They Fear You Because You Are Strong

by Conscious Reminder 2016

Maybe they’re afraid of you because you are too honest at time when people are attracted by sweet-talkers and manipulators who make lies sound better than the truth. Maybe your truth is too bitter for those who don’t want to feel and taste your genuine self- the people who only want the cherry on the top of the cake.
      They might feel threatened by you because you  know exactly what you want in life, when the rest of them feel lost in their search. They might be so caught up in their insecurities, that they reject everybody who follows their own path. Even worse, they might be simply used to being in the company of  people who are insecure and have no idea who they actually are.
    Maybe they’re just afraid of you because you don’t want to take part in their games where everybody is so consumed by winning, and those who refuse to participate are considered losers. In this case, you’re probably surrounded by people who became experts in playing this game, that they don’t want to go back and try again because that would mean that they’re at the start line all over again.
      They might be afraid because you say things that they don’t want to hear; and it’s totally normal since they got used to the lies that they have been served for so long. These people believe in the image they created of themselves, not in who they really are. Maybe your words sound so unfamiliar to them that they simply don’t understand them or don’t believe in them.
       Maybe you scare them because you pay attention. You don’t forget what they said when they were angry or vulnerable; you pay attention to their eyes and body language and the tone of their voice and gestures. Maybe they’re not used to being seen or heard and your attention makes them feel uncomfortable, because it means that they have to take the mask off.
      Maybe they’re scared of you because you are aware of their fears, and yet you are not being overly cautious. Maybe you’re carefree with your heart and feelings, and they don’t know how to cope with them; it confuses them. They actually can’t deal with anything that affects their routine and reality. Maybe your heart rate is a bit faster and they can’t keep up.
      Maybe they’re afraid of you because you don’t need them; because they know you can survive without them; because they know you won’t wait for them; because they know you stand up for yourself; because they know you won’t be just another number in their phone book.
       Maybe they’re afraid of you because you appreciate yourself; because you’re strong enough to let go and leave and that you are smart enough to know your value. Maybe they got so used to the pedestal that they’ve been put on that have no idea how to function nowhere else.
     Regardless of the reasons, keep scaring them. Keep scaring them with your sincerity, with your strength, your goodness, love, understanding, with your words, with your eyes with your presence, and your ability to read them. Keep reading until you find somebody as brave as yourself. The one who won’t be afraid of you; someone as scary as you.

Yin Yang Symbol

This symbol is known to most people. However, I believe its true meaning is lost on most individuals. This symbol represents the equal amount of light and dark that is inside every individual at all times. It also represents every situation you will ever find yourself in. Every situation will either be good or bad. However, as you can see there is a ball of good and bad on both sides. Why? The balls represent the small amount of good or bad that accompanies both situations. Meaning if you look hard enough you will find something bad in every good thing that happens. It also means that if you look hard enough you will find something good in every bad thing that happens. What often happens in life is that individuals have good things happen to them and they will focus so much energy on that little black ball that it begins to grow until you end up on the other side and you have all bad and a small ball of good. The good news is the same thing can be done when bad things happen. If you choose to focus on the small good that is ALWAYS present in every bad situation then it will grow until you find yourself on the other side. Life is about choices and perspective and if we choose to focus on negativity then that will be our life, but if we choose focus on the good even when its a small ball that is barely visible. The light will always find a way to get brighter!

May compassion find your heart!

Christopher Laurent

Prayer

“And when you pray, don’t babble on and on like the pagans, who think God will hear them better if they talk a lot. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him. You, therefore, pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us the food we need today. Forgive us what we have done wrong, as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us. And do not lead us into hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One. For kingship, power and glory are yours forever. Amen .’ For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours. Mattityahu (Mat) 6:7‭-‬15 CJB https://bible.com/bible/1275/mat.6.7-15.CJB

I have always been bothered by prayer for some reason, and when I compared this version to the kJV it appears different to me. This version seems to really bring out our humility and emphasize how we are to be forgiving, humble and non-judgmental. This seems to be an issue with Christian's today. I do find it interesting that these verses say don't bable and God already knows, yet public prayer and babling is pushed in churches all over the world. I've always felt I conversate with God all the time. People tell me I shouldn't talk to myself it's not healthy, but how can I be talking to myself if God is always with us? Why would he not be listening to me?

Stages of Faith

I found this article awhile back and thought it was interesting and worth sharing. Faith is an important phenomenon throughout history and how we approach it has shapped our world. Personally I find myself on stage 6, but I see many people around me content at stage 5 and some even get angry with me about my acceptance of other Faith's.

           Stages of faith
         By James W. Fowler

1. Intuitive-Projective: a stage of confusion and of high impressionability through stories and rituals. (Pre-school period)

2. Mythic-Literal: a stage where provided information is accepted in order to conform with social norms. (School-going period)

3. Synthetic-Conventional: In this stage the faith acquired is concreted in the belief system with the forgoing of personification and replacement with authority in individuals or groups that represent one's beliefs. (Early-late adolescence)

4. Individuative-Reflective: In this stage the individual critically analyzes adopted and accepted faith with existing systems of faith. Disillusion or strengthening of faith happens in this stage. Based on needs, experiences and paradoxes. (Early adulthood)

5. Conjunctive faith: In this stage people realize the limits of logic and, facing the paradoxes or transcendence of life, accept the "mystery of life" and often return to the sacred stories and symbols of the pre-acquired or re-adopted faith system. This stage is called negotiated settling in life. (Mid-life)

6. Universalizing faith: This is the "enlightenment" stage where the individual comes out of all the existing systems of faith and lives life with universal principles of compassion and love and in service to others for upliftment, without worries and doubt. (Middle - late adulthood (45-65yrs and plus)

     There is no hard-and-fast rule that requires individuals pursuing faith to go through all six stages. There is a high probability for individuals to be content and fixed in a particular stage for a lifetime; stages from 2-5 are such stages. Stage 6 is the summit of faith development. This state is often considered as "not fully" attainable.

A Time to Rest

   So many people today are so caught up in their lives they forget to just stop and enjoy it. I believe we have made celebrating things too stressful and too unimportant.  We have days devoted to resting and enjoying life such as: Sunday, birthdays, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Sabbath. However, these days and the days leading up to them are so stressful that instead of being days of joy and rest, they are stressful and unhappy events. There are days set aside in the bible and each one serves a specific purpose. Christmas and Easter do not significantly teach God’s stories and we do not truly stop and take the entire day to enjoy life and the people going through it with us. We are creatures of habit and always looking for something to do. We are supposed to appreciate the people that God has placed in your life for we do not know exactly how long they will be there with you along this journey we call life. For we will all eventually pass away and leave those we have cared for and impacted behind. It is up to us to take the time to enjoy and appreciate the life God has given us by relaxing and enjoying the time we spend with one another.

Abortion

Abortion has been a touchy subject for awhile now and people on both sides of the argument have some good points. There are many here in America that want much stricter laws, the question is how stricter are we gonna be. Just read this article and see if this is the future you want for your daughters and son's.
Huff post article.

          The question constantly asked is "should we allow women to abort their babies?" However, my question is, why do they want to? You see abortion is giving up on a human being you have the potential to experience so much joy with. How can someone do that? Well, have you ever been pregnant by someone that raped you? Have you ever been raped? Ever thought of how you would of reacted if it did come back positive? I would like to get into this more. 

           However, there is another side of this coin that must be addressed. Why did the man feel that he had the right to take advantage of that woman? See many men don't realize just how bad things have gotten. I cannot go anywhere without meeting a woman that has been sexually assaulted by a man at one point in their lives. Women are not property no matter how old or sacred your religious text is. If it encourages harm to any group of humans it is not fully inspired by GOD. Too often women are seen as the property of men or inferior in some way to a man. There is no inferior sex, we are different for a reason. These differences help us balance things out and teach us the art of co-operation. Just ask anyone that has been in a long-term relationship. If both parties do not do what they are good at, they will not succeed. If this is the case then how is what the man doing more important than what the woman is doing. Sexism and the popular notion that women are in some way inferior to a man has been going on for centuries. What if the sudden rise in LGBTQ community is gods way of teaching us once and for all just how similar we really are. If a man can become a woman, a woman can become a man, and we can all achieve the same things in life. How can one be inferior to the other? They can't, this is why we must teach our young men how to respect women and to understand that there must be boundaries kept unless given strict permission by the woman. There are too many men who see women as objects to be won and do not respect a woman enough to accept rejection.
      "Eve was not taken out of Adam's head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him."
-Mathew Henry-
        If we want to stop abortions we can't abolish and criminalize it. We must legalize it and study why these women even want the abortions. Then we must take measures to teach our young men how to treat women with compassion and respect. If everyone respects each other and stop making excuses for our own lust and hunger for dominance we can remove the desire for abortions and only have them when all other options have been taken. 

         Sincerely,

Christopher Laurent

Symbos in religion

For the balance of this study, let us take a look at the most grievously misused of these religious symbols, the Cross, the so-called ‘Star of David,’ and the Fish symbol.

The Cross: Symbol of the Sun-god Tammuz

Christian churches have some form of visible image which the masses are expected to reverence (or to serve). 

For example, most Greek Orthodox churches have various icons and paintings posted all about the walls.  And, in addition to paintings and icons, most Catholic churches have statuettes and figurines of various ‘saints’ (and sometimes even of animals, gargoyles, and even demons).  Even the majority of the Protestant churches normally have at least one cross prominently displayed before the people.

As we research the cross, we find that not only is this image not commanded, but that it also serves as the sign of the sun-god Tammuz.  This is easily verified by the works of numerous scholars on this subject, or can be verified by entering the words “cross” and “Tammuz” into any good Internet search engine (e.g. www.google.com).

Amazingly, Christian scholars who know that the cross is the sign of the sun-god Tammuz still argue in favor of using the cross as a symbol of faith in the Messiah, saying that it reminds them of the Messiah’s sacrifice.  This, however, is like honoring Doctor Martin Luther King or Abraham Lincoln by putting a portrait of the weapons that killed them up on the wall.

YHWH forbids us from reverencing any religious icon that He Himself did not command us to make, which certainly describes the cross.  Since the cross is the symbol of the false Roman sun-god, why bring it into our assemblies? 

Should we bring the sign of a Roman sun-god into our assemblies, just because the Romans tried to put the Messiah to death on one?  Once again, it is like honoring a murder weapon.

YHWH even prophesied through Ezekiel that the House of Israel (or Ephraim) would not only serve false images, but that they would also revere the sun-god Tammuz.  This is the very thing that most of our lost brethren do.

Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 8:6-12

6 Furthermore He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the House of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations."

7 So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall.

8 Then He said to me, "Son of man, dig into the wall"; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.

9 And He said to me, "Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there."

10 So I went in and saw, and there — every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the House of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls.

Verse 10 tells us that there are images of every sort in the sanctuaries of the House of Israel (i.e., in the Christian churches), with idols portrayed all around the walls.  This is a fairly accurate description of the inside of most Greek Orthodox and Catholic churches (which are still the two most prevalent forms of Christianity). 

The problem is that the idols and images that are inside of these churches are the very same kinds of idols that all forms of paganism require, to open the door for demons.

All forms of demon-worship depend upon idols of one form or another.  This is because when one serves (or reverences) the idol, it takes one’s internal focus off of YHWH, and puts it on the idol.  And, while most Christians scoff at the idea they are actually worshipping idols by having icons and symbols in their places of worship, YHWH tells us that the spiritual reason they continue to worship these idols is because they do not believe that YHWH ‘sees’ them.

11 And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the House of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up.

12 Then He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the House of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, 'YHWH does not see us, YHWH has forsaken the land.'"

When we examine any form of rebellion honestly, it is typically due to the rebellious one’s lack of belief.  Not believing that YHWH is able to ‘see’ everything, they believe that YHWH does not ‘see’ the sin committed. 

If the rebel understood the extent of YHWH’s sovereignty, he would understand that YHWH indeed ‘sees’ all; and then he would fear, and not sin.

20 And Moshe said to the people, "Do not fear; for Elohim has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin."       [Exodus 20:20]

Weeping for Tammuz

Then, in verses 13 and 14, YHWH speaks to yet greater abominations than even the worship of the idols, icons, statuettes and figurines. 

Through His servant Ezekiel, YHWH tells us that the women of the House of Israel weep for Tammuz, the Chaldean sun-god.

13 And He said to me, "Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing."

14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of YHWH’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.

How ironic it should be that the sign of Tammuz is the cross; and that the cross should be prominently displayed in most houses of worship within the House of Ephraim.

However, the sun-worship in the shrines of the House of Israel does not stop with the cross.  There are also Easter Sunrise services, as well as numerous other abominations which Ezekiel tells us of.

15 Then He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again.  You will see greater abominations than these."

16 So He brought me into the inner court of YHWH’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of YHWH, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of YHWH and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

Numerous scholars record the early Church practice of praying facing east to the sun at sunrise (even when Jerusalem lay in some other direction).  For example, Clement of Alexandria (150-210 CE) records this practice, as does Origen.  It was the year 258 when Cyprian, who served as the Bishop of Carthage, exhorted Christians to pray to the East at sunrise. 

Easter Sunrise services today are merely an extension of that.  And, as we detail in the Nazarene Israel study, the shift in the days of worship (from the Sabbath to the ‘sun’ day) serves (or reverences) the sun, rather than serving (or reverencing) the Creator. 

In addition, Christianity has also incorporated numerous other sun-worship services which are not commanded anywhere in Scripture, such as Easter sun-rise services (the first sun-day after the vernal equinox), Christmas (which celebrates the re-birth of the sun four days after the Winter Solstice), and others.

There is much more we could say about the worship of the sun, the cross, and Tammuz, but these are outside of the scope of this introductory work.  However, for those who wish to avoid doing anything wrong, the best advice is simply to avoid any and all religious images in one’s life, as well as avoiding unnecessary imagery as well. 

Anything that takes one’s attention away from YHWH is a thing that does not serve: and if it does not serve YHWH, then there is no reward for it; so why have it in your life?

The Magen David: Star of Remphan

The House of Ephraim is not the only one who is guilty of profaning his places of worship with pagan symbols.

Proponents of the so-called Magen David (‘Shield of David’) argue that the Jews have used the Magen David as an image of their faith since before Yeshua’s time, and that this therefore makes it a perfectly valid image to use in today’s times. 

The problem with this argument is that an image is not made clean, simply because it is ancient. 

If an image was clean, simply because it was ancient, then one would also have to accept the use of the golden calves as a valid image, since they were in use in Jeroboam’s times.

Melachim Aleph (1^st Kings) 12:28-29

28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.

Here are your elohim, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!"

29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.

Making an image for ourselves was a sin in Jeroboam’s times, but the golden calf was in use even when the Ten Commandments were handed down

The golden calves were very popular among Israel.  Aharon even said that the golden calf was YHWH; but did that make it a clean, commanded image?

Shemote (Exodus) 32:5

5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to YHWH!"

People need to be careful not to add or take away from the commandments, lest their names be taken away from the book of life.  The fact that Orthodox Jewish and Christian people have been worshipping images a long time does not make these practices legitimate.

Some argue that the Paleo-Hebrew letter Dalet (ד) is shaped in the form of a triangle, and that if one allegedly doubles the triangular shape of the Paleo-Hebrew Dalet one gets a symbol that looks like the hexagram.  This, of course, does not alter the fact that what one has created is a hexagram, which is the most powerful black magic symbol in all of witchcraft.

Then there is the argument that if one cuts a cross-section of a pomegranate (which was a commanded image in the Tabernacle, e.g. Exodus 28:33), one gets something that sort of looks like a Magen David (although not really).  This, however, does not alter the fact that YHWH does not command us to make any image that looks like a cross-section of a pomegranate, a six-pointed “Shield of David,” or a hexagram.

Forbidden Image: Star of Remphan

Right before he was stoned to death for believing on Yeshua, the Apostle Stephen accused the Pharisees (i.e., the Orthodox Jews) of making an image of the Star of Remphan.

Ma’aseh (Acts) 7:43

43 You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your elohim Remphan (i.e., Kiyyun), images which you made to worship: Therefore I will carry you away beyond Babylon.'

When we look up this word Remphan, we find:

NT:4481 Raiphan or Rhemphan; by incorrect transliteration for a word of Hebrew origin [OT:3594]; Remphan (i.e. Kijun), an Egyptian idol.

When we look up the reference to OT 3594, we get:

OT:3594 Kiyuwn (kee-yoon'); from OT:3559; properly, a statue, i.e. idol; but used (by euphemism) for some heathen deity (perhaps corresponding to Priapus or Baal-peor):

This word can be found on page 475 of the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon.  It is basically a reference to Saturn, another forbidden celestial deity.

Since the so-called Magen David is not commanded anywhere in Scripture, and since the Magen David was already in widespread use by the rabbis at the time they returned from Babylon, and since there is no other star that has been historically used by the Jews as a religious symbol, the Magen David is the only likely candidate to be the ‘Star of Remphan’ that Stephen is referring to.

There will be those who will argue in favor of the Magen David no matter what Scripture says.  However, if the Magen David was not the star of Remphan (or Kiyyun) to which our forerunner Stephan was referring, then what other symbol was there which was:

1. Used by the rabbis; and
2. Was in widespread use; and
3. Is not commanded in Scripture?

The Menorah Fish

The argument for the ‘Menorah fish’ as a legitimate icon for worship has the same fatal flaws as the argument for the so-called ‘Star of David’ (i.e., the Star of Remphan).  

Basically the argument for the ‘Menorah fish’ tells us that at some point following Yeshua’s resurrection (whether it was in the second century, or the first), messianic believers began a symbol that incorporates a menorah, a ‘Star of David’ and a fish as a legitimate symbol of their faith in Yeshua.

Those who have been paying attention at all during this study may already be able to spot the fatal flaws in this argument.  No matter how ancient this symbol might be, it violates the Second Commandment against creating religious images for ourselves.

Shemote (Exodus) 20:4

4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth….”

While the Torah clearly lists the menorah as an object that is to be found inside of the Tabernacle, it was never commanded to be seen outside of the Tabernacle.  Further, the ‘Star of David’ is not commanded anywhere, and it was the Philistine (Palestinian) deity ‘Dagon’ that was always symbolized by the fish.

OT:1712 Dagown (daw-gohn'); from OT:1709; the fish-god; Dagon, a Philistine deity:

One has to seriously question the mindset that claims to worship an invisible Creator, but yet feels the need to represent itself by some visible object of reverence.  Can this attitude (or this spirit) really be from Elohim?

To make a menorah image for display on the outside of the Temple or Tabernacle is questionable, since the menorah was supposed to dwell inside of the Temple or Tabernacle (and there is no commandment to depict it on the outside of the Set-apart Place). 

So why, then, do some continue to try to teach people to reverence (or honor) visible objects? 

Demonism and witchcraft make heavy use of images.  Many Christians and Jews will tell you that they are not ‘reverencing’ or ‘serving’ or ‘relying’ on the images of the cross, the ‘Star of David,’ the Menorah Fish, or other popular images by looking at them.  They will tell you that they are “just looking” at them, perhaps in order to be reminded of what they stand for.  However, in the language of Scripture, this is to ‘serve’ these images.

As we explain in the Joseph’s Return study, YHWH is an invisible Elohim, and it is important to Him that we not make visible substitutes for Him.  We are only to make those images which He has commanded, and we are only to put them in the locations which He says.

Even if it were legitimate for us to make a carved image of a menorah as an icon of worship (which itself is highly questionable), to blend the menorah with a so-called ‘Star of David’ and the Fish of Dagon would irreparably adulterate (or ‘mix’) it; and such adulterated (or ‘mixed’) worship is absolutely forbidden.

Some of the more obvious problems with the so-called ‘Menorah fish’ as a visible object of reverence are that:

1.       It asks us to reverence something visible (which can never be representative of YHWH).

2.       It asks us to reverence something pagan (as the fish symbol is the symbol of Dagon, and the hexagram is symbolic of Remphan (or Kiyyun).

3.       It is nowhere commanded; and therefore it is an image that men have made for themselves.

Some, not wishing to submit to Scripture, will argue that the apostles first made the ‘Menorah fish.’  However, even if that were true, it would still be wrong for us to use it.

Even if Kepha (Peter), Ya'akov (James), Yochanan (John) and Shaul (Paul) all got together and said, "Hey, you know what?  I think we should make a visible image to identify ourselves," it would still be a wrong image. Why?  Because it would not be a commanded image, but an image that men have made for themselves, which is precisely what the Second Commandment prohibits.

Shemote (Exodus) 20:4

4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth….”