9 a.m. Wednesday February 1, 2023. 23F/-5C.
Confinement. The cabin door has opened, only once, and only for the purpose of setting out a tray of food for two feral cats. One golden cat arrives quickly, meowing and prancing. One dark gray cat stays hidden. A quick glance around the porch is taken. A white sheet of ice covers all surfaces. The door shuts quickly again. Indoors is a tent of blankets surrounding a certain area. There the temperature is 35 degrees above the outdoor temperature. The indoor tent feels confining. In only a few days, the confinement should be over. Hot sweet tea is sipped from a mug that is warm on stiff fingers. The cabin carries the spicy aroma of cumin and chili, which has been bubbling in a pot for a full day. Confinement.
The Gospel of Matthew, chapter seven
Heavenly Father, guide us please in the reading of your word, the Bible. I pray in the name of your word, Yeshua. Amen.
Moreover Yeshua Mashiach said to his talmidim, “Not all those who call me Adon will enter into the heavenly kingdom, but they who do the will of my Father will enter into the heavenly kingdom. In that day many will say, ‘Adon, we were brought in your name and healed the satan-possessed ones, and in your name we did many signs.’ Then he will say to them, that he never knew them: ‘Depart from me guilty ones, full of corruption of heart.’ Every man who – hearing his words – do them, will be like the wise, who founds his house on the established rock. But he who hears my words and does not do them, is like a fool who builds his house on the sand, then there came rains and winds and torrents, and they made it fall with weight.”
The Sepharadic Gospel of Matityahu, chapter seven, translated by Justin van Rensburg
Yeshua, Jesus, made two points in the above verses that were similar to each other. Both points were about disciples, talmidim, who claimed the name of Yeshua. The name of Yeshua is powerful in heaven and on earth, just as the name Yehovah is powerful in heaven and on earth. In those names, men can be led by the Spirit. In those names, men can work signs and wonders.
Signs and wonders do not mean the person is doing the will of God.
Not all who called Yeshua by the names “rabbi”, “Lord”, or “master” would be living by the Spirit. Only the ones whose lives revealed the love and intentions of our heavenly Father were living by the Spirit. Otherwise, they were simply building their houses, their generations – on shifting sand – falling to dishonor whenever the tide rolled in.
But there was a second startling point!
Yeshua spontaneously switched from saying “hearing his words” to “hearing my words”. Did you see that? As I read further through Matthew, I become more and more convinced that Yeshua was indeed mute, except for the words that our heavenly Father spoke through him. He repeatedly compared himself to Ezekiel, calling himself “son of man”. “Son of man” was God’s nickname for Ezekiel during his mute years.
But back to the sermon…
Disciples who heard “his” words, who heard the words of our heavenly Father as Yeshua spoke, were the ones who obeyed. The disciples who heard “my” words, who only listened to the human sound of Yeshua’s mouth, were the ones who had hearts full of corruption. Houses that fell were not just buildings, they were generations of families.
The simple solution is and was to believe in Yeshua, not just that he carried a powerful name, but that he is the very utterance of Yehovah God.
Life in the hollow, Wednesday
I have an addiction to following modern prophets, but I am learning that not all of them are worth my time.
A fascination for prophecy was certainly part of the reason why crowds followed Yeshua. They followed him to be “in on” the next miracle he would perform, the next oracle he would speak. While he had their attention, he taught with words from our heavenly Father. Some of the crowd listened. Many did not.
The Lord has offered to give me some predictive prophecies and I am uneasy about responding to his offer. These people, these modern prophets, make a dozen videos, put them on the internet, and then skyrocket to Youtube success. Is commercial sensationalism my notion of spreading the word of God?
Perhaps I should delete all these internet bookmarks of prophets?
But if not sensationalism, how does a person spread the word of God? Yeshua was sensational – with a biting edge. Spreading the word of God can be done by introducing people, one at a time, to the wonders of intimacy with Yehovah through acceptance of his son Yeshua.
And in this manner, every believer can become a prophet and a miracle worker. So be it.
Enter My Peace 