Archive for the Challenging words Category

The Desires of Your Heart

Posted in Challenging words, Forsaking All with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 by crazychristcraver

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they shall be filled.”

Psalm 37:3-6

Trust in Yahuah, and do good;

Dwell in the earth, and feed on steadfastness.

And delight yourself in Yahuah,

And let Him give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to Yahuah,

And trust in Him, and He does it.

And He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your right-ruling as the midday.

Psalm 21:1-6

The sovereign rejoices in Your strength, O Yahuah;

And how greatly he exults in Your deliverance!

You have given him the desire of his heart,

And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

For You put before him the blessings of goodness;

You set a crown of fine gold on his head.

He asked for life from You, and you gave it to him—

Length of days forever and ever.

Through Your deliverance his esteem is great;

You have laid excellency and splendor on him.

For You have made him most blessed forever;

You have made him glad with the joy of Your presence.

Mark 4:18-19

“And others are those sown among the thorns, these are they who hear the word, and the worries of this age, and the deceit of riches, and the desires for other matters, entering in choke the word, and it becomes fruitless.”

Luke 8:14

“And that which fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with worries, and riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”

1 John 2:15-16

Do not love the world nor that which is in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but the one doing the desire of Elahim remains forever.

It is far too often that we quote bible verses without understanding. One verse that I frequently hear quoted is from Psalm 37, and only the second part of verse 4: “And he will give you the desires of your heart.” There are really two erroneous ways that I have heard this verse used; both are used for personal gain.

The first uses this verse to say that all of the desires that are now in our hearts as believers are from God. Well, we all know that not to be true, because there are plenty of things in our hearts that we have been commanded not to do. So, God either put all the junk there too, or this interpretation is false. The second way I have often heard this used is very similar, and it uses this verse to say that when I serve God, he gives me, and even wants me to have the worldly things that I desire (all the things that I would have had while serving the flesh).

I have said these both in ways that should be obvious that they are false, but in the day-to-day these two are covered with a whole lot of honey, and they’re sweet going down. While we are on this earth, serving God, will He allow things to come into our life, worldly things and treasures? You better believe He will. Might those things be the very things that you desire? Most likely, yes. The important thing to remember is that life in this world is not about things; is not about treasure in this world. If Yahushua taught that you should get rid of all of your earthly treasure, and start storing up heavenly, at what point did it become okay to start storing up earthly treasure again?

Somehow the purpose of Christian life has gone from dying to all that is in this world as an offering unto Yahuah, to self-gain give me a bigger store house please, in the name of Jesus. But wait, you can’t say that, I know I’m right, ‘cause my pastor said… I learned at bible school… I saw on the news… I saw it on T.B.N… I learned about it at a revival meeting…

Since when is something okay because it happens at church, or because the pastor said so? I can guarantee you that excuse won’t stand up in court. Israel tried that one, it didn’t work out so good for them. They brought sex and orgies into the temple, and I can promise that the ones who tried to say, “Well, the priest said it was okay,” suffered death too. The pastors and all those that are leaders in the churches, are committing a higher crime, but the end for the leader and the follower is still death, destruction, eternal darkness.

King Solomon, who was maybe the richest man in this age, documented much of his findings for us in Ecclesiastes. I’m sure that we could take some of the things that he said in this book, and make it seem okay that what we have is fine, and that we are to enjoy being sheeple. However, he sums it up in the end, saying that all is futile, all the gaining and achieving and going and doing and enjoying, all of it is futile. There is only one thing that endures, and that is to simply follow the commands of Yahuah, to love Him with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and all of your strength.

The first and great commandment to love Yahuah does not leave room for you to love your stuff too. Back in Psalm 37:4, if we read the beginning, it says, “And delight yourself in Yahuah.” When you delight, desire, hunger after Him; when you seek Him with your whole heart, with all of your soul, mind, and strength; hungering and thirsting for His righteousness; you will be filled; you will receive that which you desire; He will show up. That’s what that verse means, that your desire is Him, and when your truly desire Him, He will give you the desires of your heart.

Actually, as I’m writing this, I am beginning to see that Yahuah does give you the desires of your heart; He will give you those things that you desire whether they are earthly or heavenly, but He is the only treasure that will endure; the only desire that pays off. If you want junk, He’ll let you have it. But know this: you cannot serve your junk and Yahuah. You will not be able to gain all the world, and gain eternal life too. If your argument is, “Well, I don’t serve my stuff, I just have some nice things,” let me come into your house and start throwing it all away, and we’ll find out how attached to it you are.

Yahushua came with a very simple message. He said that you can continue down the road that you are on, the road that ends in death, or you can come and follow Him and receive Life. He made it clear that you cannot serve two masters: stuff and Elahim. He drew a line in the sand, it’s plain to see, but the question remains, will you open your eyes and look?

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that seeks after Him / Truth, and then go back and read the verses at the top.


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Forsake All

Posted in Challenging words, Forsaking All with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, October 8, 2009 by crazychristcraver

I have been hard at work, studying the Scriptures lately and haven’t been writing much. I miss you all, and hope to be back on here bringing more of what Yahuah has been showing me. My dad and I have put together a study entitled Forsake All that I really think is important to us all during these times. Go ahead and click on the link to download it so you can go through it at your own pace. I’m working on getting some printed, so if you are interested in a hard copy let me know, and we’ll se what we can work out. Much love to you guys. Blessings.

FORSAKE ALL DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

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Walkabout: Day Fifty-four (Stop and Think)

Posted in Challenging words, Joshua's Trip with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, September 24, 2009 by crazychristcraver
Do you ever stop and examine your life? When was the last time that you stopped everything that you were doing, and contimplated the things that you have done, where you are right now, and where you are going? This world continues to pile on the distractions, the going-going-going of day-to-day, and leaves little time for practical thought, or for anything of real value. Any time that you do have to sit is spent on the internet, or glued to the T.V. We then excuse this time as relaxing. When was the last time that you actually felt rested when you got off of the couch after watching T.V.? Did you really feel better than you did before you sat down? No way! Not possible. If anything, you were more drained than before you started. Not to mention, you just wasted that time doing absolutely nothing.
Now this post is not to bash television, it is just an example of the wastefulness of our lives. As Americans, we have been taught to go, and do, without stopping to ask questions. We don’t think about why we are doing something; really, we just don’t care. For example, why do you go to work? To pay your bills; so you can have nice things; to eat; a sense of accoplishment; to retire? No matter your answer, it all comes down to the simple fact that is what you have been trained to do. Do you know where jobs came from? Who was the first person that started “working?” Do you know why that person had to start working? My guess is you have no idea.
Here’s another one: Are you a good person? What makes you good, or bad? By what standard should you measure your actions; your heart? Are you good because you are better than some, or because a majority of people that you know do the same thing? Why are you a good person? Does calling on the name Jesus make you a good person? Does praying a prayer of salvation make you a good person? Does praying daily? What about reading your bible, or going to church, or doing your best, or tithing, or good works? Why do you think that any of those things make a difference? Who makes the standard that you live up to, or try to live by? How are you doing against that standard?
I challenge you to go before the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and lay everything that you have done at His feet. Are you so confident in yourself to go before Him and declare to Him that you are a good person? What about your plans, your goals, the direction of your life, are they pleasing in His sight? Do you feel comfortable taking these things to Him, and offering them as sacrifices? Is the sacrifice of your life a pleasing aroma in His nostrils, or is it be a pungent stench, disgusting? I know that you can harden your heart before Him, as pride overtakes your being, and exalts your will over His, but if you are truly honest, you know the direction that you are going is not towards Him.
How can I say with such confidence that you are not going in the right direction; that you are not running to Yahuah your Elahim, the Creator of all things? How can I know this? The Scriptures are clear in saying that if you were going in the right direction, running to Him, clinging to His righteousness, that the fruit of your life would be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). I know that if you truly believed in the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, Yahushua, the One and only Son of the Most High Elahim, if you truly believed in Him, the works that He did on this earth would be done in and through your life (John 14:12).
Why then have you fallen short? Why does your life not look like His?  The answer is simple: COMPROMISE. You have compromised your life through the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things (Mark 4:19). Yahushua clearly stated that it is impossible to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Yahushua then states what a life that chooses to serve Him would look like in the rest of chapter six: you would be more radiantly clothed than even king Solomon as you are clothed in the very pressence of Yahuah; taken care of without storing in barns, with no thought of tomorrow; no worry–focussing continuously first on His kingdom is the only thing produces righteousness. At the beginning of this same sermon, Yahushua says that those who hunger and thirst after this righteousness, will be filled (Matthew 5:6). Filled with what? They will be filled with life–eternal life–the same life that flows out of Him, the life that flows from the very thrown of Yahuah, and later He says that that life would flow out of your belly like rivers of living water (John 7:38).
Now, some how it is of greater importance to please ourselves, than to please Yahuah. It is far more important to be accomplished, than to walk intimately with our Creator. It is of more value to follow the status quo, following after men, than to deny yourself and follow Him. After all, we can provide for ourselves what He can’t. We can protect ourselves better than He can. Our life, the life of this decaying world, is better than anything He has to offer. We don’t need Him. It would be nice if He would bless me a little more so that I could get a bigger flatscreen T.V. though, and if he would help me get a new car. As long as what He’s doing doesn’t distract from my life, the things that I want to do, having God in my life is great. Does that not sound incredibly foolish? Yet, that’s exactly what we are doing.
If you deny that you have become nothing less than an enemy of Yahuah, you are relying upon your own goodness, and you will most certainly find that you aren’t good enough. In fact He views your good works, your righteousness, as a menstral stained rag; disgusting, putrid (Isaiah 64:6). That is the life that you are depending upon when you face you judgement. You will find no mercy. You spit on His precious grace. You didn’t want to be burdened by His goodness during this life, and therefore you will be burdened with your own for eternity.
Will you continue to ignore that your life is miserable, that your life is substandard? Will you continue to harden your heart against the cry of the Set-apart Spirit, the cry of the good Shepherd calling for His lost sheep? Or will you begin to contemplate these questions; begin to examine your life? There is only one standard: HIS. There is only one life that measures up: HIS. Will you choose Him, to receive His grace through which all the promises of Elahim are Yes and Amen? You have no excuse to continue in sin. You have no excuse to live a life that is not pleasing in His sight. You have been given everything necessary to walk in the righteousness that He has called you to. All you must do is trust Him; deny yourself (everything that you know), take up your staff, and follow Him. In losing your life in this world (all the things you once treasured), and setting your eyes upon Him, you will gain His life; eternal life that can be lived today. Eternal life is not something that speaks of heaven, but what has been given for you to walk in today. Eternal life comes from intimacy with Yahuah, today.
You can truly know Him. You can go past reading about Him, go farther than just knowning His name, and begin to experience His pressence. You can find your purpose, what you were created for. You are created to be His living temple in this earth; that He would abide in you, and for you to abide in Him, inseparable. You were created to manifest His pressence, His character, to the rest of creation. You were created to take no thought for yourself, but to rest, to trust, in Him as your Lover, your Husband. When you focus all of your attention on Him, do you not understand that the infinite Elahim focuses His attention on you? He cares for you far more than you can imagine. His plans for you are far greater than you can comprehend. He is the only thing worth treasuring, the only thing worth setting your eyes on. Do not fail to see that He has set His eyes on you.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in knowing Him who loves you.

Do you ever stop and examine your life? When was the last time that you stopped everything that you were doing, and contimplated the things that you have done, where you are right now, and where you are going? This world continues to pile on the distractions, the going-going-going of day-to-day, and leaves little time for practical thought, or for anything of real value. Any time that you do have to sit is spent on the internet, or glued to the T.V. We then excuse this time as relaxing. When was the last time that you actually felt rested when you got off of the couch after watching T.V.? Did you really feel better than you did before you sat down? No way! Not possible. If anything, you were more drained than before you started. Not to mention, you just wasted that time doing absolutely nothing.

Now this post is not to bash television, it is just an example of the wastefulness of our lives. As Americans, we have been taught to go, and do, without stopping to ask questions. We don’t think about why we are doing something; really, we just don’t care. For example, why do you go to work? To pay your bills; so you can have nice things; to eat; a sense of accoplishment; to retire? No matter your answer, it all comes down to the simple fact that is what you have been trained to do. Do you know where jobs came from? Who was the first person that started “working?” Do you know why that person had to start working? My guess is you have no idea.

Here’s another one: Are you a good person? What makes you good, or bad? By what standard should you measure your actions; your heart? Are you good because you are better than some, or because a majority of people that you know do the same thing? Why are you a good person? Does calling on the name Jesus make you a good person? Does praying a prayer of salvation make you a good person? Does praying daily? What about reading your bible, or going to church, or doing your best, or tithing, or good works? Why do you think that any of those things make a difference? Who makes the standard that you live up to, or try to live by? How are you doing against that standard?

I challenge you to go before the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and lay everything that you have done at His feet. Are you so confident in yourself to go before Him and declare to Him that you are a good person? What about your plans, your goals, the direction of your life, are they pleasing in His sight? Do you feel comfortable taking these things to Him, and offering them as sacrifices? Is the sacrifice of your life a pleasing aroma in His nostrils, or is it be a pungent stench, disgusting? I know that you can harden your heart before Him, as pride overtakes your being, and exalts your will over His, but if you are truly honest, you know the direction that you are going is not towards Him.

How can I say with such confidence that you are not going in the right direction; that you are not running to Yahuah your Elahim, the Creator of all things? How can I know this? The Scriptures are clear in saying that if you were going in the right direction, running to Him, clinging to His righteousness, that the fruit of your life would be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). I know that if you truly believed in the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, Yahushua, the One and only Son of the Most High Elahim, if you truly believed in Him, the works that He did on this earth would be done in and through your life (John 14:12).

Why then have you fallen short? Why does your life not look like His?  The answer is simple: COMPROMISE. You have compromised your life through the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things (Mark 4:19). Yahushua clearly stated that it is impossible to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Yahushua then states what a life that chooses to serve Him would look like in the rest of chapter six: you would be more radiantly clothed than even king Solomon as you are clothed in the very pressence of Yahuah; taken care of without storing in barns, with no thought of tomorrow; no worry–it is through focussing continuously first on His kingdom that we can walk in His righteousness. At the beginning of this same sermon, Yahushua says that those who hunger and thirst after this righteousness, will be filled (Matthew 5:6). Filled with what? They will be filled with life–eternal life–the same life that flows out of Him, the life that flows from the very thrown of Yahuah, and later He says that that life would flow out of your belly like rivers of living water (John 7:38).

Now, some how it is of greater importance to please ourselves, than to please Yahuah. It is far more important to be accomplished, than to walk intimately with our Creator. It is of more value to follow the status quo, following after men, than to deny yourself and follow Him. After all, we can provide for ourselves what He can’t. We can protect ourselves better than He can. Our life, the life of this decaying world, is better than anything He has to offer. We don’t need Him. It would be nice if He would bless me a little more so that I could get a bigger flatscreen T.V. though, and if he would help me get a new car. As long as what He’s doing doesn’t distract from my life, the things that I want to do, having God in my life is great. Does that not sound incredibly foolish? Yet, that’s exactly what we are doing.

If you deny that you have become nothing less than an enemy of Yahuah, you are relying upon your own goodness, and you will most certainly find that you aren’t good enough. In fact He views your good works, your righteousness, as a menstral stained rag; disgusting, putrid (Isaiah 64:6). That is the life that you are depending upon when you face you judgement. You will find no mercy. You spit on His precious grace. You didn’t want to be burdened by His goodness during this life, and therefore you will be burdened with your own for eternity.

Will you continue to ignore that your life is miserable, that your life is substandard? Will you continue to harden your heart against the cry of the Set-apart Spirit, the cry of the good Shepherd calling for His lost sheep? Or will you begin to contemplate these questions; begin to examine your life? There is only one standard: HIS. There is only one life that measures up: HIS. Will you choose Him, to receive His grace through which all the promises of Elahim are Yes and Amen? You have no excuse to continue in sin. You have no excuse to live a life that is not pleasing in His sight. You have been given everything necessary to walk in the righteousness that He has called you to. All you must do is trust Him; deny yourself (everything that you know), take up your staff, and follow Him. In losing your life in this world (all the things you once treasured), and setting your eyes upon Him, you will gain His life; eternal life that can be lived today. Eternal life is not something that speaks of heaven, but what has been given for you to walk in today. Eternal life comes from intimacy with Yahuah, today.

You can truly know Him. You can go past reading about Him, go farther than just knowning His name, and begin to experience His pressence. You can find your purpose, what you were created for. You are created to be His living temple in this earth; that He would abide in you, and for you to abide in Him, inseparable. You were created to manifest His pressence, His character, to the rest of creation. You were created to take no thought for yourself, but to rest, to trust, in Him as your Lover, your Husband. When you focus all of your attention on Him, do you not understand that the infinite Elahim focuses His attention on you? He cares for you far more than you can imagine. His plans for you are far greater than you can comprehend. He is the only thing worth treasuring, the only thing worth setting your eyes on. Do not fail to see that He has set His eyes on you.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in knowing Him who loves you.

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Walkabout: Day Fifty-One

Posted in Challenging words, Joshua's Trip with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Monday, September 21, 2009 by crazychristcraver
Why do we have  to confess our sins before God when He already knows everything? God wants us to own what we’ve done. If you will not own it, you cannot receive forgiveness for it. You can’t receive the mercy necessary for the crime that you have committed if you will not admit to the full crime. You can only receive forgiveness for the depth of your confession. Basically, if you feel that your violation was small and not a big deal, you will receive a small portion of mercy, because in reality that’s what you’re asking for. The problem is that you need an infinite measure of mercy even for the smallest of sins. Any amount of drawing back from Yahuah causes eternal death. The only way to regain life, is through His mercy. For this reason, any amount of sin (selfishness) has a penalty of eternal death, and needs a full measure of God’s mercy.
We like to rate sin, saying, “Well I’m not that bad,” and “What they did was far worse than what I did.” However, in the Father’s eyes, lust is the same as adultery, and hate is the same as murder. So you may not have slept with someone else other than your spouse, or physically committed murder, but chances are that you are guilty of both offenses. You are an adulterer, and you are a murderer. The fact that you didn’t physically do those things only matters in this world system, but in God’s kingdom, your crimes are worthy of the death penalty, and God’s death penalty is far greater than the one we face in this physical world; it’s spiritually dying for eternity.
Here is something that may come as a surprise to you, God is not concerned so much about what particular sin you have committed, but more importantly, what caused the sin. What causes sin is a heart that draws back, choosing our way not God. We like to think that as long as we pray a little bit, maybe read the bible here and there, go to church, and do our best to be a good person, that somehow this is meeting the requirements of ‘getting into heaven.’ Well, the whole topic of heaven is going to have to come at another time, but the requirements are far greater than you might think.
Sin can be defined as falling short of the mark. It would then be important to know what, or where, the mark is. The mark is God’s perfection, or righteousness. Did you know that you will actually be measured by, and held accountable to, the perfection of Yahuah? Here enters one of the largest problems in common church thinking. Does God’s grace allow you to remain in sin, and still be found justified, made righteous? This may be a shocker, but the answer is NO. God’s grace enables you, or sets you free from sin, not only the penalty. God’s grace is most easily understood as the medium through which He gives. It is through grace that God gives us everything; gives us himself. It is through grace that God’s mercy flows. It is through grace that we have freedom from sin and death, or said a little differently, we no longer are bound to a life of sin that leads to death. Through God’s grace then, we can live a life that is pleasing in His sight. You have absolutely no excuse to continue in your sin, because He has extended everything necessary for you to walk free from sin.
Now, I have not said that I am perfect, but Yahuah is, and it is His standard not mine.
So, why are we still living in sin? I think that the most important reason that we continue to walk in sin is because we have little to no understanding of what we are really supposed to do. We are called to be holy, set-apart, unto Yahuah, as He is holy. We are not to look anything like this world. Our time is to be spent worshipping, praying, admonishing, tearing down strongholds, being dispersers of grace as rivers of living water flow from our bellies. That is what we are truly called to do. Why don’t we then see people walking in this if it’s really possible? Extremely simple answer: COMPROMISE. We try to live in two realities at the same time. These two realities are polar opposites, and there is nothing in between; it is impossible to live in both. God’s way is nothing like the world, and He says that if we are friends, just being familiar, with the world we are His enemy. Did you read that; His enemy. What does that mean? Will you make excuses to allow yourself to remain in a substandard lifestyle, or will you begin to allow Him to show you what that, and the other Scriptures, truly means?
If you are defining, or interpreting, what the Word of God means, I can pretty much garauntee that you will miss its true meaning. Only He can give you the understanding that you need; only He can share with you what He meant when it was written. This life is about Him, not you. This life is about serving Him, not your needs. The truth is that He can meet your needs far better than you can if you would let Him. He has so much more for you than you could ever imagine, if you would just allow Him to show you. How can we begin the process of allowing the Spirit of Yahuah to show us who we truly are, what we were created for, what He has planned for us? Simply by choosing Him. When He is the most important thing in your life, not just the thing that you say is the most important, but really the most important, revelation will begin to flow; life will begin to fill your being. That is what repentence really looks like: turning from everything that you ever knew, ever did, the things that you value, EVERYTHING, forsaking your life, and choosing His by choosing Him.
When we really get down to it, I am not a good person, and neither are you. Not even Yahushua (Jesus) would allow someone to call Him good, but said there is none good but One, and that’s Yahuah. When you say, “but I’m a good person,” you are justifying your substandard lifestyle, your sin before God. Basically, you are excusing yourself, saying that your sins, choosing yourself over God isn’t really that big of a deal. In so doing, you saying that you will rely upon God’s justice when you face Him on the Day of judgement. I can garauntee you that you do not want to rely upon your goodness on that Day, as His justice will measure against His standard of perfection. The only way to be pardoned from you wickedness, the life that you have lived, is to admit your full crime. Your crime, however small in your eyes, is deserving of a eternal punishment. You may say that that isn’t fair, but He has offered to pay your penalty, so… seems more than fair to me. All that you must do is choose Him to receive His mercy, to receive the pardon from death, to receive the adoption papers into His family.
The greatest commandment is this, to love Yahuah your God with ALL of your heart, ALL of your soul, ALL of your mind, and with ALL of your strength. Just know that for every second that you are not doing this, not putting Him first, you are in violation of His law, and it is punishable by death. When you recognize what you have done, how gross your sin truly is, cry out for His mercy, cry out for forgiveness.
Yahuah will never leave you nor forsake you, He’ll never be selfish, but in your selfishness, you have forsaken Him, cheated on Him with another; you have violated Him. The most amazing thing is that if you just recognize what you have done before Him, confess that to Him, run to Him, He will forgive you.
Yahuah, I pray the conviction of sins for all who read this; that they would see through your eyes; that they would know your heart; that they would have ears to hear. Praise your Name, Yahuah. Thank you for your sent One, Yahushua, Your one and only Son. Thank your for the redemption, the ransom paid for our lives. You now own all that is in the world, and I pray that we bow to you as Master and King, and that we would run to you, fleeing the lies of this world. Fill us with your Truth, your life, your Love, that we would be like you, take on your character, and magnify your Name in all the earth. Yahuah we love you. To your Name be all the glory, all the honor, and all the power. Amen.

Why do we have  to confess our sins before God when He already knows everything? God wants us to own what we’ve done. If you will not own it, you cannot receive forgiveness for it. You can’t receive the mercy necessary for the crime that you have committed if you will not admit to the full crime. You can only receive forgiveness for the depth of your confession. Basically, if you feel that your violation was small and not a big deal, you will receive a small portion of mercy, because in reality that’s what you’re asking for. The problem is that you need an infinite measure of mercy even for the smallest of sins. Any amount of drawing back from Yahuah causes eternal death. The only way to regain life, is through His mercy. For this reason, any amount of sin (selfishness) has a penalty of eternal death, and needs a full measure of God’s mercy.

We like to rate sin, saying, “Well I’m not that bad,” and “What they did was far worse than what I did.” However, in the Father’s eyes, lust is the same as adultery, and hate is the same as murder. So you may not have slept with someone else other than your spouse, or physically committed murder, but chances are that you are guilty of both offenses. You are an adulterer, and you are a murderer. The fact that you didn’t physically do those things only matters in this world system, but in God’s kingdom, your crimes are worthy of the death penalty, and God’s death penalty is far greater than the one we face in this physical world; it’s spiritually dying for eternity.

Here is something that may come as a surprise to you, God is not concerned so much about what particular sin you have committed, but more importantly, what caused the sin. What causes sin is a heart that draws back, choosing our way not God. We like to think that as long as we pray a little bit, maybe read the bible here and there, go to church, and do our best to be a good person, that somehow this is meeting the requirements of ‘getting into heaven.’ Well, the whole topic of heaven is going to have to come at another time, but the requirements are far greater than you might think.

Sin can be defined as falling short of the mark. It would then be important to know what, or where, the mark is. The mark is God’s perfection, or righteousness. Did you know that you will actually be measured by, and held accountable to, the perfection of Yahuah? Here enters one of the largest problems in common church thinking. Does God’s grace allow you to remain in sin, and still be found justified, made righteous? This may be a shocker, but the answer is NO. God’s grace enables you, or sets you free from sin, not only the penalty. God’s grace is most easily understood as the medium through which He gives. It is through grace that God gives us everything; gives us himself. It is through grace that God’s mercy flows. It is through grace that we have freedom from sin and death, or said a little differently, we no longer are bound to a life of sin that leads to death. Through God’s grace then, we can live a life that is pleasing in His sight. You have absolutely no excuse to continue in your sin, because He has extended everything necessary for you to walk free from sin.

Now, I have not said that I am perfect, but Yahuah is, and it is His standard not mine.

So, why are we still living in sin? I think that the most important reason that we continue to walk in sin is because we have little to no understanding of what we are really supposed to do. We are called to be holy, set-apart, unto Yahuah, as He is holy. We are not to look anything like this world. Our time is to be spent worshipping, praying, admonishing, tearing down strongholds, being dispersers of grace as rivers of living water flow from our bellies. That is what we are truly called to do. Why don’t we then see people walking in this if it’s really possible? Extremely simple answer: COMPROMISE. We try to live in two realities at the same time. These two realities are polar opposites, and there is nothing in between; it is impossible to live in both. God’s way is nothing like the world, and He says that if we are friends, just being familiar, with the world we are His enemy. Did you read that; His enemy. What does that mean? Will you make excuses to allow yourself to remain in a substandard lifestyle, or will you begin to allow Him to show you what that, and the other Scriptures, truly means?

If you are defining, or interpreting, what the Word of God means, I can pretty much garauntee that you will miss its true meaning. Only He can give you the understanding that you need; only He can share with you what He meant when it was written. This life is about Him, not you. This life is about serving Him, not your needs. The truth is that He can meet your needs far better than you can if you would let Him. He has so much more for you than you could ever imagine, if you would just allow Him to show you. How can we begin the process of allowing the Spirit of Yahuah to show us who we truly are, what we were created for, what He has planned for us? Simply by choosing Him. When He is the most important thing in your life, not just the thing that you say is the most important, but really the most important, revelation will begin to flow; life will begin to fill your being. That is what repentence really looks like: turning from everything that you ever knew, ever did, the things that you value, EVERYTHING, forsaking your life, and choosing His by choosing Him.

When we really get down to it, I am not a good person, and neither are you. Not even Yahushua (Jesus) would allow someone to call Him good, but said there is none good but One, and that’s Yahuah. When you say, “but I’m a good person,” you are justifying your substandard lifestyle, your sin before God. Basically, you are excusing yourself, saying that your sins, choosing yourself over God isn’t really that big of a deal. In so doing, you saying that you will rely upon God’s justice when you face Him on the Day of judgement. I can garauntee you that you do not want to rely upon your goodness on that Day, as His justice will measure against His standard of perfection. The only way to be pardoned from you wickedness, the life that you have lived, is to admit your full crime. Your crime, however small in your eyes, is deserving of a eternal punishment. You may say that that isn’t fair, but He has offered to pay your penalty, so… seems more than fair to me. All that you must do is choose Him to receive His mercy, to receive the pardon from death, to receive the adoption papers into His family.

The greatest commandment is this, to love Yahuah your God with ALL of your heart, ALL of your soul, ALL of your mind, and with ALL of your strength. Just know that for every second that you are not doing this, not putting Him first, you are in violation of His law, and it is punishable by death. When you recognize what you have done, how gross your sin truly is, cry out for His mercy, cry out for forgiveness.

Yahuah will never leave you nor forsake you, He’ll never be selfish, but in your selfishness, you have forsaken Him, cheated on Him with another; you have violated Him. The most amazing thing is that if you just recognize what you have done before Him, confess that to Him, run to Him, He will forgive you.

Yahuah, I pray the conviction of sins for all who read this; that they would see through your eyes; that they would know your heart; that they would have ears to hear. Praise your Name, Yahuah. Thank you for your sent One, Yahushua, Your one and only Son. Thank your for the redemption, the ransom paid for our lives. You now own all that is in the world, and I pray that we bow to you as Master and King, and that we would run to you, fleeing the lies of this world. Fill us with your Truth, your life, your Love, that we would be like you, take on your character, and magnify your Name in all the earth. Yahuah we love you. To your Name be all the glory, all the honor, and all the power. Amen.

 

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Walkabout: Day Fifty

Posted in Challenging words, Joshua's Trip with tags , , , , , , , , , , on Sunday, September 20, 2009 by crazychristcraver
Matthew 5:3 – 7:27
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the reign of the heavens. Blessed are those who mourn, because they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, because they shall inherity the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they shall be filled. Blessed are the compassionate, because they shall obtain compassion. Blessed are the clean in heart, because they shall see Elahim. Blessed are the peacemakers, because they shall be called sons of Elahim. Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake, because theirs is the reign of the heavens. Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and falsely say every wicked word agaist you, for My sake. Rejoice and be glad, because your reward in the heavens is great. For in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how shall it be seasoned? For it is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and to be trodden down by men. You are the light of the world. It is impossible for a city to be hidden on a mountain. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines to all those in th house. Let your light so shine before men, so that they see your good works and praise your Father who is in the heavens. Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall be no means pass from the Torah till all be done. Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called the least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens. You heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and whoever murders shall be liable to judgement. But I say to you that whoever is wroth with his brother without a cause shall be liable to judgement. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raka!’ shall be liable to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the fire of Gehenna. If, then, you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother holds whatever against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first make peace with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Be well-minded with your opponent, promptly, while you are on the way with him, lest your opponent deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly, I say to you, you shall by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. You heard that is was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone looking at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut if off and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perish, than for you entire body to be thrown into Gehenna. And it has been said, ‘Whoever puts away his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the matter of whoring, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery. Again, you heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to Yahuah.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all, neither by the heaven, because it is Elahim’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), for it is the city of the great Sovereign; nor swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. But let your word ‘Yea’ be ‘Yea,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ And what goes beyond these is from the wicked one. You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I say to you, do not resist the wicked. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. And he who wishes to sue you and take away your inner garment, let him have your outer garment as well. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wishes to borrow from you, do not turn away. You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you, so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Are not the tax collectors not doing so too? Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect. Beware of doing your kind deeds before men, in order to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in the heavens. Thus, when you do a kind deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do, in the congregations and in the streets, to be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a kind deed, do not let you left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that you kind deed shall be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret shall Himself reward you openly. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the congregations and on the corners of the streets, to be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into the room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place. And your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. And when praying, do not keep on babbling like the gentiles. For they think they shall be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. This then, is the way you should pray: ‘Our Father who is in the heavens, let Your Name be set-apart, let Your reign come, let Your desire be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into trial, but deliver us from the wicked one–because Your is the reign and the power and the esteem, forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father shall also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither shall your Father forgive your trespasses. And when you fast, do not be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that they appear to be fasting before men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place. And your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore the eye is good, all your body shall be enlightened. But if the eye is evil, all you body shall be darkened. If, then, the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one is able to serve two masters, for either he shall hate the one and love the other, or else he shall cleave to the one and despise the other. You are not able to serve Elahim and mammon. Because of this I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you shall eat or drink, or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than the clothing? Look at the birds of the heaven, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father does feed them. Are you not worth more than they? And which of you by worrying is able to add one cubit to his life’s span? So why do you worry about clothing? Note well the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, and I say to you that even Shelomoh (Solomon) in all his esteem was not dressed like one of these. But if Elahim so clothes the grass of the field, which exists today, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more you, O you of little belief? Do not worry then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For all of these the gentiles seek for. And your heavenly Father knows that you need all these. “But seek first the reign of Elahim, and His righteousness, and all these matters shall be added to you. Do not, then, worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow shall have its own worries. Each day has enough evil of itself. Do not judge, lest you be judged. For with what judgement you judge, you shall be judged. And with the same measure you use, it shall be measured to you. And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? Or how is it that you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the splinter out of your eye,’ and see, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to remove the splinter out of your brother’s eye. Do not give what is set-apart to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before the pigs, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. Or is there a man among you who, if his son asks for bread, shall give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, shall he give him a snake? if you then, being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in the heavens give what is good to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you wish men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets. Enter in through the narrow gate! Because the gate is wide–and the way is broad–that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in through it. Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and there are few who find it. But beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are savage wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? So every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields wicked fruit. A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruits you shall know them–Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, your who work lawlessness!’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not do them, shall be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.”

I pray that you will be able to read these words without interpreting them. Remove the lenses of culture, schooling, doctrine, and theology. Allow the Set-apart (Holy) Spirit to speak, teach, and challenge. I pray that the eyes of your understanding be opened; that you would know the incredible depths of the Love of the Father, the Creator of all things, Yahuah. What do these words say?

Matthew 5:3 – 7:27 (The Scriptures translation)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the reign of the heavens. Blessed are those who mourn, because they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, because they shall inherity the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they shall be filled. Blessed are the compassionate, because they shall obtain compassion. Blessed are the clean in heart, because they shall see Elahim. Blessed are the peacemakers, because they shall be called sons of Elahim. Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake, because theirs is the reign of the heavens. Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and falsely say every wicked word agaist you, for My sake. Rejoice and be glad, because your reward in the heavens is great. For in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how shall it be seasoned? For it is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and to be trodden down by men. You are the light of the world. It is impossible for a city to be hidden on a mountain. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines to all those in th house. Let your light so shine before men, so that they see your good works and praise your Father who is in the heavens. Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall be no means pass from the Torah till all be done. Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called the least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens. You heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and whoever murders shall be liable to judgement. But I say to you that whoever is wroth with his brother without a cause shall be liable to judgement. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raka!’ shall be liable to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the fire of Gehenna. If, then, you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother holds whatever against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first make peace with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Be well-minded with your opponent, promptly, while you are on the way with him, lest your opponent deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly, I say to you, you shall by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. You heard that is was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone looking at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut if off and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members perish, than for you entire body to be thrown into Gehenna. And it has been said, ‘Whoever puts away his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the matter of whoring, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery. Again, you heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to Yahuah.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all, neither by the heaven, because it is Elahim’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), for it is the city of the great Sovereign; nor swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. But let your word ‘Yea’ be ‘Yea,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ And what goes beyond these is from the wicked one. You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I say to you, do not resist the wicked. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. And he who wishes to sue you and take away your inner garment, let him have your outer garment as well. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wishes to borrow from you, do not turn away. You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you, so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Are not the tax collectors not doing so too? Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect. Beware of doing your kind deeds before men, in order to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in the heavens. Thus, when you do a kind deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do, in the congregations and in the streets, to be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a kind deed, do not let you left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that you kind deed shall be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret shall Himself reward you openly. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the congregations and on the corners of the streets, to be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into the room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place. And your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. And when praying, do not keep on babbling like the gentiles. For they think they shall be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. This then, is the way you should pray: ‘Our Father who is in the heavens, let Your Name be set-apart, let Your reign come, let Your desire be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into trial, but deliver us from the wicked one–because Your is the reign and the power and the esteem, forever. Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father shall also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither shall your Father forgive your trespasses. And when you fast, do not be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that they appear to be fasting before men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place. And your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore the eye is good, all your body shall be enlightened. But if the eye is evil, all you body shall be darkened. If, then, the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one is able to serve two masters, for either he shall hate the one and love the other, or else he shall cleave to the one and despise the other. You are not able to serve Elahim and mammon. Because of this I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you shall eat or drink, or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than the clothing? Look at the birds of the heaven, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father does feed them. Are you not worth more than they? And which of you by worrying is able to add one cubit to his life’s span? So why do you worry about clothing? Note well the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, and I say to you that even Shelomoh (Solomon) in all his esteem was not dressed like one of these. But if Elahim so clothes the grass of the field, which exists today, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more you, O you of little belief? Do not worry then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For all of these the gentiles seek for. And your heavenly Father knows that you need all these. “But seek first the reign of Elahim, and His righteousness, and all these matters shall be added to you. Do not, then, worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow shall have its own worries. Each day has enough evil of itself. Do not judge, lest you be judged. For with what judgement you judge, you shall be judged. And with the same measure you use, it shall be measured to you. And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? Or how is it that you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the splinter out of your eye,’ and see, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to remove the splinter out of your brother’s eye. Do not give what is set-apart to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before the pigs, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. Or is there a man among you who, if his son asks for bread, shall give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, shall he give him a snake? if you then, being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in the heavens give what is good to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you wish men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets. Enter in through the narrow gate! Because the gate is wide–and the way is broad–that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in through it. Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and there are few who find it. But beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are savage wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? So every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields wicked fruit. A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruits you shall know them–Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, your who work lawlessness!’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not do them, shall be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.”

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Walkabout: Day Twenty-Four (How To Battle)

Posted in Challenging words, Encouraging Words, Joshua's Trip with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 by crazychristcraver
1 Corithians 13
If I speak with the tongues of men and of messengers, but do not have love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all belief, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am none at all. And if I give out all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I am not profited at all. Love is patient, is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, is not puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not seek its own, is not provoked, reckons not the evil, does not rejoice over the unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, it covers all, believes all, expects all, endures all. Love never fails. And whether there be prophecies, they shall be inactive; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be inactive. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be inactive. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I did away with the childish matters. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, as I also have been known. And now belief, expectation, and love remain–these three. But the greatest of these is love.
How does a person walking in this kind of love, totally selfless, and without thought or regaurd for themselves, fight in a battle against the dark things of this world?
I guess the place that we would actually need to start would be, who and what is the fight against? The fight is against selfishness–every thought and imagination, every high thing that would raise itself against Yahuah. It is this selfishness that we are called to wage war against. It is this gross darkness that we are called to tear down, bring to nothing, bring into obedience to the Master. The Master is Love, Truth, and Light, and therefore our warring causes darkness to be enlightened, lies and deceptions exposed and transformed into the image of Truth, and the self-centered exaltation of a pride-filled existence would instead be brought low, highly reguarding others, that they may love Yahuah their Elahim with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. This is the outcome of our warring, and is great commission that we first see given to Adam in the garden (part of our created purpose) and is expounded upon many times throughout the scriptures.
We see the great commission in Genesis 1:26-28.  And Elahim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth and over all the creeping creatures that creep on the earth.” And Elahim created the man in His image, in the image of Elahim He created him–male and female He created them. And Elahim blessed them, and Elahim said to them, “Bear fruit and increase, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over all creatures moving on the earth.”
The commission is expounded upon in Isaiah 61:1,2, and again in Luke 4:18-19:The Spirit of Yahuah is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away the crushed ones with a release, to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahuah.
We further see the commission expounded in Matthew 10:7-8:”And as you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The reign of the heavens has drawn near.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the leapers, raise the dead, cast out demons. You have received without paying, give without being paid.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not fight according to the flesh. For the weapons we fight with are not fleshly but mighty in Elahim for overthrowing strongholds, overthrowing reasonings and every high matter that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elahim, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to the Messiah, and being ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
In the previous verses we have seen that we are supposed to bring all things into subjection, to rule and have dominion in this earth, to bring freedom and healing, making whole that which is broken, etc, but how? What weapons do we have? How do we fight? What protects us from attack?
Ephesians 6:10-18…be strong in the Master and in the mightiness of His strength (His strength comes from His peace; there is peace within Him, because in Him all things are in agreement; He is never divided within Himself, and it is when we come into agreement with Him that we too will walk in the same strength, walk in Him). Put on the complete armor of Elahim, for you to have power to stand against the schemes of the devil (the schemes of the devil are simply to cause conflict in your thinking through deception, and therefore stealing peace in your relationship to Truth, with Yahuah). Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual matters of wickedness in the heavenlies. Because of this, take up the complete armor of Elahim (we do not put on the armor of God to protect our junk; this suit of armor does not allow us to remain in an unchanged state, but as we take on these things we are transformed into His image), so that you have power to withstand in the wicked day, and having done all, to stand (we fight by standing agaist these things, standing agaist selfishness; as we pull down strongholds in our thinking, and come into agreement with Yahuah, by simply standing we defeat the enemy; we stand in His completed work, we stand in His victory, and it is in this place that there is rest). Stand, then, having girded your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; above all, having taken up the shield of belief with which you shall have power to quench all the burning arrows of the wicked one. Take also the helmet of deliverance, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Elahim (the finishing blows to the enemy are not vicious, are not out of revenge, and actually they are not done with any thought of self, but they are the Truth of His Word; the finishing blows are simply standing on the Rock, the Word, standing in Him), praying at all times, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the set-apart ones (as we begin to stand in victory in the smaller arenas of our own thinking, we can begin to reach outward, praying for those around us, standing in the gap for them, encouraging them to take on this armor as well).
In this post I just wanted to explore what it is that we are warring against, and how we fight this battle. This is the epic battle of good and evil, light and dark, self and selfless. I started this post with 2 Corinthians 13, talking about love, because this is who Yahuah is, this is who we are to be becoming, this is how we battle, and anything that would raise itself against this way of thinking is what what tear down. Yahuah is Love; our purpose is to return that love to Him, and to be dispensers of His Love to this earth. Halleluyah!!!

1 Corithians 13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of messengers, but do not have love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all belief, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am none at all. And if I give out all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I am not profited at all. Love is patient, is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, is not puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not seek its own, is not provoked, reckons not the evil, does not rejoice over the unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, it covers all, believes all, expects all, endures all. Love never fails. And whether there be prophecies, they shall be inactive; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be inactive. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall be inactive. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I did away with the childish matters. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, as I also have been known. And now belief, expectation, and love remain–these three. But the greatest of these is love.

How does a person walking in this kind of love, totally selfless, and without thought or regaurd for themselves, fight in a battle against the dark things of this world?

I guess the place that we would actually need to start would be, who and what is the fight against? The fight is against selfishness–every thought and imagination, every high thing that would raise itself against Yahuah. It is this selfishness that we are called to wage war against. It is this gross darkness that we are called to tear down, bring to nothing, bring into obedience to the Master. The Master is Love, Truth, and Light, and therefore our warring causes darkness to be enlightened, lies and deceptions exposed and transformed into the image of Truth, and the self-centered exaltation of a pride-filled existence would instead be brought low, highly reguarding others, that they may love Yahuah their Elahim with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. This is the outcome of our warring, and is great commission that we first see given to Adam in the garden (part of our created purpose) and is expounded upon many times throughout the scriptures.

We see the great commission in Genesis 1:26-28 And Elahim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth and over all the creeping creatures that creep on the earth.” And Elahim created the man in His image, in the image of Elahim He created him–male and female He created them. And Elahim blessed them, and Elahim said to them, “Bear fruit and increase, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over all creatures moving on the earth.”

The commission is expounded upon in Isaiah 61:1,2, and again in Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of Yahuah is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away the crushed ones with a release, to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahuah.

We further see the commission expounded in Matthew 10:7-8 “And as you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The reign of the heavens has drawn near.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the leapers, raise the dead, cast out demons. You have received without paying, give without being paid.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not fight according to the flesh. For the weapons we fight with are not fleshly but mighty in Elahim for overthrowing strongholds, overthrowing reasonings and every high matter that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elahim, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to the Messiah, and being ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

In the previous verses we have seen that we are supposed to bring all things into subjection, to rule and have dominion in this earth, to bring freedom and healing, making whole that which is broken, etc, but how? What weapons do we have? How do we fight? What protects us from attack?

Ephesians 6:10-18 …be strong in the Master and in the mightiness of His strength (His strength comes from His peace; there is peace within Him, because in Him all things are in agreement; He is never divided within Himself, and it is when we come into agreement with Him that we too will walk in the same strength, walk in Him). Put on the complete armor of Elahim, for you to have power to stand against the schemes of the devil (the schemes of the devil are simply to cause conflict in your thinking through deception, and thereby stealing peace in your relationship to Truth, with Yahuah). Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual matters of wickedness in the heavenlies. Because of this, take up the complete armor of Elahim (we do not put on the armor of God to protect our junk; this suit of armor does not allow us to remain in an unchanged state, but as we take on these things we are transformed into His image), so that you have power to withstand in the wicked day, and having done all, to stand (we fight by standing agaist these things, standing agaist selfishness; as we pull down strongholds in our thinking, and come into agreement with Yahuah, by simply standing we defeat the enemy; we stand in His completed work, we stand in His victory, and it is in this place that there is rest). Stand, then, having girded your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; above all, having taken up the shield of belief with which you shall have power to quench all the burning arrows of the wicked one. Take also the helmet of deliverance, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Elahim (the finishing blows to the enemy are not vicious, are not out of revenge, and actually they are not done with any thought of self, but they are the Truth of His Word; the finishing blows are simply standing on the Rock, the Word, standing in Him), praying at all times, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the set-apart ones (as we begin to stand in victory in the smaller arenas of our own thinking, we can begin to reach outward, praying for those around us, standing in the gap for them, encouraging them to take on this armor as well).

In this post I just wanted to explore what it is that we are warring against, and how we fight this battle. This is the epic battle of good and evil, light and dark, self and selfless. I started this post with 2 Corinthians 13, talking about love, because this is who Yahuah is, this is who we are to be becoming, this is how we battle, and anything that would raise itself against this way of thinking is what what tear down. Yahuah is Love; our purpose is to return that love to Him, and to be dispensers of His Love to this earth. Halleluyah!!!

 

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Walkabout: Day Twenty

Posted in Challenging words, Encouraging Words, Joshua's Trip with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Friday, August 21, 2009 by crazychristcraver
Being here in Texas with my kids is totally awesome, but is extremely hard as well. There is so much going on physically (running and playing and chasing and jumping), emotionally (love for my kids, frustration with their mother), and spiritually (an all out war as the darkness continues to fight for my children). Staying focused on Yahuah, and living in / by the Spirit while spending time with my kids and Rachel (their mom), is rough. I got the chance to put them to bed last night, and as I snuggled each of them so close, the emotions that I can usually keep at a distance flooded my thinking and my eyes as the tears of so many mixed feelings dripped onto the blankets. After leaving the house last night I was fighting with thoughts of hatred and unforgiveness towards Rachel, and sitting here I’m seeing that some were mine, but the majority of what I was experiencing was being fed to me by the enemy. They were not my thoughts, but in the middle of everything that was going on my defenses were down, and the attack was subtle.
Six months ago I had come down to see the kids, but the main focus of my trip was to see Rachel. I had spent hours in prayer over her, and saw a change in her behavior as result. This was not me attemping to manipulate her, but pushing back the darkness, the deceptions that had controlled her life. That week was the first time that I had ever been with Rachel that I did not give her (or her rulers) authority. As I wared in the spirit over her through out the week I saw a sweet and genuine side of Rachel that I had never before seen, but it came to an end when she asked me to leave. I could see that there was a huge part of her that didn’t want me to go, but her rulers said that I had to, and so she agreed. The ground that I had taken slowly slipped away over the next few weeks until she was again consumed by darkness.
I must continue to realize that I am not fighting against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers and principalities, the dark things of this world. We have been commissioned to have dominion over all that is in the earth bringing all things into subjection, setting the captives free, bringing sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, making strong what is lame, loosing the chaines of bondage as we walk, overthrowing strongholds and reasonings and every high matter that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elahim, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to the Anointed One. This is what we have been called to do. This is what my life is about. All authority in heaven and earth was given to Yahushua, and He in turn gives that same authority to those who would follow after Him. This is what my walk is about: to learn how to live in Him, and walk in His authority and power. It’s never my authority, I am only an ambassador of the King, a dispensor of grace.
Master, teach us how to walk as you have called us, and to complete the works that you have prepared for us. Show us how to live and abide in you. Arm your servants with wisdom and understanding for battle. Cause us to be well disciplined soldiers in your army of Truth and Love. Father we need you. You are not a means to an end, but you are the end itself. You are my destination. You are my strong tower, my fortress, and my rock. You will never leave me nor forsake me. You lead me and guide me in all Truth, and empower me to live a life that is well pleasing in your sight. You are faithful, and you uphold your servant. You are the Almighty Elahim, my deliverer, my salvation; You are Yahuah, the Elahim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and the Creator of all things. You know my name, and you have called me for your purposes. Help me to walk in Your authority, and to use the weapons that you have given me. Help me in battle as I war against this gross darkness that covers the earth. Let your light shine brilliantly through Your servant. Let Your pressence go before me, and prepare the way. You have armed me for battle, now show me how to fight. O how I love you my Master, my Elahim. I praise Your set-apart name, Yahuah. Halleluyah!!!

Being here in Texas with my kids is totally awesome, but is extremely hard as well. There is so much going on physically (running and playing and chasing and jumping), emotionally (love for my kids, frustration with their mother), and spiritually (an all out war as the darkness continues to fight for my children). Staying focused on Yahuah, and living in / by the Spirit while spending time with my kids and Rachel (their mom), is rough. I got the chance to put them to bed last night, and as I snuggled each of them so close, the emotions that I usually keep at a distance flooded my thinking and my eyes as the tears of so many mixed feelings dripped onto the blankets. After leaving the house last night I was fighting with thoughts of hatred and unforgiveness towards Rachel, and sitting here I’m seeing that some were mine, but the majority of what I was experiencing was being fed to me by the enemy. They were not my thoughts, but in the middle of everything that was going on my defenses were down, and the attack was subtle.

If you know me, or have read my testimony, you know that I have been separated from Rachel for a little less than two years. Being apart from her is not something that I ever wanted, but I when I was with her I could never do what God was calling me to do, because I would try to serve both God and my wife. Six months ago I had come down to see the kids, but the main focus of my trip was to see Rachel. I had spent hours in prayer over her, and was seeing a change in her behavior as result. This was not me attemping to manipulate her, but pushing back the darkness, the deceptions that had controlled her life. That week was the first time that I had ever been with Rachel that I did not give into her (or her rulers) and forsake my God. As I warred in the spirit over her through out the week I saw a sweet and genuine side of Rachel that I had never before seen, but it came to an end when she asked me to leave. I could see that there was a huge part of her that didn’t want me to go, but her rulers said that I had to, and so she agreed. The ground that I had taken through many hours of prayer, slowly slipped away over the next few weeks until she was again consumed by darkness.

It is so easy to be upset with Rachel, but I must continue to realize that I am not fighting against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers and principalities, the dark things of this world. Yahuah has continued to use my relationship with Rachel to teach me this, and many other important lessons as well. I obviously have a ways to go, but Yahuah has begun to teach me about the authority, as well as the responsibility that we have in this earth.

We have been commissioned to have dominion over all that is in the earth bringing all things into subjection, setting the captives free, bringing sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, making strong what is lame, loosing the chaines of bondage as we walk, overthrowing strongholds and reasonings and every high matter that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elahim, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to the Anointed One. This is what we have been called to do. This is what my life is about. All authority in heaven and earth was given to Yahushua, and He in turn gives that same authority to those who would follow after Him. This is what my walk is about: to learn how to live in Him, and walk in His authority and power. It’s never my authority, I am only an ambassador of the King, a dispensor of grace.

Master, teach us how to walk as you have called us, and to complete the works that you have prepared for us. Show us how to live and abide in you. Arm your servants with wisdom and understanding for battle. Cause us to be well disciplined soldiers in your army of Truth and Love. Father we need you. You are not a means to an end, but you are the end itself. You are my destination. You are my strong tower, my fortress, and my rock. You will never leave me nor forsake me. You lead me and guide me in all Truth, and empower me to live a life that is well pleasing in your sight. You are faithful, and you uphold your servant. You are the Almighty Elahim, my deliverer, my salvation; You are Yahuah, the Elahim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and the Creator of all things. You know my name, and you have called me for your purposes. Help me to walk in Your authority, and to use the weapons that you have given me. Help me in battle as I war against this gross darkness that covers the earth. Let your light shine brilliantly through Your servant. Let Your pressence go before me, and prepare the way. You have armed me for battle, now show me how to fight. O how I love you my Master, my Elahim. I praise Your set-apart name, Yahuah. Halleluyah!!!

 

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Breakthrough and Breakaway

Posted in Challenging words, Encouraging Words with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Monday, August 17, 2009 by crazychristcraver

Ephesians 5:6-22 (The Scriptures Translation)
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these the wrath of Elahim comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Master. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth, proving what is well-pleasing to the Master. And have no fellowship with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather reprove (confute, expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of what is done by them in secret. But all matters being reproved (confuted, exposed) are manifested by the light, for whatever is manifested is light. That is why He says, “Wake up, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Messiah shall shine upon you.” See then that you walk exactly, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are wicked. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the desire of Yahuah is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is loose behavior, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to each other in psalms and songs of praise and spiritual songs, singing and striking the strings in your heart to the Master, giving thanks always for all to Elahim the Father, in the Name of our Master Yahushua the Messiah, subjecting yourselves to each other in the fear of Elahim.”

When I started my quiet time this morning I asked the Master what He wanted me to read, and this is what I got. It is a total confirmation of what I have been speaking about the last few days. Those who are of the light are called to expose darkness. The workers, dispensers of Light, are few and the darkness is great. The deception, like a snake has slithered and wrapped itself tightly around the hearts and minds of the people. The open door is simply selfishness; all sin is selfishness. This is why we must selflessly turn ourselves over to be exposed by the Light which drives back darkness and roots out all deception. Selfishness holds back parts and pieces of our hearts and minds where we have built walls for “protection” giving room for the enemy to hide. Often times these walls are caused by unforgiveness, old wounds that we wouldn’t let be healed that are now festering and infected. It is in these secret places that darkness is allowed to remain. It doesn’t take much darkness to totally corrupt a good thing, as a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Through selfishness we hold on to hurt and pain and old sins, and it is not until we truly press in to God and give Him everything, laying ourselves at His feet as a living sacrifice, that we will truly see breakthrough in and breakaway from the enemy. Freedom is available, but selfishness is the chain that keeps you bound. The sad thing about the chains of selfishness is that they don’t hold you, but you hold onto them. You are no longer bound by those chains. You have been set free from sin (selfishness), but you must choose to receive freedom; you must choose Him. The opposite of the selfishness that keeps you bound is obviously selflessness, or Love. Yahuah is Love, and we are called to be like Him. You were created in the image of Love, but this has been perverted through the self. We don’t think that the Yahuah can take as good care of us as we can. We are better providers than He, better protectors, have greater dreams, and more important things to do. It will not be until He is enough, and our trust truly rests in Him, that we will experience the Life that has been provided.

Back to our passage, we are called to expose darkness, or shine the Light on the hidden areas of those around us so they may be made light. This must be done in Love. The Truth may sometimes hurt, but it is also comforting. The Truth brings peace to chaos, and true joy to those who are hurting. There was way more to talk about in this passage from Ephesians, but this is just what jumped out this morning. We are called to be lights unto the world, but first we must let down our guard and expose ourselves to the light, and having been made light we go out into the world and share what we have, HIM.

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My Heart Hurts

Posted in Challenging words, craver vid's with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Friday, August 14, 2009 by crazychristcraver

Earlier I watched a video from a guy that I used to follow closely. I sometimes forget the depth of the deception that we are facing in this day, and this was only a reminder.

I first wrote this as a status update on facebook, but then had to do the video to try expound a little.

My heart hurts for those who think that they know God, but have totally lost touch with Truth. There is an increasingly dark and powerful deception coming against a people who were once intimate with God, and unfortunately it’s prevailing. Now, having become so deceived they don’t know light from darkness, they speak blasphemies and spew forth lies.  I once looked up to these men who have so far fallen, but I praise God that I was never aloud to fall into the darkness unto which they now crave. I pray that they would return to the true Light, forsaking the deceiver of men who merely poses as light. I pray that those watching these men would not be deceived by their message of selfishness, the message that has replaced the gospel. Selfishness is the doorway to destruction, the path unto death, the root and stronghold of all sin.

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Destruction vs. LOVE!!!

Posted in Challenging words, Revies with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 by crazychristcraver

There is no question that there is something big on the horizon; that’s obvious. However, what’s coming is the part that is in question. Some say rapture, some say the anti-christ, some say a lot of other things, so what is it? What’s coming? Well, I guess the ones who say that the destruction of the world as we know it are “right”, and the ones that say that this is a “LOVE revolution” (or whatever you want to call this move of God) are “right” too. We are entering a time of extremes. On the one extreme God’s wrath is going to be poured out, and the at the other extreme God’s LOVE is being poured out also. So it’s both? Yes, both love and wrath at the same time. But I thought that the love of God was rainbows and cotton candy. Absolutely not! It is the love of Eyahuah that has called you out of darkness, that has paved the way and given you the strength to leave that place and take on His character for His created purpose, but it is also this same love that brings discipline, correction, and justice, and from which flows His wrath.

We should actually be thankful and rejoice that this world system is coming down, as this is the very thing that has held you back through distraction time and time again. This world has caused you to take your eyes off of what truly matters during this age of apostasy. As everything, including the foundations of the heavens and the earth, is shaken there will be a realignment with truth, a reordering of priorities. There will be a revolution of sorts, a changing or returning to the roots of the greatest move of Eyahuah on this earth in this age. However there are many counter revolutions, counter movements, and so many others that have only a small piece of the truth each saying that the others are fakes and it is only they who have the truth. Let’s face it, you’re not going to bottle up what God is doing in these times and say that you have it all, or that you have the only one that’s right. Get over yourself. If you think that you are alone in loving God, you’re not. If you think that there is no one else that gets what’s going on today, again, you’re not. So we see that there is an interesting thing going on in these times. Nobody has a complete picture, only pieces. We must humble ourselves and realize that we only have a piece, and that without the others we are not very valuable, and that without us, neither are they. We must work together. We must work in love.

Knowledge puffs up, and says I know and you don’t. Wisdom says I know that I do not know enough, and it is from this attitude that when we approach Eyahuah, when we approach others, that we will find the other pieces, people, that are needed in our life. As a part of the body, we will never function as a single cell, we’ll die. However, when part of the whole we find value, life support, and we bring increase.

Now comes for the twist… the extremely difficult task is finding the other pieces that you do not have. I say that it is extremely difficult, but really it is simply relying on Him who called you to reveal them to you. The problem is that they are so often not in your face, their messages are being trampled on and forgotten about. Many of the pieces that you need have been abandoned and made to be outcasts. It is up to you to find these pieces and bring them home. We will never be complete without having all of the pieces (people).

If you are not living according to your personal calling by which Eyahuah has called you, you are devaluing the rest of the body. You are devaluing the head, which is the Anointed One Eyahushua. I don’t know about you, but I want to show Him of; I want to bring Him glory (esteem). The only way for me to do that is to first find out how He sees me and what He has called me to. In Him you were created infinitely special; there has not nor will there ever be another just like you. If that’s the case, then why are you trying to be like the guy who wrote the book you just finished. Why are you following the pastor, or the guy on t.v. or whatever? Why are you trying to become someone that He didn’t call you to be. That means that He accepts me like I am right? Yes and no. You are welcomed as you are, however you are not welcome to stay as you are. The person that you identify yourself with as you, is not the person that He created special. That person is a product of this world. How then will you find out who you truly are? Simply by spending time with Him. That’s the simplest Gospel message that you going to find: INTIMACY. That’s it; spend time with Him. Learn His ways. Find out how He sees you. Lay your life down before Him, and allow Him to resurrect (reconstruct) you in His image (the one He created you to be). Amen?

Father, Eyahuah my Elahim

Bring on the Destruction, the discipline

Let the walls come crumbling down

Give us understanding, insight, direction

We want to know You, to be known by You, who we are in You

More, more, more of You

O that I would decrease

Far exceed the boundaries that I once placed on You

Rid me from the stones of my heart

O to be good ground that produces much fruit

The fruit of LIFE

The Fruit of RIGHTEOUSNESS

Be perfected in me

Change me

Have Your way with me

I want You, to do Your will

I lay mine down at Your feet

Fill me with your purposes

Fill me with you WORD

Show me how to be intimate with You

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What Are You Doing?

Posted in Challenging words with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 by crazychristcraver
What are you doing? Why are you wasting you days? Don’t you know they are numbered? Don’t you know time is short? Persevere! Hold fast to that which is good; flee from evil, from your youthful desires, from the sins that so easily beset you. I have called you by name. I have even given you My name, My seal. Do not take this for granted! Do not make void My name through the corrupted works of the flesh. Run to Me! Enter My presence for it is there you will find rest from your works, and it is in this place that you will find freedom from sin. I love you my son. I have given you life, My life, My Spirit. This is my gift to you. Will you make the gift of no avail? Will you not receive what I have purchased? Is my gift not enough? I have given you Myself. I have laid down my life. Is it too much to ask you for the same? I am trustworthy; I am faithful. Have I spoken and will not follow through? Have you found something of more value than ME? Does the world offer more peace or more joy, or have you found a more fulfilling purpose? Take your eyes off of that which fades away, and look to that which is eternal; look to Me. Seek those things which give life, not the corruption that is in the world–the deceitful desires of the flesh. Be strengthened by My Spirit. Do not fail to see that your sin not only brings death to your body, but it steals from My body–the set-apart ones; it steals from My name. How many times will you say tomorrow? How many more days will you not seek first My reign, My righteousness, My calling by which I have called you? I have put My words in your mouth, but you fail to speak them. Why do you fear man? What have they done for you that is so much greater than what I have done? I have esteemed you, given you exceeding value. I have shown my face upon you. Why do you fear more what they think about you than forsaking me? You know that I will give you tomorrow, but there are not many tomorrows left. The mercy I have shown you WILL come to an end; the Day of Judgment IS coming! Will you only wait for that day? Do not think that you will escape the fire in your selfishness. You will pass through the fire, but will there be anything left? Be refined today that your hope is not in vain; that your life is not wasted. You have wasted so many days, do not waste anymore. NOW is the time. TODAY is the day. Rise up as I have called you. Be victorious. I have not given you a spirit of fear, but I have given you My Spirit, one of power and of love and peace and great joy. Don’t you know that My people, My chosen one’s, those who receive my set-apart Spirit are my portion, those that I cherish? Therefore be set-apart as I AM set-apart. Choose Me; choose LIFE. I love you my son.

This word was spoken directly to me for me, but I think that it is speaking to far more than only me, so I wanted to share it with you.

What are you doing? Why are you wasting you days? Don’t you know they are numbered? Don’t you know time is short? Persevere! Hold fast to that which is good; flee from evil, from your youthful desires, from the sins that so easily beset you. I have called you by name. I have even given you My name, My seal. Do not take this for granted! Do not make void My name through the corrupted works of the flesh. Run to Me! Enter My presence for it is there you will find rest from your works, and it is in this place that you will find freedom from sin. I love you my son. I have given you life, My life, My Spirit. This is my gift to you. Will you make the gift of no avail? Will you not receive what I have purchased? Is my gift not enough? I have given you Myself. I have laid down my life. Is it too much to ask you for the same? I am trustworthy; I am faithful. Have I spoken and will not follow through? Have you found something of more value than ME? Does the world offer more peace or more joy, or have you found a more fulfilling purpose? Take your eyes off of that which fades away, and look to that which is eternal; look to Me. Seek those things which give life, not the corruption that is in the world–the deceitful desires of the flesh. Be strengthened by My Spirit. Do not fail to see that your sin not only brings death to your body, but it steals from My body–the set-apart ones; it steals from My name. How many times will you say tomorrow? How many more days will you not seek first My reign, My righteousness, My calling by which I have called you? I have put My words in your mouth, but you fail to speak them. Why do you fear man? What have they done for you that is so much greater than what I have done? I have esteemed you, given you exceeding value. I have shown my face upon you. Why do you fear more what they think about you than forsaking me? You know that I will give you tomorrow, but there are not many tomorrows left. The mercy I have shown you WILL come to an end; the Day of Judgment IS coming! Will you only wait for that day? Do not think that you will escape the fire in your selfishness. You will pass through the fire, but will there be anything left? Be refined today that your hope is not in vain; that your life is not wasted. You have wasted so many days, do not waste anymore. NOW is the time. TODAY is the day. Rise up as I have called you. Be victorious. I have not given you a spirit of fear, but I have given you My Spirit, one of power and of love and peace and great joy. Don’t you know that My people, My chosen one’s, those who receive my set-apart Spirit are my portion, those that I cherish? Therefore be set-apart as I AM set-apart. Choose Me; choose LIFE. I love you my son.

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A Word to the WISE

Posted in Challenging words, Encouraging Words with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 by crazychristcraver

Why is it that the more knowledge that we have, the more we often think that we know everything, or at least all of the knowledge we have is right and the others are wrong? Having knowledge is simply the accumulation of facts that can be founded in Truth or error. We are called to seek out knowledge, but it must be seasoned with wisdom and understanding that only comes from the Spirit. The more wisdom and understanding that we have, the more that we should understand that there is far more that we do not understand. This should be a continual cycle: seek knowledge, gain wisdom, get understanding, have an even greater understanding that we do not yet understand. Do you understand? lol.

So often, with knowledge comes pride. Paul says to not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, as Eyahuah has given each a measure of faith. It is because of pride that we are so divided–one against the others. What we fail to realize is that each of us needs the others. We each only have pieces, and it is not until we come together that we will see a bigger picture. But in order for us to come together, we must be able to submit ourselves, and our understanding, to each other and allow each to add his / her part. Some have gained far more Spiritual wisdom than others, but that never eliminates the one who has little. The wisest of men should be able to see that there is much to be learned from even the simplest of all.

It is the set-apart (Holy) Spirit that reveals all things, and therefore any that has truly received the Spirit as their Teacher has access to the same understanding that has been revealed to you. Because each has been created for infinitely special purposes, as individual manifestations of the enormity that is Eyahuah, we must regard each other as such, and allow each piece to play its part. Not one of us is greater than the others. If you do wish to be considered great, it is the humble that is the greatest of us all.

This now leaves us with a problem. In gaining knowledge it is so very easy to become puffed up with pride. However, it is the meek and the humble that will inherit the earth and see Elah (eh-lah). We are called to seek His wisdom, and the depths of His understanding, but we must always remember that it is He who is the giver and we are simply receiving these gifts. We can allow the gift to make us think that we are more special than the rest, or we can realize that He gives gifts to all of His children so that we may share our gifts freely with each other. Sharing your gift with everyone else is a really good thing, but don’t forget that they have gifts too that they would like to share with you.

By saying this, I’m not saying that everyone is right. However, there is a future potential that when we share, we can all become partakers in Him who is always right.

Much love and many blessings.

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How did we get here?

Posted in Challenging words with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, December 11, 2008 by crazychristcraver

The Rock of the ages is not someone to play with.  Yes, He is love and merciful and forgiving, but He is also a God of righteousness and justice and wrath.  Have we forgotten what Israel went through when they abandoned their first love?  Have we forgotten what happens when we become lukewarm?  Have we forgotten what happens when we do not bear good fruit?  Have we forgotten what happens to the unfaithful servant that goes around beating the other brothers while partying?  Have we forgotten what the ten commandments are really about?  Have we forgotten that the sons of God are known by their love for the brethren?  How did we get here?  How do we get out?  Do we even care?

God I pray that You would light us up.  Wreck us.  I am so sorry for what we’ve done.  We’ve sinned against you.  We’ve beaten Your body; we’ve spit in Your face.  We’ve called good evil and evil good.  I’m sorry that I have grieved Your Holy Spirit.  I’m sorry that I haven’t listened when you spoke.  I am so sorry that I have done my own thing leaving the hurting people to walk to their death.  I didn’t even care and I’m so sorry.  Please forgive me.  Show me what I did.  Show me how bad it really is.  Show me what it could have been like if I had only listened.  Please show me how to make it right.  I know I have let you down, but I promise that I will do my best to listen and do what You would tell me to do.  I want to truly know You, to see as You see, to have ears that hear, to truly know Your heart and how You feel.  I have really made a mess of things, and I want to make it right.  Please show me how.  O Lord God, hear my cry.  Wash me in the blood of Jesus so I can be pure and clean and white again.  Here I am; here’s my life…I want to be a living sacrifice.  I am climbing up on the alter.  Let Your consuming fiery Truth fall on me and burn me up.  I want to be like Jesus.  Show me how.  I ask for true wisdom that comes from God and not of man.  Empower me with Your Holy Spirit to follow through with whatever you would ask me to do.  I thank You, O mighty God.  I ask for more fear of the Lord that would destroy any fear of anything else that would try to limit me.  I place myself in Your hands, fully.  Have Your way with me.  Place Your hedge of protection around me, cover me with the blood of Jesus, and close any door that I may have left open.  I live for You now, I am not my own.  I thank You, Jehovah.  I seal this in Jesus name, amen.

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GOD, give me…

Posted in Challenging words with tags , , , , , , , , , on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 by crazychristcraver

I beg for God’s forgiveness, when I have none to give. I ask God to love me, while I only love myself. I ask God to bail me out so I can go back to doing what got me in trouble. I hope to be judged by a merciful God, while I scrutinize other people’s behavior. I call myself a Christian, but…I don’t look anything like Christ.

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Which Master?

Posted in Challenging words with tags , , , , , , , , , , on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 by crazychristcraver

As humans, why are we satisfied with compromise? Compromise leads to death. We like the “easy” way; we like comfortable; we like deception; we like death. If we are not entirely set apart to Truth, we are set apart from Truth. We choose God to be on our team like He’s a player, or like He can be our teammate. We say that He is our copilot. If He is the copilot, that makes me the pilot and puts me in control. I don’t know how to fly. What the heck am I doing then as a pilot? Either Truth lives through me, or death. Only one can occupy the thrown of my life: Truth who brings Life, or me who lives death.

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Who is my master?

Posted in Challenging words with tags , , , , , , on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 by crazychristcraver

If Jesus is sitting on the throne of my heart, and Lord of my life, what does that mean? That makes Him my King and Master, and I would be His servant. If He is Master, but I do whatever I want, it either makes Him a horrible leader, or He is not my master. Jesus said that I can choose to submit myself to the master of my choice: God or Satan. God is selfless; Satan is self-serving. If my behavior is self-serving, which one would most likely be my master?

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The Call to Worship

Posted in Challenging words, Revies with tags , , , , , , , on Sunday, October 19, 2008 by crazychristcraver

God is calling His people to be worshippers.  He is looking for those who would forsake all else to follow after Him.  It is not about where you go to church, or how many times a day that you offer up prayers, but about a heart that seeks after God and wants to be intimate.  God has met the church where it was, continuing to call it up.  We must not be satisfied with a relationship that our parents had or their parents before them.  This is a whole new level that is calling for a whole new intimacy.  Will you press in farther; will you answer the call?

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Step Out

Posted in Challenging words, Encouraging Words, Revies with tags , , , , , on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 by crazychristcraver

When God calls you to step out with nothing, it is to give Him the opportunity to do and to be everything.

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