Join Me At My New Address!!!

Good evening, all!

In an effort to establish myself as a new author and promote my recently published book, The Little Seed, I have moved my blogging efforts to a new address.  This new blog will particularly appeal to any of you Torah-observant moms out there.

Should you be interested in continuing this journey with me, here are some links for you to keep in contact:

1.  Torah Moms Blog: https://www.torah-moms.com/

2.  Torah Moms Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TorahMomsblog

3.  The Little Seed Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/The-Little-Seed-2340759052875163

I hope you will join me on this new journey!

Be blessed, as always,

Candice.

Does Repentance Earn Us YHWH's Love?

I heard it said today that repentance does not earn us God's (YHWH's) love, and while I would agree with that statement 100%, the context in which it was given bothered me.  It seemed as if the speaker was saying that repentance was unnecessary, and therefore optional, because He already loves us.

I have to say, I find that notion unpalatable, especially when it flows from the heart of a "believer."  Why do we treat this Creator, whose love and provision for us are beyond our own comprehension, with such callous indifference?

Let me show you what I mean.

First, we must understand that repentance (by the biblical definition) means to turn away from sin AND turn back to Yah's ways.  So, let's use the example of drunkenness. If that is my sin, and I quit drinking only to replace that vice with another, getting my fix elsewhere, I have not repented.  In order to repent, I must both quit drinking AND turn to His ways,meaning sobriety.  Keeping that in mind, let's look at the notion that repentance to a loving Father is unnecessary.

I have a son. Let's say he is caught lying and I place him on restriction.  He has behaved inappropriately and has been judged righteously.  Everyone understands this.  Ideally, he will, as a result of his punishment, re-evaluate his behavior and come to understand what he did wrong and why it is unacceptable.  Certainly he will know of my disapproval. Let's say that he, of his own volition, comes to me with a sincere apology and admission of guilt.  He takes responsibility and commits to not lying in the future.  That would be repentance.

Has he earned my love?  Of course not, I've always loved him.  The rules are there because of my love.  Even the punishment was out of love.

Now... because my love for him was never in jeopardy, is his sin irrelevant?  Furthermore, is his repentance unnecessary?  Of course not!  We all know this!  This is how we handle our own children as normal fallen human beings.  Why in the world would we believe that our perfect, all-knowing Creator (whose children we are) wouldn't care about our sins and ESPECIALLY our repentance? 

The thought is ludicrous.  It is a highly self-centered belief born out of a stubborn will to do as we please and pay no consequences, not to mention a severe disregard of scripture's warnings to the contrary.

Our Father loves us.  Yes - agreed.  That love is the reason for His rules/instructions - Torah.  Does He love us when we sin (defined in scripture as breaking Torah)?  Yes!  Are we still subject to the consequences of our sin? Yes!  Why?  Because He loves us!  His correction is meant to guide us back to His ways - to repentance.  His love for us was never in question, nor did it fail at any moment.  However, we have no excuse.  We are guilty of our sins, and we must come to repentance. It is not an option.  Without repentance, we will not belong to Messiah!

To say that He loves me so much that I can do as I please and never repent is to be a spoiled brat, living in the arrogance of my own stubbornness.  As children of the Most High, let us never be guilty of such insolence! 

Let us come to our Father and confess and repent of our sins.  Let us correct our course and enjoy the positive consequences - the blessings - of obedience and Torah!  We can all agree that our world is losing its mind.  We are closer to Messiah's coming kingdom than we have ever been.  Let us be ready to meet Him on that day, and conduct ourselves in such as way as to please Him.

"For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children'.  Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.  Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead"    

-Acts 17:28-31, NASB

Exciting News!

I am excited to share with you all the end result of my major 2018 project - The Little Seed

The Little Seed is a children's story about a little seed who doesn't understand his uncomfortable circumstances.  He struggles with faith and self-doubt and finds himself scared to reach out to his Creator.  In the end, he discovers the love of Yah as well as his purpose in the Creator's garden.

I hope you and your little ones find The Little Seed both enjoyable and encouraging.  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and/or reviewing the book on Amazon.

Be blessed!

Find The Little Seed on Amazon!

New Author FB Page!

Hello, everyone!

I am happy to announce that I've started a C.R. Madewell author page on Facebook.  If you are interested in joining us, you can find that page here:  https://www.facebook.com/crmadewell.

I will use this page to promote this blog as well as to keep you up-to-date on upcoming projects!  I am hoping to have my children's books published within the next couple of months, and I will be doing giveaways for those as well!  I will also be going live on occasion and taking prayer requests.

If you'd like to join me, please feel free.

The Returning Bride also has its own page at:  https://www.facebook.com/ReturningBride

I look forward to getting to know you!

Intro to the Kingdom!

Hello, friends!

Have you ever wondered why today's church doesn't seem to have the same power that the church had in the book of Acts? 

Why aren't we seeing healings and other miracles?  Don't we serve the same Messiah?  Aren't we empowered by the same Spirit?

I have just completed an outline for a Bible Study I'm teaching on this very subject!  If you are interested in exploring this topic, take a look!

Welcome to the Kingdom of God and the gospel of that Kingdom!!!

INTRO TO THE KINGDOM

Candice Madewell

1-4-18

Premise:

Why doesn’t the modern church walk in Kingdom power like the church in the book of Acts?

                           

                            -We have a false view of the Kingdom of Heaven (Kingdom of God).  We cannot operate properly because our false beliefs keep us away from our Kingdom authority.

What is the TRUTH?  How do we get it back?

PART 1:  DEFINING THE TERMS

1.        Sin –

a.       “the transgression of the law” – 1 John 3:4 (see also verse 5!)

b.       Strong’s G266 – hamartia – a sin or offence

c.       Outline of Biblical Usage:

                                                                                             i.      to be without a share in

                                                                                           ii.      to miss the mark

                                                                                         iii.      to err, be mistaken

                                                                                         iv.      to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong

                                                                                           v.      to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin

                                                                                         vi.      that which is done wrong, sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act

                                                                                        vii.      collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many

2.       Kingdom –

a.       Strong’s G932 – basileia – Royalty, rule, or realm

b.       Outline of Biblical Usage:

                                                                                             i.      royal power, kingship, dominion, rule

1.       not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom

2.       of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah

3.       of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom

                                                                                           ii.      a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king

                                                                                         iii.      used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah

3.       Repent –

a.       Strong’s G3340 – to think differently afterwards, to reconsider (morally, feel compunction), repent

b.       Outline of Biblical Usage:

                                                                                             i.      to change one's mind, i.e. to repent

                                                                                           ii.      to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins

4.       Gospel –

a.       Strong’s G2098 – euangelion – a good message, the gospel

5.       Heaven –

a.       Strong’s G3772 – Ouranos -  heaven, as in the abode of God.  Implies happiness, power, eternity.

6.       Righteousness –

a.       Strong’s G1343 – Dikaiosyne – equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification

b.       Outline of Biblical Usage:

                                                                                             i.      in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God

1.       the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God

2.       integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting

                                                                                           ii.      in a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due

Part 2:  Reading

Matt 4:17 & 23   

Matt 6: 31 – 33

Matt 7: 21 – 27

Matt 5: 17 – 20

Matt 24: 14

Luke 12:32

Luke 17:20 – 21

Luke 24:47

Mark 16:15 – 20

John 10:7 – 9

Romans 8:5 - 9

Part 3:  Take-Away

How do we enter the Kingdom of heaven and serve on Earth with Kingdom authority and miracles the way Yeshua/Jesus and the apostles did?

Step 1: REPENT!

                            1.  Repentance prepares us to be forgiven and cleansed from unrighteousness by Messiah!

                                                -This is how we enter in through the “door”!

        2.   Repentance is a change of mind and a returning to the ways of righteousness/ ways of God!

        3.  Being in Christ grants us the Holy Spirit! (Ruach HaKodesh) (Romans 8:9)

Step 2:  SEEK!

1.        Kingdom

a.       Jesus often teaches parables about the Kingdom!

b.       He tells us that the Kingdom is within us!

2.       His Righteousness

a.       The righteousness granted us by Messiah (forgiveness/justification)

b.       The righteousness of right living! (Obedience – Romans 6:16)

3.       When we seek these, all our worldly needs are met!

Step 3:  DO THE FATHER’S WILL!

1.       Jesus Himself taught the Father’s law would not be voided.  Not one “jot or tittle” would pass!

2.       Jesus kept the law Himself.  If he hadn’t his sin would have disqualified Him as Messiah.  We are told to “walk as He walked,” not that His walk (obedience) would exempt us from our own obedience.

3.       We are warned in scripture that whomever we obey is our King!  If we want authority in the Kingdom of Heaven, we must serve Heaven’s King.  Disobedience to God is automatic obedience to the enemy (the only other “way”), and makes him our King.  (Romans 6:16)

Step 4:  THE GREAT COMMISSION!

1.        We are to preach the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM to the whole world!

a.       “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” – The same thing Jesus preached!

2.       When we are on His (correct) mission, He works with us and we see miracles!  These are His way of confirming to the world that what we say is true!

Part 4:  The Rest of the Story.

                            Mankind was created in the garden to be God’s image-bearers and steward-rulers on earth.  We were under his kingship but given authority and dominion in our realm.  When we obeyed the voice of the serpent (Hebrew Nachash), we transferred our kingship to the enemy!  We then became his subjects/slaves.  Remember, whom we obey is our king!

                            The Father chose a people (beginning with Abraham) and throughout history revealed Himself to them and taught them to live in His ways.  Obedience would bring blessing, disobedience would bring curses. (See Deuteronomy 28)  This people kept the Word of God and passed it down through all generations, suffering the consequences of disobedience when they rebelled.  As they stayed faithful to God’s Word, however, they were “trained” in Kingdom living!  They knew how to live according to the King’s ways.  They were simply waiting for the Kingdom to return, as promised through Messiah.

                            When Yeshua/Jesus came, his message was “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” The Kingdom had arrived.  Those who repented and placed their faith in Jesus entered into the Kingdom!  Having already been trained in God’s ways, Kingdom living was natural for them.  They received the promised Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) when Jesus ascended to the Father after His resurrection. 

                            The final piece was in place!   The disciples set out to fulfill the Great Commission as commanded by Jesus.  Being obedient to the right King, citizens of the right Kingdom, empowered by the right Spirit, and accompanied (spiritually) by Jesus Himself, the disciples performed many miracles.  They saw healings, resurrections, the lame walking, etc.! 

                            We, too, carry the SAME commission and gospel message given to us by Jesus.  When we, likewise, have all the pieces in place, He will accompany us and prove our words in power by His Holy Spirit!

                            Throughout church history, some of these elements have been distorted, and some done away with altogether.  However, we are forever held accountable to scripture by our God and King!  As Peter and John said to the High Priest….

“Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

(Acts 4:19 – 20)

Are we willing to say the same to the religious leaders of our day?  Can we set aside distorted teachings and re-adopt the TRUE teachings of Christ?  If so, we will fulfill our Commission on this earth, and we will see miracles!

Sources:

KJV Bible

www.blueletterbible.org

For further Study:

You Tube:  Dr. Michael Lake, Understanding the Kingdom series

Purging the Darkness

Here lately, the Father has been teaching me about His Kingdom, spiritual authority, and even spiritual warfare.  One excellent ministry that He has used in doing this is that of Dr. Michael Lake and his wife, Mary Lake.  You can find their teachings and resources at www.kingdomintelligencebriefing.com.  They are amazing teachers, and I love the balance they have between Torah obedience and Holy Spirit leading.

But, as the past few weeks have gone on, I've found myself asking the same question many of us are probably asking, or at least have asked at some point in the past.  Why, if we have the Holy Spirit, don't we see the miracles that we should be seeing?

Yeshua's own words tell us that we will do greater works that He did, so why aren't we doing them?  Why aren't we healing at a word?  Why aren't we casting out demons?  Why aren't we causing the lame to walk and the blind to see???  Where is our power?

Moreover, why are we sick?  Why are so many of us (believers) depressed or oppressed?  Where is our freedom and deliverance?

The answers I have found in seeking out the Word of God in these matters have led me to an astoundingly simple and straight-forward understanding of the problem.  Join me in a quick study....

We understand that when Yeshua died, He reconciled us to the Father and brought us back into covenant with Him. We also understand that this makes us citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven!

"For all the promises of God in Him (Yeshua) are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God in us."

-2nd Corinthians 1:20

This verse tells us that if we are in Christ/Messiah, all the promises of God are ours!  ALL OF THEM!   That's a lot of promises.  Many of us have read books dedicated to listing those for us, and it would do us good to search the scriptures for them ourselves, so I won't try to list them here.  But stop a moment and consider what comes to mind easily.... blessed in the city, country, going out, coming in, storehouses, etc. from Deuteronomy 28, or maybe being the head and not the tail or heaven's windows being opened to us....

These are all YES and AMEN (which means "so be it") in Messiah!  They are already fulfilled in Him and rightfully ours - now, today.  But we aren't walking in them.... How do we get there?

Herein is our struggle...

We were born in this world's kingdom, the Kingdom of Darkness.  We have lived in it, learned its "truths", grown accustomed to its ways, and learned to conduct our lives in its ways/laws, etc.  It has become part of who we are.  It is in us!  In many areas, it's all we know!

So, we have entered into God's Kingdom, but we continue in many ways to live in darkness, in what we know well and are accustomed to.  But God's Kingdom is light!  It is the exact opposite of darkness!  With a new Kingdom comes a new economy and a new way of life!  Instead of sickness, we have divine health!  Instead of poverty, plenty!

Darkness (of which we were) can not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  So, Yeshua washed us clean from sin and clothed us in His righteousness and granted us citizenship.  We may now enter!

BUT MANY OF US DON'T!!!!

"Know ye not, that whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Romans 6:16

The Kingdom of Heaven is welcoming us in, but the kingdom of darkness in trying to hang on!  Two kings, each one staking their claim!  WHOM WE OBEY, IS OUR KING!  If we obey darkness (sin), we choose that kingdom over God's.  If we choose that kingdom, we choose all that comes with it - sickness, etc.

But if we choose to obey God, we choose His Kingdom and His ways/promises!          

Every day, through our words and actions, we choose!  Many of us live one foot in and one foot out, and therefore, we don't experience the full benefits of heaven - we miss out on the promises that are ALREADY ours.  They are waiting for us in God's Kingdom!

In order to walk more fully in His Kingdom, we must purge out the darkness that is in us and choose every day to walk in light.  That light will cleanse us and fill the places that were previously dark.  The more that happens, the more we experience our promises.  It happens by the grace and power of YHWH, but we must choose.  He never forces us or restricts our free will.

I'm going to leave it at that for now.... I am excited to share much more of what I am learning with you, but I think one step at a time is best for both of us!  Allow this truth to bless you as it did me, and I will write more soon!
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 **Images courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net**

Where Religion Went Wrong - 7 - Denominationalism

“…I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine…Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are… Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hath sent me. And the glory which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world…” 

John 17:9, 11, 20-24 (condensed) – Yeshua speaking 

The very next chapter, Chapter 18, begins with Messiah being betrayed. This was His prayer for us – that we would be unified in Him and the Father, that we would be “one”.

Simple internet inquiry will show that there are a multitude of denominations of Christianity within our country and many more globally. We don’t worship together, we don’t usually work or minister together, and many times we don’t even get along! Can we even pretend that we are “one”?

Furthermore, as of recent years between 75 and 80% of our nation’s population identified themselves as being Christians. Can we look around and say that these 75% of individuals are “one” in any way? Billions of people globally are Christians, yet do we know them or minister alongside them? Are we connected? Are we “one”?

Some say that, though there are many denominations, there is still only one Body of Christ. I would agree that there is, in fact, only one Body of Christ. I would disagree, however, that these denominations are all “parts” of that Body and constitute a complete whole. I would argue, instead, that the Body of Christ is fractured, divided, and definitely dis-unified, and that it is hidden somewhere within a fractured religious system.

I would also argue that it is time for that body to be consolidated – re-unified into the force it was intended to be – a force to be reckoned with – ministering to a desperate world, healing the sick, and preaching the Gospel of Messiah!

This will not be accomplished by promoting one “right” denomination above all others. Nor will it happen by creating yet another denomination to add to the list. It will only happen when we return to the leadership of our Messiah – His ways. We must rally under the banner and Truth of scripture, the Word of YHWH! We must learn to lay down disagreements and hold ourselves only to scripture’s authority and guidance. We must “swim upstream” to properly understand that guidance, and we must learn to work together and in harmony without division and in-fighting. We must become one!

Why? Read the above passage again.

Yeshua states that His people being unified in Him would allow the world to “believe that thou hast sent me.” Isn’t that our mission? Isn’t that the message we are hoping to portray???

 In our current state, we cannot communicate that message clearly or convincingly. In fact our critics doubt that our God is the One True God exactly because of our divisions! We are hindering our most important message! And the only way to remove that specific hindrance is to tear down our walls and reconnect, re-unify!

Yeshua Himself said,

 “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” 

(Matthew 12:25) 

I do not believe the true Kingdom of YHWH is divided against itself. We, however, definitely are; and as long as we remain so, we cannot minister for His Kingdom here on earth. We pray for miracles, and we pray for souls, but in order to see our prayers answered, we must be unified in Him.

I believe a word of caution is in order. We are not seeking to only be unified with each other, but also to be unified IN Messiah and our FATHER. That is the only banner under which to rally – the True Word of YHWH. No attempts to come together under any other “authority,” “truth,” or “leadership” will be true unity as Messiah intended it. Such a movement could very easily be used by an organization, or even a single individual, to try and gain power or influence, and we should be extremely cautious of this. Not every call to unity is a call to unity in Messiah! Not everything that glitters is gold.

But as the true Body of Christ finds their way back to unity in Him, we will once again begin to see the true workings of Messiah’s church on earth! We can simply read the book of Acts to see the implications of that – thousands of souls saved at a time, the lame walking, and the dead rising! Personally, I believe we will see these things again, but first we must come together, turn back to His ways, and worship Him in Spirit and Truth.