The Dark Night of the Soul.

The Holy Scriptures are all about a wedding - The wedding arrangements begin  in a Garden (which I believe may have been in present day Israel itself - a discussion for another day) with a wedding created by YHWH Elohim between Adam and Chavah, giving us a template and reflection of His Marriage to His Bride, and HIS WORD ends with the eternal wedding between HIMSELF and His Bride which we read of in the Revelation given to Yochanan, Chapter 19.

Everything in-between is how we messed up; how we ran away from our Creator Bridegroom; how we broke in smithereens His eternal Covenant with us, AND HOW HE, IN HIS GRACE AND MERCY, IS WOOING US, THE RUNAWAY BRIDE, BACK TO HIM!

The entire Word, Yeshua Himself, is centred and founded on the hope of this Eternal, never changing Covenant, a Covenant which I sincerely hope and pray each and everyone reading this missive is trying with all their heart, soul and might to rediscover through Yeshua our MESSIAH AS LED BY HIS RUACH!  A Covenant recorded for us in The Torah from Ex. 19:5 - Ex. 24:8  and again born out in Jer. 2:2-3. Deut. 6:4-5; Lev. 19:18; Mk. 12:29-31.

Now to get to the meat of this missive:

We, every man, woman and child on the face of the earth are personally invited to come back into this Eternal & Uncompromising Covenant of Faith (G4102 - Pisitis - Fidelity meaning a faithfulness to a Person, cause or belief demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support to such Person, cause or belief), Hope (G1680 - elipiselpece - to anticipate with pleasure, expectation or confidence with FAITH AND HOPE) and Love (G26 - agape - from G25  - to love in a social or moral sense, affection and/or benevolence - specially a LOVE FEAST of Charity).

I call this Covenant both eternal & uncompromising - this is a Biblical fact born out by the very nature of the Unchanging and Uncompromising Messiah Yeshua & YHWH Elohim as we are shown in Mal.3:6 & Heb. 13:8, this statement is further strengthened through the fact that we read in the Word from Genesis 6:18-7:3 (before the great flood) and from Isaiah 66:15-18 (after the return of the Messiah) of the need to eat only certain foods (Lev. 11 foods); we read in Genesis 2:2-3 that The Shabbat, The Seventh day, was set apart and blessed by YHWH our Creator for an eternal sign of His Covenant as born out in Ex. 31:12ff, and shown to refer as well to the Lev. 23 Festivals when looking to the New Millennium of Yeshua's reign as recorded by Isaiah under the influence of the Ruach HaKodesh in his Book Chapter 66:22-24.

So here we have this eternal and uncompromising Covenant which is so foreign to us in every aspect of our lives, thoughts and actions that we have come up with a whole myriad of Little boxes that we need to tick off so that we can feel secure in our religious, social, political and secular environments.

But there is only one problem with this idea - THESE LITTLE BOXES WE NEED TO TICK OFF FOR OUR SUPPOSED SECURITY ARE JUST FIG LEAVES WE PUT ON TO HIDE OUR NAKEDNESS AND THIS DRESS CODE IS BASED ON THE FEARS AND CORRUPTED IDEAS INSPIRED BY MAN HIMSELF FEEDING CONTINUALLY ON A DIET OF THE FRUIT OF THE ABOMINABLE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL - NOT ON A DIET OF FRUIT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE!

We were all created & called to be leaders, teachers, a Royal Priest Hood, a group of INSTRUCTOR's if you will, to lead people to Messiah Yeshua as He leads us in this life we have been granted by YHWH - and if we should accept this invitation/calling then we should also know by now from so many aspects of our own lives that to learn we need to and will make mistakes! (2 Tim. 2:2)

The "weening" of our dependency on the fruit of the tree of knowledge and the adoption of the Diet from The Tree of Life is indeed a life-long process - IF YHWH ELOHIM WERE TO STARVE US FROM OUR DIET FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE AND IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENT JUST A DIET FROM THE TREE OF LIFE WE WOULD ALL DIE PHYSICALLY, BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT KNOW HOW TO INGEST THIS MASSIVELY RICH AND PERFECT DIET - BECAUSE THE TREE OF LIFE IS YESHUA HIMSELF AND WE CANNOT YET EAT OF HIM FULLY! HE LEADS US IN THIS PROCESS THROUGH HIS RUACH, WE JUST OBEY AS BEST AS WE UNDERSTAND AND AS BEST AS WE CAN! Eph. 4:1-16

So this is an absolute given - we will makes mistakes, and through these sometime honest and sometimes not so honest mistakes WE WILL LEARN. So if we should accept that calling of 2 Tim. 2:2 let us try and lead those YHWH brings across our paths into and onto paths of righteousness - NOT PATHS OF RELIGION (read CONTROL)!

To accept that 2 Tim. 2:2 calling we obviously need to be reborn through the Blood of the Lamb, Yeshua - BUT BEING BORN AGAIN DOES NOT FORCE US TO ACCPET THIS CALLING WE HAVE THIS ELOHIM GIVEN INALIENABLE RIGHT OF CHOICE AS DIRECTED OR INFLUENCED BY WHAT WE DECIDE IS RIGHT, EXPEDIENT OR ACCEPTABLE TO EACH OF US FOR OUR LIVES.

You see brethren to partake of this Covenant DOES NOT DEPEND ON THEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE OR RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, EVEN TALKING IN TONGUES OR GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT - IT DEPENDS ON REBIRTH THROUGH MESSIAH YESHUA AND THEN, ONLY THEN, OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD AND LEADING THROUGH HIS RUACH!

To accept this calling means that you must accept the fact that you must die to yourself with all that this death implies to your present life and this includes things you cannot even begin to imagine yet - AGAIN I SAY YOU CAN BE BORN AGAIN BUT CHOOSE NOT TO PARTAKE OF THIS COVENANT OF DEATH WHICH LEADS TO ETERNAL BETROTHAL INCLUDING REIGN WITH YESHUA! (Please read here The Blood of Jesus is enough for me)  

Accepting His invitation to truly return to His Covenant, His Torah, His Instruction for us regarding Covenant fidelity and Life, DEFINITELY DOES NOT MEAN THOUGH THAT WE ARE ALWAYS RIGHT IN WHAT WE THEN DO, OR EVEN BELIEVE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, THAT IS WHAT GRACE IS ALL ABOUT - BUT WHAT IT DOES MEAN IS THAT IF WE DO WHAT WE TRULY BELIEVE TO BE RIGHT WITH COMPLETE ABANDONMENT TO MESSIAH YESHUA IN FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE WE ARE BEGINNING TO WALK IN HIS COVENANT! Remember we all see as through a darkened glass and only in part right now and to think differently is arrogant and stupid, a sin I have been guilty of in the past! Rom. 14:23; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 Cor. 10:1-22

Brethren, to walk back to Messiah, into His Covenant relationship so that we walk and build on Earth His Rule (His Covenant) as it is in Heaven, to become a part of His Bride takes immense courage, determination and "guts" - AS SAID, IT LITERALLY TAKES A DYING TO SELF AS DICTATED BY ALL THE CONDITIONS IMPOSED ON US BY ALL THE LITTLE BOXES WE HAVE BEEN TICKING OFF, AND HAD TICKED OFF FOR US BY OTHERS SINCE OUR BIRTH!

To gain the surname YISRAEL (H3478 - Yisrael - from H8280 and H 410 MEANS TO WRESTLE & RULE WITH THE CREATOR ELOHIM) ONE NEEDS A ONE ON ONE THROUGH THE DARKEST NIGHT NOT LETTING GO UNTIL HE CONFIRMS HIS COVENANT WITH YOU STYLE OF WRESTLING MATCH - A TENACITY AND STATE OF HEART THAT WILL NOT LET GO OF HIM UNTIL HE TELLS YOU WHAT YOU ARE TO BE DOING IN HIS KINGDOM, UNTIL HE REVEALS AND CONFIRMS HIS COVENANT TO YOU! 

ONLY AFTER THIS PENIEL MARATHON WRESTLING TOURNAMENT, WILL YOU RECEIVE YOUR NAME AND PRIZE - THE NAME - YISRAEL; THE PRIZE - YOU WILL NEVER WALK LIKE THE WORLD AGAIN - YOU NOW TRULY BELONG TO HIM BY COMPLETE HEARTS COMMITMENT SHOWN THROUGH YOUR FIDELITY (FAITH) IN HIM AND HIS COVENANT APPLICATION TO YOUR LIFE THROUGH YOUR NEW WORKS OF SPIRIT LED RIGHTEOUSNESS! Gen. 32:22-31.

NB: Please see Luke 8:43-48 as read with Lev. 15:25-27 what this lady did to Yeshua WAS SINFUL AND AGAINST THE LAW -  HE even felt the power/virtue (dunamis - G 1410) being drawn from HIM WHEN SHE TOUCHED HIM - BUT HE SAW THE FAITH AND HEART OF THIS WOMAN - THERE WAS NO MALACE IN WHAT SHE HAD DONE - SHE WAS DESPERATE AND SHE KNEW THAT ONLY THE MESSIAH COULD CURE/HELP HER AND SO SHE CAST HERSELF AT HIS MERCY, ALBEIT IN A CONCEALED WAY, BUT WHEN REVEALED, SHE OWNED UP - SHE WAS HEALED! THAT IS WHAT HE CAME TO DO - TO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE OF THEIR BONDAGE OF SIN - BREAKING OF THE TORAH, THE COVENANT - SHE HAD SEEMINGLY EXPERIENCED IN PUBLIC THE CLIMAX OF HER DARK NIGHT OF THE SPIRIT, AND SHE CLUNG TO HIS TZIT-TZIT (HEM) TILL HE ANSWERED HER DEEPEST NEED! Much, much more can be said about this Scripture, but now is not the time - BUT PLEASE PONDER THIS FOR A WHILE BEFORE YOU GO ON, BEARING IN MIND THIS LADY IN THIS SCRIPTURE IS A FORESHADOWING OF US, HIS BRIDE RIGHT NOW, AN UNCLEAN BRIDE NEEDING HIS HEALING, A BRIDE, THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF YISRAEL, WHO CAN ONLY CRY OUT PLEASE FEED ME YOUR CRUMBS! Mat. 15:21-28

Again I must reiterate this, I cannot say it enough, we have to die to self, as there is no other way that we shall be able to even begin to qualify as a candidate for HIS Bride, and what better way to die to self than be confronted front and centre with challenges to your own desires, thoughts, family, jobs, comfort zones; or by the crumbling of your own romantic dreams leading you to believe what you thought this Life with Messiah Yeshua would be like!

It is devastating to be confronted with your own fears and limitations as your inescapable Esau - your wrongs, sins, lies, broken promises from the past, looms before you on the other side of the Jabbok, the JABBOK THAT YHWH HAS TOLD YOU TO CROSS SO YOUR CONSCIENCE WILL NOT AND INDEED CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO TURN BACK!

You see brethren, speak to those who have been at the Jabbok, those who have experienced the "dark night of the soul" and have had to look at the very real possibility that anything that means anything to them is now in real danger of being decimated and destroyed; THEY KNEW THAT THEY DESERVED THAT IMPENDING WRATH OF ESAU AND WERE HELPLESS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!  Those people have begun to grasp true and comforting GRACE!

Yes they could have turned and run back to Laban, but that was going back to where YHWH had instructed them to walk away from, SO THEY KNEW THAT WAS NO LONGER AN OPTION - THEY NEEDED TO CROSS OVER THE JABBOK, THEY NEEDED THEIR COVENANT NAME AND CALLING, THEY COULD NOT GO ON AS BEFORE - THEY NEEDED VICTORY AT WHAT-EVER PRICE OVER THEIR PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY NEEDED THE HEART OF MESSIAH TO ASSIST THEM IN ACCEPTING WHAT HE HAD PLANNED FOR THEM. Gen. 31:11-13; Matt. 13:44-46 

So what do we do if our Date with our Messiah has been announced, our Divine wrestling to the death of self is at hand? 

Well here is what you may want to do because in and off ourselves we are less than nothing: You may want to begin to call out to the Most High Elohim (El Shaddai), in fact you are more than likely and involuntarily drawn to call out, to CRY IN DESPERATION "DELIVER ME I PRAY THEE FROM….(whatever our circumstances may be)!" Gen. 32:11; Rom. 8:1-8.

The match is now on - the venue has been set for possibly one of the most decisive battles of your/our life/lives - You see brethren, rebirth is the beginning - it is the redemption back to YHWH Abba through Yeshua - BUT NOW COMES THE JABBOK, HERE STANDS OUR ESAU IN OUR PATH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, HE IS NOT GOING AWAY, and ON THIS SIDE, WRESTLING WITH US BEFORE WE CAN CROSS IS THE LOVER OF OUR SOULS, THE CREATOR AND DESIGNER OF THE WAY TO THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE - THE CHOICE, ONCE AGAIN DEAR READER, IS OURS TO MAKE!: (See again - The Blood of Jesus is enough for me)

THE ROCK OF AGES HAS BEEN PLANNING THIS NIGHT WITH EACH ONE OF US PERSONALLY SINCE BEFORE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH WERE LAID - YOU SEE BRETHREN, HE, YESHUA, NOW NEEDS TO TEST EACH OF OUR HEARTS - DO WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO FACE OUR WORST NIGHTMARES, THESE PHYSICAL HEART WRENCHING ACTUAL EVENTS, EVENTS WHICH WE MAY EVEN BY-EN-LARGE HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT OURSELF, EVENTS WHICH WE CANNOT CARRY ON AVOIDING, EVENTS THAT NO MATTER WHICH WAY WE ADDRESS THEM WILL DEFINITELY HAVE ENSUING AND ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES; EVENT AND CIRCUMSTANCE WE CANNOT MAKE PEACE WITH ON OUR OWN?  Eph. 2:8-10

DO WE, IN HIS NAME AND THROUGH HIS PROMISES, HAVE THE COURAGE TO FACE THESE NIGHTMARES AND TO WALK THROUGH THIS RIVER INTO THE UNKNOWN WITH HIM NO MATTER WHERE, NO MATTER WHAT IT MAY COST US AND POSSIBLY EVEN THOSE WE LOVE MOST DEARLY?

DO WE LOVE HIM ENOUGH TO CRY OUT (link) - I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW YESHUA, NO TURNING BACK, PRAISE YHWH, NO TURNING BACK - THOUGH NONE MAY FOLLOW, NO TURNING BACK, PRAISE YHWH, NO TURNING BACK! SOS 2:8-13

Again, the choice is ours to make individually, no matter which way we choose we will have made a calculated choice which we can never blame on anybody else - it is OUR INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENT WITH THE BRIDEGROOM - it is not and never will be a corporate choice to make!

What I now say will possibly cause a reaction and much hissing and possible finger pointing, I hope not though - you see Brethren almost a week ago my wife, Zanja accepted her appointment with her heavenly Creator, to wrestle HIM and ask Him to lead her over her Jabbok to face her Esau, to give her His Name  and for her and to find her defined role in His Kingdom; it has meant her deciding to leave our home for now.

Her love for her Messiah and the choice she felt she had to make I commend. Whether I agree with it or not is not the issue here - what is at hand is that Zanja needs to hear the Voice of Her True Master and Rabbi, NOT ANYBODY ELSE'S! We are in contact and I am seeing how HE is lovingly and tenderly speaking to His Handmaiden; How He is setting her apart to carry His Name of Yisrael, how HE is healing her where she needs to be healed, how HE is whispering in her ear!

Yeshua has assured me in no uncertain terms that HE is interceding for Zanja and when the time is right she will be coming home - I praise HIM and I Worship HIM for this - HE IS FAITHFUL TO HIS COVENANT - HE HAS BROUGHT ZANJA AND I TOGETHER AND HE HAS STARTED A GOOD WORK IN OUR LIVES AND OUR MARRIAGE AND HE WILL COMPLETE THAT GOOD WORK SO THAT OUR MARRIAGE REFLECTS HIS MARRIAGE TO HIS WIFE, WHICH HOPEFULLY INCLUDES SOME OF US! HALLELUJAH! Phil. 1:6

What is YHWH showing me personally through all this though? 

HE IS TEACHING ME HOW TO BECOME THE HUSBAND TO ZANJA THAT I AM CALLED TO BE; HE IS TEACHING ME HOW TO LOVE MY WIFE AS YESHUA LOVES HIS ASSEMBLY; HE IS TEACHING ME HOW TO PRAY FOR HER WITHOUT MALICE OR ANGER; HE IS HELPING ME TO SEE HER AS A WOMAN WHO NEEDS HER HUSBAND'S LOVE, PRAYERS AND SECURITY AS ONLY YESHUA CAN ENABLE ME TO GIVE TO HER; AND THROUGH ALL THIS HE IS AGAIN DRAWING ME CLOSER INTO HIS PRESENCE AS I BEGIN ONCE AGAIN TO DEPEND MORE ON HIM AND HIS PROMISES AND LESS ON MY HELP-MEET ZANJA! Eph. 5:23-32; James 4:7-8; James 5:16

In short - HE IS TEACHING ME ABOUT HIS COVENANT LOVE FROM HIM TO ME, AND THEN FROM ME TO ZANJA - in other words HOW TO BE THE PRIEST AND THE PROPHET IN MY HOME WITH THE HEART AND MIND OF YESHUA AND NOT THE HEART AND MIND OF ME AND MY LITTLE BOXES! Rom. 11:33-36

WHAT HE TEACHES ZANJA WILL BE HER TESTIMONY TO REVEAL AS AND WHEN SHE IS READY TO!

I am starting to understand for the first time in my life what Kephas (Peter) means when he penned that we are to give honour to our wives and equal partners in the Kingdom, respecting that they are the weaker vassals, just as we the Human element of the Bride, male or female, are the weaker partner in an equal relationship with our Messiah Yeshua in His Marriage and Kingdom for eternity. 1 Pet. 3:7; Eph. 5:28-32 arw Gal.3:28 

I also see that I, just like the first Adam have a marriage and wife from YHWH HIMSELF,  BUT ALSO LIKE THE FIRST ADAM I FIND I AM NOT ALWAYS ON MY POST TO GUARD, PROTECT AND KEEP MY WIFE AND MY PORTION OF HIS GARDEN THAT HE HAS GIVEN ME RESPONSIBILITY OVER, in fact I do not even know how to always keep my post and guard over my wife and our house properly. I sometimes concentrate so on the task at hand and walk so according to my "maleness" and objectivity that I do not notice the burdens my wife carries emotionally, or even the burdens I place on her and our family - WE MEN NEED TO WALK AND DWELL WITH THE MESSIAH MORE SO AS TO UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS OUR WIVES EMOTIONS, NEED AND SECURITY - ON OUR OWN WE CANNOT MEET OUR WIVES AND CHILDREN'S NEEDS - THEIR NEEDS ARE ALIEN AND FOREIGN TO MOST OF US.

Gentlemen, I hope I am not preaching to the choir here, and after speaking to my brothers in Messiah I do not believe that to be the case, dare I say all of us men, DO NOT IN AND OF OURSELVES UNDERSTAND THE CARING; NURTURING AND EMOTIONAL NATURES YHWH HAS PLACED IN OUR WOMEN, THEIR LOVE AND FEELINGS FOR THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR HOMES, EVEN FOR US BELIEVE IT OR NOT: OUR WIVES ARE FAR MORE INTUITIVE GENERALLY THAN WE ARE OR GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR, BUT WE DO NOT ALWAYS TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT - MANY OF US DO INDEED GET INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE THRONE ROOM FOR OUR HOMES, BUT WE OFTEN IGNORE THE FACT THAT YHWH GAVE US EQUAL HELPERS, ALBEIT WITH DIFFERENT ROLES, IN OUR WIVES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND LIVING OUT OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

WE (ME?) OFTEN BULLDOZE OVER THESE SOFTER ASPECTS OF OUR WIVES CREATIVE NATURES - WE NEED YHWH TO HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK WITH OUR COVENANT PARTNERS SO THAT HIS FULLNESS CAN BE PRESENTED TO THIS DYING WORLD!

With just the letter of the Law we will either kill everybody around or drive all those close to us away - largely the domain and attributes of the man!

With no Law we will just wonder around aimlessly and be like waves on the sea-shore, unstable, undisciplined open to manipulation - largely the domain and attributes of the woman!

But should we work out the Covenant and It's instruction together we have a disciplined house filled with mercy, understanding AND SHALOM - AN UNDIVIDED AND COMMITTED HOUSE!

We, man, women and child, have all murmured and rebelled against the paths YHWH has led us on up to now and consequently we have been bitten by the fiery-serpent in our wilderness wanderings, NOW I BELIEVE, POSSIBLY BEFORE THE PESACH (most people I know are celebrating it in the Month of April), YHWH IS CALLING US TO REPENT OF OUR WAYS and by Faith (fidelity, trust, obedience) look up to our Messiah on The Cross for healing - then, and only then, will we be ticking of the correct boxes of HIS COVENANT! Num. 21:4-9

I do not want in any way to deviate from the message of this missive, BUT the severity and intensity of this missive is precisely what makes me still believe that this year IS OF ETERNAL IMPORTANCE. I BELIEVE 2016 TO BE A WATERSHED YEAR - WATCH THE FESTIVALS, ESPECIALLY PESACH AND SHAVUOT (PENTECOST), but more on that later I trust. 

So, I pray that may all those that truly LOVE YHWH Elohim and are called by His Name according to His purposes have the courage and tenacity to boldly follow HIM into their appointed "dark night of their Souls" when-ever HE convenes it with no turning back praise The LORD YHWH, no turning back! Rom. 8:28

In conclusion I would please like to just ask that none reading this missive judge my wife, me, or anybody else for that matter, you may just be judging a Divine work of YHWH: Please rather let YHWH reveal for HIMSELF if a work is of HIM or not. Remember that Master Yeshua's wife (that could include any of us called by His Name) is still not united with HIM -HE IS STILL INTERCEDING FOR HER - SHE IS NOT YET BY FAR PERFECT, AND SHALL ONLY BECOME PERFECT ONCE HE HAS RETURNED AND DELIVERED HER FROM HER FILTHY FLESH.

And for those of you that feel that I no longer qualify to address the Word of YHWH because of our current circumstances, please let me know and I shall remove your names from the mailing list, I do understand.

But for those not sure what to do - well I would urge you to wait and see; Abba has much more to teach us, both husband and wife, but once again I beseech each and everyone reading this missive to please lay it before YHWH with prayer, an open and teachable mind and a searching of The Word of Truth through His Ruach.

Once again, Zanja and I are just like everybody else, we are just trying to find our way back home as well.

Shalom to you and your houses in and through Messiah Yeshua our Redeemer and King.

Bo'az.

Footsteps in the sand.

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. 

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me." 

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you." Mary Stevenson

A brother in Messiah Yeshua has just lost his wife to a neurological condition; he and his children are now faced with the issue of coming to terms of life without a wife, helper and mother.

His brother, a very dear friend and also a brother in Messiah, has just got of the phone to me; he waxed and waned from a sincere heart about this dear departed lady and all she meant to him personally through the years she was married to his brother.

This morning whilst being quiet and sitting before The Father I was reminded of a few things that were deposited into my spirit this last weekend which I would like to share with you all. 

The first was the Truth of true Biblical Love as expounded upon in 1 Cor. 13, this is the love that Yeshua HaMessiach came to pleroo (G4137 - fully preach, show perfectly and accomplish completely - See: Mat. 5:17- I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil (pleroo) - HE IS OUR PERFECT AND ONLY EXAMPLE AS TO HOW WE CAN ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE THIS LOFTY AND GLORIOUS STATUS ONLY AVAILABLE TO HIS BLOOD WASHED DISCIPLES!  

According to 1 Cor. 13:13 which in summation tells us that ALL OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ALL OUR KNOWLEDGE AND TERTIARY ACCOLADES, ALL OUR GIFTS TO THE POOR AND NEEDY, ALL OUR "SPIRITUAL" ENDEAVOURS, ALL OUR MOST HEART FELT SACRIFICES - IN A NUTSHELL - ALL WE EVER ACHIEVE - IF IT IS NOT DONE WITH LOVE IN AND THROUGH MESSIAH IS WORTHLESS!

Let us look again at the Biblical word for LOVE - it is the same word and root as used in 1 Cor. 13:13 and in the Gospel of John chapters 14:15-31 & 15:9-10: If we love Yeshua we will obey His Commandments as He obeyed His Father's!

G26 - agape - From G25; love, that is affection or benevolence; specifically a love feast: - (Please read Fruits of the Spirit for a more complete teaching on LOVE).

The next piece of "manna" that I was fed was received via a Scripture a brother in Messiah felt he needed to share with me this weekend past - Mark 6:45-52:

Very briefly here is what I gleamed from this Scripture -

Messiah Yeshua instructed His Disciples to climb aboard what would most probably have been a medium sized fishing boat and told them to sail across the Sea of Galilee whilst HE stayed on the shore to spend time with Abba - NB: It is said that in a dream or vision from YHWH a boat, car etc could be indicative of the ministry that one has been given by YHWH.

So it is reasonable to assume that The Disciples were definitely right in the middle of the will of both Yeshua and His Father!

So we now have Yeshua on the shore whilst His Disciples were obeying His instruction and heading to the other side of the Lake, in fact they were in the middle when a storm of monumental proportions unexpectedly struck.  THIS STORM BEGAN TO RAGE FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT ALL, AND YET IT WOULD SEEM THAT YESHUA LEFT THEM ALONE IN IT (The Storm) FOR A WHILE, EVEN UNTIL THE 4TH WATCH IN FACT - ABOUT 03:00 IN THE MORNING - THE VERY DEAD OF NIGHT! Please note that Yeshua was watching His Disciples the whole time - HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON!

Here was a teaching moment developing for His Disciples and us today.

YESHUA THEN CAME TO THEM - BUT HOW DID HE COME TO THEIR ASSISTANCE? 

HE CAME IN A WAY COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED AND MIRACULOUS - WALKING ON THE TOP OF THE WATER! We should never expect Yeshua to come to our rescue in a way that we could predict!

IT WOULD SEEM THAT YESHUA DID NOT EVEN CALL OUT TO THEM, HE WAS ABOUT TO WALK PAST THEM - THERE WAS NO FAN-FARE OR TRUMPET BLAST TO ANNOUNCE YESHUA'S ARRIVAL - HE WAS JUST ABOUT HIS BUSINESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS STORM!

I HAVE ASKED MYSELF WHY DID YESHUA NOT WALK TO HIS DISCIPLES? WHY DID HE NOT CALL OUT TO THEM?

MY ANSWER - COULD IT BE BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE ALL THE BIBLE ACCOUNTS OF THIS INCIDENT WE DO NOT SEE MENTION MADE EVEN ONCE OF HIS DISCIPLES CALLING OUT TO HIM?  

COULD IT HAVE BEEN THAT THE DISCIPLES, LIKE US MORE OFTEN THAN NOT,  WERE SO ENGROSSED IN THE TASK AT HAND THAT THEY FORGOT HIM AND TRIED TO SORT OUT THE TROUBLES OF THE STORM ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN WAYS AND MEANS?

If what I think is correct, it would seem that YESHUA NEEDED THEM TO GET TO THE END OF THEIR OWN STRENGTH AND WAYS IN THIS BATTLE TO SEE THAT THEY COULD NOT SORT IT OUT FOR THEMSELVES?

I DO NOT KNOW, BUT IT SEEMS THAT WAY TO ME. HOWEVER WHEN THEY DID FINALLY SEE HIM THEY WERE PETRIFIED, THEY THOUGHT HE WAS SOME SORT OF DEMONIC POWER - BUT WHEN HE SAID TO THEM - "BE OF GOOD CHEER; IT IS I: BE NOT AFRAID" EVERYTHING CALMED DOWN - THEIR MASTER HAD SPOKEN - THEY KNEW HIS VOICE!

Do we know the Voice of our Shepherd Yeshua in the storms of life?

The final thing I saw was the fact, that like all of us do - in the heat of the storm THEY HAD ALREADY FORGOTTEN THE MIRACLE OF THE FEEDING OF THE 5000!

We so often and readily forget the massively important things that Yeshua has already done in our lives when crises hit us, we just simply flounder and begin to battle out the storm - we do not lift our heads up to the Testimony of Messiah and His promises in our lives and worship and praise Him for the moment, because HE is coming, even if we have not called. James 1:2-8; 1 Pet. 1:6-9

There is more that we could say about this Scripture and the feeding of the 5000, but that is not what this missive is about right now. This is about YESHUA AND HIS UNCONDITIONAL COVENANT COMMITMENT TO HIS FATHER AND HIS BODY AT ALL TIMES, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE STORMS OF LIFE!

Now let us take a look at Yeshua our Messiah Himself - because remember He came to pleroo the Perfect Torah to us in Person so that we could follow His Footsteps in the sands of time and their by love YHWH our Elohim with all our Heart and with all our Might and our neighbours as ourselves; so that we could become more like HIM! Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29-31; 1 Cor. 11:1.

Is. 53:2 Yeshua would grow up out of "dry ground"!

Is. 53:2 Yeshua would have no physical attributes or beauty, social standing, or social pedigree with which to attract anybody at all! 

Is. 53:3 Yeshua was despised and rejected by His own brethren!

Is. 53:3 Yeshua was a man understanding and subjected to massive grief and sorrows.

Is. 53:3 We, mankind, hid our faces from Yeshua, we would not look on Him; we despised Him  - AND WE PAID HIM NO RESPECT OR HONOUR AT ALL!

Yet after all this HE STILL GLADLY TOOK UP HIS STAKE, AND SUFFERED GRIEF AND SORROWS - BECAUSE HE NEEDED TO DIE FOR US AS DEMANDED BY THE FATHER FOR THE SIN IN OUR LIVES! 

He was unrighteously oppressed, afflicted and judged by man but still went without defending Himself like a Lamb to the slaughter - Is. 53:7 - YESHUA DID THIS AND MUCH MORE AND WHY?

SIMPLY BECAUSE IT PLEASED THE FATHER TO BRUISE HIM…..SO THAT THE FATHER SHOULD SEE YESHUA'S TRAVAIL (severe toil and draining) OF HIS VERY SOUL SO THAT THE SUFFERING AND OBEDIENCE OF YESHUA WOULD JUSTIFY THE REDEMPTION OF MANY, DESERVING OF ETERNAL DAMNATION AND DEATH BY THE BEARING OF THEIR INEQUITIES ON HIMSELF!

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YESHUA HAD NOTHING AT ALL WITH WHICH TO ATTRACT ANY BODY OR ANY THING TO HIM - JUST HIS LOVE AND COMMITMENT TO HIS FATHER AND THE WILL OF HIS FATHER, yet we make the terrible mistake today of thinking that to be respected by the world, live according to our traditions, be an upstanding politically correct pillar of society who never rocks the boat, having a good house, bank balance, plastic technocratic church and denomination we are helping YHWH Elohim to draw people to His Kingdom!

Maybe we should stop and look back again at Yeshua and Is. 53 because when I see the Church today compliant with the democratic-secular systems of the world and compare it to Yeshua's walk in the world, I can see no comparison what so ever.

When we look back upon the footprints of our lives are we able to see Master Yeshua carrying us, or have we manipulated and sorted out our own paths?

Are we able to see Master Yeshua feeding us, coming to us in the Storms; calming the storms of Life?

Does Yeshua give us all we need to do HIS will - or do we insist that He give us all we want to live the "blessed life of comfort" according to our own wills and perceptions?

We so often forget that it is in these Storms of Life that Yeshua carries us, loves us and teaches us!

THESE STORMS HAPPEN BECAUSE HE ALLOWS THEM TO SO THAT WE WILL CALL ON HIM! John 9:1-3

We forget that it is only when we are truly weak that we, through Yeshua, can really be strong! 2 Cor. 12:10 

Brethren, can we like Sha'ul (Paul) say that Yeshua has said to us "My Grace is sufficient for you, My strength is made perfect in weakness!" 2 Cor. 12:9

Can we like Sha'ul say that we will glory in abject infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions and distress FOR MESSIAH YESHUA'S SAKE - so that WHEN WE ARE WEAK MESSIAH WILL STRENGTHEN US AND WE CAN THEN BE STRONG AND BRING GLORY TO HIS NAME!

Can we walk in these Footprints of our Master, Yeshua?

BRETHREN HERE IS OUR HOPE IN MESSIAH YESHUA - 

WE HAVE ALL SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF YHWH ELOHIM, BUT HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BY GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION (deliverance from sin - breaking of the Law 1 John 3:4) THAT IS IN AND THROUGH MESSIAH YESHUA. Rom 3:21-31 

WE ARE UNABLE TO WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR MASTER ALONE - ACCEPT IT AND COME TO TERMS WITH IT!

I, for one, again realised this week-end that I AM ABLE TO DO NOTHING OF ANY CONSEQUENCE WHAT-SO-EVER OUT OF MYSELF, AND THAT THE FOOTPRINTS I MADE PRIOR TO MY REBIRTH IN MESSIAH YESHUA HAVE NOW BEEN WASHED AWAY BY THE WAVES OF FAITH IN THE FORGIVENESS I HAVE RECEIVED FROM MESSIAH BY GRACE - I CANNOT GO BACK AND CHANGE THEM - I CANNOT GO BACK AND UNHURT THOSE I HAVE HURT, BUT HE CAN - HE CAN DO FOR ALL THOSE THAT I HURT AND DISAPPOINTED THE SAME AS HE DID FOR ME WHEN HE REDEEMED ME - IF WE WILL JUST CALL ON HIM IN THESE STORMS AND BE OBEDIENT TO HIS CALLING AND COMMANDMENTS - HE WILL COME ON THE WATER TO US!

Will we get everything right first time around; or even the second or third - will we be leaving a great path in the sand for all to follow?

NO WE WILL NOT!

But the same Messiah Who said come to me all who are weak and heavy laden,  was the same Messiah Who said to Kephas (Peter) forgive seven times seventy and tells us in 1 Cor. 13 that his love for me is long-suffering! Mat. 11:25-30;  Mat. 18:21-22

It may be a very good idea for us to each begin right now to forgive ourselves for past footsteps in the sand - BECAUSE, AS SAID, ABBA YHWH THROUGH YESHUA HAS WIPED OUT THOSE OLD FOOTPRINTS WITH THE TIDE OF HIS REDEMPTION - AGAIN I SAY - WE CANNOT EVER CHANGE THE PATHS WE HAVE WALKED OUT IN THE PAST - ONLY YESHUA CAN RECTFY THE DAMAGE WE HAVE DONE THROUGH THE CROSS (STAKE)!

It is note worthy that the Brethren of Scripture seemed to mark the passing of a family member by remembering and celebrating their lives and all that they had done, both good and bad, and out of this whole life a full legacy could finally be considered!

Brethren the Patriarchs, Prophets and Apostles of Scripture KNEW THAT THEY WOULD BE SEEING THEIR LOVED ONES AGAIN IN ETERNITY & FOR ETERNITY, THUS THE PASSING SADNESS WAS EASED BY THE HOPE AND FAITH OF MESSIAH WHICH WAS ALL UNDERPINNED BY HIS LOVE, HIS COMMITMENT TO HIS FATHER AND HIS COVENANT!

From what I have heard of my dear brother's wife's who has just passed on - she walked a path in the sand that is and shall be a lasting legacy for her children and their children's children - truly leaving a lasting and eternal legacy of value and LOVE! Ex. 20:6

May this be said of each of us as well when we one day lay down our heads - NO MATTER HOW GREAT THE STORMS OF OUR LIVES ARE!

A true legacy, more valuable than silver and gold, can only be attained through the crucible of affliction. Prov. 17:2-3; Heb. 5:7-10

May YHWH Yeshua Bless and keep you all, and like always, please check out what I have said with prayer and the Word because I too am really just trying to find my way home as well!

Shalom

Bo'az.

  

In Your presence, that's where I belong!

In this approach to Pesach (Passover) we may need to sit back in reflection and contemplate where we are AND WHO HE IS!

YHWH Elohim will never ever change, so what He laid down at the Creation, what HE decided to be the times of the seasons, and other foundations will prevail until at least the New Heaven and the New Earth are constituted (Is. 65:17; Is. 66:22-24; 2 Pet. 3:11-18; Rev. 21:1-3 - and HE Will dwell in our midst again just as in The Garden and in the Wilderness).

Brethren, we may need to all to stop here and contemplate this paramount fact before we go any further - 

SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION IS IMMENSELY PERSONAL AND HAS NOTHING WHAT-SO-EVER TO DO WITH ANY BODY ELSE! (Ecc. 12:13-14; Mat. 16:23; John 21:20-25; Phil. 2:12-18). 

You see dear brethren TRUE FAITH is not a list of rules and regulations which we try to live by and force others to live accordingly - TRUE FAITH IS TOTAL LOVE THROUGH OBEDIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO DIVINELY ORCHESTRATED ACTS INSTITUTED AND DIRECTED BY YHWH ELOHIM AND HIS WORD, YESHUA: TRUE FAITH IS NEVER BLIND OBEDIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO ANY OTHER PERSON, SYSTEM OR INSTITUTION WITHOUT FIRST SEEKING COUNCIL FROM YESHUA! 

True Faith can only be exercised by those washed in The Blood of the Lamb AND WHO THEN WILLINGLY COMMIT THEMSELVES TO HIS DIVINE WORKS AND DIRECTION IN THEIR LIVES.

True Faith WILL NEVER MAKE SENSE TO THOSE IN THE WORLD OR EVEN THOSE BELIEVERS CHOOSING TO SIT ON THE FENCE - HERE IS A TRUTH, TRUE FAITH (TOTAL OBEDIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO DIVINELY ORCHESTRATED ACTS) WILL MOST PROBABLY NOT EVEN MAKE SENSE TO THE ONE CARRYING OUT SUCH ACTS - HE/SHE WILL JUST BE A SHEEP FOLLOWING IT'S MASTER SHEPHERD AND TRUSTING THAT OUR SHEPHERD WILL LEAD US INTO ALL TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS! Heb. 11; John 10:22-30.

TRUE FAITH IS INTIMATE & SEEMINGLY SELF DESTRUCTIVE BECAUSE TRUE FAITH LEADS TO THE DISCOVERING AND BUILDING OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN HERE ON EARTH WITH EVERYTHING BUT HUMAN PATTERNS AND SYSTEMS!

TRUE FAITH LEADS TO THE DEATH OF SELF (NOT OTHERS - THEY ARE NOT OUR PROBLEM) SO THAT WE CAN BECOME MORE LIKE YESHUA, DEPENDING ENTIRELY ON HIS FATHER FOR ALL OUR NEEDS AND IN THE PROCESS GRADUALLY DEPENDING LESS ON THIS DEAD WORLD WE STILL WALK IN RIGHT NOW - THIS AGAIN IS SANCTIFICATION! Mat. 6:25-34.

True Faith will be tested in the fires of affliction to refine it as silver and gold:  True Faith is to trust in WHAT YHWH ELOHIM HAS TOLD US ESPECIALLY WHEN THE FIRES ARE AT THEIR HOTTEST AND SEEMINGLY MOST DANGEROUS. 1 Pet. 1:6-11 - NB. The Spirit of Messiah was IN THE PROPHETS OF OLD - THEY WERE BORN AGAIN; Dan 3; Dan. 6. 

True Faith WILL SEPARATE THE BRIDE FROM THE BELIEVER because only True Faith can qualify us to be the Bride and without it WE CANNOT PLEASE YHWH ELOHIM! Deut. 8:2-3; Mat. 25:1-12; Heb. 11:6

Many, if not most, of the situations we are being confronted with at this time may seem harrowing, unfair, impossible, EVEN DOWNRIGHT CONFUSING and quite frankly just like Peter in John 21, others may seem to have a much better deal than we are experiencing at this moment, or in this season of our lives.

It makes no matter where we as believers in Messiah Yeshua may be right now, I pray that we may find ourselves in a quiet harbour protected from the storms of life, but the Truth is most are not there!  

How can I make such a statement?

Well obviously I have contact with other believers and I know of their present circumstances; BUT more specifically I make this statement based on the fact of the season we are now entering.

We are entering the Pesach (Passover) period, the beginning of the new cycle of growth and just as Brother Judah in Yisrael will pruning, planting, plowing so as to prepare his fields for the coming summer, SO YHWH ABBA IS ALSO TENDING AND KEEPING HIS GARDEN IN PREPARATION FOR THIS TIME OF GROWTH, JUST AS HE INSTRUCTED ADAM TO DO.  Gen. 2:15

ABBA IS PRUNING HIS VINE, CUTTING BACK AND GRAFTING INTO HIS CULTIVATED OLIVE TREE. John 15:1-17; Rom. 11:11ff

Brethren, if you are willing to accept it, those who have the Seed of Messiah Yeshua in them ARE NOW BEING PREPARED FOR THE NEW SEASON OF GROWTH as we enter a new spring period.

This is nothing new, just renewed circumstances that all of the Biblical Characters of YHWH Elohim needed to face in their walk with YHWH Elohim from Adam to the very last person who will be brought back into His Kingdom, His Garden!

Oh dear brethren, even our Yeshua had to suffer persecution, rejection and even death on a Stake to prove His Obedience to His Abba YHWH and to then qualify as the High Priest in the eternal order of Melchizedek. Heb. 5:5-10

A brother in Messiah living in Ireland* sent a mail to me this morning which so beautifully summed up what I wished to share with you all by quoting:-

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Cor. 12:9-10 ESV

It was NOT RULES OF MAN BUT Yeshua's Commitment and Love for His Body through the Love of The Father for His Children WHICH KEPT YESHUA ON THE STAKE, THE CROSS, THE INSTRUMENT OF DEATH, MAKING HIM DESPISED AND REJECTED BY HIS CREATION - IT PLEASED THE FATHER TO BRUISE OUR YESHUA - BECAUSE OF THE SIN OF MAN! 

So are we, incomplete and fallible man that we still are, who claim to have died with Yeshua and been raised to His Eternal Inheritance, prepared to stay on that Cross with HIM THROUGH LOVE AND OBEDIENCE TO HIM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES OR NOT? 

That each of us will need to answer individually - it is not a "team effort" BUT THERE ARE THOSE THAT HE WILL RAISE UP TO HELP AS HE SEES FIT - TO GIVE US ALL WE SHALL NEED TO ACHIEVE THE TASK AT HAND.

So to those of us who are seemingly confused and not hearing His clear and sure voice right now - here is an answer to your dilemmas:

TRUST IN THE NAME OF YHWH YOUR ELOHIM AND BELIEVE THAT HE IS TRANSFORMING YOU AND I AND ALL WHO WILL FOLLOW INTO THE LIKENESS OF HIS SON, OUR SAVIOUR YESHUA; HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF RECONCILING THE WILLING TO HIM AND HIS KINGDOM RULES. Is. 50:10-11; Phil. 1:6

HE IS MAKING US TO BE A LIGHT AND SALT UNTO THE DYING WORLD, DO NOT HIDE THAT LIGHT UNDER A BUCKET, OR RENDER YOUR SALT USELESS.  Mat. 5:13-16 

I am sure most reading this blog will agree that we are running out of ideas fast, and should by now be realising that our ways and thoughts DO NOT ALIGN WITH HIS, AND THAT WE JUST CANNOT CARRY THIS LOAD ANYMORE: IT MAY BE BECOMING MORE AND MORE OBVIOUS THAT THE ONLY WAY WE WILL WALK THIS PATH IS TO REMAIN AT PEACE IN HIS PRESENCE, and to that end we have HIS promises that HE will never leave us as orphans or allow us to be tried above what we can bear, and within these trial HE will show us a way out (Is. 55:8ff; John 14:18; 1 Cor. 10:12-14) 

But there is power in the confessions and prayers of the Righteous and armed with that weapon I may have a valuable key which could help us massively now and forever - it is a prayer that I received just the other day from a very dear brother in Messiah Yeshua who lives in the USA*. James 5:16-18.

“Abba Father, it is my desire to follow You wherever You lead me. I am honored to be your servant and take my stand today against the adversary and his schemes against me, my family, and your call for me. Father, as I take up each piece of the armor You have so graciously provided me, please secure all of it in place on me.

I take up the shield of faith and extend it over myself. It extinguishes all the fiery darts of attack of the evil one.

I put on the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind from the enemy’s attacks. With it, I have the mind of Messiah.

I put on the breastplate of righteousness of Elohim. In Messiah, every foothold of evil has been washed away and I am clothed in righteousness!

I gird my loins with the belt of truth. Your word, O Elohim, is truth. Father, sanctify me according to Your Word and remind me through the Ruach Ha Kodesh of the Truth that destroys the lies of sin.

I bind on my feet the preparation of the Gospel of peace. I walk with You daily. I rejoice in your Good News for me and for the whole world! I have peace with YHWH through Yeshua’s sacrifice. I walk in my inheritance as an adopted son/daughter of Elohim and have authority over evil in Yeshua’s name.

I will use the sword of the Spirit by speaking the Word of Elohim as it applies to whatever situation I may face today. Father, please remind me of Your Word by your Ruach Ha Kodesh, knowing ‘The Word’ (Yeshua Messiah) and the Spirit (You, Abba) ALWAYS work together.

I will continue to pray in the Spirit throughout the day, and intercede for all Your people as the Ruach Ha Kodesh prompts me. I believe that the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) is interceding on my behalf according to my prayers.

Thank-you Abba for loving me enough to provide me with all Your armor.   Please surround me with Your hedge of protection as I move forward on the spiritual battlefield today. I praise and worship You now and forever. You are my Elohim. I am Your servant. May everything I do and say today bring glory to You and You alone.  Amein.” Eph. 6:10-20

May this blog from a fellow brother and sojourner in Messiah Yeshua be a blessing to you one and all. Please again prayerfully and cautiously read what I have penned here, because I too am just trying to find my way home!

Shalom

Bo'az

* Please read how Abba will raise up who HE will, when He will, from where HE will to meet the needs of His Son's Body.

The different hues of the Body of Messiah

A few days ago I received this link from a sister in Messiah.

Whilst reading the blog this link directed me to I too thought on our experiences here in Africa, and I too would like to relate a similar experience that I was privileged to witness in Tanzania.

It was in February 2000, I was at that time travelling with a missionary family of 6, me being the seventh person, in a very old and seemingly over-loaded Land Rover.

We had been travelling the whole day and night was falling, we started to looked for places where we could sleep for the night, but each place we tried the husband of this missionary family I was with informed us that this was not the place. We need to make it clear here that very seldom did we know where we were to spend the night before us, it was literally a trip of faith - no support, no sponsors, no church groups or anything like that just a walk with YHWH Yeshua based on Mat. 10:5-14.

To be quite honest I was starting to despair with the husband and his repeated chimes of "I don't think we are supposed to stay here!"

It was past dark when we entered a town named Same, this town is about 80 kilometres south of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The town is very rural, very African and not at all what I, coming from Namibia, was used to, I was by now in fact hoping that we may push through to Moshe or some such larger centre where we may have been able to find a more "comfortable" nights lodgings, but no, my friend quietly declares - "WE MUST SLEEP HERE!"

I wish I could sound more "spiritual" about how I felt right then, but that would be a lie. My heart dropped - but I gathered a little comfort from the fact that there was a place in this "town" that had electricity, maybe we could still find "decent lodgings" for the night. But no my missionary friend now approached a group of people chatting idly as only Africans can do and asked a Policeman with this group where the local TAG (Tanzanian Assemblies of God) church was, if indeed they even had one.

The Policeman said they did indeed have a TAG assembly and he indicated towards his right. So all back in the Land Rover and there we go into a very inky pitch black night.

For those that may not know Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, it is situated in Tanzania, not Kenya as many believe, and it is only a few degrees south of the Equator yet it has a permanent ice cap. This mountain range produces its own weather system which plays havoc on the surrounding area's weather, and this weather system in my experience is usually windy, wet and cold!

The road we were needing to travel on now to get to this TAG assembly was one of those overgrown excuses for a road and consisted of a dirt track through the grass, very bumpy, very tedious, and as I said, very dark.

After a while we arrived at a building situated in a sort of village area, it had some lights on. My missionary friend boldly stated that this was the place we were looking for, and indeed it was. He went and knocked on the window, and asked where the local Pastor lived, the person speaking to us indicated a small light that was burning in the distance - that we were told was the Pastor's house - only one problem though, there was no road to the house, so two of the young men sleeping in the church and I walked in front of there Land Rover through the long grass checking for potholes, rocks and the like.

It was bitterly cold and windy, but after a while we reached the Pastor's house, bade our friends good bye, and whilst the family gathered themselves together  and climbed out of the Land Rover I went and knocked on this very primitive mud brick house's front door.

The door opened almost immediately, it was about 23:00 by now, and at the door stood this slightly built African man. He greeted me (a very white guy) with a smile and asked if he could help, I greeted him back and told him that I am a missionary from Namibia, he flung the door open and invited me into his house. I explained that I was only one of a group of seven, he immediately ran outside to the old Land Rover just visible in the dark and invited all of us in, all the while calling out to his wife.

This dear lady also came outside and began helping my missionary friend's wife and her children to bring some luggage into their house. I was blown away.

Once inside their very small and modest home, the Pastor roused his children from their sleep and proudly introduced us all to his four children. We were immediately at home with them, we still spoke of The LORD at that time, we shared stories and so forth.

At about mid-night I noticed that the Pastors eldest son was not with us, I asked the Pastor where he was, he just smiled and said that the son had gone to tell the local community that there were brothers and sisters from Namibia visiting with them. A short while later there son came back into the room, called his mother and excused himself again to soon return with bread and fried eggs.

Brethren it was then that I realised this young man had gone out to the local villagers at that time of the night to gather food for us their visitors.  We ate of our Manna with thankful hearts, our hosts ate NOTHING!

Time to retire came, the missionary and his family were given mattresses and cushions in the lounge area in which we were fellowshipping, whilst I was offered the Pastor and his wife's bed. I tried to decline his kind offer and told him that I did indeed have my sleeping bag and a small camp mattress which I would sleep on somewhere else - he refused, so we reached a compromise - I slept on his bedroom floor on my camp mattress, whilst he and his wife took their bed mattress to another place - I do not know where this place was because his children carried their mattress out.

That night the wind howled through that little house, there were holes in the bedroom wall, yet I slept with the contentment of a blessed man.

When I awoke the next morning I has my quiet time in the bedroom, I received a Scripture for this Pastor, it was a message of direction for his assembly.

When I went outside I saw that my missionary friend and the Pastor were already up and talking, and with them were his Church elders. I greeted them all, we prayed and I then gave the Scripture I had received to the Pastor and his elders. My missionary friend just smiled at the Pastor, you see dear Brethren this Pastor had a problem in his Community that he was unable to deal with so he had approached the throne of Grace and asked for help as to what he should do in the situation at hand. My missionary friend too had received a Scripture prior to speaking to the Pastor that morning during his quiet time, and he too had passed it onto the Pastor. His Scripture and the one I was given, complimented each other and gave the Pastor the advice he needed to deal with the community problem. 

Oh dear brethren, as we ourselves now approach these seemingly difficult and uncertain times rest assured that YHWH Elohim will always be attentive to our heartfelt prayers. He will always give guidance and help when asked for EVEN IF HE HAS TO RAISE UP A BUNCH OF UNTRAINED, THEOLOGICALLY IMPROPER, RELIGIOUSLY AND POLITICALLY INCORRECT, UNSUPPORTED MISSIONARIES FROM A COUNTRY THOUSANDS OF KILOMETRES AWAY TO GET THE ANSWER TO YOU!

I think often about this episode, and it is one of many which I have witnessed where YHWH Yeshua has shown Himself  to be an Elohim Who loves His Body of Believers and is very, very jealous of them.

What did it mean to me personally - well I hope you have guessed by now - I SAW THE PHYSICAL RE-ENACTMENT OF Luke 11:5-13. I saw the love of Messiah Yeshua for us through His Pastor and the Pastor's family. I saw so much, BUT FOREVER I WILL REMEMBER THE LOVE OF THAT MAN, HIS FAMILY AND THEIR COMMUNITY. I SAW UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR ME, A WHITE PERSON AND MY 6 WHITE AFRIKANER FRIENDS, FROM A SIMPLE AND LOVING TANZANIAN PASTOR AND HIS FAMILY.

I have never again seen this man, but I live with the assurance that I shall see him and his lovely family in the New Jerusalem and wed will talk again about that glorious night in Same, Northern Tanzania.

Thank you Yeshua, and thank you dear sister in Messiah for sending me the original link because we here in Africa are indeed blessed because these sorts of situations are around us each and every day and we do not pay them enough attention.

In fact these and so many other similar situations are all around all of us, NO MATTER WHERE WE LIVE, each and every day if we will just look through the eyes of HIS LOVE! 

There is my message of Faith, Hope and Love, BUT THE GREATEST OF THEM IS LOVE! (1Cor. 13:13). 

We need each other so much in these times, we, myself included, so need to remember what we have from YHWH, but never allow it to tie us down so that we forget that sometimes it is  better to receive than to give.

Please pray that YHWH will let us see those of HIS SON'S BODY AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO LOVE THEM UNCONDITIONALLY AS THIS PASTOR AND HIS FAMILY LOVED US, THE STRANGERS FROM NAMIBIA - REGARDLESS OF OUR COMFORT ZONES OR RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS!

Shalom in Messiah Yeshua our eternal Light in the darkness!

Bo'az 

PS. During our night in Same the Pastors outside ablution block had it's roof blown off.