in love for my brothers and sisters as I share what I know to be on His heart. And finally, I write this in obedience to Him, to respond to the prompting of His Spirit, as well as utilize the gift He has given me. Please be willing to give this post some time, reading all the way to the end. What I am sharing is something very out of line in these last days, something that needs immediate repair. It also includes a word from the Father to another sister that was divinely timed and will speak greatly to your heart and confirm all I am attempting to share. To keep this from being too long, I initially didn't want to type out this entire scripture below, but it is certainly worthy for this post, so I must start here. As you read the verses below, read them slowly and let each word sink in. I have put extra spaces in on purpose, just so each verse can be easily read and absorbed. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good. 4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For we know in part and prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Most of us can say we know this scripture well – we know it intellectually and spiritually. But the question I have been asking myself, obviously through the guidance of the Spirit, is, “Do I really know this love intimately… to the point that I consistently live it, where it comes out of me in word and deed regardless of the situation, person, circumstances, or emotions involved? Is this something I seek to have Him perfect in me on an ongoing basis? Am I rooted and grounded in love, comprehending (receiving) the breadth, length, depth, and height of the love of Christ that I am now filed with the fullness of the Father? Do I live this out consistently in purpose and authenticity – truly loving Him and my brethren, abiding in His love, fulfilling the whole of the law, understanding that only this love is the kind that will enable a person to lay down his/her life for another?” I personally am not there, but I hunger and thirst to get there; it is much of what I think about anymore. I know I can’t be the only one, and obviously, nor should I be. There is no argument that most of us want only truth, and in our love for our Savior and God, we seek it with all that is in us. And through that seeking, we find ourselves wading through the lies and half-truths that have been planted amongst the pure truth. But it is in this quest for truth where many have gotten off track and distracted, even going so far as to diminish the simplicity of love and grace (2 Cor 11:3). I’ve heard some say that the “love gospel” is inflated and even not applicable to all people, thus over-spoken and over-applied. I’ve heard grace spoken of as “greasy” – in other words, over-applied and yes, certainly slippery when mis-applied. Even though these two words can be abused in a deceptive way in the mainstream, I’ve also heard these precious words sorely minimized by some believers’ misguided interpretations and perceptions, although these are foundational to our own salvation and eternal life. I’ve even seen it go so far that the mention of the words “love” or “grace” actually makes people uncomfortable. It seems we’ve forgotten the magnitude and depth of these incredible gifts that have been given to us! It’s very sad that some have come to this place, but we can’t imagine the sadness of the One who offers these things to us, unconditionally. Our misalignment with truth in the areas of love and grace is showing itself clearly in both the very evident lack of love (true agape, Godly love) and unity (as one body under the Headship of Christ) that we see amongst believers who say they love and serve the same God. Generally, the “church” is out of the plumbline of the God of love, and this should not be. We are way off… and in some cases, we can become worse than an unbeliever. Let me add this important disclaimer… As I share this post, I am talking to myself as well as sharing with you all. This is a general issue within the Body of Christ, and only you know if anything in this post applies to you, just as I know what applies to me. This really is a serious issue; there are times I can feel the sadness in His heart over it, as well as in my own. The Father has been teaching me about this for years now, and while I know it and get it, to fully walk it out is another story. He is teaching me how to do this THROUGH HIM… with His love in me. He is showing me that ultimately the call is to love to the point that you would literally die to save another… and this “another” may very well be your worst enemy. This is the epitome of what He did as He laid down His life for His enemies – us! This is the fullness of the love we are expected to walk in – and it is clearly outlined in the commandments of Christ that He shared with us while alive on the earth. But... have we turned our focus away from His words? Some of us can see from our own experiences, things we read, videos we watch, and even in our own assemblies and fellowships, that this “true love” does not seem to be the topic of focus that it should be. It’s as if it has been discounted, even to the point that we have allowed cognitive dissonance to wipe it from the forefront of our minds. Whether we realize it or not, we choose this “discounting”, and that is really not a choice afforded to us. Have we become such a law unto ourselves that we have forgotten the commandments of Yahusha (Jesus) Himself… the red letters?! Are our eyes somewhere else, and therefore, so are our hearts? Have we turned from our First Love and HIS words to go back to our own interpretations and doctrines, the letter of the Mosaic law that kills, and even shying away from grace and love for the sake of our fear of being deceived by it? It seems that by the division, disunity, condemnation, unforgiveness, and pure lack of love that exists amongst some believers that we have! This we have to change… and we have to change it now. Our lack of love will not only hold us back from everything holy and everything heavenly, it will keep us out of the presence of God! The main inspiration for this post comes from what I myself am regularly witnessing within the Body of Christ in my view… these are things we should not be seeing in a true assembly of Christ. I see these things quite frequently and have been for several years. I myself was a direct victim of the condemnation and division that comes from the wrong focus. And I can tell you that once you are exposed, you can start to become the same way. I thank the Heavenly Father that He quickened me and pulled me out before it got too far. However, the damage that was done to me from the infliction of this “lack of love” has taken years to overcome.. This is a very real issue to me as I lived it and learned from it, so it puts me in a good position to speak about it. Before I move on, I do want to say that with this personal situation I just shared, separation was absolutely necessary. A very destructive false doctrine was involved, requiring my rejection of it and separation from those walking it out. It was “another gospel” that Paul spoke of which warranted not only separation but a curse (Gal 1:9). But the person who was inflicting this false doctrine is someone I loved and still love. This person is His child (I know this, because I’ve now known her for over 25 years). This person is in need of forgiveness, deliverance, and repentance. Even though I was a victim, I had my part in it too; I learned many things! I am expected to LOVE this person, even now, in the fullness of what Christ has shown us… as HE loves her! I am to be as Stephen as he was being stoned to death, saying, “Father, please don’t hold this to her charge. Father, please look upon this offense as if it didn’t happen. Don’t give her what she deserves in this case, but instead, lead her into all truth – that truth that will set her free! And if it be your will, bring her back to me in full love and unity!” By His grace, and yes, time, I have been able to reach this place. And wouldn’t that be a glorious day if He did bring her back??! But, what if not? His will be done. And with that… I would like to share the meat of this post that I believe to be the very truth the Father is repeatedly trying to impart and instill into His people in this hour… His disciples, His “set-apart ones”… His priests; not just His children… but His sons and daughters. His message to us is so clear in His Word, but somehow, we have veered off and are facing a very concerning dismantling… and all right at the very end of time when our King is at the door to retrieve His Body/Bride! And from what I have witnessed and experienced myself, I can say with all conviction that this division and dismantling are very much a result of disagreements over the not-so-weighty matters. We have taken our eyes off the weightier matter – LOVE – as well as the One who is the weightiest of all, and we’ve placed it somewhere else… primarily on self, as this typically encompasses all distractions, even the seemingly “righteous” ones. So, because God is love, and our Savior Yahusha (Jesus) is the express image of that love, then how is it that we find it okay to operate outside of His love but yet still say we are in Him? We do… and we do it regularly, and we do it even to our brothers and sisters in Christ – the ones who we know make up the same Body with Christ as our Head. In some cases, we hold offences against them, we talk about them, we feel “ick” when we think of them, we stay angry and bitter towards them, we condemn them because their walk is different from ours, and we are in disunity with them over ancillary matters. What in the world would we do if our Savior operated in this manner towards us… while we were yet sinners against Him? Obviously, we would be dead. I am not saying this is easy, and I am not saying it’s not a process to overcome these things. But… is it possible that we have gotten too complacent and “justified” in this manner of living that it no longer convicts us, and therefore, the “process” lingers and lingers and lingers and our hearts grow harder and harder? Through many trials and tests and failures, Paul and Peter learned this love and then explained it to us very precisely… 4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it [b]keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 8 And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, we are to not seek our own, not keep an account of wrong suffered, and not be provoked… just to mention a few. Yahusha even said that it is easy to love those who love us and treat us right – the heathen can do this too. But it is precious in the sight of the Father when we still love and even serve the one who has treated us wrongly, falsely accused us, and ultimately betrayed us. There is a cost with this, and that cost is what makes it true love. Love means we hold nothing against them, just as nothing was held against us! How is it that Stephen was able to forgive those wicked Pharisees who were stoning him to death only for preaching the One who saved him, but yet he pleaded with the Father in His dying moments to not hold the offence against them?? This is the very act of love and forgiveness that set Paul free to be converted shortly after. Stephen’s love, through Christ’s love in him, covered a multitude of sins and released Paul! That love endured all and conquered all! In this love, Stephen released the very one who stood by to “supervise” and approve of his murder; and these murderers hated Christ. Could we do this?? It is impossible without the fullness of the love of the Father in us, and we receive this when we know the love of Christ. It is only in Christ and is not found anywhere else. Something to think about that my mentor said the other day… Many of us have discussed this and know that it is literally impossible to follow all 613 of the Mosaic law commandments – and yet there are still some who put much of their effort and heart into doing so. Aside from that, the point is that while we think that is impossible, have we ever considered the impossibility of following the two commandments that Yahusha said made up the whole of the law – to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself? It is impossible for man to follow these two commandments without the Spirit of the Living God in us – impossible! This is what He is after with us… LOVE! The letter is not our goal, nor our source. Our goal is Yahusha and being filled with His Holy Spirit, obeying the Holy Spirit, and allowing our flesh to die enough so He can love through us… first loving the Father and then loving our neighbor. The law alone cannot do this in us – only the Spirit can conform us into the image of the Son that we may love as purely and completely as He does. This is why we are told that the letter kills and the Spirit gives life… life is Yahusha, and Yahusha is love! Only He fulfilled the law – in love, bringing its absolute fullness (the fullness of the Father), which is written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It is written in us, we receive it and obey it, and He then works it out in us that we can love the Father as He did, as well as love our brethren as He did – sacrificially! The law is good, but Yahusha is GREAT; He is better! I am very often asking, and I have heard others express this as well… “Why are love and Christ not the sole focus of the whole Body anymore? Have we lost our first love? Have we chosen to put our time and energy and focus into the not-so-weighty matters; hence, causing us to drift away from the love of Christ, which in turn makes us unable to fully love our brethren? Have we lost our dove’s eyes (our single eyes) for Him and become divided in our sight?” In my mind, these are rhetorical questions, because I know the answer. I’ve lived this and seen it played out before me, and this is exactly what is happening in many cases. And this is the very reason that our ability to forgive and love in haste (like Stephen) is waning; it seems to be fading away. We have become numb and almost delusional in some cases… completely lacking the reverent fear of Almighty God in following the weightier commandments that His sacrificial Son left heaven to come to earth and show us and sow into us… in person… in His life and in His death. What did Yahusha say – what were His commandments… He being the express image of the Father living out love in His flesh? He is the only One worthy to tell us, and that He did! But it seems we are not consistently living His words today. I can tell you that the minute I took my eyes off Him and began to seek how to do my own works, HE DIMINISHED! At that point, it was me increasing and Him decreasing, as opposed to what John the Baptist said… He must increase, and I must decrease. My eyes had drifted off Him, and boy could I tell! He did it all – slain before the foundation of the world and slain on earth, and only His finished work can make us righteous and loving – the way He requires. There is nothing we can do but submit and obey the Spirit that He sent to teach us, lead us, and ultimately be our “seal” and guarantee of salvation! Our eyes and minds must stay on Him! Yahusha pointed out one specific thing that would show the world that we belonged to Him, and that is our love for one another (John 13:35). In all of His teachings, He said nothing about us focusing on church denominations, Torah observance, calendars, or anything else – not one direct word; and neither did any of His disciples or apostles. They all continuously preached love, faith, and obedience to the Father through the Spirit – remembering that you cannot have faith or obedience without love! We can’t even have hope without love! This is what they wanted us to understand, and this is what they drove home to us, because this is where they wanted our focus. Yahusha preached love, because in and by His love, He fulfilled all the Father’s requirements for us, making us righteous by His righteousness alone. The love in Him, which was the Father’s love, caused Him to set His face like a flint, for the joy set before Him, and endure the cross and hell for our sake. And He knew that it would only be through His love in us that would enable us to love the Father and our brethren, with the kind of love that would enable us to lay our lives down and endure till the end. Love endures all things! There is, nor ever will be, anything else we can do to accomplish this in ourselves. Here’s what the Word says about this... Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:!0 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 Just as mentioned before, our love for one another is the sign to the world that we belong to Him. Our love is a light that leads to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Furthermore, we are to be made perfect in unity – in one – in love. These words were included in Yahusha's high priestly prayer to the Father about us. He even went further to say that this is how the world would know the Father’s love. 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17:23 So, we must ask ourselves, what is the world hearing and seeing by our love? Are they seeing a love that is conditional, unforgiving, and condemning, or are they seeing the love that will sacrifice to another under any circumstance, bearing the true fruit of the Spirit? Are they seeing brothers and sisters falling in and out of various doctrines, unstable and unwavering in love and forgiveness, or are they seeing the Body stable, solid in the Word of truth and living with each other in the unity of the bond of peace? Are they seeing divisions and backbiting over ancillary, non-salvational issues, or are they seeing the harmony of a Body focused on the gospel and sharing the love of Christ with a lost world? Are they hearing the good news of the salvation by Yahusha ha Mashiach, Jesus Christ, the best news in all the world, or are they hearing proud, provocative messages that only diminish their child-like faith (which I would be remiss in not mentioning the seriousness of this as Yahusha spoke about in Matthew 18:6). As we ponder answering these questions, I would like to end this post with some of Yahusha’s direct commandments where He told us exactly what to do. These are His commandments, those which encompass the whole of the law, those which He told us would prove our love for Him as we obeyed them. These are the ones to which we must take heed and stay focused upon first and foremost... those commandments which He said are greater than all. 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:29-31 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. John 15:9-17 Yahusha also shared many parables about this love, and these need our focus as well (Luke 10:25-37, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 15:1-7, Matthew 18:21-35, Luke 14:15-24, just to share a few). There are so many more confirmations of this spoken by His disciples that solidify His commandments to us for this time! We cannot forsake His commandments of LOVE – these are the things He lived out in His life and death on earth, and these must be our priority. And again, we cannot fulfill these unless the Spirit of Love is in us and is allowed to do it through us. It is our following and obedience to the Spirit that will lead us into all life and love and liberty! And it is love and love alone that first must be fully received by us, abiding in us, and operating through and out of us (like rivers of living water!). This will please the Father and show the world the Light of the world that can save them! We are ambassadors of His love, and for this we will give an account. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 And there is one final thing that I must add – something quite profound. Shortly after I finished this post, I listened to a message from my mentor that she had just left for a group of ladies (myself included) who are in intercessory prayer training. She had received three dreams from the Father (one of her own and two others from other sisters) that confirmed His message to us in this hour, which in essence is somewhat of a warning. As she was sharing this with us, she also shared a specific related word that the Father gave her back in 2022. When I heard this word as she spoke it forth to us, I basically heard the main points of this post that I had just finished... repeated one by one. Of course, I immediately knew I needed to share this word with this post, because He wants His precious people to hear it! He wants us to take heed regarding this issue of love! This word says so beautifully and gracefully, just as He speaks, that message which I feebly attempted to convey in this post. Overall, this confirmed to me that I am hearing His message and that we are to speak this forth, so we can all search our hearts to see if residing there is any offensive way and then immediately take action, with His mercy and grace and strength, to repent and walk in obedience. So, in further glory and honor to Him and in love for my brothers and sisters, I share this word from our Father below (again, received by my mentor, Pietra de Bod, in October, 2022). LOVE ONE ANOTHER My children fight amongst each other as children in any household do. And just like earthly parents suffer the wounds of their children’s pain, so do I. For I love My children as I love My own body. Nobody who loves himself harms himself, but lays value on all his members. So there are many members in one body. There is only one body. Did you know that? And yet My children do not see that just as they are part of Me, they are part of Me and them. Did I not pray that they may be one as we are one? Is this not My earnest desire before My Father in a time of such great division? Yes, it is a time of great deception, and my children seek truth without love. Truth without love is as the letter without the Spirit. The truth will set free, but when truth is not spoken in love, it hurts the body. It hurts Me. The time you find yourself in is a time of removing the veil – the veil of deception. However, My children, do I not still seek the fruit of a peaceable spirit that sows in peace? Is this how the world will know you? By how well you can show them their error? What goal is there in knowing the truth, fighting for the truth, when your heart has grown cold? For everything there is a season and a time. Great wisdom is required for such a time as this of unveiling. Will you stand before Me naked? Will you stand before Me as the accuser, as you accuse the members of My body? Love covers a multitude of sin, and mercy triumphs over judgment. Therefore, bind mercy and truth, and walk in humility before Me, for I alone know all things and you only know in part. Come to Me first and learn of Me before you speak. I desire that all would come to the truth; not just the truth of the letter but the truth of My Spirit… of who I am. Are you covering your brothers and sisters in prayer, or do you find yourself uncovering them before Me? Will the world not then recognize you by the love you have for one another? Have you checked your fruit lately? I have. As the husbandman I come soon to seek fruit from My garden, My plantings. Therefore, search your hearts afresh whether you are walking in love as you desire to walk in truth. I have said that many hearts will grow cold and that there will be a famine in the land of the Word. You are the epistle they need. Search your hearts towards one another. Think not you can say you love Me whom you cannot see whilst hating your brother you can see. Lie not to yourself, but repent and seek that love My servant Paul spoke of above all things. Have mercy Heavenly Father, and give us the strength and mind and love of your Son to do that which you require of us --- and that is to LOVE at all cost, just as you did for us!
2 Comments
times grueling tribulation that comes through santification, we have not one single ounce of fear of Whom we belong to and where we are going. There is no fear in our salvation, our works, our rewards, or anything that may await us in heaven, and there is no fear of man and what he might do to us. We know there is nothing we can do to earn anything! We know He is the only one who can perfect us and prepare us, and we willingly LET HIM DO IT in great praise and thanksgiving through His Spirit. We are at total rest in His peace... that completeness and rest that produces a humble confidence (immovable assurance) that the Word speaks of... According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Ephesians 3:11-12 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness [confidence] in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17 Let us therefore come boldly [confidently] unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Do you ever ponder that "confidence" and what that really feels like -- to have a consistent, immovable assurance in His love for you that you can confidently approach Him and rest in Him, even when you have failed miserably or things are falling apart around you? I've begun to get a taste of it again, more consistently and assuredly. I am finding myself in His rest and peace more and more. And while I can write about what it's like to be perfected in His love, I can honestly say that I am still working towards this; there was much damage to overcome. Many of us do not realize the level of damage that results when false doctrine takes root. False doctrine can kill if it is not exposed, confessed, and uprooted. It is only by His grace that that's exactly what has happened with me! My storyAt this point, it is only His Spirit that can articulate this perfect love to me and begin to restore me. I am fully aware of what it looks like, and that all I have experienced in this regard is simply a means to an end. To think of where I was and where He has taken me now... I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude. Only I know how lost and dead I felt... unloved and set aside by the One I was so in love with because of what He did for me. It was horrible. But now... the night has passed and the Light has come! There is something I must share about this, and it will tie dircectly to what I share about Leah below. Only as I was speaking it to my dear friend this morning did I realize that my story was somewhat like Leah's. Obviously, it brought tears, awe, and much gratitude. I pray this blesses you! During the time that I experienced the perceived "rejection" of the Father and His Son, I was repeatedly reminded of things that were very condemning to my race of people, both by people I knew and things I would read. I was personally told that although I loved the Father, this did not mean He loved me, and that the nations were not His choice. I was told that the Bible was a Hebrew book -- by Hebrews, for Hebrews, and about Hebrews -- and no one else. I was told that we (the Gentiles, particularly white people) stole the book and applied it to ourselves and were living a lie. I was told that my salvation experience was a superficial "Christian" experience based on the "faulty love doctrine". I was basically told that salvation was for them and that what awaited me (and my people) was either hell or slavery, if we happened to make it to the kingdom. I did realize that much of what was being spoken to me was coming out of pain, but I also realized it was coming out of pride. Ultimately I knew it was all a lie -- but that was after the damage was done. I do not share this so you can feel sorry for me. I have responsiblity in this too; I received it... for a time. However, I was not so weak in my faith that I would believe just anything. My vulnerability came from what I had learned about the horrible racial division and abuse that had taken place in the past, and it had literally broken me. In addition to that, just prior to this I had suffered great tragedy in my family, and I was full of fear and grief and depression. As I mentioned in the post before, I was a sitting duck... the perfect target. This very extreme false doctrine, along with my fragile and broken state of mind at the time, devastated me... to the point that I had no idea why I was alive. How could I have been saved and transformed in such an amazing, supernatural way, just to have the Lord and God who did this miracle reject me? Was my purpose to suffer in this life knowing that He did not love me as a "punishment" for what "my people" had done to others? It was more than I could bear, and these things were continually spoken to me and over me -- and all by someone I dearly love and respected and trusted. I share all of this to say this one very important thing... Although I was extremely broken, very sad and depressed, greatly lacking faith in His love for me, and barely functioning... I NEVER turned from Him. I never stopped seeking Him, seeking holiness with all my heart, and I never stopped loving and obeying Him to the best of my ability. There was no way; I simply could not leave Him, even if He rejected me. I stayed the course, and I endured... by His grace and my true love for Him. I believe this was the sole reason that I overcame. I endured and overcame by LOVE! Through all of that, His steadfast, everlasting love was still IN ME, and therefore, I still loved Him -- even if He was to condemn me. His love brought life back to a very dead soul. I was dead, and I felt every ounce of it. But the story does not end there!! I claim now and forever with all confidence and thanksgiving... I AM ALIVE, I AM LOVED, AND I AM HIS! The "loved" brideOne day, I was pondering and writing how a bride feels when she is about to marry the love of her life... when all is pure and done right, and the two are coming together in total trust and submission to one another - with the Heavenly Father being the author and keeper of the union. I thought of her thoughts, ways, and attitudes towards her beloved soon-to-be husband. Then as I thought more about these, I asked myself if this is the way I feel now about my Beloved, soon-to-be Husband... Yahusha/Jesus. As you read these attributes of a bride, take it in and ask yourself also...
Philadelpha & LeahJust as the "unloved" bride could be somewhat connected with Ephesus and Leah, so too the "loved" bride can be connected with the church of Philadelphia and Leah (again). First, we all know that Philadelphia was one of the two churches for which Yahusha/Jesus had no correction, only praise. It is the church of Philadelpha, however, that is the one where love is a focus. As most know, the name "Philadelphia" means "brotherly love". Well, my thought is that we cannot have true brotherly love as our Savior explained to us (willing to lay our lives down for our brother) without His love fully received by us and operating in and through us. This church had it right and had her eyes directed in the right place. This church was a "loved" bride even by her own perception. She is so in His will and ready for Him that He says He is going to give her the name of His God, the name of the holy city of His God, and His own new name. As His bride, she will be taking His name! As I think of her, I think of all those things written in purple above about the bride who was resting in the love of her beloved and only focusing on him and making herself ready for him - she knew His love. In thinking of this Bride of Philadelphia and how He will give her His name, it reminds me of Psalm 45:10-11: Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. As His "loved" Bride, we are to "forget" in a sense our families and even our father's house, which represents our earthy identity, and we are to go through the open door to His tabernacle He has set before us, and we reside there with Him. We take His name, His identity, and His image. We are one with Him... we are a "loved" Bride through and through. And to Leah once again... In the first part of this post, she was the eptiome of the "unloved" bride. There is no doubt that Leah suffered and likely for a very long time. She loved Jacob with all of her heart, and I believe she wanted to be to him all that is written in purple above (and then some, as I can only express in part). But the fact remains that she was always the second choice. It certainly reminds me of the pain I went through in my time of rejection, so I can have some idea even spiritually. However, the story does not end here with Leah. As we know, Rachel passed away quite early in her life after giving birth to Benjamin. This left Leah as the only true bride amongst two handmaidens. The Word says that Leah was "tender-eyed", and this means that she was delicate, timid, and spoke words gently; she was a tender soul. Seveal years ago, I read something in the Book of Jubilees about Leah that blessed me so much. As I was pondering all of the parts of this post, I was reminded of what I read. This book shared some very beautiful things about Leah in the context of her death and how Jacob handled it. I would like to share it exactly as it is written in the book so that you can receive the full blessing. And Leah his wife died in the fourth year of the second week of the forth-fifth jubilee, and he buried her in the double cave near Rebecca his mother, to the left of the grave of Sarah, his father's mother. And all her sons and his sons came to mourn over Leah his wife with him, and to comfort him regarding her, for he was lamenting her. For he loved her exceedigly after Rachel her sister died; for she was perfect and upright in all her ways and honoured Jacob, and all the days that she lived with him he did not hear from her mouth a harsh word, for she was gentle and peaceable and upright and honourable. And he remmeberd all her deeds which she had done during her life, and he lamented her exceedingly; for he loved her with all his heart and with all his soul." Jubilees 36:21-24 Although Leah was initially "unloved", her unending love for Jacob caused her to overcome and endure all the suffering that came with feelings of rejection and being the lesser of Jacob's two wives. Leah obviously loved Jacob with the love of God that was in her. Leah was the epitome of a pure bride and virtous woman, and her ability to consistently and enduringly love in thought, deed, and words brought about an "exceeding love in both heart and soul" for her by Jacob whereby he would neve forget all her good deeds she had done in her life. She never turned from Jacob in the midst of rejection and pain; she continued to love and seek to be his perfect bride. She endured by and through love and became a "loved" bride! Before moving on from this section, I feel it necessary to share all of the favor that was poured out upon Leah in her life, clearly displaying the love of the Father for her and in her.
ConclusionIn His love, we are all called to endure till the end. Without fully receiving the love of our Heavenly Father, through His precious Son Yahusha/Jesus the Messiah, we cannot and will not operate in that love as we should. I believe that it is highly possible that in this state, we will remain an "unloved" bride, as this will be our perception -- our belief -- our reality. On the contrary, however, there is nothing more sure or more steadfast or more unchanging or more perfect than the love our King and Father has for us - NOTHING! It is now past time that we believe Him and live in the utter joy and peace and strength of this love. We simply will not survive what is coming without it. I end this with the words of Paul as he described the assurance of this love... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
that I have craved for so long. I know there are more out there like me, as I have met and talked with many of you. This post is dedicated to you! As always with these posts, I speak only from experience, the things the Father has shown me about them, and the things I seek to overcome or have overcome by the power of His love. As I just read on a sister's Facebook post about five minutes ago... "Your ministry is found where you've been broken, and your testimony is found where you've been restored." HalleluYah! IntroductionI would just like to start with a few pointed questions. Many of us are what we perceive to be "mature believers" with a fairly good understanding of the Word and solid faith, so it may be that we won't want to admit some of the issues that lurk deep within in our hearts. I pray that now in these last moments of time that we have reached a place of pure transparency where we are not the least bit afraid to admit our weaknesses, because it is in that type of humility that the strength of our Savior will break through and shine for all to see! With that...
If any of this is true for you, I get it! I think most believers experience this at some point in their walk and to varying degrees, but then there are others who seem to be plagued with it, as if it won't ever end. I can only ask these questions, because the answers have all been "yes" for me. If you answered the same, then I am prayerful that this sharing will be an edification to you... depositing a seed of testimony of His faithfulness and Word into your heart that will bring about an overcoming in this area of your walk. As Paul said, and I paraphrase... It is by the comfort and overcoming of our own trials that we offer the same comfort to others, that they may also overcome! We who struggle more deeply with these issues have a perception of ourselves as "step-children". We don't really know the full "why" that we struggle to believe the absolute wreckless, pure, and perfect love of God is not for us, but instead it is for the others. We don't want to feel this way and we know we shouldn't, but our actions and lack of faith in this area often scream that we do. The fact is that we don't fully believe His love for us... we don't believe it to the point that we can consistently rest in it as a rock and firm foundation. We focus on our unworthiness -- our own selves -- more than we focus on Him -- His pure nature, His purified words, and the holy sacrifical proof of His love. We trump His truth for our own, and many have found this so "comfortable" that we actually hold on to it. The bottom line is that we are an "unloved" bride... our spirits yearn for Him and our souls desperately love Him, but the unwavering oneness has not yet come... and this has nothing to do with Him and everything to do with us. My storyMy struggle with this was not in the beginning when I was first reborn and completely changed in a moment's time (back almost 30 years ago). At first, I was that child... beileving all, receiving all, and living it all! I had no reservations and no doubts. I was being held and cradled daily by my Heavenly Father, and I did not question His love for me at that time. That was a wreckless abandonment on my part, and I have desperately missed that childlike life walking with Him. Having said that, I also realize that although my faith was childlike, I was also seeing things as a child, immature in my walk. Growth, and especially into mature spiritual adulthood, is often painful... and sometimes extremely painful; and it is always necessary. So what happened to my childlike faith? Well... a whole lot. Some of what happened is because of my own actions, and some of what happened was the Father's purpose for me... to bring me full circle to where I am today with a testimony of His goodness. The story of what happened is actually very long, so I am not going to get into a lot of detail about that. I will say that not only did I get temporarily trapped in a works-based, condemning doctrine that left me in bondage for a while, but I also was a victim of a religious group that condemns others (and sometimes to hell) who do not have their same blood/skin color. And when I say I was a "victim", I only mean that I was their target. I was not a victim in the sense that I was totally innocent. I allowed someone I love and deeply trusted to influence me and feed me this doctrine, and because of my extreme vulnerability at that time (from both tragedy and dealing with other very emotional issues), I was a sitting duck so to speak. Having said that, I accept my full responsibility for what happened. It took me almost four years to overcome the damage that was done -- and part of that damage was a loss of my childlike faith in believing that I was chosen by the Heavenly Father and part of His precious family that He loves at all costs. I lost my First Love, because I simply could not believe that His love for me was the same as it was for others. I worked like the dickens to receive His love although never feeling that anything changed... except that I was slowly tiring out. It is a bondage of torment to desperately love a God whom you feel does not love you, but another instead, and I never want to experince that again. While I am on this topic, and now that I am fully free from all the bondage and false doctrine, I would like to take this opportunity to say something about this. This very thing that happneed to me is still happening to others right now. The Body of Christ is extremely divided with many who are way too quick and willing to condemn others over their interpretation of scripture, completely forgetting that we only see in part and that there is only One who can condemn another. This condemnation is NOT love, and that right there is a direct violation of the commandments of Yahusha/Jesus under the New Covenant. This is a major issue today, and it is one about which I will speak up, as well as actively work to help set others free who are trapped and knowing they need to get out. This is so serious that it can affect salvation either way. It simply should not be, as we are all a part of the same Body - HIS Body - and we don't have the right to cut anyone out, because they're not following our same doctrine. We judge by their fruit of the Spirit, as we are told in scripture. If the fruit is there and they are consistently surrendered and seeking the perfection of that fruit through the only One who can complete it, then we are commanded to love and accept them and let HIM, their Creator and Judge, deal with anything else that might be missing or that needs further development. He knows them as we do not! The foundation of perfect loveHereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:13-19 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:7-10 These scriptures are worth meditation that we might have the full understanding -- that understanding that washes us and exposes our weaknesses as it divides soul from spirit and the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Word is supernatural and will change us, if we soak it in and make the choice to believe it and speak it. Obviously, this takes faith and discipline. We were made in the image of the Father, because He wanted to share His essence with us, which is light, love, goodness, and glory. He first loved us. We have His breath in us -- His life and being. But what is His image? We know He is Spirit. But if His image is manifested, we see His Son first and foremost, the very image of the invisible God, which is the fullness of the diety of God... the face of the Heavenly Father. But then there's us... also made in His image and likeness, created to share in the amazing things of Him. Because we came from Him and we have been restored to Him through His Son by faith, then His essence of love is also manifested in us. It is the very love of Messiah Yahusha/Jesus Christ that gives us our being. This very fact shows an unsurpassable, unsearchable, immeasurable, and unquenchable love for us. And because we are His image through His Son, we cannot be separated from His love... unless we choose to be. Surely this is one of the reasons that Paul said he believed that NO THING anywere or ever can separate us from His love; it something so firm that it cannot ever be changed for any reason... but yet do we wholeheartedly believe this? No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44 God is love, and only His love has the power to initially draw us in, away from ourselves while we were yet sinners, to the point we broke under it. In this humble breaking, we believed and received the love of His Son, and we were changed because of it! Many of us were drastically changed in an instant -- a true rebirth experience we can still articulate to this day and will never forget. That is the absolute power His love has upon us... it belongs to us, and it belongs in us. We have been purchased -- bought and paid for -- by the life (blood) and love of Christ. We've heard these words before, but do we ponder the magnitude and glory of it?? Do we still bask in it and consistently operate in it? I remember how much I used to think of my day of salvation over and over... like a first kiss from the only one who ever really loved me. Oh to know wholeheartedly that because He saved me, He loves me now and forever! Again, what drew us to the Son in the first place was the Father's perfect love for us. It is the sole basis for our faith, for faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). The word in the KJV is "worketh", and it means "operative, be at work, put forth power", and it comes from a word that means "active". Faith cannot be active without love. The love drew us in... all the things that the Word says that love is... this drew us to the face of the Son, and it has the power to keep us -- HIM IN US, the hope of glory! So if love was the start of it all, and He called us and saved us in and through that love, why would we ever think or believe that this love is not still strong and active and sure within us now? His love is everlasting and unchanging... it cannot be influenced by anything, like ours can. Charity (Love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 The attack on love - fearSometimes it doesn't matter how many times we read the words of love within the Word of Love, some of us still cannot grasp it and therefore minimize it in our minds, influenced by the lies of the enemy. And those lies are usually tailored to our specific life story... our soul's deep inner struggle based on childhood experiences and just our general course of life. The enemy knows just which lies to tell us and he always picks those prime times of vulnerability. He knows his lies will usually resonate with us, sometimes more than the Word. This is not our heart's choice; we don't want this. This is our programming, and this is why every single thought has to be taken captive to the Word only, which takes determination and discipline by both faith and self-control. Just as we have read over and over, we simply must renew our minds, and this is usually a process depending upon how deep the tainted roots go. The enemy knows the love the Father has for us, and I believe it is his #1 motus operande to diminish our understanding and grasping of this love through his crafy ways. He knows the power of our fully receiving this love; he knows it is the foundation and fuel of our faith! He also knows the bad foundations that make up the houses of our lives, because he typically has been the author of them. He reminds us of this constantly, causing confusion and unbelief, in an attempt to ultimately extinguish any memory of God's love from our hearts and minds. And sometimes we don't even realize it as it goes on for years and years, with some ultimately perishing from lack of the knowledge -- the intimate "knowing" of the Creator's perfect love for us individually, manifested in the Son. As creations of Almighty God made in His own image or likeness, we need love just as we do air... we simply must have it. This is His nature in us, not our own. We know, and so does the enemy, that when we do not receive love as a baby and/or child, we find it difficult later in life to receive love and especially to give love. Love is so foundational that without it in our beginning years, we cannot function properly in the world. Many without the foundational love of their parents can become extremely wayward, prone to grave sins such as perversion, hatred, and murder -- all which can likely be traced back to fear. It's almost as if... no love, no life. Because He is love and we are of His image, love in general has to be our foundation. And when we shift to spiritual things and our journey towards being transformed into the image of the Son, perfect love must be the foundation. It is the enemy's goal to replace the perfect love with the imperfect, which is ultimately fear, unbelief, and even hate. However, we can never forget that the power and love and sound mind that has been given to us is authority! And in that authority, we must rise up and expose the enemy and take back that which was freely given to us as ours, forevermore! Here again, it takes faith... founded and grounded in love. It's just so simple... lack of love equals lack of faith. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 As we know, there is no fear in love, because the Father's perfect love manifested through the Son casts it out! There is no room for both! Fear is the number one reason that some have not yet fully received the fullness of His love. It is fear of rejection, fear of disobedience, fear of failure... fear of everything spiritual! Fear is foundational to so many spiritual and physical ailments, whereas love is always the cure! While perfect love produces such immovable peace, fear produces so much dis-ease and torment!! The doubt, the guilt, the restlessness, and the overall instablity of our spiritual walk can very much be described as torment... at least it was for me at times. The bottom line is that if we are unable to receive and give His love, it's simple... we have fear. If our receiving of His love is out of whack in any way, then our whole walk will be. Our walk and our faith will be unstable and somewhat unsure with plenty of highs and lows. Naturally, because faith works by love, then faith is not complete without love, and faith cannot function in fullness without love. And to add the icing to the cake, we will lack the power of that love that enables us to love Him and our brethren with a pure heart in a way that can endure and overcome all, ultimately to the point of laying our lives down in love. It is by HIS LOVE that we are able to love Him and worship Him, sacrifically, in spirit and in truth, as well as love our brethren as ourselves. It is impossible without His love. One day as I was pondering all of this, I wrote out a simple correlation that is also a complete contrast. Love is truly the more excellent way!
The "unloved" brideSo why is it that in some cases this perfect love does not seem to keep us? How is it that some struggle for years and years to fully receive this love and allow it to perfect their faith to that place of great faith whereby the just must live? Again, we have tainted foundational roots passed down from generations before us, and these are open doors for the enemy's lies; and many times these are perceived to be in agreement. Then there are all our own mistakes, life's happenings, God-ordained sufferings, and the like that all can feed into the cesspool of bad thoughts. Sometimes it is a great deal to overcome! But this is the true test of what is required of us... to endure in faith and overcome by the blood of the Lamb!. When we can truly receive His perfect love and sincerely rest in this love, it will conquer all and endure all -- and it will cover a multitude of sins! We have faith, hope, and love... but the greatest of these will always be love! Only His love delivers, restores, redeems, renews, and equips! As I have perceived my own self over the last years as well as others like me, I see the ups and downs and backs and forths of truly resting in Him, and I know this "instability" is because we were not yet made perfect in His love. There is only one reason for this... we were not fully believing it nor RECEIVING it. In my case, it is truly as if it was stolen from me, because I know it was once there!! I know this has been why, and to this I've said so many times... Oh how long my Father; when will you restore me to your love and the joy of my salvation? Help my unbelief that I may know the height, depth, length, and width of the love of your Son and receive all your fullness, that I may give it back to you and those you desperately love!! I have good news about this "attack" on love. The Father knows our struggles and hears our cries, and He will restore and renew!! He will finish! Our purchase and redemption was at too great a price and in too great of love for Him to walk away! This is why He will leave the 99 to come get us! We are His workmanship created for good works -- created by Him, for Him, and through Him. We are of Him, we are His Body, and He will never leave nor forsake us! To leave us would leave Himself incomplete. We can believe and rest in this for all our days, no matter what happens. Back in 2017 when I was in the thick of overcoming this false doctrine that almost extinguished my belief of His love for me, I remember laying in bed and thinking of His love and how I was struggling to receive it. It had been said to me so many times in the previous few years that I was not the object of His love and that it belonged to another. There were actually several reasons that caused me to begin to believe this, but that is not for now. In His great mercy and compassion, He then very gently showed me a scenario that I have never forgotten. First, a marriage of a husband and wife is an example here in the earth of His covenant with us. In this covenant, if the wife (or the husband) doubts the love and commitment of the husband, she will be unable to receive his love. As a result, their intimacy will be broken and incomplete; neither one of them will be in a restful state of trust and oneness, especially the one who doubts. The relationship will be strained, and the one who doubts lives a life in the marriage of unfillment, doubt, and misery. This is also a loss to the other. A marriage is supposed to be a three-fold chord with the Heavenly Father in the midst, but He can only be in the midst of true agape love, because He is that love. When the Father's love is the Source of our union with His Son, manifested through His Son, then our oneness cannot be broken. Our existence in Him is one of peace, rest, love, and not one ounce of fear that it will ever change -- we are His, and He is ours. In this, we can endure anything! Ephesus and LeahAs I was trying to put all these puzzle pieces together for this post, I thought of the correlation of the "unloved" bride to both Ephesus, the first church of Revelation, and Leah, Jacob's first wife. I think both of these are important and very applicable, especially now as we are in the midst of the last of the birth pangs before Tribulation begins. Ephesus was the church known for losing its first love... but why? Although they steadily worked for Him, had extreme intolerace for evil and falseness -- even exposing lies and liars, they had left their first love. Many of them had "lost that lovin feeling" so to speak; they left. Their eyes were on exposure and all the lies they could not bear, and their dove's-eye focus was diverted from their Beloved Savior. Did many of them begin to feel like this "unloved" bride? I believe so, because when you begin to focus on anything but Him, your oneness with His love will begin to wane, and the first thing you will notice is a distance from His love and presence. You begin to feel "unloved". I find it very interesting that one of the prevelent issues in the Body today is division based on intolerance of what is perceived to be false. The "truth" (and in some cases this is a perceived truth) is then used to condemn others and results in separation and division. I have seen this and experienced it from both angles, and I can tell you that love absolutely dwindles in this place. Love is not the focus; the first love is diminished! Yahusha/Jesus told this church to repent and remember from where they had fallen, or else He would personally come and remove the lamp (that burning light of Yahusha) out of its place. And where is its place?? IN US!! The lamp that can only burn from HIS LOVE begins to dim, and the only thing that can restore it is the FIRST LOVE! Then and only then will we be able to do the first works and keep our eyes on the Sole Source of all that matters; only then we will be able to overcome so that we will be allowed to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God! Then there's Leah... the disappointing surprise to Jacob, the second choice. In essence, this is the Gentile Bride of Christ, where Rachel represents the Israel as the chosen bride of Christ, the first choice. How many of us (erroneously) feel like Leah -- loved by our Beloved secondly to others, not as much as others, and even compelled to "work" like Leah with the mandrakes in order to feel loved by Him? I can only imagine how she felt on her wedding night and then through those seven years before Rachel and then all the years after that. Leah was known to have a "light in her eyes" that was soft and tender. There is no doubt that Leah suffered and very likely felt like an "unloved" bride. However, there is much more to say about Leah in the second part of this post, titled "The Loved Bride". The unloved bride never has to stay as "unloved"... especially not in the care of the Heavenly Father! ConclusionI have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Jeremiah 31:3 If you are an "unloved" bride today, even just a little hint of it, I know the Father would have you first go back and focus on His love - go back to your First Love, and do it now. If your receipt of His love is even a little bit unsure or unstable, your faith will be the same. Of course, not only can you not please the Father without faith, it will also affect the stability of your walk and your ability to endure and overcome. He Himself told us and showed us that there is no greater love than of him who will lay his life down for a friend, which He did for us and what He wants us to be able to do as well. This is where we are headed in these last days, as we have been chosen to be His and be here alive at such a time as this. We must go back to our first love in a humble repentance in admitting where we are, how we got there, and then breaking down that wall of self -- our weaknesses, our failures, our unwothiness -- to fully receive His love! We received His love once in the beginning and became a new creation; we must fully receive it now and hold on to it with all our might in the full assurance of faith... unto endurance! This is the key to it all! I will end this post about the "unloved" bride with words that my sister from South Africa heard from the Father a few years ago. This applies to us all -- it is a pearl of wisdom that if we can accept and live, we will steadfastly remain in Him. My child, there is not one thing you can ever do to that will cause me to love you less or more. Please make sure that you also read the second part of this post, which is titled, "The 'Loved' Bride". It is so very encouraging!! Both posts are incomplete without the other! This post is a little pointed and direct, so I am just saying that up front. :) There is an urgency in the air, and not one of us can deny it. We know things are changing, and we know that our God is preparing for the soon return of His Son -- the One each of us will stand before... completely alone. We will feel His overwhelming light and love, and we will fall down on our faces in awe and worship. When we rise back up and stand before Him, we will see eyes of fire that will "know" us and all our works; and this same light and love will judge those works down to the last cell within our hearts. Will we smell the sweet aroma of righteousness and approval, or will we smell the stench of burning works? I think of this often!! The reality of this happening very soon is sobering and brings me to pray that I would more fervently watch and pray and work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. If only every day this focus could drive every single one of the members of the Body and Bride in all of her thoughts, deeds, actions, and words -- we yearn for this! This world is a snare, and unless we set it aside every day by the strength of Christ, it will overcome us. And what will that cost us? I would like to share two very profound messages that are what I believe to be very critical messages for the time we are in. Bottom line is that WE ARE A DIVIDED BODY! We are a divided Body that in various forms too often displays the very opposite of the love of Yahusha towards one another. We all know the scripture where Yahusha told His disciples that the world would know them by their love for one another. Well, why does the world seem to be turning from us and the things we share? Could it be because there is no love??! Could it be that something else besides love exudes out of us? We bite and devour one another, we provoke and condemn based on "our truths" (forgetting we only see in part!), and we pronounce death on others without blinking an eye, often in ways that are cloaked in false humility and righteousness. I have seen this up close and personal, to the point it set me back several years; I am speaking from experience. I still see it happening... right here and right now. This type of activity in the Body is horribly destructive and can truly harm one of His little ones. And as Yahusha (Jesus) told His disciples in Luke 17:2, it would be better if a millstone were hung around our necks and be thrown in to the sea rather that we should offend one of His little ones. This word "offend" in this scripture means to entrap or cause to stumble, as well as entice to sin. This is no light matter, as drowning with a weight around our necks is sure death. This is not to point fingers at anyone, because only each of us knows if we ourselves are guilty. As I type of all of this, of course it most certainly applies to me as well!! This is only to make the point that this behavior is prevalent now, proven by the division and condemnation readily seen in person and rampant on social media, and the consequences to both the victim and the villain are great. This is something we must know and consider -- and then repent, if necessary. Again, this is not something our Father will look upon lightly; we cannot take the chance! So with that introduction, I am calling all -- all believers in the Messiah Yahusha (the Lord Jesus Christ) -- regardless of denomination, regardless of foundation (Torah or non-Torah Christians), regardless of race, regardless of any differences at all... please take some time and listen or read the messages I am sharing below. These messages are divinely initiated, divinely put together, and divinely timed for NOW. These messages require that we look inward -- deeply inward -- and make sure that we are not guilty, we are not deceived, and we are not on the wrong path in these very last moments of time. I am compelled to share this now, so this is my part to contribute. I pray that you will be led to partake in these gifts from the Father, and that you will be edified, changed, and lifted up by His words and warnings through His faithful vessel. Yes, again these messages are delivered by my sister from South Africa, just as many others I have previously shared. I have tried and tested her works, and she has not been found wanting. She is the real deal, and I fully believe she is delivering His message -- to us! I share in heartfelt love and urgency for my brethren. Looking out upon the broken darkness of dawn this morning, I am reminded of the profound faithfulness of our God and Father. The full understanding of the dawn is a gift, and I never tire of speaking of it. (Special thanks to Tim and Charlene of CCC who helped start my journey to understanding this profound time of the day). May this sharing stir and comfort your soul unto thanksgiving! 22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 The mercies of our God are new every dawn. The word “morning” in the Strong’s is boqer, and it means “dawn”. Dawn is that moment before the sun comes up when the first light breaks through the darkness of night – the darkest darkness of night, because as they say, it is always darkest before the dawn. It is at this time that new compassions and mercies are bestowed upon us by our Heavenly Father in complete faithfulness. Because of this, we can rejoice in this new day that He has made for us, for joy comes in the morning (boqer – dawn)! Can you grasp the magnitude of this? Brand new mercies and compassions every single dawn?! Each new day is yet another chance to be forgiven and made whole and another chance to continue our bridal preparations that we may stand before the Son of Man and be united to Him. It is extreme mercy and grace, and it should bring us everlasting and unwavering joy! Who or what is the first Light of dawn? Remember that on day 1 of creation, the Father said, “Let there be light…”, and this Light was going into a darkness that is defined as utter darkness, misery, and even destruction (Hebrew word "choshek"). This Light was brought forth before the sun was created; this Light was the Light of the World brought forth from the One who is Light. I believe this Light was the Son of Light! He came first before all to shed His glorious light upon creation. Each dawn when we see that first breakthrough of the light into the darkness of night, we are reminded of the Son of Light, to whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. Every single day, our glorious God reminds us… without fail or even the slightest delay. This time of the day is precious and powerful, and I believe this is exactly why David and others proclaimed that they would seek Him “early” (which by the way, also means dawn!). Is this Light of the world not the same Light that broke through our personal darkness at the moment of our salvation? Is this not the same Light that will break through the darkness of death and raise our mortal bodies to life at the resurrection? What about the Light that breaks through the darkness of the womb to create life at the exact moment the seeds of man and woman are united? IT IS HIM, and every single dawn He shows Himself, reminding us of what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. Do you ever go to bed worrying or wondering if the dawn will come and the next day will come forth? The vast majority of us will say no to this question. We trust fully that it will come, to the point that we often do not even think of it. Instead, we sleep peacefully trusting it will happen, and we expect it! He is faithful to bring us this new day and its promised new mercies, just as He is faithful with every single other promise He has given to us. We can trust Him fully, implicitly, and perfectly in ALL THINGS! Every dawn – every single one – brings His Light and brand new mercies! And because we know that all around the world, dawn is continuously happening somewhere, we can know that HIS MERCIES DO NOT END! The Light is constantly chasing the darkness and will never cease to overtake it! HE… is more sure than the dawn and the new day. HE… is more faithful than the sun. HE… is brighter than the darkest night. HE… will always overcome the darkness! HE… is full of mercy and love, because HE is the Light of the World! 22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23 4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:4-5 24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Psalm 36:5 As I was initially inspired to write this post through Art’s message, I thought the title would be different than I have now titled it. This is because at the time I was listening, a familiar pain had already been brewing in my heart and then came to its fullness yesterday. I didn't realize at that time that these things would be linked together and would form a message that I very much needed to hear. I desire to share this with my brothers and sisters who may also be in a similar situation -- for His glory and your edification. First I want to share that the title of Art’s message is called, “Knowing from Whence He Came”. This message reveals the deep revelation and impact of the knowing of the depth of what our Messiah, God incarnate, sacrificed to step out of complete and perfect oneness with the Father, that which He eternally had before the foundation of the world, to come to our realm and literally BE us. He became us to the point He took on our wretchedness and filth to crucify it and gain the ultimate victory over it – all in utter purity and obedience to the Holy One of Light. What He left behind is unfathomable, and Art does an amazing job, only through the Spirit, in revealing this. His goal was to help us see, as it was revealed to him, the magnitude of which can only be seen with spiritual eyes -- that we may have this KNOWING inscribed in us and as a result be able to do just as our Messiah and Savior did – sacrifice ourselves. This message is the reality of our existence, and it is simply not preached or taught much at all. As I was listening to this, several things began to come up in my heart and mind – all while a totally separate thing was going on in me… the brewing of a familiar pain that I thought was finally in my past. I’ll share about that part later. This message was all about the true knowing and adoration of the Messiah – not the “adoration” of the world that is abused in its use of this word, but the true meaning of adoration that is only applicable to the Savior and King of the world. It is an adoration that is authentic, pure, and steadfast because we KNOW; we KNOW the depths of His sacrifice. We know as He did. Art gives his full two-hour message primarily on one scripture that speaks of this knowing… Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God… John 13:3 Amazing thing is that this is also applicable to us. Do we truly know within ourselves, the depth of our being, that we have come from God, Yahuah, and are going back to God? And do we fully understand all that our Savior sacrificed to rescue and save us -- before the foundation of the world as well as in the world? This knowing is best described in Hebrews 10:34, as Art shared: For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Hebrews 10:34 This knowing we must have is inscribed in the fiber of our souls and being. It is the knowing that secures our oneness with Him and equips us for full endurance. It is a “knowing within ourselves”, which is the very expanded version of believing. Believing is not enough; we must know that we know that we know, to the point that our actions live this knowing consistently. It's a settled knowing that becomes our identity, and it cannot be shaken. As we are growing into this place of knowing, many times our circumstances and trials and sufferings can create a pothole in the road for us. The sometimes unbearable related feelings can become so overwhelming that our knowing becomes clouded and distorted, and we begin to base the knowing on our felt "truth" instead of the truth. In my own present journey, I know this process quite well and find myself weary at times revisiting the things that I thought were overcome. This can be discouraging, but I know without doubt that He finishes. It is already finished, accomplished, and done. He will finish His own workmanship; He will perfect His own -- those He purchased with His sacrifice and His own blood. So in the midst of hearing and receiving this wonderful message by Art Katz, a test was being prepared for me. I will not go into the minute details, but I will say that it involved the possibility of me finally having the joy of being near family again but then having the sinking disappointment that this may not be after all. This triggered something in me. As many of you you know, I lost my family (mom, dad, and brother) in a fairly short period of time, and it has changed me in all honesty. I know it has been for my good (because He said ALL things are for my good); but not all good is fully manifested yet. I will admit I still struggle in many ways. Very shortly after these losses, the Father also asked me to relinquish all needs of comfort that I thought I could have from my sons and to solely rely on Him. That was hard, because the presence of my sons could have made my wounded and weary flesh heal a bit faster… or so I thought. That was not Father’s plan… He was to be my sole Source for this healing. While it felt like the most horrible thing that could happen to me in the midst of so much loss, I can look back now and see the absolute love in it – the total love of my Bridegroom being the only one to comfort and heal me. I know He is jealous over this, because I am His Bride, but in all honestly, I want to KNOW this every second of every day without wavering!! I want to live every day in the absolute knowing of what He sacrificed for me and that I am truly His as His Beloved Bride -- without one single doubt. I have said this many times in the last months and remember when this understanding hit me… the Father’s love for us is so great (and the Word actually calls it “cruel”) that He will allow whatever level of suffering is required that He may have us with Him forever and ever. He will allow us to suffer so greatly to the point we feel we could die in our hearts – all so that we can be in His very presence always. In other words, He will do with us what it takes to have us, just as He did with Himself to have us. He will not lose us; therefore, He will “kill” us here if that’s what it takes (and obviously I am speaking of levels of suffering and death to flesh). And unfortunately, that is what it takes. While our Savior was God incarnate, He experienced and felt even greater sufferings that we could never bear, but He overcame. The Word says that He learned obedience by the things He suffered. We also must do the same, and while the Son had the Father in Him to be His strength to endure, we have the Son in us to do the same (for He in us is the hope of glory!). Many times, however, we put a stop or delay to this suffering through following our unbearable feelings and resulting murmuring, and then the process starts over again. If we are His, it shall be, and therefore, we simply must deliver ourselves up to suffer as He did, knowing we will ultimately endure, overcome, and obtain the reward. That is the promised glory of pain. So yea, I can say all of this and understand it, but can I live it? Can I reach the place of knowing the magnitude of His sacrifice (to that degree that Art describes in his message) and living this by my own complete sacrifice for Him? I so want to, but at the same time I know I cannot in myself. It can only be done by His power, His love, and His Spirit in me. I can only surrender and obey, which I will admittedly say that it is not always easy – no way is it easy when the feelings of suffering overtake to the point our bones within our physical bodies are screaming in weakness – reaching the point in our hearts that we would rather give up than feel the pain anymore. David wrote about this feeling – and so here we have the very “man after God’s own heart” struggling just as we do. What a comfort!! Selah… O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; for my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Psalm 88:1-7 We know that David overcame… by the Word – the Son and Spirit of the living God -- and His immeasurable grace. He knew the Messiah in the way that Art Katz explains; he knew the depths of the salvation of God. Obviously this too is our remedy. This is also our lot – this is our life and the plan of our full redemption and Bridal preparation. It is our destiny… to suffer, to be transformed, and all to the glory of God, to become His image. This is not to say the Father does not bless us and give us the desires of our hearts, both spiritually and physically. He does, and we don't deserve it. This is to say, however, that we cannot be conformed into the fullness of His image without suffering; it is impossible, because the Savior Himself set that in motion. And to be in the direct presence of a Holy God full of Light... to be the actual Bride of the Son of God, we must reflect the Son. This morning as I was processing my overwhelming feelings of sorrow and disappointment, I wrote down some truths about these “things” that can overtake us and force us to believe their reality, when in fact, many times true reality is the opposite. These are the things that take our knowing backwards into the reality of our pain instead of the reality of His sacrificial love which sets us free, even in the midst of pain. I would like to share these now:
It is further an amazement to me that as I was experiencing all this in the last 3-4 days, my sister Pietra was preparing her latest teaching – perfectly connected to what I have shared, including Art's message. His message and her teaching go hand in hand, and both spoke to me before, during, and after my little sorrow episode. The Father was ahead of me, just as He is always is! I also know that there are others close to me going through similar things where past wounds and the associated pain have resurfaced, and we know there is a purpose! It is important that we see and appreciate that as we go through these things, our Father is behind the scenes preparing an answer and understanding and direction for us through His chosen vessels (or other means). He is always timely and provides His strength at the exact moment of need. Pietra's message was the icing on the cake in my situation, giving me more in-depth understanding of the reason for my continued suffering, my sometimes erroneous expectations of spiritual things, and the reminder needed that this all simply must be for me to have that which I crave and desire. As she said to me this morning, "Remember, He is dealing with you as His child, not a bastard". That alone was a "case closed" truth needed to press on! Earlier in this post, I spoke of us delivering ourselves us to the suffering that is required for our perfection (completion) in Yahusha. As I typed that, I thought of what Pietra shares in this latest teaching… that ultimately we reach the point that we actually DESIRE this suffering. We don’t just go through with it as our "only choice" or because it's the right thing. We become like Him and even like our brother Paul and others and find the glory in it so much greater that we begin to actually desire and joy in this suffering. That feels far away for me, but with Him all things are possible. Bottom line is that the call is great, and the cost is great – greater than we ever imagined or expected. But then again, it was the same for our Bridegroom – except that He KNEW and He still did it. Truly knowing this (the innermost knowing) is what will bring us the actual desire to suffer alongside Him and for as long as it takes. In closing, I would like to share both the message from Art Katz, “Knowing from Whence He Came”, as well as Pietra’s latest teaching applicably called, “Servants of the Most High God”, should you be lead to partake and receive. Again, these are both connected to each other, and both are related to the personal things I shared. The Father orchestrated the timing of everything as a full message to me as it transpired, and therefore I know it is likely going to be exactly what someone else needs to hear as well. Both messages are rich in truth that will deeply inspire and bring a joy of understanding that will revive our weary hearts. May you be blessed and edified! All praise, glory, and honor to the One and Only Holy One – our Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, Savior, and Father. May we keep our eyes solely on Him, even when it feels that our eyes and hearts are failing us; in this we are sure to overcome. Please note, playbacks for Art's teaching on other websites is not allowed, so to listen you will have to go directly to YouTube via the button below. For consistency sake, I will link Pietra's teaching the same way.
Dearest brothers and sisters… Greetings in the name of our Savior and King, Yahusha ha Mashiach, Jesus Christ!! I come bearing gifts!! It’s been a bit since I have written, and it is with good reason. After a few divine confirmations, Father gave me an assignment where He would use my skills of writing, editing and formatting, and website building for His purposes. Knowing this brings a great fulfillment and satisfaction… that the things He put in us, and the things that He grows and enhances even through our worldly jobs/careers, He will use to serve His purposes for His precious Body and Kingdom. I have been so excited and honored to be able to do this; it is very humbling too. I am so very grateful. Many of you have heard or read of me speaking of my dear sister from South Africa, Pietra de Bod. I’ve shared many of her writings/wisdom on my site, specifically on the “Pietra’s Pearls” and “Prophecy” tabs. Pietra truly has an assignment in these last days to help prepare the Bride that will bear children to the Bridegroom in the great harvest to come. She is filled with wisdom, revelation, and understanding, along with a pure spirit who loves the Father with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loves her neighbor as herself. Everything that pours out of her has authentically been placed there through suffering, experience, and the blessing of the Son’s very being. I love her dearly, as she has been a primary vessel used to help me during some of the worst years of my life. The Father has immensely blessed me through her sisterhood and friendship over these last three years. I share all of this, because what I have been working on is the website for her new ministry, His Fair Maidens. This, just like all else in her life and walk, was birthed out of obedience and the heart of the Father. This ministry is specific to the preparation of the Bride of Yahusha, not only to be pure and confident in faith to stand before His fiery, holy eyes, but also to endure what is coming and to be prepared to be used to bring forth His children… those currently wandering and lost whom He loves so very much – all in the midst of great turmoil, confusion, and tribulation. Isn’t that what a Bride does for her Husband?? She partners with Him in His missions, and she gives Him children – all under His protection and covering regardless of what may be going on around her! (And I note here that just like the Bride of Christ is both male and female, this is also the case for His Fair Maidens... male and female!) I can attest that the content on this website is that which qualifies as “deep calling unto deep” and has come from the throne of the Father. While my sister is obviously human just as we are and subject to only seeing in part and even error, she hears from Him, and her life has been and is a living sacrifice unto Him. What she shares on this site is for us!! Just as the prophets of old spoke to the people to give them the Father’s words, this is the case here as well. He has specifically told Pietra that her role as a prophet is to speak forth His heart unto His people, and that she does right well. While we are to always guard our hearts and test everything with the Word, obviously we must do the same with her work. Further, our praise and honor is only to the Father through His Son and to no man! He also says that when we receive a true prophet in the name of a prophet, then we too have that prophet’s reward. When we receive the words of His prophets, we receive His words. When we receive the true prophet, we receive Him. I am sharing this with you to bless you and feed you with that which maybe your heart, soul, and spirit have been craving. You will know fairly quickly if this site is for you, and I pray if so, that you will receive it as a gift and begin eating and drinking at His table at the pace He has set out for you. I see this website as a training center – with all His training curriculum orderly and available through both audio and printable PDF, all with prophetic words, encouragement, free books and other resources to complement. The Father has provided it all – all the food as well as the forks, knives, and spoons. All we have to do is sit down and eat! There is much content, and honestly it can be overwhelming. I highly recommend that you start with the Home page and take the time to read it. Here you will see the basic foundation as well as a few short videos/audios that will introduce the site as well as speak to the effective navigation of the site. And speaking from my own perspective having been exposed to all of the content, I highly recommend that after the Home page, you delve into the Tabernacle page. This is a very solid foundation for all of Pietra’s sharings on this site, and while it will help give that firm understanding, it will give you a personal understanding as to where you are in your walk (are you in the outer court, the inner court, or have you reached the Holy of Holies?). It answered so many things for me with regard to my long and lonely wilderness time when so much was stripped, why I am the way I am, why He is the way He is with me, and so much more. It confirmed that I AM HIS and HE IS WORKING, I am precious in His sight as His Bride, and I am His purchased possession with every detail of my life so carefully planned out for His purposes. It showed me where I am right now on my journey HOME!! It gave me so much hope for my future with Him and in Him. Once you’ve spent some time on the Home and Tabernacles pages, then you are ready for the teachings on the Teachings page. Teachings are added to this regularly as Father gives them to her to give to us. Again, this is training! (NOTE: These are only my recommendations; please flow as the Holy Spirit leads you personally!) So with all of that introduction, I offer you His Fair Maidens… just click on the picture to access the website! I pray for you now… blessings of shalom, understanding, joy, and a filling that will satisfy your hungry soul for the things of the One and Only King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is so good to us and meets every need! Amen and so be it!
P.S. Please note that I have recently added some new posts under "Pietra's Pearls" that might uplift and encourage you this day (these are shorter posts but power-packed)! In the last month or so, Father has given me a foundational focus that everything is IN HIM -- "in" generally meaning within, inside, absent outside of, totally and only IN Him. Everything is IN Yahusha (Jesus) -- everything. This is really hard to grasp in fullness, so I suppose that is why it kept coming up in my thoughts and in scripture... only the Father's grace to help me begin to truly understand. I would like to share this as a blessing for you as well. I began reading Ephesians 1 this morning based on a question a brother had asked about the different sign/seal that is prevalent in the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is true... in the Old Testament, the sign that the people belonged to the Father was the Sabbath. Both Exodus 31:16 and Ezekiel 20:12 clearly say that the observance of the Sabbath by the people was that sign. In the New Testament, it is just as clear that the sign -- or seal as it is specifically -- upon the chosen people of God is the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). The Sabbath was the physical rest of the people on the 7th day before Yahusha. Once Yahusha came and fulfilled the Sabbath and all the requirements of the law unto righteousness, through the Holy Spirit Yahusha then became our physical and spiritual rest every single minute of every single day. What He did then now enables us to enjoy this Sabbath rest IN HIM continuously without interruption or delay. It is a complete spiritual rest -- IN CHRIST -- by the Spirit, the seal that we are His. This is not to disannul the observance of the Sabbath day today, as this is a way we acknowledge the Sabbath rest of the Father and the Son, understanding that it is a shadow of greater, eternal things to come. I digress a bit, but I though this point was profound and worth adding. (While on this deep topic above, I am reminded of a previous post where I made my own attempt to describe the beautiful truth that the Son is the Law based on what the Spirit showed me at that time. If you are led to read it, you can access that post here.) Now back to Ephesians 1... as I was reading this morning, verses 3 and 4 (above) caught my attention. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6 (NASB) As I was thinking about it, I rearranged the wording a bit in hopes I would gain further revelation and understanding. As much as we know and believe the scriptures as we read and study them, I find myself craving another level of understanding that will help me to grasp it fully in my spirit to the point it is so in me that I live it out -- all the time, as naturally as breathing, to the point I would never even have to read it again. In other words, it is literally written in my heart and mind; in is IN ME. This is how I re-wrote out these verses, along with my own comments: Just as He (Yahuah) chose us IN HIM (Yahusha) before the foundation of the world, He [also] blessed us with every spiritual blessing that we would need in the heavenly realms IN YAHUSHA, so that we would be holy and blameless before Him -- all IN LOVE. He chose us and He blessed us -- IN YAHUSHA -- before the foundation of the world, so that we would be perfect (holy, blameless, complete) before Him. We first belonged to Yahuah -- before the foundation of the world -- and then after the fall of mankind, He redeemed us back to Himself -- IN YAHUSHA. He predestined and pre-planned for us to be adopted back as His sons/daughters IN YAHUSHA through the kindness and grace of His will, freely bestowing this upon us IN THE BELOVED (and the Beloved is the Son in whom He is well pleased as stated in Matthew 3:!7). As I wrote this out, I was moved to tears with more understanding, just shaking my head in overwhelm of this truth. Yes, I know this, but I want to KNOW this -- that He thought of me and chose me before anything was. He pre-planned the means of my salvation through the humbling of His Beloved Son unto the destructive death that should have been mine. He gave me His Son that I might have all that He offers me IN HIM. And if He chose me and provided this remarkable means for me to come back to Him, He certainly will not leave or forsake me, He will not condemn me, and He will not ever stop His work in me until His Son is fully formed in me and I can be restored to Him, my Father. The cost was great, the plan is set, and no one can snatch me out of His mighty hand. Surely I know now that I am in Him and He in Me (John 14:20) and that I am my Beloved's and His desire is for me! (Song of Solomon 7:10) (NOTE: It is worth the time to read all of Ephesians 1, as there are at least eight instances of the power and blessings that are IN HIM.) Not too long ago as I was pondering that all things are IN YAHUSHA, I wrote down several of the scriptures that affirm and confirm this. I also looked up this word "in" in the Greek, since many of these IN HIM scriptures are found there -- post Yahusha's finished work. This word is G1722 in the Greek, and it means "primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (place, time, or state),... a relation of rest". And there we have it... REST that can only be found IN HIM. I will now share some of the scriptures that use this word "in" when referencing what we have and who we are IN HIM (all scriptures are from NASB version). Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ... for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’ Acts 17:28 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. John 15:4 ... to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead [a]in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus... Ephesians 2:6 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 So you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 ... in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:2 Truly IN HIM, we lack NOTHING! How can we when we are IN HIM and are one with Him? But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 A short while back, I laid down to take a nap. Just as I was dozing off, I could clearly see a man very close up looking intently into a microscope. He was looking so closely that it was as if I could see the lens of his eye. The first thing I thought of was that I was being watched very closely. But then, I thought of the apple of the Father's eye, as the scripture says "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me in the shadow of Your wings" (Psalm 17:8). As I thought more about this, I could see more of this truth that we are IN HIM. It is as if He is so close to us, watching us as if through a microscope, that we are literally in His eye, as the apple of His eye. I looked up the "apple of the eye", and I found that first this generally refers to the pupil of the eye. However, looking further I found the following on the gotquestions.com website:
God held the Israelites as the apple of His eye, rebellious and stiff-necked though they were in the wilderness. Being the apple of His eye, they were most cherished. And God’s care for His people has not diminished with time. He holds His children close, and He can protect us as easily as our eyelids protect our pupils. He does this because He loves us in Christ. He has a parental, protective love for us, and the biblical descriptions of His love are eye-opening, to say the least." The people of God are literally IN Him -- even in His eye -- so close that we are not only protected and guarded, but we are equipped, sustained, and made righteous IN CHRIST! And we are cherished and loved, also IN CHRIST. There is no doubt that we are of the Father and will return to the Father from where we came -- all because now we are IN THE SON. If we walk our journeys of faith in full submission and obedience IN HIM, then we can rest assured that we will forever have all we need for complete victory and we will assuredly reach the place of perfection IN CHRIST. We can clearly see even in just the scriptures shared in this post that He is all in all... He is everything!! He is SUPREME, and we are IN HIM to receive all that He is and has, now and into eternity -- if we will believe and obey. In closing, the scripture below is the perfect summary and is one of the most powerful scriptures in all the Word. All the fullness of Yahuah dwells in Him, and the Father has given it to us! How glorious is our King Yahusha!! He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Colossians 1:15-20
with those of you closest to me, I have shared many of her words of wisdom she has spoken to me directly. She is a dear one to me, and I love her deeply. She has always been available to me day or night (and there is a seven-hour time difference between us). She has never ever made me feel like a burden or allowed me to sense any fatigue or weariness as she helps me, many times repeatedly with the same things. As I have navigated through some of the worst years of my life struggling to overcome grief and even depression and trying to continue to grow spiritually, she has been the primary one to sow her authentic, Spirit-birthed wisdom into me. She is the one the Heavenly Father chose to walk with me and help me through this dark valley that many times tried to consume me. And apparently, He chose me to walk beside her in some things as well.
Pietra has been ministering to the Bride of Christ for several years now, with a sharp focus on those who will work with the Bridegroom to help bring in a great harvest of souls during the tribulation. About four months ago Father lead me to begin transcribing all Pietra's YouTube teachings so she could post them in writing on her blog. She had been doing this herself beforehand, but she reached the point she knew she was going to need help. She asked the Father to send the help to her, specifically asking Him to give them a dream about it. Unbeknownst to me, I had a dream around that same time that I was transcribing her visions and messages as well as another sister who was then working close with her. I didn't know she had asked the Father to send help, and I didn't even share my dream with her at first. One day shortly after, she mentioned to me that she had asked Him for help and to give the person a related dream. Obviously at that point I couldn't tell her about my dream fast enough! We had no doubt of this divinely lead partnership, so I started transcribing for her immediately. As of the last one finished on July 7, 2023, I completed a total of 12 transcripts for her in about 3-1/2 months. In the last two weeks or so, Pietra was lead by supernatural means to stop all her ministry work and go into rest with the Father, focusing on prayer for lost souls and the harvest to come. Thinking that my transcribing had come to an end because of this, I was admittedly somewhat disappointed but obviously excited for her new assignment. The transcribing was wonderful for me as the messages were etched upon my heart as I typed. I basked in the complete assurance that I was in the Father's will assisting with His work, which was a wonderful feeling that comforted me. I share all of this to say that as of today, it has been confirmed that the transcribing is not yet over! In the last month, I had been prompted several times to transcribe some of the messages and words of wisdom that Pietra has shared with me personally -- personal messages between us through the audio option on Telegram. They were so rich in edification and truth that I knew these messages, although spoken to me in a time of need, were not just for me at all. I posted the first of these with my last blog post, "Death for Life", and I received several comments that many of you were touched by this post and her words. I even went so far at that time to speak forth an idea I had to add a tab here on this blogsite called, "Pietra's Pearls" where I can transcribe her messages to me and share them with others. Today as Pietra and I were discussing some related things and I was sharing my broken heart, she said something else to me that I knew had to be transcribed and shared. Afterwards as we were discussing this, she said to me, "I just realized something!". She proceeded to tell me that just before Father told her to stop all her ministry work (which again was about two weeks ago), she had begun working on a new tab for her blogsite called, "Pearls of Wisdom", where she was going to share many of the shorter words and sentences of wisdom that Father has given her over the years. At this point today, she realized that as she was about to do this but was told to stop the teaching ministry and blog, the Father had already birthed the same idea in me, which I had already acted upon. So now, I will be transcribing these pearls she has spoken to me, along with the others He has shared with her that she had not yet posted on her own site, and sharing them out with the world as near or far as the Father will take them. Obviously, we were both very excited and grateful for this. This is a wonderful example of how He works out His plans -- just amazing! Furthermore, the Father knows the exact audience I have for my blog, so it is important that you know He wants you personally to have this wisdom too! So this update is to announce that I now have a new tab on the blogsite applicably called, "Pietra's Pearls". I will have many messages where the wisdom of the Holy Spirit that was birthed within her through her own trials and sufferings and complete death of self has lifted me up in times I felt I could not go on. I will have to scroll back about two years to get them all. I will be transcribing and posting these as the Father leads, and I am prayerful that they will be for you everything and even more that they were for me. With that, I already have the second pearl posted (again, the first one was embedded in my last blog post, "Death for Life"). As I mentioned above, today in the midst of my sharing from the continued brokenness of my heart, she shared something with me that I knew was a pearl of wisdom to share with you. Please click on "His Finished Masterpiece" to access a blessing of edification and encouragement! Final Note: As Pietra would say, and I say as well, this is no exultation of Pietra or any other man. She, just like all of us, is an empty vessel that Father has chosen to use as He desires. In this case, the living water from her vessel is being poured out to nourish us that we may ultimately do the same for others. All praise, honor, and glory belongs only to Almighty God, Yahuah, through His Son, Yahusha the Messiah!!
The gate (G4439 – a gate, that is, the leaf or wing of a folding entrance) is straight (G4728 - narrow, from the base G2476 to stand, abide, bring, continue, covenant, establish, lay, present)
Narrow (G2346 – to crowd, afflict, throng, suffer tribulation, trouble; from the base of G5147 – to rub, a rut or worn track) is the way (G3598 – a road, a progress [the route, act, or distance]; figuratively a mode or means, journey, highway) After putting all that together, I believe it it would be safe to say it this way: “The entrance into eternal life is narrow and established in covenant – exclusivity and commitment unto oneness, and the journey thereto is progressive and includes suffering and tribulation.” We cannot enter into the ultimate reward of eternal life without our commitment in word and deed to covenant, and our covenant is based on faith in Yahusha as our sole redemption. He is the Mediator and High Priest of the New Covenant between us and Yahuah, to prepare and restore us to the eternal presence of Father God Almighty. Most of us already know and have experienced the suffering and great tribulation of the covenant journey/narrow path, and many of us feel it might not ever end. This is absolutely necessary, and there is no way around it. The Word is very clear about this. We have two choices: embrace it and wait for the glory to be revealed, or fight it with grumbling and complaining. I know which one we all want, but it is obvious that we cannot do it alone in the flesh. Praise our God and Father through His Son Yahusha the Messiah that they have promised to do it IN US! But there is more. There is another aspect of this “narrow path” that has been very prevalent in my life as well as many others, so much to the point there are times I feel I cannot take anymore. Did you notice that one of the meanings of the word “narrow” is “to crowd”? This is so, because the path is only meant for one person at a time – it is isolated, personal, and at times extremely and bitterly lonely. It is your own personalized journey, ordered and orchestrated by the One who knows you better than anyone… to the depths and crevices of your heart. He knows your base and foundation (your bones, your personality, your wiring, your essence), because He knit you together that way. He also knows your junk – all the childhood events that molded you (and for some these are even difficult to remember and process), the mistakes, the rebellion, the doubt, the wretched acts… and He knows why. He is so wonderful and loves us so deeply that each of us has our own path – a very narrow path, so narrow that it must be walked alone... with Him, that He is literally formed in us. It is a path tailored especially for each of us by the Master Planner and Savior. This is how creative the Holy Spirit is in the New Covenant. Because He promises to “cause us to walk in His ways” (Philippians 2:13 and Ezekiel 36:27), our path is specific to us. He knows our frame and what it will take to get us there; He will finish the work in His way, the perfect way for us. All the more reason that we should be humble and meek when looking at another person’s journey, especially when it doesn’t look quite like ours. For this reason, whoa to us when we judge wrongly! The entrance (gate) is by faith and covenant, and the journey (path) will be perilous and lonely. But as Yahusha told us over and over, He is with us until the end of the age. He will not leave us nor forsake us as we walk His path carrying our own cross till we get to the place of our death. And as we are crucified with Him, we remember that death by crucifixion involved torment and torture – a slow death that destroys the flesh and resurrects the spirit into perfection and eternal life. We die with Him and are raised up with Him, remembering these wonderful words of Paul: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 I would like to share an excerpt from the 2nd book of Esdras in the Apocrypha that speaks of this narrow path. This impacted me the first time I read it many years ago and has always stayed with me. It is the perfect picture of our narrow path with even more insight into why Yahusha had to walk it and why we also must follow.
And he [an Angel which had been sent to him the nights before] said unto me, Up Esdras, and hear the words that I am come to tell thee. And I said, Speak on, my God. Then said he unto me, The sea is set in a wide place, that it might be deep and great. But put the case the entrance were narrow, and like a river; who then could go into the sea to look upon it and to rule it? If he went not through the narrow, how could he come into the broad?
There is also another thing: a city is builded and set upon a broad field and is full of all good things: the entrance thereof is narrow and is set in a dangerous place to fall, like as if there were a fire on the right hand, and on the left a deep water: and only one path between them both, even between the the fire and the water, so small that there could but one man go there at once. If this city now were given unto a man for an inheritance, if he never shall pass the danger set before it, how shall he receive this inheritance? And I said, It is so, Lord. Then said he unto me, Even so also is Israel’s portion. Because for their sakes I made the world: and when Adam transgressed my statutes, then was decreed that now is done. Then were the entrances of this world made narrow, full of sorrow and travail: they are but few and evil, full of perils, and very painful. For the entrances of the elder world were wide and sure and brought immortal fruit. If then they that live labour not to enter these strait and vain things, they can never receive those that are laid up for them. 2 Esdras 7:2-14 (KJV) Most of us already know that this narrow path is extremely painful at times, including times of great dryness and loneliness. We use the word “wilderness” to describe some of these longer stops on our path. Just as with Yahusha for 40 days, the wilderness is the place of our necessary testing, where some of us spend more time than others. This testing is all about preparation for our eternal destination, but it is also about preparation for our assignment. Because we live in the last days when there will be a great harvest of lost souls, many of us are also likely being prepared to be a worker in this harvest. What great preparation and endurance this will require as the world will be in the midst of the greatest tribulation of all time and where mercy, love, and endurance will be required of us at levels we have never known! Most of us right now in this moment are like Peter... not realizing just how not ready we are for this. The magnitude of this assignment is massive. The wilderness stops can be some of the most challenging places along our narrow path, and they often bring us to a place of doubt and fear of our preparation for the future and to stand before our King and Judge. Because many of us currently find ourselves in this place, I wanted to share a short "pearl of wisdom" that my sister from South Africa shared with me that gave me the assurance and peace I needed. It is called, "His Finished Masterpiece". (And there is a story behind the new tab on this website where this pearl of wisdom is located. If you would like to know more about it, click here for the applicable blog post (the story is quite amazing!). May the Most High God, Yahuah, bless you and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you... and give you strength and peace that you may endure the narrow path to fulfill your calling and reach the eternal reward, Yahusha, our Beloved! |
Special NoteThese writings are written in love and a spirit of servitude. They are not designed to judge but make us think. We are all sinners in need of saving, and we all need encouragement and absolute truth to endure on the narrow road to sanctification and ultimately eternal life. Categories
All
Archives
May 2024
|