You Are Not A Dry Tree

1 Thus says YHWH, “Keep justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation [yeshuah-ti] is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”3 Neither let the foreigner, who has joined himself to YHWH, speak, saying, “YHWH will surely separate me from his people”; neither let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” 4 For thus says YHWH, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast my covenant: 5 to them I will give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the foreigners who join themselves to YHWH, to minister to him, and to love the name of YHWH, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant; 7 even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” 8 YHWH Elohim, who gathers the outcasts of Yisrael, says, “Yet will I gather others to him, besides his own who are gathered.” 9 All you animals of the field, come to devour, all you animals in the forest. 10 His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they can’t bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yes, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds who can’t understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. 12 “Come,” say they, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, great beyond measure.” Yeshayahu 56 (emphases added)

I don't usually do this, but I think it is important that we speak the truth to ourselves. So repeat after me - Ready? - 1 – 2 – 3 “I am not a dry tree. I am not a dry tree. I am not a dry tree!” Do you feel better? The truth will set you free. There are principalities in wicked realms that have sent their messengers out to convince you that you are a dry tree. These are the same spirits that have killed the prophets and they will kill you if you let them. It's time for the people of Yisrael to stand up against these enemies! The people of Ephrayim have a history of committing idolatry on every high hill and under every green tree. We have spent a life time allowing unclean spirits to seduce us away from our heritage, our inheritance, and our beloved Land. And now as we are returning we have forgotten that we are in a spiritual battle. We have failed to address the unclean fruit manifesting from the hidden enemy within. Ephrayim has one big problem. You want to be validated by man. If you believe you are a dry tree this will be one manifestation.

When I think of a well watered tree, I think of the following passage:

1 Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, and shall not stand in the path of sinners, and shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, 2 But his delight is in the Torah of YHWH, and he meditates in His Torah day and night. 3 For he shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers. 4 The wrong are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wrong shall not rise in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For YHWH knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wrong comes to naught. Tehillim 1 (emphases added)

The principalities and powers of wickedness have been our counselors.  They keep saying, “You don't measure up! Look at how the Greeks and Assyrians don't accept you. Join the idolators.”

The Spirit of Cain

1 The man knew Havah his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with YHWH’s help.” 2 Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 As time passed, it happened that Cain brought an offering to YHWH from the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. YHWH respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. 6 YHWH said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.” 8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” It happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.  Bereshit (Genesis) 4:1-8 (emphases added)

There is a spirit of Cain in the camp. This spirit will seek to destroy individuals who seek to desire the commands of their Father. Instead of adjusting and correcting their own wrongs, these individuals have a strong spirit of Cain in them that rises up to kill their brother. I have met these spirits face to face. The person on the surface may appear as one of you. But, if they see you attempting to walk in a way that is pleasing to your Father, the spirit rises up within them to kill and discredit you. The spirit of Cain will turn you over to the persecutors. The spirit of Cain was present that attempted to usurp Moshe's leadership among the children of Yisrael (see Bamidbar (Numbers) Ch. 16). The spirit of Cain was present when those citizens in the Northern Kingdom of Yisrael wanted to go up to Yerushalayim to celebrate the pilgrimage feasts. Yeroboam ordered them to return to worship 2 golden calves, thus killing the peoples desire to please their Abba (see 1 Kings 12:25 and following verses). The Yisraelites who returned to Yeroboam had another spirit – the spirit of the fear of man. The operating of the spirit of Cain through Yisrael would make a very thick history book! I only gave 2 examples, but you will see it rearing its ugly head through the history of our people.

The purpose and driving force behind the murdering spirit of Cain is the denial of access to the Torah which is life. Remember, this spirit manifests through one who is your brother.

92 If Your Torah had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 Let me never forget Your orders, For by them You have given me life. 94 I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your orders. 95 The wrong have waited for me to destroy me; I understand Your witnesses. Tehillim 119:92-95 (emphases added)

23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life.....Proverbs 6:23

There is the blessing and the curse. The spirit of Cain will attempt to keep you in the curse and the curse may kill you. (See Devarim 23) A curse does not come without a cause (see Prov. 26:2). If we stand against the spirit of Cain, life surrounds us.

What Shall We Do?

11 And have no fellowship with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather reprove or expose them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of what is done by them in secret.  13 But all matters being reproved or exposed aremanifested by the light, for whatever is manifested is light. 14 That is why He says, “Wake up, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Messiah shall shine on you.” 15 See then that you walk exactly, not as unwise, but as wise, 16 redeeming the time,because the days are wicked.     (Ephesians 5:11 -16 emphases added)

We may, unknowingly, have these spirits, in ourselves. First we must expose them. Once we expose them in our own members, we can then begin to have no fellowship with them. Do not entertain their thoughts or ideas. Send those spirits back to their dry places to roam (see Mtthw 12:43-45). A good cleaning on the inside will allow us to see and discern these spiritual manifestations around us. Once we deal with the enemy within, we will be able to handle attacks from without.

Closing Thoughts

Since we are in the Messianic Age (time of Y'shua's first appearance up to His second), these verses are pertinent for us today from Luke 11: 46 "He said, ""“Woe to you Torah scholars also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens. " 47 "Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. " 48 "So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs. " 49 "Therefore also the wisdom of Elohim said, ‘I will send to them prophets and emissaries; and some of them they will kill and persecute, " 50 "that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; " 51 "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zekaryah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. " 52 "Woe to you Torah scholars! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”" (emphases added)

During these dark times it is vitally important to associate with those who will exhort and encourage you. Ephesians 4 offers us sound advice, 29 “"Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. " 30 "Don’t grieve the Ruach Ha Kodesh, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. " 31 "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. " 32 "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as Elohim also in Messiah forgave you.

Also what will proceed out of your mouth? For Yaacov 3 says, 8“"For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. " 8 "But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. " 9 "With it we bless our Elohim and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of Elohim. " 10 "Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. " (emphases added) For those who are like-minded let us take the time to encourage one another and leave the bitterness and hatred to the enemies of our souls.

Love,

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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