Lord and James

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure who will find this information useful but here is something you may not be familiar with.

The word that is commonly translated from both Greek and Hebrew as “Lord” is actually the Hebrew word “Yah”, as in “Yahweh”. This is interesting to me, so out of curiosity I cross-referenced this with a Bible I have that is written in Pennsylvania Deitsch. I wanted to know what the German plain-folk translated it as, to see if they felt it had a modern equivalent.
I was actually surprised to see that they didn’t translate it as anything! It was written as Yah in the Hebrew and it remained Yah in the Pennsylvania German.

 

Yah is the Hebrew name for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I’m not sure what you can do with this knowledge but I still think that it is worth knowing.

 

 

Hallelujah, meaning "Praise Yah!" or "Praise God!", is not a comment towards God himself. It is a declarative exclamation telling the worshipers of Yah to praise him! This really changes the dynamic of worship. It takes things from being as simple as simply saying "Praise God", to actually having to be more proactive and to have to think of ways in which to praise Him.
 

 

 

Another factoid; there is no such book as the book of James.

It is actually the book of Jacob, or Jakobus in Pennsylvania German, I’ve also cross referenced this with a translation to Hebrew, I can’t remember the way it was spelled but it was clearly a version of Jacob.

Why was the name changed?

Because King James was a very vain man and he wanted a book named after him. Plain and simple.

I hope this helps you in some way.

Happy Marriage Day!

We took this picture in the sand of a California beach. Your marriage should be your second most important focus of everyday. Second only to your walk with God.

Marriage is intended to be a happy union. There will be times of "intense fellowship", but overall a marriage should not be founded on straight faces, frowns, or discomfort in general.

Elizabeth and I have been married over six years now and every day we both do what we can to make the other smile. Everyone on this earth will only liv once, what's the point of living a life that is unpleasant. The happier you are, the healthier you will be and in return the longer you will liv. 

Elizabeth and I had been married for a while when I made the observation that there is no nationally celebrated "Marriage Day". We have many other "Days" in this country. We've got mothers, fathers, and even grand-parents day. But I've never heard anyone reference "Marriage Day". So with rebellion against a country that doesn't honor marriage as it used to be; I decided that we would make our own "Marriage Day". So with love in our heart and smiles on our faces we have always gotten much pleasure from celebrating our "Happy Marriage Day".

What day of the year do we celebrate our Marriage Day?

Is it our anniversary?

No

Is it the first of the year?

No

Is it a randomly chosen day of the year?

No

Our Marriage Day is every day that we are together.

We let each other know that we are enjoying a moment together when we say, "Happy Marriage Day!". We don't need an instituted Holy-Day for us to recognize each other out of formal obligation. Instead we choose to let each other know that we don't take each other for granted. Being genuine is the most heartfelt satisfaction that one can have, it's especially strong when our intentions can't be misinterpreted as "obligatory".

This is a special thing that Elizabeth and I share between us but I encourage you to do the same.

Sometimes we say it daily, and other times we might say it once or twice a week. It always makes us smile when the other person surprises us with it. It's a genuine exchange between us that isn't derived from pop-culture.

Always value your marriage, NEVER say the "D" word and do all you can to make yourself a better person in the marriage. When "intense fellowship" arises, be wise and take time to think about what has passed. If you still feel that they are in the wrong or have a habit that needs to be fixed before it passes to the next generation, bring it up when spirits are light. Loving spouses care about their children and understand that only the other spouse can truly help them to raise a better generation through improving themselves and each other.

Take critiques seriously and commit them to heart. You'll raise a beautiful family if you do.

It's easy to become angry when someone critiques us, remember it's not an enemy, it's a "life-partner". Life being the important word. Intense fellowship will help the two of you to better understand how to communicate as adults and to better understand the personal needs of each other as well as boundaries that may not seem so obvious.

Love your spouse. You should be married to your best friend. Treat them as such. When you are feeling rushed, look in their eyes for an "extended moment" and just let them know you love them. Enjoy the small moments together. Those are the valuable things in your life that no one can take away.

This part is solely for the men.

Look into your wives eyes.  Deeply.  Until you can see her soul.  Then take in all the information that doing such will give you. You'll better understand her needs and also why she may not always do all the things you want to.

For both husbands and wives.

Read "The Five Love Languages".

It's that simple. Learn which ways in which your spouse conveys and receives love and refine it over and over until the two of you are both satisfied with how each of you receives and conveys love.

A small story. Part of my personality makes it so that I enjoy surprises. That is one of the love languages. Elizabeth on the other hand prefers to have everything planned. It's part of her accountant personality. When we first were married I had to learn that Elizabeth didn't appreciate surprises because they changed the parameters of what she was dealing with at any time. I on the other hand had to educate her that I love surprises. Unpredictability makes me feel young and healthy. It took her a while to learn to come out of her "box", but ultimately she found ways to let me know she loved me by appealing to such. Likewise I had to find ways to go against my nature by planning things that we could do together. It was weird for me. I always prefer to do things off-the-cuff. I'm not sure if I'm doing well enough, but it's having that thought in my head that matters. There is always tomorrows marriage day.

Communication is the most important aspect of a marriage. Second is love.

If you are married to your best friend you should be able to talk about anything. You may have to wait till the right time, but still there shouldn't be any topic off-limits. When you talk, talk with love-without raising your voice. Resorting to raising your voice shows that you've already lost control and are not willing to talk person to person. Being an adult means that sometimes you have to concede and to change. Change.

Doing these things will teach your children what "normal" is supposed to be. That's important for your health, your spouses health, your children's health, and societies health in general.

Being angry, yelling, or not talking to your spouse is not normal. Seek Normal. It's what is healthy.

You will have happiness in your life and in your marriage when you have self-accountability.

When having intense-fellowship, I strong encourage you to hug each other and then to take a break to reassess what transpired. You may likely find that there was nothing to be gained and that likely it was simply an ego, either of yours or theirs, that was getting in the way. When they have the humility to concede error, don't have the arrogance to say "I told you so", or anything of the like. There is no profit in that. Be married and make each other better people. If you or your spouse concedes error, simply love each other and give each other a sincere hug. This is what is normal.

 Being defensive is unhealthy and can blind you to what or whom is truly in error.

With Christian Love, blessed with the gift of salvation from God and our Father, I pray for blessings of the Lord our Savior to be abundant in your marriage. Be Humble. Husbands, be the head of your house by example. Wives, understand your place in the home. A man may not always be able to communicate how he feels disrespected, but he will always know WHEN he feels disrespected.

Humility and submission will heal any bruise.

Two smiles to leave you with.



Christian Family Traditions

Elizabeth and I have now been in our modest home now for a little over three months. We have since been blessed with an adorable daughter that we love from the very depths of our hearts.

 Elizabeth has posted on her HOMEBIRTH EXPERIENCE. If you have any questions about it she will be happy to answer your questions. You can either post your questions under that blog entry or you can email us directly : )



Now that we seem to be finally settling in to our house, my question to you is this, What are your family's Christian traditions? With this I'm not talking about holyday traditions, but rather the day to day traditions. For example praying before a meal as you give thanks to the Lord for providing and blessing you. That is just one example.

I was not raised in a home where we belonged to a fellowship. I can remember going to church when I was very young, but I think we stopped going on a once-every-now-and-then basis once I was about eight. That being said, I can still remember us giving thanks at the dinner table. My family still does this, but only on holydays at formal family dinners.

As the head of my household it is my responsibility to set the standard for my family. Having not been raised by a godly father, nor having been raised around one, I am desireful of examples of how to be one. I know that it is my responsibility to instill in my children habits that will lead them in a
healthy relationship with our heavenly father.



Personally I try to maintain a personal tradition of reading ten chapters a day from the word of God, sometimes I don't succeed, but the wealth of learning is rewarding daily. I'd prefer to read five in the morning and five in the evening, but I usually have to read them all in the evening. Being a stay at home father has changed my schedule significantly. It typically takes about an hour, but sometimes less to read my quota.

Some people say they couldn't do that or that they don't have the attention span for it. I'll admit there are times I have to read a verse three or four times before I really begin to understand what it says. It's easy to skim over verses just doing a cursory reading, because in reality we don't really understand what is being said. I am guilty of this when it comes to books that have a long line of genealogy or even the book of Romans for example. The way that Paul phrases so many of his ideas in that book just leads me to scratch my head. I will admit there are times where I have read entire passages in that book several times, just to be left with a vague idea of what he was trying to convey.

This struggle to understand is worth it when I consider an eternity with our heavenly Father.

It also feeds my brain for a day of pondering the Word of our Lord!

So help me out, what did your family do on a day to day basis when you were growing up? What does your family do today?

What are ways that a father can build up his family on a daily basis? Did your father do something special?

I am asking you to respond. Write as much as you choose. It is all for edification. Glory be to our Lord, our Savior.

 

A petition from the McCartan family

 

 

Here is a photo of us just weeks before Abigail was born.

Be productive in reading the Word of God. It will make you wealthy, healthy, and wise.

Covering Thy Head

In the six years that I have been covering my hair, I have tried many different veiling styles. At first, I started with a simple, white lace veil. At the time, I associated myself as Pentecostal and many of the girls at school asked me if it was part of my religion that I start covering myself with a "wedding veil" a certain number of months before the wedding. I knew that this wasn't working for me and had to rethink and seek God's will of what my covering was supposed to be like.

* I want to take this moment to pause and remind the women reading this posting that I feel the type of covering I wear is something that I feel God has led me personally to - I do not feel that this is the type of veil for every individual. He led me to this and it is also approved by my husband.

For most of the last six years, I have worn the Darted Veil from Plain and Simple, which usually drapes down between my shoulder blades: Darted Veil

Although I have ordered blue veils in the past, I have almost always worn black as a personal preference but I also believe that white should be reserved for those that are unmarried.

Helpful links:
Quaker Jane - Great discussion about things to consider before taking up the covering (or bonnet in her case)

Covered4Him - Wonderful long veils

Plain and Simple Coverings - Excellent selection and articles about putting up your hair in different styles of buns

Modestly Covered - I just found this Etsy shop a few weeks ago - beautiful long veils

We Have A Prayer Closet!

I make this statement not to boast, as a closet can be of any size or in any part of one's home. It's just a great feeling when one can liv by their convictions and Biblical commands.

It's probably a simple 3'x4' closet adjoining our bathroom. It has a simple padded prayer bench.

It is convenient, quiet,  and solitary. There isnothing ostentatious about it. It is a simple place to have genuine prayer with God.

I've not taken a foto of it yet, I will try to post one later.

Fundamentalist Christian Homesteaders

Elizabeth and I both know that the world sees us as "fundamentalists" and living as a couple that homesteads is just who we are. We don't liv our daily life trying to fit into a box or stereotype. We try to liv as separated from the world as we can but on the occasions where we can't help but hear worldly music like at a gas station for example, we don't hold it against ourselves. I know that technically we are fundamentalist Christian homesteaders. For us, we are just Bible reading Christians that prefer to depend on themselves and liv off the land. We arnt the crazy conspiracy, gun toting, camouflage wearing militia that the media portrays us as. I honestly don't even own any camouflage nor does Elizabeth, and the only rifle I own at this point is a .243 hardly an assault rifle.

I don't object to being called a fundamentalist Christian, but what bothers me is when people think they know what my theology and convictions are just because of the title that society gives us. Neither Elizabeth or I were indoctrinated with this lifestyle. We both chose it on our own terms.

There is an unworthy stigma with the word "fundamentalist". The only implication that the word  "fundamentalist" is supposed to give, is that we are Christians that liv our life by the word of God. We are not just Christians on Sundays. We are Christians 365 days a year and we do our best to liv a proactive life to give glory to God.

For us being a Christian and a homesteader are two very separate things. We do not believe that we are saved through legalism, we are only saved through grace.  You do not need to homestead to be a saint. There is no justification for that ideology. I do however think that the Old Testament makes it clear that to liv in the country creates a safer life for holiness verses living in the city.

I don't think anyone will argue that.

Being a conservative Christian is not something you set out to do, you either are or arnt. There is no middle ground. It is believing that everything is black and white that cultivates an eye for what is holy in one's life and what is not. It is for this reason that saints avoid television and movies. Citing Psalm 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes;

There are two types of Christians, those that read the Bible and say,"Well that wasn't meant for us today, we're different now", and those that say "What does the Word really say and am I holding my self to that standard? If I'm not, then I need to start."

We are conservative Christians first and homesteaders second.

I pray Yeshua blesses you abundantly

Prayer Closet Two

In the earlier posting about prayer closets I discussed the importance and utility of a prayer closet, but there are some points I think I need to touch on for people that may not be familiar.

Wether your Christian group has a church building or meets in a families house, every group has a need for prayer closets. Some groups of Pentecostals maintain a tradition of praying together in a room prior to meeting in a sanctuary. This sets an amazing tone for the hour or two that the saints are joined together. There is a chance that if everything is set in motion spiritually that there may not even be an opportunity for preaching. I've seen it happen before where a group of saints came out of their prayer closet and a flood of holiness flooded the room and there was no holding the blessing back. That is as true a spiritual communion with the Holy Ghost as one can get. When a blessing falls like that, there is absolutely nothing ostentatious about it. And it is also certainly orderly when considering that the time allotted for meeting has gone from being utilized for preaching, to being utilized for worshipping. There is never anything unholy in glorifying the Lord. There is a great chance as well that many will receive the Holy Ghost in these conditions, albeit with no coercion from other saints of God. In an atmosphere like that, everyone is in communion with God and only aware of their own person.

Now I say all that to clarify with this.

A prayer closet is intended for private or group prayer outside of a worship service.
It is absolutely expected that when Christians meet to worship, that they will pray together and out loud. The Lord gave what is known as The Lord's Prayer, with the expectation that the saints would pray this prayer together, both men and women in unison.

Prayer closets are intended for intimate moments with God, those moments should not be had in an environment that can make a person seem ostentatious or distracting to other saints, or at worst bewilders first time visitors.

The word of God encourages us to be civil and orderly in times of worship. Lets honor this.

1st Corinthians 14:39-40

Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
Let all things be done decently and in order.

I personally encourage you to read all of chapter 14. I don't feel that I am out of place.

Prayer Closet Importance

Matthew 6:5-6

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

⁶ But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.



When I quote this scripture, I take it seriously. I do not judge anyone for worshiping, praying, or practicing different traditions than my own.  As Christians, everyone of us follows the Lord in the way in which we feel convicted to do so. I will be honest though and say that this is a topic that we disagree upon with the UPCI. We aren't contentious about it. We just feel differently about it. As plain Chriatians we try not to be ostentatious. When we are at a worship meeting we seek to have a personal communion with God. We personally feel the best way to go about achieving this is to pray in private in a prayer closet.

You may be wondering what a prayer closet is. For us, it is simply a room with no windows that is dedicated to praying. A room with no distractions.

We are pentecostals, we feel that the best way to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost is by individual prayer. We are not apposed to two or more people praying together, there is scriptural justification for it's relevance. However we do feel that it is up to the said individual to decide if that is what they want. It is up to them to ask, we will not press ourselves on an individual that is seeking that blessing.

This is a topic that we feel strongly about. Inside of this topic we also feel that women are to pray with women, and men are to pray with men where group prayer is concerned.

The furnishings of the room are irrelevant as they are not strictly specified in the word of God.
It is appropriate to expect young girls that intend to use a prayer closet to be wearing a prayer covering. Likewise with boys, it is expected that their hair is short in accordance with 1st Corinthians 11. Even in ones home, modesty would be expected in a prayer closet, it is what is righteous.

There is no abuse in using the room to study the Bible or to sing unto the Lord or to worship him in other ways, including dancing. The room is intended to be dedicated as a sanctuary in the house. There is freedom in the Lord and this room is intended to remind the said saints of that.

This room can be any size, whether it be repurposed from a room used for clothing, storage, or even a garage. The intention is what matters. A garage, though seeming crude, would offer plenty of room for a piano and dancing. It would be glory to the Lord.

To truly feel liberated in prayer with the Lord, I would suggest not keeping a clock or watch in the room. Even five minutes of prayer can seem like three hours, and sometimes three hours feels like five minutes. This is a blessing from the Lord.

The current generation of Christians has it as it's responsibility to pray for today's lost generation of unbelievers. We must disassociate with routines and a lukewarm relationship with God. We are called to be the light and the salt of the earth. In order for that to take place we must be proactive as Christians, as the saints of God that we proclaim we are. Let us not falsely claim a name on the coat tails of our forefathers. We are the saints of today, and as saints At All, it is our responsibility to liv and act as such, even if the actions are a private communion with God that only we personally will know about.

To God be the Glory, I pray he blesses you abundantly.

In the name of Yeshua, Amen