Tag Archives: deliverance

YHVH’s Sanctuary

Peter's blogs, Spiritual Maturity, , , , ,

yhvh-is-a-shelterWhat did Yeshua mean when He said in His Olivet discourse: “as it was in the days of Noach” (Matt 24:39)?  In this and other Re(new)ed Covenant Scriptures (2 Pet 2; 2 Thess 2), the authors speak of a future world of great wickedness, such as has not been known since the times of Noach and Sodom.  These Scriptures also speak of YHVH’s judgment on those who are deceived by the lies of hasatan and refuse to turn to the truth of the Creator and Redeemer of the world, Yehovah Elohim.

They also speak of YHVH our Deliverer saving and protecting His people during times of past trials or judgment:

  • Noach and all his family were divinely saved from destruction by the protection of the Ark (2 Pet 2:5). Note that the Hebrew word for ark (tevah) not only means a box or covering, but it also means “word” – so you can think of Noach and his family truly being covered by YHVH’s Word!
  • In the time of Sodom & Gomorrah, we are told that the people were very immoral and ungodly, but also that God [Elohim] rescued Lot from the fiery judgment because Lot was a righteous man who followed the truth (2 Pet 2:6-7)
  • Moses (Ex 44:7), David (1 Sam :14-15) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:4-8) were all protected in the wilderness
  • In the same way, when YHVH brought all the plagues onto the people in Egypt, He spared the Hebrews from the worst of those plagues (Ex 9). Yeshua became our Passover Lamb 2000 years ago, and now we can cover ourselves with His blood for protection from the enemy’s attacks
  • Finally, in speaking about the end of days, Yeshua says in Revelation 12 verses 6 and 14 that YHVH will once again protect His people from both the unbearable attacks from the adversary hasatan, and also from His own judgments against the wicked

From these Scriptures we know that YHVH has protected His people many times in the past, and has said that He would protect us again during the Tribulation period.  We also know from Yeshua’s words in Matthew 24 and Sha’ul’s prophecies in 2 Timothy 3 that the times before the end of this current world will be characterized by great sinfulness and evil.

What will lead the people of the world into such great lawlessness, though?  We know there are plenty of greedy, boastful and wicked people throughout the world now, but Yeshua says the End will be a time like no other that has ever been seen or will ever be seen again.  Several Scriptures speak of a great apostasy, deception, or falling away (2 Thess 2:3, Matt 24:10).  Reading further in these Scriptures we see many reasons for this falling away of believers in Yeshua, so great that even some of the elect will be led astray (Matt 24:24).  Yeshua speaks of many false prophets and teachers, and the great signs and wonders they will use to try to convince believers that they are the Messiah who is prophesied to return.

There is a stronger deception than simple signs and wonders that will be leading the saints away from YHVH, though.  This deception becomes clear when you look at the expanded meaning of apostasy – it means “an abandonment of the truth”.  In spiritual terms, this means that the end times will involve a wholesale rejection of YHVH’s revelation, a further “falling away” of an already fallen world.  This “end times” falling away is confirmed as the sign that will come before the Tribulation ends and Yeshua returns for His saints (the set-apart ones) in several other Scriptures.

When Sha’ul talks about the end times in II Timothy 3, he talks first about all the wickedness that will mark that time, but then he goes on to say in Verse 7 that people at that time will be: “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth”.  This agrees with II Thessalonians 2:10-12 which states that the ones who will be judged in the latter days will be the ones who did not believe the truth of YHVH, but instead believed the enemy’s lies.  The crux of this passage in Verse 11 says: “…God will cause them to be greatly deceived, so that they will believe these lies”.

Going back to Matthew 24, Yeshua’s first answer to His disciples about the signs of the end was: “Be careful that no one leads you astray! For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will lead many astray” (Matt 24:4-5).  Remember that one of Yeshua’s harshest reprimands of the religious leaders was in John 8:44 when they accused Him of casting out demons and healing people in the name and power of the devil: “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies”.

The essence, then, of the reason for the great falling away in the end times will be that a great majority of the people (believers and unbelievers alike) will believe the lies of the false teachers and prophets and of the anti-messiah himself.

So how do we prepare ourselves for these perilous times, so that we can discern false from true teaching and prophecy, and resist following the popular path of believing the captivating lies of the enemy’s allies?  As with all temptations and allurements of our society, we need to put all our trust in our Rock and Redeemer, Yeshua HaMashiach, and be filled with Yehovah’s Holy Spirit.  We need to ask Abba for guidance in discerning the truth from the lies, and then follow that truth no matter what are the world consequences.  While it is true that not all believers will be delivered physically through the Tribulation, we know that if we remain steadfast in our trust and obedience, YHVH will help empower us to overcome the world, by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony.  In this world we will have tribulation, but Yeshua has overcome the world, and greater is He that is in us (the Holy Spirit) than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Tending the Garden

Nancy's blogs, Restoring the Bride, Spiritual Maturity, , , , , , ,

producing-fruitAt creation, humans were placed in an enclosed garden and were given dominion of the earth and the assignment of tending the garden.  There was at this point no barrier between YHVH and those whom He created in His image and likeness, so it is fair to assume that there was communication between YHVH and Adam and Eve.  YHVH is a God of relationship.  Among other things, perhaps YHVH was giving advice and guidance on how best to tend their garden home.  After all, He is the Creator of all things and knows how everything best functions.

Since the fall of Adam and Eve, we are assigned another task, an additional garden to be tended, the garden of our souls.  When we are born again, our spirit is perfect and sealed (John 3:6, Eph 4:30, 1 Pet 1:23), but the soul and body remain unchanged and must be renewed or improved by our deliberate cooperation with the Holy Spirit.  Scripture tells us that our bodies will be resurrected and transformed (1 Cor 15:50, 53), but what about our souls?  Our souls are made up of mind, will and emotions.  It is here that we must do our greatest work of yielding to the Holy Spirit (Rom 12:2, Eph 4:22-23, Col 3:1-3).  Just as Satan entered the Garden of Eden with evil intent and deceit, so he sends his workers to enter the garden of our souls to wreak havoc of all sorts, especially through deceit.

Just as Adam and Eve had dominion (management) of the Garden of Eden and therefore could have ousted the intruder, hasatan, we have dominion of our souls and can yield ground either to YHVH or to His enemy.  We must oust the enemy in every part of our soul garden so that YHVH is welcome to reside there with us (Rev 3:20).

The Holy Spirit walks with us each day to provide assistance.  With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, it is our job to remove the weeds of guilt, doubt, fear, envy, selfishness, pride, and strife.  It is in these areas that we “do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.” (Rom 7:19).  We must also seek the Holy Spirit to help us identify and heal soul wounds which are deep emotional pains and injuries.   It is in these areas that the enemy can sow new seeds by planting new lies.

We cannot be totally possessed by the devil when we are born again for there is at least one part of us already sealed and off limits.  However, in areas of our soul where we have built false strongholds, we have created a place to welcome and harbor demons.  What is a false stronghold?  It is any attitude or pattern of behavior where we are still in charge or where we rely on anything or anyone other than YHVH to help us.  Strongholds are built of lies and misconceptions and are places of darkness within the soul.  Demons are active in encouraging us to erect strongholds, for this is a place where they can live and get a solid foothold in their work of stealing, killing and destroying (John 10:10).

If demons have infiltrated and taken possession of part of our gardens, they must be removed through deliverance.  Many people avoid this step because of fear of the unknown.  Also, many have seen the drama that can be involved in deliverance.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  Deliverance under the guidance of the Holy Spirit can be quiet, civilized and completed in a very short time. It is our duty to remove the enemy from our garden.  Afternward, it is crucial that we identify and tear down the false strongholds that we have built.  Thus we destroy any “homes” for the enemy and can invite the Holy Spirit to move into those areas.  It is in dying to ourselves and yielding control to YHVH in every aspect of our mind, will and emotions that our soul gardens will flourish and prosper.

When we are tempted to neglect the tasks involved in tending our garden, we would be wise to read and meditate on the following Scriptures:

So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.  Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions (Matt 7:19-20)

Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire (Matt 3:10).

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28).

Let us take seriously the tending of our soul gardens and yield good fruit so that our Father may be glorified.

Behind the Scenes

Nancy's blogs, Spiritual Maturity, , , , ,

praise-to-yhvh-my-rockIn our book, What’s Missing, we discussed how the story of the Israelites in Exodus is symbolic of the redemption that Yeshua, the true Passover Lamb, brings to all of us.  The story of YHVH actively intervening on behalf of the Israelites to set them free from slavery to the Egyptians and leading them out of Egypt in a miraculous way is an account of real events.  However, these events are a type or shadow of an even greater story of YHVH working on behalf of all humanity to free us from our spiritual enemies.   A phrase or even a single word in Exodus paints a graphic picture of the ongoing battle between YHVH and His adversary.  We must keep in mind that behind the scenes of our daily dramas, YHVH is carrying out His plan to establish His kingdom on earth while His adversary is trying to do the same.  It is the greatest drama of all.

After the tenth and final plague, we find that the Israelites left Rameses, which means “born of Ra”.    Who is Ra?  Ra was the primary name for the sun god in Egypt.  We get a clear picture that those who partake of the Passover Lamb are leaving the kingdom of darkness (ruled by the sun god) and going to Succoth (ruled by the one true God, YHVH).  Succoth is derived from the Hebrew word sakah and carries several different meanings.  Let us examine these meanings to see how our “behind the scenes” picture develops.

One of the meanings of sakah is “covering” as used in 1 Kings 8:7.  Just as the cherubim provided a covering for the ark of the covenant,  YHVH provides a covering for His sheep.  In Ezekiel 28:13, we see the description of YHVH’s archenemy before his rebellion.  He was covered (derived from sakah) in precious gems just as we are covered with Yeshua’s robes of righteousness.  In 2 Kings 16:18, the word is used for the Shabbat canopy.  YHVH stands beside us and is our protective covering (Ps. 121:5 NLT).  Isaiah 1:8 uses the word sukka as a watchman’s hut.  In 2 Samuel 11:11 the same word is used to denote a protective booth for soldiers.  Leviticus 23:41-42 and Deuteronomy 16:13 require all Israelites to construct temporary shelters (sukkot) for themselves for a week each year to commemorate YHVH dwelling among them.

All those who have left the kingdom of darkness for YHVH’s kingdom of light are protected by YHVH Himself.  However, all of us are also called to be soldiers in YHVH’s campaign to establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.   YHVH is fully capable of eradicating His enemies and establishing His kingdom by Himself.  However, He purposely gave dominion of the earth to humans and expects each of  us to participate in the great spiritual battle for the earth.  We are not left to fight the battle alone for YHVH Himself is our leader and protector.  It is imperative for us to get off the spiritual milk and onto meat (1 Cor 3:2) as soon as we are able so that we can fully participate in the role that YHVH has assigned for each of us.

The word selected in Exodus 12:41, 51 (tsaba) refers to the Israelites and those who joined them in the flight from Egypt as armies or hosts.  In most other places the people are referred to as Israelites or the children of Israel (b’nei yisrael). In Exodus, 13:17-18, the picture becomes crystal clear.  YHVH takes the Israelites on a detour because they are not yet ready to do battle with their Egyptian enemies.  However, YHVH still has them leave Egypt “like an army ready for battle”.  A short time later they would have the opportunity to do battle for the land promised to them.  They were still not ready and thus the nation of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the desert.  The battle must and will be fought at some point.

The children of Israel would have to fight their enemies in order to take over the land that YHVH promised them.  The children of YHVH will have to fight our enemies to reclaim the earth for YHVH.  In both cases it is YHVH who will go ahead of us and be our covering.  What role are you called to play in this great drama?

What would You do if You were God (Part 3)?

God's Strength & Character, Peter's blogs, , , , ,

free will_2“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 [NKJV]

In the last segment of this series (Part 2), I discussed the reasons why God created us with a free will.  Please go back and read that episode: What would you do if you were God (Part 2), to get the background for this teaching. In today’s blog, we will dig deeper into God’s purpose for giving us free will. YHVH works all things together for good no matter how far we stray from His perfect plan for our lives.

We are born into the earthly realm where hasatan rules and reigns (ever since Adam and Eve gave back their dominion to him in the fall.  So you might ask: why would God have allowed our great adversary to take dominion of the Earth from us?  Well, being our all-knowing Creator, and having given us free will, He knew that we would eventually disobey Him and fall into sin.  So He created us with a conscience that steers us towards what is right and away from what is wrong.

Even young children can be influenced by other forces and willfully choose to disobey their consciences.  Parents may have taught their child right from wrong, but that child can be wrongly influenced by seeing another child doing something they know is wrong (taking something that doesn’t belong to them, or telling a fib, for instance).  If the child is caught in the act and reprimanded, but desires to please their parents, then they will resist the temptation to disobey the next time.  It is the same with our heavenly parent, Abba.  Even at a young age, children start developing a sense of what is right and wrong. They learn that their lives will be happier and less stressful if they take the “right” path in their choices.

When we come into the age of moral accountability, we generally know that we are to keep God’s commandments, but there are many forces tempting us to go astray of those commandments.  We are tempted by the snares of the world, such as the lust of the eyes and flesh around us that appear so desirable on the surface.  We are also tempted by others to stray.  At times, we can be lured by the seductive wiles of HaSatan or his evil forces to commit sinful acts.

How is God working for good through these sinful lapses on our part?  Yehovah has blessed us with intelligent minds that are able to reason through the physical consequences of sin – and a spirit ideally in tune with His Holy Spirit to help us recognize the spiritual consequences of sin, which leads to separation from God.  YHVH desires that all of His children be born again and filled with His Holy Spirit.  This means that when we fall into sin, He uses His rod and staff to correct us and pull us back into His fold.  Sometimes, we fall so far and for so long that we suffer severe consequences. These can take the form of physical or mental ailments.

As many born-again believers’ testimonies confirm, these times of falling away were the low-points in their sinful lives.  Yet God was working to bring them back and restore them to fellowship with Him.  He can work in many ways – through other believers or His angels who rescue us in dire times of great distress or danger, through Yeshua Himself who appears to people in the depths of despair, and even directly by shining His glory light into a fallen person’s heart and thoughts, giving them hope for a joyful future with Him.

There are many examples in Scripture of YHVH pulling people out of the depths of their despair.  In David’s case, he often experienced times of discouragement, desperation and even hopelessness.  Some of these times were brought about because of unjust hostility from others, such as King Sha’ul, Abimelech, etc. (1 Sam 23, Ps 22:1-8, Ps 69:1-4, Ps 56, Ps 34).  But in other cases it was his own sin that brought God’s judgment down on him (Ps 51).  In both cases, he cried out to YHVH, because he knew that God would rescue him out of his dire circumstances even when his sin had temporarily separated him from God’s presence.  At all these times, though, David was learning to trust in God’s protection and deliverance instead of trusting in people and nations to deliver him.

Similarly with Paul (Sha’ul) in the New Testament, he realized that God was his only stronghold and that was sufficient for him no matter how dire the circumstances were.  Sha’ul had sinned greatly by persecuting believers in Yeshua (Acts 7:58), before Yeshua appeared to him and saved him by grace on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-18).  He then came under great persecution himself and had to depend on YHVH to save him from his enemies, learning that YHVH was his strength when he was weak (2 Cor 12:8-10).

Think about the darkest times in your life, when someone has abused or hurt you deeply, or when you have fallen into the darkness of sin and depression.  If you are a believer, you know that those times were when God was working the most fervently in your life – to raise you back up to joy and glory in His kingdom, or to convict you of the destructive effects of your sin and the critical need to turn from your sinful ways and follow Him.  When I think about the freedom He has given us and the power of His love and grace to save us when we fall, I cannot imagine Him doing it any other way!

The Mighty Power of YHVH

Macabbees, Peter and Nancy's Blogs, , , , , , , , ,

horse and riderTo celebrate Chanukah, we decided to read a portion of the story of the Maccabees each night.   The second book of Maccabees, chapter three has enlightened our understanding of the events leading up to the celebration of Chanukah. It has also provided us with insight and direction in dealing with issues that are currently challenging us.

Here is a brief summary of the chapter. There was a high priest named Onias who strictly obeyed the laws of YHVH. While Onias was high priest, Jerusalem enjoyed peace and prosperity, and received respect and generous gifts from the kings of many nations.

A man named Simon lost an argument with Onias and sought revenge by lying to Apollonius, governor of Greater Syria, and offering to him the money from the Temple treasury. Apollonius passed this misinformation on to the king, who sent a man named Heliodorus to confiscate the money. A portion of this money had been designated for the widows and orphans and a portion of it belonged to a wealthy man. To take the money would be to break YHVH’s laws concerning money deposited in the Temple treasury and would betray the trust of those who depended on the integrity of the ones in charge of the treasury. Heliodorus decided to confiscate the money anyway.

The priests and the people joined together in begging YHVH to protect the treasury money, praying on their faces before His altar. YHVH responded in a dramatic way. Heliodorus returned to the king without the money, but with a strong testimony concerning the power and faithfulness of YHVH.

This story speaks volumes to us as we seek funds to build a refuge for some widows in India. Just as the people of Jerusalem were on their faces before YHVH, the widows in our sister congregations spend much of each day on their faces, praying for the salvation of others. And yet, these women are considered curses in their society and are much oppressed.

We are in the process of raising funds for the construction of the widows’ home. As we began this process, the Holy Spirit led us to create a faith covenant with YHVH. Each day we remind YHVH of His promises towards the widows, orphans and the oppressed by reading aloud pertinent Scripture verses. Several weeks after we began our faith covenant, YHVH gave us His response to our covenant, which is Proverbs 15:25: “YHVH will tear down the house of the proud, but will establish the boundary of the widow.”

As developments unfold, we comprehend at new levels the depth of YHVH’s promise in this verse. Persecution against non-Hindus is on the rise in India. It is becoming more difficult to get the funds safely delivered to the congregational leaders. Local authorities who have been bent on persecuting our sister congregations are gaining more power. Our sister congregations, especially the leaders, are watched very carefully. We would be tempted to think that this cause is hopeless, but the Holy Spirit reminds us that this home for the widows is YHVH’s response to the cries of the congregants after the widows were thrown out of a temporary shelter and had their lives threatened.

Therefore, we believe that 2 Maccabees, chapter 3 illustrates for us our next step.   We are asking that those who support us in this effort storm heaven and remind YHVH of His promise in Proverbs 15:25. We believe He will hear our cries and respond in a powerful way if we stand on faith in this matter.

We have provided a copy of chapter 3 below for you to read and prayerfully consider. Note how many times YHVH miraculously intervenes to answer the cries of those who seek diligently to keep His laws.

II Maccabbees 3

When Onias[a] was High Priest in Jerusalem, the holy city enjoyed peace and prosperity, and its laws were strictly obeyed, because he was devout and hated evil. 2 The kings of Syria and Egypt honored the Temple and presented it with expensive gifts, 3 and King Seleucus, ruler of all Asia, even paid the costs of the Temple sacrifices from the revenues he collected.

4 But a man by the name of Simon, of the tribe of Bilgah, the chief administrative official of the Temple, lost an argument he had with Onias over the regulations governing the city market. 5 At this time Apollonius son of Thraseus was the governor of Greater Syria. Simon went to him 6 and said that there was so much money in the Temple treasury that it could not be counted, and since the money was not needed for sacrifices, it might as well be placed under the king’s control.

7 When Apollonius met with the king, he told him about the money, and the king ordered Heliodorus, his chief minister, to get it for him. 8 Heliodorus set out at once on his mission, but he claimed that he was only making a tour of inspection of the cities of Greater Syria. 9 After he had arrived in Jerusalem and had been warmly received by the High Priest, he explained the real reason for his visit and asked if what he had been told was true. 10-11 The High Priest then stated that Simon, that devil of a man, had not been elling the truth. There was indeed some money in the Temple treasury, but part of it was set aside for widows and orphans and part of it belonged to Hyrcanus son of Tobias, a very important man. He also pointed out that the total amount was only 30,000 pounds of silver and 15,000 pounds of gold. 12 He added that it was absolutely impossible that anyone should be permitted to take the money of those people who had placed their trust in the sanctity and safety of this world-famous Temple.

13 But Heliodorus insisted that the money should be taken for the royal treasury, as the king had ordered. 14 So he set a day and went into the Temple to supervise the counting of the money. This caused an uproar throughout the entire city. 15 Priests, wearing their priestly robes, threw themselves face downward before the altar and begged God to keep the money safe, since he had given the laws designed to protect the money that people deposited in the Temple. 16 It was heartbreaking to see the High Priest. His face turned pale, revealing the agony of his soul, 17 and his body was trembling with fear, reflecting the pain in his heart. 18 People ran from their houses to join together in prayer that the Temple might not be defiled. 19 Women, wearing nothing but skirts of sackcloth, crowded the streets. Young girls whose parents had never allowed them to be seen in public ran to the gates or to the walls of the city, or just stared out of their windows. 20 But wherever they went, they lifted their hands to God in prayer. 21 What a pitiful sight it was to see the High Priest in such great agony and frustration and to see everyone in the city confused and lying face down on the ground.

22 While everyone was begging the Lord Almighty to protect the money that had been entrusted to his care, 23 Heliodorus went on with his plan. 24 But at the very moment that he and his bodyguards arrived at the treasury, the Lord of all supernatural powers caused such a vision to appear that everyone who had dared to enter with Heliodorus was panic-stricken and weak with fear at this display of the Lord’s power. 25 In the vision they saw a horse and a rider. The horse had a richly decorated bridle, and its rider, dressed in gold armor, was frightening. Suddenly the horse rushed at Heliodorus, then reared up and struck at him with its hoofs. 26 Heliodorus also saw two unusually strong and handsome young men, wearing very fine clothes. They stood on either side of him and beat him unmercifully. 27 He immediately fell to the ground unconscious, and his men put him on a stretcher 28 and carried him out. Only a moment earlier this man had entered the treasury with a large group of men, including all his bodyguards, but now he was being carried away helpless. So they all openly acknowledged the mighty power of God.

29Heliodorus lay there unable to speak and without hope of recovery from this demonstration of God’s power. 30But the Jews praised Almighty God because he had miraculously protected his Temple and had brought great happiness where only minutes before there had been fear and confusion. 31 Some of Heliodorus’ friends quickly asked Onias the High Priest to pray that the Most High would spare the life of this man who was at the point of death. 32 So the High Priest offered a sacrifice in the hope that God would save Heliodorus, for he did not want the king to think that the Jews had done this to the man he had sent. 33 While Onias was offering the sacrifice, the two young men, wearing the same clothes as before, again appeared to Heliodorus and said,

Be grateful to the High Priest; the Lord has spared your life because of him. 34 Remember that it was the Lord of heaven who punished you. Now go and tell everyone of his great power.  When they had said this, they disappeared.

35 So Heliodorus offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made many promises, because the Lord had spared his life. Then he said good-bye to Onias and returned with his army to the king. 36 There he told everyone what the Lord, the most powerful of all gods, had done.

37 When the king asked Heliodorus who would be the best man to send on the next mission to Jerusalem, Heliodorus replied, 38If you have an enemy or know of someone plotting against your government, send him. He will come back badly beaten, if he comes back at all, for some strange power from God is at work there. 39The God of heaven watches over the Temple; he strikes down and destroys anyone who comes to harm it.

40 That is the story of how the Temple treasury was protected from Heliodorus.

Inside Job

Nancy's blogs, Spiritual Maturity, , , , , ,

above all elseAs a born-again believer, have you ever tried to explain your experience with YHVH to a non-believer? Have you been met with doubt and misunderstanding or even ridicule?  We can tell others of our experience, but we cannot transfer our experience to another person. No one else can truly experience what another has experienced. They can hear and try to put themselves into the other person’s place, but it isn’t the same thing. They will not truly understand what Yeshua has done for them until they experience His love, forgiveness, and presence for themselves.

At the time I asked forgiveness for my sins and invited Yeshua to be Lord of my life, I was only vaguely aware that I needed Him. It was only after I experienced Him personally that I began to get a glimpse of just how much I needed Him. Through an ongoing relationship with Yeshua for the past 30+ years, I have realized on ever deeper levels just how much I need Him and how much He has done for me. I have learned to love, appreciate, respect, adore, obey and trust my beloved Shepherd. There have been changes in my behavior and attitude that may be perceived by others, but the actual work inside my heart is invisible to others.

When I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, there were outward signs of speaking in tongues and other gifts of the Holy Spirit. The inside work, however, was much more significant. The Holy Spirit worked with me to show me areas where I needed to change and grow, so that I would not be merely a noisy gong as I used the precious gifts I had received. Also, the Spirit emboldened me to step out in faith and take risks in order to work in YHVH’s harvest.

If you have experienced baptism in the Holy Spirit, then you probably understand how difficult it is to convey to others how important it is that they take this step. Many people are satisfied with salvation in Yeshua and are content to have a foot in the door to the Kingdom of Heaven.  We are empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit in order to develop into harvest workers and soldiers in YHVH’s kingdom. It is not enough to remain spiritual babies any more than we should expect to be human babies forever.

Those of us who have experienced baptism in the Holy Spirit understand what a wonderful gift we have been given, but how do we convey that wonder to others? We cannot convince others by speaking to the intellect. We must speak to the heart and challenge the person to try it for themselves.

The greatest difficulty I have faced is convincing born-again believers of their need for deliverance.   Many believe that once they have been saved, they do not have to worry too much about the enemy.  It is true that Satan had hold of me before I became a born-again believer. He lost control in some areas of my heart after I accepted salvation, but he still had a foothold in areas that I had not yet yielded to YHVH. When I went through prophetic deliverance, I became aware of just how much influence demons still had on me. For one thing, they had clouded my perception of truth. I am now able to see more clearly how demons operate to influence and manipulate us. Now that I better understand how the enemy functions, I have been able to incorporate more effective combat strategies into my spiritual warfare. The greatest discovery for me has been insight into distinguishing the precious person YHVH created from the demon(s) who are working within the person to steal, kill, and destroy in many ways.  However, these experiences and insights are particularly difficult to explain to others.

The best way I can describe it is to ask you to imagine that someone dear to you is being used and manipulated by another person. Wouldn’t you do everything you could to assist that person in getting free? What if the person rejected your every effort and refused to believe that you might have a solution to the problem? What if that person accused you of judging them or criticizing them for getting themselves into such a situation? I experience the same anguish and frustration when I see a demon holding someone I love in bondage. I see the torment that person endures while unwittingly cooperating with the enemy.

If you have not yet repented of your sins and asked Yeshua to be Lord of your life, then I challenge you to try it for yourself. If you have not yet sought the baptism that only Yeshua can offer, then I challenge you to ask Yeshua for this precious gift. If you have not yet sought deliverance so that you can be free from any remaining bondage to Satan, then I challenge you to ask Yeshua to guide you. Yeshua came to set the captives free. The Hebrew name Yeshua means both salvation and deliverance.  We need everything that Yeshua offers to us.  Don’t take my word for it.  Try it for yourself.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws (Ezek. 36:26-27 NIV).

Accepting the Gifts

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on the crossHow many people on earth need salvation through Yeshua? Are there certain categories that are exempt? No, for we read in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Every human born on this earth with the exception of the one perfect human, Yeshua, is in need of redemption through Yeshua’s blood so that we can be restored to relationship with YHVH (2 Cor 5:18).

How many people on earth are in need of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? All of us (Matt 3:11, Acts 1:4-5). We need to be fully equipped with all that the Holy Spirit brings to us if we are to be effective workers in YHVH’s harvest.

How many people on earth are in need of deliverance from the oppression and bondage of demons? Is it not all of us? This is the gift that is most often rejected. The most prevalent argument against deliverance for believers in Yeshua is that the Holy Spirit and demons cannot dwell in the same place. How many Christians and Messianic believers, whether water baptized, baptized in the Holy Spirit or baptized in both, are still sinning? If sin dwells in us alongside the Holy Spirit, then so can demons dwell in us and keep us in bondage.

In the deliverance sessions where we have assisted, we are continually astounded at how much damage has been inflicted on people who outwardly seem to be perfectly normal.  In our put-on-a-brave-front society, no one would ever suspect the misery and torment that these individuals are experiencing.

Yeshua announced His mission by reading Isaiah 61 verse 1 and part of verse 2. When comparing the words in Isaiah 61:1 with the recounting of Yeshua addressing the members of the synagogue in Nazareth, we see that a line has been added.

 “The Spirit of the LORD God is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; (Is 61:1 NKJV)

 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (Luke 4:18 NKJV)

The Orthodox Jewish Bible also records the same addition in Luke 4:18.  Also, the OJB not only makes reference to Isaiah 61:1, but to Isaiah 58:6 as well.

Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6 NKJV)

The extra line in Luke 4:18 is talking of spiritual blindness.  Before Peter and I were set free from bondage, we suspected that perhaps something was not quite right with us, but we did not recognize the demons who oppressed us.  However, during the deliverance session, when the Holy Spirit gave our deliverance team revelation, our spiritual eyes started to open. Only after Peter and I were set free from our own bondage to demons, did we began to recognize and understand just how insidious bondage to demons is.

We know that we are called to be faithful witnesses and effective harvest workers as the evil around us becomes more evident. We need to be released from all the bonds with which the enemy afflicted us while we were still members of the kingdom of darkness.  If Yeshua came to set us free from bondage, why do we refuse His precious gift?

“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim 2:24-26).

“Do you not know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Rom 6:16)?

A House United

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that they all may be oneA 2009 Barna Group article entitled “Most American Christians Do Not Believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit Exist”* sheds light on some basic reasons for the divisions and disagreements among members of the Body of Messiah. The nationwide survey on adult spiritual beliefs indicates that there is much disparity and confusion among American adults on the subject of their faith. Here are some interesting points to consider:

  • Roughly one-fourth of those surveyed aren’t sure who God is.
  • Sixty percent think that Satan is or could be just a symbol of evil, not a living being, yet about 47% of those people believe they are influenced by demons
  • Approximately 48% of those surveyed believe that Jesus sinned or might have sinned while He was on the earth
  • Approximately 58% believe that the Holy Spirit is not a living force, but a symbol of God’s power, although half of that group believes that the Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it teaches.
  • Well over one-half believe that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches, yet approximately one-third of that group also believes that the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon all express the same spiritual truths.

Several truths glared out at me after studying this survey. First, we need a personal relationship with the Father, Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit in order to understand clearly who God is. Those whose statements on their faith could categorize them as “born again” were more consistent and clear about the Bible’s accuracy, the influence of demons, the true identity of the Holy Spirit, the nature of God (omniscient, omnipresent, e.g.). They were also more adamant that a person must choose between God and Satan and that there is no middle ground. We are called to represent Yeshua on the earth. How can we do that if we don’t truly know Him? We must not only be born again, but we must actively pursue a relationship with YHVH.

Second, it is essential to know the Holy Spirit, for Yeshua promised to send us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us (John 14:16-17). If you are born again, you are born of the Spirit (John 3:6-8). In order to truly follow Yeshua, it is necessary to abandon the sinful nature and live according to the desires of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:5-6). It is essential to eagerly seek all that the Holy Spirit has to offer to us. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth (John 16:13. 14:26; 1 John 5:6). Baptism in the Holy Spirit is vital for each member of the Body of Messiah (Matt 3:11, Acts 1:5).

Third, all believers need deliverance. We were born into the kingdom of darkness and in bondage. The divisions, accusations, moral scandals and confusion within the Body of Messiah are all evidence that many believers are still in bondage to Satan.  If deliverance were offered to and accepted by all followers of Yeshua, Satan would lose a lot of his current influence and the credibility of those representing Yeshua would rise considerably. Once we have been delivered from demon oppression, the “blinders” are removed and we see more clearly how our enemy operates. We can then engage in spiritual warfare effectively (Rom 12:21; 1 John 4:1)

Fourth, those who believe in the accuracy of the Bible and at the same time believe that the Koran and the Book of Mormon teach basically the same principles, clearly need a better understanding of the Bible as well as the teachings of the other two books. It is essential to accurately understand our Hebrew roots in order to truly comprehend the Bible. Many Christians who are well-versed in Scripture are still lacking this basic paradigm for understanding what the Bible says.  In other words, they are well versed in what they think the Bible is saying, but they still lack a great deal of understanding that our Jewish brothers and sisters in Yeshua can teach us.  My people perish from a lack of knowledge (Hos 4:6 KJV).

What would happen if the Body of Messiah had a deep, personal relationship with YHVH, were free from demonic manipulation, were taught and guided exclusively by the Holy Spirit, and had a firm grasp of the Bible? The Body of Messiah would become more unified, more certain of the truth, and more effective in the Kingdom of YHVH.  We would be powerful citizens of YHVH’s kingdom and more effective workers in His harvest.

We, as followers of Yeshua, are called to be united. If some of us deny the existence of Holy Spirit, Who guides us into all truth, or of hasatan who guides us into all lies, then confusion and division are inevitable. We are on the battlefield in the middle of a war. If all of us don’t recognize our Commander and listen only to His voice, how can we hope to be united in Him? If we can’t identify the enemy and his wiles, we will not be able to defend ourselves against his attacks. Our enemy knows that his time is growing short, so he is increasing his efforts to bring us all down. It is more important than ever to stand united.

How I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor 1:10-12).

 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Eph 4:3-5)

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity (John 17:22-23 NIV).

* “Most American Christians Do Not Believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit Exist. Barna Group, 2009, https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/260-most-american-christians-do-not-believe-that-satan-or-the-holy-spirit-exis#.VbuKg_mpeSo

The Fragmented Bride

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Bride of MessiahIn our own spiritual journey, the Holy Spirit has led Peter and me to various congregations and ministries. Each new experience taught us something about living and functioning as members of the kingdom of YHVH. Although we fellowship with various groups and congregations, we continue our search for the one congregation where we are encouraged to put all the newly-acquired pieces together.

 A brief summary of our journey may help to paint this picture more clearly. At one congregation, we learned to love each other unconditionally. However, the Spirit moved us on to another congregation to learn our Hebrew roots so that we might gain a more accurate knowledge of the history of our faith and acquire a better lens through which to understand both Old and New Testaments. Once again the Spirit moved us on to various ministries and congregations in order to understand better how we should be functioning in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A separate ministry supplied us with a more mature understanding of our spiritual enemies and how to be delivered from bondage to the enemy. Interaction with various other ministries confirmed the message I had received from Father that we were to call Him by His name. While we are grateful for these congregations and ministries, we wonder why each group seems to have part of the truth, but not all of the truth.  After meditating on Acts chapters 2 through 8, I began to realize just how fragmented the Bride of Messiah has become over the centuries.

 The first eight chapters of the Book of Acts paints a very different picture of the living functioning Bride of Messiah. Yeshua’s followers lived together in close proximity to one another sharing all their belongings. As a unit they prayed, praised and worshipped, studied, healed, preached, taught, learned, and shared all their possessions (Acts 2:42-47). Today, we and many others must search from place to place to acquire what we need to be mature contributers to Yeshua’s Bride.

 When did the fragmenting start? Right away, since the majority of Jewish leaders and many of their followers rejected Yeshua as their Messiah. Yeshua’s followers went to the Temple as YHVH commanded in the Torah, but they had to go outside the Temple parameters in order to learn about Yeshua. Although not perfect, the first generation of Yeshua’s followers provided a more complete picture of what the Bride should be. As time went on the Bride became further fragmented as the good news spread and Yeshua’s followers were scattered over several nations. Distance, persecution, poverty and other trials helped to foster misunderstanding, suspicion, and outright abuse or neglect of each other, especially dividing Jews from non-Jews. Constantine’s efforts to unite his massive empire mingled in pagan practices and beliefs, and at the same time sought to eliminate all ties to Jewish or Hebrew roots. Over time empty manmade rites and rituals increasingly replaced true relationship with YHVH.

 At this time, YHVH seems to be restoring the Bride, perfecting her in anticipation of Yeshua’s return. Several congregations that we have met with locally are seeking to restore the missing pieces in their groups. Three Messianic congregations in India have demonstrated for us the most complete example thus far of how the Bride should function. These congregations function according to their Hebrew roots, actively preach and teach the good news of the Kingdom of YHVH, operate daily in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and call the Father by name. They do so in the midst of daily trials and persecution. What about each of us? How are we participating in YHVH”s work to restore the fragmented Bride?