sticks or nations

   

"As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: 'For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions'” (Ez. 37:16).

In this famous Ezekiel 37 passage, YHVH tells Ezekiel to pick up a stick, or “a tree”, “etz”, and to write Judah’s name on it. After he completes the task YHVH tells him to take another “stick” and write Joseph’s and Ephraim’s names on it (Eze.37:16). YHVH is clearly focusing here on Israel’s two houses (see also Is. 8:14).  He even challenges the people of the two nations, by telling the prophet to hold the two sticks up in front of their eyes. Upon seeing them, they will inquire of him: “Will you not show us what you mean by these?” (Ez. 37:18).

YHVH tells them what these two “etzim” are, although He doesn’t do it directly. Instead, He foretells their destiny. In the context of this prophecy He answers their question, saying that these are two nations divided into two kingdoms (ref. v.22).  The first of the two nations that YHVH exiled out of the land was the northern kingdom of Joseph/Ephraim. We can read about their prophetic destiny in Hosea chapter 1 (and in many other biblical references).  Later, the nation of Judah was also cast off their land for the same reason - iniquity and sin.   Both these peoples were expelled from the land and scattered into all the nations.  Thus both lost their national identity.  However, according to His word, YHVH intends to restore both “etzim” (trees/nations).      

When the time finally came for the restoration of the two nations, Judah’s stick/nation appeared before Joseph’s.  This order has been true in the family of Jacob all along, as Judah was born before Joseph and had taken the leadership in the family from Reuben (who had lost his firstborn privileges).  Even the apostle Paul recognized this order in the family of Jacob, when he wrote: “to the Jew first” (Rom 1:16; 2:9-10).  Yeshua also came first to the people of Judah, as did the outpouring of the Spirit of Holiness. 

In the last hundred years, YHVH has been restoring by His Spirit the national identity of the House of Judah.  Once this first “etz” was brought back to the land, the Spirit began to unveil the “hidden ones” of the House of Joseph/Ephraim.  Why would He do this?  Obviously to fulfill His word that He spoke through His prophets of old.  Because YHVH is faithful, He will gather the second of the two “etzim” trees/nations and restore it as well, just as He did the first one.  But in order to have two trees become “one in His hand”, He must first have two separate and distinct “etzim”.

How did He bring about the restoration of the first “etz”?  When the time came He stirred the hearts of a handful of Jews, and they responded to the call.  So it will be with the second nation.  There are a number of us who have been stirred for years over this move of the Holy One of Israel.  So far we have only seen the Spirit bring back to remembrance our ancestral identity as Ephraimites, but is that all there is to the story?  No!  We, also, like our brothers from the first “etz”, must become a nationally recognized people (the second stick/tree).  We obviously cannot be of this first nation of Judah; we must be of the second tree/stick, and have our own government and national identity, just as the prophet was told to write: “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.”

It should be apparent that our government is a theocracy ruled by a King.

This King must be of the House of David and anointed by YHVH to rule over His nation (Jacob/Israel).  Every subject must pledge allegiance to the King and His government - the Spirit of Holiness (ref. Rom 14:17). We all should know by now who this King is, and be mature in our responsibilities to serve Him.  The angel Gabriel, sent by YHVH, announced before His birth who He would be:  "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Yeshua/Jesus (which means salvation). "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and YHVH will give Him the throne of His father David. "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:31-33).  Paul and Barnabas, after returning to Antioch, preached the gospel in a synagogue, confirming that the gospel is about Yeshua the Messiah Son of David (Acts 13:32-44).

At this point in time the Greek-originated form of government, that is, democracy, governs Judah.  This is why it becomes paramount that Yeshua Son of David governs us, who form the second tree/nation.  Yeshua returned to His Father in the heavens in order to take up residence in the hearts of His called out ones, and govern them through the Spirit of Holiness.  The establishment of an Ephraimite nation here on this earth will not work without each of the subjects having this kingdom dominion in his heart.  Both Judah and the Palestinians declared their national identity before they had a piece of land to call their own.  Thus, we must not be ashamed of our national roots either, especially since we have a government not of this world order.   Peter, writing to the aliens, that is the “people living along side, or in, the heathen nations”, tells them that they are a Holy nation (ref. Pet.1:1; 2:9). He tells them that to be a nation and to have a national identity is perfectly acceptable, even while living amongst the other nations.  This is what Judah did 50 years before the other nations recognized their national identity (although there are some that still do not acknowledge its existence).  We too must raise the level of our consciousness at this time, to be compatible with the prophetic word concerning us.  Ephraimites, we are the second stick or nation. But because we have a righteous King, after the order of Melchizedec, ruling us, and a holy government in our hearts, we remain at this point a separate and distinct “etz” (nation) from Judah!  We have to become accustomed to being obedient bondservants and subjects of our King.  

May we all “examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith for do we not know this about ourselves that Yeshua the Messiah [son of David] is in us” (2Cor. 13:5)!

Ephraim                     08/08/03

restoration

Letter 190 (restoration)                                                        01/08/03 

We hear a lot these days about renewal, restoration, and revival. The move of YHVH’s Spirit is making itself known in many corners of the globe.  However, are these showers of refreshing only an indication of the ‘much more’ which is to come?   The following scripture would indicate that this indeed is the case: “Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of YHVH; and that He may send Yeshua the Messiah appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the periods of time of restoration of all things about which YHVH spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times”  (Acts: 3:19-21). ).  It is very interesting to note that the Hebrew word for “restore” is the same as for “repent” - “shoov.”  This term also has other shades of meanings such as: to turn back to a starting point, to come back home, recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, requite, rescue, retrieve, reverse, reward.

As we journey back to the “ancient times”, we find the prophets quite consistent about a “restoration”, especially of the house of Jacob. One of the first assignments given to the Messiah, for example, was: “to bring Jacob back in order that Israel might be gathered to Him...to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel” (Is. 49:5). “The [two] sticks on which you have written shall be in your hand before their eyes; and say to them, ‘thus says YHVH; ‘Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.  And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all, and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all’” (Ez. 37:20-22).

The restoration of the “falling booth [succah] of David” (united Israel), in Acts 15:16, is another example of Jacob’s restoration as a national entity.  The angel speaking to Miriam about Yeshua said that, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and YHVH will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:32-33).

The last verse written by the last of the prophets from the “ancient times”, Malachi, also has to do with this latter day restoration: “He will restore [or turn]  the hearts of the children to the fathers”  (Mal. 4:6).  Who are the children? Who are the fathers?  In the Tanach, the word “fathers” almost always refers to the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the word “children” to their progeny, or seed.  

Throughout the scriptures we see YHVH working or doing things secretly, things that are hidden from the eyes of our understanding; For example when YHVH multiplied the seed of Abraham, He did it without the Patriarchs’ knowledge, as we see in the following passages: “You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not recognize us, yet You are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is Your name” (Is. 63:16). “Therefore thus says YHVH, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale; But when He sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will sanctify My name’” (Jer.29:22-24).   

In YHVH’s prophetic time He will reveal, lift the veils and bring to light that which He Himself has hidden.  Are we in that great hour of revelation-restoration, when the sons of Zion arise and shine with the light that comes from the glory of YHVH (ref. Is. 60)? Are these the times of the restoration of the two sticks, the two nations, or the two families? Are the children yearning for their true identity? Are they looking for their roots, and desiring to return home sometimes without even understanding why?  Is this the time in which YHVH Himself is acting upon the hearts in answer to the prayer of our forefathers: “Restore us to Yourself YHVH, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old” (Lam.5:21)?

“I have surely heard Ephraim grieving ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for You are YHVH my Elohim’” (Jer. 31:18). Is this the time when God’s blazing judgments upon the house of Joseph end, and His loving kindness and compassion begin? Ephraim (the whole house of Joseph) was called a gentile, not my people, an outcast, the banished ones and an orphan.  But now, in the Messiah, the Ephraimites are called vessels of mercy, watchmen, priest of the most High God and sons of the living God.  “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.  I will gather you from the remotest parts of the earth, with weeping you shall come, with supplication I will lead you; a great company you shall return here [to the land] for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn” (Jer.31:3, 8-9).

The above statement to the Ephraimites is of paramount importance to their restoration and healing, especially from the wounds of rejection and torment.  Ephraim has been an orphan for over 2,500 years, and therefore does not know the Father’s love.   These returning sons need to receive into their heart this word from a loving heavenly Father: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness”.   Because of their losses orphans many times are filled with bitterness.  There is one sure way of getting rid of these tormenting spirits, and that is to embrace the Father’s love through His Son and our Messiah Yeshua.

“Therefore behold days are coming, ‘declares YHVH, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As YHVH lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but ‘As YHVH lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them, for I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers’” (Jer.16:14-15).

“In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel [Ephraim], and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave their fathers as an inheritance” (Jer. 3:18).

Ephraim

Fathers

  

 In last week’s letter we noted that the apostles John and Paul had both pointed out the immaturity (re: “babes and children”) in the body of Messiah, furnishing some of the reasons for this arrested growth.  Strife, envy, divisions etc. were named, but these were only the tip of the iceberg.  Let us investigate further into what might be behind this problem.

While I was contemplating this topic, several scripture passages came to my mind: “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge” (Is. 5:13). What is the knowledge referred to here?  “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves...having a form of godliness, but denying the power ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim. 3:1, 5, 7).  “Never coming to the knowledge of truth”; could this be the answer to the above question?  The Word tells us that in these “last days” knowledge will increase (ref. Dan 12:4), however, even though man becomes more knowledgeable, he still remains blinded to the knowledge of the truth, resulting in perilous times. What makes those days hazardous, death- defying and dangerous?  Here the apostle unveils the rest of the iceberg: “For men shall be lovers of their own selves [fleshly], 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, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:2-4).

Where is it that all of these characteristics come from in the first place? This may sound like a trite questions, but never the less, let us see what Yeshua has to say. Yeshua gives us a little glimpse when he says: “That which comes out of the man that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things [thoughts] come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23).

How did mankind end up with such a heart condition?  All of you are familiar with the scriptures that tell the story, and so just to reiterate briefly, when man ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he took into himself a seed that very quickly germinated in the depth of his being (his heart).  The nature of that seed came from a spiritual father who abode in that tree.  Yeshua tells us who became our father in that one act of disobedience: “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it, and because I tell you the truth, you believe me not” (John 8:43-45). Interestingly, the Tree of Knowledge is devoid of truth.  John must have been a good student of Yeshua, as later he would write: “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning… In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not [do] righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother” (1 John 3:8,10).  Paul also identifies Satan’s offspring: “Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Eph. 2:2-3). 

Paul very clearly identifies this very problem in himself, making the following confession: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not, for the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Rom. 7:18-20). Paul recognized that he still had in his being another nature called the “flesh”, or “carnal man”.  This is the residue of the Adamic life, which man was impregnated with by a spiritual father - the devil - and is manifested as the “flesh”.  However, Paul does not identify himself any longer with that father or nature, but at the same time does not deny the existence of the “body of sin” in his being, adding, “It is no more I that do this [committing what is abhorrent to me and against my own will] but sin that dwells in my members” (v.20).  He then identifies himself (by faith) with the One who can deliver him from this aspect of his being, that he describes as “wretched”. “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord” (Rom 7:24).   

Who then is Paul’s spiritual father?  Is it God, or is it Satan?  Just like John, Paul is saying to us: Both, depending on which nature we allow ourselves to walk in. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah Yeshua, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom.8:1). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:14-16).  “And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6). “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures” (James 1:18).  Please note that when we are born of His Spirit, truth incarnates in us and thus bears fruit. What kind of fruit? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Messiah's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-25).

The amazing thing about you and I is that, as believers, we have a choice as to which spiritual father we wish to identify with. Depending on that decision, we will either be channels and servants for the establishing of one of two kingdoms on earth.  If we walk in the Spirit, we establish God’s kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. If we walk after the lusts of the flesh, we will be establishing Satan’s kingdom.  Our forefathers were given a very similar choice: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve YHVH, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve YHVH” (Joshua 24:15).  Ephraim   July 25, 2003

Little Children

                                                          

In his first letter the apostle John gives us an idea of the maturing process in the new creation man.  He addresses children, young men and fathers.  To children he writes, “that they sin not” (2:1) and that in order to know him, they must keep his commandments (2:3).  He writes to these little children, as they are to know that their sins are forgiven them for His name's sake and that they know the Father (2:12-13).  They are also to be able to discern the last times and overcome the many antichrists that come because they know that “greater is He that is in them than He that is in the world” (2:18) (4:4).   The little children are also to abide in Him, and to have confidence and not to be ashamed at His coming (2:28); the Greek word for coming is “parousia” and one of its meanings is “presence” thus it could read, “not to be ashamed of His presence within them”.  There are a few Greek words that are translated many times as “coming”, such as  “parousia” which is His hidden presence in the life of a believer, but is also used for His future coming.  “To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before Elohim, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah with all His saints” (1 Thes. 3:13).

“Erchomai” means to come from one place to another, to appear, to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself.  For example “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26).

Apokalupsis - holds the meaning of being revealed, or unveiled, manifested, or appearing.  “So that you do not lack in any gift; waiting for the coming of our Messiah Yeshua” (1 Cor. 1:7).  This word could be used to mean, the unveiling of His “Parousia” “ hidden presence”.  We must keep in mind that Messiah has a past coming, present coming and a future coming.  So many times we get our eyes on the hope of a future coming that we miss His present comings  “apokalupsis” in our lives.   Paul the apostle prayed that we may be given a spirit of wisdom and revelation (apokalupsis) in the knowledge of Him (Eph 1:17); this prayer was meant for each believer to know Him in their daily lives.  

Why is this so important to the little children?  Because in order for the children to know who they are and to grow to maturity, they must know who He is, as He is the life and nature of the new creation being.  This is what it means when the scriptures use the wording of “for His name sake”.   Little children your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake and that you have known the Father (2:12-13). If you know the Son, you know that your sins are forgive; if you know the Son, you know the Father.  Yeshua told His disciple “Have I been so long time with you, and yet you do not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; then how can you say: ‘shew us the Father?’.  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?  The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwells in me, He does the works” (John 14:8-10).  Someone else asked Yeshua to shew them the Father, Yeshua’s answer is quite revealing: “You neither know me, nor my Father; if you had known me, you should have known my Father also” (John 8:19).  This knowledge of the Father’s life in the Son is very important for the growth of the new creation child.

 

John goes on to tell the little children, not to let any man deceive them as “he that does righteousness is born of YHVH and is righteous, even as He is righteous.  But he that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  These little children are to know the purpose that the Son of God was manifested, that is that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 2:28; 3:7-8).

John sums up his description of a child of YHVH’s by describing them by their behavior and comparing them to the children of the devil.  “Whosoever does not do righteousness is not of God, and neither is the one that does not love his brother.” (3:10)  The children of YHVH are not just to love in word or with the tongue but they are to love one another in deed and in truth.  Then he tops it off by telling them to keep themselves from idols.

The apostle Paul also describes babes in Messiah, by their behavior toward one another.  He talks about feeding them with milk and not with meat as they are not ready yet for something so strong.  He tells them that their behavior is carnal, because there is envy and strife and division and that they are walking like unredeemed men (1 Cor 3:1-3).

From the above analysis of a born again believer, it would seem that most of us are still in the childhood stages of maturation.  How many of us can claim to be free of sinning by overcoming the power of sin that still works in our members through abiding in Yeshua?  “in Him there is no sin, but whosoever abides in Him sins not.” (3:5-6).   John tells us that the young men have over come the evil one. How? By simply abiding! To “abide” (meno) means to remain, dwell, continue, not to depart, endure. . In other words Yeshua in them has destroyed the works of the devil through the abiding faith of the believer.  Once the believer begins to mature to this degree, he may enter into the fatherhood stage and begin to nurture the children of YHVH in the same way that he himself has overcome. 

Where are we today in the body of Messiah?  Do we hold a form of godliness but deny the power? (2 Tim 3:5).  Have we matured beyond being babes, can we even claim to be children, let alone young men.  I don’t think we can even mention fathers yet.  Because of the strife, envy, and division in His people, YHVH speaking through His prophet Isaiah,  prophesied what would happen, “I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them; and the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable” (Is. 3:4-5).

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God… Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear (phaneroo: to make known that which is hidden or invisible), we shall be like him; for we shall see Him as He is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure” 1 John 3: 1-3).

Ephraim                July 18, 2003

Koinonia/Fellowship

(koinonia/fellowship)                           July 11, 2003

“And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4).

Messiah Yeshua exhorted us to “seek first the kingdom of Elohim” (Matt 6:32).  But what is this kingdom of Elohim?   In the writings of Paul it has been recorded that “the kingdom of Elohim is righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit of Holiness” (Rom. 14:17).   Where is this kingdom?  The Apostle John seemed to have a practical handle on this mystery.  He summarized it in one word, “fellowship/koinonia”.   “Our fellowship/koinonia is with the Father and the Son Yeshua the Messiah” (1 John 1:3), and if you join us in this “koinonia”, he continued, your joy will be made full. In other words, that portion of YHVH’s kingdom will become complete in your life.

Is the manifestation (potential or factual) of this kingdom in our being just a matter of grace, or do we have to work at it?  The answer may lie in the meaning of the word “koinonia”.  The relationship implied by “koinonia” is more than just going out and having a beer with a friend, or a chat with a girl friend, or getting together for a picnic in the park.  Koinonia means communion, intercourse, intimacy and joint participation.  All of these speak of what one should be enjoying in a marriage relationship. Thus the definition for this word sheds even more light on our relationship with the Father and His Son.  John then tells us how we might have this kind of “koinonia”. He says that it is conditioned upon our “walking”.

This proposition sounds easy enough… But John goes on to clarify this “walk”: Elohim is light, and if you walk in the light you will have spiritual “koinonia”.   However, if you walk in darkness you will also have koinonia, but not with the Father or with His Son.  Who will you then have intimacy with?  I hate to even think about it…but we do not have to be Satan worshipers in order to have koinonia with him and his hordes of demons.

If we are to manifest the joy of YHVH’s kingdom on this earth, we must walk in the light as He is in the light.  Whose responsibility is it to establish His kingdom here and now?  Do the scriptures say anything about being passive, not needing to seek or walk out kingdom life, or not having to work out our own salvation?  Remember, one of the definitions for koinonia is “joint participation”.   What would a marriage relationship be like if one of the partners were to stop participating in it?

In some of my past writings I have been using a term that has fallen short of what our Father is doing in this hour of restoration.  I have said and have written that we are returning back to our “Hebraic roots”.  More recently I have felt the sting of correction in that we are not returning to our Hebraic roots, as they are only a passing point on our way back to the Garden of Delight (Eden), back to where we once walked in the cool of the morning or evening with our Creator. This is not something that is out of reach; it has been made available through the redemptive work of our Messiah.    “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Yeshua the Messiah, His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  Sin is what separated us in the first place, and had us kicked out of “koinonia”.  But now that sin has been dealt with and we have been born again, we have a new heart an a new spirit and we are no longer identified with the body of sin, in spite of the power of sin that still dwells in our members, because it is no longer us (see Romans 7:17)!   “Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God”  (1 John 3:9).  There is no other way back to the Garden of Delight (Joy), back to the kingdom of Elohim, except by the way which YHVH our Creator has paved in and through His Son.  There are some who in pursuit of going back to their “Hebraic roots” have forsaken Yeshua, even under the warnings of all the apostles, but none so clear as John who says: “Whosoever denies the Son, has not the Father: [but] he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23).  In one way it is a joy to hear how many believers are returning to the whole counsel of Elohim (all the scriptures), but on the other it is sad to know that some have left the New Covenant teachings and have denied Yeshua.

If we are to progress in this restoration of YHVH’s kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy, it will not be someone else who will do the work for us. On the contrary, YHVH has made the way, now it is up to us to walk in the fellowship of obedience to His Word.  A sister word to “koinonia” is “abide” (meno): to remain, dwell, continue, not to depart, endure.  “The anointing [Spirit of Holiness] which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him.  And now, little children, abide in Him” (1 John 2:27-28). “Whosoever abides in Him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither knows Him” (1 John 3:6).  “He that says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6).  Scriptures are very clear; we must do the walking and it is not through the yellow pages, but it is in His light where we have koinonia with the Father, His Son Yeshua our Messiah and with one another, making our joy complete.  

Ephraim

Thy Kingdom Come

Letter 186 (Thy Kingdom Come)                                                     July 4^th 2003

The heart cry of the Messiah can be found in the very prayer that He taught us to pray: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth....”(Matt. 6:10).  The Messiah came to do the will of His Father and to fulfill all that was given to Him to accomplish.  However, on the last day that He was here on earth (after His resurrection), His followers asked him: “When will you restore the kingdom [of YHVH] to Israel?”  Before Yeshua’s birth the angel Gabriel proclaimed that He would rule over the house, or nation, of Jacob and that “His kingdom would be an everlasting kingdom” (Luke 1:32-33).  Are we, in this generation, truly taking part in the restoration of YHVH’s kingdom?

The government of YHVH on this earth is to be made visible through a holy or sanctified nation of kings and priests, set apart for His namesake. And that is indeed who we are (although not in a fully manifest form).  As long as the enemies of the kingdom can keep us from being a “holy” (set apart) nation, a real political kingdom entity on this earth, they will not be threatened. If our adversary can satisfy us with a Babylonian garment of religiosity and with a Greek political system, his authority and dominion will not be challenged. As a matter of fact, if we continue to walk in the flesh (unrighteousness - lawlessness), we will most likely be aiding his purpose of establishing his own kingdom, which according to scripture is to become very powerful in the latter days.  “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4).  However there is one who will make war with him and win.  “For this purpose the Son of YHVH was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). 

How is Yeshua going to destroy the works of the devil? Perhaps by using the bow and the arrow of Zechariah 9:11, or the mighty army of Ezekiel 37:10... “I have bent Judah for me as a bow, and filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man in My hand” (Zech 9:11). “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel” [all of the house of Judah and all of the house of Joseph] (Eze. 37:10-11). “Behold, they say, our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, thus says YHVH Elohim; ‘Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel” (verses 10-12). “I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all” (verses 21, 22).  YHVH’s objective is to reunite the two nations, two houses, two sticks, two kingdoms into one. Additionally, in the process He is also giving us a new heart, new nature, a new spirit and writing His Torah on our hearts. Why?  In order to establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

WARNING!  We are in the day that the HOLY ONE, YHVH, is fulfilling this prophetic word.  However, some are arguing that this move is of the devil. Attributing the work of YHVH to Satan is nothing short of blaspheming the Holy One. 

In the meantime, the house of Joseph, through the blessing of his son Ephraim, has been fulfilling his prophetic mandate to become the “fullness of the nations.” At the end of this age, which we are in now, the Messiah Himself is re-gathering these lost sheep and restoring to them their original identity and purpose. He is taking the aliens, that is the Israelites that are living in foreign lands, those who were “once not my people” (Hos. 1:10) and is gathering them into messianic flocks and preparing them to return home at the sound of the Shepherd’s whistle (Zech 10:8).

Messianic Israelite, be encouraged today:  “For behold, days are coming,’ declares YHVH, ‘when I will restore the captivity of My people Israel and Judah.  I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall posses it’” (Jer. 30:2). “In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance” (Jer. 3:18). But if we are going to establish His kingdom, we first must have His kingdom in us.   What is the kingdom of YHVH? “The kingdom of Elohim is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Spirit of Holiness (Rom 14:17).

We need YHVH’s anointing of the Spirit of Holiness in order for us to become the expression of His life and nature so as to establish His righteousness, peace and joy here on earth.  Because YHVH has called us to be kings and priests, we must ask ourselves which kingdom are we representing; which kingdom are we establishing here on earth?  Are we kings and priest of lawlessness, iniquity and sin, or are we kings and priests of His righteousness, peace and joy?

Ephraim

“How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity...for in this God commands the blessing - life eternal” (Ps. 133:1-3)

New Heart

Letter 185 (new heart)                                                                              13/06/03

In last week’s letter we began to look at the condition of man’s heart, which did not make a very ‘pretty picture’. Yes, if we were to look around us for tangible evidence of an imminent heart change, we would quickly lose hope. However, in spite of this grim appearance of things, YHVH has promised in His Word to give us a new heart and a new spirit.  

About a year ago I heard a certain rabbi in Jerusalem, read from the Tanach (Old Testament) many of the wonderful promises that were prophesied about this heart change.  Upon terminating, the rabbi commented that as of yet he had not seen any evidence of these scriptures being fulfilled.  Those of us in the audience who were believers in the New Covenant came under conviction at that moment, realizing that we, who bear YHVH’s name (nature), have not been an effective testimony of the reality of Yeshua’s holy life in us.   Perhaps if we delve into the “heart of the matter”, we will discover the reasons for this poor witness.

There is a certain question I had recently posed to the Teacher (Spirit of Holiness): “When is it that we receive this new heart?”  Almost immediately a picture came to my mind, of Yeshua’s body as He hung on the execution tree and the centurion thrusting the head of his spear up through the side and into the heart.  I saw water mingling with blood oozing out of the wound, and slowly running down His body to the ground (John 19:34). Following this picture, a very tender thought came to my mind:  “Here at the “cross” is where I removed your evil heart, when you believed and accepted My Son as your Savior, Redeemer and Messiah. Right then and there you were given the new heart.”  I wept at the compassion and love that I felt at that moment.  I also knew that I could not have received His Spirit life without this heart transplant.  The new creation spirit man cannot dwell in the habitation of the old heart; it would be like putting new wine in old wine skins (Matt 9:17).

 Thus says YHVH: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh” (Ez. 36:26).  Again He says, "I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh” (Ez. 11:19).   “I will cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein you have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel” (Ez. 18:31).  Through Yeshua’s death on Passover YHVH removed “As far as the east is from the west… our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12).  If that had not happened on Passover, there would be no Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost).  Therefore, if the fulfillment of the above scriptures constitutes the life of a true believer in Yeshua, what then is our problem?  The answer may be found in those very same scriptures, where YHVH says that He will take out of our flesh one kind of heart and will replace it with another.  In other words, He places the new heart in the very same ‘flesh pot’.  What does the “flesh” indicate?  The Hebrew word is “basar”, which could designate only the physical part of man’s being. In last week’s article we used the typology of the Tabernacle to describe natural man (see

1Cor. 3:16-12).  If we were to continue along the same vein, “flesh” would represent the “outer court”.  However, there is still another part of the Tabernacle that stands between the “heart” and the “flesh” (outer court), and that is the soul (the Hebrew word is “nephesh”) - “the holy place”. 

Last week I maintained that the heart was comparable to the “Holy of Holies”. But as I was contemplating this, I realized that “aron hakodesh”, literally the “holy cabinet” or “box” which is the article in the “Holy of Holies” known as the “ark of the testimony”, more accurately defines our heart.  This cabinet housed the rod of Aaron, the manna and the tablets of stone.  All of these are symbolic of the presence of Yeshua in the new heart; Aaron’s rod which budded would be His high priestly calling, and anointing for bring forth life from the dead. The manna is the “bread of life”, while the tablets are the living Torah or Word of life.   The Spirit of Holiness, shining in and through Yeshua, is the light (Shekinah) that emanates above the “mercy seat” and fills the Holy of Holies. Hopefully this gives us a glimpse into what our innermost being looks like. 

However, our Tabernacle, as we all know so well, is not without its difficulties.  In letter 181 (enemies of the cross) this problem was addressed.  Paul describes it as “something that is at work in our members”, or, to use his own words, “the law of sin working in my[his] members” (Rom. 7:23).  What did the apostle mean by the term “members”?   I believe he was speaking of the “members of the soul”, that is the mind, will and emotions.  We know that the heart of man is not the soul, as the scriptures do not say that the soul is to be replaced.  Rather, it must be renewed or restored. Psalms 19:7 and 23:3 both tell us that YHVH’s desire is to restore our soul.  Restore it from what? - From the influence of the old heart condition or spiritual nature, or in other words, from “the old man of sin”.  Our Holy Place has been desecrated by the “spirits of this evil world”, and even as believers if our mind (lamp-stand), will (table of showbread) and emotions (incense altar) have not been renewed, we will continue to behave in the same manner that we did before our heart transplant. 

YHVH’s command or requirement upon all His people is to: “Fear YHVH Elohay’nu,  to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Him with all our heart and with all our soul” (Deut. 10:12).  YHVH has known all along that without changing the heart, it would virtually be impossible for man’s soul to respond to His love.  He, therefore, by His tender mercies, initiated and accomplished the first of these promises, and that was to give us a heart to love Him; but not only Him, also our own self and one another. 

a heart matter

Letter 184 (heart)                                                                                         06/06/03

“It’s a matter of the heart”, or “let’s get to the heart of the matter”, are rather common idioms. After last summer’s heart attack, I became acutely aware that I too have one, which up until then just beat away, seemingly minding its own business while my mind went about its daily affairs and allowed me to be cognizant of the many things around me.  As we all know, the scriptures also speak about the “heart” (in a figurative manner), to which I would like to hold a stethoscope in this letter, as that spiritual organ is totally essential to the functioning of the ‘whole man’, yet, like the physical heart, most of the time we don’t even know that it is there. 

The first mention of “heart” (“lev” in Hebrew) in the scriptures, is YHVH’s observation about His created being called “man”:   “And Elohim saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  It grieved the heart of YHVH because of the condition of man’s heart”  (Gen. 6:5-6).  Even after He judged that generation and destroyed it with a flood, the basic condition, or nature of man did not change, as seen in the following passage: “And YHVH said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done” (Gen 8:21).   YHVH continues to point to the heart of man through the prophet Jeremiah:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (17:9). Yeshua also describes the heart’s condition: “For from within, out of the heart of man, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, coveting, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21-22).

The definition for heart (not physical) refers to it as mind, spirit, inner man, will or emotion.  My modified version of these definitions is that the heart is (supposed to be) the ‘holy of holies of the human tabernacle’.  It is the part that houses the spirit, and thus is the seat of man’s inherent nature (in its pure or corrupt form).  I believe that the soul of man is the “holy place”, where the mind, will and emotions are resident; these simply react to, or imitate the spiritual nature of the inner man.  The scriptures say that “the word of YHVH is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Thus we must use the Word of YHVH to discern and know the heart’s true condition.

How in the world did man’s spiritual nature change from that which was full of delight (“eden”), while his soul fellowshipped in the presence of the Creator in the environment of love and acceptance, to the condition YHVH describes in the above verses? Before man’s disobedience there was no veil of separation in man’s tabernacle, no burning turning sword to keep him out of this beautiful relationship with the tree of life (Yeshua).  What happened to the heart of man after he partook of the tree of knowledge, which represented an altogether different spiritual way of life (or should I say “death”)?  The fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was poison to the soul of man.  The seed of that tree was in the fruit, and was planted in the soil of man’s heart.  It grew and reproduced itself, hardening the rich soil of the heart, turning it into stone.  Satan is seated in this tree and uses it to fulfill his evil purposes to lie, steal and destroy the works of YHVH.  The nature of that tree is to consume its host.  It feeds like a parasite or cancer off man’s soul, ultimately having an effect upon the physical body in the form of sickness, disease and death.

The root system of this tree is embedded deeply in the soil of man’s heart, and it is a system that is diametrically opposed to YHVH’s; instead of love and truth it is made up of hatred and lies.  These roots give rise to a trunk made up of rebellion, disobedience or unbelief.  “Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience or unbelief” (Heb. 4:6).  (Interestingly, the Greek word for unbelief and disobedience is the same, “apeithieia”, reminiscent of the English word “apathy”.)  From this trunk grow three main limbs, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life.  “For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).  These three areas were first revealed in the garden, when Eve looked at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise” (Gen. 3:6).   From that beginning point this tree spread out its branches and started to bear fruit.

Cain was the firstborn of this expression, which his heartbeat clearly displayed in the form of disobedience when he withheld the first fruits of his labor. In selfishness and self-centeredness he lusted for the cream of the crop.  He didn’t offer to his Creator that which belonged to Him. Thus Cain’s sacrifice was rejected, and so was he from his firstborn place in the family.   Bitterness and rejection formed the basis of his expression. This resulted in unforgiveness and resentment, and from these two branched out anger and hatred, which then climaxed in murder.  

The heart is where all our attitudes are formed toward YHVH, toward our own self and toward others.  Because the heart is in this unloving condition, it is impossible for man to love God, himself and his neighbor (as himself).  With this being our state of being, what must we do to change this situation?   Obviously we are not able to transform our hearts, but YHVH declares that through His grace and mercy He would enact another covenant with the house of Israel and the House of Judah, through which He would give us a new heart and put a new spirit with in us, writing His commandments upon our hearts of flesh. “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says YHVH: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:33).  And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am YHVH and they shall be my people, and I will be their Elohim; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart” (Jer. 24:7).  

YHVH, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, says that “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh” (36:26).  Again He says, "I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh” (11:19).  He promises to “cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel” (Eze. 18:31).

Rav. Shaul, writing to the believers in Rome about the new covenant, strikes right at the heart of the matter when he declares “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank YHVH -- through Yeshua Ha Mashiach our Lord!” (Rom. 7:24-25). 

At Passover YHVH dealt with our transgression, and now, on Shavuot, He gives us a new spirit. (To be continued)…

Under Law?

Letter 183 (under law)                                                                            25/05/03

At the end of last week’s letter I quoted a scripture from Galatians which included the following: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).  As I was reviewing the letter before sending it out, the little phrase at the end “against such there is no law”, captivated my attention.  I’m sure all of us are acquainted with the overused idiom “being under the law”.   As I was contemplating it, I had come to the realization that I better study this out and discover for myself what this really means. I have heard this expression used many times in different contexts. One time, for example, I was invited for breakfast in a Jerusalem hotel with a pastor of a very large church, who also had satellite churches, and with some of his elders. Being with this man was very special, as I could see that he really had a father’s heart for the people whom he was serving.  In the course of discussing different matters I happened to mention, quite innocently and inadvertently, the word “Torah”. Suddenly the pleasant atmosphere took a turn; it became charged…  The pastor turned beet red, picked up his plate with half of the scrambled egg shaking like jelly upon its surface, and glared down at me as if I were the devil in disguise. With a shrill voice he said: “We are not under the law!”  I was surprised and shocked at the reaction that one such little word could produce.  I found myself putting my hand on his arm, and suggesting that perhaps we needed to define our terminology.  Things settled down a little, but I knew that our fellowship had been disrupted, and that we were on two sides of a fence. 

For those of us who have returned to Torah for instruction and for learning more about the kingdom of YHVH, these reactions from fellow believers is a much too common occurrence.  However, what does it mean to be “under the law”?  The Apostle Paul, using himself as the example, says something very interesting: “And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Messiah,) that I might gain them that are without law (1 Cor. 9:20-21).  I have a feeling that if Paul were to walk around today, as he did then, dressed like a Rabbi, he would immediately be accused of being “under the law” and would not be allowed in most “churches”. As a matter of fact, it is most likely that in such places he and his writings would be considered heretical.  Paul enjoyed the freedom of identifying with the various groups, because he understood what it meant to be “under the law of God”, in Messiah.  He knew that justification and righteousness were through faith and personal identity with the death, burial and resurrected life of his Messiah. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Torah and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Yeshua the Messiah, to all and on all who believe” (Rom. 3:21-22). 

From the above scripture we can deduce that Rav Shaul was referring to two separate and distinct “laws”, if you will – the law of liberty in Messiah, and the law of sin and death, the latter being augmented and explained upon Israel’s sin and rebellion at Mount Sinai.  Through the commandments YHVH gave a complete picture of the law of sin and death from His perspective, and what His requirements were for the redemption and restoration of Israel, and all mankind, from the consequences of the rebellion against His Word: “For all have sinned an fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). That is, after eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, man came under the power of the kingdom of darkness and was subject to the law (sin and death) that governs it.  “And YHVH commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). However, up until the time of Moses and the giving of the Law, man seemed to be blind to, or ignorant of the law of sin and death, which is the broken relationship with the Creator and the effect thereof. Thus the Apostle explains to us the mystery that “apart from the law [of Moses] sin was dead and I was alive once without the law but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died” (Rom. 7:9).  “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire” (Rom. 7:7-8).

This is a very radical statement, one which we need to understand so that we can be totally and completely set free and transformed into the image and likeness of the new creation man, through revelation knowledge of Yeshua the Son.  What we were while being unbelievers, was simply an expression of the nature and power of sin.  Sin was being personified in and through us as sons of disobedience.   We must come to realize that what is still in us, which is not of the nature of our heavenly Father, is actually ‘not of us’ either.  If we continue to allow the power of sin to actively live in us, we will still be subject to, or be under, the law of sin, death and disease (the curse).  Paul points this out in his testimony: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom 7:22-23).  But if we yield to the Spirit, we will personify Yeshua in and through our very being.  We will manifest His nature in the freedom, or liberty, of the law of life in Messiah, which is not the law that states, “thou shall not…eat of the tree… or steal… or covet” etc.  It is a law that works through faith and brings us to the knowledge of the Son of YHVH.  It works by grace through faith and revelation knowledge of who He is.  Peter states it this way: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Yeshua our Lord… as His divine power [the Spirit of Holiness] has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and moral excellence, [purity]…through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust [the power of sin]… For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord [shepherd- king] Yeshua Ha Mashiach” (2 Pet. 1:2-4,8).

What are the “things” that reveal to us the divine nature, or the knowledge of our Father and Yeshua?  Peter lists these “things” in this order: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly love, and unconditional love”.  Paul defines them as fruit of the divine nature: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22-23).   Personifying these “things” manifests the person of Yeshua, and when we see Him we know who we are as sons of YHVH: “For when He appears [is revealed to us through revelation knowledge] then we also appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4).  In other words, because we have died and our spirit man, or life, is hidden in Him, He now becomes our spirit man (or life). But in order for the nature of that life to be made evident through us our soul must be yielded in obedience and depend totally dependant on Him, who is the epitome of the “things” mentioned above.  Let us not try to pursue or strive to gain them as if they were virtues, as they are the very person of Yeshua Himself.  I have heard many teachers and preachers say, “You must become Christ like”.  Little do they know that they are echoing Satan’s words to Eve, as she stood before the tree of knowledge of good [virtues] and evil: “You can become like God” (Gen 3:5).  

Adam was created in the Creator’s image and likeness, so how could he become something that he already was?    So it is again with our new life in the Second Adam.  We ought to recognize ourselves as an expression of the divine nature through revelation knowledge of who Yeshua is, and not by trying to be “like” Him. When you know Him to be your life and nature, it is “foolishness having begun by the Spirit, to try now to be perfected by the flesh” (Gal. 3:3).

Abundant grace and peace are given so that this metamorphosis may come to full completion.

Ephraim    

“We pray that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is [His] the width, length, depth and height; and to know the love of Messiah which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:17-19), Amen.

Meekness

Letter 182 (meekness) 23/05/03

Soon after the outpouring of the Spirit of Holiness, Peter and John, apostles of Yeshua and former disciples, were making their way, through the Beautiful Gate of the Temple to pray. A forty-year old lame man, who had been crippled from birth, was sitting there begging for alms. The two apostles did not have silver or gold to hand him, but what they did have was the power of YHVH’s kingdom that was resident in them. (Please note that there was no faith displayed or any required from the man). After the man was healed, Peter had to explain to the people who witnessed this miracle that this remarkable thing was not of their own doing. He shared: “Why are you looking so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, was glorifying His Servant Yeshua” …(Acts 3:12-13). Peter and John both knew that this New Covenant fulfillment was not about themselves, but about the resurrected life of the Son of YHVH, “Yeshua”, in them. The Word was again being made flesh, just as John wrote later: “Greater is He [Yeshua] in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Peter and John were simply manifesting the natural expression of the Body of Messiah, the Body of YHVH’s Servant. They were experiencing and expressing the life of YHVH’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven”. Later on Peter would write to the believers (or should I say the ‘receivers’): “But sanctify YHVH - God in your hearts, and always [be] ready to [give] a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with all meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15).

I believe that Peter’s words, “sanctify YHVH in your hearts…with meekness and fear [reverence]” is a key to understanding what took place at the Beautiful Gate that early morning. YHVH had two servants walking in the Spirit, who were already worshiping in Spirit and in Truth as they went along the way for the traditional Morning Prayer. They were abiding in Yeshua’s presence within them. They were one in this fellowship of Messiah’s life and love. Thus, when the Father decided to glorify His Son, He knew that their hearts would remain right before Him. He knew that if He would heal this crippled man, pride, self-aggrandizement and personal kingdom building would not interfere with His intent.

That day, two bondservants walking with Yeshua in meekness and fear caused one man to be healed, and five thousand to become believers. Yes, they were given free room and board at the local prison for the night, but the following day, during their hearing, the religious leaders (of the high-priestly descent) made a very interesting observation. They were amazed at the confidence that these men had in proclaiming the Gospel and giving glory to God. But even more so… they “recognize that they had been with Yeshua”. I’m sure that in saying this they were referring to the time when they had seen them with Yeshua (before His crucifixion). But what I felt tugging at my heart was Yeshua’s desire for us to be so intimate with him, that when others see us they would recognize that we too had just been with Him.

Peter and John both had the indelible markings of those who walk in the Spirit. Meekness and deep reverence were evident on their countenances. They were being prepared for apostolic leadership, to be ‘fathers’ who would nurture in love; to become under-shepherds who could lead, correct and disciple the newly growing Body of Messiah. Anyone who knew Peter could not help but recognize a man who had been changed from the inside out. These two followers of Yeshua were truly clothed in Messiah’s nature; His meekness was being seen through the cracks in their clay vessels. The sweet fragrance of His presence was all around them. These were the pillars of the apostolic body and bondservants of Yeshua Ha Mashiach.

The nature of the “one new man” is the same throughout the Body, as the head is Yeshua; the life is that of the Father, and the fruit (nature) - which is of the Spirit - is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).

Ephraim

Enemies of the cross

A few days ago we received a bulletin penned by some Charismatic leaders who were expressing a deep concern over what they believe is happening in Messianic circles. According to this report, some ‘Messianics’ have espoused teachings of righteousness via keeping the dietary laws (which unfortunately could be the case for some), and not according to faith in Messiah. The other heretical and (quote) “deceptive and dangerous teaching had to do with (supposedly) assigning natural Israelite heritage to African Americans”. The writers concluded that because of the gravity of these matters, they needed to be addressed and made public. One of their pronouncements concerning Messianics-so-engaged was that they are “enemies of the cross” (execution tree). This is not the first time I have heard this statement used. Some of you, who have been involved in the Charismatic movement, probably remember that in the early days of the revival, the main line churches were saying the same thing about speaking in tongues.

After reading this article, I started to ponder the above-mentioned assertion and asked myself, who or what makes one “an enemy of the cross”? What was most intriguing to me was, that the statement was taken from the same chapter that I had used in last week’s letter: “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Messiah whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame----who set their mind on earthly things” (Phil 3:17-18).

Why is the Apostle pointing specifically to the execution tree of Messiah? Was it just because these teachers from the circumcision party were teaching aspects of Judaism, specifically righteousness through keeping laws of Torah, (see Phil 3:1-2), or was he alluding to something more fundamental about Messiah’s cross? I believe that he was addressing the issue of living in, walking by and putting confidence in the “flesh”, rather than glorying in the Messiah by walking in the Spirit. “For we are the circumcision, who worship YHVH in the Spirit, and rejoice in Messiah Yeshua, and have no confidence in the flesh…” (Philip. 3:3-4, see also last week’s letter). Paul writes extensively about “walking”, but it is mostly in reference to the flesh or, conversely, to the Spirit. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yeshua, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit…that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:1,4).

It seems that the party of the circumcision was also challenging the brethren in Galatia (Gal. 2:12). However, this time the issue was not “righteousness”, but “justification” through the works of the flesh and not through faith. “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of YHVH is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith’" (Gal. 3:3,11). Rav Shaul uses himself as the example to illustrate the problem with the flesh in his letter to the believers at Rome: “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death…For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Rom. 7:5,18).

Romans chapter seven is very central to the understanding of the New Covenant revelation. If the Spirit of Truth (Yeshua), who now is our teacher, doesn’t reveal to our understanding what the Apostle is presenting to us, we will definitely become “enemies of the cross of Messiah”. What did YHVH accomplish on the cross? Yes, He reconciled the world (of man) to Himself, but He did it by forgiving man of his sin (rebellion – unbelief). How did He do that? He put the ‘man of flesh’ to death. “For the love of Messiah constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then we are all dead” (2Cor. 5:14). “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom. 6:6-8). Please notice that the Apostle does not use the word “believing”, but “knowing”, which connotes an experiential reality of our death. If we “know” this but continue to “walk after the flesh”, I’m afraid that we are participating with the enemies of the cross of Messiah. Therefore, “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in YHVH” (Col. 3:2-3). Here again Paul says that “you died” or “you have died”, emphasizing the past tense as a truth that is complete, finished and has been accomplished for us in Yeshua’s death.

"I have been crucified with Messiah; it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). If our life is rooted in this aspect of the Gospel of the Kingdom, uncircumcision is just as useless as circumcision, as some think that being uncircumcised is a sign of a true Christian.
A number of years ago we were visiting some believers who wanted to find out if we were really ‘free from the Law’. They made pork sandwiches, the eating of which was to be the acid test to determine whether we were truly ‘brothers’ or perhaps posed a danger to their ‘freedom’. Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s Yeshua ‘came’ to a remnant of Christians from varying denominations, filled them with His holy presence and brought them together in fellowship. One of the traditions that they all had in common was the “sacrament of holy communion”. But guess what? The Catholics brought wine, and some of the Protestant brethren became very indignant over the alcoholic content, and so strife and contention arose in their midst. The Apostle had an answer for this kind of behavior: “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like [unregenerate] men?” (1 Cor.3: 3). Paul clearly defines the relationship between the flesh and the Spirit; they are aggressively opposed one to the other (see Gal. chapters 4 & 5).

As believers and ‘knowers’ of the “cross of Messiah” we must go back, look and listen carefully to Rav Shaul’s personal testimony recorded in Romans chapter 7. Even though he willed to do ‘good’, there was something at work in him even as a believer and an apostle. And even though this ‘something’ was not easy to deal with, we ourselves would do well to respond as he did: “Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Rom 7:17, 20). Paul twice repeats, “It is no longer I”! Here is faith actively looking at the “death of the Messiah”. Shaul-Paul is saying, ‘it can’t be me, as I have died, therefore it is the power of sin working in the various components of my person.’ Personally I think that this was Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”, “lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure” (2 Cor 12:7). “But how shall I be delivered from this body of death? Thanks be to YHVH through Messiah Yeshua… therefore there is now no condemnation…!” (Rom 7:24-25; 8:1).

So who is really an enemy of the cross? “We judge thusly, that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Messiah according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer” (2 Cor. 5:14-16). There are three enemies of the cross, the devil, the flesh and the world. Let us therefore wage war against our real enemies, and not against one another, nor against any man, otherwise we will be found collaborating with those who are the real enemies of the cross of Messiah. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12).

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in MessiahYeshua, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of YHVH, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-11).