Love & Lawlessness

In the last few days we have seen news of anarchists and lawless people burning businesses, homes, and causing deadly confrontations. One pastor has said that there was a need for “the moral law” to be taught again. We, as many others for years have said, that there was a need for the Torah to be taught as discipleship instructions for all believers. We believe that Messiah not only spoke prophetic words, but He also gave us a warning.

Matthew 24:12
And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

We have seen how they beat the elderly and call for the murder of other races and people who work in law and order. They ask for people’s properties as retribution. Some are invoking the social justice that the Che Guevara offered to motivate people to loot and steal in Latin America. These countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba were moved to lawlessness through coveting the neighbor’s possessions. The leftist groups in these countries would arrest people and take their homes, eat their animals. and even murder those who did not surrender. The warning of lawlessness is for today. What can we do? We must preach freedom from lawlessness. We must rebuke lawlessness.

Exodus 20:13,15,17
“You do not murder.

15 “You do not steal.
17 “You do not covet your neighbors house, you do not covet your neighbors wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, or whatever belongs to your neighbor.”

Leviticus 19:18
‘Do not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people.
And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

We are seeing lawlessness by an awakening of a spirit of vengeance from things that were done before we were born. Through this emotional spirit of vengeance they can kill and destroy with no fear or remorse. Lawlessness is against love. The product of lawlessness is coldness of love. Lawlessness is Torahlessness.

Did you think that taking the commandments out of public places was something symbolic?

Romans 6:19
I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

The Word teaches us that we have a choice. The choice is either impurity or righteousness. L’Chaim Pura Vida is about that purity of life. How can we teach righteousness that leads to sanctification?

John 17:17
Sanctify them in the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

It is through the Torah and Messiah's role as the Lamb of Elohim that we are sanctified. Seeking righteousness through the Word to be pure, to cleanse ourselves and the assembly. The time to be seeking for the latest book or teaching resource is ending. Following the example of Messiah.

Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, as Messiah also did love the assembly and gave Himself for it, in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, in order to present it to Himself a splendid assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or any of this sort, but that it might be set-apart and blameless.

Most of these living lawless lives calling to abolish laws or those who enforce laws are gathered in liberal colleges all over the world. Now fueled by financial support and even the lack of enforcing these laws are making the perfect combustion of things that lead to lawlessness. There is no freedom of thought and much less speech around many. Yet it seems like even pastors and elected officials are joining the lawless groups. History shows that many would help the regimes who murdered millions. Why? Because of lawlessness their love for their neighbor grew cold.

Again the Warning by Messiah!

2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

We should take a stand first to preach what can sanctify and purify us, THE WORD with which has the foundation in the Torah.

Leviticus 18:21-22
‘And do not give any of your offspring to pass through to Moleḵ. And do not profane the Name of your Elohim. I am YHWH. ‘And do not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination.

How can we bring them back? How can these young people turn back?… 

Proverbs 4:2-4
For I gave you good instruction: Do not forsake my Torah. For I was my father’s son, tender and the only one in the eyes of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; guard my commands, and live. “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, and do not turn away From the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 13:13
Whoever despises the Word brings destruction on himself,
but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.

Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.

Psalms 119:9
How would a young man cleanse his path? To guard it according to Your Word.

We believe that true discipleship comes through the learning of the Torah and the Testimony of Yahshua/Yeshua. The Fear of YHWH Elohim is learned through Torah. Righteousness is learned through the Torah, which means instructions for living. On both sides while pointing a finger, a gun, or a knife, it is through the example of Messiah and the Torah that we find mercy and that lever of compassion that can bring someone back from lawlessness instead of death.

In the midst of such lawlessness prayer and fasting must be part of the spiritual preparation for the real battle for the souls of the young people that have been deceived believing that lawlessness can help them obtain something that would last.

Titus 2:11-14
For the saving Gift of Elohim has appeared to all men, instructing us to renounce wickedness and worldly lusts, and to live sensibly, righteously, and reverently in the present age, looking for the blessed expectation and esteemed appearance of the great Elohim and our Saviour Yahshua Messiah, who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people, His own possession, ardent for good works.

Shalom! Our brother and sister posted a video that we wanted to share that speaks from their perspective and experiences that we think will be a blessing and expounds on what we wrote here. Please watch and send them a comment. Chag Sameach Teruah! Our Bridegroom is coming!
The Montańez Family
L'Chaim Pura Vida

 

A Covid Blessing in Disguise

Covid has been good to Tia Carmen. 

It’s a strange statement in these times we are living in, but it's a true one. 
For those who don’t know our beloved Tia she is a true widow from Nicaragua, 
with no children and her husband who passed away many years ago. About 8 or 9 years ago 
we adopted her into our family. Every year she comes and stays with us, and when the 
country of Nicaragua was calmer, we were even blessed to visit her in her home.

Last year we almost lost our beloved Tia.  Living alone in Nicaragua and being 
terribly sick with no one to care for her really depleted her health. In February, she was finally 
able to physically, but with a lot of help, get on a bus, and come to Costa Rica this year 
before the Covid outbreak and the traveling restrictions began. When she arrived at our home, 
we were heartbroken. We had never seen her so thin and frail. 

She could barely walk on her own. Mind you, this soon to be 82-year-old woman is a fighter, 
a strong woman for YHWH. A prayer warrior, never afraid to speak the truth about the Word. 
Our boys were informed to love on her as much as possible. If she didn’t look well at that time, 
we couldn’t imagine how bad it was when she was sick. We prayed with her as many of you 
prayed with us, begged YHWH to restore her health, fed her healthy foods from the farm, 
made sure she got sun and exercise, and constantly loved on her. 

She told us that she had a dream while she was still sick, even before coming to Costa Rica 
this year, that she had come back to Nicaragua praising ABBA with arms stretched high 
over her head. At the time she told us this, she really couldn’t even stand up for that long 
or even lift her arms up. She prays everyday for Yah to renew her strength, not for her sake 
but so that she may lift her arms high above her head in adoration and glory to our King. 

Costa Rica started closing their borders, restrictions and more restrictions. 
No one in or out. Nicaragua’s borders closed. The Covid virus has taken many lives in 
different ways but to our Tia it has renewed her, and given her back her strength. 
The time YHWH has allowed her to be with us has been a treasure. Tia Carmen was supposed 
to go home in April, but as of today, the borders are still closed until November 
and by then she’ll probably be running between the farms!

May YHWH continue to strengthen her with her time remaining here 
to be able to go home to Nicaragua and have her dream fulfilled...
Praising and Glorifying YHWH!

Shalom!

Tammy Montanez

L'chaim Pura Vida! 

(If you feel led to bless Tia Carmen with a gift, please click the Button Below. 
May YHWH Bless Your Gift!)

James 1:27
  Clean and undefiled religion before the Elohim and Father is this:
 to visit orphans and widows in their affliction,
and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

LchaimPuraVida: Going Back to Blogspot

Shalom to all! We have decided to go back to using our old Blogspot page...
Unfortunately, we did not use the website the way we needed to,
combined with a rash of popups and ads that we tried to get cleaned but unfortunately
couldn't get figured out, and over time it became pretty much unused.
Being no longer worth the cost of upkeep, we are coming back to Blogspot,
and are planning on getting back into writing, taking plenty of pictures,
and sharing about the path that YHWH has put us on.

There are a lot of things that are needing to be updated and changed
on this Blogspot website, seeing as it hasn't been used in a while,
so please bear with us as we make those changes. If there are any suggestions you have or posts you would like to see, please do so, really any ideas you have would be welcome :).

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James 1:27
Clean and undefiled religion before the Elohim and Father is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their affliction,
and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

While we are making these needed changes, the mission to help the Poor, Widows, and Orphans continues on. We currently have Tia Carmen, a widow from Nicaragua who has stayed
with us in the past, with us here on the mountain, which has been a tremendous blessing
for both her and us during these difficult and scary times. We are also continuing to help
with the families and the congregation in Bataan, particularly in this time when it is
much more difficult to find work and/or look for ways to be able to support their families financially.
Remember them and us in your prayers.

If you desire to bless others as YHWH is using us, please consider our ministry
 in your prayers and offerings by clicking on the donation button below.
May YHWH Bless you for your gift!

 http://lchaimpuravida.blogspot.com/p/donation-for-giving-to-poor-widows-and.html

Philippians 4:17
Not that I seek the gift, but I seek

the fruit that is multiplying to your account.

Shalom!
The Montañez Family
L’Chaim Pura Vida!

Wild Foods! – Banana Flowers

(This is an old post from our current website lchaimpuravida.com/, we are placing it here as a backup just in case anything goes wrong with the site in the future. But if you seeing this for the first time here on this blogspot, read it as if it was written just a short time ago :)

Written July 4th, 2016

Living here in Costa Rica, we have seen, experienced, and learned a lot of things
that never would have happened elsewhere. Not only that, but the amazing blessing
it has been to be around all the sights, sounds, and the beautiful colors of His Creation,
everything so amazing just as YHWH made it.

But while living on the mountains of Costa Rica has been an amazing blessing,
it also presents some challenges. Whether it is the many problems with the road,
the car breaking down, or when it rains for days on end, there are times when it
has been difficult if not impossible to go down to the closest store over an hour away.
There have been times where we have not been able to go out for weeks, and while
the staple foods like rice, beans, eggs, milk, and bananas almost never run out,
there are times when anything else becomes scarce.

But during our years here, we have learned that there are things around the farm
that we never considered that could actually be used to eat! From sweet potato and
yuca leaves, to hibiscus flowers, and now the newest item on our plates, Banana Flowers!

“Common in South-East Asian cuisine, banana blossoms (aka banana flower or banana heart) are tear-shaped maroon or purplish flowers hanging at the end of banana clusters.
They can be eaten raw or cooked and are used primarily in salads, curries or soups…
Banana flowers are commonly used as vegetables for cooking in countries such as
Laos, India, Thailand, China, Burma, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam… Eaten straight
off the cutting board, they are starchy and bitter. But once soaked in a lemon juice/water
mixture for half hour then rinsed, they are leek-like, both in substance (thin with a
slight crunch) and taste (delicate).”

And as with most of these new items on our menu, there are some great health benefits
that we didn’t know about! Banana flowers are high in vitamins A and C and have
modest amounts of calcium and iron, and are also used in parts of Asia as a
remedy to alleviate the pain from menstrual cramps.

The tough reddish leaves on the exterior are known as bracts. They are normally
thrown out, but there are places where people use them as serving plates.
Beneath these ‘bracts’ leaves a row of delicate yellow-tipped florets that can be removed
and immediately soaked in acidic water to avoid discoloration and bitterness.
The intermediary leaves, that will be pale pinkish in color, are edible and tender.
While we did not use them in what we made, they can be eaten as well.

The colorful florets are eventually ‘soon to be bananas’ and are part of a tedious
cleaning process: pluck the matchstick-shaped pistil (tough and not pleasant to consume)
and the scale-like outermost petal (aka calyx). You have to do this for every floret.
The cleaned florets need to be put in acidic water immediately for several hours
or overnight to prevent browning to remove the bitterness.

It is best to put some cooking oil on your hands when cleaning them, that way the
sticky black sap from the flower and the florets does not get overly stuck on
your hands, as it shows in Tammy’s fingernails.

Regarding the taste, these florets (if not soaked in acidic or salted water) will leave a bitterness on your tongue if eaten raw (or if you are just curious). Once they are soaked & rinsed
for awhile and cooked, they won’t be as quite bitter, yet tender. They are commonly used in Southern Indian cuisine such as fritters, stir-fries, or fried dishes.

As you peel away the dark bracts you will reach a white or pale-colored heart
once the leaves become too small to peel. Once that is reached, you cut the end off.

Now, there are several ways to use Banana Flowers, but the main way is by stir-frying
it with other vegetables. So to use the flower for the stir-fry, it needs to be thinly sliced,
and then immediately immersed in acidic water(we used lemon and water). We then
let it set for about half an hour to get rid of most of the sap and bitterness, as well
as to prevent it from turning brown quite as quickly, although it can be set for
anywhere from 2 hours to overnight.

For our stir-fry we added onions, garlic, sweet peppers and green beans with the
sliced banana flowers, added soy sauce, salt, and seasonings, and cooked it until it was soft. Then we served it with Plantain Fries and fried eggs, and “voila”, a very yummy meal!

To read more about the surprising health benefits that
Banana Flowers have, please go to these links below:
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-health-benefits-of-banana-flowers
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/health-benefits-of-banana-flower/

Here is the video that we learned from that shows how to cut and clean the Banana Flower:

 

To read more about cooking with this very interesting exotic food, go to these links below:
http://heavytable.com/cooking-with-banana-flower/
http://veganmiam.com/how-to/how-to-prepare-banana-blossom

Shalom!
The Montañez Family
L’Chaim Pura Vida!