Hey everybody! It has been WAY too long since we have given an update on the Moses’! The responsibilities here are hefty but good, and things are about to get kicked up a notch still. Plenty has been happening, but for now I’ll focus more on the music end and insert other tidbits of all God is doing in more blogs to come.

Throughout the past year, we’ve been writing more songs and introducing them into our worship times at El Shaddai but now we are pulling them all together and nearly ready to put them up on the website here. Once up, you’ll be able to purchase songs individually or just log in to listen whenever you’d like. (Plug here- reminder that you can watch/listen via livestream or even in the archives to worship services at www.elshaddaiministries.us on Saturdays at 10 A.M. pacific time. Watch Mark’s teaching from February 20th in archives!) Last Shabbat, March 12th, we introduced a new song called The Door. We are working on having it up here on the site by the end of this week. So let me tell you a little bit about it…

The Door~  Sukkot 2015 I was in Jerusalem (woohoo!) and more specifically at “the wall” for prayer and the singing of the priestly blessing. I’ve been there quite a few times before.  But this time there were so many people (an ingathering from all over the world for the feast days) and on the women’s side, where I was of course, pushing your way through the crowd is the norm! I realized this could have been very similar of a setting for the woman with the issue of blood-a tight crowd much like this. I felt the Lord speak to me, “Press in, Bridget. You can stand back and watch others draw near or do it yourself.” For those of you who know me well as a worshipper, I’m not exactly a stand-back-and-watch kind of girl! But I was completely unaware God was setting the stage to deal with my own issue.

As soon as I felt this invitation it seemed as if the crowd became tighter and the struggle to move became more difficult. Now I had a bigger problem – I had an invitation from Jesus but “these Jews” weren’t letting me get there! I quickly became extremely offended at them all! I have never taken on this offense! It was frustrating. I felt rejected and not acceptable because I didn’t have a prayer book, speak Hebrew and I certainly wasn’t Jewish. It’s important I insert here that these women were not acting any different than usual; they weren’t scouring at me or showing any disdain but I believed they were in that moment.  I began crying and my mind began racing, “Lord, what do I do now? The very people I came to connect with don’t want me! You have to help me not feel this way!” Amazing how our minds can cause us to project things onto other people and to accuse them of things they’re not even doing. But God was about to brand something on my heart that I pray I never forget!

The Lord spoke again, “These things (a prayer book, being dressed a certain way, speaking Hebrew, or being Jewish) don’t make you acceptable, Bridget. I invited you and I accept you. And only because I already accept you, any of these ‘things’ you choose to do are acceptable in my sight.” Whew! Immediately the offense was gone and love rushed in and flooded my whole being! Of course, it was love for Jesus, but equally it was a genuine love for the people. I was so glad this was the new posture of my heart as I would then begin making my way closer to the wall. Amazingly, I didn’t feel the need to push through anything anymore. Space would just open up in front of me and I would get closer and closer to my destination.

I stood 5 feet away from it for a very long time. Ha! I knew I was about to be awed by God. I came to the wall and drew my hand up but stopped and didn’t touch it. It was a very cool C.S. Lewis/Narnia moment. Under my breath I muttered, “Lord how I wish this was a door and not a wall.” Reaching my hand out and touching the wall I heard, ” I’m not a wall, Bridget. I AM the Door!” – and a song was birthed in my heart.

I looked all around me, certain that everyone just heard what I heard!!  I was so ready to see Him…all of us to see Him, together. There is NO END to Him and something new is certainly on the horizon! For now, we see in Spirit. But then, we will see face to face. He is the Door to heaven and all that it is.  And yet at the same time He is the door to our own heart and all that it holds and can potentially be if we are willing to open it and let Him wash it.

(Photo: My awesome view as I looked up from a cave in Israel we were standing in listening to Mark Biltz teach.)

God, in this hour of Your perfect timing, don’t let my heart be offended. I offer what I have, my voice, for You to use to make us (Jew and Gentile) ONE (echod) and to glorify You now, at Your return and forever! Heal us and we will be healed…save us and we will be saved!

Two days later I sat on a plane headed home and penned the lyrics and melody to The Door. Check back soon to listen!

**About the Jewish women surrounding me at the wall…now when I look back and remember the experience I remember it completely different – women trying to help me, offering me prayer books, smiling at me happy I was there praying with them, offering me their seats, seeing tears in my eyes and crying with me sharing the moment with no words,  younger girls preferring me as their elder and letting me in, etc… Because this is who they truly are – Beautiful women inside and out. And I can hardly wait until I get to be with them again!

I peeked over the wall to the men’s side:)                                On Daddy’s shoulders for prayer.

Listen to The Door