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!
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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.
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 I am amazed (and somewhat bothered) that it has been almost two months since I posted anything. I don't like that, but Father knows what He's doing! I have missed this! I have spent the last two months preparing and packing to move (preparing the new place and the old one!) and then actually moving and getting settled. Basically, Father moved me out into a remote area near a community of believers; He made every move and covered every detail. Obviously, it was somewhat of a big move and has taken much of my time. I am now, however, beginning to get settled. In my reading and time with Father yesterday, I believe He compelled me to share something that I had written back in 2017, during a very trying and dark time in my life. As I have read this writing many times since then, I am always amazed that my fingers typed it. It was only my vessel that actually typed it out; it was the Spirit of the Most High who actually wrote it. It has come up again, because lately I have been thinking much about the Word of Yahauah -- our Beloved Savior Yahusha -- who was and is and is to come; who was before the foundation of the world and has been settled in heaven since the beginning. He is the manifestation of the Father in breath fashioned into the sound of words that reveal to us the very being of the Father, who then came into our dimension as a man, the Son of Man, to actually show us the Father. He is the very breath, word, and image of the Father, and He is the salvation of Him just the same. As I have pondered this magnificent truth, I get lost in the beauty and depth of it. Seems there's only one way to really describe it... Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4). Realizing that through the precious New Covenant made through our Messiah, our Father promised to write the law on our hearts and minds. This law on our minds and hearts is Yahusha, and thus He abides in us (1 John 3:24 and many more!), and we have His mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). The other thing that is directly connected in this regard is faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Yahuah (Romans 10:17). When we look for full understanding of faith, we know that it is the substance (the support, assurance, confidence) of things hoped for and the evidence (proof, conviction) of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). Since faith only comes by hearing the Word, then it is true to say that the basis of faith is the Word; they go hand in hand. Our faith is in the Word, Yahusha, who is the substance (assurance) and the evidence (proof) -- of everything -- everything we are hoping for! I love this, because the Word, Yahusha, is the foundation of everything, thus all things were made by Him, for Him, and through Him -- all things. He is all in all. It is no wonder that the just shall live by faith -- that same faith in the Word, Yahusha -- that is accounted unto us as righteousness! I wanted to share these few things first before I share the writing, because they are a good support and correlation and just confirm and solidify one another. It is a such a blessing of joy when we can begin to see the depth of the Word, especially when it is helping us to know our Savior more intimately and fully. That is what I have felt as I focus on this again lately. It is my prayer that this writing will bless you and feed you just what you need at this moment in time. I would say this one is a bit deep, especially since it has references to the extra-biblical book, The Apocalypse of Baruch. This book is profound and literally contributed to a deeper walk and understanding for me back when I first read it in 2017. If you have never read this book, I would recommend it. It is not too long but is packed with depth. You can find it in PDF form at this link. Please read this writing below slowly and ponder what Father may have for you specifically. I believe it is a blessing, and even I am still blessed when I read it today. Our King is everything we need!! The Son is the Law (written originally in May 2017) For the last several weeks, I’ve been drawn to read The Apocalypse of Baruch again, but in my busyness and amongst the grief of my current trial, I’ve not followed through with this leading. Today, this Sabbath day, I started out reading an article about “the stranger” but was quickly taken back to Baruch. I got up and got the book off the shelf and began to read, at times sobbing over the beauty of the promises within the book as well as the sadness of the judgment to come. So today, as I was in the midst of this wonderful book, I again remembered something that I have recently uttered out of my own mouth more than once… “Christ is the Law; the Son is the Law.” In my mind, I’ve known this for some time because we know the Bible says that He is the Word, but as I pondered it today, it seemed to come alive in my heart. And I spoke it again… “The Son is the Law”. This thought filled with me with energy and a renewed spirit, and as all the scriptures about the law so eloquently spoken in the Psalms were flowing through my mind, I began flipping through the pages of The Apocalypse of Baruch. Then what I already knew I would see, I saw… numerous orange highlights from my prior readings, all about “the Law” with the “L” capitalized, and almost every single one of them screamed “Messiah”. I knew it was time to write, so I got up and got my notebook and began. I don’t think it was any mistake that in initially opening the book (Apocalypse of Baruch), I landed in Chapter 56 where the angel Ramiel is interpreting the vision of the black and bright waters to Baruch. Here I see that the initial sin of Adam blackened the light and allowed the adversary of the light to bring in sin – the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). The black waters descended upon the earth because of the sin of Adam. These black waters brought about death and all bad things that both preclude and result from death. As stated in Chapter 56:7, “What can be blacker or darker than these things?” And I answer… nothing. A short way on in the next chapter, “bright waters” can be seen, which are described as “the fount of Abraham, also his generations and advent of his son, and of his son’s son, and of those like them”. And then something even more profound… “Because at that time the unwritten Law was named amongst them…” (Chapter 57:2) This confirmed everything I was already considering in my mind and spirit – Christ is the Law; He is the Word. But what followed only solidified it all. “Because at that time the unwritten Law was named amongst them, and:
The bright waters of the fountain of Abraham brought about the fulfillment of the Law and all good things associated with it. As the first bullet states, “The works of the commandments were then fulfilled”, the Most High confirms elsewhere in His Word: “Do not think that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am come not to destroy, but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17) “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone that believeth.” (Romans 10:4) “Search the scriptures; for in them, ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39) “For had you believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me.” (John 5:46) In considering these scriptures, I remembered the overall story that most of those in the truth (the real truth) already know… Moses brought the written Law to the people whom “the Law” in the flesh would come through. He asked the people if they would receive this Law, and they said “I do”, but they didn’t. In essence, the Law came first in written form, on stone or rock, as words to obey – words that would lead the people’s actions to display the character of the Most High. This written Law was His Son – the Word – and it would be their righteousness- their obedience through faith in and love for Him. Time and time again, they chose not to obey the Law, forcing the Most High to turn away and separate Himself from them, allowing the curses of the “black waters” to overtake them. Ultimately, the Most High followed through with His plan created from the beginning of time, and He sent His Son in the flesh, in the likeness of His own brethren, to be the fulfillment of the written Law – then manifested in His Son – so that faith in Him would then become their righteousness. He never destroyed or removed the Law (that is, His covenant law); He became the Law in human form and served as an example of how the people should follow it. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” (Romans 3:31) Then the Son nailed the written ordinances against us to the tree, so that faith in Him – a human His people could actually see with all His miracles and signs – would lead them back to the Most High in obedience to His requirements and His ways for holiness. The Son’s death and resurrection conquered the curse of death for disobedience to the written Law. The people would not obey the Messiah as the written Law, although the Most High repeatedly demonstrated His power to them in that time. So, the Law came in physical form, in perfect righteousness and obedience to the Father, dying for His brethren, so that they again may have life… through the Law of the New Covenant!! “For the law of the Spirit of life in Yahusha ha Mashiach hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2) “Beside this he gave them knowledge, and the Law of life for an heritage.” (Ecclesiasticus 17:11) “This is the book of the commandments of God, and the Law that endureth forever; all they that keep it shall come to life, but such as leave it shall die.” (Baruch 4:1) Yahusha said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) The Law is the way, the truth, and the life!! The Way… the Law is the only way to truth and wisdom and to please the Most High. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105) “Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways.” (Proverbs 8:32) “Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the law are of the Lord; love and the way of good works are from Him.” (Ecclesiasticus 11:15) “The word of God Most High is the fountain of wisdom; and her ways are everlasting commandments.” (Ecclesiasticus 1:5) The Truth… the Law is all we know for sure. “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and the law is the truth.” (Psalm 119:142) “Thy word is true from the beginning, and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.” (Psalm 119:160) “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in Heaven.” (Psalm 119:80) “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) “Thou are near, O lord, and all thy commandments are truth.” (Psalm 119:151) The Life… Life on earth and in eternity can only be found in the perfect Law. “The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding and I shall live.” (Psalm 119:144) “… Let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.” (Proverbs 4:4) “Keep my commandments and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.” (Proverbs 7:2) “The knowledge of the commandments of the Lord is the doctrine of life; and they that do things that please Him shall receive the fruit of the tree of immortality.” (Ecclesiasticus 19:19) “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” (Proverbs 6:23) “He made him to hear his voice and brought him into the dark cloud and gave him commandments before his face, even the law of life and knowledge, that he might teach Jacob His covenants and Israel His judgments.” (Ecclesiasticus 45:5) All of the good things that came from the bright waters of Abraham and His seed (the “fount of Abraham”) – the works of the commandments being fulfilled, the belief in the coming judgments, the hope of the renewed world, and the promise of life to come thereafter – were through the unwritten Law. The Son is the Law – the Word, the Truth, the Life, the Way. As I continued to read in the Apocalypse of Baruch, my orange highlights continued to confirm this truth. “But as for you, if ye prepare your hearts, so as to sow in them the fruits of the Law, it shall protect you in that time in which the Mighty One is to shake the whole creation.” (Chapter 32:1) “Thy Law is life, and thy wisdom is right guidance.” (Chapter 38:2) “For we are all one celebrated people, who have received one Law from One, and the Law which is amongst us will aid us, and the surpassing wisdom which is in us will help us.” (Chapter 48:24) “But those who have been saved by their works, and to whom the Law hath been a hope, and understanding an expectation, and wisdom a confidence; to them wonders will appear in their time.” (Chapter 49:7) “Who revealest to those who fear Thee what is prepared for them… and lightest up what is dark, and revealest what is hidden to the pure, who in faith have submitted themselves to Thee and thy Law.” (Chapter 54:4-5) “For at that time, the lamp of the eternal Law shone on all those who sat in darkness…” (Chapter 59:2) “And I answered and said unto them: ‘Shepherds and lamps and fountains came from the Law; and though we depart, yet the Law abideth. If therefore ye have respect unto the Law, and are intent upon wisdom, a lamp shall not be wanting, and a shepherd shall not fail, and a fountain shall not dry up’.” (Chapter 77:15-16) The Law of life must be in the Most High’s people. The Law has always been Christ, whether delivered by Moses engraved in stone, or in the person of Yahusha nailed to the tree. He is the only way, the only truth, and the only true life, and He has been – since the beginning – and will be -- till the end. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:1-5) “And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He that sat upon it was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written that no man knew but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon the white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations; and He shall rule them with a rod of iron; and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!” (Revelation 19:11-16) Picture now the blast of the first light of the dawn through the thick darkness of night! What an explosion of power, might, and light! What an awesome fulfillment of the promises of mercy and joy, ours to behold and receive every single morning! This is only a small atom of the greatness of our God!! Can you imagine that we were created for such beautiful reasons -- to love, to be loved, and to worship the One who made us and redeemed us! The One who created the light and will always and forever triumph over darkness! The One who defines GREATNESS! Let this sink in! This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise! Isaiah 43:21 This post serves one purpose... to speak and shout of His glory and greatness! I am in awe when I read His word about Himself. I pray to know Him more and more, and this is how He shows me! How awesome and majestic is His greatness; how immeasurable is His faithfulness! Oh Yahuah, You are my God. I will exalt You; I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things. Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. Isaiah 25:1 Just allow the following scriptures to penetrate your physical body, then your soul, and then your spirit. Maybe consider listening to the audio of these scriptures, knowing that faith comes by hearing them (an audio link has been provided below): All scriptures in the section below are from Isaiah 40; click here for the audio link for the full chapter. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens with a span [of the hand], and calculated the dust of the earth with a measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or has taught Him as His counselor? Isaiah 40:12-13 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: that bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Isaiah 40:21-23 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Isaiah 40:25-26 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Isaiah 40:28-29 Oh how He is fully worthy for our praise and worship! One day soon, all creation will praise Him together!! Have we praised Him today? I often wonder what our praise does for Him. Does it create a certain frequency that streams quickly through the heavens directly to His ears? Does it bring joy and happiness to His heart, making Him smile? Does it cause Him to then rain down His love upon us to fulfill our every need? Although the Bible does not say this specifically, I think so! If we know He is in the midst of these praises, then He must come to us in some way! We know from experience that our praise brings His presence, and in His presence is fullness of joy! And we know that joy is directly from Him.... isn't this exactly why Yahusha said He wanted His joy in us to be full? When I really ponder all of this, it fills my soul with such satisfaction! And it is in this satisfaction and joy that we praise all the more! For we are His witnesses!! Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. Isaiah 43:10-11 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: Psalm 63:3-5 May your shalom be perfect and your joy be full as you praise our Almighty God and Savior this day, no matter what the circumstances, no matter how you feel, no matter where you are... for this is your purpose in this life and the one to come! Alleluyah!!
The world has sought through it's mainstream "wisdom" and abilities to paint a picture of our Savior for all to see. This picture does no justice and is profoundly flawed, not to mention its blatant disregard for the first commandment. In the deep humbling of our souls and spirits, may we seek to see Yahusha's (Jesus) true and real image, as the Father has clearly provided for us in His word -- this is the image the Father wants us to examine carefully. This is the image that brings knowledge and wisdom to the saving of the soul. Although we know that our Savior has won the victory -- that He has overcome and is now sitting at the right hand of the Father, and He is in glory -- we must remember the image of His humbling, of His breaking, and of His surrender. This very image will remind us of our true call, as we continually follow Him, walking as He walked and enduring as He endured to the very end. Isaiah 53 shows us this beautiful but tragic image so perfectly. Both the KJV and Septuagint** versions so poetically and perfectly describe our King, our Lamb, our Savior.
In truth, and according to God's word, Yahusha (Jesus) took on every single woe of man, from the beginning of His life until the end. He did this in His physical body, in His soul, and in His spirit. He set aside His deity and His glory to take on the image of sinful man in its fullness -- and He did it all for the JOY that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)! He took on every grief from rejection, abandonment, ridicule, mocking, etc.
We see here from the word of our Father that Yahusha took on every woe, every pain, every grief, every disease, every rejection, and every sin. This wasn't just at the tree when He was crucified, or in the congregation of the Roman soldiers where He was severely and ruthlessly beaten and scourged, or even when He was spit upon and His beard torn off His face... this was also His life (noting that Isaiah 52:14 tells us that during His passion, His image was so marred and disfigured that He was unrecognizable as a man)!! He experienced it ALL for our sakes - ALL OF IT! In summary... As taken from the writings of Charles Spurgeon, it is best said like this: My Son, the pure and perfect, will stand in your place and be accounted guilty. And you, the guilty, will stand in my Son's place and be accounted righteous! He took our place, so that we might take His place; He took our sin, so that we might take His righteousness. So the next time you see the world flash an image of our Savior in front of your eyes, immediately remember the true image that our Father has given to us***... and cry, moan, repent, and rejoice!!!! And yes, also remember that He HAS overcome, for it is His overcoming that gives us ours!! His image then and His glory now are our ONLY hope! All honor, glory, praise, adoration, and thanksgiving belongs to Him and Him alone! Notes from references above:
** The Septuagint is a version of the Bible that represents the earliest version of the Old Testament scriptures, which is the translation executed at Alexandria in the third century before the Christian era. (taken from the Introduction of the Brenton Septuagint) *** Please remember that the enemy of our souls has control of the mainstream flow. Be careful believing anything that comes from this, especially the image of Christ. We are told in the first commandment (Exodus 20:4) not to make any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in Heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. The question is... why is the world feeding us an image?? |
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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