Moving Towards The M'SHIKHA+ our PASSOVER ... LOVING our Neighbor

REMEMBER:You are dust, 

and to dust you shall return.

REPENT, and believe the GOSPEL+. 

+  +  +

Most HOLY and Most Merciful ABBA... 

We confess to THEE and to one another and to the whole communion of saints in Heaven and on earth and before Your Heavenly Host... 

that we have sinned

by our own fault

in thought, word, and deed; 

by what we have DONE

and by what we have

LEFT UN-DONE. 

 As it is written:

Thou shalt love The LORD thy GOD, The ELOHIM, with ALL thy heart, with ALL of thy soul, and with ALL  thy mind, and with all of thy strength.  

This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it:  Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. There is no commandment greater than these.
( Matthew 22: 37-40 and Mark 12: 29-31, combined.)

So now, we confess to THEE, O LORD:

We have failed 
to love our neighbor 
as ourself.  
+ + +

Do we wish to be favorably thought-of by our friends, at all times?

Do we wish ourselves to be given the "benefit of the doubt" when hard choices have to be made ... and our friends hear about them ? 

If we become busy, do we want our friends to be "hurt" because of our SEEMING neglect of them ? 

If we become unavoidably taken with pressing duties and responsibilities, do we want our friends to feel like we are then giving THEM the "cold shoulder" and ignoring their friendship ? 

THEN.... if we wish our friends to be understanding, let us not harden our hearts towards them, when their duties call them away from interacting with us.

Do we love our neighbor as ourselves in the every day contingencies of life ? 

If WE DO NOT WISH to be: 

• ill-thought of when others hear of the hard choices we have had to make
• accused as neglectful of our friends when other duties press
• labeled as ignoring our friends when we are simply laden with an overload of cares... 

Then let us learn to tell the accuser of the brethren: 

BEGONE , you lying torment !  

Furthermore, let us make it an iron-clad RULE: 

When the accuser of the brethren tries to make us agree with him that we are being slighted by our friends and family  ~  that is a call to prayer for them ! 

If the accuser still badgers us about how they have "hurt" us by ignoring our friendship ...

THEN  let us fortify our prayers for them by fasting a meal or a day in their behalf.  

In this way we send notice to the adversary of our souls when he brings his lies to make us feel "hurt" when none was intended. 

In this way we train ourselves to be more watchful of accusing thoughts towards our friends and neighbors --- surely an indulgence of self-pity ( and / or bitterness, resentment, anger, etc. ) on our part. 

If we take heed to the accuser's thoughts hurled at us, we will have an AUTOMATIC CALL TO PRAYER for our beleaguered friends who may not have time for us.

THEY MAY NEED THOSE PRAYERS RIGHT AT THAT TIME that we are clamoring for their attention ! 

Thus, by prayers and fasting, we defeat the sly wiles of the devil and refrain from "joining the chorus of bullies" that are ranged against our friends. They are NOT neglectful: they are beleaguered ! 

We are able, with our corrected perspective now, to strengthen the Body of The M'SHIKHA+ with our hidden support. 

Ourselves, we REPENT... ashamed to have followed the father of lies instead of our good Master+ The LORD Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA, Who+ loved all.   We learn to love as HE+ loved, not accuse. 

LET US LEARN, then , to love our neighbors as ourselves, instead of reproaching them in our hearts when we feel "neglected." 

Y'SHU+ SAID: 

Therefore 

all things whatsoever ye would 

that men should do to you, 

do ye even so to them: 

for this is the law 

and the prophets. 

Matthew 7:12

+  +  +

 Let us pray:

O dear Heavenly FATHER, I have sinned against my friends.  They have meant me no harm. Nor have they even tried to neglect me. I have accused them of not caring and I am so ashamed of myself. 

Help me to stop this self-pity when my friends become busy or over-whelmed with life. 

Help me to fill my heart and my time with THEE+, O Righteous FATHER.  Help me to not be so focused on my needs that I neglect my busy friends. 

Let my prayers for THEM fill my heart instead of reproaches towards them.

I repent of my self-centeredness. I rebuke the accuser of the brethren; let him not control my thoughts. 

And LORD, when I am empty, help me to turn to THEE+ instead of to my friends.  Help me to turn to THEE+ for every need of my heart.  Then I will be fully supplied to be there for my friends, when they should have a need. 

This I pray in the Name of Our LORD Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA, Who+ held nothing back from me. 

Praise, honor, and glory are THINE+, O LORD !
 
 Amen. 

+  +  +

 Create in me a clean heart, 

O GOD and renew a right spirit within me. 

Cast me not away 

from Thy+ Presence; 

and take not Thy RUACH ha KADOSH 

from me. 

Restore unto me 

the joy of Thy+ SALVATION; 

and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

Psalm 51

+  +  +

Ashes to Ashes,

Dust to Dust

in sure and certain hope

of the Resurrection

unto Eternal Life

through

Y’SHU+ the M’SHIKHA

our LORD.

+ + +

ASHES to ASHES, DUST to DUST

REMEMBER:

You are dust, and to dust you shall return.

REPENT,

and believe the GOSPEL+. 

+  +  +

ALMIGHTY GOD . . .

THOU hast created us out of the dust of the earth. 

Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and repentance, that we may remember that it is ONLY by Thy gracious gift that we are given Everlasting Life, through Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA, our SAVIOR+.  Amen.

+  +  +

ALMIGHTY and Everlasting GOD Who hates nothing that THOU hast made and Who forgiveth the sins of all who  heartily repent; 

  Create in me a clean heart, O GOD; 

and renew a right spirit within me. 

That I, lamenting my sins and acknowledging my wretchedness before THEE, 

May obtain of THEE, the GOD of all mercy and truth, a perfect remission of my sins, 

Through The LAMB+ of GOD, 

Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA our LORD, 

WHO+ lives and reigns with THEE 

and Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, 

ONE ELOHIM,

to the ages of the ages. 

Amen.  

+  +  +

 Repent, and be baptized 

every one of you 

in the name of Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA

for the remission of sins, 

 and ye shall receive the gift 

of the HOLY SPIRIT. 

Acts 2:38

+  +  +

 

Ashes to ashes, 

dust to dust 

in sure and certain hope 

of the resurrection 

unto Eternal Life, 

through  

Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA , 

our LORD. 

+  +  +

 

IS The ELOHIM Obligated to Perform...

.  .  . If  we SAY the Right Words ? 

The Anointed Apostle  PETER and  ANANIAS and SAPPHIRA

  

Repent ye therefore,

and be converted,

that your sins may be blotted out,

when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:19

Is  GOD  Obligated to Perform ... if we simply SAY the "Right Words " ?

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:

who can know it?

I+ the LORD search the heart,

I+ try the reins,

even to give every man

according to his ways,

and according to the fruit

of his doings.

Jeremiah 17: 9-10

GOD, The ELOHIM: 

• The HOLY FATHER,
• His Beloved SON+ our LORD  Y’SHU+ THE M’SHIKHA,
•  and the Blessed  RUACH HA KADOSH 

cannot be tricked.

The ELOHIM Who moved upon the face of the waters and "made man in our image"    knows.

What does HE+ know ?

HE+ knows our down-sitting and our up-rising.  HE+ knows every word on our tongue before we speak it.

HE Who planted the ear, can HE not hear ?  

HE Who formed the eye, can HE not see ?

We cannot out-maneuver GOD. 

We cannot deceive The LORD  Y’SHU+  THE M’SHIKHA. 

We cannot lie unto the  RUACH HA KADOSH and succeed any more than Sapphira and Ananias did. 

We can NOT lie unto GOD with our un-holy, self- centered lives to practice a pretense of holiness... without its substance.

If we try, we only deceive ourselves and learn to adroitly practice living a lie. We try hard to convince ourselves that we are “right” before GOD and our fellow-man.  

Thus, we cleverly live a well-practiced lie before the eyes of others. And we become self-righteously  INDIGNANT if confronted about it.

Our allegiance, however, REMAINS TO OUR SELF....  not to  THE M’SHIKHA.

The SPIRIT of GOD reveals to those with a discerning heart --- to those who await the development of holy fruit --- what is truly happening, much to the chagrin and shame of the deceiver.

Now understand, the deception may OR MAY NOT  be willful or purposeful.  It occurs in the inner man under the tutelage of Self ...  that Old Man which has refused to die.  Unfortunately, that wretched Old Self is never dealt with in the Light of His+ Word.   

When Old Man Self refuses to die, he emerges out of the burial waters of baptism, dragging along a fishing string with Old Man LIES hooked upon it.

What went wrong ?  How could this possibly have happened ?  Were the waters of Holy Baptism not efficacious ?

The Necessity of CONVERSION

Conversion is   as necessary   as repentance, in order to be born again.

Persons may indeed REPENT when they receive the regretful and painful consequences of their sins.  That is good.

But REPENTANCE is only a FIRST step ... a GOOD  and necessary  first step... but one cannot stop there. 

Seekers cannot enter the Holy Waters of Baptism upon the strength of their repentance for one or more of their sins. 

NO.  Repentance is meant to LEAD US unto CONVERSION. Our allegiance NOW should move from Self to  Y’SHU+  THE M’SHIKHA.  Repentance of our sins is to lead us unto following THE M’SHIKHA Y’SHU+ now, in all our ways and in our heart.

We cannot ASSUME 
that repentance 
automatically leads 
everyone to conversion.

If we ASSUME so,

chaos will be brought

into the  
Followers of Y'SHU+ 's camp.

Scripture teaches that there is more to becoming that "New Creature" in The M'SHIKHA, born of water and The SPIRIT ... besides simply repentance.

Repent ye therefore,

and be converted,

that your sins may be blotted out,

when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 3:19

Hopefully, REPENTANCE will indeed lead seekers to RENOUNCE the world and its lying ways. 

The repentant one, hopefully, will say "NO MORE !" to being led by the nose through the slop-trough of satan's lies to retain  Self  as "god."

Hopefully, the seeker will determinedly FORSAKE the ways of his old, Adamic nature, honestly and sincerely yielding unto  Y’SHU+ as he sees Old Man SELF  rear its ugly head.

He will be as a newborn babe, humble as a little one, seeking to learn how to walk in The LIGHT of  THE M’SHIKHA. He will seek to hold onto the Hand of his Beloved LORD THE M’SHIKHA Who+ has washed him from his sins. 

The seeker , while not perfect, should be turning his WHOLE HEART to The LORD Y’SHU+, purposing in the inner man to follow  Y’SHU+ now as much as he can.

THAT   is   "conversion."

If conversion is MISSING, the seeker will still retain control of his own life. 

If conversion is missing, then the  RUACH HA KADOSH will be missing too.

The LORD  Y’SHU+ will NOT be the LORD of his life, his mind, his heart... nor his home.

The lack of fruit will be evident  in one NOT converted. This lack of fruit produced by the  RUACH HA KADOSH is NOT simply personal “struggles" encountered during his new walk. 

IF the seeker, even though baptized upon confession of faith, has not YIELDED his life nor his will unto The Living WORD+ of GOD…. nothing will "happen"  in the waters of Holy Baptism to such a one because The  RUACH HA KADOSH cannot be tricked . 

HE was not tricked by Ananias and Sapphira.

Likewise, HE is not tricked by those who retain CONTROL of their own lives and values and ways.

Are, then, the Holy Waters of Baptism efficacious to bring about the New Birth ? 

YES. The  RUACH HA KADOSH effectively divides and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

Thus, very accurately and deftly, the Living WORD+  will NOT transmit the New Birth to those kind of seekers in the Waters of HOLY BAPTISM.

And, The  RUACH HA KADOSH knows all hearts which are with-holding ALL of  themselves from  Y’SHU+ as LORD. The  RUACH HA KADOSH  knows where our basic allegiance lies:  with THE M’SHIKHA Y’SHU+ -- or -- with our SELF. 

 How LONG will the  RUACH HA KADOSH wrestle with the heart of such a one? 

Only The LORD knows when the cut-off point is reached.  At some point, the heart that does NOT hold allegiance to The LORD is allowed to go his own, unyielded way... right into the arms of the satan and his tormentors. 

The LORD will not stop this from happening.  Nor should we.

Hopefully, when life becomes intolerable enough, the woebegone seeker will turn BACK to the Truth he once heard.

And THIS time --- if time is still allotted to him --- he will yield the total control of his life unto The LORD.

 

And ye shall seek ME+,

and find ME+,

when ye shall search for ME+

with all your heart.

+  +  +

For I+ know the plans that I+ have woven toward you, declares The LORD,

thoughts of peace, and not of evil, 
to give you a hope-filled future.

( literal Hebrew )

Then shall ye call upon ME+,

and ye shall go and pray unto ME+,

and I+ will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek ME+,

and find ME+,

when ye shall search for ME+

with all your heart.

And I+ will be found of you,

saith the LORD:....

Jeremiah 29: 11-14 a...

+  +  +

This, dear friends, is the key to realizing why some nice folks, some well-churched nice folks, operate the way they do.

They simply have not been CONVERTED to follow THE M’SHIKHA Y’SHU+.

They are still following SELF.  True, they may perform out-ward allegiance to the church "system", but their inward, heart's allegiance is to SELF.  The  RUACH HA KADOSH recognizes with who they align their hearts. 

Our part is to discern the difference between FRUIT and deadness. In a New-Born's struggle to walk with THE M’SHIKHA Y’SHU+, there will be fruit even when he tumbles and falls. 

However, even in those tumbles, the New-Born will be bearing witness to  THE M’SHIKHA... to His+ help, His+ mercy, His+ love, and His+ Life.

Life will flow from the New-Born who is trying hard to follow THE M’SHIKHA Y’SHU+, even as he is so sorry for his errors and wrong-doings.

If this LIFE flowing from the  RUACH HA KADOSH is  missing , then CONVERSION is missing too. Conversion has not taken place. The  RUACH HA KADOSH is still on the "outside" of that person's heart, knocking on the door. 

THE M’SHIKHA Y’SHU+ simply does NOT share the throne of the heart with Self. 

Discernment is necessary to separate godly struggles from willful obstinacy and its consequences. 

This is not only true for the people we deal with spiritually, but it is also applicable as we deal with our inner man, in our own lives.

This is why some who are attenders are not moving along in TRUE Life with THE M’SHIKHA Y’SHU+. This is the essence of the problem. 

When CONVERSION happens, then the messy problems will be worked out in  THE M’SHIKHA.  Without conversion, though, nothing will ever be made right, dear fellow-laborer in  THE M’SHIKHA. 

The CONVERSION to THE M’SHIKHA ---  moving our allegiance from Self to The LORD  Y’SHU+  THE M’SHIKHA ---  is  the essence for LIFE in THE M’SHIKHA. 

The opposite, alas, is only too evident.

+  +  +

Repent ye therefore,

and be converted,

that your sins may be blotted out,

when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD.

Acts 3:19

+  +  +

The REPROOF of ELISHA ... A WARNING !

"Is it the TIME ... ?

to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep, oxen, male and female servants?"

With these words, Elisha the Prophet issued correction to his guileful  servant, Gehazi, a correction which Gehazi never forgot.

Elisha's corrective was accompanied by a most dire consequence: instantly the leprosy of Naaman descended upon Gehazi. Gehazi left the presence of Elisha leprous, as white as snow.  

It was also promised to descend upon his family line forever. 

What did Gehazi DO

to warrant such terrible consequences ? 

 

Let's look at the account in 2 Kings 5 of Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, being healed of leprosy. 

First of all, Naaman was NOT a Jew and was NOT part of the commonwealth of Israel or Judea.

 

He came to the king of Israel to be healed of leprosy, and the distraught king said, 

" Am I THE ELOHIM, to kill and make alive...

to heal [Naaman] of his leprosy ? "

Elisha intervened and comforted the king, telling him to send Naaman to him that Naaman “might KNOW there is a prophet”  of The Most High God   “in ISRAEL.”

 

Likely, there were quite a few OTHERS who received this knowledge, along with Naaman !

 

Naaman almost missed his blessing, though, angrily refusing to dip himself in the Jordan River.

 

However, he eventually listened to the pleadings and counsel of his servants who seemed to have loved him, calling him  “my father.”

Humbling himself to listen to servants, humbling himself to set aside his anger, humbling himself to obey, obediently dipping himself 7 times in the Jordan river, Naaman was miraculously cleansed.  

Thus, Naaman's healing was a testimony to this important army commander himself that THE ELOHIM really existed and was known among GOD'S people Israel.

 

NAAMAN'S RESPONSE ...

"Now I KNOW there is no ELOHIM in all the earth, except in Israel," Naaman the Syrian said, in open testimony before Elisha, who now received the Syrian.

 Naaman was so thankful to be healed of that dreaded leprosy that he wished to bless Elisha with silver and changes of garments. 

Elisha refused all gifts, vowing before The LORD  

"… before Whom I stand"  to receive NOTHING.

 

GEHAZI'S RESPONSE ...

Gehazi , unlike Naaman,  seemed not so impressed with the miraculous healing.  Perhaps, Gehazi was not so glad GOD  healed someone who was not of the tribes of Israel, saying, "  ... my master has spared Naaman  this Syrian."  vs. 20

Obviously, Gehazi DISAGREED with Elisha's refusal to take a blessing, a gift, Naaman offered after his healing.

THUS, a disgruntled heart about the Syrian's healing and a disagreement in the inner man with his master Elisha's decision nested in Gehazi’s bosom.  

Two problems Gehazi had in his heart.  Two problems not dealt with in righteous repentance before GOD.  Two problems paved the way for a life-time of sorrow.

BECAUSE Gehazi ignored

those two UN-righteous things working in his heart ... Gehazi’s judgment became skewered.  Thus, we next see Gehazi DECIDING to step beyond the authority Elisha had placed upon him.

Operating out of his now-warped judgement, Gehazi planned out exactly what to do in order to control the situation for his benefit and receive temporal wealth and goods.

He pursued Naaman's chariot, and that good man stopped to see if all was well.

Gehazi promptly told lies to Naaman in order to receive silver and garments; now they become STOLEN GOODS and he used Elisha's name to do it.

WHAT HAD HE DONE ?

Gehazi injured Elisha's word to Naaman, when Elisha said, " As The ELOHIM lives, before Whom I stand, I will receive nothing."

Gehazi, you see, told Naaman that "... my master has sent me.... please give ..."

Elisha would not receive a gift for Naaman's healing because the healing was from GOD, The ELOHIM.  

Naaman's healing was freely given to him.  It was to be used as a witness to The ELOHIM to draw all the nations unto The ONE TRUE GOD.

Naaman's healing showed the character of GOD. It showed The ELOHIM'S mercy to sinners when they humble themselves to obey The Word of the LORD... whether they like it or not, whether they even understand it or not. 

Instead of reflecting the true character of The ELOHIM ,  Gehazi reflected the character of  the father of lies and his demon, mammona.

His eyes still dazzled by the demon mammona, Gehazi's judgment was confused enough to lie to the Prophet Elisha ! 

 WRONG Move...

Elisha's heart, Scripture says, accompanied Gehazi when he met Naaman in his chariot. vs 26

We notice that Naaman did NOT give Gehazi   "... olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, male and female servants."

Those plans were only in Gehazi's guileful heart. The SPIRIT of The LORD made Elisha very much aware of these secret schemes.

+  +  +

There is NO hiding place where The SPIRIT of GOD cannot see, hear, or go.  To invite the demon mammona into a miraculous healing from The LORD is anathema to The ELOHIM.

To invite the demon mammona into ANY workings of The LORD GOD ELOHIM, is asking for anathema to be written upon one's project and upon one's Self. Remember Ananias and Sapphira.

Y'SHU+ said

it is IMPOSSIBLE

to serve GOD and mammon.

Beware of the spirit of Guile.

+  +  +

Psalm 139

 O LORD, THOU hast searched me,

and known me.

THOU knowest my downsitting

and mine uprising,

THOU understandest my thought afar off.

THOU

compassest my path

and my lying down,

and art acquainted

with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue,

but, lo, O LORD,

THOU

knowest it altogether.

THOU hast beset me behind and before,

and laid Thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

 

Whither shall I go from Thy SPIRIT?

 or whither shall I flee

from Thy PRESENCE?

+  +  +

A warning to the organized religious systems in the West and elsewhere.

Is it a time  ... to seek more material goods, bigger houses, more land, gold and silver, guns and ammo?

The TIME is upon us...  to begin to live our lives as The MESSIAH-The Eternal SON+ of GOD-YHWH Adonai, has taught and commanded us to live them, to become anchored in Y’SHU+ The M’SHIKHA . 

It IS Time to stop bringing reproach on HIS+ Precious and most Holy Name with our man-made doctrines and traditions of IGNORING HIS+ Words whenever they do not fit our self-serving life styles  or the political  "correctness"  of the world.

Will the REPROOF of ELISHA settle on a Reprobate church system that refuses to separate from materialism, hedonism, politics and endless mammon-serving? 

The Time for Repentance is NOW.

If corporate Repentance does NOT happen, then by all means SAVE yourself from this untoward and rebellious generation.

Individual Repentance IS possible, even if the religious systems refuse to repent.

When the Fire of The Judgment and Wrath of The LORD GOD/YHWH ELOHIM falls upon a religious system that has brought shame and reproach upon HIS Beloved SON+, it will be too late to avoid being taken in the judgment with the worldlings.

TAKE HEED what you hear.

TAKE HEED not to mingle society's standards with The LORD'S RIGHTEOUS WAYS. 

Now is the time

to Humble ourselves under The Mighty Hand of GOD, and seek HIS Face while HE may be found.

Time is short. Judgment approaches.

+   +   +

LET US PRAY:

O Gracious Heavenly FATHER, we humble ourselves to YOU.  We admit that YOU know us better than we know ourselves. YOU  understand  the  hidden desires of our heart, both good and evil. 

Help us not to hide from YOU.  Help us not to run from YOU or ignore Your conviction of warning. Help us to come clean in purest honesty when we react.  Help us to admit our guilt when we hold unrighteous thoughts that go against Your Word... that besmirch Your character. 

We are ashamed of our guile. Our hidden agenda, expedient for us, is not hidden to YOU, LORD.  We are ashamed of pretending to be pure, when we are not.  We know, O Righteous FATHER, that we have grieved Your Heart with our secrets and schemes.

And worse, we have ignored Your conviction sent to warn us that we are harboring wrong things. How can YOU bless wrong ? 

We are sorry to have hurt YOU, dear LORD.

We lay our hearts open to YOU to  remove those desires --- both good and bad --- that are not Your Will for us; we freely give them up to YOU... good desires as well as bad. 

Set us straight on the path of total  honesty before YOU. We yield  the  controls  over to Thy Righteous SON+ Y’SHU+ the M’SHIKHA, our LORD and SAVIOR.

Then shall YOU be glorified in our lives, and rivers of Living Water will flow forth from us, Your children. 

We ask Thy help for the sake of Thy Beloved SON+,  our LORD and SAVIOR , Y’SHU+ the M’SHIKHA ... Who+ lives and reigns with THEE and Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD,  both now and forever. Amen.

+  +  +