Sunday, March 29, 2009

A Look In The Mirror

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

First, I pray that this Biblical New Year will be a time of growth in Him you never thought possible. Already I am experiencing new growth as the Father has been doing some pruning in my life. Only the Spirit has a way of confronting us to show us what we've been doing. If you're married, your partner can see things before you can, but we may or may not hear or be able to change our behavior. We are prisoners of the flesh until Abba holds a mirror in front of our faces to show us a marred image short of what He desires for us to be. The book of Yaacov/James speaks of a mirror why some forget what they see.

Yaacov/James 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and overflow of evil, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your lives. 22 And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, 24 for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like. 25 But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah. (emphases added)


Looking in the Mirror before Pesach

During Pesach we revisit the story of our freedom. This is a perfect time to ask Abba for an exodus out of sins/unclean spirits that have ensnared us. In fact, Shaul provides a diagnosis of origins of some illnesses by how we approach Pesach.

1 Corinthians 11: 20 So when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Master’s supper. 21 For, when you eat, each one takes his own supper first, and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 Have you not houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the assembly of Elohim and shame those who have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise! 23 For I received from the Master that which I also delivered to you: that the Master Y'shua in the night in which He was delivered up took bread, 24 and having given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat, this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the renewed covenant in My blood. As often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Master until He comes. 27 So that whoever should eat this bread or drink this cup of the Master unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Master. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. 29 For the one who is eating and drinking unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Master. 30 Because of this many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (Note: A polite way to say you're dead.) 31 For if we were to examine ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Master, that we should not be condemned with the world. (emphases added)

Many are weak, ill, and die because they have failed to examine themselves in a worthy manner before the beginning of partaking of the matzah and wine? Were they coming to the Seder without seeing that this appointed time (moed) is also our own personal exodus from unclean spirits? Was Y'shua a prophet like unto Moshe in that he was declaring to our personal Pharoah's (unclean spirits) and asking for our release so that we could worship Him in Spirit and in Truth?

Discerning the Body?

What is discerning the body of Y'shua? I have heard and read explanations, but did not comprehend what commentators were saying. Recently, Abba revealed an understanding to me through 2 verses.

Romans 5:8 But Elohim proves His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us.

1 Yochanon/John 1:8 If we say that we have not sin, we are misleading ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is trustworthy and righteous to forgive us the sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. (emphases added)

I believe we discern His body correctly by confessing our sins to Him thru self examination. This should be done before Pesach. If we fail to do this and do it honestly, we have confessed that Messiah never died for us and that we are not sinners. It is amazing how these unclean spirits think they can “pull the wool over” Y'shua's eyes! If we are not honest with Him thru self examination, he sees us as liars like the world! Therefore, we put ourselves in jeopardy of being then judged with the world. With this attitude we have approached Pesach unworthily. So if you believe you are without sin you would be better off refraining from partaking of the matzah and wine. (see 1 Corith. 11).


A Torah of Freedom

If Abba has held His mirror in front of you, then you will never forget the image that you have seen. When I looked I saw unclean spirits having their way with me even when I knew the authority that I had in Messiah. Wretched man that I am, who will free me from this body of death?! Praise be to Elohim for Y'shua!! (Romans 7) This Torah of Freedom shows me an image that I will not forget and releases the Spirit of Y'shua in me to set me free from a body of death! For behind that marred image in the mirror I see the perfect Spirit of Y'shua ready to express itself in me. I must now confess that the marred image is a lie and the beautiful Spirit of Y'shua is my true image!! If all you see is your natural face in the mirror, you will quickly forget what you saw.

Closing Words

I pray that this Pesach will be unlike any other Pesach for you. May it be a time to grow closer to your husband Y'shua. May the spirit of Laodicea stay far from you, and you never forget your First Love. May you hear Y'shua's clarion call to your Pharoahs, “Let my people go so that they may worship me!”

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



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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Preparing for the Exodus

You have not heard from Chazak for awhile since we have been busy throwing off our physical weights that have been ensnaring us. Our first start was our physical location. We have made a decision to rent a master bedroom from a brother instead of renewing the lease at our previous location (a 2 bedroom, 1 bath home). I believe that our decisions have been a preparation for the Exodus. He is teaching us Hinei Ma Tov (behold how good ) dwelling in unity is. I do believe the day is soon approaching for a second Exodus to Yisrael. The non-Jewish and Jewish sides of family of Yisrael will return. That day is talked about in Scripture,

"Therefore behold, the days are coming," says YHWH, "that it shall no more be said, 'YHWH lives who brought up the children of Yisrael from the land of Egypt,' but, 'YHWH lives who brought up the children of Yisrael from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.' For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers." (Yirmeyahu 16:14-15; see also 23:7-8)

In Yeshayahu 11:11-12 . we have another prophecy,

YHWH shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left. He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Yisrael, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”

A Spiritual Preparation

But if shedding off these physical weights is part of our journey home to Yisrael, could the writer of Hebrews be referring to another preparation for the Exodus?

Ibrim/Hebrews 12: 1 "Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, " 2 "looking to Y'shua, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim. " (emphases added)

I can see Caleb and Yehoshua among these witnesses. Full of faith, they believed Elohim's promises to their father Avraham. They were the only Yisraelites of their generation to see the land of Yisrael. They learned to cast off the weight and entanglement of sin, and they learned to shed a slave mentality to the Pharoahs of Egypt. They saw Redemption in the wilderness and Redemption was the author and perfecter of their faith. They understood what we all need to understand that there are not just giants in the Land, but there are giants in each of us.

The Land Shall Lay Aside Every Weight

A week ago I had a conversation with a brother who mentioned Messianic Judaism in Yisrael as an obstacle to Yisrael's restoration. Most Yisraeli believers in Y'shua refuse to accept the non-Jewish side of the family (Ephrayim). As an example, an Yisraeli who had been involved in rabbic study for years, now a believer in Y'shua, went to a Messianic conference in Yisrael for the first time, and was surprised at what he was hearing. The speakers were teaching against the Torah! These misrepresentations of Y'shua are not only standing in the way of the reunion of Ephrayim and Yehudah, but also continue to perpetuate the myth that Y'shua started another religion.
Abba has made it clear in His Word that He cannot tolerate for long those that stand against His purposes in the Land. If you do not repent and continue to stand against His Torah, you will eventually be removed.

Vayikra/Leviticus 18: 25 The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants. 26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you; 27 (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land became defiled); 28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. (emphases added)

The Land is then also preparing for the Exodus just like in the first Exodus where Abba Father was waiting for the wickedness of the Amorites to be completed.

Bereshit/Genesis 15: 16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.”

I believe it is not a stretch to state that one definition of iniquity could include the hindering of Abba's purposes. Therefore, Abba will cause the Land to vomit these opponents out if they do not turn from their wicked ways.

Final Words

The Final Exodus will take place whether we participate in it or not. This process of casting off everything that ensnares us, must be met with patience (see again Hebrews 12:1). He has suffered long with us. And He will see to it that we are prepared for our final journey home to Yisrael if we allow Him to lead us.
--
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