM on a ‘bad day’ if you get my drift. But it does them no good. They cannot call Him ABBA . . .

At one time, oh say a couple thousand years ago, there were those that knew exactly how to pronounce the ‘memorial Name of GOD’. They are no longer with us. There are those today that have background in and training in the language, history and culture of Israel. The ones that are completely candid about the ‘Name’ will tell you that there are many possibilites and no ‘absolutes’ in relation to the pronunciation. So what are we to do ?  Well, going to the WORD is always a good option.  So what does the WORD tell us concerning this matter ?

Exodus 3:15 and Psalm 135:13 tells us that ‘YHVH’ is HIS memorial Name ( pray, and pick a pronunciation . . . ) . What else can we find in the WORD that might give direction in this matter ?  1 Peter 2:21 speaks of Yeshua being an example for us . . . and this implication is all through Scripture.  So, if Yeshua ( Jesus ) is our example, then how did HE pronounce ‘The Name’ ? He didn’t, as far as we know. What He DID articulate was the following : Father, our Father, thy Father, My Father , your Father, the Father, Father . . . are ya’ kinda beginning to see a pattern here ?

The devils in hell know His Name . . . but only those that are connected to HIM by Blood can call HIM Father. I can call HIM ‘ABBA’  because we are ‘blood-kin’, for I am related to the Father through the Blood of the Son . 

And remember the ‘NAME of the Father’ is more than just we we call him. But that too, is another story.

Shalom U’Vrachot – Peace & Blessings –

Ever since I was a kid I’ve wondered about Jesus – Yeshua – coming into town on two donkeys . . .that’s right – two donkeys. Matthew 21:2-7 speaks of two animals involved in Yeshua’s arrival into Jerusalem. This is a direct reference to the passage in Zechariah 9:9 which also has language that depicts two animals.  As a child I had images of Him trying to ‘straddle’ two aminals. Well, that’s not the picture that we should take from this passage. But what is the imagery that we should find in this Scriptural account ?

The prophets Jeremiah and Hosea both speak of the people of God as ‘donkeys’ . . . and it’s not a compliment. Exodus, seemingly out of context, speaks of ‘redeeming donkeys’ in the same passage with ‘redeeming the first born of all your sons . . .’   So what’s up with that ?  The story of the ‘prodigal son’ and the ‘older brother’ should be a hint to where this story is headed. Judah is the ‘older brother’ and Ephraim ( the house of Joseph ) is the younger. One of the aspects of the first coming of Messiah was to move forward the work of the restoral of the whole house of Israel. ( another lesson  🙂 . . . )

On the day that we have come to know as ‘palm sunday’, Yeshua comes riding into town with two donkeys – an older male and a younger male . . . I picture Him riding the older and leading the younger.  That would be logical since Scripture says ‘Judah always goes first and leads . . .’ ( Num. 2:9, Judges 20:18 ). Ezekiel 37 speaks in the last days of the coming back together of two ‘sticks’ – Judah and Ephraim, the northern and southern kingdoms.

So what do we have in this entrance into Jerusalem, understanding that Yeshua does nothing without meaning ? What we have is a picture of the  beginning of the fulfillment of the House of Israel with Yeshua – the Passover lamb, the Shelem, the peace offering making reconciliation – leading the way and bringing His people back home.

But I’m a ‘christian’, I’m not Jewish, I’m not Israeli . . . what does this have to do with me . . .?  God made a promise and He keeps His word. A fresh understanding of the answer to this question will be posted soon. Abba through His Spirit has shown Rhonda an aspect of this truth that we had not seen before, so pray as she works to prepare this presentation . . .your gonna like this . . . a story many of us have heard all our lives, without fully understanding the depth of the meaning.  But we are in those days when things are going to be revealed.

Blessings to you and yours in Messiah Yeshua – J & R

This week we start a new endeavor – The Prodigal Ministries Blog Site.  As we look for ways to stay in touch and share with one another during the week and across distances, this will be one more opportunity and tool to accomplish that task – contending hard for the faith once for all delivered to the holy people of GOD.  Jude

May Abba bless you and yours today and in the days to come.  J & R