Ponderings

The Times of Expectancy

By; Dan Fraley

       We live in a time of expectancy, and may be every generation has, but never before are the prophesies being fulfilled as now. We can place dates such as 1948 and 1967 in Ezekiel 37. We open our news papers, watch TV and seeing prophesy being fulfilled before our eyes. Ezekiel 38 is about to be fulfilled, Matthew 24 is starting to make sense, and the book of Revelation is gaining respect in the main stream churches. Catastrophic events all over the world are waking people up to search for answers to questions usually ignored. It is so easy to be caught up in the world, we loose the desire to search for truth. Father Yah/God's messenger is blowing the trumpet/shofar can you not hear it? Listen He is speaking. Open your eyes He talks through signs. Open the eyes of your heart, He also talks through the spirit. Turn the TV off for a while, or take that cell phone off your ear and turn it off. Take a long drive with the radio and CD player off so you can listen. Whatever it takes.........get alone and LISTEN! Knowledge is important, study the prophesies and get your family ready. I know, we have heard all this before, and He still has not come, but listen and He will show you NOW IS THE TIME OF YOUR SALVATION. If you are already a wide awake bride of Yahushua Ben David/Jesus the Christ, then it is the time of DISCIPLESHIP, the fields are white unto harvest. The most important thing in life is your soul, and when that is taken care of, the next most important thing is someone else's soul.

       There is a shaking going on in our homes, our churches and our countries. God is beginning to separate the goats from His sheep. These difficult times we are going through make little sense to us when we are experiencing them, but if we learn from them and depend on Father Yah/God, (by the way if you are wandering why I use Yah instead of just God and Yahushua instead of just Jesus, it is because I feel that when we speak in His name, we should use His real name and not pagan interpretations of them. His name has power so why hide it from His children?) for help, it refines us into a better servant for Him.

        Whatever we use as a crutch to get us through our problems we become dependent on and trust. I choose Father Yah/Yahushua as my crutch rather than drugs, alcohol, Opra or any other things of the world. Are you going to trust the powerful help of the Father, or the world system to get you by? Status makes no difference, hopelessness pays no attention to ones station in life, we all go through times of despair sooner or later. The world system seems to have all the solutions through drugs, alcohol and entertainment etc., and the more we benefit from the present system, the more we become dependent on it. We are seduced into thinking it is the only answer. It is not the only answer, read Eph 1:7-10. The system wants us to submit, consent, be docile and obedient. It wants to contain all our hopes and fears and even profit from it. They want us to believe there are no benefits or payoffs apart from those that are provided by the system. There is great hope, read John 17:20-24. In expectation and anticipation of His return (or dread for those that do not know Him), be of good cheer He has control, and loves us very much. Listen, He is knocking go open the door!

Discipleship

       What is discipleship? Discipleship is faithfully following a teacher's instructions. Yahushua/Jesus called many disciples, and many came to the call, but as they learned the requirements of being a disciple, they chose not to continue. Today many people call themselves Christians, but have only a "measure of obedience" to the instructions of the Savior John 6:56-67). They will follow Yahushua/Jesus just so far then quit. I wonder if these are the "tares" spoken of in one of the Master's parables. Many Christians think discipleship is old fashion, for preachers only or that it was reserved  for His twelve chosen. This is far from the truth, because Yahushua (or Yeshua as some spell it, but the name for Father God is Yah'WH and our saviors name is "God's Salvation" so lets keep Father Yah's name in it.) commanded all Believers to minister His words of life and make disciples wherever they went (Mt 16:24; 1 Cor.  11:1,2). We are to hear His word follow His voice, love all, be humble, give up earthly desires, crucify the flesh, take up the cross and follow Him (Gal. 2:20). Our testimony should be like Paul's, read Phil. 3:8-10 and John 4:34. Most Christians prefer to be loyal to their religious denomination. This goes against Father Yah's commandment. They use their religion as a cloak covering their sin. Read Isa. 30:1 Father Yah gives a big "WOE" to Israel for this very thing.  Contemporary Christians are not any different from the ones of the past, they reject the truth in order that they may adhere to their traditions (read John 9:21-23, 12:42_43).  Are we following the path of least resistance, refusing to "fight the good fight of faith"  or even making an attempt to resist the spiritual forces that oppose Christian faith? Living to only serve Father Yah and working His fields should be the deepest desire of every Christian. 

       Father Yah desires to know us spirit to spirit, not flesh to spirit. With a spirit to spirit relationship, our Father Yah can build on an eternal foundation and not quit His relationship with us at our death. This is where the Holy Spirit/Ruach Ha' Kadosh comes into play.  Now this is what I think happens at salvation, so search the scriptures yourself and base your thoughts on that and what the Ruach Ha'Kadosh/Holy Wind reviles to you. I believe at repentance/tashuvah in Hebrew means to turn around), the Ruach Ha'Kadosh/Holy Spirit influences us and we begin to obey His will. Our first act of obedience in the wedding with the King, is baptism in water. As the Spirit works in us, cleaning out the house/Temple, He makes room for His total indwelling. This is the baptism of fire and is a door we must enter into, in order to know Yahushua/Jesus intimately (consummation of the marriage). Without the power of the Spirit of Yah, through the baptism of the Ruach Ha'Kadosh/Holy Spirit, it is not possible to live a crucified life, and separate one's self from the world/flesh. We can not face persecution without His indwelling and we would not be able or bold enough to be disciples for Him. "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Mat. 20:16).  Our hearts must become pure! Witnessing, joining the church, teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, holding offices, and even being the preacher are all well and good works, but are we circumcised of the heart and doing all this because we love Him with all our heart or soul and might? (At this point read Mt. 5:8 and Psalm 24:3-4) 

       Father Yah's kingdom is "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Ruach Ha'Kadosh/Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). One day we will receive a crown of life (Rev. 3:12).  All disciples of Yahushua/Jesus shall inherit eternal life, but the disobedient shall perish. "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinners appear?" (Rom. 8:14) (read Lk. 13:24) BE YE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY