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
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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.
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!!
Because we are getting so close to the marriage of the Lamb... that day when He will have His perfect and spotless Bride who He's been preparing for Himself for so long, I felt it would be perfect to share a wedding gift with those who are looking and seeking and yearning for their Heavenly Bridegroom. This gift contains two blessings to help us understand, prepare for, and anticipate this day. These two blessings have sown deeply into my own heart and are literally like precious living water to the soul and spirit.
The first is a book I've now read twice in the last year. This book is a great preparation book and will help you to take a good look within your own heart to see if the Bride is really there. This is a good first step.... and one that will help keep us from being unprepared. Matter of fact, this is a book I read after having a dream last year about being an unprepared bride (of which you can read about on the corresponding blog post). The name of this book is "The Remnant Bride" and will bless you and encourage you and help get you ready for the most wonderful wedding that you could ever be a part of. I pray it feeds you as it has me. The second book is over the top. This book is deep, rich, and written in such a spiritual sense that it will overwhelm your heart at times. It is written by my dear sister from South Africa and portrays the very heart and soul of the prepared and waiting Bride -- and it is very likely not what you will expect. This book is life-changing and was written through the depth of the Word and through personal experience, making it one of the most anointed books I've read. This book is called "The Enochian Bride" and is an utter blessing for all those seeking the Bridegroom with all their hearts! I pray that these wedding gifts will be exactly what you need at this time, as we draw ever so near to the return of our Lord and Bridegroom, Yahusha ha Mashiach (Jesus Christ). He truly is coming very soon! Note: Both of these books can also be accessed on the Resources page on this site under "Writings, Books, & Blogs". In the last three months or so, I have noticed that the Father has begun speaking to many in my fellowship circle about the Bride of His Beloved Son and His soon coming. I remember when it happened to me and what I began to feel. My first reaction was one of fear that I am not ready! I did not feel joy and anticipation but so desired to! I wanted to be excited and know that I am ready, but I felt the opposite. Since the initial prompting on this topic, so much has happened, and it is evident and crystal clear that the Father Yahuah, the only true God, has a message for me – just as He does for all those who are called to be a part of the Bride of Christ. So much is being shown to me about this, and I believe I am to share it for the edification and encouragement of others who may be in a similar place. It is a heart-quickening message, but it is also a message of faithfulness, hope, and the great, great love of the Father for those who He has chosen to be a part of His family! A little over a week ago, I had a dream. In this dream, I was about to get married. I stood at the wedding in a beautiful white dress, and my husband-to-be was there (although I could not see him), and the guests were there (and I could not see them either). Just before the wedding was to begin, I realized that there was no one to marry us, and we had no vows prepared. I had that sick feeling in my
Needless to say, it shook me up, because I knew it was a message from the Father that I am not yet prepared to be part of the Bride who has been set apart for His Son (please note that I have no doubt about my salvation -- the Bride of Christ is much more!). As I prayed off and on and the day wore on, I began to feel peace and just pondered more and more about the fact that the Father was gracious enough to show me that I am not ready, while there still appears to be time left to get ready! As I pondered more, I wondered what it meant that we had no vows and no one to marry us in the dream. Actually, it was pretty easy to figure that part out. I believe this to be indicative of the fact that MY vows to the Father/Son are not yet solidified nor fully proven and tested, and therefore, the Father was absent from the wedding (as the One who would marry us). He did not show up to officiate this wedding, because I was not yet fit to be His Son’s wife. Yes, this was a hard pill to swallow; but all I can do is swallow it, take heed, and follow His lead to get ready, knowing that He showed me this in love so that I can get ready while there is still time! So the story continues… Just before bed the next night after having had the dream the night before, I was feeling “concerned” again and just began to cry out to the Father. “I don’t want to be an unprepared Bride! You are my life, and I live for you! Your Son came to me 27 years ago when I was at my worst deserving judgment and death, and He graciously and gently blew into me the Breath of Life that changed me forever. I know Him, and I love Him, and my desire is to be His Bride!” Immediately after, I felt lead to go to a website of a teacher and author I have been following for many years and whose work has truly sown into me (I will list all of his information below so his work can bless you too!). I thought I was going to look for a teaching or book on hearing God’s voice, but as soon as I reached the Books page of the site, the very first book listed was titled, “Remnant Bride”. Wow! And after reading the short summary, I knew this was what I was supposed to read. I was overjoyed that my Father heard me!! He first showed me that I am not yet ready to be the Bride of His Son and then immediately lead me to a resource to help me prepare! Needless to say, I started reading the book right away and finished it within a few days. And yes, it was exactly what I needed to get me started. This book is direct, scriptural, provocative (in provoking all who are not ready to get ready!), loving, and greatly encouraging! I recommend this book to all who desire to be THE BRIDE! (And please note, it seems many are quite uninformed as to what it takes to be this Bride!!) You can find the book here. Through this experience, I see even more how that the Father and His Son love me (and this means a great deal having battled doubt for a great while)!! I believe I have been called to be a part of the Bride of Christ; and now I must continue to prepare in all seriousness, diligence, and love for them – all in the strength of the Holy Spirit and as He leads! Also, and in addition, I didn’t even realize that the Father had actually started this preparation in me some time ago, as I have been praying for years now to be filled with more of His Spirit to the point that I only speak, think, do, and act as He leads (how wonderful to finally be in this place of full surrender!) – just like His Bride! I have yearned for this for so long, and now He has begun the process of taking me on the rest of my journey to get there! As I type this, I am reminded of something I read in a wonderful book by Walter Beuttler called, “The Manifest Presence of God”. This one little statement gave me so much hope the day I read it: If God gives us a hunger for Himself, this desire has been produced by the Spirit of God, because that for which we hunger is capable of being attained. The very hunger that we have for more of God is not only God’s call to get us to move in that direction, but it is also the guarantee that we can attain to that for which we hunger, if we will keep following in the direction of the hunger. There’s something else… I feel it important to share that just prior to my dream, about a month ago, something else happened as a precursor to get me to where I am now. This experience included an encounter that could have only been orchestrated by the Father and definitely included a message for me. Basically, He had redirection in mind for me, and it was clear and it was concise. This redirection resulted in me basically stopping everything I was doing, which I thought I was doing for Him and was on the right track (and there were quite a few things). He wanted me unoccupied, undistracted, and in a state of listening. When I understood the message He had for me, I immediately obeyed. Since then, He has been very quick and consistent to show me why. This encounter was the wake-up call that prepared me to hear Him and perceive what He wanted. It lead perfectly to my Bride dream and where things are headed now! And to add some wonderful icing on this beautiful cake, this encounter I speak of came 7 years to the exact date after another encounter I had where He had given me 7 dictionary words about where He was taking me at that time (that was back on 4/14/13, and this recent encounter took place on 4/14/20). He has now shown me that this last 7 years of my walk was a wilderness journey of preparation (which included more death and tribulation than I care to talk about), and now He is taking me on a continued journey of preparation that will be different. If He will do this for me, then He will do it for ALL of those who are seeking Him and want to be fully His. I stand amazed thinking about how He works with us! We are so absolutely precious to Him, so much more than we can comprehend. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:13-16 Since the initial encounter up until now, He has been showing me things that are 100% correlated to being the Bride of Christ, some of which I didn’t even realize initially. I am learning to hear His voice more clearly and to heed His leading in all things, and I am learning a great deal about prayer and worship – so much so that I perceive future posts on those two topics. These two things alone, which are beautifully powerful gifts, are significantly underutilized by the body and are two things every Bride will do in full surrender and consistency (and I need work on both!!). I am amazed at the things He is showing me and teaching me at this late hour, and I am so overwhelmingly thankful! Before I close, I feel it I important to be reminded that the current times we live in include immense challenge. I believe that we sit smack dab in the midst of the last church… the Laodicean church who basically cannot make up her mind. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked… Revelation 3:15-17 For this particular church, there are many other scriptures that I believe explain her behavior and characteristics: For this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. Matthew 15:8 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:2-7 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 2 Peter 3:3-4 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud…. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Psalm 94:2, 7 Because we live in the midst of such a lukewarm church as well as directly exposed to a great beast system, we can be influenced by it all and not even realize it. We can become lax, lazy, compromising, and even spoiled, resulting in lack of consistent intimacy with the Father, lack of truly watching and waiting for the return of His Son, lack of prayer that can make a difference in every aspect of life, and an impatient and murmuring attitude. All of these things do not reflect the activities of a passionate Bride awaiting the return of her Bridegroom, and quite frankly, they are unacceptable for her in any aspect. In all transparency, I have allowed some of these things to creep into my life and walk, and I absolutely abhor the thought. The Father has made it loud and clear that we are running out of time, and our focus should be our submission and operation of the fullness of His Spirit and gifts while yet it is still day! I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4 In closing, I am truly honored to be able to share this journey, in prayerful hope that it will help and encourage others! This blog and the writings I share has been the one steady thing that I know is inspired by the Father and that He has allowed to continue. I give all praises to Him that I can be used, even in some small way. I share for His glory, proclaiming His faithfulness and mercy to lead us and to finish what He has started in conforming us to the image of His Son – that we will be fully ready to be that beautiful, spotless and blameless Bride who is anxiously awaiting His return! Remember, we can be absolutely confident and rest knowing that He is faithful to prepare us! Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ… Philippians 1:6 And one final note of importance... There are many in our country and all over the world who are not concerned about being the Bride of Christ, nor do they even possess the salvation that the Savior, Yahusha ha Machiach (Jesus Christ), so freely offers. While those of us who do and continue to seek the reward of being a part of the Bride of Christ, let us not forget our foundational calling to be His ambassadors and share the gospel of life with those who are lost in our dying world. Let us not be so consumed with our own desires that we forget those who are perishing. This is a heaviness and burden that we should all carry, because it is the very heart of our Father and His Son.
The following is the information about the author I mentioned towards the beginning of this post: Joseph Herrin Home page of website Books page |
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
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