Heal Whose Land?

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

Just the other day I encountered a verse in Scripture that is quoted quite often, 2 Dibrayamim (Chronicles) 7:14 "....and My people upon whom My Name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I shall hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land."

The Ruach asked me to think on this verse and to take a closer look.

The context of the verse is about Shlomo (Solomon) dedicating the temple. The mightiness of YHWH is shown as He Himself sends fire from heaven to consume the burnt offering. The people see His esteem and do obeisance with their faces bowed toward the ground. In addition, the people continue to praise YHWH and give thanks with more offerings. The cohenim (priests) are blowing the shofarot. The dedication of the temple is all taking place during the Festival of Succoth (Tabernacles).

When the festival had ended Shlomo sent the people away and they were glad of heart. Then YHWH appeared to Shlomo at night and said to him (verse 12), "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of slaughtering. 13 “If I shut up the heavens and there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people 14 and My people upon whom My Name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I shall hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land."

Whose land will be healed? Is it the land of the diaspora you are living in? Let's look at verse 15, "Now, My eyes are open and My ears attentive to the prayer of this place. 16 “And now, I have chosen and set this house apart for My Name to be there forever. And My eyes and My heart shall always be there.

Yerushalayim, the place of the temple, is the emphasis of verse 14 that is often quoted. If we look at the rest of the chapter we can get even further insight, 17 “And you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you guard My laws and My right-rulings, 18 then I shall establish the throne of your reign, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There is not to cease a man of yours as ruler in Yisrael 19 “But if you turn away and forsake My laws and My commands which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other mighty ones, and bow yourself to them, 20 then I shall pluck them from My land, which I have given them, and this house which I have set apart for My Name I shall cast out of My sight and make it to be a proverb and a mockery among all peoples. 21 “And this house, which has been exalted, everyone who passes by it shall be astonished and say, ‘Why has YHWH done thus to this land and this house?’ 22 “Then they shall say, ‘Because they forsook Elohim of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim, and embraced other mighty ones, and bowed themselves to them and served them, therefore He has brought all this evil on them.’ ” (emphasis added)

Shlomo despite his wisdom was the very king who started the downward slide of the Kingdom of Yisrael as he began to sacrifice to strange elohim (gods) brought about by his marriage to foreign wives. After his passing, Rehoboam, Shlomo's son, saw the division of the Kingdom of Yisrael and the subsequent scattering of the 10 tribes into the four corners of the earth (see 1 Kings 11 and following).

We as Ephrayim and all the first born nation of Yisrael are to humble ourselves, pray and seek Abba's face so He may heal the Land of Yisrael, the Land of our inheritance. The Land is sick for it has been vomiting people out for thousands of years (see Vayikra (Leviticus 18:26-28 and 20:22). Vomit many times is a response to sickness. Our response of repentance will directly influence the healing of the Land. As Abba restores the Land's health, it can then receive more of its inheritors, the sons of Yisrael. O Abba, may it be done in our day.

Shavua tov.
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

A Humbled Heart

25 May 2008

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

Abba continues to reveal keys to Ephrayim's return to the Land.   This past week's Torah portion really struck a chord deep down into my heart.  These are the verses that He emphasized:

Vayyiqra (Leviticus) 26:40 - 42

40 ‘But if they confess their crookedness and the crookedness of their fathers, with their trespass in which they trespassed against Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, 41 and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies – if their uncircumcised heart is then humbled, and they accept the punishment of their crookedness, 42 then I shall remember My covenant with Yaaqov, and also My covenant with Yitshaq, and also remember My covenant with Abraham, and remember the land.  (emphasis added)

Many parts in Scripture allude to the Land of Yisrael being covenanted by YHWH for a people.   Abba spoke to Moshe that the Canaanites crookedness was too great for them to remain in the Land (Devarim 9:5). Now was the time for the redemption to take place for the covenant son's of Yisrael to take their Elohim given inheritance.   Thus, the covenant was made with the Land to accept the offspring of Yisrael at the proper time.

Notice how if we humble ourselves YHWH remembers the covenant.   Here we read a different sequence of the patriarchs going backward in time.   It is the ancient path Yisrael has left; ancient paths go back in time.  As  Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 18:15 reads,  “But My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to what is false, and they have stumbled from their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths and not on a highway, 16 to make their land become a ruin, a hissing forever – everyone who passes by it is appalled and shakes his head. 17 “I shall scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I shall show them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity.” (emphasis added)   Our call to the ancient paths is further described in Yirmeyahu 6:16 Thus said YHWH, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and find rest for yourselves. But they said, ‘We do not walk in it.’ (emphasis added)

So why are we as the House of Ephrayim being held back from the Land of Yisrael?  Remember when we first learned of the Torah?  We were humbled.  We were repentant.  But, now much of Ephrayim have become proud and arrogant boasters of the Torah.     Ephrayim has erected just as many fences as Yehudah.  Is this a demonstration of humility?  I believe the enemy of our souls has highjacked our return to Ha Eretz.  As we walk in humility we testify to the devil of his demise and the thwarting of his plans.   When we witness a humble heart to others,  Abba will move His hand for our redemption to the Land of Yisrael.   Y'shua repeated this as well, "The meek shall inherit Ha Eretz." (Note in Matt. 5:5: In this context Y'shua appears to mean our initial inheritance of the Land of Yisrael and then the earth since Yisrael shall become the head of all the nations.)

Abba, may our walk with you be reflected in a walk that is humble.  May you remind us that the Ruach Ha Kodesh uses the Torah for our personal correction for it is through our walk we become witnesses of the life and flow of the living Torah Y'shua in our very lives.  Abba, may it be as Yehudah looks at us they see a living reflection of Y'shua and are so moved that they see the very One who has been pierced.  Abba may we repent of all the times we tried to correct others when the Ruach was to be the one to do the correcting.

In Y'shua's name Amein.

Shavua tov,
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Am Yisrael Chai

17 May 2008

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

For the past several days I have been meditating upon the words "Am Yisrael Chai" (the people of Yisrael live). I heard those words in a song and I could not get them out of my mind. Then Abba asked me to meditate upon Tehillim 133.

Tehillim (Psalm) 133:
1 See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity – 2 Like the precious oil on the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aharon, Running down on the collar of his robes – 3 Like the dew of Hermon, That comes down on the mountains of Tsiyon. For there YHWH commanded the blessing, Life forever!

I have been asking Abba to give me understanding. That He would show me His Truth in this short passage. Honestly I was responding a little like one of our Patriarchs who would not let go until he was blessed! I have wrestled with Abba on these few verses and I hope you will be blessed as I have been.

First, Melech (King) David is making a statement that is the basis for the whole passage. Verse 2 is an analogy to that statement, followed by another analogy and ending with a definitive statement.

The end of this Tehillim brings all the other verses together, "YHWH commanded the blessing, Life forever!" Blessing is brought forth when brothers dwell together in unity. In fact, this unity means our very life! However, we will never get there by man-made creeds, dogmas, nor human agendas. We will get there by the flow of the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit). We will get there as we allow the Ruach to purify our minds. Thus, it must first flow down upon our heads.

Then it flows down the beard. Now a full beard was a man's dignity in ancient times. We read about David's mighty men being humiliated and sent back to their commander with half a beard (2 Sam. 10). Because of their great shame, David sent them away to Yericho only to return once their full beards had grown back. Webster's dictionary defines dignity as "ones true worth or excellence". In Bereshit (Genesis) we read that YHWH breathed His Ruach into Adam and He became a living nefesh (soul). Is not our true worth and excellence in the very One who gives us life?

Is the Ruach flowing down upon our very being? Are we robed in the Ruach Ha Kodesh or are we hiding behind other clothes? What have we dressed ourselves in? In Bereshit 35 Yaacov said to his household, "Put away the strange elohim that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments." And Yeshayahu 61:10 ...."For He has put garments of deliverance on me, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness."

Streams of living water flow as dew from the mountains of Tziyon. Water from the very One who saved us flowed from a mountain of Tziyon to give us life.

Religion won't bring us unity, but as we embrace the Breath of Life who does, then we all can truly say, "Hinei ma tov uma nayim shevet achim gam yachad. (see footnote) Am Yisrael Chai!"

footnote: (Hebrew from Tehillim 133, verse 1)

Shavua tov,
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and
let us strengthen (encourage) one another!

Conductor of a Symphony

10 May 2008

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

This past Friday morning I saw a vision of a conductor leading a symphonic orchestra. The orchestra was playing the most amazing music! Abba then spoke to me and said, "Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 3:15."

Yirmeyahu 3:15 "I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."

Our Conductor Y'shua, the Great Shepherd, is leading an orchestra. Within His orchestra are concert masters and section leaders. These concert masters and section leaders understand the musical score and look to the Conductor to lead them. They also realize that they are actually sheep themselves living a life of a sheep who is following the Great Shepherd. Through this example they are leading sheep in their sections. If they do not pay attention to the great Conductor, they will lose the rhythm and the intonation will be lost creating a discordant sound. The concert masters and section leaders are the shepherds Abba is raising up in these last days who desire not to please themselves but the Master Conductor Y'shua - the Great Shepherd.

Our Great Conductor and Shepherd Plays a Flute

Zekaryah 10:3 “My wrath burns against the shepherds, and I lay a charge against the leaders. For YHWH of hosts shall visit His flock, the house of Yehudah, and make them like His splendid horse in battle.
4 “From him comes the corner-stone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler, together. 5 “And they shall be like mighty men, who trample down the mud of the streets in the battle. And they shall fight because YHWH is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame. 6 “And I shall make the house of Yehudah mighty, and save the house of Yoseph. And I shall bring them back, because I have compassion on them. And they shall be as though I had not pushed them aside. For I YHWH am their Elohim, and I answer them. 7 “And Ephrayim shall be as a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. And their children shall see and rejoice, their heart exulting in YHWH 8 “I shall whistle for them and gather them, for I shall ransom them. And they shall increase as they once increased. 9 “Though I sow them among peoples, they shall remember Me in places far away. And they shall live, together with their children, and they shall return. 10 “And I shall bring them back from the land of Mitsrayim, and gather them from Ashshur, and bring them into the land of Gil'ad and Lebanon, until no more room is found for them. (emphasis added)

In ancient Yisrael the shepherd played the flute. This flute was used to call forth the sheep. The sound of the flute was called a "whistle". Our Great Shepherd is playing the shepherd's flute for Ephrayim. It's known that the call of the shepherd is very powerful. As sheep march forth toward the shepherd's flute, they become as mighty men. In this march to the shepherd's call, it has been known that any wolves in their midst will be trampled to death.

Yisrael is a shepherd nation. All the sons of Yisrael were shepherds. As we understand the role of the shepherd, we begin to understand our Great Shepherd Y'shua.

Y'shua as our Great Shepherd, is described beautifully in Tehillim 80: 1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Yisra’el, Who lead Yoseph like a flock; Who dwell between the kerubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephrayim, Binyamin, and Menashsheh, Stir up Your might, And come and save us! 3 Cause us to turn back, O Elohim, And cause Your face to shine, That we might be saved! (emphasis added)

We are moving toward that crescendo called the Greater Exodus. The Exodus is a migration. A shepherd understands that he is to lead the flock in migration. If the flock is not moved, the flock will perish because of starvation. The nations are spiritually drying up. This is Abba's plan for the Great Shepherd is leading His flock to that great pasture land called Yisrael.

Shavua Tov.
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!

Reaching for the Handshake

4 May 2008

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

Thursday morning I got a call from Abba at 3:30am. When you say hineni (Hebrew: here I am) to the Master, He takes you seriously! I saw a picture in my dream of the Land of Yisrael reaching out as if to shake some one's hand. Then I saw the poor, the widow, and orphan all around. I saw people losing their homes across the USA. I saw other types distress throughout the USA and sensed that this same distress was manifesting itself all over the world. I was weeping for all the sons of Yisrael.

I believe Abba was disclosing a key to how the Land of Yisrael will open up to the House of Joseph (Ephrayim) and how we can become connected to one another. Let me provide you an illustration to communicate the essence of the dream. When I was in high school (Central Minnesota) I went up with my family across the Red River into North Dakota near the Northwest Minnesota area to visit my sister. While there we attended a small Lutheran church. I was totally unfamiliar with Lutherans or their customs. During the service the minister held out his hand to me and said, "Peace be with you." I must have drifted off somewhere because I did not see his hand. My dad elbowed me gently and then I saw the hand of the minister's waiting for me to take his hand and shake with the return reply, "And also with you."

This illustration is very similar to what is happening to some of Messianic Yisrael in the diaspora. We listen to many people, but we fail to listen to the pulse beat of the Land Yisrael. Are we cognizant of what our brother is doing in the Land? Are we aware of those who are reaching out to the poor, the widow and the orphan and ministering the love of Y'shua? Are we aware that there are humble servants who are toiling in that set-apart soil? Those who are citizens have the greatest need for they see their sons and daughters going off to war to protect the nation. Daily they are praying for their children's protection.

Ephrayim has not been paying attention. The hand is out for the hand shake. Our minds have drifted off and Abba is nudging us to wake up. The Land cannot receive us until we reach out for the hand of Yisrael which is represented by believers in Yisrael who are laboring for all of Yisrael's restoration. If we shake the hand and feel the pulse beat of what they are saying and doing over there, I believe the Land will open itself to Joseph. They need our prayers, our support, and encouragement. And in Abba's way all of us will begin to be connected one to another from the west coast to the east coast in the USA and to all the world's continents, coast lands, and isles of the sea. The blessings of Yah emanate from Yisrael. Acts 1:8 reiterates this same sentiment, “But you shall receive power when the Set-apart Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Yerushalayim, and in all Yehuḏah and Shomeron, and to the end of the earth. (emphasis added)” It flows from Yisrael to us and back again.

Are we ready and are we prepared to take the next step to become a discernable nation?

Shavua Tov (Have a good week.)
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!

YHWH's Circles of Life

28 April 2008

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

Yesterday, a number of us witnessed the passing of a dear Yisraelite sister. Her name is Tehillah Solarzano. All of us in that room felt it a privilege and honor to be with her in those last moments. We ushered in her passing to Yah's eternal with Scripture, with song, and with many tears.

Tehillah touched many lives. Though short were her 57 years and shorter still the years she knew of Yah's restoration message for Yisrael, Tehillah was a passionate laborer who had a desire to tell as many as she could about Yah's restoration of the Kingdom to Yisrael as beheld in the Torah and the prophets. One verse, encouraged me with its application to those who leave us.

Yochanon (John) 12: 24 Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.

The planting of our sister will bear much fruit! I prayed for a resurrection experience in that hospital room. I prayed, "Yah raise up this daughter of Tzion if it be Your will." Yah's answer was to plant her into the ground to bear much fruit. Tehillah died on the Feast of First Fruits. One from the first born nation of Yisrael died on the Feast of First Fruits. I believe Yah spoke to me that Tehillah's planting in the ground would bear greater fruit than a bodily resurrection from that hospital bed. This goes beyond my comprehension, but I believe Him and I trust His will for Tehillah's life.

As each Yisraelite grain falls to the ground, Abba's circle of life unfolds. We read to her the Psalms by her bedside. One Psalm speaks to this very thought of this sister's departure bearing fruit of Yisrael's Kingdom and greatest hope.

Psalm 130 reads:
1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O YHWH. 2 O YHWH, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my prayers. 3 O Yah, if You should watch crookednesses, O YHWH, who would stand? 4 But with You there is forgiveness, That You might be feared. 5 I looked to YHWH, My being has looked, And for His word I have waited. 6 My being looks to YHWH More than those watching for morning, watching for morning. 7 O Yisra’el, wait for YHWH; For with YHWH there is kindness. And with Him is much redemption, 8 For He shall redeem Yisra’el from all his crookednesses.

As they came for Tehillah's body, I was in a waiting room stationed next to her room. It was from this room we were going to leave the hospital. I turned to my left and saw a matted picture on the wall that I showed to my wife. Written in the form of a circle was Hebrew in the top half and English in the bottom half. The English read, "How great are your tents O Yaacov, your holy places of the people of Yisrael." In Hebrew phonetically, "Ma tovu O ha lecha Yaacov mishk'no-techa Yisrael." The testimony of Yah's circles of life in the moedim (appointed times) was in Tehillah's life as she clung to life to experience Pesach this year. She said to me in her exact words from an email, "I have a feeling that this is going to be the best Pesach for me. AleluYAH!" YHWH's circles of life. We received Abba's message with comfort. Those Yisraelites who were gathered around our sister in that hospital room displayed His love, His praise, and spoke His word. We received an encouragement in our grief that Yah saw the loveliness of the tents of Yaacov and the set-apart dwelling places of the people of Yisrael that very day.

Shalom Aleichem

--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!

Reflections of Y'shua

27 April 2008

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

The following is a compilation of revelations that the Ruach gave to us this past Shabbat gathering. Woven into the fabric of these revelations is a message for His people.

Hebrew 5:12 For indeed, although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first elements of the Words of Elohim. And you have become such as need milk and not solid food. We are all to be teachers? Is not this a gift given to select individuals?

1 Kefa (Peter) 2: 12 ......who brought the Good News to you by the Set-apart Spirit sent from heaven – into which messengers long to look into. (emphasis added)

The malakim (angels) are sent among us to observe us and to learn. Every Yisraelite is a teacher to the malakim for they desire to learn of the message of redemption not only for individuals, but for a nation as well. How do they learn from us? When we learn that Y'shua in us makes us more than conquerors through Messiah Y'shua (Rom. 8:37). A message came forth today to experience the "Ehyeh asher ehyeh" or "I shall be that I shall be". Abba desires for us to encounter Him as our all in all. This is the redemption message the malakim long to look into and desire to learn. For yes, we are all to be teachers and instructors to the malakim in this very thing.

Redeemed Yisrael is called to shine forth the reflection of Y'shua. As Y'shua's very being radiates His life in and through us we become reflections of Y'shua.

Some in our midst observed a flash several times as the Ruach was ministering. It was as if the malakim were taking pictures of us and desiring to observe these Yisraelites who desired a greater walk with Him.

Our redemption story to the malakim is seen in Ephesians 2: 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Y'shua for good works, which Elohim prepared before that we would walk in them.

May the Kadosh One of Yisrael manifest Himself to you abundantly in all that you say or do during this festival season.

Shavua Tov Yisrael.
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!

Emunah

24 April 2008

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

On my computer I have both a verse from the Tenach and a verse from the Brit Chadasha set up as a devotional meditation each day.

Here were this mornings 2 passages:
Zechariah 13:9 :
I will say, They are my people; and they will say, YHWH is my Elohim.

1 Kefa (Peter) 2:10:
Once you were not a people, but now you are Elohim's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I am hearing reports of major food shortages all over the world. Yet, Abba continues to encourage and exhort, "I am your all in all; Yisrael is being made a people and I am showing forth My mercy to them."
Y'shua even reinforces this in Matthew 6:26-34:

“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 the food and the body more than the clothing? 26 “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? 27 “And which of you by worrying is able to add one cubit to his life’s span? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Note well the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, 29 and I say to you that even Shelomoh in all his esteem was not dressed like one of these. 30 “But if Elohim 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? 31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 “For all these the gentiles seek for. And your heavenly Father knows that you need all these. 33 “But seek first the reign of Elohim, and His righteousness, and all these matters shall be added to you. 34 “Do not, then, worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow shall have its own worries. Each day has enough evil of itself."

We are His people and we are receivers of His mercy. The old me would really be worrying now. Praise Yah that He is building in each of us a faith that trusts in Him despite a deepening crisis. Oh Yisrael call to me I will show great and mighty things which you do not yet know (Yirmeyahu 33:3).
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!