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.
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